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Man freaks out after finding boa constrictor underneath his truck's hood
It was a typical Friday morning for Ernst Dimanche. He dropped his kids off at school and came home, but when he popped open the hood of his truck to do some work, he found a boa constrictor in his Cadillac.
"I saw the snake, (and) I just went crazy," Dimanche said. "Everything in my skin, I got goosebumps."
Dimanche told WSVN he has no idea when or how the snake slithered its way into his truck.
"I don't know how long he's been in my truck, and I took my kids to school this morning with this snake in my truck," Dimanche. "Now I'm not getting in that truck."
Dimanche called an animal service to come pick up the snake, but they charged a hefty fee that he couldn't afford. He then called the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, but they couldn't help either, leaving him and the snake stuck.
"It found the sweet spot," Dimanche said. "It's loving it, and no matter what I do, it will not come up."
After hours of living in fear, Dimanche's neighbor, Demietri Giddings, stepped in and saved the day, using a coat hanger to pull the snake from under the hood, and pulling Dimanche out of his nightmare.
"I guess the little moments count, you know?" Giddings said. "And if I could help somebody have a better day, that's great."
"Now I can go home and relax," Dimanche said. "My snake day is over."

subset: commoncrawl


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A heavyweight scrap between slugger Mark Hunt (8-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Dutch skyscraper Stefan Struve (23-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is the fifth heavyweight matchup added to UFC 146, and all five fights will be featured on the main card.
The plans were first revealed by Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole and have since been confirmed by UFC officials.
The card marks the first time in UFC history five heavyweight fights have filled out a main card.
Featuring a heavyweight title fight between current champion Junior Dos Santos and former Strikeforce title holder Alistair Overeem, "UFC 146: Dos Santos vs. Overeem" takes place May 26 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.
A former kickboxing star, Hunt has emerged as a surprising success story in the UFC's heavyweight division with three-straight victories. He debuted for the promotion in September 2010 with a submission loss to Sean McCorkle but has since earned wins over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell and Cheick Kongo.
Meanwhile, at just 24 years old, Struve has already fought 10 times in the octagon and is closing in on 30 total career contests. The 6-foot-11 fighter is 4-1 in his past five fights, with the lone loss coming to Travis Browne. His wins during that run have come over Dave Herman, Pat Barry, McCorkle and Christian Morecraft.
With the addition to the card, UFC 146's latest lineup currently includes:
MAIN CARD (pay-per-view)
- Champ Junior Dos Santos vs. Alistair Overeem (for heavyweight title)
- Frank Mir vs. Cain Velasquez
- Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
- Shane Del Rosario vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
- Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve*
- Edson Barboza vs. Evan Dunham
- Dan Hardy vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig
- Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins
- C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller
- Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira
- Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann
* – Not officially announced
For more on UFC 146, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Mark Hunt)


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Nurse Duped By Kate Middleton Royal Prank Call Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
A nurse who was duped by two Australian radio DJs seeking information on Kate Middleton's hospitalization earlier this week has been found dead in an apparent suicide, according to the hospital.
In a statement to TVGuide.com, King Edward VII Hospital said that Jacintha Saldanha was found dead Friday morning near the hospital and was the recent "victim of a hoax call." Scotland Yard is treating the death as a possible suicide.
"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends," hospital CEO John Lofthouse said in the statement. "Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much-loved and valued colleague."
On Tuesday, Australian DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian called the hospital at 5:30 a.m. as part of their show. Greig and Christian put on British accents and pretended to be the Queen of England and Prince Charles, asking to speak with "my granddaughter Kate," who was hospitalized Monday for acute morning sickness. Saldanha, who was working at the reception desk at the time, provided details about Middleton's condition that were broadcast on the air. Audio of the prank call was published by several websites Wednesday and Thursday.
After a public rebuke from the hospital, the radio station issued an apology Wednesday, saying: "We were very surprised that our call was put through. We thought we'd be hung up on as soon as they heard our terrible accents. We're very sorry if we've caused any issues and we're glad to hear that Kate is doing well."
The station and the DJs have yet to comment on Saldanha's death. The hospital added Friday that it had been "supporting [Saldanha] throughout this difficult time."
Middleton, who was discharged Thursday, and Prince William also issued a statement Friday after hearing the news.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha," the statement read. "Their royal highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time."
Saldanha had worked at the hospital for more than four years.
View original Nurse Duped By Kate Middleton Royal Prank Call Found Dead in Apparent Suicide at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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Status of PO files managed with po4a for language code: bn — Bengali[ L10n ] [ Language list ] [ Ranking ] [ POT files ]
[af] [bn] [ca] [cs] [da] [de] [el] [es] [fi] [fr] [gl] [hr] [hu] [id] [it] [ja] [lt] [nl] [pl] [pt] [pt_BR] [ru] [sk] [sl] [sv] [tg] [tr] [ug] [uk] [vi] [zh_CN] [zh_TW]
105 strings are translated to this language (from 51863). The packages are in three pools: translations underway, translations uptodate and translations to do.
In each table, packages are sorted according to their popcon score, so that translators can focus on the most popular packages.
Packages for which translation is underway
You can download and translate these PO files, and submit them as bug reports to package maintainers.
Section: main
|94% (105t;6f;0u)
|Ummey Salma
|ankur-bd-l10n at googlegroups dot com
Packages already translated
Packages already i18n-ed
These packages are translated in other languages, and then could be translated into your own language.
Section: main
apt (805), debconf (697), dpkg (2110), aptitude (2649), debianutils (191), base-passwd (38), adduser (223), man-db (388), sensible-utils (13), debian-faq (975), po-debconf (310), debhelper (858), doc-base (74), xfce4-clipman-plugin (107), dctrl-tools (314), deborphan (127), devscripts (2405), manpages-fr-extra (347), developers-reference (1350), xfce4-terminal (377), apt-show-versions, pppconfig (50), kernel-package (277), mkvtoolnix, debsums (117), schroot (657), pdf2djvu (161), fortunes-debian-hints (49), videolan-doc (681), wine-doc (939), svn-buildpackage (440), apt-build (85), emdebian-crush (98), multistrap (235), debian-history, harden-doc (2508), emdebian-grip (190), python-pysnmp4-mibs (23), packaging-tutorial (562), debarchiver (140), ladder (70)
[af] [bn] [ca] [cs] [da] [de] [el] [es] [fi] [fr] [gl] [hr] [hu] [id] [it] [ja] [lt] [nl] [pl] [pt] [pt_BR] [ru] [sk] [sl] [sv] [tg] [tr] [ug] [uk] [vi] [zh_CN] [zh_TW]
This page was generated with data collected on: May 21st, 2013. Before working on these files, make sure they are up to date!


