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Factors to Consider for a Kid's Summer Camp
Apart from all the activities, our kids enjoy throughout the year; summer time gives great prospects for youngsters to attend a summer camp and discover new abilities or find friends. This has been established so many times that by ensuring your children are engaged in arts or sports, they'll keep away from undesirable influences and of trouble.
However, with all the selections out there it can be challenging to get the kids appropriate summer camps. This informative article concentrates on providing some tips around the numerous factors to think about when choosing top camp for your kid.
The first thing to bear in mind is where the camp will be located. The very first time your child attends a summer camp, search for one that is closer to where the family lives to reduce the nervousness he/she may be experiencing. Think about the closeness to your house or place of work particularly if your child is taking part in a day camp. Take into account safety of the camp, atmosphere, and ability and remember to select the camp depending on your child's pursuits instead of how close the camp is.
Find out the state of the amenities available at the camp. Many camps will plan for parents to see the amenity and meet with the camp's administrators if visiting the camping is not an alternative, or you can speak with the camping management over the telephone about your problems. Talk about your child's pursuits and likes and how you can make sure your child may have an enjoyable summer camp experience. Check into the facilities that are available at the camp and the kind of bath and toilet facilities in existence. It's also very important to uncover what medical establishments where's the closest hospital and are not unavailable.
Inquire about the charges for the entire summer camp. Usually, the golden rule is that non-profit camps are more affordable than private ones. Many of these children's camps are tax-deductible underneath the common rubric of the " expense " reduction, slipping underneath the Tax Work. Talk to your accountant if you qualify, to see. Next to the real cost of the camping you'll also need to consider the additional costs like the spending cash required by your transport youngster or camping standard. Make sure to examine the refund and termination coverage.
Know who will take care of the kids. It is important to enquire about the available team at the camp before you commit to taking your kid to the camp. Ask questions about the camper-to-counselor the knowledge of directors and the team percentage, background, and what type of team education is provided. Do not forget to request what team is on-campus and who makes the meals.
Researched here: On Camps: My Thoughts Explained


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From Audit to ELK
- Auditbeat on every console to collect audit data and ship it off to Logstash;
- A Logstash instance in each AWS region to consolidate events from all consoles and ship them off to Elasticsearch;
- Elasticsearch for storage and querying;
- Kibana for viewing the data;
- ElastAlert (Yelp) to periodically run queries against our data and generate alerts;
- Custom Python scriptlets to produce results that can't be expressed in search queries alone.
So, what does this give us?
auditd.result:fail AND auditd.data.op:PAM*
What happens here then, is:
- Attacker attempts to authenticate to an instance;
- This failure matches an audit rule, is caught by the kernel's audit subsystem and is pushed via Netlink socket to Auditbeat;
- Auditbeat immediately pushes the event to our logstash aggregator;
- Logstash performs basic filtering and pushes this into Elasticsearch (where we can view it via Kibana);
- ElastAlert runs every 10 seconds and generates our alerts (Slack/Email/SMS) to let us know something bad(™) happened.
which expands to this:
Unknown unknowns
This allows us to trivially alert when a console makes a connection to a server we've never contacted before, or if a console executes a process which it normally wouldn't.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome from the CCBA
For several months I have been aware that this addition of Central Illinois Business would be devoted, in combination form, to our national Law Day that is annually celebrated on May 1, along with highlighting the Champaign County Bar Association and its member's role within our community as a whole and our system of justice in particular. I was elated by the prospect of such an issue. Now, it's here.
Law Day is only tangentially about lawyers. It is about a concept, a concept of justice and fairness that the framers of our Constitution embodied and imbedded in that instrument. It is a concept that for almost 250 years has served this Nation as the most perfect legal system devised by mankind. Does that system sometimes fail? The answer is yes. Does that system have problems that need to be addressed? The answer is yes. Is it a system that is easily trashed when something goes wrong and gets 24/7 coverage in the media? The answer is yes. Have any people in the history of mankind ever devised a better system? Here, the answer changes. The answer is no. No system comes, or ever has come, close.
For the reader who regards the above accolade as something that is politically appropriate for the president of a bar association to pen, let me ask one last question. If you have a legal matter of any kind that requires it be placed in the hands of a system of justice that functions fairly, where else would you want to go? The answer is self-answering and self-evident. You don't go looking for your passport.
Law Day hasn't always been celebrated nationally. It was initiated during the Eisenhower administration and was a direct response during the Cold War 1950s to the Soviet Bloc's May Day event, also celebrated on May 1.
While the Soviet Union and its satellite nations annually produced massive parades featuring its instruments of war such as tanks, planes and ever imaginable armament, this Nation said to the World, "Look, we have all that and more and in contrast, we have something that the Communist Bloc does not have. We have system of justice and fairness that works for our citizens. How about that?" While it is true that my profession and the Judges that it produces are what implements the system and makes it work, it is our Constitution that provides the basic framework and structure in which lawyers and Judges function. It is a system for which American blood has been spilled on every continent to protect. I am proud to be part of that system. Yes, I enjoy lawyer jokes just like everybody else; but, when it comes to the bottom line, I am proud of my profession and make no apologies for being a part of it, being a lawyer.
There is no doubt that this publication could have found someone brighter than me to have written this piece. After all, being President of the Champaign County Bar Association is presumably a one year job for a much younger lawyer. As I am nearing the end of my 11th year as president, I am not sure that that makes me all that bright.
If your question to the length of my tenure is "why" it is because it is important to our profession and this community. Also, I enjoy it. Our association offers the perfect framework to complement what lawyers do. Without a lot of fanfare, lawyers contribute to this community by serving on boards, assisting the needy from things ranging from pro bono legal services to help feeding those same people who receive those services. When local attorney, John Thies, was president of the Illinois State Bar Association, he spearheaded a drive to help feed hungry people throughout the State known as "Lawyers Feeding Illinois." Through John's efforts and the efforts of those John chose to implement the program, Illinois lawyers raised well over 1 million dollars and provided close to ½ million meals for hungry citizens. The local bar also is active in contributing to the Land of Lincoln Legal Foundation, CASA and the Illinois Bar Foundation, a structure that was established to help the families of fellow lawyers who have fallen on hard times and are in need. On an as needed basis, it assists lawyers or lawyer's families when medical or other financial hardships strike. We are not required to do this. It is done because we care. Contrary to the lawyers jokes on a T-shirt I have, that's the way lawyers really are. And yes, there is the important component of a local bar association that blends both the professional and social aspects of our lives. Those banquets, parties, softball outings and keggers; continuing legal education lunches, picnics and mixers all play roles important to those who practice law.
Just think for a moment, because our system of justice is adversarial, when we go to work, we function in a system where it is our job to contentious. After all, we represent people whose interests are not the same as people who the lawyers on the other side represent. We work with disputes between opposing clients whether it is a contract dispute, will contest, a marriage dissolution or, conflicting claims that must be litigated by way of an actual trial. Yet, after "doing battle" we get along with each other, not only individually but in large part by participating in activities supported by our bar association. What other profession offers an association at a local level that affords opportunities for its members and their families to get together and enjoy each other? As president of the Champaign County Bar Association, I can help facilitate doing just that.
In closing, I would like personally, and on behalf our membership to offer, a thank you to the News-Gazette and this publication for the spotlight it has placed on Law Day and the lawyers who are a part of what makes our system of justice so vital to all of us and our Champaign County Bar Association, that plays such an important role in the lives of those professionals and their families who play such a significant role in making that system work as it should


text: Dal LaMagna founded the company Tweezerman in 1980 and built it into a multi-national, premier personal-care-tool brand that practices responsible capitalism and corporate social responsibility. Part of the company's mission is to benefit all stakeholders: including financial partners, employees, customers, vendors, the community and the natural environment. His latest book is Raising Eyebrows, A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets It Right. http://www.dallamagna.com/dal-lamagna-biography


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Since 1954, the Hutt St Centre has been a multi-service, non-residential agency providing essential and professional services to help the homeless and vulnerable residents of inner-city Adelaide achieve secure housing and social inclusion.
As well as counselling, advocacy and health services, the Hutt St Centre plays a vital role in providing a much-needed social support structure.
For more information please click here:


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Matthew Sandusky to speak at UNK Criminal Justice Conference
The adopted son of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is bringing his message to the University of Nebraska-Kearney Criminal Justice Conference.
Matthew Sandusky says he endured years of sexual abuse by his adopted father. He hopes to share his story and encourage others to take action to prevent child sexual abuse and support survivors.
The 26th annual Criminal Justice Conference takes place on March 17.
Matthew Sandusky came forward during Jerry Sandusky's trial in 2012 after hearing testimonies from other victims. He is the founder of the Peaceful Hearts Foundation, which promotes stronger statute of limitation laws, education for children, stronger mandated reporter laws and other legislation. Peaceful Hearts also helps survivors of childhood sexual abuse find support.
Matthew Sandusky will speak at 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room. His first talk will include his own story of overcoming sexual abuse. In his second presentation, he will discuss life after sexual abuse.
The conference is free and open to the public.
The conference also includes a career fair, which will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.


