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Asset manager Loring Ward likes to focus on helping advisors with softer issues, says President and CEO Alex Potts. It did so at its June conference, which wrapped up Thursday in Monterrey, Calif., and it's engaging in such conference to grow its new (non-turnkey) business.
"It's an anti-product conference," Potts (left) said in an interview with AdvisorOne, "with no big banners and no formal sponsors."
Motivational speaker Juliet Funt, for instance, discussed the important of white space. "You have to block out creative time, shut off your gadgets and deliberately create space rather than give in to cognitive overload from technology and information flows," he said.
There were also talks on getting referrals, understanding and changing habits. "We were told by one expert that it's best to communicate with client when something is cold rather than wait until it gets to be a hot topic—like risk tolerance," Potts said.
The turnkey asset management provider (or TAMP) works with about 850 RIAs and other independent registered reps that rely on Loring Ward portfolios, which are included in platforms used by their "neutral custodians," such as Fidelity, Pershing (BK), Schwab (SCHW) and TD Ameritrade (AMTD). These relationships represent about $7.7 billion in the client assets managed by the San Jose-based TAMP, Potts explains.
Loring Ward also is expanding its work as a strategist for 800 or other advisors affiliated with independent broker-dealers like Royal Alliance and Securities America. This represents nearly $1 billion in client assets under management for the asset manager.
"This new business is growing rapidly," said Potts. "It's for reps who, for example, are moving to a [purely] fee-based business and want help with trading, investment methodology, marketing materials, goal planning and other work [involving] behavioral finance and managing client relationships."
Dimensional Fund Advisors is Loring Ward's main asset-class provider, and the relationship goes back to 1990. DFA is looking to add a profitability screen to some of its asset-class-based portfolios, and the 80 financial advisors attending the recent Loring Ward confab got the chance to hash out portfolio issues like risks vs. rewards in person with DFA Co-CEO Eduardo Repetto.
Potts says that the asset manager will share more academic research with advisors at its October conference. "This will be heavy on investment topics and will also include talks on working more with CPAs and estate attorneys," he said. "The aim is to help advisors do a better job at running their businesses."
Loring Ward tries to do as much of the heavy lifting of portfolio management as it can for advisors. "We are in the efficient-market camp, so we don't worry about the next hot manager or what the currently hot manager is doing. This frees us up to take care of clients rather than simply focus on performance."
That focus, Potts says, should help the asset manager expand its new business while aiding advisors in their quest to do the same. "It's all about helping advisors with research on investments, growing the business side of their practice or, even better, managing their lives," he said. "We bring resources to them."
Advisors have a big need for such resources, Potts adds, because they "want simplicity." Maybe they've been mainly selling one line of mutual funds for a while and want to branch out. "We become an adjunct to that," he noted.
—Read Your Move, Bogleheads: Advisor Finds DFA's Returns Trump Vanguard's on AdvisorOne.


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Even though I am "techy," I always espouse that it's never technology all the time. In fact, my classroom is always a hybrid environment. As such, my students write traditional, robust research essays every year. This assignment requires that they engage in sophisticated academic research, build a thesis, and then structure an academic argument. For many of my students (I currently teach 10th grade US History), this is the first research and argumentative essay that they have written. It's a challenging project. In conjunction with our new roll out of Google Apps for Education, I decided to make this year's research essay a paperless endeavor. This met several academic and school-wide objectives – building Digital Fluency and digital literacy across curriculum as well as promoting Ransom Everglades's Greening initiative.
All Work Must be Written Within Google Drive
One of the benefits of drive is that it allows you to import documents from other platforms (such as Microsoft Word) either by converting them to a Google Doc or
using Drive as Cloud storage. However, this would defeat my intention of better watching how my students' essays developed. As such, I required that all work be created within Google Drive itself. Students were not permitted to import content from another tool or copy and paste from a word processed document.
I did this because I wanted to watch how my students' writing evolved throughout the assignment using the "see revision history" tool. This feature allows you to see how the document progressed – when content was added, changed, or otherwise revised. It's incredibly useful in long-term projects as it not only allows you to keep tabs on your students' progress, but it allows you to see what changes they made (substantive and minor) throughout the project.
Break it into Steps
I believe that larger projects should be "chunked out" so that students work on the process – focusing on the necessary elements step by step rather than trying to throw everything together all at once. As such, students had to submit to me: A thesis statement, Annotated Bibliography, Detailed Outline, Rough Draft, and Final Draft all through Google Drive.
I explained to them my expectations on each of the assignments and showed them how I would view their process using the track changes feature. I believe in being transparent with my students – I let them know why this process was important.
Peer Review with Comments Rather than Changes
One of the biggest changes for students (and teachers) in revision is that you're doing it on screen – this means you cannot circle and underline, rather you highlight and comment. Still, it lends to a different focus in the revision process. Some students like to correct spelling and grammar for their peers. However, I find that when developing writing skills, it is always better for the author to make the adjustments and changes themselves. A such, I instruct students that if they noticed a lot of typos, they should leave a comment directing their peer to proofread. If a phrase was awkward, they should leave a comment explaining why the phrase was problematic and suggest that the student rephrase it.
Providing Feedback to Students
One of the best features of Google Drive is that it allows me to leave student comments in a variety of ways. I wrote an article a little while back entitled "Google Drive: A Better Method for Giving Student Feedback." It highlights the fact that by working in the cloud, students and I can engage in a conversation; the comment process is no longer static. Additionally, it provides both me and the student greater flexibility in the process. Another cool tool that works in conjunction with Google Drive is Kaizena, a cloud based app that allows you to leave voice comments on a student's a paper.
Watching the Evolution of Writing
The best feature of Google Drive is that, using the track changes tool, I can view the evolution of a student's work. Overall, the writing process is the most important element of the work. Even if a student's final product is not up to par, I can look at how often they worked on it, what changes they made, how they addressed their peers' and my critiques, and overall how their paper evolved over time. Additionally, it provides greater accountability for the students – they know that they cannot just throw the paper together at the last minute, as I can see when content is added.
Engaging in a paperless research essay was a new journey for both me and my students. While the change in context and kinesthetics at time was uncomfortable (I don't always like reading on a screen and neither do many of my students), there were numerous benefits that outweighed those drawbacks. The primary benefit was that students could work on the project wherever they were – on any computer on campus, on their cell phones while riding the bus to a game, or at home making changes before they turned it in.
I know that my students and I both need to engage further with Drive to feel fully comfortable with this tool (we had to with Word as well, although the 1980's and 1990's may seem far away). Still, I'm excited to move forward with a more portable, flexible, and greener assignment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Grandal a key asset in starting lineup and off bench
SAN DIEGO -- On Tuesday, Yasmani Grandal got the start behind the plate for the Padres, which was a good thing for him and, ultimately manager Bud Black hopes, a good thing for the Padres.
However, his mere presence in the starting lineup might have actually weakened the team's five-man bench just a little.
Grandal, after all, is a switch-hitter, which can force some uncomfortable managerial decisions across the way late in games in terms of choosing a reliever.
"His presence off the bench is real and the other team has to recognize it when they start to make some changes out of the bullpen," Black said.
"When you have switch-hitters, it's tough because you have to decide which side you want him from. It really swings to the team that has the switch-hitters that gives them a lot more comfort as far as making moves."
Grandal is the only switch-hitter on the bench and one of three switch-hitters -- in addition to shortstop Everth Cabrera and third baseman Chase Headley -- on the 25-man roster.
On Sunday, Rene Rivera got the start at catcher with Andrew Cashner on the mound. So with Grandal catching on Tuesday, chances are Nick Hundley will start in Wednesday's series finale against the Dodgers.
The Padres won't carry three catchers all season and might not for the entire month. But for now, this mix is working.
"That can help us," Black said.
At this point, the five-man bench consists of the two catchers who don't start, a fourth outfielder -- either Seth Smith or Chris Denorfia, generally -- and utility man Alexi Amarista.


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A fourth-year teacher with one student in her class was named Teacher of the Year at the annual St. Johns County Teacher of the Year and Rookie Teacher of the Year Celebration on Thursday.
Jessica Geronimo "places an emphasis on real-world application that is thoughtful and relevant for her students," said Superintendent Joe Joyner at the celebration put on by the St. Johns County Education Foundation. Outstanding teachers from throughout the county were honored at the event at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village.
Geronimo is the autism spectrum disorder teacher at the Gaines Alternative & Transition Schools at the Evelyn B. Hamblen Center.
Janeen Herskovitz, whose son is in Geronimo's middle school class, has called her "a precious jewel" within the Exceptional Student Education community. "Her belief in our son and his ability to connect with the way he learns has been the key that has unlocked his world … and ours as well," Herskovitz said.
Geronimo has served as a big sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and has been a volunteer and a member of Special Olympics, both in New Jersey and in Florida. She's also a volunteer for the Center of Autism and Related Diseases.
Teachers at each school in the district select a Teacher of the Year from their faculty. Four finalists are then selected and interviewed and the winner is chosen. Other finalists this year in addition to Geronimo were Rob Hall, fourth grade teacher at The Webster School; Julie Pantano, seventh grade gifted/advanced language arts teacher at Switzerland Point Middle School; and Kathryn Kehoe, science and biotechnology teacher at Ponte Vedra High School.
Selected as Rookie Teacher of the Year was Kelly Thigpen of John A. Crookshank Elementary. A graduate of Flagler College, she was the first person in her family to graduate from college. A first grade teacher, she began with the district as an associate teacher in the third grade at Crookshank and was later hired as a teacher for first grade.
Active in the youth ministry at Anastasia Baptist Church, she's a Young Life leader at St. Augustine High School and started the Good News Club at Crookshank. She volunteers for a variety of organizations, including the Homeless Coalition and St. Francis House.
The annual awards program recognizes excellence in the teaching profession.


