As I move my main office from Montgomery County to Frederick County after almost 19 years, I've been thinking a lot about my blessings. I think about Ellen Pattin, an attorney who happened to have an open office at a time I needed one, thus beginning a relationship and a friendship that lasted until her death last year. I think about how, when I needed an assistant and paralegal, I was in a case with an attorney who was retiring and needed to find a good home for his; thus, Chrystal found a new calling, and I found a right hand and the best friend I could hope to have. When I needed part time help doing office work, one of my son's friends needed a part-time job; and there was Erin, who stayed at the office through college and beyond, and became my other daughter. When I needed a bit more part time help, my daughter's boyfriend needed some work between semesters; the relationship with daughter ended, but you all know how much Office T meant to me. Then, there are the landlords who looked out for me, and found me my moving man and my electrician. Finally, there's Jimmy Hickes, the man who cleans my office. Actually, he has the contract for the common area of the whole office park, and we lucked into his being available to clean my office as well (I told you I was lucky). He's the person I will really miss when we move this week. Jimmy is a truly good person with a huge heart. I could go on and on about all the Vietnam Vets he's given jobs and worried about through the years. The hours upon hours he spends helping out and visiting at the VA. I love our after-hours talks about everything from current events to the state of our and our families' health. I will miss seeing him every week. He's become a friend. Aren't I lucky for all my good fortune? Here in the Trenches.
In case it isn't obvious, divorce is hard. It's hard for the leaver, who often agonizes for years over whether to leave or not. They worry over hurting their spouse and their children. They wonder what everyone they know and love will think of them. They grieve the loss of extended family. They worry over finances and the future. When they finally tell the leavee, it's a shock and surprise. Even if they should have seen it coming, they almost never do. Yet, now that the divorce process has started, they are expected to go along with the current, and let it carry them to the end. They're not ready. They didn't want it. They haven't had time to get used to the idea, to work out all the details like the leaver. Plus, they have to deal with the overwhelming emotion that accompanies the shock and the loss. they apologize for not being able to get past it, to move on. After all, it's been a year, a year and a half, two years already. Then they see that the leaver is doing fine, so why aren't they? That makes them angry, even angrier at their spouse. They are furious. They can hardly control themselves with their fury. Eventually, they see what is happening and begin to recover and move on with their lives - we hope. Here in the Trenches.
You know the saying "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch?" Well, I saw that in action this past weekend. As I might have mentioned, I was in Anchorage, Alaska for the Family Law Section of the American Bar Association's spring continuing education conference. Everyone stayed at the same hotel. As you might have guessed, everyone also checked out on the same day - at the same time. It's off season in Anchorage, so the hotel was a bit short staffed. That meant there was one bellman. That's right, one bellman to take everyone's bags to storage, arrange for cars and taxis, answer the phone and send everyone off on their way. He was overwhelmed. It was obvious. Most of us saw it and patiently waited our turn with good humor. A few, very few, were nasty - really nasty. When I got to the front of that long line, where I had been right behind one of those very nasty people, the bellman looked at me and asked me if all lawyers were that mean. Ouch. It didn't matter to this man than 99 of 100 of us were kind to him; it was the one nasty one who stood out and painted us all with that brush. This whole situation reminded me of something I read in one of Stephen Covey's books - in the relationship bank, each good deed adds a coin to the balance on account, but one bad deed can wipe out years of deposits in one fell swoop.
How many lessons can we take from this, here in the Trenches? First, to try to remember that each of us who toils here represents us all, and the good and bad deeds of others are projected on us. Second, to remember that our clients have likely had the entirety of deposits in their relationship bank account withdrawn before they meet us, and we are tasked with helping them increase the balance on account. Third, if our clients might be the ones who made the withdrawals from their relationship bank account, we have to careful that they don't bankrupt ours as well. Here in the Trenches.
One of the pet peeves here in the Trenches is clients who don't pay us. There's nothing more frustrating for us than when a client runs out of retainer right before trial, fails to make payments to us, and then after trial, they suddenly feel like we really didn't do anything all that great for them after all, and so they shouldn't pay us what they owe. It really hurts.
Now, let's talk about the flip side of that scenario. What happens when a client hires an attorney, and the attorney charges them more than they think is necessary? What about when the attorney/client fit isn't good, and either side doesn't figure it out until sixty days before trial? In either scenario, you have a client who either has no money (and a fee dispute against the attorney - but still no money) to hire a new attorney, or no time for a new attorney to get into the case. Think about how frustrating that is for the client. Here they are at the most important time in their lives and case to have an attorney, and they don't have what they need. I see this all the time in my other life as co-chair of the fee dispute committee of my local bar. It makes my heart bleed, not the least of which because a lot of these situations could be avoided. My tips?
First, read your bill - carefully. Ask questions. No lawyer should refuse to discuss the bill with you. Does something seem like something took a lot of time and had a lot of hands on it? Ask about it. There is probably a good reason for it - but maybe not. In a big firm, having a lot of hands on a pleading or paper is fairly ordinary - it's part of the cachet of a big firm. Sometimes that translates into a better work product....and sometimes it doesn't. In smaller firms, you won't see a lot of hands on a paper, because there just isn't the manpower or the time. That doesn't translate into an inferior product; just a different one. There are some things that just take a lot of time and effort. If it feels like too much time is being billed, ask the attorney. If that doesn't answer your questions, get a second opinion - earlier rather than later. Don't wait until the charges are out of control to check it out. Another attorney can tell you whether the charges are reasonable under the circumstances.
Second, if the fit doesn't feel right between you and you attorney, take that feeling seriously. Is it a personality difference? Is it an issue of competence? Either way, again, take it seriously. If it's a personality difference, is it one that makes you uncomfortable? Is it one that makes you reluctant to trust them, or in their competence, or is it simply a difference in style? Is that difference in style actually a good thing (which it might be if you are naturally more reserved and the attorney is more forthright)? There are as many attorneys out there as there are types of people. In other words, there is someone for everyone, and you want someone who you feel understands you and your case and is capable of negotiating or litigating effectively for what you need. Don't ignore that feeling until it is too late to change attorneys, if necessary. I don't mean that you should change attorneys, but if you have that feeling, an investment in an hour of time with another attorney for a second opinion is a good one.
Yesterday was a blast. The stand alone family law military program went off without a hitch. Patty's and my presentation on custody issues and the military was even better than we expected it would be (and of course, we had high hopes). We even got an "Excellent" from the grand master of family law and the military, Mark Sullivan. Patty's husband, Steve, who is also a fabulous presenter, made the military version of child support really interesting - for those of you who have never read the military regulations about interim support, that isn't easy. The best part of it was that we had a varied audience, with both Alaskan trial court judges and military legal officers; everybody learned something, and no one was bored. You all know I do quite a bit of military divorce and custody cases, so in that way, of course, yesterday related to the Trenches. You know me, however, and I've thought of another way it relates to the Trenches.
What yesterday was about was education. We educated the folks who provide legal help to the people who serve in the real trenches, the military, and their spouses. We educated the folks who make the decisions in family law cases. That's really a big part of our jobs here in the Trenches. Whenever we have a case before a judge, our job is to educate him or her on the applicable law and its relationship to our facts. If we do that well, and our client's facts follow the applicable law, then we stand a good shot of winning our case. Whenever we have a contested case, part of what we do to avoid standing before a judge by settling the case is to educate our clients on the law, how their facts fit into that framework, how their spouse's facts mesh with the law, and what a judge is likely to do given the law and the facts. How well we educate our clients has a great deal to do with whether we can settle their case. If opposing counsel hasn't done the same job, then we may not settle, but at least our client has realistic expectations about what might happen in their case. At the end of the day, that may be the difference between a satisfied client and an unsatisfied one, or a good result and a bad one. Here in the Trenches.
BTW: Big kudos to Phil Tucker, this year's chair of the military law committee, for putting this program together so it ran so smoothly.
Here I go with my good intentions again. I am in Anchorage (yes, that's Alaska) this week. That picture is the view from my hotel room (for once, I am not overlooking the parking lot). The ABA Family Law Section's Spring CLE (continuing legal education) program is here. Before it starts, the military law committee likes to produce a stand alone CLE for military legal assistance officers and local judges on family law issues and the military. I'm speaking on custody laws and the military with Atlanta attorney Patty Shewmaker today. I'm a littles nervous and excited. Anyway, I fully intended to post before Wednesday, but the dog ate my homework. Not really, but I couldn't get the in flight internet to work on the nine hour flight here, then I was too exhausted to even stand up once I got here. Yesterday, I will admit that I took the day off to recuperate.
As you might imagine, I have been spending quite a bit of time with Patty and her husband Steve (who is also her law partner) the last few days. This is Patty and Steve's first ABA Family Law conference. As you might expect, the talk drifts a lot to the Trenches. What always fascinates me is that no matter where your Trenches are located physically, most everyone's experiences are the same. The Trenches are a very stressful place to work, and it helps to share what's going on in your neck of the woods with others who understand. Conferences are a great place for that because you can share with people who aren't going to be sitting across the courtroom from you. You can be more open with frustrations and quandries and laugh at some of the sillier moments. What's interesting is watching newbies to the conference get that. It's like a lightbulb gong on when they realize that life in Trenches is the same no matter where you are, and that we all have a common bond in that. It's especially great when you meet people who have similar attitudes toward what we do. Yes, I love the programs: I always learn something that helps me to be a better lawyer. Usually more than just something. The real value, however, is in the connections we make and the experiences we share with each other. It's worth the trip to Alaska in the off season - Here in the Trenches.
A client came into the office today. We had a 3.5 hour meeting. I thought it was a good meeting. We narrowed witnesses, went over testimony and discussed possible strategy for trial. We got a lot accomplished. He, on the other hand, called the office fifteen minutes after our meeting and said he didn't feel like we accomplished anything. Isn't it funny how two people can view the same situation so differently? It all has to do with expectations. My client knows nothing about the law, and he has no clue how the legal process works. He thinks that lawyers have far more power to effectuate a settlement than we do, and that the judge knows more about their case beforehand than they do. I, on the other hand, know the limits of what lawyers can do and judges know. I understand how the legal process works, and what is necessary to resolve a case. Our respective knowledge created divergent expectations. We need to back up and share the information necessary for us to understand each other's perspective.
So it is with marriages themselves. When two people marry, they bring with them a lifetime of experiences. Those experiences give rise to divergent expectations of what marriage means, how a couple interacts, and what behaviors are acceptable. In the marriages we see here in the Trenches, the members of the couple did not communicate, either to discover that their expectations diverged, or the reasons why. Genuine curiosity about what makes their spouse ticks, and open communication about what they know and how they know it, could save a lot of visits to the Trenches. When was the last time you asked your spouse questions, followed up, and really listened to the answers? Here in the Trenches.
The Trenches is a tough place. It's even tougher when clients lack clarity. When I say clarity, I mean a number of things. I mean clarity about what is and is not an acceptable result. I mean clarity about what a lawyer and the court system can and cannot do. I mean clarity about what they need to do to achieve their goals. There is nothing in the Trenches more frustrating than a client who tells you that they want their spouse to make the first offer, but has no idea of how to respond to it. How will they know whether their spouse's offer is reasonable? How will they know what response to make? They hope their spouse will make a ridiculously low offer so they can just accept it, but if they don't, they have no idea what to do. Not helpful. Then, there are the clients who don't understand the practice of law, don't understand how the courts and the rules work, but nevertheless want to tell us how to file pleadings, how to write them and what to request. They micromanage their case, which wouldn't be so bad, if they actually understood what we were doing. They don't, but that doesn't stop them. We spend a lot of time and a lot of money explaining and explaining again why we asked for the relief requested and what it means to plead in the alternative. Exhausting. It's just another day - here in the Trenches.
I had all kinds of good intentions about what to write here tonight. Life, sometimes, has other ideas. Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of the death of our dear Office Testosterone. Truth be told, it's all I can think about today. It seems like just yesterday he was with us, buoying our spirits with his magic hugs and his positive attitude. On the other hand, it feels like forever since we saw him, spoke to him, texted with him or Facebook chatted. Those of us who loved him are having a difficult time this week, as our memories of him collide with the feelings of sadness and dread we felt a year ago this week, and a loss that is so raw that the thought of him makes our eyes well up with tears and our voices catch. Our Office T was a special friend who touched all of our lives so deeply. His loss is still overwhelming. I find myself stalking his Facebook page and re-reading all the private chats between us, just to retain that connection.
As I think of Office T, I'm reminded of what he would want us all to do. Office T was all about relationships. To him, they were more important than anything else in the world. He nurtured his relationships and encouraged his friends. Even when he was dying, he was more concerned about how his friends were handling his death than about himself. He consoled and comforted everyone, and encouraged them all to gather with him and his family to give the latter support and so that his last memories of us and us of him were of laughter, good friends and love. The greatest thing we can all do to honor his memory is to show those near to us how much they mean. People always love to know they're appreciated, and they in turn, pass it along. Help us honor our dear Curtis by being kind to those near and dear to you. Thank you from here in the Trenches.
How Much Is Going to Trial Worth?
On the first line, write down the amount of attorney's fees and costs you have incurred before today.
On the next line, multiply your attorney's hourly rate by three, and that's how much you spent today.
On the next line, multiply your attorney's hourly rate by eight, and that's how much you can reasonable estimate you will spend on the depositions that are going to be set because you didn't settle.
On the next line, multiply your attorney's hourly rate by four, because your attorney has to prepare for the depositions. Don't forget to factor in your lost wages for the time you need to take off work to prepare for those depositions.
Transcribing depositions testimony costs money, so write down $1500 for the transcripts of the depositions.
You're going to trial, so on the next line, multiply your attorney's hourly rate by 7 and then multiply by the number of days of trial. That's the cost for your attorney during trial. Don't forget your lost wages here again.
You don't expect your attorney to show up for trial without being prepared, do you? Of course not, so multiply your attorney's hourly rate by 16 and then multiply by the number of days of trial. That's how much it will cost you to have your excellent attorney be prepared for trial. Don't forget your lost wages because the attorney has to prepare you for trial.
You're required to update your discovery responses until day of trial. Add another $1700 in cost for that.
Your attorney needs to issue subpoenas for witnesses and do other miscellaneous tasks before trial. Add another $1500 for that.
Did you know the Assignment Office regularly overbooks us? They do, so your case might not go to trial on the scheduled date. That means your attorney will have to spend some time re-acclimating herself with your case for the date it is reset. Add another $2500.
Oh, you weren't happy with the judge's decision and you want to appeal? Add $8,000 for the appeal.
Now add all of those numbers together and write that sum at the bottom of the page.
Turn the paper over and write down your children's names and dates of birth. Think about all of the things you want to do for them, like send them to camp and college, all of which cost money which you just spent on your divorce. Your attorneys and your children would rather you spent the sum of money you wrote on this paper on your children and not your attorney.. Now, go on out and try again to settle.
Would you be surprised to know that his settlement rate is well over 80%? I'm not. What this Master doesn't add in are the non-financial costs of going to trial: the emotional costs of having to appear in a courtroom and testify in open court; the relationship cost of an adversarial proceeding on the ability to co-parent; the relationship cost of asking friends, family and co-workers to appear in court for you. All those costs are potentially higher than any economic one. Sure, sometimes people settle for less than they might get in court, but is what they will get in court worth the cost of the litigation? It's a question you need to ask - here in the Trenches.
Repeat after me: Just because I have available credit, doesn't mean I should use it. This statement is remarkably similar to: Simply because I have checks in my checkbook doesn't mean I have money in the bank. Thank you for indulging me. Here in the Trenches, more often than not we are not arguing about who gets to keep what they own, but rather who has to keep what they owe. The amount of debt some people have managed to amass is truly mind boggling. If I had the debt of some of my clients, I don't think I could sleep at night. Here's the scoop on debt here in Maryland. If it's in your name, it's yours. Unless you used the credit to purchase your house, pay for renovations to the house, or buy a car or a boat or that Picasso over the fireplace, the court can't do anything about the debt. Sure, the court can take it into account when fashioning an equitable division of the assets, but chances are, it won't do much about it unless one party did something truly dastardly to obtain or use that credit. Moral of the story is to be very careful when you open or use credit, or when you give anyone permission to use your credit. Today's happy marriage could be tomorrow's divorce, and do you really want the result of your spouse's spending habits to be your parting gift from your marriage? After all, who wants a bankruptcy to start off the next phase of their life? Here in the Trenches.


