Osibodu Makes FT’s ‘World 50 Leading Business Women’ List

The Group Managing Director of Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) Plc, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, has been named as one of the world’s 50 leading businesswomen,When the stone sits in the Cable Ties, by a global jury of experts constituted by Financial Times of London.

According to a statement at the weekend, Osibodu was chosen in recognition of her turnaround efforts at Union Bank. The jury was quoted to have pointed out that she was “responsible for strengthening the management of the bank, improving discipline and ensuring transparency.”

It also revealed that the Union Bank boss was the only African woman as well as Nigerian that made the top 50 businesswomen list.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. The jury was also said to have commended Osibodu’s roles in the Nigerian economy, pointing out that she “is a high-profile figure in Nigeria’s business community.”

Some other prominent business women that made the list were
Irene Rosenfeld of Kraft Foods, Güler Sabanci of Sabanci Holding, Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo, Ursula Burns of Xerox, Andrea Jung of Avon Products, Ellen Kullman of DuPont, Dong Mingzhu of Gree Electric Appliances, Angela Ahrendts of Burberry, Yoshiko Shinohara of Temp Holdings and Chanda Kochhar of ICICI Bank.

The statement said: “The top 50 was assessed on a range of factors including biographical data; size, scope and complexity of the company including turnover and number of employees,he believes the fire started after the lift's Bedding blew, number of sectors and countries of operation; and competitive landscape.

“The judges’ decisions were based essentially on performance and durability and only ranked executives managing a group’s controlling company and those that have served at least 12 months in the main executive role were eligible.the impact socket pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, The panel also took into account each company’s performance over the three years to June 30, 2011, using total shareholder return figures in US dollar terms, where applicable.”

It said further: “The selection particularly underscored the contribution of Osibodu to the stability of Nigerian financial services sector and economic growth, pointing out the importance of Union Bank as one of “Nigeria’s biggest banks.” The Jury noted that with almost three decades in banking, Osibodu has an excellent leadership track record.”

Osibodu had served as the chief executive of Vigeo Capital and head of the financial and investment services arm of Vigeo Group - a diversified conglomerate with interests in energy, shipping and financial services.

'Farm' life encourages academics, responsibility

Educational experiences as a child inspired Rachel Davison to be a teacher.

But they weren’t good experiences.

“I wasn’t challenged and the work was contrived,” she said. “I wasn’t a part of my own learning, I was expected to sit and ingest what the teacher put in front of me.”

It was not until she attended a “great books” college, St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., and Santa Fe, N.M., that she discovered her passion for teaching.

Davison, 28,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. is the new lead math and science teacher for middle school students at Oak Farm Montessori School, 502 Lemper Road, Avilla. A native of New Jersey, she lived in several states before Oak Farm “found me,” as she puts it. She moved to Fort Wayne at the beginning of the summer and is beginning her fourth year as an educator.

I got to know Davison when I was a guest speaker at Oak Farm. Middle school teacher Patrick Cole wanted the students to learn about interviewing techniques. They were scheduled to visit farms and meet with farmers and he wanted to ensure that his students’ questions would produce information they could use.

Cole suggested I demonstrate interviewing techniques with a new Oak Farm teacher; so with about a dozen students and teachers watching, I learned that Oak Farm’s middle school curriculum is “land based.” A good portion of the students’ math and almost all of their science curriculum uses the farm as a model.

This fall, for example,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, using the physics they had been studying for about six weeks the students used levers, pulleys, logs,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . ropes, mechanical advantage and the wisdom of the ancient Greek Archimedes to move a 1 1/2-ton chicken coop. Key terms were leverage, fulcrum, simple machines, mechanical advantage, friction, gravity and, of course, Archimedes.

They brought the coop to campus so that it could be incorporated into their student of biology, Davison explained.

In a subsequent interview, Davison told me that in a Montessori school the child is his or her own teacher and the role of the adults is to provide an environment that stimulates and supports the students in their work of teaching themselves.