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The single largest piece of the approximately $107.4 million budget is the $38.1 million transfer of revenues from Gainesville Regional Utilities.
Gainesville City Manager Russ Blackburn's proposed budget would maintain the current property tax rate and increase the size of the city's general fund by about $2.3 million over the current fiscal year.
The single largest piece of the approximately $107.4 million budget is the $38.1 million transfer of revenues from Gainesville Regional Utilities.
That's an increase from this year's transfer of approximately $36.67 million at a time when utility revenues have declined and the biomass plant is set to increase electric rates starting Oct. 1.
The upcoming fiscal year is the last in a four-year span in which commissioners decided to set the GRU transfer amount in advance, although they have the latitude to change the size of the transfer during summer budget hearings.
Discussing his budget proposal at a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Blackburn said the GRU transfer is a "very significant and critical part" of the city general budget but also a growing concern of GRU staff in a time of declining sales.
Blackburn noted that general government and GRU budget staff are in talks on a new formula for setting the transfer that could lead to a reduction in its size in the 2015 fiscal year.
The budget proposal maintains the current property tax rate, which is just less than 4.5 mills, or almost $4.50 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. With property tax values inching down and nearly 60 percent of the property in the city off the tax rolls, the general fund is projected to have property tax revenues of $22.3 million.
That's down just more than $100,000 from the budgeted revenues for this year and well below the amount of the GRU transfer to the general fund.
Keeping with a City Commission vote from last summer's budget cycle, the proposed budget includes a 2 percent salary increase for employees. For employees in a union, those salary increases, while budgeted, still have to be negotiated through the collective bargaining process.
Pension costs are also projected to rise by $600,000. That's an area where city administration is trying to slow the rate of rising expenses through a recent series of agreements with the employee unions on benefit changes.
Blackburn's budget proposed several additions. Each of them had a cost of less than $100,000.
Some of them include:
-- Convert a part-time small and minority business program coordinator position in the Equal Opportunity Department to full time at a cost of $32,511.
-- Adding two more school resource officers to elementary schools at a local cost of $64,000. The city also is seeking a $100,000 federal grant to go toward the positions for the first few years.
-- About $73,600 to keep three temporary, grant-funded intervention specialist positions at the Reichert House for at-risk youth employed on a full-time basis. Outside grant funding for the positions has been reduced, but $90,000 is still available to augment the city's spending.
-- Mental health screening training for half of Gainesville police officers at a cost of $13,000. The other half of sworn personnel would receive the training in the next fiscal year.
-- Maintaining the vacant C.R. Layton Army Reserve Center property, which the city will take over from the federal government, at a cost of $48,000.
As for new charges on the public, staff's budget proposal includes a 10 percent surcharge on the fees for programs offered by the Department of Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs.
That surcharge was recommended in the department's long-term master plan and could generate an expected $63,300. Under Blackburn's plan, about $39,300 of that would go toward a development and partnership coordinator who would work to find private sector sponsorships for the department.
Staff's budget proposal would leave the City Commission with roughly $202,500 in unallocated money to put toward spending they might want to add to the budget.
Mayor Ed Braddy said he was "generally pleased" with Blackburn's budget proposal, primarily because it would not increase property tax rates. He said he would like the projected $202,500 surplus to go toward improving bus service on eastside routes.
While there is a projected $202,500 surplus, the list of programs and spending commissioners are expected to consider adding to the budget tops $2 million in costs.
With the first budget workshop scheduled for July 16, the addition of programs would require cutting elsewhere or increasing the property tax rates.
One significant addition that commissioners might mull is $1 million for the first year of a five-year, $5 million plan to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety through infrastructure improvements that include traffic signals at midblock crosswalks near busy bus stops.
Commissioner Thomas Hawkins said that is one addition he would like to see to the budget.
Commissioner Susan Bottcher said, with the economy still in recovery, she would prefer to wait and potentially include the pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements in the city's project list for a potential 2014 transportation sales tax.
There's also a $131,000 one-time capital cost and a projected $12,000 in annual operating costs, primarily for community outreach and marketing, to start up a bike-share program that would place 50 bikes at 10 stations around the city.
Also included in the budget is funding to buy land for and begin operation of a one-stop homeless shelter and assistance center, which is now slated for a shuttered prison property off Northeast 39th Avenue.
That's not a budget addition because the center, which ran into lawsuits and wetland permitting issues at a site near Northwest 53rd Avenue, has been in the budget for years.
While not included in Blackburn's recommended budget, the City Commission also is likely to consider as much as $523,000 to improve bus service on several eastside routes.
There is also the possibility of $300,000 for a disparity study to look at the city's record of hiring and promoting minorities and contracting with minority-owned companies.


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A research team at the University of Iowa has released a new recording of the sound the Earth broadcasts to outer space, a phenomenon otherwise known as "chorus." The recording, made on Sept. 5, captures radio waves magnetosphere that surrounds the Earth.
The radio waves, which are at frequencies that are audible to the human ear, are emitted by the energetic particles in the Earth's magnetosphere.
"People have known about chorus for decades," said the project's principal investigator, Craig Kletzing in a press release. "Radio receivers are used to pick it up, and it sounds a lot like birds chirping. It was often more easily picked up in the mornings, which along with the chirping sound is why it's sometimes referred to as 'dawn chorus.'"
There are other recordings of the sounds of space, including this spooky collection that will help you get ready for Halloween. And, this slideshow offers audio and additional details, but you may not want to listen to Saturn alone in the dark.


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In Part One, we discovered the wife of Leaming Hawkins Bradley and mother of Sherman Abernethy Bradley to be Mary Simmons. She married Leaming on 19 September 1830 in the Town of Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut. The marriage is in the Barbour Collection of Connecticut Town Vital Records. While that was satisfying, that discovery piqued our curiosity to learn more about her – and hopefully to find her parents and ancestors.
No birth record for Mary is found in the Barbour Collection for the Town of Litchfield so we had to turn to other sources to find her birth place and estimate her birth date. With those details, we hoped to find her parents.
Birth Place and Estimated Birth Year
Mary's marriage record in the Barbour Collection showed that both she and husband Leaming were "of Litchfield," meaning the Town of Litchfield, Litchfield County. This seemed to mean that she was born in the Town of Litchfield as well as living there at the time of marriage. That was true for Leaming.
For an estimate of her date of birth, we turned to the 1840 Census, taken on June 1 of that year. The household of Leaming H. Bradley was located that year in the Town of Washington, Litchfield County, immediately southwest of the Town of Litchfield.
See here for a map of Litchfield towns or townships. Then see here for a map of Litchfield County with its towns, the area of Bantam (home of the Bradleys) on the west side of the Town of Litchfield, and, if you look closely, a line for the Litchfield & New Milford Turnpike that – believe it or not – started at Aaron Bradley's barn on the Litchfield end. Aaron was Leaming's grandfather.
The Leaming H. Bradley household was enumerated as follows: two males 5 & under 10 [likely the sons mentioned in the Cutter book, one of them likely Sherman A. Bradley], one male 15 & under 20, one male 30 & under 40 [Leaming, age 32], one female under 5 and one female 20 & under 30 [Leaming's wife Mary].
Discovering Mary's Father
When America conducted its first census in 1790, five Simmons households were enumerated in the Town of Litchfield. The households were those of John, Peres, Rufus, Solomon and William Simmons, with William's surname recorded Simons. I had encountered this fact while transcribing the business journal of Aaron Bradley, Leaming's grandfather, and finding a few details about each customer. Aaron had a blacksmith shop, tavern and grocery in the Bantam area of the Town of Litchfield, called for a time Bradleyville. Rufus Simmons was a customer in 1795.
Due to this multiplicity of Simmons' housesholds, I felt I would have a difficult time determining Mary's parents and ancestors. But I had to try.
With Mary's birth about 1811 or 1812, I decided to search the 1810 Census for Simmons families in the Town of Litchfield. Remarkably, there was just one: the Job Simmons family with a household as follows: one male 26-44 [Job, 31], two males under 10, one female 45 and over, one female 26 to 44 [likely Job's wife], and two females under 10. Households recorded adjacent to Job Simmons were those of Chauncey Dennison and Thomas Grannis.
Here certainly were parents of the right age to have a daughter born in 1811 or 1812. Next we turned to the 1820 Census to learn more about this family. In that year, the Job Simmons household was comprised of four men and three women, with two of the people engaged in agriculture. The oldest male and female were each in the 26-44 years old age range, with Job about 41 at the time, the female likely his wife.
And there among the young people in the Job Simmons household in 1820 was one female under 10 who could be Mary Simmons as she would have been about 8 or 9 years old. Job Simmons looked more and more as if he were Mary's father.
The next challenge would be to try to find her mother, siblings and further ancestors. We'll take that up in Part Three.
Please follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/BBPetura
Why not check out my helpful Genealogy Resources webpage: http://bit.ly/GenealogyResources
Please join my group Finding Family for Free at GenealogyWise:
Thank you! And good researching!