Review: The Journey by John A. Heldt – Escape Reality, Read Fiction!
The song Night Moves was released in late 1976, and would have still been playing on the radio, at least occasionally, when widowed Shelly Preston slips back in time from 2010 to 1979. I remember because I was listening to the radio too during the 1970s. In 1979, when the heart of this story takes place, I was 22 to the original Shelly's 18. I made some of her choices then, and some of the choices she made later as well.
But I managed my life do-over much less dramatically than Shelly does when she goes down that dark stairwell in the old abandoned mansion and finds herself back home again, in 1979, watching herself go through the trials and tribulations of her senior year in high school. She does not "become" the young Shelly, this isn't that kind of story. Instead, she takes a job at the local high school, becoming the adult friend and mentor that Shelly needed but didn't have during her first go around.
The older Shelly, calling herself Michelle, does not choose the Star Trek "Prime Directive" as her modus operandi for her second trip through 1979. She is determined to do what she can to save whomever she can, and to give the younger Shelly the chance for a happier life.
That she gets to experience her own slice of happiness is a joy and a wonder. Even if it isn't meant to be.
Escape Rating A+: Sometimes I talk about what I think about a book, and sometimes I talk about how the story made me feel. If you haven't already guessed, this is definitely one of those reviews that's all about the feels.
At the beginning, I actually felt too close to the older Shelly. Her reflection on her life and the choices that led her to them hit way too close to home, to the point where I actually had to step back for an evening to get some distance from those feelings.
That a story made me reflect that much and feel that deeply is a testament to the writer. I absolutely loved his first book, The Mine, when I read it back in 2012. I have all the others but never went back to his writing – caught up in the "so many books, so little time" conundrum. I will not make that mistake again. This is a writer that seriously speaks to me.
Speaking of The Mine, do not let the description of The Journey as #2 in the Northwest Passage series keep you from reading this book, whether first or second. Although Joel Smith's and Shelly Preston's paths do cross in The Journey, it's a very brief meeting and has no effect on either story.
These are both time travel stories with a hint of romance, and both are very powerful stories, but they're not really tied to each other in the way that series sometimes are.
Also the time travel in both stories is fairly simple handwavium, as it should be. The time travel isn't the point. It's what the protagonists do with their new lives that's the point. And it's marvelous and beautiful and heartbreaking.
If you're looking for a book to sweep you up, make you reflect, and possibly even make you ugly cry just a bit, take your own trip back in time with The Journey. Bring tissues.
Pingback: Review: The Show by John A. Heldt – Escape Reality, Read Fiction!


