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Despite Downturn, Few Men Sign Up to Teach
Gender gaps widen a bit among teachers
The economic downturn seems to have worsened an already-vast gap between the numbers of men and women teachers, particularly in the early grades.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2011 Current Population Survey, men make up only 18.3 percent of elementary and middle school teachers and 2.3 percent of preschool and kindergarten instructors—a dip from the 2007 prerecession proportions of 19.1 percent in grades 1 to 8 and 2.7 percent in preschool and kindergarten. The numbers of men and women on high school teaching staffs are more evenly divided but still off parity; 42 percent of high school teachers in 2011 were men, down from 43.1 percent in 2007.
A panel of researchers and former elementary teachers at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia last month argued that the diminishing status of teachers generally, coupled with continuing sexism against men working with children, is helping tamp down the number of men willing to enter the field.
Chanté Chambers, the managing director of recruitment at historically black colleges and universities at the New York City-based Teach For America, sees the same trend playing out in her organization's efforts to recruit teachers among high-achieving college students. She said education's perceived low status is "definitely a major barrier" to bringing more men, and particularly black men, into the teaching field.
"They're coming from communities that are not necessarily affluent, so it adds to that pressure to be that breadwinner, to have financial stability, ... to make six figures so they can give back to their communities in a meaningful way," she said.
In previous economic declines, such as from 1939 to 1942, more men entered K-12 teaching, according to Bryan G. Nelson, head of MenTeach, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that works to help men become educators. "Don't get me wrong: If we started paying elementary teachers $150,000 a year, we'd see a massive influx of male teachers," Mr. Nelson told Education Week in a separate interview, "but if it were just money, the proportion [of male teachers] would be the same in secondary and elementary schools, and that's not the case."
In spite of calls by President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for more men—particularly black men—to become teachers, researchers said federal and state accountability measures have effectively lowered the prestige of teaching.
"The discussion around male teachers has gone pretty quiet recently; a lot of our discussion around diversity has taken a back seat to these other things, like the common core, state tests, high stakes, and all this stuff," said Shaun P. Johnson, an assistant professor of elementary education at Towson University in Towson, Md., and a former District of Columbia teacher. He said: "The status of the teaching profession, I believe, weighs very heavily right now on men's decision to go into teaching. Teacher bashing is a new national pastime … and [one] which you could argue is highly gendered. Its status as a profession isn't going to improve in this climate; it's only going to get worse."
Mr. Johnson and other researchers who contributed to the 2011 book Go Where You Belong: Male Teachers as Cultural Workers in the Lives of Children, Families, and Communities spoke about their research and experiences at the research conference.
'Women's Work'?
Researchers argued that though girls are increasingly encouraged throughout school to enter male-dominated fields such as engineering and mathematics, boys are given less incentive or opportunity to explore working with young children. For example, Robert M. Capuozzo, an assistant professor of early-childhood education at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, said many of the young men he teaches have never even held an infant, while the female preservice teachers have been baby-sitting and tutoring children for years.
"We don't give boys the same opportunities that we give girls," Mr. Capuozzo said. "It's really important for the 6th graders to occasionally go down to read to the kindergartners or, if you are in an early-childhood setting, that the preschoolers get to go down and play with the infants, because it's not an expectation that boys get to hold little babies."
Male primary and preschool teachers are often accused of being gay, pedophiles, or simply "not masculine" for wanting to work with young children, according to Jeffrey M. Daitsman, a preschool teacher and early-education researcher at the Center for Practitioner Research at National-Louis University in Chicago.
Mr. Johnson and Mr. Capuozzo agreed, noting that male teachers are often seen primarily as disciplinarians and given students with more challenging behavior, even when a more experienced female teacher might be a better choice.
"One of my first parent conferences, I thought [the student] was doing great; I thought it was going to be a wonderful conference. They said, 'We were expecting a Big Mac, and we feel like we've gotten a taco out of this,' " Mr. Capuozzo recalled. "Jackson was this spirited kid, he was doing great, and his parents wanted me in essence to break that spirit. They assumed I was that man who would whip him into shape, and that totally wasn't who I was at all."
Perhaps because they are so frequently assumed to be disciplinarians, male teachers also have been more likely than their female colleagues to be threatened by students in every year of the Indicators of School Crime and Safety survey since 1993—though female teachers were more likely than men actually to be physically attacked by a student.
Drawing distinctions between men's and women's teaching styles can reinforce the stereotype that teaching can be only "women's work," Mr. Johnson said. "Is there something about a man's teaching that is or should be different? I don't think so, and a lot of men teachers I've spoken to over the years are not interested in believing they are doing something different. They just want to be teachers. That's it. They don't want to be male teachers; they don't want to be male role models."
Mr. Daitsman disagreed, noting that he often grows his hair long and wears a beard to encourage his preschool students to question gender differences.
He said men often become teachers because they want "the ability to break some of these stereotypes, to show kids that they can be caring, that they can be nurturing, that they can wear pink," he said. "A woman teacher might be able to say those things, but it's different when you actually see Bob in a classroom. … I think socially and emotionally a man can do a lot in the classroom. I think gender does matter."
First-year teacher MarQo D. Patton agrees. The 4th grade math and science instructor is the only full-time male teacher at Smithson Craighead Academy, a charter elementary school in Nashville, Tenn., and he said being a "positive black male role model" is the most meaningful part of his job.
"I knew I would be the only male teacher at the school, but these kids had the same experiences I had as a kid," Mr. Patton said. "I really would have liked to have had that positive role model when I was growing up. I'm more than just a teacher for these kids."
Welcoming Details
Playing up the potential to be a direct role model for students can help overcome the prestige gap between teaching and other careers, Teach For America's Ms. Chambers said. The group has slightly better-than-average recruiting numbers for men: In 2011, its 5,100-member corps of first-year teachers was about 28 percent men, including 3 percent black men. Ms. Chambers said TFA brings in high-profile men in the community to raise awareness about the need for male teachers, and also brings male college students out to the schools as often as possible.
It was one such visit that "sealed the deal" for Mr. Patton's decision to become a teacher. He went to college pursuing a career in the music business, but changed his mind after taking a TFA tour of the school where he now works.
"I remember kids coming up to me and saying, 'Mr. Patton, please come teach me next year, don't let me down,'" he recalled. "Even if I hadn't been considering coming here, those kids, seeing the way their faces lit up and how excited they were, would have convinced me."
Small details can make a school feel more welcoming to male teachers, MenTeach's Mr. Nelson said. "Does the school have pictures of men nurturing children, or just men in suits, like presidents? If you go into the school's teacher or parent lounge, is there Cosmo, but no Sports Illustrated or Field & Stream?"
For example, Mr. Nelson noted that Principal Carol Meyer of Prairie View Elementary School in Eden Prairie, Minn., brings male teachers with her to recruiting fairs. "The guy sitting there just makes for great marketing; the guys can go where the other guys are," he said.
Yet it's easy to go too far, Mr. Johnson said. "We have to be careful when we talk about this issue, not to reinforce gender stereotypes," he said. "We shouldn't make teaching sound more action-packed or market it in a way we think might attract more men. These are the sort of things that make teaching sound like 'women's work' in the first place, and we don't need to play that game to attract more men to the workforce."
Vol. 31, Issue 30, Page 10Published in Print: May 9, 2012, as Despite a Downturn, Few Men Attracted To Teaching Field
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VANCOUVER — Canadian cities want a commitment from the federal government for an additional $2.5 billion a year for the next two decades to deal with aging infrastructure they say threatens the country's competitive edge.
The boost would bring federal funding to $5.75 billion annually, an amount the Federation of Canadian Municipalities said should be matched by the province and municipalities themselves to provide $13.25 billion a year for municipal infrastructure.
Of that, $1 billion from each level of government should be dedicated to fighting traffic gridlock that costs the Canadian economy $10 billion a year in lost productivity, the federation said at a news conference in Vancouver on Tuesday.
"It's time we started planning in decades, not just years," Karen Leibovici, federation president, told reporters. "That is the surest way to end the short-term thinking that allowed our infrastructure deficit to grow in the first place."
The current Building Canada fund ends in 2014, and Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel is wrapping up six months of consultations with stakeholders across the country as the Conservative government works on a new plan.
Leibovici lauded the Conservatives for changes they've made to municipal funding in the past six years, including making the federal Gas Tax Fund a permanent fixture in the municipal funding mix.
The federation called on the government to tie the Gas Tax Fund to a cost-of-living index, and create a new Core Economic Infrastructure Fund, in addition to continuing the Building Canada Fund.
A 20-year plan would give cities the stability to plan for repairs and replacement of crumbling infrastructure built half a century ago, officials said.
"We had decades of falling behind on this, where it was not a priority of successive governments and that's why we're behind the eight-ball now. Now we've got infrastructure that's falling apart, now we've got congestion that's totally unacceptable and undermining our economy," Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson told reporters.
The federation pointed out that municipal governments collect just eight cents out of every tax dollar but are responsible for 60 per cent of public infrastructure, which includes everything from public transit, to roads and sewage systems.
In addition to the aging state of infrastructure, there are more extreme weather events putting pressure on those systems, the federation said.
For 30 years, both the federal and provincial governments have been offloading responsibility for infrastructure to cities without the necessary funds, said Adrien Byrne, of the Vancouver-based Urban Development Institute, which represents the development industry.
"The issue for municipalities is they can only raise property taxes so much to pay for new growth," Byrne said.
"The federal and provincial governments need to take greater interest in the growth and infrastructure of our major cities across Canada, and find a way to finance that infrastructure that just doesn't fall to new development and municipalities, given that municipalities are already stretched and the development industry pays its fair share already."
In fact, Canada needs an overall National Housing and Infrastructure Strategy, Byrne said.
Municipal leaders said they remain hopeful, despite Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's announcement Tuesday that Canada's deficit this year will reach $26 billion — $5 billion more than projected.
"We've seen a promising sign from this federal government over the last couple of years realizing that investment in cities and communities ... will drive economic growth. It's been one of the strategies to keep Canada ahead of other countries," Robertson said.
The federal infrastructure minister was not available for an interview. A spokeswoman said the federation recommendations will be considered along with input received in consultations across the country.
"Our new plan will recognize the need for investments in infrastructure while ensuring affordability and respecting taxpayers' ability to pay," Genevieve Sicard said in an email.