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Tony Stewart was in the spotlight with one of the most interesting moments of Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol, even though it was Denny Hamlin who won.
During lap 336 (of 500) Stewart and fellow driver Matt Kenseth were jockeying for the lead position when they made contact. Both cars wrecked, and Stewart, believing that Kenseth caused the crash, retaliated by exiting his car and throwing his helmet at Kenseth's No. 17 car as it drove down pit road.
The throw, despite being the kind of hot-headed unsportsmanlike action that Stewart has been known to get caught up in from time to time, drew a huge cheer from the Bristol crowd and quickly became the most talked about incident of the race.
Since then, the video of Stewart's helmet toss has garnered thousands of views online. However, "Smoke" isn't the first NASCAR driver to let the heat of the moment get to him and jettison his headgear at another driver.
On September 18, 2005, at New Hampshire, Robby Gordon was involved in an incident with Michael Waltrip and went on to the track to whip his helmet at Waltrip's car.
The video of the incident is especially entertaining as you can hear Waltrip's response on the radio.
"He threw his helmet at my car," Waltrip said. "Well that's just rude. [The crash] was his fault."
Stewart may not be the first to throw his helmet, but he may do well to take a lesson from the Gordon/Waltrip incident.
The helmet Gordon chucked at Waltrip was later auctioned off to provide relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina. It brought in $51,000 for charity.
Stewart, who regularly raises funds for several charities through his Tony Stewart Foundation, might be able to sidestep some of the negative attention of his outburst if he follows Gordon's example and puts his now infamous helmet on the auction block.


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Financial roof falls in on pair of TV house flippers
Former Texas reality stars file for bankruptcy
David and Melina Montelongo, former co-stars of the A&E show "Flip This House," claim they can't pay back their debts.
Last week, the couple filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in San Antonio. They have about $31,000 in assets and owe creditors roughly $600,000, says their bankruptcy attorney, J. Todd Malaise.
Real estate investment was the pair's bread and butter, but they don't own any property, Malaise said. They rent a house, which their bankruptcy petition shows is in The Dominion.
They've had their share of financial troubles since "Flip This House," a reality television show that featured the family dealing with contractor disputes and home renovations.
As the couple's debts accumulated, David Montelongo has been locked in a legal dispute with his brother and former co-star, Armando Montelongo Jr.
"When the economy and real estate market went south in 2008, it really caused problems with their business," Malaise said.
The Montelongos have been in real estate since 2001.
"Most of their debt is unsecured debt and it's just been too difficult for them to pay those creditors," their attorney said. "So they felt Chapter 7 was the best option."
David and Melina Montelongo currently work as consultants for people looking to invest in real estate. Despite their financial troubles, Malaise said, the couple will continue to work in real estate.
The majority of their debt stems from a 2009 judgment against David Montelongo in the amount of $249,769. With mounting interest, the amount has exceeded $400,000. There's also an outstanding note on a 2007 Volkswagen Jetta.
Also, Montelongo's father and Armando Montelongo Jr. are listed as creditors. The father is owed about $4,000, Malaise said, but it remains to be seen the amount Armando Montelongo Jr., will claim.
David Montelongo disputes owing money to his brother.
Attempts to reach Armando Montelongo by phone were unsuccessful. His voicemail box was full. A text message was not returned.
David and Melina Montelongo also are listed as defendants in a lawsuit that was filed in Bexar County earlier this year.
The plaintiff, Jose L. Ramirez, claims a breach of contract in the purchase of a truck, court documents show.
The vehicle allegedly was repossessed after payments the plaintiff made never were forwarded to the lender.
Another pending lawsuit involves one of Armando Montelongo Jr.'s companies, Real Estate Training International LLC.
In 2012, the real estate guru sued his brother in federal court, claiming David Montelongo and his wife operated businesses that resembled his own, including real estate investment workshops and bus tours.
Armando Montelongo's current training program works like this: people attend a free preview to hear about the program and then are asked to sign up for a three-day seminar, which in 2012 cost about $1,500.
A VIP bus tour in place such as Southern California and mentoring for one year could run about $25,000.
Armando Montelongo also sells books and other training materials on his website.
Last year, Armando Montelongo Co. made Inc. Magazine's list of fastest growing private companies for the second time.
The company was ranked 90, down from 19 the previous year. Still, the company reported $74.5 million in revenues and employs about 190 people, according to Inc. Magazine's website.
The bankruptcy case halts pending litigation.
The feud between the brothers dates to the TV show. Armando Montelongo and his wife were on the show for three seasons, while David Montelongo and his wife stayed on for two seasons. The rift began on an episode known as "the cat house."
It involved a home where several cats lived for months without a litter box. David Montelongo thought the house was a tear-down but his brother insisted it could be renovated.
David and Melina left the show after that.


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Pizza is not just for ovens anymore. The grill is a great place to do pizza because you get nice grate marks on the dough that adds a nice touch as the grill actually cooks the pizza dough.
These mini pizzas are easier to do because it is easier to flip multiple pizza dough disks than it is to do one gigantic piece of dough and also allows you to avoid "hot spots" on the grill that might burn the dough.
This recipe is great for tailgating as it requires minimal ingredients and everything can be prepped the night before.
- One package refrigerated pizza dough (or you can make your own)
- Fresh Mozzarella cheese- cut into bite size pieces
- basil
- salt, pepper
- olive oil
- One-Two tomatoes
Directions: Preheat grill to medium heat. Then, roll out the pizza dough on a flat surface. Using a small bowl or wide mouthed glass, cut the dough into small circles to make the mini pizzas. Roll leftover dough pieces together, flatten and repeat cutting into small circular cutouts. Brush both sides of the dough with olive oil. Make sure your grill has been sprayed with non stick spray. Grill the dough until grate marks appear, about 5 minutes. Flip the dough, then, with recently grilled side up, add tomato slices, a piece of basil, and the mozzarella. Grill for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. This recipe can easily be adapted for meatlovers with the addition of cappicola or pepperoni.
Robyn Lindars, aka "The Grill Girl", writes about BBQ and Grilling on her site Grill Grrrl and hosts Womens Grilling Clinics to encourage women to learn the art of grilling.
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Click inside for Illinois sports writer John Supinie's weekend budget.
For Saturday
ILLINI IN WRIGLEY: Illinois will play Northwestern in Wrigley Field on Nov. 20. Story already moved on news service here. Updates possible. By John Supinie.
ANOTHER CHANCE: Illini safety Trulon Henry, the older brother of former Illini star Arrelious Benn, knows he can't make another mistake after serving nearly five years for armed robbery. By John Supinie. Moving by 6 p.m.
For Sunday
ILLINI SPRING GAME: Coverage of the Illini spring football game. Kickoff at 1 p.m. Story moving by 5.30 p.m.


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This platinum print is made by master printer Sal Lopes and is sold in a cloth-covered case, accompanied by a hardcover copy of Un Paese: Portrait of an Italian Village.
Paul Strand (born in New York, 1890; died in Orgeval, France, 1976) is one of the great photographers of the twentieth century. As a youth, he studied under Lewis Hine at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, going on to draw acclaim from such illustrious sources as Alfred Stieglitz. After World War II, Strand traveled around the world—from New England to Ghana, France to the Outer Hebrides—to photograph, and in the process created a dynamic and significant body of work.
You may also be interested in:
Tailor's Apprentice, Luzzara, Italy, 1953
Paul Strand$1,800.00
Paul Strand: Portfolio Four$18,000.00
Paul Strand: The Garden at Orgeval
Photographs by Paul Strand
Regular Price: $45.00
Special Price $36.00


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The next-generation MacBook Pro, with it's world-eclipsing 2880 x 1800 pixel display, is both an engineering triumph and a thing of great beauty. But hold up, because software's going to take a little while to catch up with it.
The Verge is reporting that a lot of third-party apps look a little crappy on that wonderful screen. While software that was demonstrated at the launch was optimised to run on the Retina display, software that hasn't had such treatment is a little disappointing. For instance, the Verge has posted the screen-shot below, which compares Chrome to Safari (click the image to see a high-res version). It doesn't take long to realise that Chrome looks rather blurry by comparison.
It's not immediately obvious why that should be the case. But clearly Chrome, along with the Steam client and the Kindle app according to the Verge, need some tweaks before they look truly great on the display. In the meantime, at least Safari looks beautiful. [The Verge]