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Běžník zelený (Diaea dorsata) je druh pavouka z čeledi běžníkovití. Vyskytuje se převážně v Evropě a Asii. Často žije na okrajích lesů nebo na mýtinách.

Popis
Samice běžníka zeleného je velká až 6 mm, samec je velký až 4 mm. Samci mají na nohách a na hlavohrudi hnědé skvrny.

Ekologie
Stejně jako běžník kopretinový dokáže změnit své zbarvení (to ovšem trvá několik dní). Nedospělí jedinci přezimovávají v kůře mrtvých stromů, dospělí se objevují v květnu. Samci nemají, na rozdíl od mnohých pavouků, nebezpečné souboje o samice.

Reference

Externí odkazy

Běžníkovití

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Biographical film starring James Franco as Tommy Wiseau, the director of the cult film The Room, a movie widely considered one of the worst movies ever made.
The movie is based on the memoir The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell.
The Disaster Artist Cast
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Philip Haldiman
James Franco, 43
Tommy Wiseau
Greg Sestero
Seth Rogen, 39
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Alison Brie, 39
Jacki Weaver, 74
Carolyn Minnott
Ari Graynor, 38
Juliette Danielle
The Disaster Artist Popularity
Movie Released on December 8#10
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
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text:
Q: how can json_decode string whitout change my longint value? I have a "json" string that contain long int value when i want to json_decode long int value changes to  float(3.6677890000187E+14)
help me please
thanks

A: use JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING as 2nd argument for json_decode like below
json_decode($str, false, 512, JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING)
php.net/manual/en/function.json-decode.php

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the new Rally Building
Purchase a 30+ year old ugly square box and transform it into a beautifully modern (yet entirely practical) commercial office building.
Purchase a 30+ year old ugly square box and transform it into a beautifully modern (yet entirely practical) commercial office building. When Creative Director Stan Loewen walked into the run down and decrepit building located at 2020 Abbotsford Way he didn't see it for what it was, but rather for what it could be. A vision of high vaulted ceilings in a grand foyer off a cozy open studio plan immediately took shape. By strategically placing additional windows and replacing the old bay doors with walls of glass throughout the studio area there would be just the right amount of natural light while at the same time maintaining the controlled lighting environment required for precise digital production. This raw box was not seen as a tear-down but rather as a blank canvas for Rally to do for itself what it does for it's clients on a regular basis.
THE BEFORE + AFTER
From the get-go emphasis was placed on doing it right the first time. The studio space (a former warehouse and raw workshop) was completely gutted as were all plumbing, electrical, and mechanical aspects of the building. Completely new exterior windows were installed while the studio interior was stripped down to the original 30 year old concrete floors, scored, and then re-polished. 10 mil glass separation walls (made possible by our good friends over at PFG Glass) finished things off to provide that perfect balance of practical comfort and modern design. One thing Rally loves is to leave good first impression. To that end 40% of our studio is dedicated to achieving an enhanced 'sense of arrival' illustrated by the grand openness of the lobby, presentation room, and reception area.
The exterior of the block building was stripped of the canopies up front and a totally new frontal facade was designed and implemented. By blending anodized channel reveals, and combining metallic silver painted hardi-board in tandum with a feature fin wall, the architectural presence of this building was completely changed. Stan worked with his award winning environmental design team and consulting partner Integrity Design to re-tool the exterior of this bland canvas and create an iconic architectural landmark that provides both a building of distinction and an end product that has made anyone who had seen the original building say "what the…?" in a double take as they drive by!
It's definitely worth a look if you're in the area! The NEW Rally Building at 2020 Abbotsford Way