subset: commoncrawl


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Press 195
22 North Park Ave., Rockville Centre
(516) 536-1950, www.press195.com
If you haven't visited Press 195 in Rockville Centre recently, you're in for a surprise. They have hugely renovated, expanding into the space next door. The front bar area is spacious now, with high top tables and a place to wait. Rustic barn doors reveal a festive party room that accommodates 85. Restrooms have been added. The former dining area remains, with its striking high arched ceilings lined with stained glass, as does the rear glass-encased atrium room, heated and air conditioned for the seasons. Even the menu keeps expanding.
A bit of history … Original owners, Brian Karp and Chris Evans, met in college in Buffalo. After 9/11, when both had lost their jobs, they pooled every cent they had and opened a small Panini shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Combining the hot press they were using with the street number, they named it Press 195. It took off. In 2005, they opened another shop in Bayside, Queens, and in 2010, Rockville Centre. They recently closed the Brooklyn locale, and the latter two are thriving. John Annechino and John Stasinopoulous, who both worked their way up to managers, now join as partners.
More than 50 sandwiches prevail — hot pressed, heroes, cold, on Ciabatta bread and even pressed between a knish, in combinations that challenge the imagination. Add to that a bunch of salads, burgers, starters and their infamous Belgian fries, and you'll please anyone, any age. Items (without add-ons) range from $4.50 to $18. Children's meals include chips and apple slices for $8.50; add a juice box for $2.
We started with Avocado salad, a tangle of mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, sliced egg, bacon and onions, sprinkled with creamy cilantro-lime dressing — a refreshing starter or healthy meal. Hummus & Pita had the "wow" effect, a large platter of toasted pita chips and lime-seasoned chick peas circling a tub of homemade black bean hummus topped with roasted red peppers. Also spectacular was Asparagus and Mozzarella – slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes topped with grilled asparagus drizzled with maple syrup basil pesto.
Based on the "Zebe" sandwich from Buffalo, we enjoyed toasted Ciabatta with tender, thin sliced roast beef, mozzarella and marinara sauce. Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich — a breaded chicken cutlet smothered with spicy chili-wildflower honey, boasted sweet onion ranch and burn pickle slices. Sandwich combinations are truly endless; you'll need time to peruse the menu. With coffee, we enjoyed creamy homemade cheesecake, a gluten-free option. Raves also go to Momma Annechino's Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting.
Hours are Sunday through Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Happy hour is noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Live entertainment happens several Thursday evenings a month. Check events on the website. Private rooms can accommodate groups up 50 and 85. Take-out, catering and delivery (2-mile radius) are available.
■ Avocado Salad
■ Hummus & Pita
■ Asparagus & Mozzarella
■ Roast Beef and
Marinara Press Sandwich
■ Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich
■ Gluten-Free Cheesecake
■ Momma Annechino's Carrot Cake


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Fantasy Sports And Daily Fantasy Sports: What You Need to Know
Fantasy sports (FS) are games played by sports fans and enthusiasts against one and other. The games are generally played online and with apps by players building virtual teams with real players. Results are based on the performance of those players. Choosing a "fantasy" team of players conventionally does this, and competing against other fantasy teams in a league based format over the course of a season the way people compete. Daily fantasy sports (DFS) is similar, in that players still choose a set of players to base their team statistics around...Read More


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Focus Features International co-president Alison Thompson announced on Monday [Jun 3] a raft of multi-territory deals from the Croisette on the Amy Winehouse doc, Mike Leigh's Turner project, submarine thriller Black Sea and genre title Oculus.
Rights to the Winehouse documentary to be directed by Asif Kapadia have gone to: France (Mars); Germany (Prokino); Australia/New Zealand (eOne); Benelux (Cineart); Greece (Odeon); Iceland (Sena); Israel (Lev Cinema); Middle East (Italia); Portugal (Lusomundo) Turkey (D Productions); Hong Kong (Edko); India (PVR); Singapore (Shaw Renters); Thailand (IPA Pacific); and South Africa (Ster Kinekor). Offers are on the table for the UK, CIS and Italy.
James Gay-Rees produces through Playmaker Films, the new production entity he set up with his Senna collaborator Kapadia.
Deals on Leigh's [pictured] JMW Turner film starring Timothy Spall have closed in: Australia/New Zealand (Transmission); Benelux (eOne); Greece (Odeon); Iceland (Sena); Israel (Lev Cinema); Portugal (Lusomundo); Scandinavia (Svensk); Switzerland (Monopole Pathe); India (PVR); Singapore (Shaw Renters); Thailand (IPA Pacific); and South Africa (Ster Kinekor).
FFI previously announced deals with Momentum in the UK, Diaphna in France and Prokino in Germany. Sony Pictures Classics will distribute in North America, Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Georgina Lowe produces and Gail Egan is the executive producer. Production partners include Film4, British Film Institute, Focus Features International, Lipsync and Ingenious (Xofa Productions).
FFI has closed Notorious for Italy on Kevin Macdonald's heist thriller Black Sea starring Jude Law and Square One for Germany on Mike Flanagan's psychological thriller Oculus.


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Turbulence rattles 747 over Japan; at least 9 hurt
- Flight departed from San Francisco with 321 passengers and 21 crewmembers
- Plane encountered turbulence near Hokkaido around noon Hong Kong time on Tuesday
- Passenger said he felt like he was on a roller coaster
At least nine passengers and crewmembers were injured when a Hong Kong-bound Cathay Pacific flight from San Francisco hit severe turbulence over Japan, the airline said.
Flight CX879, a Boeing 747 with 321 passengers and 21 crew aboard, was rocked by the turbulence over the Japanese island of Hokkaido shortly after noon local time on Tuesday, Cathay airlines said.
The airline said nine people were injured. Two injured crewmembers and six of the injured passengers were sent to hospitals when the plane landed in Hong Kong.
The South China Morning Post, which put the injured total at 12, said one flight attendant was in serious condition.
"It was even more intense than sitting on a roller coaster," one passenger told the paper. The plane "was jolted for at least two minutes. I was thrown up very high."
He said there was no announcement warning people to fasten seat belts, adding that some passengers were thrown out of their seats and struck the overhead lockers.
The incident came one day after a United Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence that injured five people. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating United Flight 1676 from Denver to Billings, Mont. That incident happened shortly after noon Monday while the jet was at 34,000 feet in northern Wyoming.
Three flight attendants and two passengers were taken to the hospital after the jet landed in Billings. One flight attendant was admitted, the other injured were treated and released.