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I was sad to read this morning that George Whitman had died, but as he was 98 and appeared to have lived the life he wanted almost to the end, I think my sad feelings were more out of concern for the end of an era than the death of a man I had not met.
His only child, Sylvia Beach Whitman has been managing the famous bookstore for some time and I imagine it will continue to be a haven for those who wish to pop in to an English-speaking bookstore while in Paris.
I've been fortunate to visit Paris four times, the first of which was when I was 19 in late December 1979. I remember being focused on seeing the Louvre and Notre-Dame and excited to be in Paris for New Year's Eve, but I don't remember stopping by Shakespeare And Company at that time.
Ten years later I went back to Paris with my then 12 year-old daughter, Miranda for the millennium New Year celebration and made time to visit the bookstore and have the wet looking photo below taken while I was there.
There's generally a lot of activity both inside and out of Shakespeare And Company and the photo above gives you a glimpse of what I'm talking about. I always love sneaking a peek over the shoulders of artists who stop to paint and over to the left you can see another part of the bookstore which deals with antiquarian books.
Notice the man dressed in white … I thought he looked a bit like author, Tom Wolfe.
Speaking of artists, that's my talented sister Margaret coming though the door having just made a purchase. I always look for something special when I'm there. I particularly like the stamp you can get when you buy a book.
There's an inscription I can't read in my book and I thought maybe one of my French-speaking friends could help out with a translation.
The bookstore is full of quirky places that I did not photograph, but this blogger has some great interior shots.
Ahhh … the side with the books I covet, but can't afford.
Thanks to my Paris based friend, Kim who alerted me to the death of George Whitman on Facebook with a link to this great NYTimes article on his life and passing.