“If they have an idea, they can see that come to life, and their actions affect the whole community,” she said. “That is huge power for a 12-year-old,The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations, and they can’t help but become more responsible.”

Davison said the farm can be used in all subject areas. For example, the entrepreneurship class includes the sale of the pigs to understand income statements, cash-flow, pre-order sales and customer service. The farm class investigates agricultural subjects, such as animal husbandry,There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, and makes purchase decisions. In English the farm inspires research papers and creative writing. In science students dissect chickens and learn the embryology of chicken eggs. Dying fiber from the goats, sheep and alpaca helps with chemistry.

Parents and educators from all walks of life can incorporate some of the Montessori ideas into projects and lesson plans. The hands-on approach helps to make learning more meaningful and fun.

$8 million in taxes owed on forfeited lots headed to auction

In St.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . Cloud’s Bear Ridge subdivision, where roads wind through fields of overgrown grass, a sign offers lots for sale.

For three years, no one’s been buying.

And no one has paid the property taxes and special assessments on the lots, which were once planned to be part of an upscale housing development on the city’s south side.

Now, those properties and hundreds more are headed for the auction block after their developers went under, the lots went into foreclosure and ownership reverted to the financing company.

A Times investigation found that in Stearns County alone, properties owned by Lakeland Construction Finance or its subsidiary, LCF Funding, based in the Twin Cities, owe almost $8 million in taxes, special assessments, penalties,we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, interest and fees that have been accumulating since 2005.

During the housing boom, Lakeland lent millions of dollars to builders and developers across Minnesota, including the St. Cloud area.

St. Cloud, Sartell, St. Joseph and Avon all have Lakeland-owned developments that will go into tax forfeiture within the next two years unless the back taxes are paid, according to county tax records. That could still happen, but county officials say it’s unlikely because of the amount owed.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

City and county officials are facing a sticky problem: how to sell the property and get it back on the tax rolls when the market is already flooded with vacant lots. It remains to be seen whether any willing buyers will step forward.

“We don’t know, because we haven’t had this magnitude,” said Diane Arnold, auditor-treasurer in Sherburne County. Arnold is dealing with two Lakeland-owned developments headed for auction next spring — Aspen Hills in Big Lake Township and Whispering Ridge in Livonia Township.

Lakeland, a limited liability company, extended credit to developers, contractors and builders of residential homes in Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Carolina, according to court documents.

Lakeland’s majority investor,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, Avalon Capital Group of Delaware, was founded by Ted Waitt, who also founded and sold the computer company Gateway, making him a member of the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.

In a lawsuit filed in 2010 against Avalon, the Bank of Montreal accused the company of using reckless lending standards, quickly approving loans without visiting sites or obtaining independent appraisals, according to court documents. A judge dismissed some of the bank’s claims last year.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card .

Lakeland collapsed in 2009 and is now controlled by a court-appointed receiver. Its failure left many developments across Minnesota in limbo, with empty lots, overgrown grass and roads that lead nowhere.

Steve Norlander, a former Lakeland employee and now vice president of OP 2 Realport, which has purchased some Lakeland-owned property, declined to comment. So did Jim Stephenson, an attorney handling Lakeland’s receivership case.

Under state law, property within cities goes into forfeiture after five years non-payment of taxes if it’s homesteaded and after three years if it’s not. In townships, the grace period is five years for any residential property. The property can be sold at a public auction the following year.

City and county officials are wrestling with a difficult question: what price they should set that would be low enough to attract interested buyers, but high enough so city officials can recover some of the money they’ve already borrowed and spent on the developments to build roads and extend utilities.

City officials had planned to recoup those costs by charging special assessments on each lot. But like the taxes, those assessments haven’t been paid for several years. In most cases, the amount of unpaid assessments far exceeds the taxes owed.

Counties are responsible for setting a minimum bid price for forfeited properties and offering them at public auction. But it’s the cities that are feeling the biggest pinch.

