text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

		<meta charset="utf-8">
		<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
		<title>Web Product Dark Hero - Slider Revolution</title>
		<meta name="description" content="Slider Revolution Example" />
		<meta name="keywords" content="fullscreen image, grid layout, flexbox grid, transition" />
		<meta name="author" content="ThemePunch" />
		<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

		<link href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Raleway%3A100%2C400%2C600" rel="stylesheet" property="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" />

		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../revolution/fonts/pe-icon-7-stroke/css/pe-icon-7-stroke.css">
		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../revolution/fonts/font-awesome/css/font-awesome.css">

		<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../revolution/css/settings.css">

			<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../revolution/css/layers.css">

			<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../revolution/css/navigation.css">

			<link href="http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Roboto%3A700%2C300" rel="stylesheet" property="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all" />
			<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../assets/css/noneed.css">

				Online Documentation

Your Slider Revolution jQuery Plugin

Slider Revolution is an innovative, responsive Slider Plugin that displays your content the beautiful way. Whether it's a Slider, Carousel, Hero Scene or even a whole Front Page.
The visual drag & drop editor will help you to create your Sliders and tell your own stories in no time!

		<div class="tp-caption   tp-resizeme rs-parallaxlevel-1"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-1"
			 data-x="['right','right','center','center']" data-hoffset="['-254','-453','70','60']"
			 data-y="['middle','middle','middle','bottom']" data-voffset="['50','50','211','25']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="image"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"x:right;","speed":1500,"to":"o:1;","delay":2500,"ease":"Power3.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 5;text-transform:left;border-width:0px;">

		<div class="tp-caption   tp-resizeme rs-parallaxlevel-1"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-2"
			 data-x="['left','left','center','center']" data-hoffset="['828','865','70','60']"
			 data-y="['top','top','top','bottom']" data-voffset="['217','216','580','63']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="image"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"z:0;rX:0deg;rY:0;rZ:0;sX:1.5;sY:1.5;skX:0;skY:0;opacity:0;","mask":"x:0px;y:0px;s:inherit;e:inherit;","speed":1500,"to":"o:1;","delay":3350,"ease":"Power3.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 6;text-transform:left;border-width:0px;">

		<div class="tp-caption   tp-resizeme rs-parallaxlevel-2"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-3"
			 data-x="['left','left','center','center']" data-hoffset="['593','633','-110','-60']"
			 data-y="['top','top','top','bottom']" data-voffset="['203','203','590','20']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="image"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"x:right;","speed":1500,"to":"o:1;","delay":2750,"ease":"Power3.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 7;text-transform:left;border-width:0px;">

		<div class="tp-caption   tp-resizeme rs-parallaxlevel-2"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-4"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','center']" data-hoffset="['663','703','212','-60']"
			 data-y="['top','top','top','bottom']" data-voffset="['291','291','632','50']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="image"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"z:0;rX:0deg;rY:0;rZ:0;sX:1.5;sY:1.5;skX:0;skY:0;opacity:0;","mask":"x:0px;y:0px;s:inherit;e:inherit;","speed":1500,"to":"o:1;","delay":3700,"ease":"Power3.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 8;text-transform:left;border-width:0px;">

		<div class="tp-caption   tp-resizeme rs-parallaxlevel-3"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-5"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','left']" data-hoffset="['530','553','127','58']"
			 data-y="['top','top','top','top']" data-voffset="['297','297','622','529']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="image"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"x:right;","speed":1500,"to":"o:1;","delay":3000,"ease":"Power3.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 9;text-transform:left;border-width:0px;">

		<div class="tp-caption   tp-resizeme rs-parallaxlevel-3"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-6"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','left']" data-hoffset="['575','598','150','75']"
			 data-y="['top','top','top','top']" data-voffset="['380','379','663','560']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="image"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"z:0;rX:0deg;rY:0;rZ:0;sX:1.5;sY:1.5;skX:0;skY:0;opacity:0;","mask":"x:0px;y:0px;s:inherit;e:inherit;","speed":1500,"to":"o:1;","delay":3950,"ease":"Power3.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 10;text-transform:left;border-width:0px;">

		<div class="tp-caption WebProduct-Title-Light   tp-resizeme"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-7"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','left']" data-hoffset="['30','30','200','80']"
			 data-y="['middle','middle','top','top']" data-voffset="['-110','-110','137','130']"
						data-fontsize="['90','90','75','75']"
			data-lineheight="['90','90','75','70']"
			data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="text"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"x:-50px;opacity:0;","speed":1000,"to":"o:1;","delay":1000,"ease":"Power2.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 11; white-space: nowrap;text-transform:left;">Beautiful

Websites

		<div class="tp-caption WebProduct-SubTitle-Light   tp-resizeme"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-10"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','left']" data-hoffset="['30','30','200','80']"
			 data-y="['middle','middle','top','top']" data-voffset="['14','44','294','277']"
						data-fontsize="['15','15','15','13']"
			data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="text"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"x:-50px;opacity:0;","speed":1000,"to":"o:1;","delay":1250,"ease":"Power2.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 12; white-space: nowrap;text-transform:left;letter-spacing:2px;font-weight:500;">WORDPRESS / HTML & CSS / JQUERY

		<div class="tp-caption WebProduct-Content-Light   tp-resizeme"
			 id="slide-2957-layer-9"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','left']" data-hoffset="['30','30','200','80']"
			 data-y="['middle','middle','top','top']" data-voffset="['99','127','345','316']"
						data-fontsize="['16','16','16','14']"
			data-lineheight="['24','24','24','22']"
			data-width="['448','356','334','277']"
			data-height="['none','none','76','68']"
			data-whitespace="normal"

			data-type="text"
			data-responsive_offset="on"

			data-frames='[{"from":"x:-50px;opacity:0;","speed":1000,"to":"o:1;","delay":1500,"ease":"Power2.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[0,0,0,0]"

			style="z-index: 13; min-width: 448px; max-width: 448px; white-space: normal;text-transform:left;">Our portfolio includes some of the most prominent clients.

You can be a part now!

		<div class="tp-caption WebProduct-Button rev-btn "
			 id="slide-2957-layer-8"
			 data-x="['left','left','left','left']" data-hoffset="['30','30','200','80']"
			 data-y="['middle','middle','top','top']" data-voffset="['238','238','456','420']"
						data-width="none"
			data-height="none"
			data-whitespace="nowrap"

			data-type="button"
			data-actions='[{"event":"click","action":"scrollbelow","offset":"px","delay":""}]'
			data-responsive_offset="on"
			data-responsive="off"
			data-frames='[{"from":"x:-50px;opacity:0;","speed":1000,"to":"o:1;","delay":1750,"ease":"Power2.easeOut"},{"delay":"wait","speed":1500,"to":"opacity:0;","ease":"Power4.easeIn"},{"frame":"hover","speed":"300","ease":"Linear.easeNone","to":"o:1;rX:0;rY:0;rZ:0;z:0;","style":"c:rgba(51, 51, 51, 1.00);bg:rgba(255, 255, 255, 1.00);bw:2px 2px 2px 2px;"}]'
			data-textAlign="['left','left','left','left']"
			data-paddingtop="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingright="[40,40,40,40]"
			data-paddingbottom="[0,0,0,0]"
			data-paddingleft="[40,40,40,40]"

			style="z-index: 14; white-space: nowrap;text-transform:left;letter-spacing:1px;">GET STARTED TODAY

Find the Documentation ?

We would always recommend to use our online documentation however you can find also our embeded local documentation zipped in the Documentation folder. Online Documentation and FAQ Page is regulary updated. You will find More examples, Visit us also at http://themepunch.com !

Learn how to build your Slider!

Navigation Examples !

You find many Examples for All Skins and Positions of Navigation examples in the examples/Navigation folder. Based on these prepared examples you can build your own navigation skins. Feel free to copy and paste the markups after your requests in your own documents.

Customize the interaction with your visitor!

Layer and Slide Transitions

We prepared a small List of Transition and a light weight Markup Builder in the  examples/Transitions folder. This will help you to get an overview how the Slider and Layer Transitions works. Copy the Markups of the generated Slide and Layer Animation Examples and paste it into your own Documents.

Eye Catching Effects!

Slider Revolution

                Features
                Usage Examples
                Online Documentation

Resources

                FAQ Database
                ThemePunch.com
                Newsletter
                Plugins
                Themes

More Versions

                WordPress
                Prestashop
                Magento
                OpenCart
                Drupal