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« Justices Reject Appeal Over Hot Lunch for Student With Diabetes | Main | Catholic Schools Win Temporary Reprieve From Contraceptive Mandate »
Supreme Court Declines to Take Up School Bullying Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal seeking to hold a Pennsylvania school district responsible for repeated bullying of a high school student by one of her peers.
A federal appeals court had taken note of school shooting tragedies at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., as symbols of the new dangers in schools. But it nonetheless held that despite compulsory education laws, the Blackhawk school district in Pennsylvania did not have a "special relationship" with its students that would give rise to a duty to protect them from harm from other students.
"Parents ... should be able to send their children off to school with some level of comfort that those children will be safe from bullies," said the June decision by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, in Philadelphia. "Nonetheless, the Constitution does not provide judicial remedies for every social ill."
The case involves Brittany Morrow, who in early 2008 at Blackhawk High School in Beaver County, Pa., began facing bullying from a schoolmate that included "racially motivated" threats and physical assaults, court papers say. In one incident, the perpetrator attacked Brittany in the lunchroom and because Brittany defended herself, she was suspended along with her attacker.
For that and other incidents, the perpetrator was charged in juvenile court with assault, making terroristic threats, and harassment. She was adjudicated delinquent and ordered to have no contact with Brittany. The perpetrator was nevertheless allowed to return to Blackhawk High. In the fall of 2008, she allegedly boarded Brittany's school bus and threatened her, and later elbowed her in the face at a high school football game.
The Morrows said in their suit that school administrators suggested they might want to consider another school for the Brittany and her sister. The parents removed their daughters from Blackhawk High in 2008. They later filed a lawsuit against the Blackhawk school district and an assistant principal for alleged violations of their 14th Amendment substantive-due-process rights.
They lost before a federal district court and the full 3rd Circuit court.
The appeals court ruled 9-5 for the school defendants that there was no "special relationship" between schools and students and 10-4 that legal injuries to the victims were not the result of actions taken by administrators under a "state-created danger" theory of liability.
In their appeal to the Supreme Court in Morrow v. Balaski (Case No. 13-302), the family said school officials "acted to allow the aggressor to return to school following her temporary suspension and despite court orders mandating no contact. They opened the front door of the school to a person they knew would cause harm to the children."
In a brief opposing high court review, the school district and the assistant principal argued that there was no conflict among the federal appeals courts about the special relationship theory of liability and that no school official acted affirmatively to increase the dangers to Morrow.
The justices declined without comment to take up the appeal.


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Food & Drink
These people really love to fly
By Katia Hetter, CNN • Updated 10th June 2012
Music conductor Caroline Carson loves the sound of fighter jets.
Rushing to the window of her office at the University of New Orleans, where she directs the choral studies program, she saw the Blue Angels in the air practicing for an upcoming show.
Searching online later for more about their aircraft, she learned that Lockheed Martin was inviting Twitter users to apply to attend a ceremony marking the delivery of the last F-22 Raptor to the U.S. Air Force. Carson had only been Tweeting for about a year when her application was accepted to the Lockheed Martin "Tweet Up," which brought Twitter users together in May to tour the Georgia facility, meet and greet F-22 pilots, have free lunch and Tweet about the experience.
It's the ground crew members who keep the Blue Angels flying high. CNN DC photojournalist Skip Nocciolo shot this story.
"I really felt connected to my father by going to this Air Force ceremony," said Carson, who traces her love of flying to her late father, who was a bomber pilot in World War II.
"I'm sitting on a plane and we take off -- and I know the science of flying -- but I still think 'how is this possible?' " said Carson, who also
about the experience. "Humanity has always looked toward the sky, and that's very human nature to look up."
Aviation enthusiasts like Carson aren't interested in your complaints about airline security or packed planes or high prices. To them, the thrill of flight has never gone away, and modern airline technology and design are more fascinating than ever.
Caroline Carson attends a Lockheed Martin event to mark delivery of the final F-22 Raptor to the U.S. Air Force.
Courtesy Caroline Carson
One big change: No longer satisfied with simple snapshots of the newest Dreamliner for their photo albums or attending air shows or collectors' conventions, these enthusiasts are sharing their journeys online as they try to see and fly the newest airplanes, catch a glimpse of the latest in fighter plane technology or collect the most arcane aviation industry books or snacks. (Use the hashtag #avgeeks to find their postings online.) Sites range from one-man shops to businesses with paid staff and advertising.
"While air travel has become a chore for a lot of people, thanks mostly to the security hassles and airline fees, the fact that you can board a plane, get some sleep and wake up two continents away — for a reasonably affordable price — can all be traced back to the incredible underlying technology that allows an aircraft to run safely and efficiently for 14-20 hours a day, day in and day out," said Matt Molnar, editor of
, an aviation website.
Airplane boneyard: Aviation geek lists 5 places worth a visit
"The mind-boggling logistics of running an airline -- from scheduling all the pilots and flight attendants to getting catering trucks where they need to be to cleaning the lavatories -- are also pretty amazing to me," said Molnar, who grew up in Queens, New York, obsessed with the airline traffic taking off and landing at nearby LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.
Some sites like NYCAviation aim to be the news source for aviation worldwide. Simon Hradecky's
Aviation Herald
reports every aviation incident and accident that he can track. Matt Cawby's
reports everything he can capture on video or via camera coming in and out of Boeing's Paine Field. The
AMARC Experience
explores the amazing aircraft collection at "the Boneyard," the Pentagon's 2,600-acre parking lot for about 5,000 retired military aircraft near Tucson, Arizona.
The place where dead airplanes come back to life
Have you seen the Boeing Dreamliner?
For some aviation enthusiasts, catching a glimpse of the newest planes, documenting their finds and sharing their photographs is what brings them joy. A top catch these days is the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner,
which Paul McCarthy photographed during Boeing's "Dream Tour" stop in Sydney last month.
CNN's Andrew Stevens joins the debut flight of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner airplane from Tokyo to Hong Kong.
"Anything about aviation is exciting but the one thing that is really appealing is that change is the only constant," wrote McCarthy, community manager of Airliners.net, via e-mail from his home in Sydney. (Airliners.net hosts an active aviation community and includes a renowned collection of aviation photography.) "No matter what sector, there is always change and no matter what flight it is always different from the previous one. I can also go to the airport to photograph and be assured there will always be something different."
Still, access to a less-exciting Boeing 737-800 can still delight enthusiasts in the right context. Molnar, the NYCAviation editor, flew on a new Boeing 737-800 from the Boeing factory in Washington state to its new home in Rwanda.
"In the U.S. there are hundreds of 737s flying around and the average citizen doesn't blink an eye when American or Southwest receives a new one," said Molnar. "But in Rwanda there was practically a national celebration when we arrived to welcome their first factory-new aircraft."
Do you want a pool table or a trip to Jamaica?
Architect Mark Leininger credits his parents for choosing travel to China, Antigua, Colombia and other foreign destinations over material things throughout his childhood, instilling a love that has endured. Case in point: He remembers asking his mother for a pool table in third grade.
"Do you want a pool table or a trip to Jamaica?" she replied. He wisely opted for the travel, collecting the airline timetables that used to pile up at airport ticket counters in the pre-Internet era.
Back then, Leininger also constructed model airports and airplanes at home. Now he designs actual airports as associate director of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, including Boston Logan's international terminal. But he's still a superfan, happily collecting aviation industry books in many languages wherever he travels around the world and attending collectors' conferences when he can.
Ryan Ver Berkmoes
has loved traveling since he demanded the window seat on a flight to Chicago -- at age 3. He also has a drawer filled with old timetables, and more recently, printed menus from his travels around the world as an author of Lonely Planet travel guidebooks.
"At age 6 my favorite place in the world was O'Hare airport where we would change planes," he said. "I was a little terror with my family, ordering them from, say gate E12 to F6 to make our connections and checking the black and white monitors all the way to make certain nothing had changed."
Despite the hassles of modern-day travel, "I still get a thrill when we surge down the runway to takeoff," said Ver Berkmoes. "I like anything that includes a feeling of movement. I'm a big fan of turbulence. (It) makes you feel like you're going somewhere."
Companies join the conversation
An aviation company can no longer roll a plane out of the factory or take it on a test flight in the middle of the night and not expect to be tracked by aviation enthusiasts. People are going to find out through
Flight Aware,
Cawby's blog or elsewhere.
"Why shouldn't we start the conversation and make people feel like they're part of something?" asked Boeing spokesman Doug Alder. "We're self-proclaimed aviation geeks, too."
Boeing hosts
"Randy's Blog"
which follows the world travels of a top Boeing marketing VP. It has also hosted three "Tweet Ups" to give aviation geeks an insider's view of Boeing and some company freebies. (The company now has four Twitter handles: @boeingairplanes, @boeingdefense, @boeingcareers and @boeing.)
It's the worldwide tour of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that attracted thousands of new of aviation lovers to Boeing's Twitter handles, according to Alder. "We said when it was coming, when it was going, what it was doing while it was there," he said. "Even when events were not open to the public, we were able to give behind scenes images and take you there."
Perhaps one of aviation's more devoted bloggers is
who spends nearly 16 hours of almost every day outside Paine Field, the airport outside the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington. He records everything that comes out of the Boeing factory, gets video and pictures, and listens to radio traffic. A couple days ago, he said he rented a helicopter to get shots from the air of the airplanes below.
Surprisingly, he professes no love for aviation. He likes recording the news coming out of Paine Field and the fact that people like reading his blog and tweets. "There's an airplane factory here and there's brand new airplanes coming out and I get all of them," he said, speaking from his vantage point at Paine Field. "You can see everything here."
As if to prove his point, Cawby said he hasn't flown since 1972. He prefers to drive.
You told us: Top 5 spots for airplane geeks
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Best Beaches
There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all
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The Stanford MSx Program is a one-year, full-time Master of Science degree program for experienced leaders.
Who Should be a Fellow in Stanford MSx?
Each year, Stanford selects an accomplished group of experienced leaders from across the globe, to spend a year as Fellows in the MSx Program, preparing for senior roles in business, government, and society. Since 1958, our alumni have gone on to lead global organizations, serve as policymakers and diplomats, financiers, entrepreneurs, and social innovators.
We are looking for ambitious individuals with a demonstrated record of accomplishment, intellectual vitality, and clarity of focus. Each brings his or her distinct perspective and experience to both classroom and informal discussions, which enriches the learning for their peers.
Accelerated Degree for Experienced Leaders
Fellows choose the program to gain deep knowledge of the art and science of leadership in a concentrated, energetic environment. And, they commit to a full-time residential experience that closes the door on distractions and enables them to focus on learning.
Student life is unique. Fellows live on or near campus, creating a challenging intellectual community that thrives long after the year is over. Because most Fellows are already established in both their careers and their lives, their partners and families often come to campus with them, and are an integral part of the MSx community, as well.
|Stanford MSx Program
|Stanford MBA Program
|Full-time, 12-months
|Full-time, 21-months
|90 Fellows (mid-career managers/execs)
|410 students
|66% international students
|44% international students
|Work experience: 12-year average, 8-year minimum
|Work experience: 4-year average, no minimum
|Awards MS in Management degree
|Awards MBA degree