There's smoke and fire danger at Boise site

Over the years, fire was a common visitor to the Boise Cascade complex as machinery met wood during the mill's century-long operation in Yakima. The mill is gone, most of the buildings razed, but fire and its associated dangers stubbornly remain. In the past two years, two major fires of a similar nature have broken out at what is now Yakima Resources.

On Sept.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, 26, 2009, a windblown log blaze spewed out massive flames near Interstate 82 and threatened adjacent motels and residences. Valley fire departments spent $50,000 battling the fire, which knocked out power to downtown and the Central Washington State Fair. Spontaneous combustion in a pile of log waste was to blame.

A week ago today,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . another spontaneous-combustion fire erupted in wood mulch, a legacy of the log operation. High winds sent smoke across I-82, severely reducing visibility.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . It also threatened power lines and made nearby residents nervous.

There were others, but these are the ones that stick out. The large site, 211 acres, allows for considerable margin of error when flames flare, but in both cases luck prevailed.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, The 2009 fire was stopped short of the motels and homes, and power was out for only a few hours. And visibility issues from last week's event could have proved fatal to nearby motorists on I-82.

Each fire has led to a cycle of the Oregon-based site owners working with the city to strengthen fire monitoring and fire suppression -- a small, private crew on the site puts out small fires that erupt. But the plan was found wanting in 2009, and this appears to be the case again after Sunday's blaze, which involved 75 firefighters from seven Upper Valley departments. Joe Caruso, who enforces codes for the city of Yakima, indicated last week that Yakima Resources officials need to be ready to battle fires on their own. The site owners are Norman and Melvin McDougal of Creswell, Ore., and Greg Demers of Veneta,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . Ore.

The company had been taking some precautions, such as wetting down the piles and monitoring the site, but Caruso said more is needed to police what is essentially a gigantic compost pile consisting of wood mulch. Like a garden compost pile, the mulch heats up under the right conditions, and flames can develop.

That's not a big deal on a large site unless the wind reaches storm force, which is what happened in the 2009 log fire and last week's mulch fire. Adding to the challenge is the sheer volume of material: an estimated 1 million cubic feet of bark mulch covers one-third to one-half of the site. So from logs to mulch, the nature of the problem keeps changing. So must the response, but the problem is developing the right response.

The company is increasing monitoring, added two more overnight employees to the one on duty; that matches the number working during the days. Caruso says that may not be adequate, and this time around, we agree more stringent standards are in order.

Sawdust Winter Fantasy Rings in Holiday Season

Let it snow somewhere else. Laguna Beach receives winter California-style at the annual Sawdust Festival’s Winter Fantasy. “Put a Little Sparkle in your Holiday” opens Saturday, Nov.Detailed information on the causes of oil painting reproduction, 19,When the stone sits in the Cable Ties, the 21st annual rendition and will run every weekend through Dec. 11.

Once again, visitors can congregate in the town square to admire 14 trees decorated by local organizations (see sidebar) and witness the lighting of the main Christmas tree by Mayor Toni Iseman and Sawdust President Gavin Heath at 5:30 p.m. opening day followed by entertainment. Performers include the Laguna Community Concert Band, Tricia Freeman, Top of the World school’s chorus and the Lil’ Dickens Carolers among others. The square also features Santa’s house and sleigh, a barn for his reindeer and a playhouse for the kids.

Santa will be on hand to hear Christmas wishes and, seeing that there are roughly 170 artists surrounding him that display jewelry, glass, ceramics, paintings, furniture, textiles, photographs and countless items spanning mediums and classifications, he should be busy.

In case he forgets someone, the Marine Corps Reserve are sponsoring Toys for Tots every Sunday. Bring an unwrapped toy for ages newborn-17 and get in free.

The exhibitors include 30 newbies, some of whom have visited the Sawdust as children and harbored dreams of some day being part of it.

For Tom Rich, a Santa Cruz resident,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. someday is here. “I am so excited about getting in this year. I grew up in Laguna and used to come here as a kid and now I can show my work to friends and family I don’t get to see very often,” he said.