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02 May Marathon Training for Beginners
A 12-week training guide for people looking to run a marathon.
Marathon 'I can do this' training guide
If you are aiming to complete your first marathon event, this training program is for you.
Everyone is an individual and your base level of fitness may vary. For those who already have been doing some running, this general program should give you all the endurance you will need to reach your marathon goal. If you are new to running and find some of these early runs a little challenging, consider completing the Half marathon 'I can do this' training guide first to give yourself a base to build into the marathon training.
This 12-week training guide is just that, a guide, so feel free to be a little flexible to make it work for you.
Here is an explanation of the terms used in the Marathon 'I can do this' training guide:
Long runs: The key to the guide is the long run on weekends, which builds from 10km in week 1 to 32km in week 10. The long runs are really the ones you can't miss.
Run slow: Do your long runs at a comfortable pace, one that would allow you to converse with a training partner, at least during the beginning of the run. If you finish the long run at a pace significantly slower than your early pace, you need to start much slower. It's better to run too slow during these long runs, than too fast, the purpose is to cover the prescribed distance.
Walking breaks: It is okay to walk during the marathon, in particular your first marathon. You can walk during training runs too. In a race the best time to walk is entering a drinks station, that way you can drink more easily while walking as opposed to running.
Cross-training: Sundays in the training guide are for cross-training. The best cross-training exercises are swimming, cycling or walking. You don't have to cross-train the same each weekend and you could even combine two or more exercises: walking and cycling or swimming and riding an exercise bike in a gym. Cross-training on Sunday will help you recover after your Saturday long runs.
Midweek training: Sessions during the week should be done at an easy pace.
Rest: Days designated to rest are very important. Muscles actually regenerate and get stronger during rest and rest helps prevent injury. The key to this guide is consistency – if you are feeling particularly tired at any stage, take an extra rest day and get your energy back to keep going.


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Inverness Places of Worship
Find listings of Inverness Places of Worship. Featured listings include Holm Evangelical Church, St. Marys R.C., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Scripture Union, and Hilton Church. To suggest a listing in this category click here.
Holm Evangelical Church01463 222795
Inverness, IV1 2DJ
Inverness, IV1 2DJ
St. Marys R.C.01463226900
Huntly StProfile
Inverness, IV3 5PR
Inverness, IV3 5PR
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints01463-231220
13 Ness WalkProfile
Inverness, IV3 5SQ
Inverness, IV3 5SQ
Scripture Union01463 231312
38 Ardconnel StProfile
Inverness, IV2 3EX
Inverness, IV2 3EX
Hilton Church01463-233310
Tomatin RoadProfile
Inverness, IV2 4UA
Inverness, IV2 4UA
Inverness Scottish Episcopal Cathedral01463-233535
Ardross StreetProfile
Inverness, IV3 5NS
Inverness, IV3 5NS
Dalneigh & Bona Parish Church01463-714952
St Mary AvenueProfile
Inverness, IV3 5AD
Inverness, IV3 5AD
Kings Fellowship The01463 792700
32 Murray PlProfile
Inverness, IV1 2PX
Inverness, IV1 2PX