Follow Us

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Natural Resources Defense Council Visits Butler Shalefields
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a national environmental group, contacted MOB in August with a request to visit Butler County to see what is happening with unconventional well drilling. The President, Frances Brenenke, brought two board members and 6 staff members to Butler to see the impact toxic fracking is having on people and communities.
Two members of Marcellus Outreach Butler, Ping Pirrung and Dennis McCann, hosted a lunch at their home in Middlesex Township on August 27 for our visitors. Janet and Fred McIntyre shared how their lives have been turned upside down and their health compromised since drilling began in the Connoquenessing. Woodlands.
John Stolz, Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Education and professor of biology at Duquesne University, explained the research he has been doing with the aquifers in the Woodlands. Rich Waters, an independent videographer, showed a moving video he created of other families' stories. The final story came from Taylor Jennings who lived across the road from the large gas processing plant on Hartmann Road near Evans City. He described the foul odors, the truck traffic and the contaminated water that he can set on fire.
At the end of the luncheon, Raina Ripple, Director of the Southwest Health Center, told the visitors that the stories of people impacted in Butler County are the same as the stories she is hearing in Washington, Greene and Fayette Counties. People are sick and living with contaminated water and breathing air that forces them to stay indoors. And what is so upsetting to her is that "no one is doing anything to help these people – not the state or local governments, not the medical profession."
The NRDC visitors were visibly moved by what they heard and this was reinforced when they piled into cars and took a tour of the shalefields in Butler County. With Janet McIntyre and John Stolz as guides, a caravan of cars traveled down Brownsdale Road where there are 4 drilling sites within a mile radius from one another. At one site in the Woodlands, the liner from a pond which had held contaminated flowback water had been carelessly left by the side of the road. After visiting several drilling sites, a compression station and the gas processing plant, our guests had to travel south to Washington County where Ron Gulla was hosting a similar event for them the following day to show them the impacts in Southwestern PA.
What were the results of NRDC's tours of fracking sites, like their visit to Butler County? Check out the impressions of Frances Brenenke's, President of NRDC, tour of western PA as captured in her blog.
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/fbeinecke/calling_for_national_fracking.html
On September 19th, NRDC launched the Community Fracking Defense Project. This new project, which is launching in five states—New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and North Carolina—will provide assistance to towns and other local governments that want added control over the siting of and/or protections against the harms of fracking in their communities.
For example, NRDC legal and policy staff, together with local partners, will:
• Assist in drafting local laws and land use plans that control the extent of fracking within their borders and/or limit the harmful effects of fracking.
• Work to re-assert communities' rights to protect themselves under state law.
• Defend relevant zoning provisions and other local laws that are challenged in court.
Kate Sidding, a NRDC attorney, filed an amicus brief in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on behalf of a number of municipalities in support of a lower court decision striking down portions of Act 13, a recently enacted Pennsylvania law that severely limits the ability of local governments to use their zoning powers to control where fracking occurs.
MOB was happy to host NRDC's visit and is encouraged by their response and actions. We need more powerful organizations to step forward and take a stand like NRDC is doing. As more people and organizations stand up and make their voices heard, we increase our chances of stopping this destruction and getting permanent solutions for the people whose lives have been so negatively impacted.
-Dianne Arnold
Dennis K. McCann
Thank you for the informative article. Thank you to all those who seek to protect our environment.
search here link
Water is precious, the unconventional way of well digging leads to the death of underground water resource. The studies that made for this is very relevant, because only the 3 percent of the water in the whole world is drinkable. Thank you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


One final observation in regards to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai, its multicultural epicenter. At the spa forum I attended, I sat next to a young woman wearing the traditional abaya (long black robe) and sheyla (head scarf) worn by some Emirati women. She was taking notes during the panel discussion. I noticed that underneath her long black robe she was wearing blue jeans. And on her feet were rhinestone flip-flops. She carried a designer handbag, wore makeup, and her head scarf had embroidery and some sparkly appliqué. When I leaned over to ask her whether she was in the spa business, she responded in beautiful English that she was from Pakistan and was hoping to open that country's first spa. It was a poignant moment. We aren't so different after all… and the spa industry is a great environment in which to rediscover our similarities.


text:
EBE Technologies has record 2016; revenue grows 24 percent
Aaron Huff, CCJ senior editor
EBE Technologies, a provider of enterprise Decision Support Automation applications, (DSA) for the transportation and logistics industry, announced a strong finish for its 2016 fiscal year ending September 30.
The company had a record 24 percent revenue growth compared to the 2015 fiscal year. This is the eighth consecutive year that growth exceeded 20 percent, it said.
Carriers, shippers and logistics providers use EBE's SHIPS applications to execute transactions automatically and present out-of-standard transactions for manual review. Many of EBE's clients are purchasing multiple modules across the enterprise.
EBE added nearly 50 new transportation companies to its client base in the 2016 fiscal year. These client additions were a result of either a purchase directly from EBE or from one of EBE's white label partners.
EBE is expanding its white label partners to include background verification, training content and dispatch providers.
"The success we achieved this year is a direct result of EBE's continued investment in the development of applications, cloud computing offerings and additional staffing resources," said Larry Kerr, president of EBE. "I feel our continued success is based on EBE's understanding of the data being produced from our client's legacy systems such as dispatch, accounting and mobile communications and how our applications can determine an exception or complete a transaction without review."
The company says its latest SHIPS 6.0 release provides extensive use of web services and responsive interfaces which will allow clients to make changes to outward facing web applications that will provide more configuration and administration functions. A phased release is scheduled to be in production by December, 2016 with a full release scheduled for the second quarter of 2017.
Kerr expects new client adoption in 2017 will be focused on replacement of legacy document imaging systems, new and enhanced solutions for recruiting, safety and risk, vehicle maintenance, learning management system (LMS) and accounts payable applications, as well as EBE's mobile applications.
Pegasus TransTech hires logistics exec George Abernathy
Dana intros axles for hybrid, electric vehicles
Mack making GuardDog Connect standard on LR refuse models
Market Report: Fleet Sizes, Driver Reporting, Trucking Jobs and Salaries
Sponsored by Fullbay
Heavy-Duty Maintenance Checklist
Maintenance is a critical part of vehicle upkeep—we're preaching to the choir here, but you know what? It doesn't hurt to repeat it at times. Check out our latest downloadable maintenance checklist and give it a whirl!


In Acts 8, we meet a man named Simon who told everyone in Samaria that he was great. He was a magician (some translations say sorcerer) who gained popularity through his craft. According to the text, Simon is inspired by the good news of Jesus, is baptized, and becomes a follower of Philip. He's even amazed at the miracles Philip performs by the power of Holy Spirit. However, he sees this power not as a sign of increasing faith in Jesus, but more so an asset to give his magic career a bigger audience. Later, he offers Peter money so that he might receive the Holy Spirit's power. Peter doesn't hold back in calling him out and Simon walks away repentant. It's a crazy story; and it speaks to an issue many of us secretly wrestle with: ambition.
Simon wants people to think he's great. More than likely, many of you are like me in wanting the same thing. Fame, popularity, success, winning – these are the drivers that keep us pushing through school and working as hard as we can. We want to be great, and we want our greatness to be acknowledged by others. Some call this ambition. Ambition is rarely used in a positive sense. Simon is definitely ambitious, but that's not the problem here. The problem is that Simon tries to shortcut the process of success by using God's power versus submitting to it.
Contrary to what you might've been told, Jesus isn't put off by your dreams, even your dreams to be great. Having influence and affluence can be an asset to the mission of Jesus. And the power of the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to handle and steward greatness in such a way that it actually points to God. But friends – you cannot buy God's support of your dreams. As Simon found out, the Holy Spirit is not for sale and the power of God cannot be purchased with money. If you want God's support of your dreams, you have to be willing to surrender yourself to the power of God in your life.
Surrendering to God's power looks different for all of us. But one thing is for sure – submitting to God's power means dealing with the intentions of the heart. This is what Peter calls out in verse 22; Simon needs to repent of the "intent of his heart". If the Holy Spirit comes after anything, it's the secret intentions and motivations of the human heart. God did not have an issue with Simon's desire to be great (i.e. ambition) ; it was the reason why he wanted to be great. It's the same for each of us.
Do you wanna be great? Popular? Successful? Hear the Holy Spirit ask you 'why?' Allow the Holy Spirit access to the intents behind your ambitions. Surrender to the Holy Spirit's power to refine your motivations so that you can be blessed with greatness and not overcome by it. God's Spirit can be trusted. The truth is, God is more invested in your future than you'll ever be. May we learn from Simon, submitting to the work of the Spirit, so that we can have ambitions that are supported by Jesus.


Sentta at Mutante magazine, an important design magazine as made an article about Sentta's debut at maison et objet paris 2017!
It was a real honor for us to be spoken by such an high ranked magazine, that took the time to make an article not only about our debut, but also explain all the concept of our brand.
Sentta was born from the combination of tradition and industry expertise, stating its differentiation by working with experienced international designers to bring their global perception to the brand. The result is a contemporary and elegant seating collection to highlight the finest high-end hospitality and home interiors.