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Direct Boxes…..
Posted by jdbsound on May 26, 2012
Direct Boxes
Original Article Copyright (c) 1988 Joseph De Buglio, JdB Sound, Acoustics
Updated 1997, 2012
From JdB Church Sound & Acoustics
This information has be written for the layman and should not be used as technical information. Many terms and descriptions are simplified for educational reading.
Thank you.
What are they and why do we need them?
It's 10:00am Sunday morning. The invited Gospel group just showed up an hour late. You have 45 minutes to set up, do a sound check and rehearse the group long enough to know what kind of sound they are best known for.
One by one the performers enter with their instruments. This group is planning to use the church sound system. Rumor told them that this church had a very good system. You see one electronic organ, two electronic keyboards, one string bass with a pickup and one electric guitar with an amplifier head. Finally, you see an electronic drum kit.
At the front of the church you have 16 mic inputs. You need 5 vocal mics and 9 inputs for the instruments. That leaves you with a pulpit mic and a tape player input.
Fortunately, you were prepared. Earlier in the week you rented 1 speaker director, 5 passive direct boxes and 2 active direct boxes. The church already owned 2 passive direct boxes.
By 10:30, the sound check was finished with the soundman sitting at his mixer in the pew and 10 minutes later the group finished their rehearsal and floor monitor check. At 11:00am, service started and the group performed very well. Most people were not aware that the group set up in only 45 minutes. Is this really possible? Ever since the 16mm film projector was used in the church and connected to the sound system, churches have needed a direct box (or DI box). DI boxes are used to change the output signal from one source and change the level and impedance to match a microphone level signal input into a mixer. The most common application of a direct box is when connecting an electronic keyboard or similar electronics to a sound system. The DI box allows you to connect into a snake or existing mic lines and send the signal up to 700 or 800 feet away. By converting line level signal to a balanced signal mic level, you also avoid RF problems and crosstalk in the mic cables back to the mixer.
There are 5 quick and convenient type of boxes
Passive Direct Box
The most common DI box is the Passive Direct Box. This unit is often used to connect Guitars, Keyboards and other electronics that have a line level out from the instrument. Often the line level voltage is between .5 volts to 3 volts (Some DI's units can handle an input signal of +8dB (or 10 volts)). As a passive unit, the signal is as good as the transformer that is built within it. An important feature of many good quality DI boxes is ground lifting. Since there is no universal standard for audio equipment and instruments, grounding problems often occur (Perhaps the new ISO9000 standard may help…. but let's see what happens in the next few years.) Many DI boxes are able to isolate grounding problems between various items of equipment. Generally, by going through a DI, you loss from 3 to 6dB of signal.
** Note: Not all DI boxes sound the same. As the signal levels get higher, the DI box may add some distortion. On an electric Guitar it may be a good thing. On a Keyboard it can sound awful. Before you blame the soundman for that poor keyboard or instrument mix in the monitors, try a different DI box or even an Active box.
The second most common DI box is the Active Direct Box. These units either work from a battery or phantom power from a mixer. An active DI box can handle higher signal levels and put out a higher signal level. Furthermore, the frequency response is often better too. When you are performing in a room that has low reverberation and good performance qualities, it is better to use the active DI box. Also if you plan to use a digital signal in reinforcement or recording, use the active DI box. Generally, a DI has 0dB signal loss.
Active Direct Box with Preamp.
A new type of Direct Box may have a built in preamp that works off the Phantom power of a mixer or it might have batteries or it might have an AC/DC adapter. I haven't had a chance to test one, but the are supposed to boost a signal level up to 10dB. Some of these units can also work as a mic preamp as well but that is only when your mixer dies and you need 1 mic to get through the show. But that would only work if you have a box that is self powered or with an AC adapter.
Speaker Director Box
The less common DI box is called the Speaker Director Box. A speaker director is used when the only signal output available is from an amplifier. Many older 16mm film projectors use a 10 watt tube amplifier for driving a 10 watt speaker. A tube amplifier should always have a nominal load of 4 ohms or higher on the output or the amplifier will burn itself out. A good speaker director will present to the amplifier a proper load and convert the signal to mic levels to either a 150 or 600 ohms. You should never take a signal from an amplifier direct into a mixer. You will either fry the channel or the power supply in your mixer.
Remember, all good direct boxes have ground lift switches and there are a few units that have an automatic grounding system. Make sure that your direct box has this feature.
Line Matching Transformer
Another common method of connecting low level electronics to a sound system is by using a line matching transformer. The transformer is usually mounted in a barrel type connector with a ¼ inch-tip sleeve connector at one end and an XLR three pin connector on the other end. The whole unit is often about 4 inches long. There are only a few manufacturers of these products and they seem to work.
Radio Shack, EV and other mic companies has two types and churches tend to buy these because they are so visible and easy to get. One converts low level line outputs to mic levels. This unit with the ¼" female to male XLR can handle a lot of power but, there is a major penalty when you drive this transformer to hard. In bench measurements, when the sign was greater than 2 volts, it introduced distortion. At 3 volts there was 10% distortion. At 5 volts there was about 20% distortion. On a guitar this may be desirable or in a noisy night club show where you won't hear the distortion, but in a church, the distortion can be very unpleasant. As long as the sign stays below 2 volts, this transformer will do a reasonable job.
The other unit converts Mic Levels to Line Levels. The performance of these units were bench tested with a MLSSA (a computerized audio and acoustical testing system) and the performance was surprisingly very good. The limiting factor is voltage. The unit with the Female XLR to Male ¼ inch connectors can not handle a load much higher that 1 volt of power. At 1 volt the transformer saturates and it sound horrible. Any signal below 1 volt will have a frequency response from 10 hertz to 20,000 hertz ±1.5dB. The transformer is down 6dB at 3 hertz. From 50 hertz to 15,000 hertz the unit is ± .25dB. In my books, this is an excellent performance for most smaller church needs. The best function for this transformer is in trapping RF signals for mixers that do not have good quality electronically balanced inputs (Some mixers have transformer inputs which traps RF.)
Update 1997.
Recently on the news groups, there was some mis-information being shared which I feel should be corrected. A person posted the question, "Can an active DI boost the signal from -20dB to +0dB. I want to boost the signal of my acoustic guitar pickup."
The response to this question was remarkable. What was very surprising was when I saw who was answering the questions.
First of all, lets look at the question. – The request was to know if an active DI can boost an audio signal from -20dB to +0dB. First of all, we should know what -20dB means.
In HI-FI, -10 and -20dB is the standard used to connect from stereo equipment to equipment. Part of the reason for this standard is that a lower signal has few problems with noise from RF and HUMs and at that level, it is cheaper to provide RF protections at -10dB. However, this signal is too low to manipulate for editing without adding noise that is inherent of all audio equipment and signals – even digital signals.
In Pro Audio, we use +4 as a standard. Part of the reason (among other things) for this higher output is to boost the signal high enough for a greater signal to noise ratio. Let me explain. A line level to line level signal often already has a signal to noise ratio of 60dB or more. A microphone can have a signal that is from – 80dB to +10dB. That is 90dB of dynamic range. If the low level -80dB signal is clean – that is little or no noise, by boosting it to +4dB means that when you split the signal for monitors, effects and recording outputs, when you change the signal with the channel EQ and then send the signal out of the mixer, your original signal should be (almost) noise free. (If you have a cheep mic, that can often be a problem when micing a person's voice at a distance.) In otherworldly, the hotter the signal, the better for Pro Audio- and all church sound system come under this label.
As a side bar. – Have you even connected a CD player directly to a Pro Amplifier and found that you could turn the CD up all the way without clipping the amplifier? It's because the maximum output of most consumer CD player are .75 Volts – which is the maximum output of a HIFI product. For Pro Audio – many pro amplifier are 1.75 volts (+4dB) or 2.83 volts (+8dB). This voltage difference and signal difference is the main reason why you can not mix HIFI and Pro Audio equipment. (Note, some lower prices Pro audio amps have switches for .75 volts for consumer use.)
Back to the Question – Many active DI boxes have switches that can cut a signal down. Most Active DI boxes have 0dB, -10dB and -20dB. Some DI boxes also have -45dB. These are pads. Pads are loads created with resistors and other components to cut the signal down when the input voltage is too high. A passive DI box will loose between 3 to 6dB of signal. For many sound sources, this is OK. Also, passive DI use transformers. All transformers have a unique sound. If your church has an NC above 42dB, the sound of the DI will not be noticeable. If the church has an NC below 42dB, then everything counts.
Active DI boxes offer 0dB signal loss and since they don't use transformers, they add far less coloration to the original sound. In order for a Direct Box to Boost a -20dB signal to +0dB, you need internal amplifiers like a mixer has. To the best of my knowledge, there are only a few Active DI boxes that have such abilities. Generally, they should be called Active DI with Preamps. Most of the common Active DI boxes do not have this ability.
These DI boxes with pre amps and gain controls built in require 24 volts or more to boost a signal. A full boost of signal can be achieved with a 48 volt phantom power supply as supplied in many pro quality mixers. Some of these DI's can boost a signal to +20dB, but doing this without gain noise is remote. In a club with 55dB of background noise this probably isn't a problem – in a church with 40dB of background noise and preamp noise will be a major issue.
The solution for the guitar player is to use a guitar foot pedal pre amp that can also add Bass, mid and treble tone controls – then go into a DI box. The signal will be boosted before going into the DI box – as it should.
For other low level signal, you can use a Guitar pre amp or- you can use a unit like the Symetrix 202. It is a two channel pre amp with phantom power. It can be used as a mixer by itself or to boost a low level signal. It can handle almost any kind of input and convert it to 600 ohm balanced load. You don't need a DI box with this unit. it has a ground switch, a pad, a gain control and phase switch. Because it has two channels, you can mix two sounds, like a mic and guitar before sending it to the main mixer, or mix 2 acoustic guitars. The option is yours.
What prompted this writing is the fact that well known audio experts are either telling people that any active DI box can boost a signal, or they are accepting this info as fact. Yes, there are some active DI boxes that have a built in line amplifier to increase the signal which makes these unit more than a pure active DI and if you read the product label, it will tell you if there is a line amp included.
In summary, a DI box should always be used as your first choice when connecting an electronic instrument to a sound system where you are using mic cables over 50 feet to the mixer. Use the in line transformers sparingly, especially if your don't know the output voltage. And yes, with practice, in 30 minutes you can connect up to 24 mic inputs with two people and finish a sound check. Check DI 1, DI 2, DI 3……
DI Box FAQ
Question from those who search the web.
Can you use a DI box with a mic? Jan 2012
The short answer is – NO.
The long answer is – DI boxes are not pre amps or mic signal amplifiers. They are passive devices. Even an Active DI box is passive. All it does is give you better control of the input sign to prevent clipping of a hot signal. Di Boxes convert one type of signal to another. That said, there are a few expensive boxes that are suppose to work both as a DI box and as a preamp for line level signal. They can not be used to manage mic level signal whether balanced or unbalanced. DI boxes are 1/4 inch inputs and XLR and 1/4 inch outputs. When they say preamp/DI box, what they are saying is that they can change the bass, treble, mids and add sound effects to the hot signal and then send it to the mixer at mic level or line level for a Guitar amp.
If you are looking to boost a mic signal, you need a pre-amp and they are many phantom powered, battery powered, USB powered and DC/AC wall wart powered pre-amps.
Can you connect from a Mixer to an Amp Directly?
The Short Answer is – Yes
The Long Answer is – Amp inputs are line level. HIFI/Consumer products connect at -10dB. Pro products are setup for +4dB. The key here is to have the proper type of cable connections. It is best to run from XLR to XLR or TRS to TRS or TS to TS. If you have to go from XLR or TRS to TS, and you are having any hum issues then a DI box will help you out and correct the grounding issues.
What is the best way to connect from a computer or Laptop or Ipod/Iphone/Ipad to a mixer for music playback?
The proper way to take a headset signal output to a single mixer input is to connect with two Line Match Transformers. You need a transformer for both the Left and Right channel. Why? One of the sacred rules in audio is that you can split or "Y" an output signal to two devices but never combine or "Y" an input signal to the input of a mixer. In many churches there are Cassette players, MP3 players, CD players and other playback devices that have only one channel working. When you "Y" an output to a single connection, you are creating an improper load and that often leads to a Left or Right channel being burned out over time. There are summing boxes that you can use but they can be expensive. Better yet, if you have two free input channels or you have stereo input channel use them. If you only have 1 channel, the line match transformers will protect the mix and the playback device.
A good article to read is from Rane https://www.rane.com/note109.html
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The research has been clear and consistent for over 30 years—collaborative cultures in which teachers focus on improving their teaching practice, learn from each other, and are well led and supported by school principals result in better learning for students. Fullan, M. (n.d.). Learning is the Work. Retrieved from http://www.michaelfullan.ca/
As life grows more complex, so too does education. The role of the teacher, once essentially an autonomous, well defined position, is now vast and continually changing. It is now impossible for a teacher to be engaging in best practice unless they are part of a supportive, informed and well developed network.
Whereas in the past this network, if it existed at all, was limited by time and space, the previous blog posts in this series on Social Media and Schools as Professional Learning Communities have shown that with the advent of tools such as Twitter, this need no longer be the case.
Despite the overwhelming evidence that collaborative cultures in schools improve student learning, and the presence of tools that allow these cultures to be developed in new and expansive ways, there continues to be reluctance to embrace the potential of online environments and social media. Richardson and Mancabelli suggest that this could be because this move challenges the structures in education that have been in place for as long as we can remember; letting go of our current notions of schooling to be open and interactive like never before may seem overwhelming.
This third and final blog post offers suggestions as to how to use a range of social media to enhance not only teachers' learning networks, but also how schools may consider using social media to model constructive and positive communication within and beyond their immediate community.
Moving beyond the Twitterverse; Multiple Modes, Multiple Messages
Twitter is an excellent avenue for discovering new ideas, participating in online asynchronous dialogue and hearing about the latest educational trends and keynotes. It is, however, not the only tool that educators can use to broaden their personal learning network.
Linked In is growing in prominence as a networking tool for professionals. While it began as a place for business people to share a virtual summary of career highlights with potential employees, it is moving beyond this, to provide online discussion spaces for groups of like-minded educators, on topics such as 21st Century Education, Educational Leadership, Teacher Training and Curriculum Development. A search reveals 4,779 groups to choose from; and membership is drawn from around the world.
Diigo has been written about before on this blog, however it would be remiss not to mention it as a very active online learning community for educators. Not only a place to organise and store web links, Diigo provides spaces for collaboration, groups and the opportunity to discover new web links via email digests of the most recently saved websites.
Blogs are another tremendous source of up to date educational information. The drawback to them is that accessing each blog is time-consuming and blog authors post at irregular intervals. Time poor teachers are better off subscribing to a selection of blogs using an RSS Feedreader. The concept of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is actually really simple! Basically subscribing to blogs using RSS means each time a new post is uploaded, it will be sent to a central place, such as your Google Reader, so that they can be read from one location instead of going to each individual blog site. This video explains further.
Using Social Media to communicate as a school
Mark Sparvell, executive consultant in ICT capability and innovation at Principals Australia suggests that an entry point for schools who are keen to use Twitter or other social media is to begin by using it as a tool to connect the school with the wider community. He suggests looking at social media as a virtual school noticeboard, which communicates messages including staff and student achievements, reminders about special events, requests for assistance and updates on school sport scores.
Using social media allows the school to actively engage with the community in real time; updates are easy and quick to produce, making them ideal not only for distributing information, but for responding to questions and issues if and when they arise.
Ferriter, Ramsden and Sheninger suggest that schools look to how businesses have positioned themselves within the social media context, and to explore how this channel of communication may allow for more authentic representations of the school's 'brand'; by removing the formality of newsletters and opening up a two way mode that emphasises the shared aims of the school and its community.
They also suggest that schools 'start small'. Twitter allows users the option to lock their accounts, so that only those who are 'followers' may see the posts made. This useful feature also means that the school can control who follows them – each request must be moderated and approved before they can be included. Steps on how to protect your Tweets in this way may be found on the Twitter help centre page.
Modelling positive use of social media in this way not only demonstrates the school's willingness to communicate with its stakeholders, it also shows an openness to learn and interact within the online world – a world within which an increasing number of students operate daily.
Education in the form that we have today was developed when knowledge was scarce, and communication channels limited. When learning could only occur in the presence of an individual who held all knowledge, it made sense to create institutions where a fixed curriculum could be delivered to age-grouped classes, and to measure 'mastery' via tests of content knowledge.
Today, knowledge is not scarce, and individuals have access to multiple communication channels. This has significant implications for education. Not only does it mean that the role of teachers must change, it also means that for schools to be considered professional learning communities, they must orient themselves within the wider world beyond the classroom walls.
"Increasingly, those who use technology in ways that expand their global connections are more likely to advance, while those who do not will find themselves on the sidelines. With the growing availability of tools to connect learners and scholars all over the world — online collaborative workspaces, social networking tools, mobiles, voice-over-IP, and more — teaching and scholarship are transcending traditional borders more and more all the time."
Ferriter, W. M., Ramsden, J. T., & Sheninger, E. C. (2011). Communicating and connecting with social media. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.
Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal learning networks: using the power of connections to transform education. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press.
2009 Horizon Report . Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2009/