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Christmas is coming like a run-away train! If you need something for your bookish friends and family, check out the Books for Sale section.
Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby
Other people's birthdays, retirements and special events are a gift to ME, as I get to experiment with materials and techniques outside of my typical studio work. Often, these experiments inform future work and they always help to hone my bench skills. So THANKS to my pals for letting me make you something fun.
Summer Day, 2019
Introducing Summer Day, a piece inspired by long days spend outdoors, examining the component parts of plants, having those materials in hand and seeing and feeling how the sun had transformed them and prepared them to reproduce. A trail from a solitary bee makes an appearance too. (I've always wanted to market a line of solitary bee houses called The Solitary Bee B&B…)
The papers were all made from fibers harvested near my former studio on Mission Creek. Papers from wheat stalk, sedge, tule (bull rush), iris and day lily form the bulk of the piece, with accents of pulp painting with pigment dyed abaca/recycled cotton. Stitching methods include the basics – back stitch, running stitch, chain stitch, along with some couched, spun tule paper. Threads include waxed linen, cotton thread and hand-spun milkweed from a crop of volunteer flowers next to the porch at my new house/studio.
Gyromancy: 20th Anniversary Edition
If you missed it the first time, want to re-visit it, or if it's all new to you, here's how to print and assemble your copy of Gyromancy. (Note: I posted my old address from 20 years ago in the initial post, so if you tried to email your details and it bounced, try again at robertalavadour (at) gmail (dot) com.)
Pre-Order Now
Some of my favorites pieces began as gifts for friends. When I'm trying to surprise someone with a special treat, I seem to be at my most unself-conscious. And the results often surprise me – the objects seem to have come into existence as if by magic, not any labor or planning of my own. 'Tis the Season (2018) is just such a project. This tunnel book started as a gift and has been re-imagined into an editioned artist's book. This sculptural work features five relief prints hinged with Arches Cover Black and bound in a simple case with bone clasp closure. See all the details, along with a video of the innards, at the Books for Sale page.
There are some estate sale finds that I ruminate on for a long time, taking them out once every couple of years then tucking them back into a box in the closet. I can't part with them because I just KNOW that at some point an idea is going to bubble up. This summer was the time for the 40-some booklets of "green" stamps that I'd bought about a decade ago. There were all sorts – green stamps, blue chip stamps, and lots of brands that I'd never seen before.
Each of the books was dismembered, then the stamps were soaked off the acidic pages and adhered to Kitakata with wheat paste. Luckily, many of the stamps were still intact in perforated but un-torn blocks, but many floated up loose, or in strips of four or five stamps. 26″ x 20″ sheets of the Japanese paper were filled over the course of several weeks.
It's rare that I plot out a book and follow my own sketches. My usual m.o. is to make drastic changes as one idea doesn't work out, bobbing and weaving my way to something that feels satisfying and resolved. This time, however, things went pretty much according to plan, although I did print the prose twice, being unhappy with my registration on the first try.
Six of the seven copies are now available for sale. See the details here.
The Kindness of Strangers
Another small edition completed! While the finished piece has a fairly simple look, the construction was a bit more elaborate. The theme for this year's Guild of Book Workers call for entries was 'Formation,' and I started thinking about how we're formed – the things we pick up and discard, both in terms of physical objects in our lives and in terms of the traits we see in others and either adopt or reject. I was thinking specifically of Virginia Lindberg, a lovely woman who made an off-hand comment to me once that I'm sure didn't even register with her, but which has stayed with me and helped me to see what true kindness is.
I wanted the book to be made from scraps and formed into something larger. I started with narrow strips of Rives Heavyweight left over from another project, folding them into what I call an 'infinity fold,' which is basically a figure 8. You can watch a quick tutorial on how to make the panels below.
The finished panels were then sewn together with pamphlet stitches, then small patches of Fusion 4000 were sneaked underneath some of the folds so that the resulting accordion could be relief-printed using acetate masks to keep the panels discrete.
The plates were made from pressing heated closed-cell neoprene onto remnants and an old book that I'd found at thrift stores and estate sales, with one carved piece in the mix.
The text was impressed into stripes of Rives Heavyweight with a label maker, the texture playing into the quilted theme of the piece. The words that weave through the piece read,
Pulled apart
Picked Up
Stitched In
Passed Down.
The finished book is just smaller than the size of my hand, and the folded, printed pages provide a nice weight and texture. In the end, the piece wasn't accepted into the exhibit, but I'm happy with it all the same. Details available here.
Watch a quick tutorial on how the folded panels are made:
Proud to have Origins (2018) in Denver this month at the Dayton Memorial Library, Regis University as part of The Printed Page III, and coming up soon in the 31st Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition, Abercrobie Gallery, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, LA
Origins (2018) was printed and bound in a edition of 7 copies, five in black/white Duo bookcloth and two in red/blue Duo bookcloth. Pressure prints from collagraph plate with vintage carbon paper, porchoir, and silk screen.
Original text by the artist. $335.
Purchase information HERE.
The Crab Claw Box: A Quick Tutorial
I designed this protective box during the 2004 Paper and Book Intensive so that the students in my Breathing New Life into Dead Media class would have a place to collect their class samples. It's so simple that I'm guessing it isn't new, but it's been a good little structure, and I wanted to share. One nice feature is that the finished box, if it is wide enough, provides a perfect 90-degree-angle cradle for displaying the book.
The instructions were hand-written late at night in my dorm room – forgive the illustration; there may have been some alcohol involved. The initial structure was designed to have a strap that was woven into the edge, providing a simple tab closure. (If you were in my class you may notice a bit of image editing since the original photocopies.) I've found since then that if the box is sized properly, it stays snugly shut on its own, and that straps and slots rarely stand up well to frequent handling.
The original one from class, pictured above, has held up well after more than a decade of being handled many times over the years by students of all ages.
So, here's a quick how-to video. If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me, robertalavadour (at) gmail.
Sharing the Love (of Books)
Happy Hands: What Smarty Pants People Say About Kids and Tools
One afternoon a friend who was teaching second grade at the time and I were talking about classroom activities. "…You know," she said, her eyebrows scrunching into a slightly worried shape, "it's been three days since my students touched a tool other than their screens – no pencils, no scissors, no glue. That can't be good."
Now, maybe it's just me projecting my own "I must be doing something with my hands at all times" figety-ness onto the masses, but I've always been convinced that one of the best ways to engage students in learning is to get their hands moving. Turns out, experts who study the haptics of learning agree.
"A large body of research in neuroscience, biopsychology and evolutionary biology
demonstrates that our use of hands for purposive manipulation of tools plays a constitutive role in learning and cognitive development, and may even be a significant building block in language development." ~ Anne Mangen and Jean-Luc Velay (2010)
The most basic tool we associate with learning is the pencil, and there's a wealth of information on how handwriting "trains the brain," as Gwendolyn Bounds of the Wall Street Journal puts it. Her 2010 article provides a brief outline of the idea. If you want a more scholarly look at the subject, Karin James and Laura Englehardt's paper, The Effects of Handwriting Experience on Functional Brain Development in Pre-Literate Children dives deeper.
In beginning bookmaking classes we use scissors, bone folders, glue sticks, and sewing needles.I know that many artists aren't enthusiastic about letting a gang of squirrely second-graders get their hands on good tools, but I've found that kids generally rise to the occasion, and the occasional mishap is just the cost of doing business. Real tools communicate to students that they are doing real work, and the more kids are socialized to the idea that art and fine craft is important work, the better. Using a bone folder, as opposed to a popsicle stick, is a real joy that we often take for granted. I'm not going to say that I haven't winced at the sound of a bone folder hitting the concrete floor, or spent time with sanding tools repairing chips, but seeing the confidence that kids gain when they are trusted with tools make it all worthwhile.
Many of our projects transform paper into tools in their own right. Tools for learning, tools for expression, and tools for sharing students' delight in their discoveries with others. In some classes, we take on the ideas of publishing and democratic multiples. Being able to make one book is satisfying, but being able to publish an edition that can be widely distributed – that's a powerful achievement. Editioning introduces kids to the next level of tools and techniques, from something as simple as a copy machine to the use of printmaking tools required for woodcut, silkscreen, or collagraph projects. Having many copies to share with friends and family can also serve to broadcast information about the good work being done in the classroom to those families who aren't engaged with the school, for whatever reason.
The confidence that kids (and adults!) gain by becoming proficient with tools serves them well when facing other obstacles that require creative problem solving. In art, we set up the obstacles ourselves. In life, the more tools you have in your bag, the more confidence you'll have that you can overcome just about anything. Making handmade books in the classroom, and integrating them with learning goals and regular, required classroom content, is easier than you think.
Step 1: Get Ready, and Find a Classroom
You may assume that once you've established yourself as a book arts expert, you're ready to search out opportunities to teach. But teaching is a skill that that even some really great artists don't possess. Many of the skills that are essential for being a good instructor – punctuality, organization, time management, follow through – are those typically NOT associated with artists. If you're one of the lucky people who have a good balance of left brain and right brain strengths, great! If not, you might want to start small and see if teaching is a good fit for you. The Alaska State Council on the Arts has a helpful online guide for artists that includes a short self-assessment.
It's also good to take the time to understand which age groups are the best fit for your skill sets and temperament. It's amazing how quickly a couple of kids can make you feel like crap about yourself. Teenagers can be particularly difficult, especially if you are going in for a short-term project. Younger kids tend to be like dogs – i.e., friendly, wanting acceptance and affection – and older kids tend to be like cats. It can take time to build friendly relationships with teens, and in the meantime, you need a thick skin and the self-assurance that you're providing something valuable, regardless of a lack of positive feedback.
A good way to get your feet wet is to volunteer to be a studio assistant for an artist who has a reputation for being a great teacher. In exchange for prepping materials and helping clean up you'll be able to see materials management, instruction, and classroom management techniques in action.
If you plan on working for several organizations, it often makes sense to work as an independent contractor. Make sure you qualify to be paid as an independent contractor AND that the terms offered cover things like taxes and overhead. If you're not sure what being an independent contractor entails, check it out here.
The first thing you may need to do is expand your idea of what a classroom is. If you're up for non-traditional classroom settings, your local arts organizations can be good resources. Many organizations serve home-schoolers, day treatment centers, youth summer camps, senior assisted living centers, and other groups and venues. By getting on their radar, they can refer students looking for one-on-one instruction as well. Event planners and convention center personnel can help connect you with corporate gigs, and travel industry professionals can help you explore things like destination crafting.
If traditional K-12 classrooms are more your speed, the best thing to do is to connect with an enthusiastic teacher who can help you navigate administrative hoops. This is one time when starting at the top is usually not the best idea. Top-down art activities that teachers are asked to shoe-horn into their incredibly busy schedules are seldom successful. Having an administrator in your corner is nice, but having a teacher sing your praises to his/her peers is the gold standard of promotion.
Artist's residencies can be a good fit if you are able to be away from home and/or a day job for a week or longer at a time. Many arts organizations run Artists in the Schools programs, maintaining a roster of artists that are marketed to school districts in their region. A residency can be a great way to immerse yourself in a community and really get to know the students, staff and parents a bit. They can also be exhausting, so make sure your energy level is up to the task. When budgeting, be sure to look at things like dog-sitting, restaurant meals and the other hidden expenses of being out of town.
Interview your prospective employer or host organization to make sure they have their ducks in a row. Being asked to work alone in a setting where you aren't familiar with safety and emergency procedures, where there are students with special needs you aren't trained to handle, or in large classrooms that require more management than one person can provide should be red flags. A reputable organization will always provide on-site support staff for visiting artists.
Make sure that you have good photographs or illustrations of the proposed project so that the organization you partner with can effectively promote your class. If you have good layout and design skills, you may want to offer to help with posters, mailers, and images for social media distribution. Be sure to provide a clear and engaging written description of your class offering that the venue staff can just copy and paste.
Step 2: Prepare Your Projects and Materials
When planning activities for a classroom setting, it's always good to start simple, allowing plenty of time for the main project and having a simple bonus project or two ready to go in case the group gets done early. The biggest thing that will torpedo your experience, and that of your students, is to be too ambitious. Unless you are leading a master class of experienced adults, keep things simple and allow plenty of time. When students and the instructor are stressed out, it's no fun for anyone. I have one strict rule I try to adhere to: No one cries in my class.
I am a big advocate of using the best materials that you can, given the budget for the project. Even when your students are making a set of samples, stay away from copier and construction paper. Something as simple as using reclaimed ledger paper, or a custom color of cardstock instead of those icky pastels can transform a project. Some instructors see a materials fee as a convenient way to pad their income, and most students are on to this tactic in pretty short order. Charge what the materials actually cost, and if you have some left over at the end, divide them between the students.
That being said, when working with adults, I highly recommend preparing enough materials (at your own expense) to put together twice as many project sets as you actually need. Many students, especially in rural areas, don't have access to things like good paper, binder board, or the tools (like board shears) for prepping materials properly. They will appreciate being able to purchase a set of quality materials so that they can practice their new skills at home, and there's no reason you can't mark the kits up, especially if they come with something extra, like a small, basic bone folder.
For classroom projects, where budgets can be tight, you can get a lot of mileage out of building a relationship with someone at the local print shop. Offcuts from commercial jobs are often large enough for a variety of projects and usually end up in the recycle bin. I usually wait to plan projects until I've had a look in the recycle bin, then plan everything else around that. While it's tempting to stock up on stuff when it's free, be careful about taking more than you'll use in a relatively short time. I'm always reminded of my daughter's friend asking me in class one time, "Is this the paper that I had to sit on when you gave me a ride home last week?" Let the print shop be the storage space, and keep your own workspace (and car, and garage, and dining table!) clear of clutter.
One thing that I fully support hoarding is alternatives to adhesive, which is often the most expensive part of a classroom project (35 gluesticks x $2.59 = $90.65!) Double stick framer's tape, mailing labels, mailing dots and other sticky fixes can save a lot in the long run, and they eliminate the mess and drying time of white glue (Elmers) or glue sticks. Of course, understanding suitable stable and/or reversible adhesives is part of any good bookbinding class, so don't skimp if the purpose of the class is formal skill building.
The adage of measure twice, cut once is even more important when prepping materials for others. You don't want to wait until you're in front of 30 students to realize that the covers for your book aren't going to fit because of an error.
TIP: Always be aware of projects that might present an inadvertent safety hazard. Book structures that require cuts in the center of an unfolded page for things like windows can be especially problematic. One way to mitigate this, especially for books created from a single sheet of paper, is to drill a nice size hole with a drill press through the entire stack of papers. That gives scissors a nice little place to tuck their noses into to begin a cut.
I got a great tip from Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord once that I've used many times over the years; put the materials for students in clear Ziploc bags with a sticker on the front listing everything that needs to be returned to the kit.
- Threading needles (thread them ahead of time)
- Re-threading needles (make sure you have 10-12 spares)
- Measuring (include a marked template in the kit)
- Providing too many choices (keep paper and other selections simple)
If you'll be in a classroom more than one day, always count on 2-4 students missing a class. Come to each session armed with projects that are at the same level of progress as the rest of the students. That way, kids can jump in and not feel singled out or left behind.
If you've got a materials preparation tip you'd like to share, leave a comment.
Lights, Camera,…Action!
So, you're ready to get up in front of a crowd and lead them through a book-making project! Here are a few things to make sure you've done ahead of time:
- Treated yourself to a simple manicure. Nothing saps your confidence like realizing as you start your presentation that your hands look like the Crypt Keeper's
- Practiced leading a friend through the project from beginning to end, editing instruction notes as needed
- Checked to see that workspace is sufficient, and room temperature is pleasant
- Prepared extra large visual aids for demonstrating small, nuanced techniques, like tailored corner coverings
- Allowed each adult student to introduce her/himself and express what s/he expects to get out of the class
- Outlined the day's/session's schedule for the participants
- Identified a source for water and the restrooms
Try to keep the instructions simple, clear, and straightforward. Here's a short video of instructions for a Japanese Stab Binding that illustrates some of the concepts in prior blog posts, and should give you a good idea of how I break down instructions into small steps:
There are a few things you may have not have noticed that were essential to making this a simple project for students. First, I made sure that both paper selections were cut to exactly the same size (few things are worse than realizing that covers don't fit). Second, all the text block paper and cover paper was carefully drilled with a drill press to that there was no punching required. I was careful to use a drill bit that would make a hole that was just large enough for the needle to pass through easily, keeping in mind that in some spots, the needle had to pass through twice. Many older students struggle with hand strength, and struggling with too-small sewing holes can result in broken needles, frayed thread, and frustrated students. Third, I was careful to use clear, precise, consistent language throughout. It's surprising how confusing it can be sometimes if you use even simple words like "into," and "through," interchangeably.
Kits were prepared with the binder clip included, the needle was already threaded, and the decorative cover papers made the finished book nice looking, even though it was just a small, simple project.
Stay tuned for more posts with instructions for some of my favorite projects, along with some creative classroom management techniques.