text:
Electrical & Burn Injury
Elderly man with Parkinson's ended up engulfed in flames as result of nursing home's neglect- 2900000.0000
Rossie B. v. Roe Nursing Home
Rossie, an 80-year-old man who suffered from Parkinson's disease and other health issues, was left unattended in his wheelchair to smoke a cigarette. A short time later, Rossie was discovered in his wheelchair engulfed in flames. Rossie was rushed to the hospital with 20-25% of his body severely burned.
LEGAL THEORIES AND STRATEGIES
The nursing home was chronically understaffed. Rossie's injuries were primarily caused by the nursing home's reckless neglect. The risk of death or serious injury to Rossie while smoking unsupervised was readily apparent. The nursing home had been warned by Rossie's family that Rossie enjoyed smoking, but required supervision when doing so because of the Parkinson's disease.
CASE RESULT
$2.9 million settlement
Electrocution Accident – Reporter Electrocuted While Covering Story- 17800000.0000
Adrienne Doe v. Parent Corp.
Adrienne Doe, a well-known television reporter in Southern California, was in a news van being driven by her photographer. The van had a telescoping mast with microwave antennae that allowed the reporter to make live video transmissions. The driver parked the van on the driveway of an automotive shop. As a result, the antennae angled toward the power lines as the mast extended up into the sky.
Doe was unaware of this dangerous condition and was in the process of preparing to cover the story when she suddenly heard her driver and others start screaming for her to get out of the van. She rushed out of the van. As soon as her right foot touched the electrified ground, the electric current flowed through her body, causing devastating injuries.
The broadcasting company for which Doe worked had never given its employees training on the dangers posed by the telescoping masts in light of their being used near power lines. Nor did the company make its employees aware of any emergency procedures to follow in the event a news van mast inadvertently contacted an overhead power line, which would electrify the van.
$17.8 million settlement
Electrocution Accident – Worker on Ladder Suffers Burns from Power Line- 1330000.0000
Wentz v. Triangle
Doe accidentally contacted a high voltage overhead power line located near where he was working standing on a ladder. He had not been warned about nearby high voltage overhead power lines. He suffered severe burns as a result of the incident.
$1.33 million jury verdict, reduced to $800,000 for comparative fault
Industrial Accident Causes Burn Injury & Amputation- 2300000.0000
Guevara v. Roe Machine Co.
Guevara was operating an industrial iron pressing machine. She reached to grab a napkin that was being pressed when the machine malfunctioned, severely burning her arm. Her arm was later amputated as a result of her injuries. Plaintiff contended that the machine was defective in its design.
Man killed by exploding 100-pound propane cylinders- 4850000.0000
The Doe Family v. Durnall and Campora Propane, Inc. and Manchester Tank & Equipment Co.
Jim Doe took two 100-pound propane cylinders to defendant Durnall and Campora Propane to be filled. The cylinders were overfilled, which did not leave room in the tanks for the propane to safely expand without dangerously venting gas. The tanks' certifications also had expired, and the tanks were not fitted with overfill-protection devices, which would have prevented the overfilling.
After the cylinders were filled with propane, Doe drove home and parked his pickup truck in the driveway. A couple of hours later, he heard a hissing noise coming from near his truck and he went to investigate. A neighbor also heard the hissing sound and went to check. The neighbor saw a large cloud of propane vapor venting into the air from the back of Doe's truck. Jim Doe was standing on the ground behind the truck. Suddenly, the propane cloud exploded in a fireball, engulfing him. The skin was burned off more than 80% of his body.
Doe was never again able to speak with anyone due to the severity of his pain and injuries. Despite heroic efforts by the trauma center to save his life, Jim Doe died two months after the explosion due to complications from his severe burn injuries.
Doe's family contended that Durnall & Campora: (1) negligently overfilled one or both of the propane cylinders causing propane to vent into the air, triggering this explosion; (2) negligently trained the employee who filled Doe's cylinders; (3) negligently filled the two propane cylinders that Doe leased from Durnall & Campora, as neither cylinder was legally certified on the day of the accident; (4) negligently allowed customers, including Doe, to transport propane cylinders in horizontal fashion, thus increasing the danger of a propane incident; and (5) negligently failed to warn Doe of the consequences of transporting the propane cylinders in a horizontal fashion.
Does also alleged that Manchester, who manufactured the cylinders, was strictly liable for selling defective propane cylinders that failed to adequately warn consumers of the risk associated with transporting propane cylinders, and for failing to incorporate an overfill-protection device in its cylinders.
$4.85 million settlement. This is one of the highest wrongful death settlements ever reported in San Joaquin County.
Man suffers burns, amputations and paraplegia after contacting power line- 29000000.0000
Tuiaki v. Adelphia
A 36-year-old lineman, Sifa Tuiaki, suffered catastrophic injuries when he came into contact with a 7,200-volt power line. Tuiaki was working from an elevated workbasket installing a fiber-optic cable system. His co-worker was slowly driving the bucket truck around a turn in the highway, while Tuiaki elevated Tuiaki's workbasket and the fiber-optic support cable to avoid some redwood trees. In doing so, Tuiaki backed into a power line that contacted the back of his neck and hardhat. Tuiaki suffered bilateral amputation of both arms, burns over 45% of his body and paraplegia.
Suit was brought under the following theories: (1) negligent construction management against defendants Adelphia, Pauley Construction and FJS; (2) negligent premises maintenance against defendants Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Pacific Bell, Western Environmental Consultations (WECI) and Davey Tree Surgery; and (3) products liability against the manufacturer/successors in interest of the uninsulated bucket tree, i.e. Mobile Tool International (MTI), American Premier Underwriters (APU) and General Cable Corporation.
Tuiaki was hospitalized for over seven months and underwent 14 surgeries. His wife, Lupe, age 37, was five months pregnant at the time of the accident with their second child. Their oldest child was four years old at the time. Lupe Tuiaki claimed loss of consortium due to her husband's severe injuries. Tuiaki claimed past and future medical expenses and wage loss over $13,000,000, which was disputed by the defendants.
Since the accident, Tuiaki obtained a general contractor's license and used funds from his settlement to start his own business. He actively oversees construction from his wheelchair with the assistance of his wife.
$29 million settlement.
Teenage girl suffered third degree burns to 25% of her body after being sprayed by boiling hot radiator coolant- 1500000.0000
Porter v. Caltrans and Doe Dealership
Porter, a teenager girl, was driving on the Bay Bridge. Her car began to overheat and stalled on the bridge. When the tow truck driver arrived, he turned the radiator cap on the overheated car. This caused boiling hot coolant to explode out of the coolant reservoir and spray Porter, who was standing nearby.
The tow truck driver failed to advise Porter to move away from the vehicle while he was removing the radiator cap. Porter received third degree burns over 25% of her body.
Woman Suffered Severe Genitalia Burns From Hygenique Surgigator
Jane Doe et al. v. Marin General Hospital
Jane Doe suffered severe second-degree burns to her genital area in an accident involving a hygenique Surgi-gator. Shortly after giving birth, Doe was assisted to the bathroom to clean her genital area. Doe was still under the effects of the epidural anesthesia she had received for the delivery. She was instructed to use a "warm water" shower-type device called a hygenique Surgi-gator to clean herself. As instructed, she sprayed her genital area with a hand-held spray device and cleaned herself.
A few hours later, as her anesthesia wore off, Doe discovered that her "crotch was on fire," and that she had suffered severe burn injuries to her vaginal and perineal areas.
Because of the burn injuries she sustained, Doe was transferred to the St. Francis Hospital burn unit where she was treated for 12 days. Suit was brought against the manufacturer of the surgigator device, Andermac, and Marin General Hospital, the owner of the product and the premises where the accident occurred.
8 results found. Viewing page 1 of 1.
Pull Up a Chair!
Tell Us Your Story.
Call (415) 940-7176 or email us below to request your FREE consultation.
Meet Our Personal Injury Law Firm
At Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn, our San Francisco personal injury lawyers are nationally recognized legal advocates who have recovered more than $350 million for our clients. To our peers and opponents, we are professionals who get results. To our clients, we are compassionate and approachable. Discover how our award-winning attorneys can be of service to you.