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CNSNews.com) – A little-known section in the Obamacare health reform law defines "full-time" work as averaging only 30 hours per week, a definition that will affect some employers who utilize part-time workers to trim the cost of complying with the Obamacare rule that says businesses with 50 or more workers must provide health insurance or pay a fine.
"The term 'full-time employee' means, with respect to any month, an employee who is employed on average at least 30 hours of service per week," section 1513 of the law reads. (Scroll down to section 4, paragraph A.)
That section, known as the employer mandate, requires any business with 50 or more full-time employees to provide at least the minimum level of government-defined health coverage to those employees.
In other words, a business must provide insurance if it has 50 or more employees working an average of just 30 hours per week, which is 10 hours per week fewer than the traditional 40-hour work week.
If an employer has 50 or more "full-time employees" and does not offer health insurance, it must pay a penalty per employee for each month it does not offer coverage.
The obscure provision recently reemerged in regulations issued by the IRS for how employers must account for which workers are full-time and which ones are not.
Under these standards, published in September, employers can choose a "look-back" period of between 3 and 12 months to measure if an employee has worked an average of 30 hours per week.
If an employee has worked 30 hours per week during this time, the person would count as a full-time employee for at least the next six months, regardless of how much they work, thus preventing employers from cutting hours to avoid the mandate.
In other words, an employer calculates the hours an employee works during at least a three-month period, determining if they employee has worked 30 hours or more per week on average.
If the employee meets the 30-hour threshold, they are counted as full-time for at least six months. If the employer has at least 50 such employees, he must provide them with health insurance or pay a fine.
The IRS regulations do not apply to seasonal or temporary workers, only to regular employees.