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The 2012 Yokohama Women's Marathon, which doubles as one of the qualifying races for the marathon team at the World Championships in Moscow, will be held on Sunday 18 November in Yokohama, Japan. The race has been held only three times in Yokohama, it was previously held in Tokyo from 1979 to 2008. The race will attract a lot of attention from the Japanese marathon fans, for the first Japanese finisher in the race will be automatically selected for the marathon team provided she runs faster than 2:23:59.
The Yokohama Women's Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label Road Race.
Three Japanese runners stand out in the race for the 2013 World Championships Marathon team. They are Yukiko Akaba, Remi Nakazato, and Mai Ito, who was 5th, 10th and 22nd, respectively, in the 2011 World Championships. All three runners, however, failed to make the Olympic Marathon team a year later. Akaba finished eighth in the 2012 Nagoya Women's Marathon last March, while Nakazato was third and Ito fifth in the same race, and their Olympic dreams were dashed.
Although these three runners have the three fastest personal bests among the invited Japanese runners, they should be able to run faster. Akaba, who has the Marathon best of 2:24:09, has the Half Marathon best of 1:08:11, so she should be able to run near 2:20. Although her personal best is only 2:24:28, many experts consider 24 years old Nakazato as one of the most promising runners in Japan. Ito finished ninth at the 2012 World Half Marathon Championships last month, but after the race in Kavarna Ito said "I wanted to see how well I can run with the marathon training." So her real targeted race is Yokohama Women's Marathon. She should be in better shape than she was in Kavarna. Nakazato has run this course before, for she was second in 2011.
Other contenders for the Japanese World Championships marathon team are Mizuho Nasukawa with the best of 2:25:38, Noriko Matsuoka with the best of 2:26:54, Eri Hayakawa with the best of 2:28:11, Sumiko Suzuki with the best of 2:29:25, Mayumi Fujita with the best of 2:29:36 and Kaori Yoshida with the best of 2:29:45. Among them, Matsuoka may have the best chance to improve her Marathon personal best, for she has run only one Marathon, 2:26:54 in 2011 London Marathon. Since Matsuoka has 10,000m personal best of 31:31.45, she should be able to run faster Marathon.
Among the foreign contenders this year, Marisa Barros set her personal best of 2:25:04 in the 2011 Yokohama Women's Marathon, while Zivile Balciunaite was sixth in 2009 edition, but the race was run on the different course.
Several runners who were originally scheduled to run the New York City Marathon, have entered the Yokohama Women's Marathon after the New York race was cancelled. The fastest among them is Jelena Prokopcuka, who has a Marathon best of 2:22:56. However, her personal best was recorded back in 2005, and she has not broken 2:25 since April of 2006. Prokopcuka, who has a 10,000m best of 30:38.78 and 5000m best of 14:47.71, recorded a half marathon best of 1:08:09 this year at the Great North Run in Scotland, so perhaps she might be able to run fast again.
Only Kim Smith, with bests of 5000m 14:39.89, 10,000m 30:35.54, and Half Marathon 1:07:11 has faster personal bests at these distances than Prokopcuka. Smith recorded her Half Marathon PB in the 2011 Philadelphia Half Marathon, which then made her the 18th fastest Half Marathon runner in history, one second faster than the best by Loroupe, a former World record holder at the Marathon. So it should be easy for Smith to improve her personal best of 2:25:21, perhaps even to the near 2:20, like Loroupe.
Like Smith, Britain's Jo Pavey also has a relatively 'soft' personal best at the Marathon, which comes from her one Marathon in her career so far, 2:28:24 in 2011 London Marathon. Thirty-nine years old Pavey is still endowed with a superb speed, for she was seventh at 5000m and 10,000m in the 2012 Olympics. Incidentally, the fastest marathon by 39 years old is 2:22:18 by Irina Mikitenko from 2011 Berlin Marathon, which should not be out of reach for Pavey considering her personal bests at 5000m (14:39.96) and 10,000m (30:53.20 set this year).
The fastest Marathon runner in the field is Lydia Cheromei, the fastest 34-years-old Marathon runner in history with 2:21:30. Cheromei won the junior division of the World Cross Country Championships in 1991 as a 13-year-old. Twenty-one years later, Cheromei set her Half Marathon personal best of 1:07:26 in March and then finished fourth in the World Half Marathon Championships in October.
Three US runners, Amy Hastings, Serena Burla and Adriana Nelson, who were not able to start the New York City Marathon, will start in Yokohama. Hastings, who failed to make the Olympic Marathon team in January, but came back to make the Olympic 10,000m team in June, may be the best American in the race. She has yet to break 2:27 in her two Marathon starts, but considering her track personal best (15:14.31 at 5000m and 31:10.69 at 10,000m) a huge personal best at the Marathon is overdue.
2012 is the best year for the Marathon in history. The number of sub-2:20, sub-2:22, sub-2:24 and sub-2:26 performers as well as performances are all the highest ever in history. However, the number of sub-2:28 performers/performances this year has not yet reached the level of 2011.
Ken Nakamura for the IAAF
Elite field
Lydia Cheromei (KEN) 2:21:30, 2012 Dubai
Marisa Barros (POR) 2:25:04, 2011 Yokohama
Zivile Balciunaite (LTU) 2:25:15, 2005 Tokyo
Kateryne Stetsenko (UKR) 2:27:51, 2010 Dublin
Joanne Pavey (GBR) 2:28:24, 2011 London
Runners who originally scheduled to run NYC marathon
Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) 2:22:56, 2005 Osaka
Kim Smith (NZL) 2:25:21, 2010 London
Amy Hastings (USA) 2:27:03, 2011 Los Angeles
Serena Burla (USA) 2:28:27, 2012 Seoul (Dong A)
Adriana Nelson (USA) 2:28:52, 2008 London
Yukiko Akaba 2:24:09, 2011 London
Remi Nakazato 2:24:28, 2012 Nagoya
Mai Ito 2:25:26, 2012 Nagoya
Noriko Matsuoka 2:26:54, 2011 London
Eri Hayakawa 2:28:11, 2004 Honolulu
Mizuho Nasukawa 2:25:38, 2009 Tokyo
Sumiko Suzuki 2:29:25, 2012 Tokyo
Kaori Yoshida 2:29:45, 2010 Chicago
Mayumi Fujita 2:29:36, 2010 Nagoya
Pace makers
Asami Kato
Nanami Matsuura
Maria Konovalova (RUS)
Olena Shurkhno (UKR)


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Because we respect our horses, giving them the opportunity of a natural way of life in herds and great spaces. Because we physically and technically train them all year long with various works, which is the guarantee of their versatility and their balance.
Because our passion is freedom, because our perpetual quest is to find newest and wildest routes. The control of GPS orientation technologies, our accommodation and the quality of our horses free us from the constraining beaten tracks.
Because this land of adventure has known how to preserve a virgin nature and absolute authenticity. Because on those lands, simplicity, solidarity and conviviality keep their whole meaning.
Horse riding guide, qualified teacher, horse breaker, Sylvain Salamero is also our supervisor. Born in Ariege, he will share his passions with you : mountains and horses. He also will share his skills with you : foals training, trekking in high mountains, horse carriage, jumping, cross country.., Sylvain Salamero is also a trainer to the horse vocation.
During the trekking an administrator deals with horses and riders logistics, meals and bivouacs. If necessary a translator joins the riders.
Our horses live together all year long and get on very well. Their versatility is wonderful : from beginners to competitors, from trekking to jumping, they will give you entire satisfaction. They work all year long and are perfectly trained and broken in. They will take you to the high mountains, teach you to ride and even initiate you to the pleasures of horse carriage or trick riding. Most of our horses are of Merens or Castillon breed, which birthplace is Ariege.
These breeds have the peculiarity to spend six months a year in the mountain pastures at their youngest age. Their feet are sure and their ability to walk in the Pyreneans tracks will amaze you.


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A Cautionary Tale of Two Cities
The Sun is Setting on the Twin Cities
In the five years since the Vampire War began, the Twin Cities have become a darker and deadlier place. The Wardens of the White Council have little to no power here and their one representative has been made ineffective by age and drink. Mortal institutions have been twisted against mortal society. Missing persons cases are becoming more and more common, and all too often they are resolved by finding a mangled corpse. Suicide is at an all time high. The cities are pervaded by an aura of hopelessness and despair. The supernaturals are running rampant, who is going to reign them in?
Current Game Date: Campaign suspended, moved on to Bad Times in Ba'more


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While Iowa is faring generally somewhat better than the rest of the country right now, a person would be a blamed fool to say times aren't tough. According to a recent Associated Press story on the economy, the Dow has fallen 36 percent since its high a year ago last fall. Compare that to the 40 percent drop during the 1929 stock market crash, and it gives you some idea of where we are today compared to just a little over a year ago.
Sure, gas prices have fallen. That's probably because everything else is so high that people can't afford to buy things anymore. Another thing you have to remember is that when gas and diesel were so high, that created higher wholesale and retail prices that will take a while to work their way through our economic system until they reflect the current cost of shipping goods around the country.
I have several family members on the West Coast who have lost their jobs over the past six months. They are all very capable people. One niece is a drug and alcohol counselor and the funding was cut from her state-funded position. Luckily, though, she had previously worked for the private agency that the State of Washington contracted with to continue the program. Another niece, who is a master at multitasking and who has several decades of experience in the importing and exporting business, was laid off from her dispatching job with a trucking company. Her husband, who worked for the same company for 20 years, was laid off too. He decided though to start his own company and go into competition with the company that laid him off and apparently he's doing very well.
Once upon a time, I dined out for every meal. It was a rarity that I ever ate at home. About three years ago I pared that down to about once a day and about a year ago once a week.
Now, I don't dine out anymore. I'm not saying that I recommend that others do the same, but in my situation, having three jobs simply does not provide an adequate income for entertainment. If you've seen the car I drive, you probably know that I don't have a car payment either.
I was at a training session about a year ago and someone asked us to name what animal we most admired. In all seriousness, I said the cockroach. That made a lot of laughs, but I was dead serious. After all, I've heard that a cockroach can live for a year on the oil from a single fingerprint. Cockroaches have been found in nuclear reactors and in every continent (I'm not certain about Antarctica, but I'm sure that if I were a hardy, adventurous cockroach, I'd trying living there too).
I don't have cable. I do get Internet at home because it's necessary for work, but other than that, I've dropped all magazines with the exception of Popular Photography because they had a deal where I could subscribe for three years for $20. I do have some credit cards with balances, but I try to make double or triple payments every month on those. And I shop at Thrifty's whenever possible because there are a lot of things there that cost 10 cents on the dollar compared to other places.
Does this mean I've given up on entertainment entirely?
Well, no.
This past weekend I did my best to recreate a night at the movies at home. I bought some of that popcorn salt and mixed it with three packages of dry Ranch dressing and made a big batch of popcorn and some hot chocolate. I found a video of 20 full-length spaghetti Westerns at a local store for $6.99. Then I settled down into my chair and started to watch them.
Now if you consider the fact that the better-known spaghetti Westerns such as those in which Clint Eastwood was featured were 'B' Westerns, most of these were 'C' as best. In one, at one point they didn't take the time to dub in the English audio and left the Italian audio with English subtitles. That was pretty weird, hearing some rough, tough hombre speaking in the world's most delicate romance language. You might say it took a little, well, auditory adjustment.
After watching a few of those Westerns, though (they averaged about 90 minutes), I came to realize how great the Western myth really is to not only our culture but the entire world. The Italian producers made these films primarily for Italian audiences (hence, the reason they forgot to entirely translate one of them). And this was during the 1960s and early 1970s, when few Westerns were made in the United States.
So the Western myth had spread far beyond the borders of our own country and taken on a life of its own. It continues to be perpetuated to this day. Just ask a person from Asia what he or she thinks of America, and you'll probably hear at least one of three words: Disneyland, McDonald's and Westerns.
As for the cost of this little personal foray into 1960s Italian cinematography, I figure it costs me less than $1 a movie, including the cost of the movie, the popcorn and the hot chocolate.
Is it the same as going out to the movies? Absolutely not. It doesn't mean though that I have to give up all forms of entertainment just because of the economy.
Even an Italian Western has a better ending than that.