text:
Destinations Food & Drink News Stay Video
Follow CNN Travel
Is this the most historic plane in the world?
By Thom Patterson, CNN
Published 8:14 AM EDT, Fri July 19, 2013
This Boeing VC-137C is the first custom-built jet to serve as Air Force One. Codenamed Special Air Mission -- or SAM -- 26000, the airliner witnessed more presidential history than any other -- ranging from the tragic to the hilarious. It sits in the Presidential Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
SAM 26000 may be "the most important historical airplane in the world," said Air Force historian Jeff Underwood. It supported a mission to open U.S relations with China and flew to secret Paris peace talks during the Vietnam War. But it's probably most closely tied to President John F. Kennedy, who first used it in 1962.
First lady Jacqueline Kennedy and the president exit SAM 26000 in Texas in November 1963, just hours before the president would be assassinated. Five months earlier, the plane had flown Kennedy to Berlin, where he delivered his historic "I am a Berliner" address.
This is likely the most famous photograph ever taken aboard any presidential aircraft. Hours after the attack -- and shortly before SAM 26000 left Dallas -- Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president with the first lady at his side. Federal Judge Sarah Hughes administered the oath, the only woman ever to do so.
At Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, the president's casket was offloaded onto an ambulance from SAM 26000, where it had been placed in the rear of the cabin. "The crew didn't want President Kennedy's casket to travel in the cargo hold," said then-flight engineer Joe Chappell on C-SPAN in 1998. "So they made room for it in the passenger compartment." To create the extra space, Chappell said he helped remove two rows of seats and a separating wall.
The president's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, was anxious to board the plane after it arrived. Shown here with the first lady, RFK "leaped up" the airline stairs in a rush to console Mrs. Kennedy, according to historian Steven Gillon. He "pushed his way down" the aisle past President Johnson "without saying a word." Johnson "fumed that Kennedy would board the plane without even acknowledging him," Gillon wrote in "The Kennedy Assassination, 24 Hours After."
President Johnson is seen here meeting with Sens. Mike Mansfield, left, and J. William Fulbright, far right. All presidents aboard Air Force One used it to multitask. For example, at a 1964 campaign stop, LBJ gave an impromptu press conference on the plane while he changed clothes.
In 1972, SAM 26000 ferried President Richard Nixon to Beijing on a groundbreaking mission to open U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China. The aircraft was welcomed by a 350-man Chinese military honor guard.
National Archive
In 1981, Nixon and fellow ex-presidents Gerald Ford, left, and Jimmy Carter, right, flew SAM 26000 to the funeral of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. (Also attending: former first lady Rosalynn Carter.) They felt "somewhat ill at ease" together, wrote Carter years later. Then Nixon "surprisingly eased the tension," Carter recalled. The men bonded. The trip resulted in a long friendship between bitter election rivals Carter and Ford.
Many aviation enthusiasts, aircraft geeks and history buffs see the jet as a national treasure. As Vice President Al Gore put it when he last boarded it in 1998: "If history itself had wings, it probably would be this very aircraft."
Codename: SAM 26000
Budget cuts make ex-Air Force One, aka SAM 26000, off limits
Expert: It may be "the most important historical airplane in the world"
SAM 26000 served as a stage for several major historic events
It carried JFK's casket, hosted LBJ's swearing in, and ferried Nixon to China
It may be the most historic plane in the world: Special Air Mission 26000, SAM for short. Not familiar? Maybe you know its nickname. Back in its heyday the sleek, blue and white airliner was called Air Force One.
This ain't just ANY Air Force One. SAM 26000 saw more historic events than any other – ranging from the tragic to the hilarious. A national treasure, the airliner now sits in the Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio.
But you can't see it. It's off limits to visitors. For many history buffs and aviation geeks, that's a cryin' shame.
If things were different, visitors could walk down the same cabin aisles where Jacqueline Kennedy mournfully sat beside her husband's casket en route from Dallas to Washington. You could stand in the exact spot where the only woman to preside over a presidential oath swore in Lyndon Johnson as commander-in-chief. Examine with your own eyes the on-board suites that carried President Richard Nixon to Beijing, where he cracked open U.S. relations with China.
For more than 30 years, the 100-ton plane transported some of the most powerful figures on the planet – and once it even carried a history-making ex-White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. Yep, SAM 26000 has seen a few eyebrow-raising situations over the years.
Oh my, if only this plane could talk.
"A person could justify that it's the most important historical airplane in the world," Air Force historian Jeff Underwood said on the phone, just a stone's throw away from the jet. "It's a place in history that moves. Every time I get on board, that's what I think about."
Air Force One heading to auction
So what's the problem? Why is this $36 million plane – paid for by taxpayers – shut away in a darkened hangar?
It's ironic if you think about it. The plane perhaps most associated with politics has fallen victim to political gamesmanship.
About 500 miles away, inside the bubble of Washington's Beltway, political fighting triggered mandatory budget cuts called sequestration. The Air Force ordered the museum to economize – including temporarily closing the Presidential Gallery where SAM 26000 is parked. Buses that are required to transport visitors to SAM 26000's special hangar are just too pricey. So they shut it down.
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh —
Drawing more than a half-million visitors each year, the world-famous Oshkosh, Wisconsin, airshow sounds like Woodstock for aviation geeks. Except more organized and louder.
Courtesy EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
Team RV —
The Team RV aerobatic squadron is slated to perform at this July's Oshkosh airshow. Team RV's homebuilt aircraft -- designed by Richard VanGrunsven -- perform at speeds over 200 mph while pulling g-forces up to 6 times normal gravity.
Warbirds —
"Warbird" aircraft are central to the Oshkosh experience. As a teen, CNN commenter XR1138 remembered watching World War II ace Clarence "Bud" Anderson perform "the most incredible display of piloting skill and energy management that I have ever seen and probably will never see again."
San Diego Air & Space Museum —
Welcoming visitors to the San Diego Air & Space Museum is the U.S. Navy's Sea Dart. It was designed as "the first combat-type plane equipped with retractable hydro-skis, the first delta-winged seaplane, and the first supersonic seaplane in the world," according to the museum.
Courtesy San Diego Air & Space Museum
Horten 229 V3 Flying Wing —
Nazi Germany's Horten 229 V3 was "the first pure flying wing powered by a turbojet," according to the museum. It also was the "first aircraft designed to incorporate what became known as stealth technology." The museum's exhibit is a full-scale replica built by Northrop Grumman from original plans.
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum —
The media nicknamed it the Spruce Goose because it's made of wood. But this seaplane with the wingspan of a football field was orginially called the HK-1 and then later the H-4 Hercules when it was developed in the 1940s. It's now living at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Courtesy Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
Howard Hughes in the cockpit —
This photo shows billionaire businessman and aviator Howard Hughes in the aircraft's cockpit on the actual day of its only flight -- November 2, 1947. Hughes was at the controls off Long Beach, California, when the giant plane flew for one minute a distance of a little more than one mile at an altitude of 70 feet, according to the museum.
Keystone/Getty Images
Troop transport —
The aircraft, also known as the "Flying Boat" was designed to transport hundreds of World War II-era troops across the Atlantic more safely than ships, which were vulnerable to enemy submarines, according to the museum.
Inside the hull —
This 1945 photo shows the incomplete hull of the Spruce Goose. The plane is six times larger than any aircraft of its period, according to the museum.
Keystone Features/Getty Images
Grissom Air Museum —
Grissom Air Museum in Peru, Indiana, is an "off-the-beaten-path gem," wrote CNN commenter lastdomino. "If you're ever close ... [it's] definitely worth the trip." A crown jewel at Grissom is this F-100C Super Sabre, formerly flown by Apollo 11 moonwalker Neil Armstrong.
Courtesy Grissom Air Museum
George W. Bush's TF-102A Delta Dagger —
This rare, two-seat TF-102A Delta Dagger was flown by a young George W. Bush, according to Grissom Air Museum. This model could reach a top speed of 646 mph -- just under the speed of sound.
Film star: 'Passionate Paulette' B-25J bomber —
This bomber was one of several B-25 Mitchells flown in the 1970 film "Catch-22." Named "Passionate Paulette," it's one of 139 surviving B-25s, 48 of which are still flying, according to Grissom Air Museum.
National Museum of the USAF —
CNN commenter Mark Swanson said this museum is "Mecca for all true believers in the First Church of Aircraft Worship." This Boeing VC-137C is a plane that served as Air Force One and played a major role in American history.
Courtesy National Museum of the USAF
Lyndon Johnson sworn in as president —
The jet, code named SAM 26000, was where Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president on November 22, 1963, after the assassination of President Kennedy. The plane also ferried President Nixon on his historic 1972 mission to China.
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin —
The museum also has this bad boy: a McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, which was developed in the 1940s to be released from a bomber to defend against attacks by enemy fighter planes. The project was killed in 1949, according to the museum.
Aircraft destinations you like
"People are very disappointed," says Sarah Swan of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Staffers are trying to determine whether to hold events marking the 50th anniversary of JFK's death this November. It's bad timing, she admits. Last year, SAM 26000 ranked among the museum's most popular exhibits, drawing almost 90,000 visitors among the facility's total attendance of 1.2 million. Since the hangar doors closed in May, the jet's visitors of course have plunged to zero.
History has happened on this plane. And by stepping aboard SAM 26000, visitors say they can imagine it all.
They can imagine a newly sworn-in president Johnson grabbing ahold of JFK's casket as he helped White House staff pull it through the plane's rear exit into the cabin.
They can paint a mental picture of federal Judge Sarah Hughes swearing in Johnson while a photographer snapped that famous image of LBJ and a grief-stricken and stunned Jacqueline Kennedy.
"You can stand on that spot where President Kennedy's casket came in – you think about the horror of what was going on and the shock of what happened," said Underwood. "You can look forward toward the nose of the aircraft and know that's where the transfer of power took place, and you can see where Mrs. Kennedy sat near the body of her slain husband. Sometimes I still get goosebumps."
You can imagine the pilot – Col. James B. Swindal – as he took off from Dallas to D.C., jetting to an unusually high 41,000 feet to guard against a possible second attack. "He didn't have any idea whether this was part of a large conspiracy," his son, James L. Swindal told, The New York Times. "He wasn't going to take any chances with a new president in the plane."
Imagine the dramatic scene a few hours later outside Washington at Andrews Air Force Base as JFK's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, "leaped up" a portable stairway to board the plane. Rushing to console the first lady, RFK "pushed his way down" the aisle past President Johnson "without saying a word," wrote historian Steven Gillon. An angry Johnson "fumed that Kennedy would board the plane without even acknowledging him," Gillon claims in "The Kennedy Assassination, 24 Hours After."
A few days after that, imagine the plane soaring high over Kennedy's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, as described by historian William Manchester. Saluting the fallen commander in chief, SAM 26000 tipped its wings before Swindal "threw all his fuel controls on full and leaned into the wind" at a blistering 600 mph.
Many associate the jet with JFK, but the plane was tied just as closely to his two successors, LBJ and Nixon.
In 1972, SAM 26000 touched down in the world's most populous nation, as Nixon forged the first U.S. ties with the People's Republic of China. Aboard the plane, a "burly" Nixon aide "blocked the aisle" to keep staffers from following the president down the stairway to the tarmac, national security adviser Henry Kissinger recalled. Nixon didn't want anyone getting in the way of his historic photo op with China's premier.
President Barack Obama rides SAM 28000 and 29000 -- modified military versions of Boeing 747 airliners -- which are much larger than SAM 26000.
Martin H. Simon/Getty Images
Nine years later, imagine Nixon sitting with ex-presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter in the "relatively cramped tail section" of SAM 26000, as TIME magazine described it. They felt "somewhat ill at ease," as they flew to the funeral of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, wrote Carter years later. And they certainly had their reasons – especially Carter and Ford. Just five years earlier Carter, a Democrat, had delivered a stinging election defeat to the GOP's Ford.
Tension also ran high among staffers aboard the flight. They endured long waits to use the lavatories and got upset about who received bigger cuts of steak at dinner, according to author Ronald Kessler.
Then Nixon "surprisingly eased the tension" with "courtesy, eloquence and charm," Carter revealed in a memoir. Aboard SAM 26000, the two former enemies developed a camaraderie and then a friendship, wrote historian Douglas Brinkley.
'Buck naked'
He'd shucked off his underwear and was … standing buck naked and waving his towel for emphasis.
Frank Cormier, White House reporter
Air Force One was designed for presidential multitasking, generations before the word was even invented.
Maybe the funniest example of this concept occurred aboard SAM 26000 at a campaign stop in 1964. Johnson invited reporter Frank Cormier and two colleagues to an impromptu press conference in the plane's bedroom, according to Cormier's book, "The Way He Was."
The president – who wanted to change clothes after giving a speech in the hot sun – astonished the reporters when he "removed his shirt and trousers," while answering their questions about the economy. Johnson then "shucked off his underwear" and kept talking while "standing buck naked and waving his towel for emphasis."
Another time on the jet, Cormier wrote, Johnson was sitting and talking with his legs crossed when an "airman who served as LBJ's valet" kneeled before the president and "quickly removed one of Johnson's shoes and socks, bathed the naked foot then put on a fresh sock and replaced the shoe." Neither the valet nor the president ever acknowledged each other, and Johnson didn't miss a beat of his conversation.
Vice President Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as president after JFK's assassination may be the most famous picture ever taken aboard a presidential aircraft.
The plane carried LBJ's body after his death in 1973, just as it had Kennedy. Twenty-one years later, it ferried Nixon's casket back home to California.
SAM 26000's legacy also includes a footnote labeled, "Monica Lewinsky." The former White House intern who later became a central figure in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton flew aboard the plane as a Pentagon staffer on a tour of European nations in the '90s.
By that time, the aging SAM 26000 had been demoted as a second-tier presidential aircraft and was reserved as a backup. The Air Force introduced a military version of the Boeing 747 – much bigger than SAM 26000 – into the SAM fleet beginning in 1990. SAM 26000 carried about 48 passengers and crew, while the new bigger jets held more than twice as many: 102 passengers and crew with about 4,000 square feet of floor space to roam around in.
"It was such a quantum leap forward in Air Force One's capabilities," said Underwood. "With the added ability of inflight refueling, it freed up Air Force One to do whatever it needed to do."
By 1998, SAM 26000 was done. Then-Vice President Al Gore honored the plane's legacy by hosting its final official flight – a hop from Washington to Columbia, South Carolina, before it traveled to the Air Force museum in Ohio a few months later. "If history itself had wings, it probably would be this very aircraft," Gore said at the time.
As this year's 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination approaches, SAM 26000's caretakers at the Air Force museum have no idea how to plan for it. As Underwood put it, "We're just held in limbo right now."
It's a mystery whether Congress will end sequestration in October – or if even deeper cuts will follow. The Air Force is already preparing for a worst-case scenario.
At the Pentagon, Air Force brass have no plans to change the current funding situation at the museum – at least through October, said Air Force Lt. Col. Laurel Tingley. After that, she said, "we don't know what the new normal will look like in our current fiscal-constrained environment."
In the meantime, the Air Force "will continue to take action to reduce spending" as a way to support "overseas contingency operations and preserve readiness," Tingley said.
"It's heartbreaking," says Rep. Michael Turner, a Republican member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee who represents the museum's district. "These are incredibly historic aircraft," Turner said, which are inaccessible to visitors because of sequestration that he described as "shameful and outrageous."
Turner called on the Senate and President Barack Obama to come to the table with a solution and break the deadlock.
Despite the closure of the museum's Presidential and Research and Development Galleries, the facility remains open seven days a week, and admission is free.
But until funds appear – or lawmakers in Washington can come together – the world's most historic plane will stay behind closed doors.
Air Force returns sequestration-grounded Thunderbirds to the sky