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In some cities, the cost of selling a home can hit $76,000 These costs — both hidden and expected — have grown in lock-step with rising home pricesThese costs — both hidden and expected — have grown in lock-step with rising home prices.
Saudi Aramco's Bond Offering Attracts Billions in Bids. Here's What Investors Are Getting Into Saudi Arabian Oil Co.'s bonds should yield more than comparable debt issued by ExxonMobil, Chevron, and other major oil companies. But Aramco has issues those companies don't.
Here's What the Average Retiree Spends Every Month While spending in some categories may decline, be prepared for increased expenses elsewhere.
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Democratic-leaning states say they're feeling the pain from the new tax law New York and three other states said in court papers that pressure is rising from the SALT capNew York and three other states said in court papers that pressure is rising from the SALT cap.
Housing market is tipping in favor of buyers, real-estate agents say 'Market seems to be in limbo,' said one Houston agent, summarizing what much of the nation is feeling about housing Real-estate agents around the country weigh in on what they're seeing in their areas, and some broad national trends are emerging.
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Ready Player One (2018)
Date: April 21, 2018Author: mrhartlova 0 Comments
⭐ ⭐ / ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Steven Shpielberg's latest megasmash is Ready Player One, based on the neopunk scifi opera of the same name by Lib Rettist. It tells the story of Mack, played by Tye Hernias, and his attempts to literally win the heart of Daria, played by Olivia Cookie, by entering an online spelling bee/endurance test in the form of an advanced virtual reality video game where the punishment you give (and take) manifests itself in the real world donor organ bank.
Neural link inputs on the digital side connect to optic, aural and spinal implants to make the game fully engrossing and all too consequential: the game, "Best World," has been redesigned following several reports of receding gumlines and itchy hair worldwide in parts of Asia. It is now EDA approved to alter your genetic material, letting you literally become your virtual character.
As a Drook, a car sized three legged humanoid made of peanut butter, Mack's game self ("Slabby") is all business. Too bad his human self is boringly two legged and mere flesh and blood. Played by Hernias (Sunrise), Mack reminds me of those old Colorform toys where you could stick a piece of vinyl with the black outline of a character or object anywhere and it would stay put until you peeled it off. It was always sort of clumsily drawn and cut out as if by a child. Realistic detail or engaging motion was beyond the capability of a flat piece of vinyl. He's kind of like that. Shpielberg just puts him where he wants. At least this Colorform can move and talk and is highly detailed in appearance.
"Slabby" has to complete three tasks before he can be eaten by the Ape Queen and eventually regurgitated to her avian offspring. Task one is relatively simple in that it's something Tye does every day as a human. But as a peanut butter Drook brushing his teeth is quite difficult, seeing as he doesn't have any teeth or even fingers to hold a toothbrush. So Mack gets creative, altering his dna to make his physical form able to conform to his wishes. Obviously this causes concern among his family and friends, but that doesn't stop Mack 'cause, darn it, he's in love.
Tasks two and three are a bit more involved, and we see where Shpielberg fails and succeeds with crystal clarity. The film is firing on all but one cylinder, but that one missing cylinder is a doozy. The action is breathtaking, the mechanics are seamless, the players "game." But there's nothing to make us care about any of it.
Despite PC casting, the ethnically diverse characters are generically, uniformly bland, as if to somehow not offend nor interest anyone. Everyone is neutered and toothless, leaving the viewer with only an audio/visual experience instead of an emotionally engaging one. Even the romance between Mack and Daria, the ostensible "heart" of the movie, is colorless and by the numbers; they're a couple because the script says so, not because we've shared one iota of their chemistry or history.
Admittedly, when the film visits the virtual world it is fascinating and richly entertaining with dazzling visuals and a dizzying sense of depth and scale. But no matter how colorful and tightly edited the scenes in the normal world, they are where the film goes to die. Their focus group approved banality is game over for this player, as slow moving as if they're made of peanut butter as well, with all the fun of a trip to the dentist.
At first understandably reluctant to enter this technological merging of flesh and digital, young Mack soon takes to his new digs as director Shpielberg (Days Of Wine And Roses) presents his lushly attractive alternate reality replete with a full spectrum of animated characters. Utilizing a melting pot approach with traditional hand drawn cells, stop motion puppets, lifesize props and all cgi sequences, the film looks and sounds like the world's best video game.
It also likes to take jabs at political figures, commenting on the Rump administration's foreign labor policy with forced asides and fourth-wall-breaking musical numbers (the game loves it when you sing), but the film takes itself too seriously even then, resulting in more head scratching than nodding. It's a bit like going to foreign performance art or a roast and not getting any of the jokes.
Go for the popcorn and soda but stay for the visuals.
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This April, you'll find lease specials and finance incentives on nearly all of BMW's cars and SUVs. Monthly payments for BMW lease deals range from $229 to nearly $1,900 per month with $4,000 to $8,350 due at signing. These lease offers aren't particularly competitive compared to what other luxury brands are offering. BMW's finance rates of 0.9% to 4.55% are better than the national average rate of 4.77% for five years that banks are offering. No cash back deals are available.
BMW lease specials are plentiful this month. You can lease the 2018 2 Series coupe for as little as $319 per month for three years with $3,994 due upfront. In some parts of the country, you can get the 2019 2 Series for the same term for an additional $40 per month and $40 more due at signing. Compared to the 2018 2 Series, the 2019 model comes with extra standard safety features like automatic emergency braking. You can lease the 2018 2 Series convertible for as little as $399 per month for three years with $4,074 due at signing. The newer 2019 2 Series convertible also has a lease deal of $439 a month for three years and $4,114 due at signing.
There's a 2018 3 Series lease with a $279 monthly payment for three years with $4,204 due upfront. But that's not the only three-year lease deal BMW is offering on the 3 Series. You can lease both the 2018 3 Series Sports Wagon and Grand Turismo for less than $350 per month with $4,275 due at signing. You can also lease the 2019 3 Series for as little as $409 per month with $4,334 due upfront. 2020 3 Series goes for as little as $619 per month and $4,544 upfront.
There are also several deals for luxury small car shoppers. The 2019 4 Series coupe and Gran Coupe have a lease deal of $489 per month for three years with $4,414 due at signing. Leasing the 2019 4 Series convertible will cost you a lot more, since it requires at least $599 per month and $4,524 upfront.
In some parts of the country, you can lease the 2018 5 Series for $439 per month for three years with $5,439 due at signing. The 2019 5 Series features more standard equipment, including Apple CarPlay and adaptive cruise control. You can lease it for as little as $519 per month for three years with $4,944 due at signing. The 2018 6 Series also has a lease special that requires more than $600 per month and over $7,000 at signing. The 2019 6 Series is substantially more expensive, with a lease special with monthly payments as low as $819 for three years with $7,244 due at signing.
In some locations, the all-electric 2018 BMW i3 has a lease of $299 per month for three years with $4,224 due upfront. The 2019 i3 costs an additional $30 per month and at signing, in some instances.
There are several BMW luxury SUV lease incentives to choose from this month. The 2018 X1 has a lease special of $279 per month for three years with $4,204 due at signing, while 2019 X1 lease specials starts around $359 per month with $4,284 at signing. The 2018 X2 has a lease deal with monthly payments as low as $229 for three years with $4,154 due upfront. This is one of the least-expensive BMW lease deals this month. In some parts of the country, the 2019 X2 costs an additional $130 per month, plus an extra $130 due at signing compared to the 2018 model.
The 2018 X3 sits in the luxury compact SUV class. It has a lease special that requires $389 per month with $4,314 due at signing. The 2019 X3 comes with additional standard safety features like driver drowsiness monitoring and forward collision warning. It has a lease deal of $369 per month with $4,294 due upfront.
For the additional passenger and cargo space that a luxury midsize SUV provides, check out the 2018 X5 and 2019 X6. You can lease the 2018 X5 in some locations for $579 per month with $5,004 at signing. You can also lease the 2019 X6, but for $589 per month for three years with $5,014 upfront.
There are plenty of options if you choose to finance a BMW this month. BMW finance offers include financing with interest rates ranging from 0.9% to 4.55% for five years. That's better than the national average five-year interest rate of 4.77%. More often than not, you'll save money by opting for BMW's financing.
For example, take a look at the 2019 BMW X1 that starts at $34,950. It will cost you $39,352 over the life of the loan if you finance through a bank or a credit union for five years at 4.77 percent. Opting for BMW's 0.9 percent financing for five years means you'll pay just $35,755 over the life of the loan. That's a savings of nearly $3,600.
Before you head to the dealership, make sure you check our BMW page, where you can see the average price paid for the model you're interested in. Then, use the U.S. News Best Price Program for guaranteed savings on a new vehicle.
Deals listed are from BMW's manufacturer site using representative ZIP codes. While we work to keep BMW incentives up to date and accurate, deals may vary depending on your location. The best source of current discounts and incentives on a new BMW is your local BMW dealer. Use the links above to contact a BMW dealer near you.


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Home Useful link Saudi Embassy
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula. It occupies an area about the size of the United States east of the Mississippi River. Saudi Arabia's population is 27 million, including 8.4 million foreign residents (2010 census), and its capital city is Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia's geography is diverse, with forests, grasslands, mountain ranges and deserts. The climate varies from region to region. Temperatures can reach over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the desert in the summer, while in the winter temperatures in the north and central parts of the country can drop below freezing. Saudi Arabia gets very little rain, only about four inches a year on average.
This area of the website offers facts and physical information about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Here you can read about early Saudi Arabian history, which as part of the Middle East was the birthplace of civilization, and how the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came into being in 1932.
Learn about the Saudi government and how the Kingdom's political system is rooted in Islam's traditions which call for peace, justice, equality, consultation and respect for the rights of the individual.
Read about the modernization of the Kingdom's transportation and communications infrastructure and the special emphasis on sports and recreation being accessible to all Saudis.
Facts and figures provides an overview of the physical country, including time zones, currency and more.