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At the end of this week, somebody will hold aloft the Wanamaker Trophy having won the US PGA Championship.
One of the most famous pieces of silverware in the game, the story behind the Wanamaker Trophy is as fascinating as the list of champions whose names are engraved on it.
Appropriately, given this year's championship is taking place there, it can trace its roots to the 'Big Apple'
New York City department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, who was pivotal in coordinating a 1916 event that led to the PGA of America being created, offered to provide the new organisation with cash prizes and a trophy for the inaugural US PGA Championship.
• John Daly hits back at critics of his buggy
• Why is Rickie Fowler growing a mullet?
According to the PGA website, Wanamaker suggested that the cup be similar to the News of the World award given to the PGA champion in Great Britain.
In the first year of the PGA Championship, the trophy was put up as a prize alongside a $2,500 purse – approximately $60,000 in today's money – and travel expenses for those taking part.
• Another Chamblee / Koepka feud is brewing...
The first championship was played from October 10-14 that year at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, NY, and was won by Jim Barnes. The Englishman defeated Jock Hutchison one-up in the final.
From then until 1959, the champion's home club or residence was engraved on the trophy. Since 1960, the winner's name and the host venue has featured.
Vital stats
Weight: 34lbs – the equivalent of 15 bags of sugar
Height: 29¼ inches
Diameter: 10½ inches
Width: 27 inches (handle to handle)
An interesting thing happened…
With his victory in 1928, Leo Diegel ended Walter Hagen's four-year winning streak of Walter Hagen, when he beat 'The Haig' in the quarter-finals at Five Farms Country Club in Baltimore. Diegel went on to win the championship, the first of his two major victories.
Just one problem – the trophy was missing!
PGA officials asked Hagen what had happened to the trophy in between his victory at Cedar Crest in Dallas a year earlier and Diegel's 1928 win.
• Why people hate the US PGA (and how to fix it)
Hagen confessed that he had given the trophy to a taxi driver to take a hotel where he was staying, but it never arrived.
It stayed lost for two years until, in 1930, it was found by accident by a porter in Detroit cleaning the cellar of L.A. Young & Company… the firm that made clubs bearing Hagen's name.
• Rory McIlroy makes big announcement
Today, it is kept on display at the PGA Gallery at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Each year's champion is awarded a replica of the trophy to keep for one year, and a smaller replica to keep permanently.


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Thyroid Disorder and Surgery: What you need to know about
New Jersey, – Diseases of the thyroid gland are very common, affecting millions of people in the globe, but the most common thyroid problems are: An overactive gland, called hyperthyroidism especially Graves disease, toxic adenoma or toxic nodular goiter.
Thyroid enlargement due to over activity (as in Graves' disease) or from under-activity (as in hypothyroidism).
An enlarged thyroid gland is often called a goitre.
Patients with a family history of thyroid cancer or who had radiation therapy to the head or neck as children for acne, adenoids, or other reasons are more prone to developing thyroid malignancy.
How is a Thyroid disorder Diagnosis Made?
The diagnosis of a thyroid function abnormality or a thyroid mass is made by taking a medical history and a physical examination.
In addition, blood tests and imaging studies or fine-needle aspiration may be required.
According to Dr Bruce W. Peters, ENT-Otolaryngologist in Toms River, New Jersey, as part of the exam, doctors will examine your neck and may ask you to lift up your chin to make your thyroid gland more prominent.
You may also be asked to swallow during the examination, which helps to feel the thyroid and any mass in it.
Some other tests doctors may order include: Evaluation of the larynx/vocal cords with an Eber optic telescope, An ultrasound examination of your neck and thyroid Blood tests of thyroid function, A nuclear thyroid scan, ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy and a CT or MRI scan
What are Thyroid Nodules?
Thyroid nodules are common, occurring in 15-65 percent of people of all ages. They occur in both women and men, but are especially common in women (50 per cent of women or older have had a thyroid nodule).
Usually patients and their physicians first notice thyroid nodules during a routine physical exam of the neck area. Sometimes they are found incidentally during a radiographic evaluation of the neck (such as a CT scan, Xcray, MRI or Ultrasound).
Although the vast majority of thyroid nodules are benign, the physician should evaluate a significant thyroid nodule, as approximately 5-10 percent of thyroid nodules are cancerous.
In general, a thyroid nodule is considered significant if it is one centimeter or larger and/or presents concerning features on ultrasound.
What is Thyroid Surgery?
There is no medical treatment for thyroid nodules.
If a decision is made that the thyroid nodule needs to be removed, surgical treatment is recommended.
Nodules that are suspicious or cancerous on biopsy require surgical removal.
Large nodules are often removed for a number of reasons. Benign large thyroid nodules may cause pressure symptoms in the throat or cause difficulty swallowing.
Thyroid nodules that produce excess thyroid hormone may also need to be removed. Some thyroid nodules are large enough that standard diagnostic approaches prevent accurate assessment of the possibility of cancer and, therefore, need to be surgically removed.
Thyroid surgery is an operation to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. It is performed in the hospital and general anesthesia is usually required.
Typically, the operation removes the lobe of the thyroid gland containing the suspicious nodule or lump. A frozen section (immediate microscopic reading) may be used to determine if the rest of the thyroid gland should be removed during the same surgery.
Based on the result of the frozen section, the decision will be made in the operating room if removal of any remaining thyroid tissue is necessary. These options will be discussed with you preoperatively by the doctor.
According to Dr Peters, as an alternative, he may choose to remove only one lobe and wait for the final pathology report before deciding, if the remaining lobe needs to be removed.
If a malignancy is identified in this way, he may recommend that the remaining lobe of the thyroid be removed at a second procedure.
What happens after Thyroid Surgery?
The surgery usually takes two to three hours, and most patients were watched carefully in the hospital overnight. Its pain is often minimal, and will take four to seven days off.
Source: Ghana News Agency


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Read below details about the Pet Assure insurance coverage and visit their site for a fast easy quote so that you can take advantage of their offer.
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The 2015 Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard is one of the more overt wines in this range. The natural ripeness of the year is evident in the wine's intense and slightly roasted profile of the fruit. There is no shortage of richness and intensity that much is obvious, but this fruit was perhaps picked a bit later than would have been optimal.
Score: 90 points -- Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Aug 2017
Shipping & Returns
We ship with Canada Post ExpressPost or Priority within British Columbia only. If you are not at home when Canada Post attempts delivery of your package, you will receive a door hanger to notify you that your package can be picked up at the postal outlet indicated on the card. Unfortunately, we are not legally allowed to ship outside of the province and packages delivered by Canada Post cannot be left on the doorstep. Packages shipped to downtown Vancouver may arrive the same day or next day depending on time of order. Packages must be signed by a recipient over 19 years of age.
Within Downtown Vancouver - 1-2 business days
Outside Downtown Vancouver - 2 business days
Read the full shipping terms by clicking here.