Take the stress away from party planning and treat your little one to a birthday they'll remember forever with a ridiculously fun party package for up to 10 kids courtesy of Insportz Playdays Sandringham! Over the two hours designated, they'll enjoy an array of games on Insportz' own indoor beach, celebrate with party food and drinks, then finish things off with some fun in the indoor sports court.
Insportz Sandringham is dedicated to providing fun, friendly competitive sports for all ages, from little athletes with plenty of energy to grown-ups looking for a fun, social way to keep fit.


Located in a quiet, new subdivision in Newcastle, this new home is a 3 bed / 2 bath with a den. It has 2050 square feet. It has 2 fireplaces, 1 gas and 1 wood burning. It..
Want in the Bethany School District? Here is the remodeled 4800 Willow Ave with 3 spacious bedrooms and 2 gorgeous baths with a new roof, new HVAC, new Electric Panel and..
Beautiful 4 bed 2 bath with fully fenced yard. Inside you will find the latest colors and interior amenities. The open floor plan provides ease in furniture arranging. Ti..
10500 NW 40th Street, Yukon (Stonebridge West Addition) Very Clean! Fresh paint with new carpet, wood floors, and blinds throughout. . . . . . . . . . . .Contact..
Wonderful Remodeled Home In Walking Distance To Parkland Elementary, Independence Middle School, and Yukon High School! THIS HOME HAS BEEN ALMOST COMPLETELY REMODELED!! ..


With its spaciousness and comfort it is an excellent choice for a large family because its interior allows carefree daily rhythm of every family. The apartment is for 6 people. It consists of three bedrooms, kitchen, a large sitting-room and 2 WC's with shower. Included: TV+ satellite, air condition,washing machine,dishwasher and WI-fi.


text:
Andre Ragel
Professional Co-op Students
Internship Students
From the Bellegarde Boathouse dock, young Andre Ragel stepped cautiously into the bobbing boat, excited to begin his first day of lessons with the UMass Lowell Youth Rowing Summer Program.
There was just one problem, though: Ragel didn't know there would be a swim test. Suddenly, the boat full of middle school-aged campers was tipped, and everyone was sent happily splashing into the Merrimack River. Everyone, that is, except for Ragel, who could barely tread water. The instructors quickly handed him a life jacket.
"It was embarrassing," Ragel recalls. "But it motivated me. I thought, 'I need to learn how to swim.'"
Ragel not only learned how to swim, he went on to make the varsity swim team at Lowell High School. He then joined the club swim team his freshman year at UMass Lowell, specializing in freestyle events.
Turns out, Ragel is perfectly comfortable being thrown into the deep end.
"My best work comes when I'm under pressure," says Ragel, a rising sophomore majoring in business administration with a concentration in management and a minor in public health. "It only motivates me to do better and stay on top of things, because they need to get done."
Ragel learned that fearless, sink-or-swim attitude from his mom, Kathryn, who raised him on her own in their native Philippines. When Ragel was 8 years old, his mom moved them halfway around the world to Lowell, where they didn't know a soul. In search of better opportunity, Kathryn had found a nursing job at Lowell General Hospital through a recruiter. Mother and son settled into a small apartment just a mile from the UML campus.
"Two-hundred dollars and a dream" is how Ragel describes the life-changing move, referring to what money his mom had when they stepped off the plane that chilly day in January 2007.
Thrown into the deep end in his new home, Ragel worked hard to learn English. By his senior year of high school, he was editor of the student newspaper and taking AP courses. Ragel's hard work was rewarded with Lowell High's Tsongas Scholarship, guaranteeing him a four-year full ride at UMass Lowell.
Admitted to the Honors College, Ragel joined the First-Year Commonwealth Honors Living Learning Community at University Suites. But Ragel found it wasn't easy adjusting to the pace and independence of college life. He started looking for a life jacket.
"I needed help adapting to the college lifestyle," says Ragel, who found a mentor in senior lecturer Deb Finch, director of first-year experience for the Manning School of Business. "She connected me with like-minded people, which was huge."
Ragel joined the DifferenceMaker Program, and his team finished second at the DCU Innovation Contest with its project ATMpal. He began writing for the Connector student newspaper and was named news editor by the spring semester his freshman year. He joined the Marketing Society, DECA and the Chess Club.
And if that wasn't enough, Ragel also landed the job of Move-Out Coordinator with the Office of Sustainability. At the end of his freshman year, while most of his peers were scattering for the summer, Ragel was overseeing the collection of thousands of pounds of furniture, clothing, food and miscellaneous items left behind by students as they vacated residence halls. Ragel organized a team of volunteers to sort the items so they could be donated to local nonprofits.
"I wanted to do something that made an impact at the university," says Ragel, who also helped coordinate the "Spring into Recycling" events on campus.
In 2015, Ragel and his mom became U.S. citizens, taking their oaths at Lowell Memorial Auditorium. The last time they visited the Philippines, where Ragel's grandmother still lives, was 2011.
"Hopefully we'll visit again soon. I do miss home," Ragel says. "But we moved here to seek better opportunities, and I feel that's something we have accomplished. I'm definitely in a better place and on the right track."
Looking back at his freshman year, Ragel is glad he dove in headfirst. "It makes it more fulfilling to go back to my room at night when I feel exhausted," he says with a hybrid smile-laugh that punctuates much of his conversation.
With three years of undergraduate studies still ahead, Ragel doesn't think he's exhausted his extracurricular opportunities. He plans to join the Student Government Association and wants to study abroad, maybe in New Zealand or Australia. Travel is one of his favorite hobbies (he's already more than halfway to his goal of visiting all 50 states). "It's better to get out of your comfort zone sometimes and try new things than to not try at all," he says.
And there's one other item on Ragel's to-do list: He wants to take a different kind of plunge and try skydiving.
Snapchat Takeover: Andre Ragel
Andre is a business management major who lives on campus in University Suites as part of the First-Year Commonwealth Honors Living Learning Community. He also works at UMass Lowell's Office of Sustainability.


on 1 real week there is no infestation ;D to be honest it may be to go for one. they`ll get out of the way or roll trying lmao just think of them as orange cones in a road rally lol just kidding could be interesting. i would say a mon thru fri trip or wens thru fri would good in oct. there only there for the weekends.
but for that to happen we would need to pick a date now to reserve now for a chance to get a fri night to leave sat morning.
I was looking at October dates, some are getting full already. The week of Oct. 8 thru 13 has 11 spots left in Cowboy, Oct 15 thru 20 only has 6 open spots. I never reserved this early for the fall. ??????????????


