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The covert project name for Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. It refers to a species of large jungle snake.
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I would definitely deem the third plot the weakest and least interesting. If I were to read novelized versions of these plots, having seen the films, the third would probably interest me least. Yet the third film interests me more than the first two. It captivates me. Why? Something about the slow introduction, the music (which is not always subtle, but does its job well enough), the over all feel of the film just has more vibrance it seems to me than the first two.
That is the power of direction! To take what on paper is truthfully a boring concept and turn it into a mesmerizing experience. Bravo!


downloadable activities to further facilitate ARC beyond this book.
Academic Reading Circles is ideal for teacher use in pre-sessional or in-sessional EAP programs at the university level. The book is published with the round and available for mobile devices (PC/Mac/Kindle/iPad) only.
If you don't own a mobile device to read it, you can download Adobe Digital Editions or Kindle app for free to read on your laptop. Note: If you have purchased this book, thank you! There will be occasional updates. You will be automatically notified and can download the new version for free.


The Cowboys have averaged 21.6 yards on their 10 kickoff returns and 3.5 yards on their eight punt returns. They lost Lance Dunbar, who has a team-high six kickoff returns and one punt return this season, to a season-ending knee injury against the Saints.
Rookie Lucky Whitehead went into training camp as a candidate for the return jobs and likely stuck on the 53-player roster because of his ability to do both jobs. However, Whitehead had trouble handling the ball at times in the preseason and during practice, losing the kickoff return job to Dunbar and the punt return job to Cole Beasley.
The Cowboys used Whitehead as a returner for the first time against New England, the week after Dunbar was lost for the season, and he had one punt return for minus-2 yards and one kickoff return for 21 yards. Beasley also had one punt return, gaining 8 yards, against the Patriots.
Bisaccia was asked where the "trust factor" is with Whitehead right now.


I'm assuming she fell too but don't know for sure. She was having surgery (a pin put in). It wasn't clear whether she's already had the surgery.
So did she give permission to post her health info, then?
I'm pretty sure it's permission when she says she's glad I'm letting the board know how she is, as she did say.
If any more information about her comes my way, I'll ask her permission before posting it here.
Last edited by agate; 03-11-2019 at 10:04 PM.
It sounds like this is definitely post-op. She saw the surgeon and has a huge rod in her leg and a blister on her heel from the frame that stabilizes her leg (temporary).
Thank you for Jeanie's update.
It sounds like Jeanie had a rod and pins placed in her leg. Jon has a rod and pins in his right hip. I hope that she will have rehab and therapy. If she is sent home, she will need help, possibly 24 hour help.
Keeping Jeanie in my prayers and sending her positive healing energy.
PS~ agate, your Private Message box is full. I tried to send you a message, but it won't go through until you remove some of your messages.
Last edited by Earth Mother 2 Angels; 03-12-2019 at 04:43 PM.
Thanks Agate for letting us know how Jeanie is doing. I am glad she is getting updates through to you.
Agate, I tried to send you a private message but it says you've reached your stored limit and you can't receive any more until you clear some. Just letting you know.
Thanks for the alert, nuthatch! The problem is fixed now.


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Ronald Schmidt has served as the coordinator of Brookhaven's Business and Management programs since July 2017. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree and Master of Science degree in accounting from the University of Dallas. He is also a Certified Management Accountant and Certified Financial Manager.
Before entering academia, he spent 21 years in industry, serving as controller, chief financial officer and chief operations officer in the food and hospitality and manufacturing industries; he also owned a manufacturing company in the construction industry. An entrepreneur at heart with extensive experience in operations and management, Mr. Schmidt has helped grow and turn around numerous new ventures, including one that became a national franchise.
He began his academic career at Brookhaven College as an adjunct instructor and later joined the Accounting, Business and Economics programs at El Centro, where he served for eight years. At El Centro, he served as the college strategic planning chair and DCCCD Accounting curriculum chair, as well as the advisor to Phi Theta Kappa, the academic honor society for two-year college students.
Mr. Schmidt previously taught at the University of Dallas graduate School of Management, the University of Dallas Braniff College of Business and Texas A&M-Commerce, in subjects in business, accounting, finance and economics.
He served in the U.S. Army for 30 years, most of which were in field artillery and training environments.


A baseball pitcher throws a fastball horizontally at a speed of 42.0 m/s. Ignoring air resistance, how far does the ball drop between the pitcher's mound and home plate, 60 ft 6 in away?
We use the equations of motion to calculate the time taken to baseball to reach the given distance and to find the distance covered by the baseball between the pitcher's mound and home plate, 60 ft 6 in away.


I'm not allowed a Forum Sig apparently.
Mystical Odour Online Forum » General - Public » Technical Issues and Geeky Stuff » I'm not allowed a Forum Sig apparently.
So I've tried to change my Forum Sig to be a banner image (because a bit of text is dull and I found a sig I like). Unfortunately everytime I try and do this using the [img][/img] no matter where I seem to get the link from it just gives me an error saying the BBC code is forbidden. I even tried simply linking it as a HTML link just to see what happened and received the same error. I ALSO tried uploading the image I wanted to Imgur and using the recommended forum link (& tried all the other options it provided as well) to no avail.
Anyone know how to get around this? Help would be appreciated, I'm a total noob when it comes to anything forum related.
I imagine it's caused by your current forum rank, I'll look into it tomorrow!
This page was generated in 0.778 seconds.


I'm a 27 year-old bank worker. I love my job. I get to meet new people every day and there's never a dull moment in the bank. Sure, some of the customers get frustrated with the waiting time and take it out on staff, but we find ways to cope and laugh it off afterwards.
Last year, one of the male colleagues on our floor started sending me nasty emails on the bank's system. The first time it happened, I was shocked and didn't know what to do. I was too embarrassed to even talk to anyone about it. I ignored the email and didn't say anything, thinking that would be it.
Well, he started sending me more emails – usually pictures of naked women. Then he started to Facebook message me and tell me things he wanted to do to me. I mean I'd barely said two words to this guy! I spoke to my colleague about it and she suggested talking to my immediate supervisor.
Luckily, our bank has a very clear policy with strict guidelines on this sort of thing. My complaint was taken seriously and the guy was disciplined. Well, actually he lost his job over it. At first I felt bad about that, but then I had to remind myself I had done nothing wrong – he was in the wrong! I think that's part of the problem, that we worry too much about other people and make excuses for their bad behaviour.
Turns out he had been sending the same emails to other female staff using the bank's intranet system, which was in violation of our official code of conduct. I mean its 2017. Surely that means that when I go to work I don't have to deal with pornographic emails in my inbox – and no I didn't find them funny at all.


text:
Staying safe as Central Texas braces for extreme cold weather
Health experts are warning people of the dangers of freezing temperatures, while local non-profits work to get the homeless some shelter.
Author: Maria Aguilera
Published: 8:01 PM CST February 12, 2021
Updated: 10:10 AM CST February 13, 2021
WACO, Texas — As Central Texas braces for record cold temperatures, you can prepare yourself and stay safe.
Health experts have warned people of the dangers freezing temperatures can have on your health and how you should prepare, while local non-profit organizations are working to get the homeless some shelter and keep them alive.
Major Jim Taylor with the Waco Salvation Army said the homeless population is especially vulnerable, so if you someone on the street direct them to a shelter.
"Direct them somewhere they can get shelter and some warmth to keep themselves maybe even from dying from the elements," Taylor said. "It's really that dire right now."
They currently only have 20 beds and they're expecting more than double that amount of people over the weekend through Monday. So they'll be open 24 hours as a warming center to make sure no one is left behind in the freezing cold.
RELATED: McLane Family, Salvation Army, Central Texas Housing Consortium to provide food to 300 families
"We have cots that we can put out to make sure that anyone who wants to come in has a place to sleep. We have mats we can put on the floor and sleeping bags, and we're just gonna do whatever we can to give a place for people to come and get out of the elements," Taylor said.
For those who have to be outside, hypothermia and frostbite become real possibilities. Dr. Jocelyn Wilson at Baylor Scott and White Hillcrest said everyone should be prepared before you step out your door.
RELATED: Here are some winter weather safety tips for your home, vehicle and furry friends
CDC extreme cold prevention guide, click here.
"The most likely areas to incur frostbite are your nose, ears, digits, toes and so the consequences are severe tissue damage like loss of digits, damage to your nose and ears, so you have to protect those areas," Dr. Wilson said.
It's important to layer up to stay safe and warm.
Credit: weather.gov/safety
If it's chilly, one to two layers is fine, if it's cold you can wear two to three layers. For extreme cold, which is what Central Texas will get, be sure to have at least three layers.
"The innermost layer should be a wicking material so that it keeps the moisture away from your body. The second later should be like fleece or wool, and the outer layer should be water or snow resistant," Dr. Wilson said.
Along with covering up, getting sufficient sleep, drinking water and eating well can all help you stay safe.
Also on KCENTV.com:
Have you seen her? | Deaf puppy from Belton has been missing since Sunday
Sounds of Chaos | Emergency calls roll in as more car accidents take place due to icy weather
Here are some winter weather safety tips for your home, vehicle and furry friends

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Betsy Doon Hassett (Auckland, Nueva Zelanda; 4 de agosto de 1990) es una futbolista neozelandesa. Juega como mediocampista en el Stjarnan de la Primera División de Islandia. Es internacional con la selección de Nueva Zelanda desde 2008 y representó a su país en la Copa Mundial de 2011 y 2015; y en los Juegos Olímpicos de Londres 2012 y Río 2016.