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So the many, many boxes of nails, thank god, are now a distant memory. At the assessment stage we only do a fairly coarse quantification in order to determine the potential of the material for further work. This sometimes just involves weighing and counting the fragments but when preservation is good enough some other data can be collected such as number of complete nails from each context (divided into broad size categories), minimum number of nails and comments on particularly distinctive styles or features. The point of this isn't to write a definitive account of the use of nails on the site but to assess their potential for further analysis, decide what role they will play in the final publication and how they can help us to address research questions.
Unfortunately, it's probably not worth doing much more work on the Southwark nails as they are in terrible condition. Most are completely encrusted or incomplete and the assemblage is quite small with a maximum of c. 15 fragments from any given context making any inferences of limited value.
Much more exciting this afternoon is the Roman glass and glass working waste which will definitely feature in the final publication. As mentioned briefly in my previous post, this seems to be the first Roman glass-working evidence from this side of the river. The types of waste include 'moils' (glass from the end of the blowing iron left behind when you crack the vessel off) as well as a variety of melted, fused and runny lumps. Threads, pulls and trails etc derive from more detailed manipulation of glass during decoration or the addition of handles etc.
The assemblage is relatively small so far with only about 25 moils worth of fragments accounted for, each of which equates to a vessel manufactured onsite. This estimate is based on EME (estimated moil equivalent) a technique lifted from pottery studies (EVEs) which is calculated by measuring the proportion of the moil diameter present in each fragment. Of course many more vessels could have been made and the moils recycled or not recovered. Vessels were being made from both naturally coloured blue-green glass and amber coloured glass.
The general range of waste types is not dissimilar to those found at the much larger glass-working dumps at Guildhall Yard and Basinghall Street across the river in Londinium (see pictures below) and, like those dumps, the waste was found alongside lots of broken vessel and window glass intended for recycling. Raw Roman glass was brought all the way from the Mediterranean so recycling this 'cullet' made good economic sense. Identifiable fragments of bottles, beakers, jugs and jars from amongst the smashed up vessels suggest a probable date in the early to mid 2nd century AD for the glass working.
If glass working interests you check out this website http://www.romanglassmakers.co.uk/linksrom.htm and a great little book called Glass workers of Roman London by John Shepherd and my colleague Angela Wardle, which provides an interim popular account of their work on the Basinghall assemblage and the techniques of glass making. Their work on the final monograph is nearing completion, but luckily the new evidence from Southwark should still just about make it into the gazetteer of glass-working sites included in the text, and contribute to their discussion of the organisation of the industry.
That's enough from me. I don't have time to tell you about the lamps, finger rings, combs, figurines, crucibles, hairpins, querns, toilet instruments, tools or the large and interesting assemblage of glass vessels I have already recorded from the site. Unfortunately, I can't even tell you about the cosmetic mortar or the blue blobbed glass beaker, probably an import from the Rhineland, which I recorded yesterday. The whole point of the assessment stage is so we can get our head around what we've got, and how best to study and publish it, so if you want to know more you'll need to hang about. This is certainly shaping up to be an interesting site and I've already spent too long waffling here and not enough time doing my glass data entry.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back and finish this context before the end of the day, so I can get to the pub on time.


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Competition in the markets in telecommunications terminals07 September 2009
by inadim -- last modified 07 September 2009
The purpose of the European Commission's Directive 88/301/EEC is to liberalise the markets in telecommunications terminal equipment. It provides for the abolition of special or exclusive rights to import, market, connect, bring into service and maintain telecommunications terminal equipment.
Commission Directive 88/301/EEC of 16 May 1988 on competition in the markets in telecommunications terminal equipment.
Member States are to withdraw any special or exclusive rights to import, market, connect, bring into service and maintain telecommunications terminal equipment * which they have granted to public or private bodies.
Except in certain special cases (absence of technical specifications or the technical qualifications of economic operators), Member States must ensure that all economic operators have the right to import, market, connect, bring into service and maintain terminal equipment.
New public network termination points must be accessible to users and the physical characteristics of these points must be published by 31 December 1988 at the latest. Installations already existing on 31 December 1988 must be equipped with a termination point accessible to all users within a reasonable period.
Member States must communicate to the Commission a list of all technical specifications and type-approval procedures used for terminal equipment and provide the publication references.
All other specifications and type-approval procedures for terminal equipment must be formalised and published; the notification procedure set out in Directive 83/189/EEC applies in this case.
With effect from 1 July 1989, responsibility for drawing up the specifications, monitoring their application and granting type-approval must be entrusted to a body independent of public or private undertakings offering goods and/or services in the telecommunications sector.
Customers must be given the possibility of terminating leasing or maintenance contracts for terminal equipment subject to exclusive or special rights at the time of conclusion of the contracts.
Directive 94/46/EC also extended liberalisation measures to satellites.
The Directive is part of the process, which began in the mid 1980s, of liberalising telecommunications markets in the European Union. The initiative was boosted by the Commission's 1987 Green Paper on the Development of the Common Market for Telecommunications Services and Equipment, which set two objectives: to establish an integrated European telecommunications network, and to promote the development of lowest-cost services.
The long process culminated on 1 January 1998 when European telecommunications markets were fully opened to competition.
Source: Summaries of EU Legislation