text:
Archive for Revolution
Documentary: Red Oil
Posted in International Affairs, Marxism with tags Free, Free Market, Hugo Chavez, Imperialism, Latin America, Revolution, Socialism, Venezuela on March 31, 2009 by Umer
An inside look at the financial engine behind Cavez's socialist government: The film follows the dramatic ups and downs of Venezuela's state oil company as Chavez takes control with the aim of using its profits to further socialistic goals.
Ashfaqulla Khan
Posted in Communist Movement, Pakistan with tags Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat Singh, History, Independence movement, Kakori, National Liberation, Revolution on December 22, 2008 by Umer
Bahadur ke mut ek baar hoti hai
Buzdil har roz sau baar marta hai
– Ashfaqulla Khan
Ashfaqulla Khan was hanged on 19th December, 1927. Today, 19th December, 2008, is his 81st death anniversary.
Ashfaqulla Khan was born on October 22, 1900 in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He was the youngest of the six children of Shafiqur Rahman and Mazharunissa. His father worked in the police department.
Ashfaqulla was school student when Mahatma Gandhi called for the Non-Cooperation Movement. This had a great influence on him and shaped him to become a freedom fighter. He was labeled as a terrorist by the British Government for his active participation in the train robbery at Kakori.
After the Chauri Chaura incident, Mahatma Gandhi's withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement left the youth of India very much depressed. Ashfaqulla was one of them. He felt the urge to free India as soon as possible and joined the extremists.
He made friendship with Ram Prasad Bismil who was a famous revolutionary of Shahjahanpur and a member of the Arya Samaj. In spite of their differences of faith, their common objective to free India from the shackles of the British rule.
A meeting was organized by the revolutionaries on August 8, 1925 in Shahjahanpur. They decided to rob the Government treasury carried in the train to buy arms. So on August 9, 1925 the group of extremists comprising of Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi, Chandrashekar Azad, Keshab Chakravarthy, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, Manmathnath Gupta robbed the train carrying government money in Kakori village. This event is known as the famous Kakori Train Robbery in history.
Ram Prasad Bismil was arrested by the police on the morning of September 26, 1925. Ashfaqulla was still absconding. He went to Banaras from Bihar and started working in an engineering company. He worked there for 10 months. He wanted to go abroad to study engineering which would further help him in the freedom struggle. He went to Delhi for this purpose. He trusted one of his Pathan friends who pretended to help him but in turn handed him over to the police.
Ashfaqulla was confined in the Faizabad jail. His brother Riyasatullah was his counsel who fought the case. The case for the Kakori train decoity ended with the awarding of the death sentence to Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan. The others were given life sentences.
Ashfaqulla Khan was hanged on December 19, 1927.
We honour those who fought for the cause of our freedom from colonial rulers and promise they will never be forgotten.
This message was distributed by the Janbaat Book Distributors, Delhi, at the Pragoti Email List.
When Bengal Cried…
Posted in International Affairs, Pakistan with tags Bangladesh, History, Military, National Liberation, Revolution, terrorism on April 6, 2008 by Umer
The 1971 war against the Bengali population, paved on the "good intentions" of keeping the Pakistan together, was carried out in a classical genocidal fashion. "Kill three million of them," President Yahya Khan reportedly said in February of 1971, "and the rest will eat out of our hands". The genocidal war initiated on 25th of March with the attack on University of Dhaka where hundreds of students were murdered. In the subsequent months, hundreds of thousands of the Bengali people was exterminated, millions of women were raped, and millions were displaced from their homes. History has not forgotten the atrocities committed in the East Bengal by the Pakistani Army and their stooges in Jamaat-e-Islami.
Here, I am presenting the news about a report published by War Crimes Fact Finding Committee (WCFF) that has spent two decades documenting war-time incidents of the 1971 war:
Bangladesh 'war crimes' list out
Bangladeshi war veterans and intellectuals have published a list of alleged war criminals from the country's 1971 independence struggle with Pakistan.
The War Crimes Fact Finding Committee (WCFF) spent two decades documenting war-time incidents and announced the publishing of the list on Friday.
The list has nearly 1,600 names and the publishers are demanding the prosecution of those who are alive.
The WCFF has also proposed the setting up of a post-apartheid South African-style truth and reconciliation commission.
Prominent names
Among the big names on the list are Yahya Khan, president of Pakistan during the 1971 war, General Tikka Khan, under whose command Pakistan launched the military crackdown to crush the liberation movement in Bangladesh and Lieutenant General Ameer Abdullah Khan Niazi, the Pakistani general who surrendered to India in December 1971.
Among the Bangladeshis on the list was Matiur Rahman Nizami, the head of the Jamaat-e-Islami party and a minister in a coalition government until October 2006.
There are several Jamaat-e-Islami members on the list, but the party has dismissed charges against them.
Tasnim Alam, the party spokesman, said: "Only the country's highest court can declare anyone a war criminal. No individual, agency or organisation has any such right."
The group that published the list, however, said around half of those listed were still alive and many were members of Jamaat-e-Islami.
'Bangladeshi collaborators'
MA Hasan of the WFCC said: "Out of the 1,597 people on the list, 369 were Pakistani army personnel. The rest were Bangladeshi collaborators."
"We have been investigating for 17 years. The list is on the basis of field-level investigation, mass graves and eyewitness statements," Hasan added.
"We will give this list to the government and the election commission. Our demand to the government is that those perpetrators should be punished and disqualified from the next election."
A court in the capital Dhaka has also ordered the police to submit a report on allegations against Nizami.
In a case filed by a former Bangladeshi freedom fighter, Nizami has been accused along with 12 others of helping the Pakistani army plan mass killings in which thousands of villagers died.
However, Jamaat-e-Islami has dismissed the charge as an attempt to "defame" the party.
Since Bangladesh's emergency government came to power in January 2007, war veterans have led calls for prosecution of war criminals.


Undergraduate Research | Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla.
A donation of any size helps us offset the cost of registration and travel to Atlanta to present our research. All gifts are 100% tax deductible.
Undergraduate Research (UGR) is student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship that produces, "an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original or creative contribution to the discipline." Undergraduate Research opportunities include projects in departmental honors, research intensive (RI) courses, and independent studies within RI courses.
The Undergraduate Research Program has two co-directors, Dr. Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser and Dr. Daniel Moseley. Both Dr. Bielmyer-Fraser and Dr. Moseley are respected scholars, actively involved in research and experiential learning. Dr. Bielmyer-Fraser is currently assessing water chemistry and metal pollution in the lower St. Johns River, as well as investigating stress physiology and metal toxicology in sharks. Dr. Moseley has been involved in interdisciplinary research with faculty from computer science on the intersection of data science and cybersecurity and with students and colleagues in the mathematics department on educational research.


Pete and Patrick have grown up on different sides of the foster system. When it brings them together Patrick begins to realize things about himself that he's never known. When the circumstances that brought them together pull them apart again they must both figure out how to survive without each other.


text:
Mar 23, 2015 | 01:19
Sam Smith and John Legend top UK Singles Chart, Kendrick Lamar tops UK Album Chart
Sam Smith and John Legend spend a second week at the top of the UK Singles Chart; US rapper Kendrick Lamar tops UK Albums Chart. Holly Rubenstein reports
British singer-songwriter Sam Smith has topped the UK Singles Chart for a second week with his John Legend collaboration, 'Lay Me Down.' The track was released in aid of the charity Comic Relief. British electronica trio Years & Years held on to the number two spot with 'King', while Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney's 'FourFiveSeconds' climbed two places to number 3, claiming the title of the week's most streamed-track, with 1.98 million streams. US rapper Kendrick Lamar scored his first number 1 on the UK Albums Chart with 'To Pimp a Butterfly'. The rapper's sophomore record held off fierce competition from Sam Smith's 'In The Lonely Hour', finishing just 572 chart sales ahead of the singer-songwriter. Dire Straits guitarist, Mark Knopfler came in at number 3 with 'Tracker', earning him the highest-charting album of his solo career.
A mother's quest to cure her son
Flash flood kills 13 in Nepal


Lake Area United Way is a place where people of many backgrounds and perspectives come together, unified in a common vision to make our community better. The strengths of this diversity and the spirit of inclusion are what makes our community both strong and unique. Lake Area United Way is a convening body in this community, a space where people of varied backgrounds and perspectives come together, united in a common vision for a better community.
· The inherent dignity and worth of each person cannot be realized without deliberate efforts to create a climate of inclusion that fosters mutual respect and allows each person to realize their full potential and their ability to contribute fully to the community.
This policy applies to all employees, volunteers, loaned representatives, interns and consultants who work for or with Lake Area United Way.
This Diversity and Inclusion Policy is incorporated into Lake Area United Way's Operating Policies.
Diversity refers to the presence of a wide range of human qualities and attributes within a group or an organization and extends beyond the four categories identified in the federal Employment Equity Act. The dimension of diversity include, but are not limited to, age, gender, race, ethnicity, physical and intellectual ability, sexual orientation, educational background, talent, skill and experience. Diversity is seen as a positive valued concept indicating the richness that exists when people with a variety of backgrounds, orientations, skills and experiences participate in and contribute to an organization's work environment. Diversity encompasses elements of understanding, acceptance and respect. It emphasizes the need to embrace and celebrate the varied dimensions of diversity within each individual.
Inclusiveness is an attribute of organizational culture characterized by a demonstrated commitment to diversity. An inclusive organization is one where all employees' contributions are valued, recognized and rewarded; where employees can realize their full potential, are motivated and engaged; and, where innovation is enhanced as diverse teams bring more perspectives to the table and generate more ideas. Inclusiveness also refers to the extent to which an organization fosters interaction, communication, knowledge-sharing and decision-making. An organization with an inclusive culture distributes accountability and responsibility for diversity across all employees and organizational levels.
1. Diversity and inclusion contributes to a more successful and effective organization.
By ensuring a governance model accompanied by a staff and volunteer complement that reflects the demographics of the community we serve, and by implementing policies and practices that foster inclusion, Lake Area United Way, will enhance its ability to attract and retain diverse talent, and respond to the needs of our diverse constituent base.
2. Diversity and inclusion requires a conscious, continuous and deliberate effort.
Inclusion requires the ongoing commitment and involvement of Lake Area United Way's Board of Directors, President & CEO, staff and volunteers to introduce and sustain a culture conducive to the development and implementation of strategies and programs that embrace the various dimensions of diversity.
3. The journey of diversity and inclusion is as important as the destination.
The work of building a truly inclusive organization that embraces diversity is urgent and ongoing. Inclusion is a journey towards continuous improvement with an agreed set of actions founded on sustained change.
c. Incidents and/or behaviors related to discrimination or harassment are addressed appropriately when they occur, including clear guidelines for internal and external complaints procedures.