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A 73-year-old woman has been found in Louisiana after being charged with stealing and gambling away $97,000 from a trust fund for her grandson's college education, authorities said, but she may never return to Indiana for prosecution.
Edna Sue Pate was wanted in Indiana, where the charges were filed, but authorities there said they would not have her brought there to face the charges. Officials in that state had been ordered to extradite her only if she was found in a surrounding state, which would not include Louisiana.
Messages seeking comment with Lake County, Ind., Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan were not returned Thursday and Friday.
Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton said deputies found Pate at a home in the northern Louisiana town of Minden on Wednesday. Sexton said his agency would arrest Pate if authorities in Indiana decided they wanted to have her taken there for prosecution — assuming she stayed at the same home in Minden.
"I have no reason to monitor her at this point," Sexton said. "If they wanted her, they just had to tell me (Wednesday) they wanted her. As far as I'm concerned she's a free lady. She can leave. She can go anywhere."
A probable cause affidavit filed last month by Griffith, Ind., police Detective James Sibley says Pate withdrew more than $97,000 from 2004 to 2007 from a trust fund account opened in 2003 under the name of her grandson, Christian Patrick Kenneth Smith.
The documents say Pate was a trustee on the account but did not have consent to use its funds for any purpose other than Smith's post-secondary education. The documents also say Smith was the sole beneficiary.
The court records claim Pate was known to frequent Indiana casinos and had set up a separate account in 2009 from which she made 49 withdrawals totaling more than $6,000 through April 2010, when the account was closed with a "negative balance."
The court records say 30 withdrawals from that account were made from ATMs at two casinos in Indiana. Records from one of the casinos, Majestic Star II in Gary, show Pate lost more than $93,000 during that time period.
Sibley did not return a message left by The Associated Press.
Smith's father, Tom Smith, who is a private investigator in Griffith, said he wasn't surprised by the decision because he knew Lake County authorities would extradite the woman only from surrounding states because of the expense. He said he found out several months ago she was in Louisiana and asked the Lake County prosecutor's office to extradite her.
"I tried to pressure them. I picketed. I did an e-mail campaign to the Lake County Prosecutor's Office," he said. "If I call them I get routed to voice mail."
Smith said he is frustrated by the lack of help from the Lake County officials, saying there was $40,000 left in the account when he sued Pate in 2008.
"If I had gotten any support from the Lake County Sheriff's Department or the probate court to reopen the trust, my son would still have some money," he said. "It's all very frustrating. I've tried for seven years to try to get someone to pay attention to it."
A residential listing for a Pate on Methodist Camp Road was unavailable.
Tom Smith said the civil lawsuit can't proceed until Pate is brought to Lake County.
"I want her to answer for this so other people realize they can't do this. And that's what my son wants," Smith said.
Plaisance reported from New Orleans. Coyne reported from South Bend, Ind.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Nick Carter isn't only writing songs — he's written a book.
The Backstreet Boys singer will release a memoir, "Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It," on Sept. 24 via Bird Street Books. The 33-year-old is the first in the group to release a book.
The autobiography and self-help book will include stories about Carter's teenage years in the multiplatinum Backstreet Boys, his struggles with substance and alcohol abuse, and the hardships of his family. His younger siblings include Aaron and Leslie Carter. Leslie, who battled with substance abuse, died last year.
Carter is engaged to Lauren Kitt. The Backstreet Boys will release their eighth album, "In a World Like This," on July 30.


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Life is slowly settling down around here. My husband's surgery went smoothly and now he's in the long recovery phase. This past Sunday, I said goodbye to all my precious grandkids as they headed off to their new home in North Carolina. It was so difficult to watch them drive away as they had all been staying with me for the past three weeks. We shared lots of laughs and even though it was crazy at times, I loved every minute. I'm sure they'll enjoy their new state, even though it breaks my heart to have them all so far away.
With the quiet, I now have time to catch up on things that have been on the back burner. I designed this pattern several months ago and am just now getting around to posting it. It's funny how things, work out, but no sooner did I finish charting it up, than I received a request for it! One of my friends on Ravelry, xstitch or Vicki, was looking for a fox bib for her sweet grandson. She even offered to test knit it for me! She's just an amazing knitter. I often tell her that when I grow up, I want to be just like her! I feel so honored that she wanted to help me!
here for the bib and here for the cloth.
xstitch She has the most gorgeous shawls and she's even had a pattern named after her! Xstitch A pretty (and free) cowl pattern with, what else?, cross stitches!


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By Georgi Gotev, Joel Schalit | EurActiv.com 8:05 (updated: 11:25)
US nuclear weapons are stationed throughout Europe. [Amanda Slater/Flickr] Languages: Français | Deutsch
EXCLUSIVE/ Two independent sources told EurActiv.com that the US has started transferring nuclear weapons stationed in Turkey to Romania, against the background of worsening relations between Washington and Ankara . According to one of the sources, the transfer has been very challenging in technical and political terms.
"It's not easy to move 20+ nukes," said the source, on conditions of anonymity. According to a recent report by the Simson Center, since the Cold War, some 50 US tactical nuclear weapons have been stationed at Turkey's Incirlik air base, approximately 100 kilometres from the Syrian border.
During the failed coup in Turkey in July, Incirlik's power was cut, and the Turkish government prohibited US aircraft from flying in or out. Eventually, the base commander was arrested and implicated in the coup. Whether the US could have maintained control of the weapons in the event of a protracted civil conflict in Turkey is an unanswerable question, the report says.
Another source told EurActiv.com that the US-Turkey relations had deteriorated so much following the coup that Washington no longer trusted Ankara to host the weapons. The American weapons are being moved to the Deveselu air base in Romania, the source said.
Deveselu, near the city of Caracal, is the new home of the US missile shield, which has infuriated Russia. US activates Romanian missile defence site, angering Russia The United States switched on an $800 million missile shield in Romania yesterday (12 May) that it sees as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states but the Kremlin says is aimed at blunting its own nuclear arsenal.
EurActiv.com Romania was an ally of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but it never hosted nuclear weapons during that period. Stationing tactical US nuclear weapons close to Russia's borders is likely to infuriate Russia and lead to an escalation.
The stationing of Russian nuclear missiles in Cuba in 1962 was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. EurActiv has asked the US State Department, and the Turkish and the Romanian foreign ministries, to comment. American and Turkish officials both promised to answer.
After several hours, the State Department said the issue should be referred to the Department of Defense. EurActiv will publish the DoD reaction as soon as it is received. In the meantime, NATO sent EurActiv a diplomatically worded comment which implies that allies must make sure that US nuclear weapons deployed in Europe remain "safe".
"On your question, please check the Communiqué of the NATO Warsaw Summit (published on 9 July 2016), paragraph 53: "NATO's nuclear deterrence posture also relies, in part, on United States' nuclear weapons forward-deployed in Europe and on capabilities and infrastructure provided by Allies concerned.
These Allies will ensure that all components of NATO's nuclear deterrent remain safe, secure, and effective," a NATO spokesperson wrote to EurActiv. The NATO summit took place a few days before the failed coup in Turkey. At that time, the risks for the US nukes in Incirlik were related to the proximity of the war in Syria and the multiple terrorist attacks that have taken place in Turkey in recent months.
For some of the attacks, Ankara blamed Islamic State, and for others the PKK, the Kurdish military organisation that appears on the EU and US terrorist lists. Strong denial by Romania The Romanian foreign ministry strongly denied the information that the country has become home of US nukes.
"In response to your request, Romanian MFA firmly dismisses the information you referred to," a spokesperson wrote. According to practice dating from the Cold War, leaked information regarding the presence of US nuclear weapons on European soil has never been officially confirmed.
It is, however, public knowledge that Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy host US nuclear weapons. After the failed putsch, relations between Washington and Ankara are at their worst since Turkey joined NATO in 1952. Ankara believes the US government supports the Turkish US-exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom it accuses of having masterminded the failed coup.
Turkey is demanding Gülen's extradition, and the issue is expected to take center stage when US Vice President Joe Biden visits Turkey on 24 August. Arthur H. Hughes, a retired US ambassador, wrote in EurActiv yesterday (17 August) that Gülen has indeed received considerable assistance from the CIA.
Will Ankara take aim at Patriarch Bartholomew? Against the background of the failed coup in Turkey and the ongoing crackdown on sympathisers of Fethullah Gülen, Ankara might take aim at the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, or try to win him, writes the US Ambassador (retired) Arthur H. Hughes.
EurActiv.com Russia has capitalised on the stained US-Turkey relations and there are fears in Western capitals that NATO-member Turkey could draw even closer to Moscow – with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan bluntly making it clear he feels let down by the United States and the European Union.