Estadísticas

Clubes

Palmarés

Títulos nacionales

Títulos internacionales

(*) Incluyendo la Selección

Distinciones individuales

Véase también
 Anexo:Futbolistas femeninas con 100 o más partidos internacionales

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Ficha de Betsy Hassett en la selección de Nueva Zelanda

Futbolistas femeninas de Nueva Zelanda
Futbolistas del Stjarnan (fútbol femenino)
Futbolistas de la selección femenina de fútbol de Nueva Zelanda
Futbolistas del Ajax de Ámsterdam (femenino)
Futbolistas de Nueva Zelanda en los Juegos Olímpicos de Tokio 2020

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to speed up Python package DB update for Visual Studio IntelliSense? When using Python in Visual Studio every time I install a new package and the DB for IntelliSense has to be updated. Now the problem with this is, that it takes about 20 Minutes each time and that is not acceptable. I took a look at the TaskManager and it showed that Visual Studio is running at 0.4% CPU capacity.
Does anyone know how I can speed this up?

A: I tried to follow your steps in my VS 2017 15.3.3 and after installed the python package, it not reminder me to update DB. Please re-run the VS 2017 installer as administrator and if there has update, please click 'Update' button to update it to the latest version.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
This is a list of settlements in Lancashire by population based on the results of the 2011 census. The next United Kingdom census will take place in 2021. In 2011, there were 49 built-up area subdivisions with 5,000 or more inhabitants in Lancashire, shown in the table below.

Population ranking
The "settlements" in this table are the "Built-up area subdivisions" used by the Office for National Statistics in the 2011 United Kingdom census. "Built-up areas" and their subdivisions were previously known as "Urban areas" and are defined as areas of built-up land of at least 20 hectares which are separated from other built-up areas by at least 200m. They were named algorithmically, based on the name of a city, town or other settlement found on Ordnance Survey mapping within the area.  These areas do not always coincide with current or former local authority boundaries or other definitions of settlements: Bamber Bridge Built-up area subdivision, for example, had a 2011 population of 67,497 while the three electoral wards of Bamber Bridge East, Bamber Bridge North, and Bamber Bridge West had populations of 4,896, 4,665 and 4,384 respectively, totalling 13,945. Similarly, the town of Blackpool has a slightly higher population than its unitary authority, due to the urban subdivision including some small areas situated outside the district.

Historic Lancashire

Historically, the county of Lancashire covered a much wider area before boundary changes were introduced in 1974. Some towns which formerly belonged to the county still strongly identify with it. Notable examples are Bolton, Bury, Heywood, Horwich, Leigh, Southport, St. Helens and Wigan, and as well as cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Salford.

See also

 Lancashire

References

Lancashire-related lists
Populated places in Lancashire
Lancashire


text:
< Back to shinenews's Journal
shinenews
trainee teachers to plug the shortfall in schools
Schools are in crisis. With plummeting teacher training applications and difficulties in recruiting enough staff to fill vacancies, tuition fees, unacceptable workloads and budget cuts have all been blamed for the current shortage.Teacher training for early years or nursery education
"The number of trainees is falling and it raises serious questions for the government," says teaching recruitment expert Prof John Howson of Oxford Brookes University. "Teachers may well be asking themselves why they're doing the job for the money they get, when it costs an extra year in training and possibly an extra loan."
The Department for Education (DfE) has been trying to stem the problem by offering tax-free bursaries and scholarships of up to £28,000 for training towards a PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) in many of the core subjects.
All teachers in England and Wales must have QTS (qualified teacher status), which can be acquired while training for the one-year PGCE – long established as the classic and favoured route into teaching. While the PGCE is typically considered university based, in reality trainees spend up to 24 weeks in at least two schools. Participants then have to complete a further year's teaching as a newly qualified teacher.
"From an academic perspective, the PGCE provides students with the opportunity to think beyond day to day classroom practice and find connections between their own practice and the work of experts," says Alison Griffiths, head of initial teacher education at Goldsmiths. "The PGCE, along with the QTS means that the student is also able to teach outside of England and Wales."
The PGCE is not restricted to universities – school-centred initial teacher training courses also lead to a PGCE. Normally completed in one year it can include lectures and tutorials, but is centred around on-the-job training provided by teachers in a participating school.
Another popular route is pioneered by the education charity, Teach First. High achieving graduates are paid a wage from the outset and after initial intensive training go directly into the classroom. From last year it replaced the PGCE training with an upgraded postgraduate diploma in education) which also provided trainees with two thirds of a master's degree.
Teach First recruit Grace Wickings, now teaching in a south London school, turned her back on investment banking to pursue teaching. "I'd just set up a charity in Kenya and realised money wasn't everything, being happy in your job meant so much more," she says. "I'd just seen the series Tough Young Teachers and the challenge really excited me.
"I wanted to teach kids in schools similar to the one I'd been to. I'm not interested in teaching in private or grammar schools."
Even with these training options running concurrently, teacher recruitment and retention remains a problem and the DfE is under intense scrutiny to explain how it intends to support, retain and develop teachers, especially in light of rising pupil numbers. It has been asked to report back to the government's Public Accounts Committee before the summer.
However, Victoria Pang, a PGCE student with Yorkshire Teaching School Alliance remains optimistic and can't wait to get started.
"I feel this route has been supportive and nurturing during the very early stages of my career change. Although it is very hard work trying to balance the needs of a PGCE with life outside of school, I am confident I made the right decision, and am very much looking forward to my teaching career.


Cute quilt. Love the deer!
I am truly impressed – lovely.
So cute! Love this s! Fabric is adorable!
Cute deer!! And I love the fabric collection too.!!
I LOVE your patterns!! They're all so sweet, but this one takes the cake!