We help you find the best answer.
Sharing an idea. Collaborating on decisions. Creating and communicating a plan. Telling a story.
All of it is easier when you start off with the right questions and the best answers, not just an answer. We help organizations navigate that process during critical stages of editorial and internal communication projects — at the beginning of the planning process and finalizing material for publication.
Groups struggle to reach agreement. Our workshops are designed to overcome inherent challenges in group communication and to facilitate fast decision-making. We help ensure everyone in the room is heard, and that your group thinks together using a transparent — and memorable — process.
When you write, you want to be heard. We can help you find the story that will engage your audience, and the details they'll need to trust what you have to say. We work with all forms of nonfiction. We can edit and coach one-on-one or design a custom writing workshop to develop the skills your team needs.
We can learn a lot from data, but it can be hard to engage an audience in its findings. From reports to presentations to news and educational websites and special projects — from infographic to visualization to data dashboard — we can help you find the story and develop the right overall editorial strategy.
Want to run your project by us and see how we can help you specifically? Use the form below to reach us and we'll get back to you to schedule a time to talk.


On 1 February 2010, the Smoke Free Partnership organised a seminar in the European Parliament (Brussels) on combating the global illicit trade in tobacco and the consequences for Europe and Africa. The importance of negotiating a strong Protocol at the fourth Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB4) in Geneva in March was the main focus.
The speakers were Austin Rowan (Head of Unit, Task Group Cigarettes, at the Commission's Anti-Fraud Office [OLAF]), Dr Michael Anibueze (Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria), Luk Joossens (International expert in illicit tobacco trade) and Ian Willmore (Framework Convention Alliance).
The seminar was hosted by Bart Staes MEP.
Please click here to see coverage of the event on the New Europe website.


Global health experts have repeatedly warned of the growing threat of drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis, which are responsible for around 580,000 cases annually. Typical cases of TB have a cure rate of over 90 percent, but MDR-TB cases have a cure rate of around 50 percent.
Advocates in the fight against tuberculosis are pleased that the top global infectious killer is mentioned by name in this year's G-20 Leaders' Declaration.
"The specific inclusion of TB on top of the priority pathogens listed by World Health Organization to be addressed by new efforts in R&D against [antimicrobial resistance] is a great victory of the TB community against many odds," Dr. Mario Raviglione, director of WHO's Global TB Programme, told HuffPost in an email.
By 2050, drug-resistant forms of the airborne disease are expected to account for a quarter of the 10 million deaths due to AMR each year, according to the final report of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, a U.K. committee chaired by the economist Jim O'Neill. More than 75 million people are expected to die of multidrug-resistant TB by 2050.
Lucica Ditiu, executive director of the international Stop TB Partnership, was thrilled that tuberculosis made the final draft of the leaders' declaration.


text:
Forgot Password? Request Secure Access OPI Employee - Request Secure Access
Growth & Enhancement
of Montana Students (GEMS)
GEMS provides access to data collected from Montana's educational community to help inform the OPI, schools, educators, and the community about the success of Montana's schools.
Navigation Guide for New GEMS
Montana Education Facts
Public Schools Districts: 402*
Enrolled Students: 145,632**
*Figures represent 2019-2020 data.
**Figures represent 2020-2021 data.
Statewide Graduation Rate: 85.89%*
School & District Data
Student Privacy & Data Governance
Data Use in Education
Privacy & Security · Website Accessibility
Montana Office of Public Instruction - Putting Montana Students First
This system is the property of the Office of Public Instruction. Unauthorized use is a violation of Montana Code Annotated § 45-6-311. Any and all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized personnel. By using this system, the user consents to such. Unauthorized or improper use of this system may result in civil and criminal penalties. By using this system, you indicate your awareness of and consent to these terms and conditions of use. Do not log in if you do not agree to the conditions stated in this warning


text:
"There's nothing like repentant terrorists' – el-Rufa'i
December 22, 2021 December 22, 2021 Aminu Imam
…Says "Let them go and see God'
Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmed el-Rufa'i, says he does not believe in rehabilitating terrorists.
The governor made his position known yesterday, while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, the best way to deal with the persons terrorising Nigerians is to kill them.
The governor was in the Presidential Villa to brief the President on the recent attack that led to the death of 40 persons in Kaduna State. The governor was accompanied by the State's Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.
He said, "There is nothing like repentant terrorists. The only repentant bandit is the one that is dead. Our intention in the State is to kill them (terrorists); let them go and see God".
The governor further said that the whereabouts of the bandits are not hidden, but that the military is wary of the collateral damage it could cause the civilian community. He added that there are three types of terrorists: the Boko Haram insurgents, the bandits, and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB).
He said the recent declaration of bandits as terrorists has given the military more power to wage war against them.
El-Rufa'i asked for the intervention of the president for more deployment of security forces to enable a comprehensive operation.
He called on the security agencies to carry out aggressive operations against the terrorists.
News, SecurityBanditry, Gov. Nasir el-Rufa'i, Kaduna State
Omicron, Delta increase Covid-19 cases in Nigeria by 500% in 2 weeks – NCDC
Buhari to lawmakers: "Don't meddle in party affairs"
Just In; Counterinsugency; Senate Committee on Army interfaces with Operation Hadin Kai Hqtrs
By; Adamu Aliyu Ngulde; Maiduguri. The Senate Committee on Army led by the chairman, Senator Mohammed...


Therapeutic touch for anxiety disorders.
Robinson, J., Biley, F. and Dolk, H., 2007. Therapeutic touch for anxiety disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3 (CD0062).
Background Anxiety disorders are a common occurrence in today's society. There is interest from the community in the use of complementary therapies for anxiety disorders. This review examined the currently available evidence supporting the use of therapeutic touch in treating anxiety disorders. Objectives To examine the efficacy and adverse effects of therapeutic touch for anxiety disorders. Search strategy We searched the Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Controlled Trials Registers (CCDANCTR-Studies and CCDANCTR-References) (search date 13/01/06), the Controlled Trials website and Dissertation Abstracts International. Searches of reference lists of retrieved papers were also carried out and experts in the field were contacted. Selection criteria Inclusion criteria included all published and unpublished randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing therapeutic touch with sham (mimic) TT, pharmacological therapy, psychological treatment, other treatment or no treatment /waiting list.The participants included adults with an anxiety disorder defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV),the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), validated diagnostic instruments, or other validated clinician or self-report instruments. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently applied inclusion criteria. Further information was sought from trialists where papers contained insufficant information to make a decision about eligibility. Main results No randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials of therapeutic touch for anxiety disorders were identified. Authors' conclusions Given the high prevalence of anxiety disorders and the current paucity of evidence on therapeutic touch in this population, there is a need for well conducted randomised controlled trials to examine the effectiveness of therapeutic touch for anxiety disorders.


Remodeling a bathroom can add substantial value to your home, and each design choice that you make is an important one. Arguably the most important of these choices is the type of shower door that you choose to install, as it will not only be a centerpiece of the bathroom's design, but also contribute a great deal to the sense of space. Read on below to discover different types of doors available to consumers and how each one might be adapted to be the best possible fit for your new bathroom.
Bypass shower doors are one of the most common features in residential bathrooms, and for good reason. They can be constructed from a variety of materials and don't need a great deal of space in which to function. Though some doors feature three panels, most have only two, both of which are capable of sliding parallel to each other (one in front of the other) on a single metal track, to function as a single door. The primary benefit of bypass doors is that they take up hardly any space, and so are best for smaller bathrooms.
It may be the case that your bathroom is too small for even a bypass door to fit. In these sorts of situations, pivot doors are ideal. Pivot doors feature a single door that is capable of swinging either inwards or outwards. Many large but especially narrow bathrooms have pivot doors installed, and they are just as sturdy as their sliding cousins. Sleek metal handles can be installed on pivot doors to make them easier to open and close.
One of the first questions you'll want to ask yourself one you've decided on the best type of door to install is whether or not to frame it. A frame is usually made of aluminum and can lend a sense of durability to a shower door. On the other hand, many modern and minimalist bathroom designs tend to do away with frames, making the shower not only easier to clean, but also easier on the eyes.
Finally, you'll want to consider which glass finish you prefer for your shower door. While completely transparent doors offer the cleanest look, frosted glass offers the opportunity to imprint unique designs. Tinted glass is best for those desiring total privacy, and who also prefer minimalist design. Fore more information about shower door options, visit Mitchell Window & Door.