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Iron Rider Luggage from Dowco
So you're ready to pack up the cruiser, and head out on a road trip. Now you've got to pack all your clothes and gear judiciously to fit what you'll need on the road. You fill your saddlebags with tools, tire repair kit and pump, first aid kit, water bottle, and other incidentals, and now you need to move on to the clothes and gear. Most cruiser riders have used some variant of a universally-mounted, single compartment bag such as a T-Bag... which is a brand name by the way. But there are other companies making similar products, including this fine one by Dowco, which even has roller wheels and a disappearing handle.
But the folks at Dowco have reinvented motorcycle luggage with their revolutionary Iron Rider Motorcycle Luggage System, which allows you to configure five different size bags to suit every travel need, whether it's for a day trip, office commute, weekend, or weeks-long tour.
Each bag is made from heavy duty 1680 polyester, and has rigid sides to hold its shape even when not filled to capacity. The bottoms of each bag have a rugged rubberized diamond-plate non-skid base, and each bag comes with a full rain cover. All the bags are quality pieces, with sturdy dual zippers that can accommodate a luggage lock, and even the zipper pulls are rugged. All bags can be mounted individually to the sissy bar and luggage rack, by using the two exterior hook & loop straps. You can also turn it around so the bags are resting on the passenger portion of the seat if you prefer, which creates a decent back rest. On the larger Main Bag and Overnighter Bag, additional straps and buckles are deployed from hidden compartments on the bottom of each side, so you can secure the bags around turn signal stalks or other mounting points on the bike. For stacking, all bags come with additional adjustable straps to lash each bag to another with easy to use plastic clips that hook to the D-rings fitted to all of the luggage pieces.
You can start with the Main Bag which anchors the system. It measures 23"x11.5"x11.5", and holds 1.75 cu. ft. of storage. The large front/top opening makes it easy to pack. Extra side storage compartments are expandable and make for easy access to smaller items. The Overnighter Bag is a bit smaller, measuring 14"x10.5"x9" and has .75 cu. Ft. of storage. It also has zippered side storage compartments, but those are not expandable. You can top off the system with the Roll Bag, which measures 14"x10.5'x6.5" and that holds .50 cu. ft. of storage. Naturally any of these bags can also be used on the luggage rack of a Harley Electra-Glide or on a Honda Gold Wing trunk.
Two other bags in the system are quite unique. One is the Garment Bag, which allows you to fit a suit and dress shirts into the bag on hangars in case you need to have some dressier clothing when you arrive at your destination. Just lay your clothes out flat into the detachable zip-up nylon suit bag, then place the hangars into the bracket inside the Garment Bag, roll it up and you're done. It even comes with an over the door metal hook to hang the bag on a closet door. I packed a suit and two dress shirts and left them in the bag for 48 hours. When I removed them, they were not wrinkle-free, but they looked no worse than the same items I packed in a standard suit bag I use for airline travel. The suit looked a great deal better than if I'd tried to pack it in any other type of bag. So if you're thinking of driving your car on that business trip just so that you may pack a suit, you now have the option of riding your bike, which will make any business trip more enjoyable.
And should you need to bring your briefcase and laptop along for that Power Point presentation, not to worry. Dowco has the perfect Commuter Briefcase to transport all your office needs. The padded case has a section to tightly secure your laptop, cords and peripherals, as well as a place for extra CD's, DVD's, file folders, binders, calculator, cell phone, pens, and everything a well designed briefcase should have. And again, this bag, like all the rest, can be used alone, so it's a great case for your everyday commute to the office.
The Main Bag, Overnight Bag, and Garment Bag come with removable padded handles, while the Roll Bag and Briefcase have attached handles. All come with comfortable detachable shoulder straps as well. When you arrive at your hotel for the night, you can just detach the bottom bag that is secured to the motorcycle, and carry the whole unit with just the handle on the top bag.
Because of height, you should only plan to stack a maximum of three bags. But there are 20 combinations you can use to design the best configuration to suit your travel needs. The Iron Rider system is great for traveling with a passenger because now each of you can have your own bag, (you can even stack two of the largest Main Bags) and share the third bag for the rain gear, or the extra layer that goes on and off during the course of the day. Or you can segregate soiled clothes from fresh ones, wet clothes from dry, or just pack one bag for the clothes you'll need while on the road, and the rest with the clothes you'll need when you arrive at your destination. You can even take one empty bag along to pack up all the things you'll buy along the way. The Main Bag comes with an expandable rain cover that allows you to cover all three bags while stacked, so you don't have to cover them individually.
For a weekend trip, two-up, the combination of Main Bag, Overnight Bag and Roll Bag is enough for a couple. Main Bag for her, Overnighter for me, and Roll bag for rain gear, gloves, and incidentals. For a 10 day solo trip to Sturgis, I'd use two Main Bags and the Roll Bag for myself, and that provides more capacity than a T-Bag would. Having the clothes in separate bags is also a huge convenience because you don't have to disrupt all your things to get at what you need. And thoe expandable side pockets will come in handy to bring the souvenier T-Shirts need. And those expandable side pockets will come in handy to bring the souvenir T-Shirts home.
Each of these bags can be used as carry-on luggage for an airplane trip, so you'll get more use out of it than just for your bike; they're obviously ideal for those times when you fly to your destination, and rent a bike and go exploring. The prices are reasonable and an excellent value considering the high quality. The Main Bag retails for $99.95, the Overnight Bag for $64.95, the Roll Bag for $39.95, the Garment Bag for $89.95, and the Briefcase for $89.95.
So if you're looking for a convenient and flexible way to pack for your next trip to Sturgis, Daytona, or just to the office, Check out the Iron Rider Luggage from Dowco. To learn more about the Iron Rider Luggage, as well as Dowco's full line of motorcycle covers, leather saddlebags, tank bags and other accessories, visit their website at http://www.dowco-inc.com . Dowco doesn't sell direct, but you can call 1-800-558-7755 to reach their Customer Service Line and they will help you find a local dealer.


text: Lekven Design Danish blue dog plates are manufactured from the finest porcelain created by artist Natalia Brampton. Each one of Lekven's designs is carefully made according to the original drawing from the artist and then hand decorated on to each plate. The plates are high fired in special kilns at 1250 degrees C, the firing process taking approximately 24 hours, which is the only way of achieving the exquisite blue underglaze quality that both the company, and customers, demand. The diameter of the plate is 8 inches, and each plate is shipped in its own protective Styrofoam box. Pre-drilled for easy hanging, you will find the name of the breed and the artist on the back of each plate. All plates are both microwave and dishwasher safe and are registered for international copyright protection. The artist, Natalia Brampton, was born in Siberia and is a former student of the Novosibirsk Art School of Russia. Winner of the 1984 "Painter of the Year" award in Russia with her portrait "Boy and his Dog," she went on to duplicate that prestigious honor a few years later. Now residing in England, where in 1999 she was selected one of the 10 best artists in England, Natalia brings style and accuracy to her designs. The dogs are shown in their own unique surroundings, giving both meaning and atmosphere to each individual plate. Though in her own words she is "still learning," Natalia is considered the top canine artist in England, and Lekven Design is proud to be associated with her work. The drawings are so fine and detailed, that some have asked if Natalia also works with a computer to make her art! Every tiny detail is painted by hand. The plate is an exact reproduction of the original drawing, and as such, the plate is also your own piece of art. Lekven Design Standard Range of plates are also available in almost all recognized dog breeds. If there is a certain breed you would like, please let us know. Please note these plates are made and shipped from Denmark. Shipping time can vary from two to four weeks, so please allow up to four weeks for delivery. Please note these plates are custom-fired to order in Denmark and delivery may take six to eight weeks.