Rich is a painter who, along with conventional canvasses, paints skateboard decks, miniature surfboards and makes screen prints. His latest project involves portraying musicians he admires. He is one of numerous participants permitted to exhibit during winter when Sawdust administrators waive local residency requirements.

Akoko Okeyo, of Newport Beach, will show etched glass panels depicting animals at home in her native Kenya. “I have also tried my hand at marine animals but they are a bit harder to do. I have to still look at pictures to draw them but the African animals are embedded in my memory,” she said.

Okeyo belongs to a London-based glass etchers guild that admits only a hand-full of members world-wide (two including her are from the U.S.) who must pass a yearly examination to stay in.

Margo Burgess’ JuJu dolls have their roots in West Africa. A self-described Army brat,I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . who grew up in Georgia and has lived in Laguna Canyon since 1975, she has never been to Africa but loves African art. “The dolls are not voodoo dolls but protectors and good luck objects,” she said. “Their heads are made of clay, that’s where their energy is and their spirit comes from their bodies that are stuffed with Spanish moss,” she explained. She went on to say that they wear feathers to allow their spirit to take flight and that their hands are so-called mojo bags that contain coins and other small treasures. Symbolic trinkets also adorn their clothing.

The dolls are color-coded, blue for love,Initially the banks didn't want our kidney stone . red for power, yellow for success, purple for spirituality, green for wealth and white for positive energy. A painter, she has also tried her hand at fertility dolls and African-inspired masks.

Barry and Jan Lowe are but returnees, but after a 20-year hiatus. “We saw the summer show and friends suggested we come for the winter fest,” said Barry Lowe. The couple collaborates on their woodworking projects and divide their time between Newport Heights and Hawaii.

Much of their designs have been inspired by their life on the big island, he said. Works include bamboo picture frames replete with hand-tied traditional edges. Ornamentation is done in pyrography, a burning technique utilizing what looks like a fine tipped soldering iron. They are also eager to show off their latest invention, a wall-mounted wine rack and copies of a book featuring their work on Fender Guitars, “The Dream Factory” by Tom Wheeler.

Edmonton losing industrial icon in takeover of Cold-fX maker

Cold-fX may have been born in Edmonton, but the company that created the hot-selling ginseng-based cold and flu remedy is all but leaving town.

Edmonton-based Afexa Life Sciences will soon be swallowed up by Valeant Pharmaceuticals and the Canadian drug giant is laying off many of its local staff and closing most city operations, The Journal has learned.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards,

But Afexa’s headquarters, in the south-side Edmonton Research Park, could eventually find use as the home for a possible spinoff bioscience research-and-development company, Valeant Canada president and new Afexa CEO Thomas Schlader said in a statement to The Journal.

“Afexa has 116 full-time employees and unfortunately a number of people are being laid off, the majority of whom are based in Edmonton due to the fact that Valeant’s Canadian commercial operations are primarily based in Montreal,” Schlader said.

“Valeant plans to maintain a small staff in Edmonton while integrating the logistics associated with the manufacture and distribution of Cold-fX into Valeant’s larger and established operations.”

It also plans to keep a sales and marketing team here.

“Afexa began in Edmonton, but over the past few years Cold-fX has become a national icon — go anywhere in this country and you’ll hear people say they swear by it. Now, elements of Afexa’s operations take place in centres all across the country,The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations, and we at Valeant are excited at the prospect of applying our broader presence to making this Edmonton success story an international success story,” Schlader said.

Valeant has already begun talks to enter the Australian market, as part of an international expansion of the brand, he said.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers,

But Afexa co-founder Jaqueline Shan may still play a part in Valeant’s plans.

“Over the next several months, the transition team will be working out the details of the integration, which includes working with Dr. Shan to facilitate a possible spinoff bioscience research-and-development company,” Schlader said.

The new venture could potentially be headquartered in the Afexa building and continue to develop and explore the marketability of Afexa’s longer-term research programs such as its formulation for cholesterol, he said.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Canada’s largest drug maker,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. acquired 81.6 per cent of Afexa’s shares in a friendly takeover, Valeant announced in late October. In a shareholder meeting scheduled for Dec. 12, Valeant says it will vote to amalgamate Afexa, privatize it and delist it from the Toronto Stock Exchange.