Williams is ending its no-loan policy.
It now seems prudent to reintroduce modest loans for some aided students, beginning with the class that enters in the fall of 2011. No current students will be affected; neither will those who enter this fall. As before, families below a certain income, and with typical assets, will not be expected to borrow at all. Others will be offered loans on a sliding scale up to a maximum size that will again be among the lowest in the country. After four classes have entered through this program, it will make available about $2 million per year.
1) Note how the College buys off current students. If there really are any students interested in demonstrating some leadership when it comes to economic equality, they should fight this issue hard. Contact me if you want advice on how to challenge the powers-that-be. Williams could/should still cut millions of dollars from its budget. Why not make those cuts first before making this change?
2) If there are about 1,000 Williams students on financial aid, then this would suggest that each of them is taking out a loan of $2,000 each year, for $8,000 total over the course of their education. But some (many?) students will not be expected to take out loans. So, I expect the number to be closer to $2,500. Before Williams went no-loans, I think that the maximum expected amount over four years was around $12,000. So, this represents an improvement.
3) Now that Williams has made this change, you can bet that Amherst (and other schools?) will follow. Indeed, do you think that there were any discussions across schools ahead of time? Overlap anyone . . .
4) I am shocked that Williams would make such a change for such a (relatively) small dollar payback. $2 million per year is not a lot, in the context of the College's total budget. And it sure seems that reversing this policy sends an unfortunate signal about what Williams really cares about. It would not be hard to gather stories from the graduates of 5 or 10 years ago about how having thousands of dollars of debt after Williams shaped, in unfortunate ways, their career choices.
5) Who is to blame? The faculty. When push comes to shove, they would rather maintain their various boondoggles like the Bolin Fellowships instead of allowing all Williams students to graduate debt free. On the good side: At least the rich kids will still graduate without any debt!
6) Sending this letter out in the middle of Dead Week, and a week after the Trustee meeting ended, is interesting. Had the Trustees not really decided everything as of last Sunday? I doubt it took a skilled writer like Bill Wagner a week to write this. I also doubt that it was specifically released while most students were away.
7) Running against this change would provide an interesting platform a two College Council co-president candidates, especially ones campaigning as outsiders.
Entire letter below. Full commentary later.
I would like to bring you up to date on the process, both on campus and with the Board of Trustees, of determining the College's next financial steps.
We are operating in unsettled and, for us all, unsettling times. I admire and thank all of you who have been rising to the occasion by adjusting to new ways of doing things and planning creatively how Williams can best adapt to these new circumstances.
Over that time, the value of our endowment dropped by $500 million and there is no reason to believe that it will grow at anything like the unprecedented rate that it did in the fifteen years before the market crisis. Meanwhile the annual cost of financial aid increased by $16.2 million and gifts slowed, as expected in a recession.
The College's focus is on adjusting to this new reality in ways that protect our core academic mission for the long run, keep Williams widely affordable and accessible, and value the great dedication of our faculty and staff.
As we move toward that goal, here is where things stand on several issues.
The Trustees have re-affirmed both the importance of the Library and Weston Field projects and their current programs. Since prudence dictates not starting them in 2010, we will use the extra time to advance the projects' financing and the resulting structures' sustainability and adaptability for possible future changes in patterns of use, with the goal of beginning construction in the 2011-12 academic year.
Making a Williams education available to students from all financial backgrounds has long been among our deepest values. That is why our expenditures on financial aid have tripled in the last ten years (from $14.6 million in 2000-01 to $43.7 million in 2009-10) and why financial aid was the only item in our budget to increase this year as it will be in the next. The continuous review of our aid policies is among the most careful of the College's long-term deliberations. In recent years a focus of those discussions has been on determining appropriate loan levels.
Our loan expectations were already among the lowest in the country (and zero for the lowest-income students) when we eliminated them for all aided students beginning in 2008-09. It now seems prudent to reintroduce modest loans for some aided students, beginning with the class that enters in the fall of 2011. No current students will be affected; neither will those who enter this fall. As before, families below a certain income, and with typical assets, will not be expected to borrow at all. Others will be offered loans on a sliding scale up to a maximum size that will again be among the lowest in the country. After four classes have entered through this program, it will make available about $2 million per year.
Our financial aid program will continue to be one of the most generous anywhere, as it should be, and we are convinced that Williams will remain financially attractive to aided students at all levels of income.
The College has no plans to reduce the salaries of current faculty and staff. To hit our spending targets for the coming years, we will, however, have to spend less on compensation, which currently accounts for 62.5% of our spending outside of financial aid. As the College's financial strength grew substantially over the decade leading up to the global economic crisis, so did our number of faculty and staff, to levels among the highest compared with similar colleges. The challenge is to reduce these numbers somewhat, in a way that honors the commitment of our remarkable faculty and staff.
We have realized savings by not filling many open positions, and while that process will continue, it will not by itself bring us to sustainable levels. We therefore anticipate offering to faculty and staff some form of retirement incentives, the details of which will be worked out in the coming months. Operating with somewhat fewer faculty and staff will require further thoughtful planning on what departments, programs, and offices can and cannot do and how we can reorganize to maximize efficiency. That planning will engage representatives of the whole campus community.
The key to the College's current planning is adaptability, a trait that has served Williams well through its history. In our current situation, this means reducing our spending so that we can return as soon as possible to where, if capital markets remain steady, our operations can stabilize and rebuild momentum from their new, smaller base.
I know how hard it is to hit challenging spending targets and to alter how we work (and even how much we work) because of faculty and staff positions left unfilled. Thank you for your dedication and flexibility. I am grateful to the Trustees for their wise counsel and for the patience that enables us to plan thoughtfully. I appreciate the sacrifices that families make to pay for their children's Williams education. And I am encouraged by the engagement and ongoing support of our alumni, parents, and friends, especially at this key moment.
For these reasons and more I am confident that this period will be looked back on as another in which Williams adapted to its times with care, foresight, and a shared sense of purpose.
This is neither shocking nor depressing.
I suggested this a long time ago. Like the day after it was announced.
They're federal loans. They have pretty low-interest and they are incredibly flexible about allowing you to defer or make reduced payments.
Welcome back to the the real world of most college alumni on financial aid, kids.
This won't really hurt the college that much in the long run. It's still a sweet bargain for financial aid.
@Brandi – they're not all federal loans. My student loans from Williams are private.
I would also hope that other top tier loan-free schools are not going to follow suit, and that this decision puts Williams at a competitive disadvantage.
The continued reduction in staff and faculty is also big news. I would HOPE this would come more from staff than faculty … it seems like there is probably some administrative bloat that could gradually be phased out, but each professor eliminated = fewer class offering / bigger class sizes. Williams has a slightly lower student:faculty ratio than its peers right now, so it's not as if it would be at a disadvantage to pare back faculty a little, but frankly, I'd rather see almost anything else cut.
I was also encouraged to hear the creative rethinking of the construction (including library) projects, to me multipurpose use sounds like, we realize all this space may not always be needed to house huge amounts of books on campus, so, if things change in 10-20 years, let's make sure the space is easily convertible to other uses … and I'm also glad to hear they are planning to start them in 2011-12. It's actually nice that the college has had a few years breather from all the construction, but at the same time, both of these projects are crucial to the college's future and need to move forward. By that time, the college SHOULD be in the quiet phase of the next fundraising drive (I believe) so there exists a good prospect of getting some big donations to help spur the projects forward ..
It's really too early to say much about the change.
I would think the main issue is how easily the alumni can repay their loans and the types of loans that will be offered, e.g. is principal deferred (or forgiven) and under what conditions.
Also, the college might be able to put a positive spin on this. For example, my guess is that the upper income range for families eligible for aid is much higher than the last time loans were offered. It could be that for a family at the upper range with a small aid offer, say less than $2000 per year, the $2000 would be in the form of a loan. It might also mean that financial aid only in the form of a relatively small loan would be offered to families with incomes higher than the current upper limit, so that the college could say that they offer aid to families with incomes over $200,000 or some other amount higher than the present one.
Okay, well, I'm guessing the majority of American students on financial aid are getting federal. And it's still a good deal even if they are private.
Even if other top schools don't do it, I don't think it's going to put Williams at as big of a disadvantage as people seem to think. There aren't that many spots and a lot of great students.
It's really hard to predict about disadvantage in relation to schools with no loan policies. I would guess the group it would impact the most are the families in the middle. Assuming peer schools, as far as entrance statistics (GPA, SATs, etc.), and one has a choice between some debt vs no debt, the student and family have to weigh what they're getting by incurring debt. Who knows what the sliding scale will be for the loans.
Okay, there aren't that many elite colleges and there are a ton of kids. Really, the impacts aren't going to be that bad.
Yes, there are a ton of kids that Williams and other schools would want, both who apply for financial aid and those who don't. Again, it's hard to predict what will happen. For example, if someone offered financial aid with a loan chooses to go elsewhere, will that person be replaced by someone not requesting financial aid.
Old subject – predictable and indicated action of small effect – stale comments – done deal – ho,hum – what was the ball score yesterday?
@frank uible: small effect for the college's budget, not a small effect for the students.
1. How many schools are no loan right now?
2. How many of those do you think will be no loan next year?
3. How many of these, even with no loans, offer comparable financial aid packages to Williams? –Remember that simply being "no loan" doesn't mean that you're more generous than a school that gives out loans.
4. Now, how many cross admits between Williams and those schools choose to go to Williams every year? Keep in mind that these schools we're talking about are likely Harvard, Yale, Princeton…etc.
My guess is that given all of the above, Williams will lose a handful (5, 10 at most) of students to Harvard/Yale/Princeton a year given the change in policy. While this is unfortunate, I can't say that 5 would-be-Ephs now at Harvard every year replaced by 5 new admits who would otherwise be at Middlebury/Wesleyan/Brown/etc is a huge loss–it's certainly not worth 2 million/year to keep those students.
Now, is it worth 2 million a year to reduce the debt burden of Williams grads? Maybe…I personally don't think so, but that's a stronger argument.
As an alum, I'm interested in preserving and advancing the College as a whole. As far as I'm concerned, each student will have to find his own momma.
1) Inside Higher Ed mentions this story, but with no link to their source. Unprofessional! The letter is still not up at the College's site, so where did Inside Higher Ed get this information if not from EphBlog?
2) Can anyone clarify exactly how loans worked just 3 years ago, right before Williams instituted the no-loan policy? Were most loans from the Federal Government or from Williams or some combination? I would like to understand the details here.
3) Will Slack '11 has also posted the letter, but with no commentary. Come on, Will! Give us the inside scoop . . .
If this is a targeted loans-policy (that is, only those on the upper extreme of the aid pool are receiving loans), then this seems like a reasonable policy change. Replacing five or ten students who opt to go to one of the few no-loans schools (or giving them a no-loan package when they call to negotiate…) is not hard for williams. And those no loan schools are pretty damn good, so it's not like those students are hurt.
It's only a student who doesn't have a no-loan school + gets hit with these 2000 in loans that might seem to be really hurt…but how many are there and how much does that family need?
I'm not sure which seemed more disingenuous when I read it, his comments about the faculty or his sudden turn into a class warrior?
If this is a targeted loans-policy (that is, only those on the upper extreme of the aid pool are receiving loans), then this seems like a reasonable policy change.
It's not. Did you read the post? There is no way to raise $2 million per year without a) Forcing hundreds of Williams students to take out loans and b) Having those loans be for thousands of dollars.
Replacing five or ten students who opt to go to one of the few no-loans schools (or giving them a no-loan package when they call to negotiate…) is not hard for williams. And those no loan schools are pretty damn good, so it's not like those students are hurt.
Huh? The main issue is that, come 2019, about half the graduating class will owe $10,000 or more in loans. The issue of what effect this will have, if any, on who chooses Williams is secondary.
but how many are there and how much does that family need?
Do the math. To raise $2 million per year, we must be talking about hundreds of Williams students, the vast majority of whom do not have a no-loan option.
Are you familiar with the concept of nuance? It is possible to believe that a) the Williams faculty is wonderful and does some amazing teaching and b) the Williams faculty is less concerned than it ought to be with saddling hundreds of students with thousands of dollars in debt.
I graduated just before the no-loans policy went into effect – a year before, I believe.
During my college years, my parents made somewhere around 45k combined. With a standard work-study job and one study-abroad semester, I graduated with around $4,900 in loans, which were very low interest federal loans.
Working a standard "professional" (not finance) job in a big city, with pricey, but not the priciest rent, I was able to pay that off in a year.
This really wasn't a burdensome amount of loans. On a philosophical level, I'm happy to pay for part of my education. Compared to the loans that some drop-outs from low level state schools can get saddled with, I'm tremendously fortunate. $4,900 is a pittance compared to what some people graduate with.
But everything is relative, of course, and while that isn't a lot of money, someone who graduates with no loans is slightly better off than me. I don't have financial support from my parents, so my loans are my loans, and it would have been nice not to pay them.
I hope this policy just affects those at the upper-end of the finaid spectrum, but even if it doesn't, thankfully whatever loans students are forced to take at Williams are still incredibly low.
Thanks for the details. Could you tell us a little bit more about the process, both for you and your peers? I am especially curious if virtually everyone had the same standard set of federal loans and which loan programs exactly were used? I am also curious about how loans are handled for international students.
Also, was Williams, at that time, making any direct loans to students?
David, re: the citation issue, didn't hundreds (if not thousands) of people receive this letter? isn't it more plausible that one of them (or equally plausibly, someone in the administration who wants to maintain good relations with an influential publication) passed on that letter to someone who workes for the Chronicle than the Chronicle trolling Ephblog on an hourly basis looking for material?
Jeff: Yes, two thousand people or so got the e-mail. But Inside Higher Ed still has a responsibility to report how it got the memo, even if it just said "Forwarded to us by a Williams student" or whatever. Also, I bet that no one at Williams forwarded Inside Higher Ed the e-mail.
@frank uible: I didn't realize being a financial aid student was equivalent to needing the College to be your momma.
@David: the word "if" means little to you, does it? also, my comment about 5 or 10 was in response to ce's comment. not everything is about you.
2 million at 10000 is 800 students (200 per class) getting loans (assuming they predict exactly 2 mil in savings. What if its actually 1.7 and they rounded up? That's now only 170 students per class). So how many of those 200 students per class are upper middle class students and how many aren't? Do you know? If half of each class gets aid, then that's about 75% of all people getting aid. What percent of people getting financial aid are going to be significantly burdened by these loans? I don't know. Do you?
As hwc's noted many times, no-loans policies mostly prop up the financial aid given to the upper-tier of the financial aid recipients. While I generally support helping them, it's not my #1 priority*.
*random tangent: that amazing winter study from the BSU? Supported and fostered by a bolin fellow/ex-bolin fellow who stayed for extra years (i'm not sure if she did). calling the bolin fellows a boondoggle is your opinion, certainly not mine or many other people's.
*note: i know, that wasn't technically irony, tho my incorrect use of the term irony to describe that might be deemed ironic in nature. what was that about nuance?
Re the loan process, basically, very soon after arriving on campus freshman year, I went to an office in Hopkins Hall, told someone my name, they handed me a file with various paperwork in it, they told it me it was for my loans, and they asked me to sign it. So I did.
I knew absolutely nothing about this sort of thing at the time, and I had no idea what I was signing, but I knew I needed to so I did. I have a vague memory that when I was signing the forms, there were check-boxes for me to select what kind of loans I would be taking, and as I had no idea, I just asked the attendant which one I was supposed to check, and they told me.
I'm sure plenty of students knew exactly what they were signing, and perhaps even had parental guidance on the process, but I did not, and was clueless about the process.
I didn't then and don't now have any reason to think I wasn't guided correctly.
I know someone who's parental income was a bit higher than mine, who graduated with around 8 or 9k in loans. Those were a different kind of loan, however (don't know what), but they were paid through a private company, while mine were done through the US DOE's Direct Loan Servicing website.
I wonder how many students (or their families) not on financial aid borrow money to go to Williams? In other words, how many of the 1000 or so "full pay" students are simply able to write a check, and how many have to borrow against their house or other assets to come up with $50,000 per year. From my perspective, requiring financial aid packages to include some (relatively) small amount of loans doesn't seem unfair. I do think it may put Williams at something of a competitive disadvantage relative to other schools, but I can't really judge the magnitude of it.
I have a vague recollection that for a number of years some of the trustees were against a no-loan policy on philosophical grounds (something along the lines of "we want every student to have some skin in the game"). If my memory is right and the reports were accurate, I wonder if those beliefs are playing a role in this decision, which is saving a fairly small amount of money.
Just out of curiosity,David, what's your acceptable level of loan burden for faculty? My graduate school nut is 39K, which works out to $450 each month until I'm 60-something. So perhaps you'll forgive me and others in the boondoggle group for not subsidizing comparatively wealthy students (as Rory points out, these no-loan policies tend to serve that tier) ?
Just out of curiosity,David, what's your acceptable level of loan burden for faculty?
Not sure I understand this question. It's a free country. Take out as many loans as you like. And the same applies to Williams faculty. Some show up at Williams with no loans. Some show up with lots of loans. I don't care.
My general advice (and lots of people agree) is that you should not go to graduate school if doing so involves any debt. I am glad that things worked out for you. The tenure prospects of most people with such debts are bleak.
So perhaps you'll forgive me and others in the boondoggle group for not subsidizing comparatively wealthy students (as Rory points out, these no-loan policies tend to serve that tier) ?
Just keep in mind the cost that you are paying in terms of the students who choose Williams.
The central dilemma is the same as always. There are hundreds of students who are accepted by Williams and by Harvard/Yale/Princeton/Stanford. We all want more of these students to choose Williams. We don't want all of them to do so, of course. Many would be miserable at Williams. But many would be better off if they became Ephs. Yet, money does matter. I have no problem telling an applicant that she is better off at Williams than at Harvard, all else equal. But what if Williams is demanding $80,000 more in tuition from her family over the next four years? Is Williams that much better than Harvard? Perhaps.
And that is the central problem with Morty's (and the Trustee's) refusal to match the prices of competing schools. They are pricing themselves out of the market for the most outstanding students.
do you use a machine or just your bare hands to move those goalposts that far, david?
David, surely the 80,000 additional cost you imagine would not qualify as a "modest loan," which is the language in the letter. Do you imagine that those making this decision to reintroduce loans don't share your concerns?
rory: Careful with the sarcasm! We don't like that stuff around here.
Please read more carefully. I said $8,000.
Do you imagine that those making this decision to reintroduce loans don't share your concerns?
Well, obviously they don't share them enough, otherwise they would not have made the change. Why not?
1) Rich people (like the trustees), as a rule of thumb, are not overly sympathetic to the plight of middle class people. The whole "skin in the game" meme is emblematic of a tendency to think that middle class students are not taking their Williams education as seriously as they should (perhaps true of all sorts of students) and that making them take our loans will change this attitude (highly doubtful).
2) Faculty members, as a rule of thumb, are not overly sympathetic to the plight of students from families who make as much money as (or more than) they do. I am ready to believe that this change was overwhelmingly popular, at least among the possible options, among the Williams faculty. (True?) In some theoretical sense they might "share" my/our "concerns," but not enough to actually do something different.
@David, forgive me — I was reading your post #25.
lol…david…you moved the goalposts so far, you forgot where they were!
Is $5,000 or $10,000 in debt really that much? It certainly is not enough to justify a rational decision on its basis between two very different schools (ie: Harvard and Williams). Personally, I'm going to be over $100,000 in debt after I graduate from law school, and I'm just fine with that. Obviously, it's a little different…but not that much. If we were talking about $40,000-50,000 in debt, I would be in your boat, but I just don't think <$10,000 is a career-changing amount of debt.
Don't think of it in terms of total dollars. Think of it in terms of percentage of family income. If your family makes $200,000, the extra $10,000 that Williams now demanding may not make you change your decision. If your family makes $50,000, then it might/would/should. That's 20% of your family income!
Again, I agree with the analysis above that we are not talking about a large number of students, especially when most peer schools will follow suit. But those students are still important.
More importantly, there are still major cuts that Williams ought to make that it has, so far, refused to make. You could close the investment office or roll back the WCMA budget a few years and make this change unnecessary. That is my real beef.
If the S&P were still below 700 and Williams had made all those other cuts already, then I would go along with this change. My point is that this should be the last painful cut, not the first.
@frank uible: oh, were you being sarcastic when you mocked poorer students?
David–isn't the more important figure debt as a percentage of the student's future income? The question then turns to what the average Williams student makes following graduation. This is, in turn, complicated by the fact that the majority (?) of Williams students attend graduate school, and that most loans can be deferred through grad school.
Thus, I would argue that the pertinent number is student debt as a percentage of that student's income following Williams OR following grad school.
My guess is that the average Williams student who does not enter grad school for the ~5 years following graduation makes something in the area of $70-80,000/year (a disproportionate number of students in this scenerio are in ibanking, consulting, or other super lucrative professions). I would wager that the average Williams student who enters grad school makes $100,000 or so following grad school.
Let's just round this all down and assume that the average Williams student is making an average of $80,000/year and is single through the period when they are paying off their debt (I'm just going to go ahead and assume a 5 year repayment for the purpose of demonstrating just how little of a burden this is–general repayment terms are 10 years or more). At 6.8% fixed interest (I believe many of the federal loans are better, actually, and private loan rates are currently lower), this comes to $197/month in loan payments to pay off a $10,000 loan over 5 years. A single taxpayer making $80,000/year, keeps $60,000/year after taxes. That's $5,000/month.
Thus, unless I've grievously screwed something up (likely–please let me know–most of these figures were determined using online calculators), the average Williams student with loans must live off of a mere $4,800/month after taxes and their loan repayments. This is all assuming they're paying off their loans relatively quickly (5 years).
Probably the average Williams student makes substantially more than $80,000/year several years following either Williams or grad/professional school because the mean is likely scewed by the large number of Eph doctors, lawyers, bankers, and consultants. However, my bet is that the median Eph is probably earning something in this area–this was a big assumption I made here, so if people strongly disagree with that, let me know.
Well CE, I would wager than the average graduate school graduate, in something other than law or business school, is probably making considerably less than $80,000 per year. That would certainly be true (I think) for entry level academic jobs, even tenure-track ones.
David–isn't the more important figure debt as a percentage of the student's future income?
1) I am most concerned about the impact of this change on the decisions of students to attend Williams. That is the real issue. I think (citations welcome) that family income is the relevant metric by which 18 year olds measure how "big" $10,000 is.
2) Ignoring matriculation decisions, I am concerned about how this debt effects career choices. Again, I don't see this as a big effect, but every student who switches from teaching to Wall Street because of her debt is a loss. So, how many Williams students will do job X rather than job Y because of the debt?
3) Am I concerned that an future (wants to be) Eph banker is taking on $10,000 in debt? No! Who would be?
it'd be funny if it weren't tragic.
I would have thought your income estimates for recent grads are pretty high. Maybe not, but my salary in the "professional" world starting out was closer to half of what you described. But even so, I was still able to pay off $5000 in a year. I also didn't have a car and live a frugal life, for what it's worth.
While I agree that students who go to grad school should be wary of picking up loans to pay for school, many, many students in the humanities even with full funding need to take out loans from time to time.
But how on earth are someone's tenure track prospects worse by taking out loans? There is no causation there. I even doubt there is causality. If they get their PhD is there any evidence whatsoever that their loan status has anything to do with success or failure on the job market or once they secure the job?
Why is it the case that family income is the important number? This is debt that these students will pay back after graduating. Do a lot of people's parents continue to help them after graduating from college?
Additionally, with regards to how the debt affects future careers, I'm still skeptical. If you do Teach For America or Americorps, you leave the program with roughly $9,000 grants that can used towards educational debt.
Personally, as a teacher making roughly $30,000/year, I paid off almost exactly $10,000 in (private) debt in under two years without any of the above assistance programs while maxing out both my SEP-IRA match and my Roth IRA. Sure, I wasn't living in New York or LA, but I also wasn't living off of Ramen for those two years–I was going out to eat, drinking good beer on the weekends, etc. Combine the fact that the average salary of a 2nd or 3rd year teacher is close to $40,000/year (http://www.payscale.com/research/US/All_K-12_Teachers/Salary/by_Years_Experience) with a 5 (or more commonly 10) year repayment schedule, and you'll find that $10,000 in relatively low income loans SHOULDN'T deter most middle-class ephs from pursuing a career in teaching. I doubt that it does, either–I'm sure the $40,000/year pay does more than enough deterring on its own; the vast majority of ephs who become teachers are looking forward to a relatively modest life whether they start things out with loans or not.
That might be true, but a significant chunk (possibly even a majority) of ephs go to law, business, or med school (and many of the remaining ephs go to grad school in the sciences, which typically have >$80,000 average post-graduate salaries). The average graduate from the top law, business, and med schools in the country (I don't think I need to convince anyone that Ephs largely end up at top programs) makes well over $80,000/year (for law schools, at least, $160,000 is the standard starting salary for the graduate of a top 15-or-so school, going up to over $200,000/year by the fifth year). Also, when I say $80,000/year, I don't mean as a starting salary–I mean as a 5 year average, as that is the relevant consideration for someone paying off loans on a 5-year schedule.
The hidden news in Bill Wagner's letter was that "the College has no plans to reduce the salaries of current faculty and staff." I hope I'm wrong, but it seems to me that he wouldn't have put things that way if the Trustees weren't going to continue the freeze on faculty and staff salaries. I'm curious to know what effect, if any, a continuing salary freeze is likely to have on the quality of instruction and faculty-student interaction at Williams.
Rory: Are you hyper-sensitive? I mock everyone – because they are humans and consequently deserve it.
@frank uible: I've been mocking David, frank. I just got my wording confused. I meant to write it'd be tragic if it weren't so damn funny.
And I meant to address post #43 to Ronit.
I, too, wondered about the choice of words for that sentence.
Is it possible that unfortunate news is being released during this interim period. Then, it gives Adam Falk the option of starting a process to initiate better news.
Even if you factor out one year of financial aid (I'm not in the mood to get into reasons), I submitted a one page list of reasons why I needed an increase in my financial aid package including 500/mo COBRA payments (I was above the age to remain on my mom's insurance, school insurance didn't even begin to cover what I needed and I couldn't get independent insurance) and my single parent paying off her student loans and not at all being able to contribute anywhere near what she was expected to contribute. This didn't really seem to matter. Again, factoring out a year, I'm still sitting pretty at appromixately -45k. I had a decent paying job until November 08 and continued to pay off my loans as long as I could on unemployment and I still pay some down when I can. Whatever, the federal loans have been (I have a stafford and perkins) quite flexible and understanding and I've never had a late payment.
Granted, when I entered Williams there was not the student loan cap but it did occur at some point before I graduated.
I don't think I had a point, just wanted to share.
Do you still need the level of health insurance that you needed back then? And, more to the point, I hope you have it.
It was mainly just a matter of covering routine stuff both in MA and MN and medication. It's fine, even though I am once again on COBRA.
Any discussions about putting teaching loads back at 5 a year?
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Following are the several of my most helpful posts. I picked them based on a combination of social media shares, traffic, feedback, and comments.
If you have not signed up for my free 9-part coach legacy building course, you can do so by clicking right here. And I'd be honored if you share any of these posts that you find helpful.