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St. Sebastian
Council 14255
In Service to One. In Service to all.
The Knights of Columbus St. Sebastian Council 14255 functions as a strong right arm for our priests by serving families, parishes, and communities. If you are a practicing Catholic man who is at least 18 and are interested in supporting your church and community, we invite you to become a member of St. Sebastian Council 14255. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month, and the Council hosts dozens of service projects and events throughout the year that will allow you to get involved and serve. CONTACT US for more information.
475days since
In the Spotlight
Elected Officers
Grand Knight: SK Greg Obringer
Deputy Grand Knight: Tim Sullivan
Chaplain: Father John Valencheck
Financial Secretary: SK Charlie Murphy
Chancellor: SK John Anderson (PGK)
Treasurer: SK Ken Butler
Recorder: Shawn McCarron
Warden: Bill Berger
Advocate: Tyrone Millhouse
Inside Guard: Bernard Smith (PGK)
Outside Guards: SK Jeff Davis (PGK)
Trustee (3-year): SK Stephen Sciarini (PGK)
Trustee (2-year): John Kendrick (PGK)
Trustee (1-year): SK Kevin Janezic (PGK)
Committee Directors
Program: Charlie Murphy
Membership: Arlin Greber
Pro-Life: SK Ted Varga
Public Relations: SK Ken Butler
Veteran's Affairs: Bruce Killian
Youth: Tim Sullivan
Family: SK Kevin Janezic
Council: Trevor Bills (PGK)
Church: Bernard Smith (PGK)
Community: SK Greg Obringer
November 2016 - N/Aposted Jan 10, 2017, 7:57 PM by Web Team
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A couple of documents giving insight into Apple's early days are making the rounds today thanks to The Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mountain View, California. Apple's Preliminary Macintosh Business Plan and Preliminary Confidential Offering Memorandum have both been posted to the museum's website, donated by Dan Kottke and Mike Markkula.
According to the CHM, the Preliminary Macintosh Business Plan was released internally in 1982 (but is dated 1981) while the Preliminary Confidential Offering Memorandum (the company's originally IPO plan) was issued around 1977. The documents themselves are pretty standard, though Apple-watchers will undoubtedly find tidbits of amusement in statements like "Apple Computers' Management team is young and relatively in-experienced in the high volume consumer electronics business."
The company also compares the performance of the original Mac to the Apple II and the Lisa, and in the IPO document, details the education and experience of Apple's key executives. The two donors, Kottke and Markkula, are part of Apple history themselves—Kottke assembled the original Apple I while Markkula was the original investor in Apple, dumping $250,000 into the company in its very early days. If you're a computer history nut, the documents are worth a look, so head over and check them out.


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Pickled Feta with Cerignola Olives and Strawberries from 'Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese'
Because I get to test all kinds of recipes in my home kitchen, my fridge is full of a rotating cast of ingredients. Sometimes it's overflowing with seasonal vegetables, sometimes it's piled high with steak and chicken, and other times—like this week—it's full of cheese. But two things I always keep around are feta cheese and wide variety of pickles. Both of these ingredients perk up leftovers, salads, and the occasional lackluster recipe. But I'd never thought to take these two kitchen stalwarts and combine them.
Thank goodness Tenaya Darlington thought of it for me and told me how in her new cheese-centric cookbook, Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese. She first packs cubed feta into a brine of coriander, mustard seed, cilantro, shallot, and plenty of vinegar. Then she lets it soak up all that tang for five days or so, before tossing the cubes in a salad with strawberries, olives, and spinach.
Why I picked this recipe: I needed no excuse to combine two of my favorite things: pickles and feta.
What worked: The spiced vinegar amped up feta's already briny qualities, infusing it with tang and vigor.
What didn't: No problems in sight.
Suggested tweaks: You can use any feta you'd like here. Keep in mind that softer fetas, like French or Bulgarian, will crumble into smaller pieces, while firmer Greek-style fetas will remain in cubes. Since this is a refrigerator pickle, you can also tweak the pickle brine however you'd like. Fennel and lemon would make a lovely alternative to the coriander and mustard. You can also eat the pickled feta on its own if you'd like to skip the green stuff.
Reprinted with permission from Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes, and Pairings by Tenaya Darlington. Copyright 2013. Published by Running Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.
- Yield:Serves 6 to 8
- Active time: 20 minutes
- Total time:20 minutes, plus 5 days pickling time
- Pickled Feta
- 3 cups Champagne vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons mustard seeds
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs cilantro
- 2 pounds feta, diced or crumbled (roughly 6 1/2 cups)
- Salad
- 1 pound Cerignola olives (red, green, or black), pitted and cut in half
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 12 ounces baby spinach
- Salt and white pepper
To prepare the pickle: Combine the vinegar, 3 cups of water, sugar, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, shallot, garlic, and cilantro in a small saucepan. Bring the pickling liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and allow the contents to cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool completely.
Place the feta in a large mixing bowl or divide it between two 1-quart jars, and pour the cool pickling solution over the cheese. Make sure all of the feta is completely submerged. (If you use quart jars, you will have a little bit of extra brine left over, which you can use for a salad dressing.) Cover the feta and refrigerate it for at least five days.
To prepare the salad: Remove the pickled feta from the liquid and drain it on paper towels. In a salad bowl, toss together the olives, strawberries, olive oil, chopped cilantro, and spinach. Stir in the feta, then season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Note: This dish should be served fresh as the strawberries will begin to break down and lose color over time. Use any leftover pickling solution to drizzle over salad greens.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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The best way to develop a robust value creation strategy is to take a holistic approach that addresses three important areas of the company—business strategy, financial policies, and interactions with investors.
When building a business strategy, start by developing a fact-based forecast of the cash flow and future performance that each part of the business is likely to contribute. Then, translate those business plans into an estimated contribution to the company's future TSR. Finally, expand the realm of the possible. Explore alternatives that can take the business beyond the current status quo.
Decisions about how to allocate capital and other resources and what strategic moves are likely to create the most value need to be put into the broader context of creating sustainable competitive advantage. They also need to be assessed against the value creating potential of alternative uses of capital.
Learn more about building a solid business strategy.
Most financially healthy companies generate cash well in excess of their reinvestment needs. What should they do with the excess cash? Although executives often overlook this question, it's important to strike the right balance between cash kept on the balance sheet, share buybacks, and dividends returned to investors. Getting it right is a powerful way for companies to create alignment with their investors. What's more, these alternative uses of capital have a direct impact on TSR and an indirect impact on a company's valuation multiple. Therefore, decisions about a company's financial policies need to be an explicit part of the company's value creation strategy.
A good financial strategy should have a clear plan for the balanced use of equity, debt, and free cash flow. It is the product of many decisions about issues such as capital structure, preferred credit rating, dividend policy, and the company's share repurchase plan. Instead of approaching these decisions as discrete issues, they should be considered as part of a comprehensive value creation strategy.
A successful value creation strategy needs to reflect the priorities and expectations of the company's most important investors. Sometimes, that means listening carefully to what your current investors want. Sometimes, it means migrating the investor base to new types of investors who are more likely to be in sync with management's strategy.
In either case, the trick is to start thinking of investors more like a company thinks of customers. That is, segment them into different categories based on investment style and priorities, and identify the right investor type for the company. Among the key questions to consider:


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Good Morning,
I'm out of town this morning. Please keep each other posted on today's wackiness (lawlessness) via the daily thread...
Construction Spending Increased 1.3% in October
3 hours ago
World View & Market Commentary.
Forest first; Trees second.
Focused on Real & Knowable facts that filter through the "experts" fluff and media hyperbole. Where we've been, what the future may hold and developing a better way forward.
Initial jobless claims fell a sizable 23,000 in the December 3 week to 381,000, their lowest level since February (prior week revised 2,000 higher to 404,000). There are no unusual factors in the data though the unadjusted week-to-week increase for the post-Thanksgiving week is the largest of the year, a factor that seasonal adjustments smooth and one that clouds the results a bit. A clearer positive is the four-week average of 393,250, down 3,000 in the week and at its lowest level since April.
Thanksgiving effects are also at play for continuing claims, down a very sizable 174,000 to 3.583 million in data for the November 26 week. The four-week average of 3.667 million, down 21,000, is the lowest of the recovery as is the unemployment rate for insured workers which is at 2.8 percent for a one tenth decline.
Today's report is very welcome but the results will have to be confirmed by improvement in subsequent weeks. The holidays are always a tough time to get a clear read on weekly claims data.
Mortgage application volumes in the December 2 week bounced right back following the lull of the Thanksgiving week, up a weekly 8.3 percent for purchase applications and up 15.3 percent for refinancing applications. Purchase applications have been trending higher which is a positive signal for home sales. Low rates are lifting demand for mortgages with the average 30-year FHA loan down two basis points to 3.98 percent. Conforming 30-year loans ($417,500 or less) averaged 4.18 percent, down three basis points, with jumbo loans (over $417,500) also down three basis points to 4.52 percent.
This Short ProShares ETF seeks a return that is -2x the return of an index or other benchmark (target) for a single day, as measured from one NAV calculation to the next. Due to the compounding of daily returns, ProShares' returns over periods other than one day will likely differ in amount and possibly direction from the target return for the same period. These effects may be more pronounced in funds with larger or inverse multiples and in funds with volatile benchmarks. Investors should monitor their holdings consistent with their strategies, as frequently as daily.


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No Southwest Florida district appears close to having the money to restore school resource officers to area elementary schools
With the return of students from winter break — and in the wake of the Connecticut shootings — law enforcement throughout Southwest Florida is maintaining stepped-up patrols around schools and a presence during busy morning and afternoon pick-up and drop-off.
Police and the districts are also scrutinizing potential security vulnerabilities at individual campuses.
There is a continuing discussion about more security measures, though no Southwest Florida district appears close to having the money to restore school resource officers to area elementary schools, a program that fell victim to the Great Recession.
"Those discussions can't avoid the budget issue," said Mike Riley, spokesman for Charlotte County Public Schools, where two officers share responsibility for the district's 10 elementary schools. "Finding money to pay additional officers, with the schools funding 35 percent of the officers' salaries."
On a state level, Florida school districts plan to press lawmakers for more security money in the coming session. Florida is spending about $17 billion on K-12 education this year, with about $70 million set aside for security — mainly school resource officers in middle and high schools.
Now there is a push to place more police officers in elementary schools.
The expanded security measures would cost more than $100 million, said Wayne Blanton, spokesman for the Florida School Boards Association.
Meanwhile, this week and next, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is staffing elementary schools with patrol deputies during the busy morning and afternoon hours, said Maj. Kevin Kenny.
After that, Kenny has told his patrol commanders that if deputies are not responding to calls they should still be visible when school begins and ends.
North Port Police are patrolling elementary schools in their city on an "as needed basis."
In Manatee County, deputies and police officers will continue extra patrols near schools and may do random checks to enforce gun restrictions on campus.
With Manatee schools facing a $3.4 million hole after officials failed to budget for new teachers and other expenses, finding money to improve security without cutting educational programs is tough.
"In practical terms, you do put a price on safety," said Interim Superintendent David Gayler.
Certain efforts don't cost the district much, like the "school familiarization" program, where neighborhood police officers walk halls in schools from time to time.
But Gayler, a former Charlotte superintendent, is pushing for security to be a top issue in budget discussions, including recommendations from surveys that SWAT teams will conduct during the next several months.
Those groups will assess risks and update diagrams they have of each school. Some recommendations could be small changes that the schools can implement by next year, Gayler said, but his goal is to start long-term planning.
In Sarasota County, the sheriff's specialty units also will continue to play a role in safeguarding students, said Kenny, the sheriff's major.
The extra attention on school safety after the Newtown shooting was highlighted four days after the incident at two Charlotte schools.
A 61-year-old man tried to offer help protecting his grandchildren's schools — by asking, while intoxicated, if he could bring a gun on an elementary school property. School personnel made the man leave that campus, but he was later arrested when he showed up at Port Charlotte Middle and a school resource officer called a deputy to respond.
School security will be one of the topics discussed later this month at a working session for the Sarasota County School Board.
"I don't think there's anything we need to do today, but we certainly need to look ahead, because we all know things can happen anywhere," said Jane Goodwin, the School Board's new chairwoman.
Goodwin said she has several ideas for improvement that were not made because of budgetary constraints: She would like to see all students issued an ID badge, and would like to improve access control at all the district's buildings.
Re-staffing elementary schools with resource officers could also be part of the discussion, said Sarasota Schools spokesman Scott Ferguson.
Before 2007, there were 45 school resource officers in Sarasota County, with 17 assigned to elementary schools. Now, there are 24 officers total, with the elementary officers cut after the 2007-08 school year.
The school district pays half the salaries and benefits for its officers. It costs about $100,000 to pay and equip a resource officer.
That cost has proved the biggest impediment to bringing the program back.
"There's no plan to do that sort of thing now," Ferguson said. "We may be discussing options for the future."
Information from News Service of Florida was used in this report.


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Applicable Models
About this download
This program will update Touch Screen Driver (NextWindow) to version 220.127.116.11 and will resolve the following symptom:
- Touch function does not work after powering on the VAIO computer sometimes.
Available Downloads:
Touch Screen Driver (NextWindow) Update version 188.8.131.52
File name: EP0000600104.exe
File size: 18.96 MB (19870520 bytes)
File Info
File Name
- To install Touch Screen Driver (NextWindow) Update version 126.96.36.199
File Version
- 126.96.36.199
File Size
Release Date
- 2010-04-20
System Requirements
- Windows 7 64bit
1. Download the file to a temporary or download directory (Please note this directory for reference later).
2. Go to the directory where the file was downloaded and double-click EP0000208156.exe.
3. Follow the instructions displayed in the installation wizard.
4. After installation is completed, please restart the computer
To check if installation is successful:
1. Go to Device Manager
2. Under Properties
Device Name: NextWindow 1950 Touch Screen
Date: 2009/12/11
Version: 220.127.116.11


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Wisconsin winemakers enjoy rebound year
State enjoying solid grape harvest thanks to good weather
Vineyard operators throughout Wisconsin were bitter last year.
"We had a hard frost in April; we lost a third of our buds early in the year. On top of that, we had the drought," said Steve Danner, general manager of Cedar Creek Winery.
For any fruit or vegetable, the weather is very important for the growing process. The dry weather that's swept across southern Wisconsin has been great for grape growing.
Once the grapes are collected, they're pressed, and the fermentation process begins. That is where the winemaker can get creative with the final product.
But what they have to work with all has to do with the weather.
"You need the rain in the spring, you need the sun in the summer, and you don't need the rain during harvest time," Danner said.
This normal year has been excellent, Danner said. Too much rain fills the grapes, making them watery. But the recent wave of sunshine has helped boost the grapes' flavor.
Wisconsin is no Napa Valley when it comes to grape growing. Since the state's first vineyard opened in the 1800s, it's been an uphill battle.
"A lot of the wines you're familiar with, a lot of the grapes would probably die if you told them they were coming to Wisconsin," Danner said.
Still, the tough work of battling Mother Nature has paid off for vintners, and wine tours across the state are becoming more and more popular.


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IGN Entertainment, the online gaming content site, and GameStop, the largely offline games retailer, are integrating their online media and retail offerings in an effort to target videogamers from discovery to purchase.
The partnership is an unusual effort, given content and retail are not often so explicitly combined.
As part of the deal, said the companies:
* IGN will be creating branded media advertising products on GameStop.com, and will be its sales representative online. Consumer advertisers will be able to buy branded ads on the retail site.
* IGN content will appear on GameStop.com, with all kinds of cross-linking, and there will be copious buttons for e-commerce on IGN.com.
* GameStop will be buying its ads on IGN.com.
* The traffic of both GameStop and IGN will be combined. Currently, GameStop has 7.2 million monthly uniques worldwide and IGN's videogame content has 28.9 million.
IGN, which is profitable, has been pushing hard to grow its branded advertising recently, as well as its traffic.
And, over the summer, it introduced IGN Social, adding social elements, such as gamers talking with each other, to its content offerings.
(Full disclosure: IGN is a division of News Corp., which also owns Dow Jones, which owns this site.)