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The 'IJGB' season is around the corner (December) and our brothers and sisters in the diaspora might be looking for where to spend the night (or day) in Lagos hence, this article might be for you!
We've compiled a list of some of the best hotels and apartments you can get in Lagos at very decent price too. If you want something not too pricey but don't want to spend the night at a substandard place, then this list has got you covered so keep reading.
1) Welcome Centre Hotels – Located at Ikeja, within a close proximity (2km) to Murtala International Airport. This means you could be in your bed quicker than you think when you arrive into the country as supposed to facing the heavy traffic from the airport . It's also the perfect hotel for those catching flights at ungodly hours (e.g Royal Air Maroc 6:00am flights)
- Exquisite rooms with LCD TVs
- Security, 24 hours security, Air conditioning
- Parking, event halls, meeting rooms
- Car rental, Wired and Wireless internet
- Swimming pool, restaurant and bar
- laundry, shoe shine services, 24 hors front desk
ADDRESS: 70 Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road After Mafoluku Junction Lagos, MMIA Ikeja
PRICES: from N23,000
2)Protea (Bon) hotel– Located at Ikeja, the renowned Protea Hotel is a great place to spend your night. The 4-Star hotel with great serenity and an excellent customer service is sure to leave you happy and of course, well satisfied. The simplicity of this hotel is seen elegantly over its three floors, and well furnished 92 rooms. The rooms are further classified into: Standard Room, Deluxe, Junior Suite, Presidential Suite and Executive Suite.
• Exquisite rooms with LCD TVs
• Minibars
• Worktables and chairs, refrigerators
• in-room safes,
• Restaurant which serves a variety of local and continental dishes.
• Bar for drinks.
• Outdoor pool for chilling
• Fully equipped gym for fitness enthusiasts out there.
• spa for stress relieving massages
• On request services like airport shuffles, laundry
ADDRESS: 42/44 Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja
PRICES: From N66,000
3) The Best Western Starfire hotel -The best western hotel is a simple and sophisticated hotel only few minutes from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
You're sure to find a loveable blend of comfort and elegance in one. With state-of-the-art facilities, exceptional room service, this is a place where you can appreciate contemporary style with African infusions.
Whether on business or leisure, BEST WESTERN Starfire provides tailored services you may need to ultimately help you have an amazing stay that will leave you wanting to come back. If you are looking for a unique oasis where you can ease beautifully into the night, BEST WESTERN Starfire Hotel is a great choice.
ADDRESS : Plot 128 Joel Ogunnaike St, Ikeja GRA, Lagos
PRICES: From N24,500
4) Blowfish hotel- Situated in the upscale Victoria Island district, this sophisticated hotel might just have you coming back sometime soon.
• Modern, air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen TVs
• Free Wi-Fi
• outdoor pool and a bar with a terrace
• 4 restaurants
• Complimentary breakfast
• Outdoor pool
Laundry service, Business center
ADDRESS : 17 Oju Olobun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
PRICES: From N30, 000
5) Hotel Ibis- Hotel Ibis is a 3-Star hotel located in a conducive environment located along Opebi, Ikeja. The hotel has 165 well-furnished rooms and also provides facilities for persons with disabilities. Want to have a refreshing evening cocktail or enjoy delicious local cuisines at their Restaurant? Whatever you decide you get home away from home.
• free wifi
• a high-class gym and fitness centre
• an outdoor pool to ease off stress;
• amazing restaurant that offers an breakfast buffet 6:30 am to 10 am at a decent price.
• private parking spaces.
• Additional services: Airport Shuttle, Business Center, Car Hire, 24hrs Room Service, Ironing, Event facilities, Concierge, Safety Deposit Boxes, Babysitting.
ADDRESS : 23 Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos
PRICES: From N26,000
6) THE REGENT- Situated at Ikeja GRA, Lagos, The Regent has an array of exquisitely designed suites that come with excellent facilities to make guests' stay a memorable one. The 3-Star hotel has been quite popular for its great customer service with friendly and professional staff that are willing to help you through your stay. The Suites at The Regent come in the Standard, Standard Double, Deluxe and the Presidential categories. Guests also have access to free toiletries and slippers in all the suites.
• restaurant
• swimming pool
• free internet access
• fitness facilities
• On request services available: concierge service, currency exchange, room service, car rental service, shops within
ADDRESS: No 25 Joel Ogunnaike Street Ikeja, GRA, Lagos Mainland.
PRICES: From N42,000
7) FAHRENHEIT LOFT– This 3-starhotel albeit small (boasting of 27 exquisitely furnished rooms) is located in the Victoria Island area of Lagos, a great choice for people who'll love the boisterous nightlife- food, beaches sophistication and serenity. Rooms at the Fahrenheit Loft are designed in categories of the Classic rooms, Deluxe rooms, and Ocean view rooms. The hotel has bar/lounge and a restaurant offering a wide range of delicacies. Also, children below 15 years can lodge in for free.
Other facilities include:
• Flat screen television
• High-speed wireless internet connectivity.
• sizeable outdoor pool
• standard gym
PRICES: From N29,000
ADDRESS: 312 Akin Ogunlewe Rd, Victoria Island 102105, Lagos
8) IKOYI FAIRVIEW APPARTMENTS: Ikoyi Fairview Apartments is an upscale hotel/apartment suites in Dolphin Estate,Ikoyi. With nice structures and exquisite furniture, they boast of the cheapest prices in Victoria Island and Ikoyi. Ikoyi Fairview Apartments has a variety of rooms and suites which are well furnished to replicate that home feeling. You can go simple with their mini luxury simple rooms or go big with their luxury 2 bedroom flats and studios with external patios. Breakfast goes for just N700.
• Cable TV- DSTV
• House keeping
• Laundry/Ironing
• Car Wash
• Wifi
• Concierge
PRICES: Begin fromN14, 500 daily
ADDRESS: 89 Lafiaji Way, Dolphine Estate 101222, Lagos
Please note we are not by anyway affiliated with the hotels recommended, this is just purely based on our experience or reviews. We do however wish to hear your stories after your stay.


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|Friday, August 16
The doorman and management reserve all rights to decline entry of any guest not in proper dress code. No sports attire or athletic gear, baseball caps, tennis shoes, baggy clothes. We respectfully encourage everyone to dress up and look stylish and put their best foot forward when attending Love + Propaganda.
New York native Jesse Marco has quickly solidified himself as one of America's premiere deejays. As a teenager, Jesse, heavily influenced by his parents' vast record collection, began to fuse rock, punk, soul, and funk with the hip-hop of his generation. "My parents musical tastes really shaped mine. My first cassette was Led Zeppelin and my second was Sam Cooke."
Jesse's encyclopedic knowledge of music and remarkable skill have since taken him around the globe headlining college tours, appearing at festivals, and holding residencies at premiere venues worldwide including LIV (Miami), Hakkasan (Las Vegas), 1OAK (Los Angeles), MIXX (Atlantic City), and Marquee (New York). Jesse has become a favorite of the fashion and art worlds playing high-profile events for Alexander Wang, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Vivienne Westwood, Donna Karan, Diesel, GQ, and Kaws. Of his choice to hire Jesse to deejay his Milan Fashion Week runway show, Tom Ford said Jesse's "musical taste reminds me of my childhood."
Jesse's latest single "Superstar", on Glassnote Records, follows a string of acclaimed official remixes for Two Door Cinema Club, Peter Bjorn & John, The Knocks, and his 2012 single "Daddy Cool" [Big Beat / Atlantic Records] which spent weeks on Beatport House chart. Jesse has also recently lent his expertise to Dior, Stussy, and Visionaire curating exclusive mixes and compilations. His weekly bootlegs have also been widely supported by deejays and music blogs across the globe.
In 2012 he and nightlife photographer Kirill Was Here embarked on the College Dropouts Tour, on which they crashed the ten best college parties in America. He also headlined the Fall ClASHic Tour alongside Asher Roth, performed with Kid Cudi at Rock The Bells, and completed an eleven-city Vice Magazine-sponsored tour with Pusha-T and Machine Gun Kelly to promote the blockbuster film Project X in which Jesse had a staring role.
Jesse has modeled for Marc Jacobs, Uniqlo, Converse, and Stussy. He has been featured in Vanity Fair, GQ, Us Weekly, In Touch, The New York Post, Dancing Astronaut, Gotta Dance Dirty, This Is 50, Good Music All Day, and This Song Is Sick.