Every major computer model is in consensus on a storm affecting our area late tonight into Saturday afternoon. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the whole area until 5 PM Saturday. Currently the storm is streaking across the midwest, dropping a few inches of snow on Chicago and Indianapolis. By late tonight the first snow flakes will fall in the Western areas of our region. By early Saturday, most areas will be in the thick of the storm. By late morning, warm air aloft will change the snow to mix around the city and dangerous freezing rain in the NW suburbs.
Snow arrives 11 PM-2 AM west to east.
Roads will become very slick Saturday morning as the snow will change to freezing rain. StateDOT crews have put salt on the roads and it should be effective to an extent. One current observation I have are about the current temperatures around the region. At my house the temperature is 25 degrees, much warmer than what the computer models were projecting for this timeframe. I am worried that areas north and west of the city could receive a substantial amount of freezing rain as the surface temperatures stay below freezing, while the air aloft climbs above freezing tomorrow. Roads will be in bad shape into the afternoon and I do not recommend going out into this mess. Just stay home, have a hot cup of tea under a blanket, and read a good book.
At the Jersey shore, primarily rain will fall as temperatures will stay above freezing. South Jersey should have a quick change to rain after a coating to an inch of snow. Areas around the city should have an eventual change to rain after 1-3 inches of snow. The north and west suburbs should have 3-5 inches of snow falling before changing to some freezing rain. Ice accumulations possible in this area. In the Lehigh Valley and north, all snow is expected: 6-8 inches.
The feeling of snow is in the air as our first really snowstorm of the winter will arrive Saturday. After many models were showing a rain/mix storm a few days ago, they are now trending toward a mostly snow solution. What does this mean? Well, it means that we could receive 2-4 inches of the white stuff by Saturday night. A Winter Weather Advisory will likely be issued. I know many schoolchildren will not be happy about snow on the weekend, but I would be grateful we are seeing any at all. Just be patient.
Because this storm is a last-minute forecast, I hope the stateDOTs salt the roads by Saturday morning. The roads will be pretty treacherous throughout the day on Saturday if they are not treated. I would not recommend even driving on the roads at all Saturday morning into the afternoon. If you have to drive, then do what you have to do… just be careful and aware.
The snow should start early Saturday morning and last into the late afternoon before moving out. Mixing will occur in places south of the city. The north and west burbs' should see mainly snow with maybe some sleet mixed in at times. I will post updates if anything changes with this storm over the next 24 hours.
My snow map will be released tomorrow along with other details.
Heavy rains are moving north as a strong low pressure system moves northward. The I-95 corridor is on the warm side of this storm, and temperatures could reach 60 tomorrow. As the storm pulls away, a "flash freeze" could occur. Temperatures will plummet drastically and swiftly. By late Thursday, temperatures will be near freezing as a secondary low moves in. Snow is a definite possibility from this weaker system as there will be plenty cold air aloft. Totals will not be high. At most an inch of snow could fall on grassy surfaces by Friday morning.
Winter continues uneventfully this weekend with sunny skies and frigid temperatures. Our next system to watch is for next Wednesday and Thursday (18th-19th). Right now the teleconnections and models are not favoring a major storm with snow.
Many people have been asking me about the lack of snow this winter. The La Niña (Eastern-Central Pacific ocean temperature anomaly) turned out to be much, much stronger than I originally anticipated during the Fall. Right now, there have been signs that the La Niña is weakening and maybe even changing to an El Niño. Our weather for the next few weeks will reflect a similar pattern to what we have had this winter. But, I believe that February will bring a major change. I could be wrong, I could be right. That is the amazing part about the weather: anything could happen at anytime. Stay tuned as winter continues.