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I have completed the CCW class and I'm looking at my first handgun purchase. I'm leaning towards the Kimber Ultra Crimson Carry II as my friends at work who are ex-Army have .45's. They said that a 9mm wouldn't be sufficient for the character that you hear about time and again who goes out to do harm and is prepared with a vest of some kind.
The .45's only hold about 8 shots where as a Glock 19 has 15 rounds in the mag. I wouldn't want to in a situation where I wished I had more shots than what a 1911 would provide; although if I was accurate with a few of the shots from the 1911, it wouldn't matter.
Assuming you're not always carrying extra mags, which would you rather have; more available rounds with something like a Glock 19 or a larger caliber like a 1911?


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Greg Zyla: Readers write on Tri-Powers, Nash-Kelvinator
We've been receiving lots of mail recently, so let's go to the mailbag.
Loved your Tri-Power article
Greg, I really enjoyed your "tri-power" article, which I found in yesterday's Canton (Ohio) Repository. As one of your "older readers," the first tri-power that came to my mind (before reading the article) was the '57 Olds J-2.
I agree, the early '60s Pontiac Catalina/Ventura bubbletops were great (348 hp). Back in '61, my neighbor had a beautiful black '60 Impala bubbletop with a three-deuce 348 that he said ran 105 mph in the quarter-mile.
My first new car was a '70 Plymouth Roadrunner with the three-deuce 440. When the secondary carbs opened up, that thing would explode forward. Plymouth referred to its tri-power motors as "six barrels," while Dodge used the term "six pack."
Keep up the good work! Bob Wolf from Ohio.
A: Thanks much, Bob, I forgot to mention the 348 Tri-Power in my article.
Nash-Kelvinator enthusiast and artist, too
Q: Hello, Greg. Your article in the Lisle (Ill.) Reporter on Nash-Kelvinator at the Indy 500 was very interesting. I love automotive stories especially pertaining to its history. I'm a big Indianapolis follower, as my first race was in 1961.
Your readers might enjoy viewing my automotive photo art website at http:edooleydesign.com, where I have an art deco design of a 1936 Nash Ambassador, among the other vintage and racing pieces.
Best regards, Ed Dooley, Naperville, Ill.
A: Thanks much Ed. I received many letters on the Nash at the Indy 500, and I checked your photo art online and it is very good. Thus, I'm passing on your link to our readers for them to enjoy, too. Good luck.
Pontiac "8-Lug," not "8-spoke"
Q: Greg, I read your article about tri-power engines with great interest. However, you said that Chevrolet "successfully ushered in the carb arrangement (tri-power) on the 67 Corvette." Seems you forgot the 1958-61 Chevrolet 348 engines with "trips."
You also mentioned the "1960-61 Catalinas with the eight spoke wheels." Greg, they were actually eight LUG wheels. They had no spokes but were a multi-finned drum. They indeed were beautiful, and available from '59 thru the mid-1960s.
Also, the Olds J-2 tri-power option being discontinued in '58 was, as you mention, because the linkage was "not a progressive linkage setup."
Well, you are correct as none of those early tri-power setups from GM had progressive linkage. They were all vacuum-operated linkage; i.e., the end carbs only opened at a certain vacuum and then were instantly open. It was not a good setup.
I will also agree with you that the 1964-66 GTOs were the cream of the crop as far as tri-power was concerned. Thus, you article was still a very good!
Larry Davis, Cartech Books, author "Super Stock, Drag Racing the Family Sedan"
A: Thanks much, Larry, and I recommend all my readers to check out Larry's book on the Internet or at book stores nationwide. I did explain to Larry, who, by the way is now 70 years young, that I sure made a few "senior moment" flubs in my tri-power article, as he's aware I know about the 8-Lugs and Chevy's 348. I hate getting forgetful as my brain is filled with tires, intake manifolds, designs, engines and even my kids and family, too.
Greg Zyla welcomes reader questions on old cars, auto nostalgia or old-time motorsports at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, PA 18840 or at email@example.com.


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Data is the raw material for developing insights. If the complete data is not available to insights team then you can't expect the insights to be very valuable. Insights teams will make the best out of what they have available but you will get far better insights if you spend little time with them to understand what they need and help them with these for major roadblocks.
- Data Sources and Collection – Insights team has identified the data sources required for them to provide great insights, the data is all there either available internally or externally. The big challenges comes when the data teams actually start to figure out how the data will be collected. For internal data sources the organizational barriers are the biggest ones that prevent one team for getting access to the data that other team owns. Your team will need your help in navigating those barriers and help the free flow of the data. If external data sources are on their list then your help will be needed to provide appropriate funding and legal clearance needed to get those data pieces.
- Data Storage – Storage per GB/TB is cheap and will continue to be cheaper but with that the amount of data will continue to go up (see the graph below) All in all, you will end up either spending a lot of money or will need to clear out the data repository to keep cost in check. Clearing the data means data gaps will emerge causing the gaps in Insights. For example, if all your data team can store is six months' worth of data then you will be missing out on yearly trends, If all they can store for 1 year then you will be missing out on multi-year trends etc. Your team will need your support in ensuring that you have appropriate budgets approved to ensure that your team can store the required amount for their analysis.
Source: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Data-Storage/Storage-Management-10-Business-Factors-That-Will-Impact-IT-Pros-in-2012-181588
- Data Access – Having all the data collected and stored is half the battle, other half is making sure that the data is accessible by the insights team. Majority of the time the data will be stored in the cloud, Hadoop etc but is not easily available to the analysts who will need it for their analysis. In order to make any sense of the data, the insights team needs to have easy access to the data, not just in little chunks but to the whole set. You analysts might not be well versed with database technologies to make proper connection. They need an easy way to either connect their analysis tool e.g. Tableau, Excel etc. to the data sources so they can pull the required data to conduct analysis. They will need your help in pushing the other teams to make data accessible to them.
Questions? Comments?
Digital Marketing and Analytics Jobs