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Life, Health, Disability and Long Term Care
- Course Delivery: On Demand
- Credit Hours: 4
- Credit Type: Life Only/Accident and Health
This course provides an overview to the insurance students about four main types of insurance policies. The four policies Life, Health, Long Term Care and Disability Insurance are the most widely selling policies in the insurance industry. This course contains some valuable information about the principles of life, health, disability and long term care insurance policies, some important related definitions, needs for the purchase of different kinds of insurance policies, application process for applying these kinds of insurance, their after effects and different sub forms of these insurance policies.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the mechanics of Life Insurance, its need and importance.
- Understand the application process. Understand the policy clauses.
- Differentiate between the various types of insurance companies.
- Understand the concepts of Whole Life Insurance, Joint Life Insurance etc.
- Identify the various types of Permanent Insurance. Compare Term and Permanent Insurance.
- Distinguish between various Policy Variations. Learn the mechanics of filing claims, receipt of proceeds.
- Understand the need for, and the mechanics of, Insurance Underwriting.
Regulatory Information
Life, Health, Disability and Long Term Care - California Department of Insurance
- Name:
- California Department of Insurance
- Phone:
- 916-492-3500
- Fax:
- 916-445-5280
- Website URL:
- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/
- Email Address:
- email@example.com
- Address:
- 300 Capitol Mall, Ste.1700
- City:
- Sacramento
- State:
- Zip:
- 95814
End of Course Instructions
Congratulations! You have successfully completed your continuing education course. 360training or a 3rd party affiliate of 360training will report your credit hours to the Department of Insurance within 15 days. You may also now print your completion certificate online. Keep in mind that certificates of completion must be kept on file for 5 years.
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Stronger hog prices and lower feed costs have put the pork outlook back into the black for the coming year, says a Purdue Extension agricultural economist. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hogs and Pigs report, there has been little increase in the country's breeding herd.
With growing demand and a fairly stable-sized breeding herd, producers can expect to return to profitability in the next 12 months. The USDA also reported in its September Grain Stocks report that corn inventories now are higher than expected, reducing the cost of feed.
"Pork producers have largely settled for the status quo because of the uncertainty over feed prices," said Chris Hurt. "As a result, the USDA says the breeding herd has expanded only slightly as producers awaited the corn and soybean yield and price outcomes of the 2011 growing season."
According to the USDA, the breeding herd increased 0.6% nationwide in the last year. Most of the expansion has occurred in traditional Midwestern hog production states, where the herd was up by 4% in Missouri; 3% each in Ohio, Indiana and Nebraska; and 1% in Iowa.
"While the breeding herd only increased fractionally, pork production will be up by a larger%age due to the surging sow productivity," Hurt said. "This summer, the number of pigs per litter set a new quarterly record at a bit above 10 pigs."
He said there is a possibility that the yearly average will be at 10 pigs or more for the first time. In 2005, the weaning rate was just nine pigs per litter, meaning there has been an annual productivity growth of about 2%.
Hurt said pork production for the coming year will be up 2% to 3%, led by higher sow productivity and by somewhat higher market weights and lower feed prices.
"While pork production will be higher in the next 12 months, hog prices are expected to be higher – led by strong demand," he said. "The stronger demand will come from very low levels of beef available in the domestic market and from continued growth in pork exports."
In the past 12 months live hog prices have averaged about $62 per hundredweight but are expected to jump to $66 for the next 12 months. Hurt also said he expects feed costs to be lower, including lower corn and soybean meal prices.
"Total feed costs are forecast to be about $1.75 per hundredweight lower in the coming 12 months," he said.
Previously, pork producers targeted $7 cash corn prices as the threshold for profitability. Corn prices above $7 meant losses, while prices below $7 could mean profits, Hurt said. Expected corn price averages for the next 12 months are about $6.10 per bushel.
"These corn prices well below $7 turn the profit outlook positive," Hurt said. "In the past 12 months, estimated profits were about $5 per head. In the next 12 months, that turns to expected profits above $15 per head, which would be the highest estimated returns since 2006 when corn prices were still low."
But even as profits increase, Hurt said most producers aren't likely to expand their operations because there is still much uncertainty about world economic growth and the impacts on pork demand and feed prices.
"When corn prices can change 40 cents in one day, pork producers know the profit outlook can be altered quickly," he said. "If the current profit outlook holds over the next six months, then further expansion can be expected by the March or June USDA reports."


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Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult 7+ Beef & Rice Entrée Morsels in Gravy Wet Dog Food
- Made with Real Beef for protein and highly digestible rice
- Formulated for dogs over age 7
- Balanced nutrition helps support a strong immune system
Canned dog food is more than just a treat. Our wet dog food products are complete and balanced, so your dog can enjoy a savory and hearty meal any time. Explore our many options below to find a flavor and texture your canine companion will love.


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Any problems with your online purchase? Do not hesitate to contact us directly:
All bookings for summer 2020 can be canceled and rebooked free of charge up to 7 days before arrival. Without giving reasons, without confirmations or certificates. So that you can plan your summer vacation safely and carefree, however you want.
All businesses that enable flexible bookings are marked with the Secure & Flexible symbol.
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Tel.: +43 6582 70660 email@example.com
Skimarathon Saalfelden


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"30 Rock" Executive Producers Reteam With Network on Singlecam Series to Debut in Fall 2014
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Oct. 31, 2013 - NBC has ordered 13 episodes of a new singlecam comedy from multiple Emmy Award winners Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. Ellie Kemper is set to star.
Produced by Universal Television and Little Stranger, Inc., and set to debut in fall 2014, the series will center on a woman (Kemper) who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York City.
"We have been lucky enough to work at NBC for our entire careers (except when Robert worked at 'The Dana Carvey Show,' now available on DVD) and we thank Bob and Jen for their continued support." said Fey and Carlock.
"Tina and Robert, who cemented their partnership on '30 Rock,' have created a new signature comedy for us that is audacious, emotional, and clever," said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. "While tapping into very relatable themes, there isn't anything like this anywhere else on television. NBC has been their home for many years and we're so happy that they've found another way to push the comedy envelope for us."
Added Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment: "Original voices like Tina and Robert don't come along very often and we wanted them back on the air as soon as possible. And to have them working with Ellie Kemper - who we watched grow up on 'The Office' from supporting player to leading actress - puts the whole package together. We feel fortunate to be in business with this entire creative team on something so funny, unique, and attention-getting."
Fey and Carlock, who will serve as writers for the series, will executive produce with David Miner.
Fey, who created and executive produced the critically beloved NBC comedy "30 Rock," recently won an Emmy, along with Tracey Wigfield, for co-writing the series finale episode, "Last Lunch." As an actress, writer and executive producer on both "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live," Fey has won eight Emmys.
Carlock, who executive produced "30 Rock" for all seven seasons, has won three Emmys. He was also a writer on iconic TV series "Saturday Night Live" and "Friends."
Kemper is also an NBC alum, having co-starred in the Emmy-winning comedy "The Office." She has been nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role in the series, and was also nominated for a SAG Award as a co-star in the feature-film hit "Bridesmaids."