Labor and employment law exists to address the legal rights and restrictions on working people and their organizations. A lawyer or a law firm who specializes in labor and employment law has expertise in the large body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents concerned with protecting the people in the work force.
Labor rights are an integral part of social and economic development and have been around since the industrial revolution.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, referred to as "FLSA", sets the national standard for minimum wage and overtime pay. Within this act, there are exemptions for certain types of workers, others are referred to as non-exempt.
With regard to individual worker rights protected by the FLSA concerning individual labor law, most salary based employees are exempt from receiving overtime pay for any hours worked over a 40 hour workweek. Generally, salary based occupations such as executives and professionals and certain commissioned sales employees are classified as exempt from being compensated for overtime, however there are exceptions. The FLSA has exemption status requirements that need to be proven in a court of law concerning lawsuits of this nature.
The following cases represent examples of disputes regarding overtime compensation due to unclear exemption status.
In the case of Falla et. al. v. Xe Services LLC., filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, employees of Xe Services LLC. (formally known as the infamous Blackwater company), attest that Blackwater misled them into believing they were not entitled to any overtime pay, saying they were misclassified as exempt employees. The collective action suit represents the seemingly continuing stream of Fair Labor Standards Act class actions that have been pouring down on this particular company regarding labor and employment law.
The 30 workers involved in this lawsuit were instructors who provided military training for police and armed forces at a number of camps in the United States. They claim that time keepers were instructed by Blackwater to only log 8 hours of work a day into the company records, even though the WPPS and Navy instructors allegedly put in overtime. The complaint focuses on this alleged deficiency in that the inaccurate time records fail to reflect the instructors' compensatable time, which in turn, hinders the ability to assess whether or not these workers were salary based. The plaintiffs will have to prove that that they were paid on an hourly basis in order to be non-exempt.
Bank of America is being sued by current and former employees who are accusing B of A of failing "to pay overtime to retail branch and call center employees", and are accusing the lender of violating either the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, or state wage and hour laws which have precedent over FLSA. Bank of America, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, asked Federal Judge John W. Lungstrum to dismiss the case on the ground that the employees failed to prove they are entitled under federal law to the back overtime pay they seek. However, Lungstrum issued a ruling against the dismissal, forcing B of A to face employees' overtime suit. Lungstrum's denial for dismissal shows an existence of precedence held by the State over national laws set forth by the FLSA.
The point in citing both of these cases is to understand the role of labor and employment law in each example, as it is a vital component in the battle for justice between employee and employer. State wage and overtime laws are constantly fluctuating by new administrative rulings and precedents set in the court room, which is why it is so important to contact legal assistance from an overtime lawyer who has expertise in this field of law. Complete our Case Evaluation Form today and the experienced employement and overtime attorneys at the Lore Law Firm will consult with you on the merits of your case.