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Membership Levels and Benefits
Bi-Laws
Chapter Constitution
As amended March 6, 2007
ARTICLE 1. NAME
1.1: The name of the organization shall be the "New England Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers" and is herein referred to as "the Chapter". The Chapter is chartered by the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, a not-for-profit corporation, herein referred to as "the Society".
ARTICLE 2. LOCATION
2.1: The location of the principal office of the Chapter shall be in the City of Boston, Massachusetts or elsewhere at the discretion of the Chapter President.
ARTICLE 3. DEFINITIONS
3.1: Wherever the term "the Board" is used, it shall mean the Executive Board of the Chapter, as defined in Article 8.2 of this Constitution.
3.2: Wherever the term "Chapter Year" is used, it shall be as defined in Article 10.5 of this Constitution.
3.3: Wherever the term "Member" is used, it shall mean an individual who is a member in good standing of the Chapter and who is also a member in good standing in any membership grade of the Society. (See Article 4 of the Society's Constitution.)
3.4: Wherever the term "Scholarship Fund" is used, it shall mean the Scholarship Endowment Fund authorized by Section 5.1 of this Constitution.
3.5: Wherever the term "New England" is used, it shall mean the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
ARTICLE 4. ORGANIZATION
4.1: The Chapter is established pursuant to Article 5 of the Constitution of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, as incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as a not-for-profit organization of individual members with voting rights vested in the individual members of the Chapter. The New England Chapter was organized as a local chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers on April 22, 1954 and its charter granted by the Society on May 19, 1955.
4.2: The Chapter may receive, own, and maintain funds and property and may use or apply the whole or any part of the income therefrom and the principal thereof as necessary to accomplish its objectives.
4.3: No income or assets of the Chapter may be used or inure for the personal profit of any individual, institution, or corporation.
4.4: The affairs of the Chapter shall be directed by the duly elected officers and directors.
4.5: Disbursement of Assets on Dissolution.
4.5.1: Upon dissolution of the Chapter, no member shall be entitled to any distribution or division of its remaining property or its proceeds and the balance of all money and other property received by the Chapter from any source, including its operations, after the payment of all debts and obligations of the Chapter of whatsoever kind and nature, shall be paid over to the Society.
4.5.2: The balance of all monies or investments remaining in the Scholarship Endowment Fund shall be paid over to the Society, with the stipulation that they be used only for the purposes of awarding scholarship grants.
ARTICLE 5. OBJECTIVES
5.1: The objectives of the Chapter shall be to advance the science and practice of fire protection engineering and its allied fields, to maintain a high ethical standard among its members, and to foster fire protection engineering education. The Chapter shall establish, maintain, and develop a Scholarship Endowment Fund for the purpose of awarding scholarship grants according to criteria that are approved by the Chapter and are stated in its Bylaws.
5.2: The Chapter shall not speak for the Society on any local or national matter without specific written authorization of the Society.
5.3: The Chapter shall abide by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society.
5.4: In accomplishing these objectives, the Chapter shall only engage in activities which are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society. The Chapter shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
ARTICLE 6. MEMBERSHIP
6.1: Membership in the Chapter shall be open to individuals who are Fellows, Members, Associate Members, Affiliates, Student Members, and Honorary Members of the Society. Membership shall include individuals residing or working in the New England states.
6.2: All applications for Chapter membership shall be submitted to the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall forward all applications for membership to the Membership Chairperson (Second Vice-President), who shall verify the applicants' status in the Society. Applicants shall be notified in an appropriate manner of their Chapter membership by the Membership Chairperson and shall be recorded by the Membership Chairperson and the Secretary.
6.3: Each member shall be entitled to one vote in the affairs of the Chapter. Except for Student Members, all Chapter members shall have voting privileges.
6.4: Chapter members who become ineligible due to loss of membership in the Society shall forfeit their voting privileges in the Chapter, but may have their privileges reinstated if they remedy the condition for which they were suspended.
6.5: Chapter members who fail to pay their annual service fee when payable or within sixty days thereof shall be forthwith suspended, but shall be automatically reinstated if they remedy the condition for which they were suspended within six months of their suspension.
6.6: After due notice and after a hearing, if requested by the member, Chapter membership may be terminated if the Board finds any member guilty of unethical professional conduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Society or the Chapter, falsification of the membership application, or nonpayment of the annual service fee. Any individual whose membership has been suspended or terminated may apply for reinstatement and the Board shall, in any case, specify the procedure to be followed.
6.7: The Chapter recognizes the need to maintain a liaison with individuals in fire-related fields of endeavor and interest who are not members of the Society. The Chapter encourages and accepts the support and participation of these individuals in Chapter activities. The Chapter will accord such individuals the courtesies of regular Chapter publications and participation in meetings and other events upon payment of the annual service fee. Upon receipt of the annual service fee, the Treasurer shall notify the Membership Chairperson and Secretary, who shall record their names on the Chapter mailing list. Such individuals shall not have a vote in the affairs of the Chapter, shall not hold any office or position on the Board, and shall not refer to an affiliation with the Society or any of its Chapters in any advertising, letterheads, business cards, or similar published materials. Such individuals shall be known as "NEC Members".
6.8: The Board may confer the grades of Honorary Chapter Member or Life Chapter Member on any Chapter member in good standing who meets the requirements stipulated in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE 7. BRANCHES
7.1: The Board may, at its discretion and with the permission of the Board of Directors of the Society, establish Branches of the Chapter in specific geographical locations for purposes of discussion and advancement of the purposes of the Society.
7.2: A committee of the Chapter, chaired by an officer elected by the Chapter members, shall be formed to manage the affairs of the Branch.
7.3: Branches shall operate within and be fully accountable to the parent Chapter. A Branch may not elect officers or directors separate from those of the parent Chapter, nor shall it adopt its own Constitution and Bylaws.
ARTICLE 8. CHAPTER LEADERSHIP
8.1: Officers of the Chapter shall be President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer. With the exception of the Immediate Past President, officers shall be elected by majority vote of the members and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected and qualified. All officers shall serve without salary.
8.2: There shall be an Executive Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board) consisting of the Chapter officers, the immediate Past President, and four Directors, each of whom shall be elected by majority vote of the members for a term of one year. Each member of the Board shall have a single vote. Committee chairpersons shall be non-voting members of the Board.
8.3: The President and a majority of the Board shall hold the grade of Fellow, Honorary Member, Member, or Associate Member in the Society.
8.4: No officer or director shall serve more than two consecutive terms in any Board position, except that the limitation on term of office for the Secretary and the Treasurer may be waived by the Board on an annual basis, upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee.
8.5: All incoming officers and directors shall begin their tenure of office at the first Board meeting following their election.
8.6: No officer or director may simultaneously hold more than one Board position.
8.7: The resignation of any officer or director shall be tendered to the Chapter President.
8.8: Vacancies in any Board position may be filled, until the next election, by a majority vote of the Board or as stipulated in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE 9. DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
9.1: It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings and to perform other duties usual to the office. The President shall call meetings of the Board as is considered necessary or by request of three or more members of the Board. The President may appoint special or standing committees as occasion may require, subject to the majority approval of the Board. If, for any reason, the President is not available, the First Vice-President shall have the powers and prerogatives of the President.
The last order of business of an outgoing President prior to turning over the gavel to the incoming President shall be to call for a motion to transfer available excess Chapter operating funds, less an amount equal to six months' operating expenses, to the Scholarship Endowment Fund.
9.2: It shall be the duty of the Secretary to record all official actions of the Chapter and to perform the duties usual to the office. The Secretary shall issue all notices of meetings and shall maintain a roster and mailing list of all Chapter members and friends of the Chapter. The Secretary shall submit, at least annually, a membership list, minutes of the meetings, and other pertinent information to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Society.
9.3: It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to maintain all financial records of the Chapter, to collect the annual service fee, to disburse funds for expenses, to prepare an annual budget, to prepare a current financial statement for each regularly scheduled Chapter meeting, and to perform other duties usual to the office. It shall also be the duty of the Treasurer to maintain the Scholarship Endowment Fund in accounts that are separate from the Chapter's operating and other funds, to maintain all financial records of the Fund, and to recommend appropriate investments for the security and growth of the Fund in accordance with Section C.1 of the Chapter's Bylaws.
The Board may authorize the use of an outside agency, for a fee agreed upon by the Board, to collect fees and perform accounting services, but any withdrawal or disbursement of funds will remain the responsibility of the Treasurer.
9.4: The President and First Vice-President shall be the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, respectively, of the Board.
9.5: The Board shall meet at least quarterly, but may meet as often as necessary or desirable, at the discretion of the President.
9.6: A majority of the Board members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Board.
9.7: It shall be a specific duty of the Board to pass upon the desirability of any action submitted to the Chapter for its consideration with respect to basic policy. Negative or advisory results shall be reported immediately to the Chapter for further action.
9.8: The Board shall be responsible for reviewing the report of the Scholarship Committee for compliance with this Constitution and its Bylaws and for acting on the report in accordance with Section B.2 of the Bylaws.
ARTICLE 10. ADMINISTRATION
10.1: The administrative and financial functions of the Chapter shall be vested in the Board.
10.2: The Chapter shall not be bound by any agreement, written or oral, unless the agreement has been approved by the Chapter or by recorded vote of the Board.
10.3: Bylaws shall be established to guide the Board in governing the operations and activities of the Chapter.
10.4: The Board shall defer to the Society on all issues concerning the use of the name, insignia, and trademark of the Society.
10.5: The fiscal year of the Chapter shall begin on the first day of June and shall terminate on the thirty-first day of May and shall be known as the "Chapter Year".
10.6: The Board may authorize expenditures up to and including twenty-five percent (25%) of the Chapter's currently available moneys. All expenditures or appropriations exceeding twenty-five percent (25%) of the Chapter's available moneys shall be approved by vote of the membership at a scheduled or a called meeting. This shall not include such necessary expenditures required by the Secretary or Treasurer for stationery, postage, meeting expenses, and incidentals, up to one hundred dollars ($100.00). However, an accounting of such expenditures shall be given with each Treasurer's report.
10.7: The Chapter shall in no way incur financial or contractual obligations upon the Society without full written approval by the Board of Directors of the Society.
10.8: Administration of the Scholarship Endowment Fund shall be vested in a Scholarship Committee that is duly established according to Section 11.3 of this Constitution and is operated according to Section C of its Bylaws.
10.9: The annual service fee shall be as stipulated in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE 11. COMMITTEES
11.1: Committees shall be of two classes: Standing Committees, which shall have a continuing function and whose duties shall be specified in the Bylaws; and Special Committees, which shall be established by the President for a specific purpose and whose tenure shall cease upon completion of said task and acceptance of a final report. A majority of the members of any committee shall constitute a quorum for carrying on a meeting of said committee.
11.2: Nominating Committee.
11.2.1: There shall be a Nominating Committee consisting of no fewer than three members appointed by the President at the second Board meeting of the Chapter Year. This Committee shall nominate the officers, directors, and Scholarship Committee members.
11.2.2: The report of the Nominating Committee shall be mailed by the Secretary to the Chapter Members at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting. The following statement shall be made part of the Nominating Committee report:
"Nomination of any eligible candidate may be made by any Chapter Member for election to any office if the candidate's name and proposed office are submitted in writing to the Secretary seven days prior to the Annual Meeting, together with the signatures of five members of the Chapter."
11.3: Scholarship Committee.
11.3.1: There shall be a Scholarship Committee whose purpose shall be:
(a) to establish, develop, and promote the growth of the Scholarship Endowment Fund;
(b) to administer the Scholarship Fund in accordance with this Constitution and its Bylaws;
(c) to identify students of quality who have demonstrated an interest in pursuing a career in fire protection and to support such students by means of appropriate scholarship grants, as available funding permits.
11.3.2: The duties of the Scholarship Committee shall be to solicit, identify, and recommend candidates to receive scholarship grants and to recommend the dollar amount of each grant. The Scholarship Committee shall report their recommendations to the Board not later than thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Chapter.
11.3.3: If the report of the Scholarship Committee is not accepted by the Board in accordance with Section B.2 of the Chapter Bylaws, the Scholarship Committee shall submit a revised report not later than ten days prior to the Annual Meeting.
11.3.4: The Scholarship Committee shall consist of four voting members, one of whom shall be appointed by the Board to serve as Secretary and the others to be duly elected by the Chapter.
(a) The Secretary shall be appointed each year at the Annual Meeting and shall be eligible for reappointment to consecutive terms with no limitation on tenure.
(b) The three elected members shall be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve staggered three-year terms, with one new member being elected each year and the other two advancing to the next senior positions. The elected member who is senior in tenure shall chair the Committee. Elected members shall not be eligible to serve consecutive terms.
(c) At least one of the four members of the Committee shall have previously served at least four years on the Board as a director or officer or both.
(d) Current officers and directors shall not be eligible for appointment or election to the Scholarship Committee.
(e) If any member of the Scholarship Committee is not able to fulfill his or her responsibilities, that member shall resign from the Committee. The next tenured member(s) shall assume the vacated position(s) and the responsibilities thereof. The vacancy in the most junior position shall be filled by appointment by the Board and this appointee shall serve until the next regularly scheduled election.
11.3.5: Scholarship grants shall be derived solely from the Scholarship Fund, as detailed in Section C.8, and from any other monies specifically provided for such purpose. Any earnings of the Scholarship Fund that are not used for grants shall be reinvested in the Fund. Any monies given to the Chapter for scholarship purposes, but not specifically identified for awarding grants in the year given, shall also be invested in the Fund.
11.3.6: The Scholarship Fund shall be used only for the purpose of generating income to be used for scholarship grants. In accordance with Section 9.3 of this Constitution, the Scholarship Fund shall be maintained in accounts that are separate from the Chapter's operating and other funds.
11.3.7: Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the solicitation or establishment of other named or dedicated Scholarship Endowment Funds. Such endowment funds shall be governed by appropriate amendments to this Constitution and its Bylaws that are specific to the objectives and impediments of each such fund. Nothing in this Section shall prohibit the solicitation or acceptance of a donation to provide for a one-time named grant.
11.4: Audit Committee.
11.4.1: There shall be an Audit Committee whose duty it shall be to audit the financial records of the Chapter, verify the information contained therein, and certify the balance of accounts at the end of the Chapter Year.
11.4.2: The Audit Committee shall report to the Chapter Membership at the first meeting of the next Chapter Year following the audit.
11.4.3: Membership on the Audit Committee shall be by nomination and election at each Annual Meeting.
ARTICLE 12. MEETINGS
12.1: A minimum of four monthly meetings shall be held each year. In case of a special meeting, at least 10 days written notice shall be given to those individuals on the Chapter's mailing list. The last meeting of the Chapter Year shall be known as the Annual Meeting.
12.2: At the Annual Meeting, the retiring President shall present an Annual Report reviewing the activities of the Chapter during the past twelve months and recommending future activities. The Treasurer shall present a report showing receipts and disbursements for the past twelve months and a statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth at the close of the elected term.
12.3: Twenty members in good standing shall constitute a quorum for carrying on Chapter business.
12.4: The rules of procedure in meetings shall be according to "Roberts' Rules of Order", when consistent with this Constitution and its Bylaws.
ARTICLE 13. AMENDMENTS
13.1: These articles may be amended at any regular meeting of the Chapter by a two-thirds vote of the members present. Proposals for amendments may be submitted by any Chapter member in good standing or may be proposed by action of a three-fourths vote of the Board. Proposals for amendments shall be submitted to the Secretary in writing and shall be distributed in writing to the membership.
13.2: Proposed amendments shall be posted in the Chapter publication or shall be mailed to each member separately so that the membership is notified of the proposed amendments at least ten days prior to a Chapter meeting.
13.3: Proposed amendments shall be subject to discussion and comment at the next two consecutive Chapter meetings following posting of the amendments.
13.4: An amendment shall become valid after approval by the membership and after review and approval by the Board of Direc
Upcoming NCNSFPE Events
Stephen Zimmerman
Intrepid Electronics Systems
stephen at interpidelectronic.com
1st Vice President
Ronnie Thomas
Reax Engineering
thomas at reaxengineering.com
2nd Vice President
Flora Chen
Hayward Fire Dept.
flora.chen at hayward-ca.gov
Jess Tilles
Holmes Fire
jess.tilles at holmesfire.com
Patrick B. Kogoma
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
patrick.kogoma at agcs.allianz.com
Member at Large
Rick Lewis
Sabah International
rick at sabah-intl.com
Yong Lim
yong.lim at arup.com
Charlie Landreth
Victaulic
charlie.landreth at victaulic.com
Marcus Berona
San Francisco Fire Dept.
marcus.berona at sfgov.org
Cheryl Domnitch
Won-Door Corp
cdomnitch at wondoor.com
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That's increasingly leading to user fees, rather than taxes. And the issue is on a fast train to somewhere in both the county and the Beach. St. Augustine, itself, has been metering the majority of its parking for years.
At the Beach, citizen opposition seems to be holding the high ground in the dilemma. But grassroots support doesn't necessarily mean elected official support. The Beach is, as usual, dancing around an issue of more-than-modest opposition there. That could go on for months — and likely will.
The County, for its part, has no such political timidity. Prior to bringing up the issue in a, let's say, "newsworthy," way, it had already sent out RFPs and selected a company to take over the task of implementing and monitoring countywide parking on previously free county-owned lots — and the beaches.
The result is three alternatives. First is to take on that task as well. The second is to hire it out to Republic Parking Systems. The third is to come up with some modified plan sharing the responsibilities between the two. That won't happen.
The county has a fistful of research and spit-balling on the future efficacy of one, both or either — especially in terms of beach revenues.
It's not surprising that the best deal for the county, financially, is to give the work to Republic — at least on paper.
So at this point, it likely isn't if a paid parking plan will go into effect — it's how.
Politically — as in the County Commission — the issue of paid parking seems to be at 3-2 split in favor. But, if you watch the Commissioners regularly, that could change without warning or reason. Commissioner Jimmy Johns is always a wild card until the last — and prior stances seem to have little bearing on those votes. "Fickle" might be a good descriptor, though we've heard worse.
A side issue is whether or not public boat ramps will be included in the parking war. The answer is yes. The research done and the numbers crunched are based on an all-or-nothing plan. We doubt that will change. In all, 25 lots are identified in the plan with 1,600-plus spaces involved. The largest include: Mickler's Park, 248; Vilano Boat Ramp, 225; The County Pier Park, 180; and Butler Park East, 116 (which has been closed as much as opened since construction because of Treasure Beach dredging).
On the other end, the plan includes the smallest parcels including: Palmetto Road Boat Ramp, 5; Green Road Boat Ramp, 6; and the Mary Street right-of-way with 9.
Commissioner Paul Waldron doesn't want to see the boat ramps included. Commissioner Jeremiah Blocker wants surtax on local short-term lodging increased instead of paid parking. Commissioners Jeb Smith, Jimmy Johns and Henry Dean are philosophically aligned, in that these are user fees and the most equitable way to pay for the services.
We wonder if he would also term the free commissioner, staff and user parking at the County Administration Complex as Socialism. And inquiring minds might wonder if public library parking might fall into the the same philosophical parameters — and into the parking plan. Why not paid parking at parks and recreational fields? It's a slippery slope "socialism-ly" speaking.
But, from where we sit, the bottom line is this: Is paid parking for residents a double-dip on their existing tax bills? Are beach accesses and boat ramps resident services or county revenue streams?
We want to hear what you think. Email jsutton@staugustine.com. And thanks in advance.