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I review Don't Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon.
Twin sisters Robin and Sarah haven't spoken in years.
Robin can't leave her house. A complete shut-in, she spends her days spying on her neighbors, subtly meddling in their lives. But she can't keep her demons out forever. Someone from her past has returned, and is desperate to get inside.
Sarah can't go home. Her husband has kicked her out, forcibly denying her access to their toddler. Sarah will do anything to get her daughter back, but she's unraveling under the mounting pressure of concealing the dark secrets of her past. And her lies are catching up to her.
The novel takes readers back in time to witness the complex family dynamics that formed Robin and Sarah into the emotionally damaged, estranged young women they've become. As the gripping and intricate layers of their shared past are slowly peeled away, the shocks and twists will keep readers breathless long after the final page.
I read Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon when it came out, so I knew I'd want to grab a copy of Don't Close Your Eyes. Seddon writes classic thrillers as if it's as easy as breathing – and perhaps it is, for her. She's that rare talent who deserves all the credit she gets, and more.
Delving into dark subjects such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide, Seddon doesn't pull any punches. Every character is fully formed, fleshed out into life, and every incident is thrilling, engaging. Robin in particular is so real, it's hard not to relate to her.
I love books about dysfunctional families – coming from one myself, I know just how twisted it can get. When Robin and Sarah's mum has an affair with Callum's dad, everything disintegrates, and their families merge into one big mess. Robin and Callum stay with her dad and his mum, and Sarah moves out to Atlanta with her mum and Callum's dad. The distance between the sisters grows, in emotional as well as literal terms. The tangles web of their mingled families gets tighter and tighter, until something has to give.
I loved the way Seddon wrote this, engaging the reader by giving snippets of the past, interspersed with chapters from today. This style of writing, although not unique, is always enticing, and Seddon does it well. Overall, I'd say Don't Close Your Eyes is another winning thriller.
Many thanks to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for providing me with a free review copy.


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Professor Winfold Hobbes was a human scientist who went on holiday for the fourteenth time with his assistant Dee Dee Blasco.
He met the Tenth Doctor on a tour by humans on the planet Midnight. On the way to the Sapphire Waterfall, he showed slides of his research and scolded Dee Dee on her study of the Lost Moon of Poosh. As the Midnight entity created chaos among the passengers, he asked the Doctor who he was and insulted Dee Dee, calling her "average at best". Hobbes was left unscathed by the events on the Crusader 50 shuttle bus, despite remaining obdurate that nothing could go wrong. (TV: Midnight)
Behind the scenes Edit
- Winfold Hobbes is played by David Troughton, the son of Second Doctor actor Patrick Troughton.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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21 Jul Why Use an Electric Toothbrush?
Why use an electric toothbrush?
Our hygiene therapist Sadie explains why it really is better to use an electric toothbrush.
The main purpose of brushing your teeth is to remove plaque, this will help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
Dental plaque is the main cause of gingivitis (gum inflammation) and is implicated in the progression to periodontitis (a more serious form of gum disease) that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. The build up of plaque can also lead to tooth decay. Both gum disease and tooth decay can lead to tooth loss.
Good oral hygiene is key to prevention, and brushing effectively helps to achieve this. Brushing well also leads to clean bright teeth and fresh breath so that you can have a confident smile.
In a 2014 review of research comparing the efficacy of electric toothbrushing to manual toothbrushing, the independent not-for-profit Cochrane Collaboration concluded that electric toothbrushes–like an Oral-B oscillating-rotating electric toothbrush–consistently reduced plaque and gingivitis more effectively than a manual toothbrush in both the short and long term.
Here are the benefits of Oral-B electric toothbrushes:
- Built in timer, I recommended to brush for at LEAST 2minutes morning and evening.
- Pressure control, giving a more gentle clean so damage is not caused to the tooth and gums.
- 8,800 rotations and 40,000 pulsations per minute, for effective plaque removal.
- A range of brush heads to tailor to your own needs, generally a small round brush is best.
To get the most out of your electric toothbrush, keep it charged and remember to change the heads every 10/12 weeks.
If you have any other questions or would like a demonstration on electric toothbrushes, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us at Stafford Street Dental Care!


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Claims Examiner - Construction Defect It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing! We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business. Summary & Key Responsibilities The Senior level Construction Defect claims professional is
An insurance company is filling a position for a Remote Senior Property Underwriter. Must be able to: Underwrite new and renewal property business Analyze individual risks and book of business results Provide underwriting of new business and renewals Applicants must meet the following


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Good Samaritan Society seeks buyer
Good Samaritan Society seeks buyer
New Town nursing home expected to remain open
By MARVIN BAKER
A public affairs official with the Good Samaritan Society in Sioux Falls, S.D., is assuring the residents of the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in New Town that the facility will remain open, even though the Rock View Nursing Home in nearby Parshall is closing in a month.
However, the Good Samaritan Society is looking for a buyer to rearrange a few things and turn the facility into a profitable venture.
"We think Good Samaritan has potential to do well," said Mark Dickerson. "We're looking for a buyer, so we hope somebody takes a shot at it."
Like Rock View, Good Samaritan has been facing staffing challenges, according to Dickerson. He said there has been a lot of turnover which can diminish services to the residents. But then New Town has struggled with residential capacity. Dickerson called it a "Catch 22."
He said New Town's nursing home was 55 percent of capacity in 2010 and without a full house, financial consequences begin to come into play.
With the right buyer, however, Dickerson said the Good Samaritan Society believes that new ideas and new management will most likely turn the facility around and make it a solid business once again in the community.


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Growing cress Jack and the Beanstalk style
Lesson: Science
Class: Uned Melyn Year: 2017 - 2018
We have loved looking at how things grow by making our 'Giant' cress heads from Jack and the Beanstalk! Remember to keep watering them at home.
Borras Park Community Primary School
Borras Park Road
Wrexham, LL12 7TH
Tel: 01978 346890


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One thing that would really accelerate this is better use of transparent alpha channels in OpenGL. I'm a big fan of applying masked images of landscaping on a couple of transparent walls or objects and intersecting them in an "X". In Lightworks, this works great, especially since there's a wide variety of images available (see http://www.imagecels.com). No library will have every tree you want, but you can get or make images. They even make decent shadows!
However, OpenGL makes the frame black, not transparent. I like using OpenGL to show clients real-time flythroughs, but I can't use these trees and plants, as they're too distracting. Modelled trees are not a good sulution. They're rendering hogs that never quite look right. Tweaking OpenGL would be the solution.
While we're at it, can we add shadows and hidden line to OpenGL? The we can get rid of the "internal engine" from the 90's altogether!


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Too A lot Exercise Is Dangerous For Your Intestine And The Different Risks Of Over Coaching
Specializing in weight reduction & wellness packages, custom diet plans, and fitness coaching. Taking vitamin and mineral dietary supplements is not often obligatory until you have specific medical or dietary needs. For example, when you're chopping out a certain meals group from your eating regimen, or you're pregnant or over sixty five. Even when you're doing lots of train, it is best to be capable to get all of the nutritional vitamins and minerals your body wants by a healthy, balanced weight loss plan that features plenty of fruit and greens. When you've got any questions on your private wants, converse to a dietitian for more information.
Building power helps you feel good about yourself. Although the size could show a slight weight gain if you begin lifting weights (normally five kilos or much less), you probably will not look heavier as a result of the achieve is in muscle, and your garments might even match more loosely. Try to find the time for some common, vigorous train for extra well being and health benefits.
Once you have your DNAfit profile, the DNAfit App helps you observe your progress towards your well being and wellness objectives – no matter these may be. Our holistic method combines the disciplines of train science, utilized vitamin, and rehabilitation therapy to help our members create more healthy way of life habits – for all times. If the exercise was strenuous and lasted a very long time, glycogen stores may have refueling. Consuming meals and drinks excessive in carbohydrates proper after train will replenish glycogen shops if they are low after exercising.
The food we eat plays a vital role in how we look and feel. Regular train is essential however in keeping with analysis, vitamin has the most important impact on our health Using … Read More . . .


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Do you want to be the first one to know the latest happenings at my blog, just subscribe to my blog and you can follow me on twitter and facebook as well.


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Paris, in pictures. Day 2.
May 14
I woke up in Paris today. PARIS.
Too curious to wait for atul to wake up, I just had to step out just for a teeny peep at what Paris in the daylight was like and then of-course, I was locked out. No option but to ring the bell and look sheepish while a groggy host woke up to let me in. Eyes half closed, too bewildered to ask why the dotty Indian girl was standing outside in the clothes she slept in, without the keys he had handed. Sigh! So much for transforming into the graceful, exotic, diva who was going to take Paris by storm.
Ofcourse I couldn't let things be. Grabbed the keys, once more tiptoed out to see what my Paris looked like in the morning.
And then, I saw her. Beautiful, quiet, bathed in liquid gold. I now see why so many of the world's great impressionists were European. If I were a painter, I just found my muse.
And now to wake up my other love…
May 9
As we prepared to travel to Japan, I had been asking myself, why do we want to travel so much?.. Is it to get away from life as we know it? The desire to meet the unfamiliar? To claim bragging rights of having visited a new place? A craving for wonderment found in a new place where the air smells different; languages, sounds and voices a tantalising mix of the familiar and unfamiliar; tastes open you to delights you never knew existed? Even as I wondered why this mattered so much, we geared up to go away – waiting to be delighted by a culture more alien than any we had ever interacted with and just a bit apprehensive about wether this, Atul's first trip abroad, would live up to all the hype. Read more