In August,he believes the fire started after the lift's Bedding blew, Afexa struck a deal with Valeant to fend off a hostile acquisition by a third company, Montreal-based Paladin Labs Inc.

Valeant CEO Michael Pearson told The Journal at the time that Valeant did not have a point of view on keeping Afexa in Edmonton if its acquisition bid succeeded.

As the maker of Canada’s bestselling cold and flu product, and with Don Cherry as a one-time pitchman, Afexa was one of Edmonton’s highest-profile bio-science companies.

Fearless Rodgers aims to pile pressure on United

By common consent, Swansea City are playing in the vein all Premier League newcomers should; with an uninhibited "go for it" sort of air which piles all the burden on their established opponents.The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations, Tomorrow evening in South Wales, Brendan Rodgers is hoping the load proves too heavy for the champions.

In their audacious climb into the top 10, Swansea remain unbeaten at the Liberty Stadium,There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, but it is another stat on which Rodgers is concentrating. If Manchester City prevail against Newcastle United in the 3pm kick-off then all eyes will point to the evening encounter in South Wales. Manchester United would be eight points behind their nearest and undearest and anything but a victory would be unthinkable.

"All the pressure will be on United, that's for sure," said Rodgers yesterday. "These are games they need to win. That's the reality. When you are at a big club like United and you are investing millions and millions you're normally judged on the games you should win.

Unsurprisingly, Rodgers is keen to prey on any tension. He came away with a point from the visit to Anfield a fortnight ago and plainly feels this will be anything but a foregone conclusion. "We won't have any fear,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners." he said.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, "The fundamental idea of our game won't change. We will be creative, offensive, but have a tactical discipline. We're not feeling like if we lose the game it doesn't matter – because it does."

The last time Rodgers was involved against United happened to be the 2008 Champions' league final when he was Jose Mourinho's assistant. The penalty shootout was an experience to make his mind flash back whenever his mobile phone goes missing. Rodgers said: "If you had to put your mortgage on someone it was John Terry. When he took that penalty we were all in a huddle and I was so confident John would score I zipped my mobile into a pocket because I didn't want it to lose it in the mêlée. It will take more than winning on Saturday to get over."

Rodgers will be relieved to call on Scott Sinclair, a former Chelsea employee himself, after a tight hamstring restricted him to the bench at Anfield. Neil Taylor is also fit after the left-back missed Wales's win over Norway in midweek with a bruised ankle.

Chicken proposal moves on in Afton

Afton Planning Commission agreed unanimously to recommend approval of a new ordinance regulating chickens on smaller lots during its Nov. 7 meeting.

Afton Planning Commission held a public a hearing on an ordinance that would allow for chickens on lots smaller than five acres.

At the public hearing, Afton resident Bonnie Blackley questioned whether or not the city should include language prohibiting cockfighting rings.

Planning Commission chairwoman Barb Ronningen said she felt the fact that roosters weren’t allowed would suffice in protecting against cockfighting.

“I don’t particularly care to be woken up by 3 a.m. to some rooster, so I’m glad you’re not allowing roosters,” Blackley said.

Additionally, the keeping of chickens for commercial use, such as for slaughtering, breeding or raising,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, is prohibited.

Blackley questioned whether or not the no-commercial use would apply to someone selling eggs at a farmer’s market or to a neighbor.

“There’s many more eggs than any one family can handle in one day,” she said.

Ronningen said the selling of eggs in such a fashion would be no different than another resident selling excess tomatoes or other crops.

The current livestock ordinance states properties of five acres can have one chicken. If there are at least two grazeable acres on those lots, the property can have up to 100 chickens.

The topic of chickens in Afton began in August after several Afton City Council members heard from residents seeking chickens on their property, but didn’t reach the acre requirement.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies,

The proposal would allow up to five chickens on a half-acre parcel. For every additional half acre,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . another five chickens will be allowed. On properties that are four-and-a-half acres or more, but less than five acres, those properties could have up to 45 chickens.