The Inquiry Page Based on John Dewey's philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner, we use a spiral path of inquiry: asking questions, investigating solutions, creating new knowledge as we gather information, discussing our discoveries and experiences, and reflecting on our new-found knowledge. Each step in this process naturally leads to the next: inspiring new questions, investigations, and opportunities for authentic "teachable moments." The Skills Gap: America's Young Workers Are Lagging Behind New findings suggest that U.S. millennials are far less competent than their peers in Europe and Asia. Young American workers today are more educated than ever before, but the nation's largest generation is losing its edge against the least and most educated of other countries, according to a provocative new report. The report's authors warn these findings portend a growing gap between rich and poor American workers and that the lackluster results threaten U.S. competitiveness in an increasingly globalized market. The report, produced by testing giant ETS, analyzes data collected by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives "If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve," Debbie Millman counseled in one of the best commencement speeches ever given, urging: "Do what you love, and don't stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, imagine immensities…" Far from Pollyanna platitude, this advice actually reflects what modern psychology knows about how belief systems about our own abilities and potential fuel our behavior and predict our success. Much of that understanding stems from the work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, synthesized in her remarkably insightful Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (public library) — an inquiry into the power of our beliefs, both conscious and unconscious, and how changing even the simplest of them can have profound impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. One of the most basic beliefs we carry about ourselves, Dweck found in her research, has to do with how we view and inhabit what we consider to be our personality.
Stormwater Curriculum Units - Sustainability Ambassadors Tahoma School District - Sustainability Education Curriculum Units The Tahoma School District has developed stormwater related curriculum units at multiple grade levels. These units are available for free digital download on the Tahoma School District website. Puget Sound Communities – Grade 3 INQUIRY: How can we contribute to preserving and protecting our local ecology while practicing the skills of community contributors? Virtual Information Inquiry: Information Inquiry In inquiry-based learning environments, students are engaged in activities that help them actively pose questions, investigate, solve problems, and draw conclusions about the world around them. As independent thinkers, children become researchers, writers, videographers, and activists rather than passive receivers of a textbook's content. They do meaningful work that addresses essential questions and important standards. It's critical that learners take ownership of the inquiry process.
Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center Some people think of science as learning facts about the world around us. Others think of science and other ways of knowing as "the having of wonderful ideas" (Duckworth, 1987). This latter view of science and ways of knowing match the characteristics of young children as learners. Young children are naturally curious and passionate about learning (Raffini, 1993). In their pursuit of knowledge, they're prone to poking, pulling, tasting, pounding, shaking, and experimenting. "From birth, children want to learn and they naturally seek out problems to solve" (Lind, 1999, p. 79). MOOCs Aren't Revolutionizing College, but They're Not a Failure A few years ago, the most enthusiastic advocates of MOOCs believed that these "massive open online courses" stood poised to overturn the century-old model of higher education. Their interactive technology promised to deliver top-tier teaching from institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT, not just to a few hundred students in a lecture hall on ivy-draped campuses, but free via the Internet to thousands or even millions around the world. At long last, there appeared to be a solution to the problem of "scaling up" higher education: if it were delivered more efficiently, the relentless cost increases might finally be rolled back.
About Marilee Adams « Inquiry Institute About > About Marilee Adams Marilee Adams, Ph.D., is an author, executive coach, facilitator, and professional speaker. She is president and founder of the Inquiry Institute, a consulting, coaching, and educational organization and the originator of the QUESTION THINKING™ methodologies. Marilee is the author of Teaching That Changes Lives: 12 Mindset Tools for Igniting the Love of Learning, her latest book about cultivating the Learner Mindset for breakthroughs in schools, and Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 10 Powerful Tools for Life and Work, a best-selling business and relationship fable about an executive coach and inquiring leadership. She also authored a textbook, The Art of the Question: A Guide to Short-Term Question-Centered Therapy. She wrote a chapter for Action Learning and Its Applications, Present and Future and coauthored, with Drs.
LID Manual for Schools - Sustainability Ambassadors LID Technical Assistance for Student Engineers Sustainability Ambassadors created the Stormwater Master Campus Planning Manual for schools as a curriculum-based engineering, science and policy guide for how to construct and maintain green infrastructure and other Low Impact Develop techniques on school property. It was developed in collaboration with Cascade Design Collaborative with Funding support from the Tahoma School District and the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. Adapted from the LID Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound developed by the WSU Puyallup Stormwater Research Center and the Puget Sound Partnership, the manual is designed in modular units for replication in other cities and school districts. Explore the chapters below.
The Keys to Inquiry: Introduction "We learn best when we learn from our own experiences." "Children need to be active learners, seeking answers to questions that they care about.""Science should be hands-on and minds-on so that children make sense of what they experience." Introduction 1. Students learn isolated skills and knowledge, starting with the simple building blocks of a particular topic and then building to more complex ideas. While this appeals to common sense (think of the efficiency of a automobile assembly line), the problem with this approach is the removal of any context to the learning, making deep understanding of the content less likely. Perkins calls this approach elementitis, where learning is structured exclusively around disconnected skills and fragmented pieces of information.


An interesting article that discusses the trend of; Data Center Market Growth is Rakesh Sharma's Forbes article on What Drives Data Center Decisions. In this article, Rakesh compares data centers to gold – data centers are a new resource, they are the new gold mines.
He goes on to cite Apple, Google and Microsoft's planned data center expansions as indicative of an emerging trend in data management. All of these massive and highly valuable companies have recognized the benefit of investing in data center infrastructure by making use of the services of companies such as Data Centre Realty (DCR).
In some ways, this data center market growth can be seen as a migration back to the mainframe model, which made use of servers that were connected to terminals with keyboards. The original mainframe model allowed large companies to maintain records and to process their data. However, mainframes were replaced in favour of the client/server model which made use of several nodes that are part of a network which would then be connected to multiple clients. However, the new data center model reverts back to the use of a main center to store data.
Data center market growth has been evident across the marketplace. Sharma notes that even companies on the decline have made investments to expand their data center divisions, demonstrating how crucial a highly effective data center is to successful operations in the modern business world.
While many firms rent data center space from data center companies such as Equinix, Rauof Abdel, who is the regional operating chief of Equinix, says that there are many reasons why it may be beneficial for a company to operate their own data center. The main reason he cites is that of economies of scale. In the long run, it can be cheaper and more efficient for a company to have invested in owning their own data center.
The second reason he cites is one of security. Data must be exchanged whenever a transaction is made, and customers will want to be sure that the data they provide remains secure. The best way for a company to provide a guarantee of security is by maintaining control of their own data center.
Third, owning a data center allows for a level of customizable scalability that allows companies to adjust based on the demand of their customer base. Abdel mentions that this is particularly key for companies undergoing market tests of new products, as demand is likely to fluctuate.
The decision of locating a data center is primarily influenced by finances, climate and network availability. Cooling costs can add up, and so many companies will choose a location where they can make use of outside temperatures to control the temperature of their infrastructure.
The availability and speed of network providers is also key because it allows companies to connect with their clients. Connecting to network hubs provides a connection more secure than a general internet connection that also provides access to many new customers, since the network hubs have clients themselves.


Glee's Melissa Benoist has been cast to play the coveted role of Kara Zor-El in the CBS adaptation of Supergirl.
Melissa has starred as Marley Rose in FOX's hit series Glee since the show's fourth season and with the series set to end this year, Melissa has already secured her next gig as the superhero.
According to the network, the series follows Kara, who escaped Krypton amid its destruction years ago, hiding the powers she shares with her famous cousin, Superman, since arriving on Earth. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and become the hero she was always meant to be.
You can also look out for Melissa in Danny Collins opposite Al Pacino, Billy Boy and upcoming Nicholas Sparks film The Longest Ride.
What are your thoughts on Melissa's casting? We'd love to hear them in the comments below!


Ballinameen Ladies Club will hold their AGM on Sunday 3rd December at 12pm in the Club Rooms in Ballinameen. Everyone welcome to attend.Congratulations to Ruth Kelly and Antony on their recent wedding. Wishing ye all the best for the future.


Zambia's government has denied that the country faces an economic crisis. Yet many Zambians suspect that the money it owes China is reaching unsupportable levels.
Amos Chanda, a spokesman for President Edgar Lungu, told VOA that while Zambia may have economic issues, it is far from a debt crisis.
"The economy is going at four percent. But that is not to say there is no economic problem. There are economic problems, but you can't call them a crisis," Chanda said.
He also denied reports that Chinese companies were taking control of government property.
"There is no single Chinese company taking over," he said.
Chanda noted that Zambia received a $30 million interest-free loan and $30 million grant at the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation. The meeting was held last week in Beijing.
Concerns remain high that China is seeking what some observers call "debt-trap diplomacy," with the goal of taking control of Africa's strategic assets.
One such example comes from the Africa Confidential website. It published a story on Zambia's national broadcaster, ZNBC, earlier this month. It said that "the state-owned TV and radio news channel ZNBC is already Chinese-owned."
However, investigative reports from local media show the reality is more complex.
In 2017, another website, called Tumfweko, reported that the Zambian government and China created a joint project to digitize Zambia's broadcast services. It is called TopStar Communications Limited.
The Chinese company Start Times owns 60 percent of TopStar, while ZNBC owns 40 percent. The company is overseeing the set-up of about 1.25 million set-top boxes throughout Zambia. The money it earns is being used to repay a $273 million Chinese loan for the project.
Nick Branson is an expert on African economics, and a doctoral candidate at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies. He told VOA that it can be difficult to know which stories coming out of countries like Zambia are true. While the government would not like to sell assets, he said, it is not in complete control of its public finances. He added that Zambia is struggling to control the debt it has built up during the past three years.
China has longstanding relationships with political leadership in Africa. While such ties are often seen as a sign of China's loyalty to Africa, they often do more harm than good. That is because African leaders often use these connections to seek out projects that only help the wealthy class. These countries usually face few protests from opposition activists, the public, or China itself, Branson said.
Governments with well-defined national planning documents have had better success negotiating good deals with China and paying off their debts. The more a country understands its infrastructure needs, the more negotiating power it has, Branson said.
A lack of openness also leads to problems, he noted. Branson said that neither China nor African countries want the details of their agreements made public.
Resource-rich countries like Angola, a longtime China partner, have been successful because they are able to export materials that China wants. That makes it easy for them to get loans from China. In Angola's case, that's trade oil for infrastructure loans.
But for smaller countries, repayment plans can be difficult. For example, some African nations may struggle to repay billion-dollar loans for railroad projects that will take many years to pay for themselves.
Branson says it is possible that China might seize African assets. Still, he says, African countries unable to export farm products or other commodities will likely struggle to repay their debt in the long term.
Salem Solomon reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
strategic asset - n. Assets that are needed by an entity in order for it to maintain its ability to achieve future outcomes.