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"Just Tell Them...
I have worked 40 years to make the Women's Suffrage platform broad enough for Atheists and Agnostics to stand upon, and now if need be I will fight the next 40 to keep it Catholic enough to permit the straightest Orthodox religionist to speak or pray and count her beads upon."
Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Jackie and Beanie: Two Variations on a "Jack-Chi"
My Jackie, with her new "foster friend" Beanie.
They are both Jack-Chis. Or Chi-Jacks. Depending on how you look at them.
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Hey Hey everyone, its that time of the week again. So get your explorers caps on, and make sure you dress up warm. We are going to The Forest. I had actually heard about it on Facebook and wanted to check it out. I actually did a blog post there, and the pics turned out really nice. Now when you first teleport in, you are greeted by a train platform. It's a cute little wooden platform, with elves, a map, and a picture. Now I usually go left off the platform, to a small little village. It is really cute.
Anyways, as I said travel left, and you get to a village. Now this village is really cute and has a post office, a small coffee shop truck, and a few other storefronts. I really love this part, as it's perfect for a lot of good photo ops. Stand in the middle of the street, add a little snow falling, and your hands up with your tongue out. You got a picture in the village square, of you eating snow falling from the sky. This place is great for pics, and even to hang out with a loved one, or a friend.
Then you have what looks to be a really cute hotel or even a chalet. I had checked it out briefly. Now to get there, you keep on heading through the village, take a right, and go up either stairs or a ski lift. I think it's that, it could be a Sky train I am not too sure. I actually went up the Sky Train the first time, and then took the stairs after. I would have to say, this house, which I changed the windlight, to show it off better. Looks rather beautiful, the lights surrounding it, and Santa sitting in the center, between two doors. Now that I think of it, it is more of an info center, than a small hotel.
I would have to say, overall that this place is absolutely amazing. Makes you feel like you are in a winter wonderland, and really encapsulates the feeling of winter and Christmas. I really enjoyed going there, and had tonnes of fun, while I was there. I really hope that I do see some of you there, but anyways happy exploring. ♥
Teleport to: The Forest


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Transitions: Habitat Greenwich to open in Cos Cob
Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media
East Putnam Avenue: Home decor shop Habitat Greenwich plans to open a storefront in the Cos Cob section of town in the coming weeks, according to its founder Kim Caravella. Located at 234 E. Putnam Ave., Habitat is located across the street from Chicken Joe's and next door to recently opened Gelato & Cioccolato. Habitat will feature "uniqe furniture, home and leisure objects, original artwork and everyday essentials with fresh attitude to create your unique habitat."


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NLRB declines jurisdiction over Northwestern football players
August 17th, 2015 | Lisa Milam
By Lisa Milam-Perez, J.D.
In an eagerly anticipated decision, the National Labor Relations Board has declined to assert jurisdiction in a representation case involving Northwestern University football players who receive grant-in-aid scholarships. The unanimous Board concluded that to do so would not effectuate the policies of the National Labor Relations Act. Even assuming—but expressly not deciding—that college players were statutory employees under Section 2(3) of the Act, to exercise jurisdiction over the players would not "promote stability in labor relations." Thus, the Board dismissed a representation petition filed by the College Athletes Players Association (Northwestern University, August 17, 2015).
Northwestern University officials no doubt breathed a sigh of relief following today's decision. Whether the ruling offers equal comfort to other educational institutions remains unclear, however. The Board was careful to note that its holding was "narrowly focused" to apply only to the players covered by the petition in this particular case and that it "does not preclude reconsideration of this issue in the future." It ignored pleas from Northwestern and its supporting amici that it explicitly rule out the prospect of a contrary holding when faced with petitions from other scholarship-funded student athletes, noting, among other factors, the lack of express direction from Congress either way on the jurisdictional question before it.
Student athletes. Northwestern is a member of the NCAA, which formulates and enforces rules governing intercollegiate sports for participating colleges. The university is also a member of the Big Ten Conference, and its college athletes—including its 112 or so members of the football team, 85 of whom receive football grant-in-aid scholarships—compete primarily against the other schools within the conference.
The football team generated approximately $235 million for the university between 2003 and 2012. Scholarship players receive a monthly stipend of $1,200 to $1,600 to cover their living expenses and, under current NCAA regulations, the university is prohibited from offering them additional compensation for playing football, except for certain specific expenses. In exchange, the student athletes make a substantial time commitment to their sport—50 to 60 hours per week during training camp, and 40-50 hours during the football season. When the season is over, they participate in winter workouts as well as other workouts that transition to spring football. The university also imposes specific rules upon its student athletes, as detailed in a student-athlete handbook.
A lightning-rod decision. A group of Northwestern football players petitioned the NLRB for representation by the CAPA. In March 2014, the NLRB Regional Director ruled the players were statutory employees under the Act and directed a representation election to be held. Because they perform football-related services for the university under a contract for hire in return for compensation, and they are subject to the university's year-round, strict and exacting control, the players fell squarely within the NLRA's broad definition of "employee," the Regional Director concluded.
The decision quickly drew fire, including rebuke from House Workforce Committee Republicans, who promptly staged a hearing on the matter. The representation election would proceed as scheduled, but the ballots were impounded as the Board granted the university's request for review.
A "symbiotic relationship." Key to the Board's decision here was "the nature and structure" of NCAA Decision I college football. Of the 125 or so teams in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), 108 are state-run colleges and universities, and thus outside the reach of NLRB jurisdiction. Indeed, Northwestern is the only private university within the Big Ten, so the Board can't assert jurisdiction over the school's main competitors. As such, the case at hand is unprecedented, the Board pointed out, "because in all of our past cases involving professional sports, the Board was able to regulate all, or at least most, of the teams in the relevant league or association."
Given, too, that the respective conferences and the NCAA itself exert considerable control over individual college teams, "asserting jurisdiction over a single team would not promote stability in labor relations across the league," the Board reasoned. The "symbiotic relationship among the various teams, the conferences, and the NCAA" means that "labor issues directly involving only an individual team and its players would also affect the NCAA, the Big Ten, and the other member institutions." As such, "it would be difficult to imagine any degree of stability in labor relations if we were to assert jurisdiction in this single-team case."
Also, although the Board saw myriad ways in which the student athletes were analogous to their professional counterparts, who do bargain collectively as part of a single league, the absence of a cohesive, college-football-wide structure that fell within the NLRB's domain rendered the situation unworkable, in the Board's view.
Changing terms and conditions. An additional consideration weighed against asserting jurisdiction, in the Board's view: College players' terms and conditions "have changed markedly in recent years," the Board observed, citing too the calls for additional reforms in collegiate athletics in general. As just one example, the NCAA is now allowing member institutions to offer guaranteed 4-year free rides, rather than simply 1-year renewable scholarships—no doubt a substantial improvement for the players' security, reducing "the likelihood that scholarship players who become unable to play will lose their educational funding, and possibly their educational opportunity."
But is it an answer to the question whether individuals should be entitled under the NLRA to bargain collectively to say that their terms and conditions are improving anyhow, without the benefit of bargaining? It hardly seems an argument that would hold sway before this Board were it made by an employer—or an industry—seeking to fend off union organizing. But again, policy considerations controlled here, not the statutory factors that inform "employee" bargaining rights. And the Board cautioned that "subsequent changes in the treatment of scholarship players," presumably unfavorable changes, they mean, "could outweigh the considerations that motivate our decision today."
Section 14(c)(1) no basis. The university and several other amici encouraged the Board to decline jurisdiction over college football as a whole, based on NLRA Section 14(c)(1), which allows the agency to "decline to assert jurisdiction over any labor dispute involving any class or category of employers" where the Board concludes that "the effect of such labor dispute on commerce is not sufficiently substantial to warrant the exercise of jurisdiction." However, the Board already asserts jurisdiction over private colleges and universities, it pointed out, and it was undisputed that Northwestern was a statutory employer. "In any event, we are unwilling to find that a labor dispute involving an FBS football team would not have a 'sufficiently substantial' effect on commerce to warrant declining to assert jurisdiction."
With this, the Board "rejects what it spent seven pages explaining as the basis for the decision," said Richard Gerakitis, a partner in the Atlanta office of Troutman Sanders and member of Employment Law Daily's Editorial Advisory Board. Gerakitis saw no reason why the Board wouldn't use Section 14(c)(1) as a basis for declining the case here. "If there's no jurisdiction because processing a petition for an election (a) would not promote stability in labor relations and (b) where only 17 of [125] of those (FBS) schools…are private colleges or universities, it would seem just as reasonable to conclude that the Board would decline jurisdiction under Sec. 14(c)(1)," he argued.
Of limited scope. Emphasizing that the case before it involved "novel and unique circumstances," the Board stressed that the football players did not fit the analytical framework used in cases involving other students or athletes—most notably, graduate student assistants, for whom collective bargaining rights have been a contentious matter at the NLRB over the years, but also "student janitors and cafeteria workers whose employee status the Board has considered in other cases."
And, looking beyond the university setting, the Board stressed that while other industries might well be composed of some employers who were subject to Board jurisdiction and other employers who fall beyond the agency's reach, this rationale should bring little solace outside the realm of intercollegiate athletics. "Other industries," the Board said, "are not characterized by the degree of interrelationship present among and between teams in a sports league."
"Generally, there is very little to rely upon precedentially from this decision," said Gerakitis. "there is no real guidance on what factors could tip the balance towards recognizing jurisdiction if this issue arises again."
A former Board member weighs in. Today's decision was "statesmanlike," according to Brian Hayes, an Ogletree Deakins Shareholder and himself a former Board member. Hayes said that when he reads NLRB decisions, he often thinks to himself, "How would I have decided this?" In this case, he told Employment Law Daily, he would have ruled the same way.
"The Board avoided for now the underlying issue—the employment status of college athletes—yet it managed to forge a consensus on the more fundamental premise that exercising jurisdiction in this case wouldn't further the Act's statutory purpose," Hayes said, applauding the Board members for crafting a rare unanimous decision. "Far too often during the past few years, the Board hasn't considered, 'What's the best policy here?' and has failed to engage in the kind of give and take necessary to reach a consensus," he lamented.
True, the Board technically "left the door open" for other college athletes, Hayes said, "but from a policy perspective, the door is shut." The NLRB conceded that, unlike professional sports, where collective bargaining takes place on a league-wide basis, that's unfeasible at the college level, particularly given the number of public universities in play. Thus, while the NLRB has suggested that under the right circumstances, it might well exercise jurisdiction over grant-in-aid players, that substantial restriction narrows the Board's potential playing field considerably.
"If you read into it—the scenario in which the Board suggests it might consider exercising jurisdiction—it would have to be within a structure that simply doesn't exist. The only possible place I can think of is the Ivy League," which is comprised solely of private institutions, Hayes pondered. But even there, he notes, from a policy standpoint, granting bargaining rights to one narrow subset of the collegiate athletics universe would hardly serve to effectuate the purposes of the Act.
Nor was there much to apply here to other subsets of workers within the university ranks, as the Board took care not to disturb its precedent regarding the status of graduate students under the Act. "I suspect that the decision was consciously drafted in a way that would ensure a unanimous decision," Hayes surmised. "So they avoided the Brown University question [regarding the employment status, and thus bargaining rights, of graduate student assistants] altogether."
"The singular thing that's happened in this case is that it's brought the question of the employment status of college athletes into the public forum," Hayes said. Indeed, that question has also found its way to the federal courts in recent years, which have been called upon to grapple with the issue in the wage-hour and antitrust contexts as well. Will today's Board decision have persuasive authority in those judicial arenas?
Hayes was doubtful we'd see much of a "spillover" effect. For one, the definition of "employee" under the NLRA is distinct from that set forth in the Fair Labor Standards Act and other statutes. And of course, the Board didn't resolve the question based on statutory construction anyhow, he notes; rather, the decision turned on matters of federal labor policy—making its holding even further removed from those settings.