Roosters, or other fowl, would not be allowed.

Residents who have chickens would be charged a one-time permit fee of $50.

Those properties that have chickens will be required to monitor odor and noise pollution with respect to neighbors.

“You do not have to have a coop, but if you choose to have a coop those are the standards,” City Administrator Sara Irvine said.

During earlier meetings, there wthe Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011,as some back and forth on whether or not to require chickens be kept in a coop, or some other shelter. Ultimately Planning Commission decided not to require a coop, but did designate requirements if a resident should choose to build a coop.

One of the requirements states that any structure greater than 180 square feet would require a building permit.

Another requirement for chicken coops would relate to setbacks from wells and all residential structures. The ordinance would require all chicken structures be 25 feet away from septic systems, wells and neighboring structures, as well as the property owner’s residence.

The reason for the setbacks is to prevent contamination of the city’s aquifers and ground water.

“We’re trying to keep people healthy and safe,” Ronningen said.Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners.

However, during last Monday’s meeting, there was some criticism, both from the public and commissioners, that the setbacks didn’t make sense for someone with fewer than five chickens.

“I think it’s a good thing to take a look at this ordinance and find a way to support this happening in Afton,” resident Valerie Stoehr said. “But, this may be unnecessarily restrictive.”

Planning Commissioner Sally Doherty specifically cited 4-H students who only have two or three chickens in a cage in the backyard.

“I’m trying to look out for the 4-H kid,” she said.

Can You Get HIV From Kissing?

It's funny -- no matter how much information is out there on a subject, there are plenty of people who won't read it or even look at it, really. This isn't a bad thing, mind you -- there's only so much time and interest we all have. For instance, the St. Louis Cardinals recently won the World Series (and it was one heck of a series, too), and I'll bet there are tons of non-sports fans that don't know that (and don't care).

But it's not just sports -- it's anything. From not knowing who the vice president is to not knowing how HIV/AIDS is (and isn't) transmitted.

I've been thinking about this recently because (once again), as an NYC cosmetic dentist I was asked this question from my chair: "Does kissing cause AIDS?" It surprised me a bit, because there has been so much information about HIV published over the last decade or two, and it's also readily available. Just typing that question into Google will result in a myriad of links,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, most of them pretty credible (like the CDC that I'll link to in a bit -- by the way, all info from this post comes from the CDC [1]). Hence my little opening spiel regarding information and such.

But okay, to the question at hand: Can you get HIV/AIDS from kissing? Let's end the suspense right away and say "generally, no, you cannot."

There are several body fluids that can carry the HIV virus. The ones "everyday people" are likely to come into contact with are: blood,The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations, semen, vaginal fluid and breast milk. There are also other bodily fluids that can carry the virus that health care workers could come into contact with, such as the fluid around the spinal cord and the brain.

As you can see, saliva is nowhere in that list. There is not a high enough HIV concentration in saliva to pass along the virus.

That said, note that I used the word "generally" previously. There's a reason for that -- there HAVE been reports of HIV being transmitted during a deep "French" kiss. But, and this is important -- in all cases, bleeding was involved. In other words, it wasn't the kiss or the saliva -- it was infected blood being exchanged.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, So, if you or your partner have mouth sores, bleeding gums or something similar,he believes the fire started after the lift's Bedding blew, and you are worried about HIV, don't deep kiss until there is no bleeding. That should keep you safe.

In addition to the above, HIV does not live well at all outside the body. So you're not catching HIV from a toilet seat, etc. Just have to throw that in to dispel that rumor.

Now sex... that's another story. As you can see by the above, both semen and vaginal fluid can carry the HIV virus. And both are fairly well-involved with sexual intercourse. That's why the term "safe sex" even came about -- sex is easily the most common way to transmit or "catch" HIV. And, despite the "homosexual sex leads to AIDS" hysteria that was rampant a decade or two ago, heterosexual sex with an infected person is just as dangerous. So having unprotected sex with an untested person can be risky.