Aims & Objectives: The goal of this study is to clarify Place-models, which are sets of behavioral scene and place, affording "Communication between Children and the Elderly (CCE)". And also we analyzed the condition to afford CCE. Context & background literature: Recently, It is difficult to find scenes with CCE in Japan, because many households became nuclear family, and people are not so much interested in the community. On the other hand, there are a lot of complex facilities such as an elementary school joined to a nursing home. On this background, we must clarify the planning method to design places where people of different generations can be together and having communication inside of complex facilities. Method of inquiry or argument: We asked people about the most impressive memory being with the elderly in their childhood. And they sketched and explained their image of communication they have. Then we analyzed the behavioral scene, places, and condition from them. Major kind of behavioral scenes could be classified into 5 types, talking, and skilling, shopping, playing, and dinning. The places affording CCE are tend to be broadly ranging from private to public. We find 'small-scale shops' and 'Engawa', Japanese traditional porch, can afford CCE. Findings & Conclusions: We find out 5 place-models that afford CCE. "Engawa-model" is intermediate place between living and garden. "Family room-model" is living space where people being together and dinning. "Train-model" is setting on that people sit side by side naturally. "Shop-model" is a small-scale shop along the way in the school zone. "Alley-model" is a narrow way preventing from car traffic. The condition to afford CCE could be classified into 2 types. "Program-affording" is led by communication programs of elementary schools or children groups. This type is seen in public spaces usually. "Incidental-affording" comes out in their daily life. This type tends to be seen in private spaces.
Temel, Marina, and Goksenin Inalhan. "Way-Finding Design in Shopping Malls: a Comparative Study of Two Shopping Malls in Kayseri-Turkey." In Vulnerability, Risk and Complexity: Impacts of global Change on Human Habitats (IAPS 21 Conference, Abstracts of Presentations). IAPS. Leipzig, Germany: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, 2010.
Hsieh, Tsai-Shiou. "Recycling Perceptions and Practices of New York City Immigrants: an Ecological-Psychological Inquiry." In Environment, Health and Sustainable Development (IAPS 19 Conference Proceedings on CD-Rom). IAPS. Alexandria, Egypt, 2006.