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A new paper helps to shed light on one of the biggest questions in climate science: how much the climate will warm in future?
The answer to this depends a lot on something scientists call the "climate sensitivity" – a measure of how much the climate warms in response to greenhouse gases.
Until now, scientists have been grappling with how to reconcile the fact that different ways to estimate the climate sensitivity have, so far, come up with quite different answers.
This uncertainty has never been a reason to question whether climate change will be serious or to delay action to tackle emissions, though it has often be misused by climate skeptics this way.
But a question mark over the value of climate sensitivity has meant that projections of future temperature rise are less precise than scientists would like. It also makes it harder to gauge our chances of staying below a given temperature limit, such as 2C above pre-industrial levels.
A new paper published in Nature Climate Change says there is, in fact, no disagreement between the different methods after all. In reality, they measure different things and once you correct for the fact that the historical temperature record underestimates past warming, the gap closes.
The implications are significant since it suggests we've seen around 0.2C more warming than previously thought, says co-author Dr Ed Hawkins in his Climate Lab Book blog.
Read more at Scientists Find Common Ground over Climate Sensitivity


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Read the full story at GreenBiz.
One major stumbling block for implementation of the Paris Agreement (PDF) remains one of financing, particularly the opportunity for developing countries to catch up. In this environment, green bonds have emerged as one of the simplest solutions for raising money.
To some, this financing vehicle is almost a panacea: Issue green bonds and the problem will be solved.
But the link between issuance and impact is not automatic. How green, really, is the project financed by a green bond? Most progress indicators are stated in terms of green financing made available, such as the Green Pledge, which calls for $1 trillion of green bonds to be issued during 2020. But most don't measure the impact of the projects financed.


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2011 marks Washington Youth Soccer's 45th year of bringing soccer to Washington's youth. As we prepare for our 2011 Annual General Meeting (AGM) this week, our structure, bylaws and governance are at the top of mind. I thought I would take this opportunity to review our structure and how we got here, because taking a moment to think about how we function can better serve why we function.
WA Youth Soccer was established in 1966 much in the same way as many nonprofits are: a small group of volunteers agree to basic organization structure and mission and create stability by keeping the organizational structure the same as the organization matures. The same board of directors and basic bylaw structure was used from the creation of WA Youth Soccer in 1966 until 2009, even though the membership increased during that time from a few thousand players to more than 100,000. Based on feedback from the membership through Member Association Representatives and District Commissioners, WA Youth Soccer staff and board members hosted a series of soccer summits around the state in 2007 to address the needs of each level of play and geographic area.
One of the biggest frustrations was that change to rules and program structures was extremely slow, often taking at least a year to get from proposal to coming before the board of directors. The makeup of the board of directors at that time was executive board members (president, vice president of administration, vice president of competition, vice president of development, treasurer, secretary, etc) as well as the District Commissioners. The resulting body was a large committee that was responsible for all business and nonprofit direction as well as all soccer rules and competitions. The combination of governance and competition elements in the same board led to extremely long board meetings that had board members making decisions on topics that may not have been their expertise, preventing WA Youth Soccer from keeping up with the latest knowledge on proper player and coach development techniques.
The board of directors began looking for ways to improve the structure of WA Youth Soccer and modernize for the twenty-first century. In 2008 Jan Glick and Associates was hired to consult with stakeholders at all leadership levels and guide the board of directors in creating a strategic plan for the next 4 years. The recommended restructure focused on improving the decision-making structures by separating soccer/competition decisions from business/nonprofit decisions in a multi-level structure.
The board of directors would be composed solely of traditional nonprofit positions (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and board directors) and the newly formed Soccer Operations Committee would address all soccer operational decisions. The Soccer Operations Committee would be populated with representatives from across the state, all levels of play, and both volunteers and staff members. The goal was to divide labor to be more efficient in making WA Youth Soccer governance and operation decisions, which would free up time for the board of directors to focus on traditional nonprofit board tasks (fundraising, strategic planning, financial management, risk management, etc) and the Soccer Operations Committee would then be responsible for the operating documents (rules regarding registration, competition, judicial, etc) and creating standing committees to address levels of play and specific programs.
This entire process was part of the Constitutional Convention, a board of directors initiative to involve the membership in understanding the proposed changes and soliciting feedback to inform the process. Two council meetings (Member Association Representatives, District Commissioners, and board of directors members make up the Council) were held in late 2008 and early 2009 to discuss the plan, meetings were held with each district, and two committees were established to detail what the proposal would consist of and what its goals were (rules & operating documents committee and Seamless Soccer task force).
The primary goal was to develop a Seamless Soccer system providing developmentally correct playing opportunities for all players through increased flexibility and opportunities for like vs. like competition with less travel and a reduction in administrative burden. The means for achieving this goal were the separation of governance from operation, establishing processes for data gathering and feedback, and applying a problem-solving approach to administrative barriers. Simply: make it easier to get kids onto the right field by reducing the administrative challenges and redundancy.
Once the feedback from the Associations and Districts over the winter of 2008 and spring of 2009 was gathered and incorporated into the strategic plan, the Constitutional Convention came to a conclusion when the Council voted to suspend the existing bylaws at the 2009 Annual General Meeting, in order to vote in new bylaws that officially created the separation of governance and operations. The board of directors planned for a one-year transition to the new governance model over the course of the 2009-2010 season. During this time, the operating documents committee worked diligently on editing the Administrative Handbook of the old structure into 2 types of documents: governing documents and operating documents, the latter of which would be the responsibility of the newly formed Soccer Operations Committee. The format of the old handbook was translated to a new document format that aimed to keep all rules about a topic grouped together in one section, rather than bits and pieces located throughout a document over 100 pages long. It would make locating rules easier and editing rules simpler.
Now the board of directors meets quarterly and has the focus of handling governance issues through bylaw review, fundraising plans, and keeping track of progress on the strategic plan. The Soccer Operations Committee is also meeting quarterly to discuss all aspects of operations: competition rule changes, updates on current programs and events, and finalizing the new operating documents for publication in May 2011. Our next post will give more background on the operating documents process and where we're headed over the next year.


text: GMS Automatic Pill Dispenser Standard Edition is our upgraded GMS Med-e-Lert. This dispenser is the ideal solution to monitor any medication or vitamin schedule. This will allow caregivers the freedom from worry free and help make sure that medications are taken properly and on time. The 28 compartment tray can hold up to 18 aspirin sized pills per compartment. The device includes one clear lid and one solid white lid, no more having to choose between the two. The Pill Dispenser is programmable for up to 6 daily alarms. The alarms sound for 30 minutes or until medications are dispensed. The dispenser comes with 6 dosage rings. This allows for being able to pick the right ring for the appropriate dosage amount. Completely portable. Unit retains program settings when changing batteries.