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Santo Tomas Internment Camp' tag.
Google announced today that it has come to an arrangement with TimeInc to host the LIFE Archive. The archive is one of the largest collections in the world comprised of over 10 million images. This is an incredible new resource for photophiles worldwide. Twenty percent of the images went live today.
A very preliminary search using the keyword "Prison" returned twelve pages of 200 images. I was struck by the strength of the handful of images from the Santo Tomas Prison Liberation Series (Manila, Philippines). The Carl Mydans photographs were captured in the days following the camp's liberation by allied forces. It was one of four camps liberated in the space of a month in January/February 1945.
Rest assured, I will return to this archive in time to source material and discuss more widely the politics of power partially described by the photographic collection. "Mexico Prison", with over 150 images, certainly looks like interesting material.
I would like to make clear that this is a hastily put together post and its main function is to draw attention to this fantastic whale-sized new archive – I might go as far to say our archive – I might even go as far to say its bigger than a whale. I do not condone personal whale ownership.
I would also like to clarify that while the LIFE Archive refers to the Santo Tomas Complex as a prison, it was in fact an internment camp – not that naming conventions matter to those who were subject to its walls and discipline. Still, we must always bear in mind the different types of sites of incarceration; what they purported to do; what, in truth, they did; from what context they arose and operated; and how they fit into our general understanding of humans detaining other humans.
Personally, I encountered a strange coincidence over this matter. Internment camps are low on my list of primary interest. I am not an expert on internment camps. But, only yesterday I received a fantastic email from a Berkeley art history undergraduate who is focusing on the work of Ansel Adams, Toyo Miyatake and Patrick Nagatani at Manzanar War Relocation Center, California. From the internet monolith that is Google to the academic interests of aspiring students, the histories, memories and powerful images of Second World War internment push themselves to the fore of thought.
It is conventional wisdom that World War II had two sides. Unfortunately, the military definitions of 'ally' and 'enemy' spilled into civic life with catastrophic consequences. The US internment of Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans has since been proved to be based not on national security but state-sanctioned discrimination. As testimonies and images attest, where stories are concerned, there are more than two sides.
Click here for the LIFE Archive on Google. Here is an obituary for Carl Mydans, the photographer at Santo Tomas. Try here and here for first-hand account of detention and to find audio and visual resources about Santo Tomas Internment Camp.


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I just watched the most hysterical video byRhett & Link
about what really gets into your pillow over time and I think you should watch it too! And I'm warning you, while it is funny, it isn't pretty. After you see it, I'm sure you'll want to wash your pillows!
Pillows aren't impervious--our skin cells, dust mite excrement, moisture, and whatever else is occupying your bed migrate downwards beyond the ticking.
Here's a few steps to keep your pillows fresh:
More From Good Housekeeping
1) Wash pillows at least once every three months.
2) Use pillow protectors to up the barrier to drool.
3) Check your pillows every few months to make sure they aren't "broken". Here's how: Fold pillow in half, place a book or shoe on top and then let go! If the pillow throws off the item and fluffs back to shape, it's still sleep worthy. If it stays bent, it's time to go shopping.
For more on pillows and another version of the video, check out sleepbetter.org!
Also look at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute's review on allergy barrier beddingand comforters.


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Every weekday in 30,000 schools across the country, students tune in to CNN Newsroom, a 30-minute commercial-free video program comprising a handful of two- to five-minute news segments. Now Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers are taking Newsroom one step further by using the Internet instead of cable TV and VCRs to bring the program to the classroom.
For the last six months two 10th grade social studies classes at Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachusetts, have been accessing Newsroom this way. The Internet version offers significant benefits over cable transmissions, including easy access to a large library of news clips.
"I find that my students are more [interested in] keeping track of world events," said Mary Gillespie, the teacher who is using Internet CNN Newsroom in her classroom. "I see the students turn it on themselves during study hall, [and] follow up on issues talked about in class on their own."
Currently researchers led by Dr. Lee W. McKnight, Associate Director of the Research Program on Communications Policy at the Center for Technology, Policy and Industrial Development (CTPID), are evaluating Internet CNN Newsroom. They are doing so via written surveys given to students, on-site visits and focus groups with students and faculty.
Among their findings: Internet CNN Newsroom has changed the way students view computers and the Internet. "While Lexington students formerly saw the computer primarily as a machine for playing games or learning how to type, they now see computers and the Internet as vital research tools for school projects and information about the world," said Russell I. Rothstein, a graduate student in the MIT Sloan School and the Technology and Policy Program.
In addition to Dr. McKnight and Mr. Rothstein, MIT researchers who have contributed to Internet CNN Newsroom are: Professor Richard C. Larson of the Center for Advanced Educational Services; Professor Steven R. Lerman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; and Paul D. Bosco, a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science who wrote the original proposal for the project. Alumni Jonathan Soo and Kip Compton also contributed to the work while students at the Laboratory for Computer Science. The project is part of the Networked Multimedia Information Services, a research initiative comprising the capabilities of several universities.
Useful Tool
Many teachers find that CNN Newsroom, in general, is of great value in the classroom, reporting that students show more interest in geography and social studies and are improving their vocabulary through "key words" in the daily Curriculum Guide.
Making it available over the Internet offers significant benefits such as easy access to a large library of news clips. Teachers have asked for this capability, as they felt overwhelmed by the volume of information available in collected Newsroom programs. The ability to search for and assemble Newsroom segments over time provides new opportunities for classroom use of news and information.
Another benefit: Internet CNN Newsroom offers ease of clip location, assembly, and insertion in derivative works. Material can also be linked together in new ways. For example, a teacher might create a home page on the web with links to stories about a certain topic, or students could present their pages with stories relating to topics they are studying.
Technical Advances
Internet CNN Newsroom is made possible by two technical advances designed by Mr. Soo and Mr. Compton. The first is "video-streaming," which allows video information to be transmitted without download delays. The second is a process that automatically digitizes and indexes video programs, converting the cable version of CNN Newsroom to the Internet with minimal human intervention.
Internet CNN Newsroom is on the World Wide Web at the address . The information presented on the cable version of CNN Newsroom--past and present--is stored and indexed at this address, although the casual user can't download real-time video without the special equipment being used by the Lexington High students. The library contains several months' worth of CNN Newsroom reports, all housed on a computer system on the MIT campus.
Monitoring the Newsroom
Mr. Rothstein is monitoring the project as it is deployed in the classroom this school year to gauge Internet CNN Newsroom's success as both an educational tool and a practical technology. To date he has conducted two written surveys, and will conduct one more in April.
The assessments focus on the two social studies classes at Lexington High. A second site, a social studies class in Belmont High School, has been the control group for the project. The Belmont group is using the cable CNN Newsroom service, but has received the same survey as Lexington.
The surveys to date have shown that, among other things, Lexington students place more importance than their Belmont counterparts on the use of computers for school projects. Students at both schools were asked to name the most important source of information for school projects. At the start of the school year in Lexington, 55 percent of students said books were most important while 39 percent said that computers were. However, by February the percentage of Lexington students claiming books as their most important source decreased dramatically to 30 percent, while the percentage of students claiming computers increased to 65 percent.
At the beginning of the school year In Belmont 91 percent of students claimed books were the most important source of information for school projects; seven percent claimed computers. In February, the percentages changed only slightly to 85 percent for books and 10 percent for computers.
The Internet CNN Newsroom project is sponsored by ARPA, NSF, Turner Broadcasting Systems, and IBM.


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