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Michigan Tech's hockey series at Minnesota State postponed
HOUGHTON — The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Thursday that the Jan. 8-9 WCHA series between Michigan Tech and Minnesota State has been postponed due to recent COVID-19 testing results within the Michigan Tech hockey program. Rescheduling details for the series will be announced at a later date.
Three U.P. football teams resume playoffs Saturday
Three Upper Peninsula football teams are still alive in the state playoffs, which resume Saturday.
In 11-player divisions, two U.P. teams play in the regional finals. Negaunee visits Grayling at 2 p.m. Saturday for a Division 6 regional final. Iron Mountain takes on Johannesburg-Lewiston at 5 p.m. in the Superior Dome at Marquette in a Division 8 matchup.
In 8-player Division 2, North Central plays Marion at noon in the Superior Dome.
The MHSAA has announced that the 8-Player Division 1 and 2 state championship games will be played at the Legacy Center in Brighton on Jan. 16. The 11-Player state championship games are scheduled for Jan. 22-23 at Ford Field.
Brown named defensive coordinator at Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona has hired Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown to lead its defense under new coach Jedd Fisch.
Nicknamed "Dr. Blitz," Brown heads to the desert after five seasons under Jim Harbaugh.
"Don Brown has coordinated the most elite defenses in all of college football, year in and year out, and today Wildcat Nation, we get to introduce him to you as our new defensive coordinator," Fisch said in a statement on Thursday.
Brown has coached nearly 45 years and is a five-time nominee — a finalist in 2016 — for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach. He also served as defensive coordinator at Boston College (2013-15), UConn (2011-12) and Maryland (2009). Brown also served as head coach at Massachusetts, Northeastern and Plymouth State.
Packers allowing 6,000 fans at playoff game
The Green Bay Packers are making about 6,000 tickets available to season-ticket holders for their divisional playoff game, which will mark the first time they will have paying spectators at home this season.
Packers officials say seats will be arranged in socially distanced pods of two, four and six tickets throughout Lambeau Field. They'll be available to season-ticker holders who didn't opt out of the opportunity to purchase tickets this season.
The Packers hadn't allowed any spectators for their first four regular-season home games. In late November, they made seating available to team employees and their immediate family members to test out Lambeau Field safety protocols in case paying spectators were allowed later in the season. The last two home games also featured hundreds of frontline workers who were invited to attend.
Fans will have to stay in their pods unless they're using the rest room or purchasing food or drinks. Tailgating in the parking lot is prohibited. Spectators must wear face coverings at all times.
As the top seed in the NFC playoffs, the Packers have a first-round bye. Their first home playoff game will be Jan. 16 or Jan. 17.


The Upper Arlington Commission on Aging serves as the informed voice to empower, educate and enrich the lives of older adults in Upper Arlington.
Located in Upper Arlington, Ohio, the Commission specializes in offering many supportive services and resources to seniors and caregivers. Established as a private non-profit organization in 1981, the Commission on Aging is comprised of a dedicated volunteer board of professionals in the field of aging, as well as city leaders.
Contact us today at (614) 583-5326 to learn more about our services or to receive your free Older Adult Resource Directory.