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A New Face for Science Fiction
March 30th, 2010
Have you heard of this little movie called Avatar? Grossing more than 2 billion dollars (the highest total in film history), and gaining worldwide attention, Avatar seems to have set the bar for Science Fiction. More than just its box office receipts, Avatar was also nominated for 9 Oscars, including the category of best picture, which sci-fi rarely sees. Sharing the best picture nod was the lower key, and quite excellent in my opinion, District 9. It seems as though Science Fiction is something that people are beginning to take more seriously. Lost, a sort of survivor-sci-fi hybrid, is one of the highest rated shows on TV. Books like Margaret Atwoods Year of the Flood, Cormac McCarthys The Road, and Audrey Niffeneggers The Time Travelers Wife combine the standards of Sci-Fi with that elusive title of "literary fiction". I think that part of the draw of science fiction is that the books are more than just day dreams about what technology might come to pass (although they are partly that), but also the ability to think about whats happening today and extend it into the future. The Cecil County Public Library system has a great selection of science fiction, both in print and on film. A few of my favorite titles are:
Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuaron One of my favorite movies of the past few years, and definitely in the top five for my favorite sci-fi flicks. This is a smart, dark, vision of the future where a mysterious illness has stopped mankind from being able to have children. The world has collapsed into a hostile and hopeless place as humanity sees its extinction nearing. Journalist Theo Faron is resigned to this life, until he gets drawn into a complicated plot to protect mankinds future. Based on a novel by P.D. James.
Neuromancer, by William Gibson A book about a once elite hacker, Case, who is currently circling the drain in Tokyos seedy underbelly. In the future people dont go online through screens and keyboards, but connect through neurological implants in their brain. After a hack goes bad, Cases ability to go online is chemically burned from his nervous system. A mysterious man named Armitage offers it back to him, if he can complete one more job. A Neuromancer movie is slated for 2011.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, directed by Michel Gondry Not all science fiction is set in the future. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind takes the very ordinary (perhaps a bit too ordinary) life of Joel Barish and turns it on its head. A company called Lacuna has developed a technique that lets people get over painful memories by simply erasing them. Joel meets a woman, Clementine, and despite a promising start, their relationship soon disintegrates. Joel turns to Lacuna to forget her, but Joel and Clementine may know a bit more about each other than they realize.
What are your favorite sci-fi novels and movies? If theres a particular title that youre looking for, then feel free to use our online catalog, or come into your local branch today.
Tags: adults, collection, film, genre fiction, information, movie, reading, Recommendations, science fiction, teens


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"We the People" — Constitution Week
Every year, during Constitution Week, I like to take a few moments to reflect on what the Constitution means to me.
When you work for the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), you are privileged to be able to see first-hand what the framers of the Constitution meant when they wrote its first three words, "We the People."
There is no better perch within the AOC to view "the people" than from Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). Spend five minutes in Emancipation Hall, the heart of the CVC, and you will see people who look different, who speak different languages and who come from around the world to see the U.S. Capitol, Congress and the U.S. Constitution in action. Talk to them, and you'll understand and appreciate the importance of the Capitol and the Constitution to people from Chevy Chase, Maryland, to Chile. Although it is our job as employees of the Architect of the Capitol to inspire and inform our visitors, I am often inspired by our visitors who take the time and make the effort to come to the Capitol.
Earlier this year, I provided a tour of the Capitol to my cousin and her husband who live in Israel. Although both were born in New York City, neither had visited the Capitol since their eighth grade field trips, and both have lived in Israel for decades. The January day they visited happened to be the day that new members of Congress were being sworn in, so the Capitol was buzzing with activity.
My cousin's husband, in his wide-brimmed black hat and full white beard, fit right in to the bustling sea of people who'd come to view the building or see a loved one sworn in to Congress. The people who visit the Capitol, like my cousins, are as diverse as the "we the people," who make up the United States of America.
Here is what my cousin wrote to me after the tour:
"Thanks again for a very special tour. It was even more special cause of all the action with the new senators and congressmen, etc. We even saw everyone again on the news tonight!"
The Capitol Visitor Center offers a number of special talks during Constitution Week each year which are open to the public and to AOC employees with no passes or reservations required. For more information about these and other activities, go to visitthecapitol.gov.


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What is File RTI Online
The basic object of the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens,promote transparency and accountability in the working of the Government,contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people in real sense.It goes without saying that an informed citizen is better equipped to keep necessary vigil on the instruments of governance and make the government more accountable to the governed.The Act is a big step towards making the citizens informed about the activities of the Government.
RTI Act has been made by legislation of Parliament of India on 15 June 2005. The Act came into effect on 12 October 2005 and has been implemented ever since to provide information to crores of Indian citizens. All the constitutional authorities come under this Act, making it one of the most powerful laws of the country.The Act covers the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir, where J&K Right to Information Act is in force.Information disclosure in India was restricted by the Official Secrets Act 1923 and various other special laws.
We are providing a platform to the citizens of India in exercising their Right to Information online. We helping them to seek information withheld by the public authorities. This is our sincere effort towards bringing transparency and accountability in the functioning of the govt. offices and thus making India a corruption free nation. One thing I would like to make clear is that this is not the official website of Govt. of India, this is a private website operated by RTI experts for helping and educating common men.
This is our website for filling right to information(Suchana ka adhikar) application, it is very convenient to use, and you need not to sign up nor you need to be a member of our organization for filing Right to Information Application. You simply have to fill RTI Application Form on this website and make payment. Our expert will draft your application as per RTI norm and will send it to the concern PIO. You just have to relax for 30 days to get information from the concern PIO by speed post.
File RTI Online in all states of India
Using RTI you can validate your marksheet
If you are dissatisfied with your result, then file RTI to get Answer sheet copy.
To get information about MNREGA work of your village, file RTI.
To get wealth information/Bank details of your spouse, file RTI.
If you are facing problem in getting PF Refund, then file RTI.
If you have not received Passport on time, then you should file RTI.
If you have not received your ITR then file RTI. You will get your refund soon.
To get status of FIR report file RTI Online.
To get MP and MLA's fund report file RTI Online via this website.
To get your property details file RTI Online.
If you to get work progress details of gram panchayat file RTI Online
To get the status of your marriage certificate file RTI online.


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In 2013 I worked on The Great Gatsby, recreating New York of the mid 1920s. One of the tasks was to develop a shader that simulates the parallax of interior walls behind thousands of building windows. In short, its a simple texture raytracer. In fact it was quick and simple enough for a CgFx port so that artists can have an instant feedback when setting it up.
It was presented at an Autodesk event by our Lighting Lead and featured in Digital Media World interview:
A custom shader we developed was a hologram shader for buildings. Since we didn't have time to model interiors for every building in Manhattan, surfacing artist Artur Vill took an idea from video games, starting from our flat windows and shop fronts and letting us dial in parameters for room depth, wallpaper variation, interior lights, curtains - all from a shader that worked correctly in stereo. Viewers barely notice it in the final shots, but would definitely notice if it wasn't there, and just accept that all the windows have a proper room behind them.
Full article
Updated 08-20-2015 at 08:55 AM by Artur
I've translated Malcolm Kesson's Cellular Automata SL into a Houdini VOP RSL Network (no reason). You can find the original SL on his website: http://www.fundza.com/rman_shaders/cellular/index.html
Main difference is that Houdini VOPs don't support Arrays so I used multiple connections and 8 texture calls instead of a for loop. Let me know if there is some better way of querying neigbours.
Original shader cell size and count is dependant on micropolgyons and controlled by shading rate. I've set the shading rate to a very high value and the cell count is controlled by geometric subdivision instead. That meant I couldn't use random function for initialization so I replaced it with cellnoise shadeop.
OTL library contains digital assets:
cellular - Object type digital assetbake3d - shadeop for pointcloud bakingtexture3D - shadeop for pointcloud readingcellnoise - rendermans cellnoise functioncellular_automata - cellular.sl VOP node version. Just a direct implementation of the code. Not used for anything.
Cellular is Object Type Digital Asset that contains shaders, geometry and ROPs for 'out of the box' test.
Download OTL cellular.otlDownload ZIP cellularotl.zip
Have fun.
Updated 03-01-2012 at 11:59 PM by Artur