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"It took me 13 years as a survivor to realize what the purpose of it all was. That's a long time! And I thought, if I could share with you the greatest piece of wisdom i've learned from surviving cancer in a very applicable way, maybe you'll share it with the world!"
"I'M NOT AN AUTHOR! I really ain't. Over the last few years, I've been told I should write a book to "share my story." Truth is, Gamerosity is my story, and it's still being written. So after confiding in friends, months (AND MONTHS) of a painstaking, heart-tugging process, Rebekah and myself combined powers and wrote this book. The story is a mix of things, and that's on purpose. It's an introduction to Gamerosity and the value of community and compassion our Charity brings. It's a look into the realities of Childhood Cancer you may have never considered. And it's a message of hope that took me 13 years after surviving cancer to learn. We hope you see our hearts in this book. We hope it's a valuable tool and brings you to the comforting reality that we're all in this together."
***Sales do not directly support Hero Packages HOWEVER we are doing a one-for-one giving a book away to kids who can't afford it in different programs AND these are in every Hero Package!***


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The Heirs Episode 8
The Heirs Episode 8 English Sub
Comments (1503) ADD COMMENT
Rigardowhat why..I think it's funny.."love is the moment!"
5 years ago . Report
ILoveKdramaDamn, they're both pretty instrusive.
ILoveKdramaOkay, now he's just plain mean
nalainemme too i like them both......prang meteor garden .....expected n kc c lee min ho makakatuluyan nya.....maiba lng :-o
exoticsyeah.. the hell you care.
jessajessaYeah. write a song your own.
sifollesoooooooo right haha
princessrhirhiagree! I like him too and he's effin hot I say.
XOXOgossipgirlI KNOW RIGHT.
sexyheah hell ryt :D
XOXOgossipgirlYou should be thankful with this site. So don't call it S***. We awe this site big time.
anacAgree with you 100 percent it's a crime how they dressed him here too girly awful colors to me he represents what you call a metro man. A man who is not ashamed to take care of his personal hygiene and appearance. If you want to see the best style that suits him watch Personal Preference he was awesome in it and the stylish was right on.
XOXOgossipgirlMaybe your the one who is out of style mah men. It's K pop fashion. Just so you know.
Ken040390f^ck that song
XOXOgossipgirlI think it's cute and perfect for those kind of love moment.
ken040390agree! :)
mybuuutttomg i find this supper annoying too .....
The characters I only like are Lee Bo Na and Chan Young. I love them especially Chan Young he really likes Bo Na. "I was just thinking about you" "Bo Na doesn't get angry, everything about her is cute." "Why did you hold my Bo Na's hand?" These qoutes really had me crazy. And I like Bo Na so much too especially when she pretends to talk to the phone when no wasn't even on the phone. Chan Young's right everything about her is cute.
Why is everyone saying that Eun-Sang is a strong girl? She doesn't even know how to stand up for herself. When someone ask her or does something bad to her someone always appears and stands up for her (which is Chan Young or Kim Tan). Seriously, when I watched episode 1 she was really tough, but now she can't even fight now. Who cares if they know she's not rich? Even though she will get bullied she should have a little shame. She doesn't even understand others feelings because, she always scold what others do to her. I mean THERE IS TOO MUCH PRIDE and pride is one of the 7 CAPITAL SINS. I have more to say but, too much fans will hate me. Reply to me if you want I don't care anyway. But I don't think Lee Min Ho and Park Shin Hye are a great match.
BoredWell not that this is real life anyway but the character of eun sang is probably like that to teach the folks who are watching ;) btw inserting they are not a match after the serious talk was funny XD
XOXOgossipgirlIf your a girl. I think you might understand it well. Eun-Sang are like some other girls. Afraid and confused. You should know that! Because in reality being strong, true or what, sometimes don't feel important anymore.
XOXOgossipgirlAnd I think they both look cute together even in real life.
nanamii agree with you mr. secrete . i didnt like eun sung they really dont fit girl like jan di from bof or a lively cheerful girl will suit and like toon eyun hye i didnt like the girl too she is not cute she is jut ok her face suits the roll of hero's ex girlfriend like goong and lie to me .
it's obvious that eun sang will end up with kim tan but i really want her to have a moment with choi yong do. a moment that is kim tan-less, a moment wherein they would be able to talk sincerely - only the two of them. i like kim tan too but if i were eun sang, i'll give yong do his chance...his chance to be himself and just talk to me...
wifeofkimwoobinI totally agree!!! I mean duh... She's gonna end up with Tan anyway so why not give Young Do a chance? Dang. Lucky girl. (I like Young Do and Eun Sang together because for me, they have much more chemistry together. And Eun Sang changes Young Does character... She's making him more gentle.)
XOXOgossipgirlWhy not wait and finish the story. That's going to happen anyway.
why does kim tan act so forceful? it's disgusting for a man to act like that. he hasn't confirmed eun sang's feelings and is just randomly kissing her or holding her. she seems so scared of everybody and doesn't stand up for herself. bad position to be in. is this a normal occurence in kdramas? when i read manhwas they guys were forceful there too, plus lots of bullying. really odd to view and disconcerting.
XOXOgossipgirlIt gives twist on the story to me. Maybe...
BlahYeah, it seems like he's trying. I can't feel most of the emotions. Seems out of place, but still he's a good actor generally.
XOXOgossipgielHe acts well to me.
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Mont Blanc, climbing on the best granite in Europe
20 rock climbs on Mont Blanc: Grand Capucin, Trident du Tacul, Aiguille du Midi. By Roberto Rossi.
Climbing on Mont Blanc's granite walls is an exceptional experience, unique in its kind. The splendour of the glacier deep below, the breathtaking panorama and the sharp reflection of the light reflecting off the snow cleans the mind while the fresh, thin air clears the spirit and the altitude inexorably tires the body. These are the sensations I encounter every time I return to the "satellites" to climb the steep granite faces, worn smooth by the elements and thousands of years of glacial erosion.
Immense corners and cracks, thin fissures and micro-edges – all those who have climbed on this incredible rock have immediately become addicted. All other climbs suddenly become mere training routes for the next trip back to the most beautiful granite in Europe!
But beware, because this is an alpine environment! The approach crosses a glacier and the weather can deteriorate severely from one moment to the next. Proper gear and clothing is indispensable therefore, as is a watchful eye on the weather and the forecast. Furthermore, all routes described here are trad routes and are therefore protected with natural gear.
Many thanks to Ferrino and Montura for providing the equipment and happy and safe climbing!
|Bettembourg - Thivierge
|TD+, 6b max
|TD+, 6a+ max.
|Eau et gaz à toutes les étages
|ED+, 7c max.
|Elixier d'Astaroth
|ED+, 7a+ max, A2
|Empire State Building
|ED+, 7c max
|TD+, 6a+ max
|Indurain tiene dos huevos
|ED, 7a max
|Le Fou de l'Aiguille
|ABO-, 7b max
|Les Intouchables
|ABO-, 7c+ max
|Ligne Blanche
|ED, 7a+ max
|TD+, 6A max.
|D+, 6a max
|TD-, 5+ max
|Via degli Svizzeri
|ED-, 7b max.
|Voyage selon Gulliver
|ED, 7a+ max
Pic Adolphe Rey
Many routes wind their way up Pic Adolphe Rey, including three extremely famous classics: Salluard", "Gervasutti" and "Bettembourg-Thivierge". Easy access and favourable orientation (S and SE) render Pic Adolphe Rey and excellent "stepping stone" for some of the harder climbs in this region.
Grand Capucin
"The obelisk par excellance, the king of the satellites". Every arête, every corner boasts elegant proportions, all lines converge to the sky..." What can be added to Giovanni Bassanini's description, other than to fully recommend going there at once?
Trident du Tacul
This beautiful three-toothed outcrop demands perfect hand jamming and refined, technical climbing.
Solid grantite, predominantly cracks, small roofs and smooth slabs. The routes require natural protection. Allow plenty of time to get used to placing pro.
Mont Blanc climbing
In-situ gear obviously varies from one route to the next, but belays and in-situ runners tend to be good. Bring a full set of wires, RPs, Friends and a selection of TCU's. Two 50m ropes and a helmet are essential.
Best time of year
The best time of year is summer, but climbing can begin as early as April.
Excellent French weather forecast: 0033 836 680205;
On the web:
Monte Bianco cable car
Valle d'Aosta weather
Chamonix weather:
IGN TOP 1:25.000, in particular Nr.3531ET
Getting there
From Italy: reach Courmayeur via the motorway A5 Torino-Aosta-Morgex. From Morgex continue along the SS26 to Courmayeur and then on to La Palud. Take the cable car from here to the Colle del Gigante and Rifugio Torino 3375m, an ideal base for all routes described in this article.
From France: reach Chamonix and take the Aiguile du Midi cable car to reach the Cormiques refuge. The walk-in from here takes about 1 hour more than from Rifugio Torino.