Fort Lauderdale's premier waterfront resort!
This spring I discovered R&R and much more during an unforgettable weekend stay at the newly enhanced Pelican Grand Beach Resort. After having already discussed our expectations for the getaway, my companion and I could hardly contain our excitement as we pulled into valet and were greeted by the smiling staff.
Fortunately for us, our imaginations hadn't led us astray as the following weekend proved that the Pelican Grand was all we had imagined and then some. Still basking in the glow of an extensive multi-million dollar renovation, the resort sits regally on 500 ft. of private, pristine beachfront in sunny Fort Lauderdale.
We soon made our way through the grand lobby and up to our room on the seventh floor, high above the sandy shores. From city or ocean view guest rooms to luxurious suites, the Pelican Grand offers a vast array of accommodation options for its many guests. 156 Key West-style guest rooms—including 105 oceanfront suites with balconies—allow guests the option of waking up to the sight of a magnificent sunrise and the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
In addition to miles of white-sand beaches, Fort Lauderdale also provides high fashion, fine art museums, breathtaking gardens, historic homes, and an exhilarating nightlife—all of which are located just steps from the resort! Along Las Olas Boulevard, one of the most notable locations, you will find with boutique shopping, chic cafes and delicious food options such as Louie Bossi, an amazing Italian restaurant.
When my companion and I finally managed to venture off the gorgeous Pelican Grand property, we ended up at the Italian eatery where we enjoyed an exquisite Margherita D.O.P. pizza. As we came to find out, D.O.P. meant that all the products utilized in our pizza were certified by the Italian government. In fact, if any food item is not made in Louie Bossi's kitchen, then it's being imported from Italy. This fun fact explains why you won't see items such as chicken parmesan, chicken piccata, or chicken marsala on their menu. Even though those are widely accepted as Italian cuisine, they are actually Italian American fare, and Louie Bossi prides itself on serving deliciously authentic Italian dishes.
The following day was Saturday and it began as I wish every weekend should…with a delectable, savory breakfast on the sweeping veranda at OCEAN2000. Not long afterwards, my companion and I found ourselves stretched out under the complementary chairs and umbrellas of our coastal-chic waterfront retreat. Between the private beach, a beautiful zero entry pool, and Fort Lauderdale's only lazy river, you might think we'd enjoyed enough water for the day, but that was far from true. After all, we were in the yachting capital of the world! It only made sense to go enjoy some of those views from the water.
Our adventure with Riverfront Gondola Tours explored the backwaters of Fort Lauderdale at a leisurely-pace on a quiet electric powered, eco-friendly boat. Cameras snapped away as we cruised past beautiful homes and large yachts on picturesque waterways. I didn't think it was possible to be more relaxed than I was in that moment, but experiencing pure pampering at PURE Spa a few hours later proved me quite wrong.
The nearly 3,000 sq. ft. spa is based on the Swedish luxury lifestyle that invites light into their space. At every point in the spa you can see astonishing ocean views, and if you're lucky, you might even see 20 pelicans gracefully soaring past your window, which the staff affectionately calls a Pelican Blessing. Products used within their services are all organic, and the multi-licensed technicians perform every type of service, from body wraps and waxing to facials and massages. I indulged in a skillful mani-pedi with a Maria Åkerberg essential oil hand scrub and massage oils. Perhaps I relaxed a little too much, as one minute I was soaking my feet in Dead Sea Salts and minerals and the next my nails were suddenly finished, groomed and perfectly polished.
There was no question that our final dinner should take place at OCEAN2000, the property's signature restaurant that also happens to be Fort Lauderdale's only waterfront restaurant. After learning that Travel + Leisure recently named The Pelican Grand a number one spot for brunch in America, it wasn't surprising that our dining experience turned out to be everything we had hoped for.
We were seated on the stunning outdoor veranda with nothing but candlelight, tiki torches, and the starry night sky to light our menu and our view of the deep blue. At the helm of Executive Chef Derek Rosen, the menu offered regionally influenced cuisine that blends local products and character with a little Latin spice.
We kicked off our dining adventure with piquant appetizers of Mojo Pulled Pork Steamed Buns and Soy-Honey-Lime Braised Pork Belly. When it came to the main course, it was an easy decision for both of us. My companion went with the succulent Maple and Guava BBQ-Glazed Salmon served with fava bean, crispy potato hay, sweet potato and jicama succotash. Meanwhile, I opted for the perfectly prepared Soy-Miso Black Grouper with bok choy, king crab bamboo rice and mango-coconut curry. A side of their creamy four-cheese blend Lobster Mac & Cheese was a must-try and completed our exceptional meal.
Over the course of the weekend, my companion and I experienced first-rate hospitality at Fort Lauderdale's Pelican Grand Beach Resort. The property truly does everything necessary to ensure an extraordinary stay for leisure and business travelers alike. Pamper yourself to perfection with a signature spa treatment at PURE Spa before you tempt your taste buds with enticing culinary creations at OCEAN2000. Enjoy everything on-property from hand-delivered lunch on the beach to sweet tooth satisfaction at The Emporium ice cream parlor.
It's time to steal your loved ones away this summer (or just yourself!) for an unforgettable escape where you will enjoy the exotic beauty of a tropical island without having to step foot out of Florida. Whether shopping-'til-you-drop on nearby Las Olas Boulevard or dancing to the beat of live entertainment in the O2K Lounge, you will walk away with a deeper understanding of why The Pelican Grand Beach Resort is such a special destination for travelers around the world who are seeking a spirited, yet sophisticated beach getaway.


Imagine if you will a mobile handset that is truly only a phone. Really just a phone - no camera, it cannot play movies or MP3s, and the ringtones are horrid. Motorola has targeted low-end market with their Motofone F3. Our carriers select their phone roster based on what will entice underinformed buyers to jump carriers. If phone users actually had to shell out the up front cash for a phone rather than relying on carrier subsidies I bet we'd have a wide range of phones that do exactly what people want. That said, this Motorola phone is what I want. With a focus on emerging markets like Brazil and India Motorola has created a phone with no bloat. Its battery lasts a couple weeks on standby, the reception is great, has very good call quality, and the kicker is that mine weighed in at $42 after shipping - unlocked and without any contract of course. The screen uses eInk technology rather than a traditional LCD. This means it is easy to read in the direct sunlight and uses no power unless it is changing. There will be no splashing dolphin screen saver for this phone, just a 1983 calculator feel. I just got this bad boy this weekend, but after seeing how much better the reception is at my parents house I am already impressed. The only place to get this phone is the Internet, as Motorola does not distribute it in the US or Canada. If you are afflicted with bouts of rage from a Windows Mobile "SmartPhone", I'd recommend picking up an a phone that is a phone like the F3.


The Agriculture Rural Recycling programme is on track for another record year.
The programme is administered by the Agrecovery Foundation, a non-profit charitable trust, with trustees representing Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Horticulture New Zealand and Agcarm.
Marketing manager Duncan Scotland said 157 tonnes of plastic containers were collected from farms all over the country in the year ending June 2012, and sent for recycling both in New Zealand and overseas.
In addition, farmers delivered a substantial quantity of silage wrap to one of about 70 collection sites.
He says at this stage there's every chance that tonnage will be exceeded this year.
Mr Scotland says the greatest support for the recycling programme is coming from farmers in Canterbury and Waikato, who have recycled 87 tonnes of waste plastic materials in total.
He says many of the collection days have been so popular that farmers utes have been queued up at the collection sites waiting for the gates to open.


What's happenin'! I'm Mark, known to a select few by my last name, "Manley." Others call me "Man-Dogg", "Markatron" or "Knox" (as in the Fort). I am a graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree in English and Music.
Singing with UVA's Academical Village People (AVP) was, by far, the most enjoyable thing I did in college. In addition to being terrific singers, AVP was the most fun group of guys to hang out with imaginable. I was the group's Musical Director for two years, and I co-produced two albums — Gracias, Por Favor! (Hon. Mention RARB Picks of '01) and Room Zero (nominated for CARA Best Male Collegiate Album, 2002). I wrote my senior Music major thesis about issues collegiate a cappella groups face in the recording studio.
I'm still surprised that I was given the CARA for Best Male Collegiate Soloist in 2001, as well as a nomination for Best Arrangement in 2002.
I was fortunate to have been given the best post-graduation gift I could ever ask for: Singing with The Hyannis Sound — a group of 10 guys who live in a house all summer in Cape Cod and get to perform shows practically seven days a week as a summer job. If you have a chance to get to the Cape during the summer, be sure to check us out.
In Fall 2003 I relocated yet again to Boston and I've been freelancing as teacher and advisor to the Stonehill College Girls From the Hill, whose talent and hard work have kept me happily busy.
Feel free to email me with any questions or comments you have regarding anything I've written. I welcome all criticism of my criticism.


Derek McCrea is visual artist and a retired US Army Infantry Soldier. He has always loved to paint; it allows him to express emotions on paper and relax. Derek paints in a whimsical impressionistic style in plein air settings. He was born in Albany, Georgia on February 19, 1969. He presently resides with his wife Sheila, of 22 years and his two sons. He first started painting with oils in the summer of 1982. From 1982 to 1986 he painted under the instruction of Jimmy Peterson, a well known artist from Georgia. In 1986 he won 1st place in the Georgia Arts Exhibition. Derek joined the United States Army in 1987 and continued self study and painting on landscape subjects in France, Holland, Germany, Italy and Hungary, painting in the plein air style. He has completed over 20 commissions in the past year. His art can be found in galleries throughout the Southeastern United States and in private collections worldwide. He has consistently donated several works every year to charities and loves to give back to the community for a good cause. His works are published in over 50 international publications and he has received numerous awards and honors for his work.