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Key politicians and a Federal Communications Commissioner are putting heat on the government to get its act together on the DTV transition, before it's too late. FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein has warned of a "state of mass confusion" if Federal agencies don't coordinate their efforts to let the public know that February 17, 2009 is the last day of analog broadcasting. The next day, an estimated 19 million to 22 million analog-only TV sets won't work in the all-digital broadcasting environment.
"The DTV chain of communication has many weak links principally because we never created a coordinating mechanism between government, industry and the public," Adelstein said in a press release released on Wednesday. "Communication is the FCC's middle name, but we haven't lived up to it." The Government and Accountability Office (GAO) has also concluded that no comprehensive plan for the DTV transition exists, a charge that FCC Chair Kevin Martin disputes.
On Tuesday, both Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and Representative John Dingell (D-MI) asked Martin to make the DTV transition a top priority and create an inter-agency task force. Adelstein wants the proposed group to include the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications Information Agency (NTIA), the Administration on Aging, Health and Human Services, and the Veterans Administration. Members of Congress are particularly concerned that the elderly, poor, and consumers in rural areas won't find out about the transition in time.
Retailers need to get their act together
Adelstein's remarks came as US Pirg has released a new report indicating that TV retail store sales staffs are pretty clueless when it comes to the DTV transition. In their survey, the public interest group sent "secret shoppers" into over 130 electronics stores in ten states, asking staff about the transition date, and whether they knew that the NTIA is offering consumers coupons good for $40 towards a set top box that will make an analog set digital ready.
Specifically, US Pirg found that
- 81 percent of sales staff they spoke to provided inaccurate information about converter boxes or did not know about them
- 78 percent of the sales staff could not give accurate information about the coupon program
- 42 percent got the month of the digital transition deadline date wrong [the correct month is February 2009].
In fact, months ago I did my own survey of DTV information readiness among retailers in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I live, and found similar results. In early December I called a bunch of Target, Best Buy, and Circuit City stores and asked them two questions: "Will you be selling those digital converter set top boxes for analog TV sets soon?" and "Will you be taking those discount coupons that the Department of Commerce plans to give out for the boxes?"
"Digital set top boxes? Converters? What?" a salesperson I called at the Target in Fremont replied. After a few more seconds of confusion, he transferred our call over to a manager, who assured me that Target would be selling the converters and honoring the coupons, "when the time comes." I asked him when he thought that would be, and he gave the February 17, 2009, date, when, in fact, the NTIA started taking orders for the coupons on January 1st of this year.
The US Pirg report recommends that retailers "adequately educate their staff about converter boxes and the coupon program," something that Best Buy, Circuit City, and Target promised that they would do in statements filed with the FCC in October of last year.
FCC Chair Kevin Martin appeared before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce earlier in the week. He informed the Committee that as of now, 95 percent of full power TV stations broadcast using a digital signal. The FCC has also cited over 300 retailers, Martin disclosed, for continuing to sell their remaining analog-only TV sets without labels warning that they are not digital capable, bringing in and still selling new analog only sets, or selling sets that do not integrate the V-chip into their digital system.
But the FCC has yet to resolve a proceeding on whether to issue specific rules on when and how often broadcasters should run educational items on the NTIA's coupon program. Public interest groups like the Benton Foundation have called for the FCC to closely supervise the TV education program. The National Association of Broadcasters has called for a voluntary plan culminating in a "100 day countdown" beginning on November 10, 2008, when TV stations will commit to graphic displays, news items, and PSAs reminding the public that the end of analog broadcasting is near.


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Sometimes in life, if becomes necessary to find a low-impact workout. There is nothing better than a water aerobics class. This can be a fun and challenging workout that will surprise you with its intensity The feeling of sweat running down your face while you are in the swimming pool is interesting, to say the least.
All you need is a chlorine resistant swimsuit and you are set. Many times the teacher will provide float belts for deep water activities, but this is not necessary. It is possible to hold on to the side or to stay in the shallow end.
The exercises performed in a water aerobics class are much the same as in regular aerobics. You will do a "grapevine," there will be running in place and plenty of step-and-touch. Adding the resistance of the water really makes it possible to get a great workout without putting too much pressure on the knees and shins. The water makes you buoyant and keeps you cool.
There are many types of athletic swimwear which will help you to keep comfortable during water aerobics. Cross back swimwear stays in place and won't stretch and pull during your workout.
Finding a teacher is easy; just ask at your local YMCA, a neighborhood gym or on a college campus. Water aerobics is one of the best low impact workouts you can have and it is never boring.next article >>


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February 22, 2012
1962: Wally Lemm Leaves Oilers for Cardinals
On February 22, 1962 Wally Lemm, who had guided the Houston Oilers to the AFL Championship in '61, quit to become head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL. The 42-year-old Lemm signed a one-year contract in succeeding Frank "Pop" Ivy, who resigned with two games left in the season.
Lemm had started out more inclined to write about football then coach it. He graduated from Carroll College, where he was a halfback on the football team, with a journalism degree. Following service in World War II in which he commanded a torpedo boat, he became an assistant coach under Hugh Devore at Notre Dame in 1945. It was a quick jump to head coach at Waukesha High School in '46 and then back to the college level. Lemm was an assistant coach for three years at Lake Forest College, as well as head basketball coach, before becoming head coach in 1954. The team won the conference title in his first year and he left after compiling an 11-4-1 record. From there it was on to Montana State and again, in his first season, his team won a title, gaining the Rocky Mountain Conference championship with an 8-1 tally.
In 1956, Lemm moved to pro coaching for the first time, serving as a defensive assistant for the then-Chicago Cardinals. The team, under Head Coach Ray Richards, had its first winning season in seven years and the defense was a big part of it as the unit intercepted 33 passes and allowed only nine touchdowns. However, in keeping with a pattern in which he didn't stay in one place for long, Lemm returned to Lake Forest College as head coach in '57 and came away with another conference title.
After returning to the Cardinals as an assistant in 1959, he moved to the Oilers of the new AFL in '60. Houston won the first AFL Championship under Head Coach Lou Rymkus, but Lemm resigned to go into the sporting goods business. When the Oilers got off to a 1-3-1 start in 1961 and it was apparent that Rymkus was losing control of the club, owner Bud Adams hired Lemm to take over.
His coaching methods were rather unconventional for the time and made him unpopular with some of his peers. Lemm was low-key and took a relaxed approach with the players and kept the offense, in particular, as simple as possible in order to eliminate the potential for errors. His attitude was summed up in his statement that "football is supposed to be fun and if you treat the players like adults they will usually respond like adults. The game is not really simple anymore because the defenses change so much, but we try to keep it as clear, straightforward and pleasurable as we can."
The philosophy worked in Houston. The intense Rymkus had sown dissension among the players, but Lemm relaxed the atmosphere. He also returned veteran QB George Blanda to the starting lineup and installed Willard Dewveall at tight end. The defense was simplified and Fred Glick replaced Charlie Milstead at safety, where he had been badly overmatched in the team's defeats. The results were spectacular – the Oilers went 10-0 the rest of the way and repeated as AFL champs.
Lemm had initially agreed to a contract extension but was frustrated with the front office alignment in Houston despite the team's success, and with the excuse of being able to work closer to home (he lived in Libertyville, Illinois), he accepted the offer to coach the Cardinals.
While there were rumors that the Oilers were interested in Sammy Baugh or former Dallas Cowboys assistant Babe Dimancheff to replace Lemm, in the end they hired Ivy, making it a straight swap of coaches (he lasted two seasons).
The Cardinals, all-too-typically a losing team, went 6-5-1 in 1960, the first year in St. Louis, and were 7-7 in '61. Injuries played a key role in the team's failing to show greater improvement, in particular the loss of star HB John David Crow for virtually the entire year. Canadian Football League legend Sam Etcheverry had moved south of the border after an outstanding nine-year career to take over at quarterback, but his arm was worn out and he was no longer the player he had been in the CFL.
Lemm didn't have the same initial success as he did in his college stops and with the Oilers. St. Louis dropped to 4-9-1 in 1962. However, the seeds were planted for future success. Etcheverry started the year at quarterback but was replaced by second-year QB Charley Johnson, who showed promise and had outstanding receivers in fleet split end Sonny Randle and dependable flanker Bobby Joe Conrad. Crow was back at halfback and there was a good stable of young backs developing. The defense gave up too many points, but there was young talent in the backfield with 22-year-old CB Pat Fischer and 24-year-old FS Larry Wilson.
In the draft for the 1963 season, the Cards had two first round draft choices and used them to shore up the defense, adding safety Jerry Stovall from LSU and Purdue DE Don Brumm. The team dramatically improved to 9-5. Johnson had an outstanding year at quarterback, setting club records with 3280 passing yards and 28 TDs. Despite again losing Crow to injury for virtually the entire season, Bill Triplett was shifted from defensive back to offensive halfback and was a good replacement, running for 652 yards while averaging 4.9 yards per carry and catching 31 passes for 396 more. Perennial backup Joe Childress became the starting fullback and led the team with 701 rushing yards and grabbed 25 passes. Conrad led the NFL with 73 pass receptions, for 967 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Randle gained 1014 yards on his 51 catches and scored 12 times. Rookie TE Jackie Smith contributed 28 receptions for 445 yards. The line, built around C Bob DeMarco and G Ken Gray, was also improved.
The defensive line was augmented by the addition of Brumm and Stovall proved to be an asset in the backfield, along with Jimmy Burson. The linebacker corps, anchored by MLB Dale Meinert, was a good one. Jim Bakken, who had originally joined the team as a reserve defensive back, proved to be a reliable placekicker (and would for the next 15 seasons in St. Louis).
The stage was set for the Cards to contend in 1964 and they battled the Browns to the wire, ending up second in the Eastern Conference at 9-3-2. Indeed, they went 1-0-1 against Cleveland and won three of their first four and all of their last four contests - only a midseason slump prevented them from finishing on top. The team was well balanced. Johnson passed for 3045 yards, although he threw more interceptions (24) than touchdowns (21). Conrad had another Pro Bowl year (61 catches, 780 yards) but Randle missed considerable time with a shoulder injury - backup WR Billy Gambrell performed admirably in his place. Jackie Smith continued his development at tight end with 47 receptions for 657 yards. Triplett was out for the year at halfback due to a bout with tuberculosis, but Crow was back and led the club with 554 yards rushing. On defense, the small (5'9", 170) but aggressive Fischer intercepted 10 passes and the club ranked second in the league with 25 overall.
The success did not continue as anticipated in 1965, however. After getting off to a 4-1 start, they lost eight of their last nine games to sink to 5-9. The line and receivers were still outstanding, but Johnson, who started out well, was plagued by injuries and seemed to regress. Injuries also struck among the running backs, and they were lacking the clutch play of Crow, who had been dealt away to the 49ers. On defense, the linebacker corps was still a strength but the line failed to rush opposing passers effectively and Wilson and Stovall missed time in the backfield.
The failure to meet expectations meant the end of the line for Lemm in St. Louis. He left with an overall record of 27-26-3 and returned to the Oilers as head coach in 1966 (including Ivy, they had gone through three head coaches since '62). While the Cards had some good seasons under his successor, Charley Winner, they were never able to win a division title. Houston, with Lemm back at the helm, utilized a conservative offense and outstanding defense to win the Eastern Divison in '67, but was decimated by Oakland in the AFL Championship game. It was Lemm's last hurrah as a pro head coach, and he quit for good following the 1970 season, citing health issues. His overall pro record was 64-64-7 and he was 1-2 in the postseason, with the one AFL title to his credit.
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MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The Barry University baseball team has a very special day planned for Thursday, Jan. 9 when they host Old-Time Baseball & Vintage Cars at Feinbloom Field as part of the athletic department's fundraising efforts on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In addition to the Old-Time baseball game, in which the Buccaneers will sport uniforms from the 1920's-70's representing original teams from Major League Baseball as well as the Negro Leagues in a friendly inter-squad exhibition game, Ted Vernon is helping sponsor the event and will provide several vintage cars to embrace the spirit of the 1920's at the event. Vernon will also throw out the first pitch.
Ted Vernon, one of South Florida's most colorful personalities, is a man of many hats, among them: successful auto-dealer, movie actor, film producer, and professional prizefighter. Vernon achieved local fame when he decided to embark on an amateur boxing career in his late 20s, racking up a 21-1 record; strange indeed because a Miami Herald Newspaper article on his fistic career stated that, as a millionaire, he didn't need to box. But box he did, and later turned professional. He made a habit of delivering first-round knockouts, including one in 0:17 seconds against Armando Royo in 1980, after which Vernon retired from the ring with a pro record of 3-1, with 3 knockouts. He went on to act and produce a number of south Florida films, and remains one of the more colorful personalities in the history of Miami-Dade County sports, entertainment, and business worlds.
Gates open at 5:30 pm with a meet-and-greet in which the fans are allowed to join the players on the field to sign autographs, take pictures and meet the 2014 Buccaneer squad.
Entertainment at the game will be provided by THE MIAMIANS! Barbershop Quartet. THE MIAMIANS! will be singing the national anthem and other assorted melodies at the game.
First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. and fans are encouraged to participate by dressing up in the spirit of the 1920-40's.