text:
David Lepp: Dragon Villa Logo
Refined rental town homes in South Windsor Join The Waiting List! $1980 per month + utilities
Dragon Villa
Love where you live!
About Dragon Villa
South Windsor's Refined Rental Townhomes
Welcome to 637 - 639 - 641 Grand Marais Rd E ~ luxury living in an exclusive complex of only 3, all brick townhomes near Howard Ave., the Devonshire Mall, and E.C. Row Highway. You'll love the new condition interior that has been professionally renovated from top to bottom.
Spacious, Open Concept Plans
These luxurious South Windsor townhomes have a sought-after open concept floor plan offering 1,920 square feet on 3 levels. Each townhome has 2 spacious bedrooms and a 4-piece bathroom on the upstairs level, and 1 big family room/guest suite with its own 3-piece bathroom in the lower level. The upstairs master bedroom has 2 big closets; one of them is a large walk-in.
High End Amenities
Amenities include central air conditioning, custom window coverings, a spacious new kitchen with lots of cabinets and stainless steel Frigidaire Energy Star dishwasher, stove and fridge. There's even a European design stainless steel Venmar 450 CFM chimney range hood with 3-speed electronic push button controls that would make even a professional chef feel at home.
Upscale finishing includes laminate plank flooring in the living areas, hardwood stair treads, and porcelain tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. All concrete construction of exterior walls and ceilings guarantees squeak free floors and ultra-quiet living spaces.
Your guests will love the lower level with its own 3-piece bathroom. This area would also make a great home office or theatre. There is also has a dedicated laundry area and 300 square feet of storage in this lower level.
2 Car Parking is included in the rent.
For Rental Inquiries, call 226.271.2302 Enjoy life in a clean, quiet, smoke free home. Rent plus utilities. Professionally managed. References & credit check required. Call today to view.
Private patio
Parks nearby
Venmar chimney range hood
No Smoking allowed
Laundry hookups
Laminate plank floors
In-suite storage
300 sq. ft of storage
Parking: 2 Car Parking Available
From: 1980$
Available: N/A
Suite Type
Suite Availability
2+1 Bedrooms, 2 Bath, 1920sqft, $1980
It's the little touches that make a house a home. Like having 2 closets in the master bedroom; one of them is a walk-in. Plus there are 2 extra closets in the upstairs hallway connecting the 2 bedrooms.
That means there are lots of storage for seasonal clothing, or all those shoes that you keep buying because "they were on sale."
Speaking of little touches, who wouldn't want a private patio to go with your new townhome? Enjoy your morning coffee in the privacy of your own quiet outdoor area thanks to a thoughtfully constructed screen.
Conveniently located where you want to be.
Dragon Villa @ Grand Marais has a location that can't be beat!
results within 2km
Leasing Office
637,639, 641 Grand Marais Rd E
Windsor, ON N8X 3H6
*After hours, please call & leave a message
Book to see this beautiful home!
Please fill out the form below to request a showing.
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Whether you are facing a personal injury, criminal law, family law, or traffic violation case, Coyne, Cundiff and Hillemann, PC is here to help you. We offer free case evaluations to all prospective clients, during which we can help you identify all of your options, give you our informed advice about how to proceed, and guide you toward the most effective plan of action. With over 75 years of combined experience, our St. Charles County attorneys are prepared to handle even the most complex of cases.


"was always a follower and lively defender of artistic photography." 1.
The irony is that the photographic journal he founded in 1864, Photographische Mitteilungen, (Photographic Reports) would not fully realize this ideal until after his death in late 1898.
By design a technical photographic journal, Photographische Mitteilungen was designed to advance ongoing scientific research occurring in Germany and Europe pertaining to Photography. The same year, Vogel founded and oversaw a photographic laboratory at the Royal Trade Institute in Berlin (which merged with the Berlin Technical College in 1879). 2.
Scientific networking relating to Photography spurred advancements made in Germany, and Vogel's importance in this area cannot be underestimated. In this regard, Vogel founded the Photographic Society in Berlin in 1863 which in turn gave birth in 1869 to the Society for the Promotion of Photography. These in turn launched the German Society of Friends of Photography in 1887 and shortly thereafter the Free Photographic Union in Berlin in 1889. 3.
Today, Vogel is mostly known as having taught a young Alfred Stieglitz while Stieglitz was an impressionable college student in Berlin in the early 1880's; however, Vogel had been recognized the world over a full decade earlier in 1873 for his "discovery of color sensitizing with the so-called "optical sensitizers." 4.
"From Vogel's discoveries developed the new color-sensitive processes which permit photography with correct tone values and called forth an essential change in the photography of colored objects." 5.
Published twice monthly, Photographische Mitteilungen had always included a variety of photographic illustrations, similar to other technical photographic journals of the day. Early in its life, these took the form of original photographs. Later, beginning in the early 1890's, hand-pulled photogravures began appearing in the journal. By this time, Dr. Ernst Vogel, the son of H.W. Vogel, was co-editing the journal with him and carrying on his father's interest in color photography by doing extensive research in the three-color halftone reproduction process. In 1893, Ernst Vogel entered the photo-engraving business in partnership with Georg Büxenstein in Berlin. (6) Earlier, hand-pulled photogravures had appeared in the journal done by the Berlin atelier Meisenbach Riffarth. (7) After the formation of the Büxenstein partnership however, more and more photogravure plates appeared in its pages, with almost all after 1900 being done by them.
To be sure, with Hanneke's background as a chemist, Photographische Mitteilungen would be technical in nature until it no longer existed under its own imprint after 1911. (It then merged with Photographische Rundschau to become Photographische Rundschau und Mitteilungen beginning in 1912.) But perhaps because of Ernst Vogel's previous relationship with Büxenstein already established, hand-pulled photogravure plates by them as well as other speciality plates by the firm appeared consistently in its' pages a full decade after his death, making it then and today a valuable and important historical document of German, Continental and artistic photography the world over.
PhotoSeed presents nearly all of these specialty plates appearing in the journal from the final year of H.W. Vogel's involvement in 1898 until the final year of imprint in 1911. 8.
8. H.W. Vogel was in very ill health at the end of his life but remained a "shadow editor" to the publication. In this respect, his son Ernst Vogel is listed as sole editor on the year-end title page for 1898.


text:
Q: JSF 404 Error page doesn't build component tree i try to implement a custom 404 error page in a webproject with glassfish.
I added the error page tag to web.xml like this
    <error-page>
    <error-code>404</error-code>
    <location>/404.xhtml</location>
    </error-page>

Then i built up my 404 page like that
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
  xmlns:h="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/html"
  xmlns:ui="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/facelets">
  <h:head>
    <title>Facelet Title</title>
</h:head>
<h:body>
    <ui:composition template="template/common/commonLayout.xhtml">
        <ui:define name="content">
                Text ...
                <h:commandButton value="index" />
        </ui:define>
    </ui:composition>
</h:body>
</html>

The redirect to that page works fine, but all the components don't get rendered by the container so i get that html output.
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
 <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
  xmlns:h="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/html"
  xmlns:ui="http://xmlns.jcp.org/jsf/facelets">
<h:head>
    <title>Facelet Title</title>
</h:head>
<h:body>
    <ui:composition template="template/common/commonLayout.xhtml">
        <ui:define name="content">
                Text...
                <h:commandButton value="index" />
        </ui:define>
    </ui:composition>
</h:body>

Someone got a clue how i can fix that problem?