A specific underlying back condition can be an important factor that influences preference for mattress types and sleep positions.
Osteoarthritis. Sleeping sideways with the knees curled up (in the fetal position) is generally preferable. This position opens up the facet joints in the spine and can relieve corresponding pressure. Alternatively, sleeping in a reclining chair or an adjustable bed elevates the head and knees, and so relieves pressure on the facet joints.
Degenerative disc disease. Sleeping on the stomach is typically preferred, as this position can relieve pressure on the disc space. People with degenerative disc disease may feel most comfortable using a relatively firm mattress while placing a flat pillow under the stomach and hips. This can further open up the disc space and reduce stress on the lower back.
Another option is to sleep on the back, with the upper body slightly elevated by using a wedge pillow or an adjustable bed. In this position it is important to support the knees in a slightly bent position.
Spinal Stenosis. With this condition, it may be preferable to sleep on the sides with the knees curled up (in the fetal position). This helps relieve pressure on the nerve root. Sleeping in a reclining chair or an adjustable bed that allows the head and knees to remain elevated can also relieve pressure on the nerve.
Bursitis. A condition such as inflammation of the bursa over the hips (greater trochanteric bursitis) can be aggravated by pressure from a mattress that is too firm. If the mattress is too firm, a new mattress with thick padding on top—also called a pillow-top mattress—can reduce pressure on the hip.
As a less expensive alternative, covering an older mattress with a new pillow-top can provide additional cushioning.
Isthmic spondylolisthesis. Pain from isthmic spondylolisthesis may be relieved by sleeping in a reclining position. This position can be tested by using pillows under the back, neck, and head to support the body as if it were in a reclining chair.
Herniated lumbar disc. The preferred sleep position depends in part on the position of the disc. For a paracentral disc herniation (most common), people tend to do better lying on the stomach. For a foraminal herniated disc, sleeping on the side in a fetal position often brings relief.
Adjustable Bed. With this type of bed, the upper and lower portions of the bed can be raised and lowered in a customized fashion (typically powered by a remote control). There are many advantages to an adjustable bed, including the ability to easily raise and lower portions of the bed throughout the night. Adjustable beds are available at a variety of price points and designs.
Reclining chair. A recliner allows the back to be supported and the legs to be elevated, but it does not typically provide the same level of customization as an adjustable bed. Reclining chairs are available with all kinds of coverings, including leather. Additionally, some reclining chairs have options such as heating, massage, and lift-assistance (helping one get up out of the chair).
Wedge cushion. A large foam cushion in the shape of a wedge can be a less expensive alternative to either of the above. Moreover, purchasing a wedge cushion before buying either of the other options is a good way to determine if a more expensive option is worth the investment.
Elevating the knees by placing a pillow under them, while at the same time lying flat on a bed, can also help relieve back pain caused by many conditions.
Many patients recovering from spine surgery also find that lying on their backs with a small pillow under the knees is best sleep position.
Patients recovering from surgery—and anyone in need of extra cushioning—may benefit from adding a soft pillow-top to the bed as well.
Using an adjustable bed or recliner is another option to enhance patient comfort during postoperative recovery. Recliners and adjustable beds not only make it easier for many people to sleep, they also make getting out of bed less of an ordeal.
Adjustable beds and recliners may be rented from a medical supply retailer.


Commercial Property insurance covers the building that your business owns or rents. A Oklahoma commercial property insurance policy would also cover equipment, computers, tools and furniture. Let the agents at Advanced Insurance Professionals evaluate your commercial property insurance needs to find the best suite for your liabilities and risks.
Call one of our professional agents for more about commercial property insurance in Muskogee Oklahoma including the Checotah, Coweta, Fort Gibson, Tahlequah, and Wagoner areas.


Delicious and tempting Chocolate truffle cake, will surely tickle your taste buds.Quality and taste is guaranteed in the cakes and we always try to make the best quality and taste so you will be fully satisfy with our services.
Delicious and tempting chocolate truffle Cake from Dp Saini Florist will be the perfect gift that suits any occasions like Anniversary, Birthday or Congratulations. This cake will tickle taste buds of your loved ones..and they would go crazy and love it.


text:
See Something, Report Something
About DHSEM
Training & Best Practices
Homeland Security Bureau
homeland security training & best practices
Below, please find a collections of training videos and e-tools from the Secure Community Network's Homeland Security & Preparedness Training Center. This content features training from SCN, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and private sector partners.
fema online training
IS-22: Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
IS-100.SCa: Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools
IS-106.15: Workplace Violence Awareness Training 2015
IS-235.B: Emergency Planning
IS-360: Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents
IS-547.A: Introduction to Continuity of Operations
IS-914: Surveillance Awareness
Pandemic Tool Kit
School Preparedness Information Sheet-dhs.pdf
Guide for Community and Faith-based Organizations
Alerts and Warnings Applications
2013 DHS-DOJ Bomb Threat Guidance
Community Law Enforcement Guide
run, hide, fight: surviving an active shooter event
Following the July 21, 2012, mass casualty shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the City of Houston released an instructional video on what to do in case of a similar emergency. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security, the city hopes the video can help people prepare people for the worst. Entitled Run. Hide. Fight. Surviving an Active Shooter Event, it depicts a fictional shooting incident in a crowded office building.
Watch here.
procedures for handling suspicious letters
From DHS: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security produced the following video in conjunction with the national "If you See Something, Say Something" campaign to educate and empower citizens to recognize and report suspicious activities and behaviors.
understanding the threat: the rise of the lone wolf
In response to the Charleston church massacre, the Southern Poverty Law Center has produced a training video to help law enforcement officers combat "lone wolf" domestic terrorists.
8 signs of terrorism
From the Colorado Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management: This video introduces the eight signs of terrorism. It is intended to provide information on the signs or indicators that may predict a possible terrorist attack.
dhs suspicious activity reporting
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security produced the following video in conjunction with the national "If you See Something, Say Something" campaign to educate and empower citizens to recognize and report suspicious activities and behaviors.
Video for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing
The New Mexico Commission for Deaf & Hard of Hearing has produced a video with COVID-19 information:
Your assistance is critical to aiding law enforcement and public safety officials who are working to keep New Mexico, your local community and our country safe.
DHSEM offers certified state and federal homeland security and emergency management training.
Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management
13 Bataan Blvd. Santa Fe, NM 87508 (Phone) 505-476-9600


text:
No Excuse Not to End Wars Now
With Afghanistan, Now it's a Critical
Moment of Opportunity for Obama
The president has gained the moral and political capital to responsibly end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By Tom Hayden
Beaver County Peace Links via Los Angles Times
May 5, 2011 - President Obama has now gained the moral and political capital to responsibly end the U.S. military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. With an average of 30 to 50 Americans being killed each month in Afghanistan, the total will be well over 1,000 on Obama's watch if nothing is done. In addition to saving lives, removing 60,000 troops from Afghanistan in 2011-12 would also save about $70 billion a year in tax dollars.
The targeted killing of Osama bin Laden is powerful evidence that terrorist threats, both real and hypothetical, can be more effectively suppressed by special forces operations than by deploying hundreds of thousands of American soldiers on the ground.
The Bin Laden operation proves that a counterterrorism strategy focusing on intelligence, airstrikes and special forces units, as advocated by people such as Vice President Joe Biden and conservative columnist George Will, would be an effective deterrent against any new clandestine cells seeking to launch attacks against the United States.
If we are not sending ground troops into European cities like Berlin or London, where terrorist plots are also being conceived, why are there 150,000 American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq? By the strange logic of intervention, shouldn't NATO be occupying Europe?
If the answer in Afghanistan is to fight the Taliban insurgency, that's not a national security threat by any definition. And if the Taliban, for some reason, should wish to host a revived Al Qaeda, U.S. intelligence and special forces would be able to handle the problem.
In Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, already the largest in the world, is expected to double its staff over the next year to 16,000, not counting a small army of private contractors. In 2003, a supposed threat in Iraq against the United States was trumped up to justify the U.S. invasion. But such a threat is remote and does not require keeping troops in the country as unwelcome occupiers.
Pakistan is another matter. Critics of intervention like myself believe the U.S. only inflames anti-American sentiment, kills innocent civilians and feeds the insurgents by escalating drone strikes there. (Obama, interestingly, rejected such an aerial attack option to get Bin Laden). But it is impossible politically for Obama to pull back from Pakistan now that so much public and congressional opinion is inflamed against that country's possible protection of Bin Laden. Ending the long and secret war in Pakistan will take further public debate, but it could begin with power-sharing talks over Afghanistan.
There is no excuse for not beginning to end these wars one at a time, at vast savings in lives and billions in tax dollars. This is Obama's moment of opportunity. Let the hawks in the Pentagon and the Republican Party call for endless war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama can campaign on ending two quagmires, and on breaking the momentum of the long war on terrorism that some propose. Indeed, the Democratic National Committee, even before the weekend mission against Bin Laden, passed without dissent a resolution by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) calling for a significant withdrawal from Afghanistan starting this summer.
The president must announce two pivotal decisions quickly. First, he has to decide whether to say no to those clamoring for just a token withdrawal from Afghanistan starting in July. He should say yes to the peace bloc of Americans who strongly support the phased withdrawal of 50,000 to 70,000 troops from Afghanistan starting in July and ending more rapidly than the president's hazy goal of 2014.
Second, he has to face down those pushing for the Iraqi government to request that our troops stay past the December deadline. The president should say no to this Iraq lobby, knowing that a residual force of Americans would provoke a new cycle of anti-Americanism in the streets and in Iraq's parliament, and threaten Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's fragile regime.
This is a unique moment for rank-and-file and congressional antiwar forces to seize every opportunity to prevail on the president to make the right decision.
Tom Hayden has taught courses at Scripps College on "the long war on terrorism," counterinsurgency, Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. He is the author of "The Long Sixties: From 1960 to Barack Obama."
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
Posted by Carl Davidson at 8:27 PM
Labels: Afghanistan, Antiwar, Iraq
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This page contains information relating to Ballymoney, County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The region comprises of the areas Ballymoney, Dervock, Armoy and Ballybogy and postcode region BT53.
You can find information here on Banks, Creche/nursery schools, Dentists, Doctors, Pharmacy, Post offices, Primary schools, Religious organisations and Secondary schools local to Ballymoney.