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Wimpy Goat Takes On Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' [VIDEOS]by Maggie Malach | PopCrush
Move over, Grumpy Cat! Goats are quickly becoming one of hottest Internet trends. We thought the pinnacle came when Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' got remixed with a shrieking goat, but we were so, so wrong.
A new video has surfaced of a baby goat attempting to bleet. After letting out a very unimpressive goat noise, a human voice off-camera goads him to try harder. The result is the makings of a viral hit.
Naturally, the wimpy goat roar has already been remixed into two parodies. In keeping with tradition, the surprising noise has been inserted into Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble' video. We love us some T. Swift, but we have to admit — this is hilarious. It definitely echoes the "chaotic" sound Taylor told TIME she wanted the song to convey.
Watch the Taylor Swift parody above and check out the original wimpy goat roar and the 'Goatzilla' remix in the videos below!
Watch the Goat Give It All He Has
Watch the 'Goatzilla' Parody
Yikes! See Taylor Swift + More Celebs' Wardrobe Malfunctions


text: I clearly remember when I found out my good friend Kajsa was pregnant. A small group of us were gathered at her house in Laguna Beach, planning on having a few drinks before heading out for the night. Kajsa was drinking her beer out of a glass and I thought to myself, "That's fancy; she […][Continue reading...]


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There are plenty of tutorials online for creating tabbed panels in HTML documents, some using JavaScript, some using pure CSS tricks. Most of the approaches seem to assume that a list of some type is the appropriate element to use for a tabbed interface, but I'd argue that lists are not semantically descriptive of tabbed interfaces. They either include the main tab content along with the tab name, like so:

Active Active tab content goes here

Second Inactive second tab content goes here

Third

Or the tab content has no semantic relationship with the tabs that control their display, like:

Active

Second

Third

Active tab content

Second tab content

Third tab content

It's simply bizarre to mix the tab name with the main tab content as with the first case. The tab name controls interaction with the tab content, it's not part of the tab's content. They are semantically distinct, and so should be distinct in the markup.
In the second case, name and content are separated, but not in a semantically meaningful way, which makes it invisible to screen readers unless you add extra annotations. The connection between tab name and tab content is completely indirect since it depends upon interpreting the meaning of a link's target as referring to an element in the current document. This is obviously only one approach to separating tab name from content, but every approach I've seen so far makes a similar tradeoff: no technique expresses the relationship between tab name and tab content using markup that properly describes their relationship in a semantically meaningful way.
So what is the semantic relationship between tab name and tab content? Well clearly the tab name is a heading of some kind that summarizes and/or meaningfully describes the content it references.
Secondly, a set of tabs are logically related in some larger context, and so markup that also expresses a grouping is the most semantically meaningful. For instance, expressing tab content as a set of divs doesn't express this association, nor does expressing tab names as standard headings H1..H6.
However, there is an HTML element that provides headings and semantically associates those headings with its contents: tables!

Active
Second
Third

Active tab content
Second tab content
Third tab content
The table headings are the tab names, and the table cells contain its contents. Each cell designates the header/tab name to which it belongs, which is meaningful semantic markup for tabbed interfaces. Now all that remains is providing the interactive nature of tabbed interfaces. I think most of the standard techniques will work just as well here, but I used a simple javascript function and some basic CSS you can see in this jsfiddle. Basically, the CSS sets the backgrounds, borders and mouseover behaviour needed to mimic the familiar tab layout:
body {background-color:white;}
table.tabs{border:none; border-collapse:collapse}
table.tabs>thead>tr>th{text-align: left;padding:15px;position:relative;bottom:-1px;background-color:white}
table.tabs>thead>tr>th:hover{background-color:lightgrey; cursor:pointer}
table.tabs>thead{border-bottom:1px solid}
table.tabs>thead>tr>th.active{border:1px solid;border-bottom:none}
Then a simple javascript function run at document load progressively enhances the table to act like a tabbed interface:


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This list of Easter services will be published as often as possible leading up to the date. Please send items for inclusion in this list to email@example.com.
STRATHAM — You are invited to attend our Easter Breakfast on Sunday, March 31. Breakfast will be served from 9:15 to 10:30 am There is no charge. Services immediately following at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 8 Winnicut Road, Stratham. Call (603) 778-7002 or visit our website www.cornerstonebaptistchurchnh@.com.
NEWINGTON — The following is the schedule of Holy Week and Easter activities for the Newington Town Church and the North Star AME Zion Church, Newington.
Maundy Thursday, March 28: 7:30 PM Communion & Tenebrae-Service held at the Newington town meetinghouse.
Easter Sunday, March 31st- 6:30 Sunrise Service (next to the town tennis courts) followed by Breakfast at the Town Hall; 10:00 AM Celebration of the Resurrection in the Meetinghouse,
The Rev. David Slatter and the Rev. Jeff McIlwain will conduct the services.
HAMPTON — The public is cordially invited to share in the Holy Week events at Hampton United Methodist Church, 525 Lafayette Rd. (Rte.1), Hampton, NH., Rev. Dr. Steven Notis, Pastor. Child care for 3 and under; handicapped accessible; hearing devices available. Office 926-2702, M-F 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m./ www.hamptonumc.net
Palm Sunday, March 24th, there will be two services, 9:00 & 10:45 a.m., with distribution of Palms at each. A "Loaves & Fishes" Soup Sale to benefit the discretionary fund will be held after each service.
Maundy Thursday, March 28th, there will be a service of Holy Communion in the sanctuary at 7:30 p.m.
Good Friday, March 29th, "The Labyrinth" will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to all who would like to prayerfully take its journey. At 7:30 p.m., in the Sanctuary, there will be a "Stations Of The Cross Tableaux", a live reenactment of the fourteen stations that depict the last hours of Jesus' passion on his way to Calvary. Our choir will add to the poignancy of the program.
Easter Sunday March 31st, there will be a 6:15 a.m. Ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service held at North Beach (across from 18th St.) followed at 6:45 a.m. by a Sunrise Breakfast served at HUMC by the Men's Club - All Welcome; free-will offering. Easter Worship Services in the Sanctuary at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m
SANBORNVILLE — The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Sanbornville announces
it's schedule of Holy Week services for 2013. St. John the Baptist is an
inclusive Episcopal Church that welcomes all people. The church is
located at 118 High Street. For more information about the schedule of
services or the parish, please call 522-3329.
Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, March 24
8:00 AM: Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist Rite I (spoken service
- no music)
10:30 AM: Liturgy of the Palms and Holy Eucharist Rite II
Holy Tuesday, March 26
7:00 PM: Stations of the Cross – a devotion of pilgrims to Jerusalem who
offer prayer at a series of places traditionally associated with Jesus'
passion and death.
Holy Wednesday, March 27
7:00 PM: Tenebrae – In Latin "Tenebrae" means "darkness" or "shadows".
This service provides an extended meditation upon the events in Our
Lord's life between the Last Supper and the Resurrection.
Maundy Thursday, March 28
7:00 PM: Liturgy for Maundy Thursday, Foot Washing, Last Supper and
Stripping of the Altar.
Good Friday, March 29
9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon: Altar of Repose – "They went to a place called
Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here and pray.' And Jesus
said to them,' I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep
awake." (Mark 14: 32,34) Come and be with Our Lord offering up your
prayers during His Passion.
12:00 Noon: Ecumenical Service
7:00 PM: The Liturgy for Good Friday Homilist – The Rev. Sue Poulin.
The Feast of the Resurrection – Easter Sunday, March 31
8:00 AM: Holy Eucharist Rite I (spoken service - no music)
8:45 AM: Parish Breakfast (All welcome!)
10:30 AM: Festal Holy Eucharist Rite II
Please visit our web site at http://www.stjohntb.org/
SANFORD —All are welcome to attend Holy Week and Easter Sunday services at St. George's Episcopal Church, located at 3 Emerson Street in Sanford. Child care is available at the 10:00am services. Services are as follows: March 24, Palm Sunday at 8:00am and 10:00am , March 28, Maundy Thursday at 7:00pm, March 29, Good Friday Noon and 7:00pm, March 30, Easter Vigil 7:00pm, March 31 Easter Sunday 8:00am and 10:00am, an Easter egg hunt to follow after the 10:00am service. The Rev. Cn Susan M. Murphy, Rector. For more information call 324-8119 or email us at email@example.com or visit our website at www.stgeorgesanford.org.


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That said, A corkage fee is typically applied by a licensed restaurant for those diners who choose to bring their own wine. Fees vary, generally being much higher for a wine that is offered on the establishment's list........For a BYO to apply a corkage fee is over the top.... N.J.S.A. 2C:33-27
**A clarification on the BYOB policy: you can bring your own bottle (as we did) and pay nothing, or order from their "wine list" which will be delivered from Liberty Wine down the block. They'll charge you the store price + a $6 corkage fee.
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Jerry Brown says he's going to bring Republicans and Democrats in the leadership together. Meg Whitman's campaign has pointed out that it wasn't always Kumbaya in the legislature during Brown's time.
This is much ado about nothing. (It says here that no governor can bring together Republicans and Democrats in these polarized, partisan times, so it's not worth worrying about). And Brown's past record with the legislature is mixed, according to multiple accounts. He got much accomplished in his first term, when he was in Sacramento more and focused on his job. During his second term, when he ran for president and for the U.S. Senate, he didn't seem to interact much with the legislature, at least according to a reading of his mail, which is on file at USC.
That lack of engagement frustrated many in the legislature, according to those archives. One of the best examples of this frustration -- and certainly the funniest -- is a letter to Brown from Assemblyman Water M. Ingalls, the powerful chairman of the Assembly Committee on Transportation. It was dated Dec. 15, 1980, and is among the most sarcastic missives I've ever seen written from one public official to another. (The LA Times obit of Ingalls, who represented Riverside County and battled with Caltrans for years, described him, accurately as "caustic").
U.S. & World
The letter starts by praising Brown -- completely sarcastically -- for proposing a 150-mph bullet train. Ingalls cites studies that show such a train was prohibitively expensive (it remains so even now 30 years later, though there's been a bond passed and intensive activity to pursue it). Ingalls was furious at Brown for talking about trains at the same time the governor was working to stall new construction and reduce maintenance on the state highway system.
The letter concludes --- in sarcasm:
"Jerry, keep those good ideas coming. I have always maintained that for California to maintain its image that we need a forward-looking Governor, somebody with a keen interest and sense of the future. Jerry, you perform so well when it comes to the future, it almost seems as if you are always there. And I can relate to your position of non-involvement with today's problems. After all, California has such depth and breadth of highly trained and skilled professionals working at all levels of government to solve the almost overwhelming array of problems besetting transportation today that you must think you do not have to be involved in the solution. I understand.
"Stick to the future, Jerry. That is where you belong."


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Man Tells Jumpoff Hes Suing Her & Wants His Money Back After He Finds Out Hes Not The Father Giving Them Money All This Time On Maury! "You Better Get My Money. Im Suing Your Ass"
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A look at several President Truman historical sites, what you need to know about airlines and luggage, jet lag tips and more.
American Tourist President Harry S. Truman was born on May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Mo., and attended high school and law school in suburban Kansas City, Mo. Today, the main Truman historical sites are within 15 miles of each other near Kansas City. Where: Independence, Mo., Grandview, Mo. What: Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library Harry S. Truman National Historic Site: This site preserves the family farmhouse and the longtime home of Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). The Wallace House (aka Truman Home) is in Independence, and the Truman Farm Home is in Grandview. The Wallace House, 219 North Delaware Street, was the home of Truman after his marriage to Bess Wallace. Bess Truman's maternal grandfather, George Porterfield Gates, built the house. The couple's only child, Mary Margaret, was born in the home on Feb. 17, 1924. The site also includes the two adjacent homes of Mrs. Truman's brothers, and, across Delaware Street, the home of the president's favorite aunt and cousins. Guided tours of the site are conducted, and a visitor's center is housed in a nearby historic firehouse. The Truman Farm Home, 12301 Blue Ridge Blvd., was built in 1894 by Harry Truman's maternal grandmother and is the centerpiece of a 5.25-acre remnant of the family's former 600-acre farm. Truman worked the farm as a young man, from 1906-1917. It was here, said his mother, that Harry got his "common sense." Guided tours are conducted during the summer, but there is no visitor center on the site. Harry S. Truman Presidential Museum and Library: A site dedicated to preserve the papers, books and other historical materials relating to President Truman. It is located on a small hill facing U.S. Highway 24 in Independence. It was the first presidential library to be created under the provisions of the 1955 Presidential Libraries Act and is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. The president and his wife are buried in the courtyard of the library. The museum includes an introductory film tribute to Truman, which leads to the two floors of exhibits, including photos, film clips, news clippings and memorabilia covering Truman's life and career. Sources/more information: http://www.trumanlibrary.org, http://www.nps.gov/hstr, Wikipedia.org Travel Tales If you were going on a 1,800-mile pilgrimage, you'd probably take a plane, or travel by car, at least. But one Polish man traveled that distance on foot – and pulled a cart, no less. Police in Germany recently reported that a man was stopped when drivers reported the man pulling his three-wheeled cart on a major highway. After finding out the man's story -- that he was on the way home from a Catholic pilgrimage that took him to Portugal – and inspecting his cart, which was deemed road-worthy, police let him proceed. Good to Know You might want to think about packing light from now on if you're traveling by plane. Starting May 5, five of the seven major airlines will start charging $25 each way if you check a second bag. The two major carriers not charging extra (for the moment, at least) are American and Southwest. Fun Facts - Guadalajara's characteristic salsa is called tapatío, but choose your words carefully when buying it; tapatio also means a resident of the city. (Wikitravel.org) - Bedwellty House and Park in Tredegar, a small town in Wales, lays claim to hosting the world's largest lump of coal. (Wikitravel.org) Travel Tip: Jet Lag Tips - One way to avoid jet lag for short stays is to ignore the difference in time zone and maintain the same sleeping schedule as you would according to the time "back home," perhaps keeping lights on to simulate daylight and pulling shades to simulate night. This is less practical for longer stays, or when traveling several time zones from home, which would place you far out of synch with local hours. - The impact may be diminished by gradually adjusting your sleep schedule in advance of a long-distance trip. For example, before flying from California to Germany, you might start a week ahead of time, going to bed and waking up an hour earlier each day. By the time you actually made the trip, your sleep schedule would be almost in synch with your destination. - Another remedy is to attempt to have a normal day, but in terms of the time zone you've flown into. If you land at 7 a.m., for example, you will probably have been served breakfast on your flight, so head to your accommodation (ask if they can mind your luggage if it's not check-in time yet) and go and see some of the sights, making sure to get some fresh air. You'll feel tired, particularly by the mid-afternoon, but keep pushing on until an early dinnertime. Eat dinner and then go to bed. You should be tired enough for a good night's sleep, but have some sleeping tablets handy in case. After a couple of nights, you'll have adjusted. (Wikitravel.org) Talk Like a Local: In Norway It was nice seeing/meeting you. Goodbye. - Det var hyggelig/hyggjeleg å treffe deg. Ha det bra! (De var hygg-e-li å treff-e dei. Ha de bra!) GateHouse News Service