A: Solved the problem. i just forgot that i had a servlet mapping on /faces/* and not on /*.xhtml so i had to add /faces/ to the error page mapping


It is with great excitement that I welcome you to International High School. You are now part of a strong tradition of excellence both in the classroom and in athletics. We are looking forward to your participation in our thriving athletic program. You can count on all of us in the athletic department for any guidance and support you may need!
Students who wish to participate in school sports need a new physical each year. The Physicians Clearance Form can be downloaded by clicking on the link to the right.
Fall game & practice schedules will be posted later this summer. Please view team schedules here.
Regardless of sport or season, ALL 2018-19 student-athletes are invited to attend the Athletic Leadership Retreat on Monday, August 13, meet 8:00 am at the gym, leaving in the morning for the Marin Headlands and returning early afternoon by bus (details TBA).
All 2018-19 Fall Sports start August 13th. Men's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Volleyball, and Co-ed Cross Country student-athletes are expected to attend evaluations during the first week of 8/13-8/17. If you have a conflict, please notify athletics@internationalsf.org as soon as possible.


text:
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Category:Salva Kiir
This is the category for Salva Kiir Mayardit, the president of South Sudan.
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27 August 2015: South Sudanese President Salva Kiir signs peace deal
26 April 2010: Sudanese president declared winner of elections
2 May 2008: Southern Sudan's defence minister among those killed in major plane crash
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Kiir (r) with John Kerry in Addis Ababa, 2013 (Image: DOS)
Pages in category "Salva Kiir"
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Southern Sudan's defence minister among those killed in major plane crash
Sudanese president declared winner of elections
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Our fellows will have the opportunity to visit some of the largest national and international technology companies operating in Brazil as well as governmental entities.
The Institute for Technology and Society invites researchers, students and professionals working with technology policy to apply to ITS Global Policy Fellowship Program and spend four weeks* in Brazil at ITS. Last year, we welcomed six fellows, who gave valuable contributions to the success of the Fellowship Program.
The ITS Fellowship Program will offer the opportunity for those interested in internet and technology policy to deepen their knowledge about the Brazilian technology context. We have prepared an intensive 4-week* program for our fellows, which includes meeting ITS partners in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in order to have the opportunity to visit some of the largest national and international technology companies operating in Brazil as well as governmental entities and exchange ideas, projects and research with those institutions.
See the list of our former fellows here.


Abstract: Equation of state of He-4 hcp crystals with vacancies is determined at zero temperature using the diffusion Monte Carlo technique, an exact ground state zero-temperature method. This allows us to extract the formation enthalpy and isobaric formation energy of a single vacancy in otherwise perfect helium solid. Results were obtained for pressures up to 160 bar. The isobaric formation energy is found to reach a minimum near 57 bar where it is equal to $10.5\pm 1.2$ K. At the same pressure, the vacancy formation volume exhibits a maximum and reaches the volume of the unit cell. This pressure coincides with the pressure interval over which a peak in the supersolid fraction of He-4 was observed in a recent experiment.


There is magic to be found around the world. In an unbridled quest to discover the wonders of our world, I found myself in the historic colonial town of Villa de Leyva in Colombia and was utterly charmed.
Nestled in the arid Saquencipá valley of Boyaca highlands, the well-preserved Villa de Leyva is a mere 3-hour drive from Bogota but worlds apart from the Colombian capital city. Dating back to the 16th century, Villa de Leyva is lined with cobblestoned paths that lead up to its minimalistic whitewashed buildings, appropriately earning it a prestigious spot in the Colombian National Network of Heritage Towns. But there's more to Villa de Leyva than its heritage architecture.
Even if you are not an art lover, Casa Terracotta will intrigue with its sustainable concept and quirky chess-inspired design. With an emphasis on four natural elements; namely soil, air, water and fire, this 5,400 sqft clay house was literally cooked to life and gave food for thought with regards to alternative living and arts.
While there is no doubt that Casa Terracota - the biggest piece of pottery in the world - is a delightful piece of art, one may be pleasantly surprised by an inexplicable sense of excitement and joy while roaming around this creative space! Kudos to architect and owner, Octavio Mendoza!
Does size matter? Well, the 14,000 sqm Plaza Mayor of Villa de Leyva - one of the largest main squares in Colombia - seems to convey the importance of grand spaces from the past to present. This heritage town with its huge plaza has attracted poets and writers since colonial times, and in present days, major festivals such as the annual Festival of Lights are held here. Interestingly, this is one of the most photographed locations in Colombia in spite of the great challenge to capture the grandeur of the plaza in a single shot.
Similar to most towns in Colombia, the main square marks important landmarks and local establishments. Visit the Iglesia Parroquial (an impressive looking parish church built in 1608), check out the Mudejar-style well in the middle of the square that used to be a water source in colonial times or have a cup of coffee in one of the cafes lining the main square. Life thrives in this central location where locals and visitors co-exist to people watch from morning till night.
Foodies alert! Unlike most small towns in Colombia, the selection of cuisines in Villa de Leyva is wide and food quality is very good! From European, fusion to traditional local flavours, there's something to suit each palate. Don't miss the local's favourite haunt, Restaurante Casa Blanca (White House Restaurant), which is a stone's throw from the main square. For a traditional breakfast, Changua - a rich, savoury egg and milk broth with herbs and bread - is guaranteed to fill you up.
Bride's kisses are easily available!
Bride's kisses are sweet and available, regardless of one's marital status! Commonly known as besos de novia, these traditional meringue-cakes are simply white cake covered with crispy white sugar and they literally melt in your mouth. Although available at most bakeries, try the ones at Merengues & Besitos, Carolina. It is that hole-in-the-wall shop that's on the same street as the Chocolate Museum.
Perhaps one of the most visited shops in Villa de Leyva, the ever-crowded Museo del Chocolate (Chocolate Museum) sells happiness in the form of bite-size exquisite sweets, or more accurately, chocolates paired with nuts, fruits, alcohol, etc. In case you were wondering, the process of making these chocolates from processing the cocoa beans to its final output (you can request for custom made chocolates) is done by the Chocolate Museum - no mass production at factories! This ensures the quality that matches the premium price.
Opening Hours: Daily 9am - 7pm.
Temptations abound here even for the passive window shoppers! There are some serious shopping to be done at Villa de Leyva. Ranging from hipster clothes (traditional and many imports from India) to handmade crafts and organic food products, every shop seems to offer something interesting and fun! Grab a hand-knitted Ruana (a poncho/wrap) or some of those cute handmade music instruments for a great souvenir.
Museums are aplenty … and mostly free!
The amazing thing about Villa de Leyva is its capacity to contain so much within this relatively small area. There are several notable museums in Villa de Leyva and many of them are free. Check out the 17th century Casa Museo Antonio Nariño (Antonio Nariño House Museum) to learn more about the life of this national hero.
In case you didn't know, this region where Villa de Leyva lies used to be covered entirely by the ocean, and fossils such as ammonites can be found around town. At Museo El Fosil (Fossil Museum), you can find the fossilized remains of a monster fish associated with the family of pliosaurs! Besides this, the Paleontological Museum of Villa de Leyva makes for a worthy visit too!
If you have been trying to contemplate life at the Plaza Mayor and failed to be inspired, head on down to the Keys of Love (Llaves del Amor) and you might find some love and life insights at this art gallery + cafe.
With his belief of fixing and transforming discarded or broken articles into useful daily products, Roberto (artist and owner of Llaves del Amor) recognises the true value in items that may not be immediately visible to others in the modern throw-away society. Ranging from outdoor installations, furniture to trinkets, the Keys of Love and its amiable owner give food for thought at a time when the world is battling with environmental issues.
"Besides Cartagena, Villa de Leyva is possibly the next most popular or worthy travel destination in Colombia," said the friendly cafe owner in Iza (a small town in Boyaca). He was not the first to rave about this colonial town. There must be a reason if everyone is singing praises of a particular destination, and I am glad I visited Villa de Leyva in spite of my scepticism.
On hindsight, a weekend visit does not do the destination much justice, but following the words of Lisa Teran, we have to go when it is time to go. The only thing that the errant visitor can hope for is to return and relive magical moments in the near future.