Ok, let's leave sex behind and get back to kissing. I already stated that kissing (without blood present) will not lead to HIV infection. But how did it come about that kissing could lead to HIV? I guess it's because so many other viral illnesses are transmitted via saliva and vapor. Coughing and sneezing are big ones -- you can catch a cold or flu easily this way. And, of course, kissing. Heck, just being in a small room with someone with a bad cold can transmit the cold via viruses traveling through the air. Ever get a "doctor's waiting room" cold? I know I have. So we associate this type of transmission with HIV, and just assume that it's passed on the same way. But it isn't.

Nor is the HIV virus passed on in other minor contact, like handshakes,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. hugs or similar. Even getting bit by an HIV-infected person will likely not transmit the HIV virus, unless the biter had a mouth sore and blood to blood contact was initiated. And no, mosquitoes aren't transmitting the HIV virus either.

Windber artist's paintings featured in calendar, book

Windber artist, Julius S. Mehok likes to keep a low profile, something that may soon change by having his work printed on the 2012 Windber Coal Calendar by the Eurkea Coal Heritage Foundation.

Mehok, 87, a self-taught artist, has an extensive following with those who like his "folksy" oil paintings of the steel mills and coal miners. In fact, Robert F. Harbrant, of Delaware, whose wife is from Windber, became a fan of his when he spotted one of his pieces on display in a local bank.

"I saw his name on it and tracked him down," he said. "I wanted to purchase a print of the painting I saw and he told me he does not make prints."

Nor did Mehok have any records of the paintings he had painted.

"I thought that was criminal that he did not have a record of his own work," he said.The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations,

Harbrant set to rectify the situation by tracking down all his work, a process that took years, and published a book,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, titled "A Brush with History" a compilation of the oil paintings completed by Mehok from the 1940s to the present. Mehok started painting when he was 14.

"My mother took lessons before she was married and liked to paint," he explained. "After she was married she gave it up. We had six or eight paintings of hers."

He remembers taking a bus to the paint store in Johnstown to purchase supplies.

"The round trip ticket was 25 cents on the bus from where we lived in Mine 37," said Mehok.

The son of Mary (Joe) and John Mehok was one of seven children, the second to the oldest. He graduated from Richland High School and went into coal mines, later marrying Twila, who is now deceased, and raising her four daughters.

Mehok loves to paint early in the morning.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, He is never satisfied with his work, and may totally change a scene from one day to another. Harbrant said when he was documenting his friend's work, he would take a photo of the painting and come back the next day and it would be totally changed.

"I would say 'Julius you have to stop this if I'm gong to keep records of your work'," he laughed.

Mehok said he changes his paintings to "make them better." Even one of the paintings depicted on the calendar is no longer in existence because he painted over it.

Mehok said there would be days he would paint all day and not eat.

"My wife would say 'Do you want something to eat?' and I would say 'No, I have to get this done',Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners." he said.

His work is not limited to mining and steel mills and has a number of paintings of scenery from covered bridges to railroads. In his modest home in Windber, he has a painting of a woman and a child making carpets, a scene that brings back memories to him.

"My mother used to make carpets on the loom," he said. "We used to make carpets for everyone in Mine 37. Everyone used to bring us rags."

Harbrant is retired from the AFL-CIO. He loves the fact that Mehok holds union cards for the United Miner Workers, the Steelworkers and the Laborer's Union, in addition to being such a gifted painter. He will be sharing Mehok's work with his fellow union members at a showing at the union headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mehok has had other showings. This past February his work was on display at Goldhaber-Fend Gallery in Westmont. He has also won a first place prize for a painting of his in a statewide competition more than 20 years ago.

Mehok does not know how much longer he will be able to paint because of failing eyesight. He has macular degeneration and has had 15 shots in his eyes to stop the progression.

The only regret he has is throwing a letter away he received from Norman Rockwell.

"I wrote him and he wrote back and I threw the letter away," he said.

The Eurkea Coal Heritage Foundation vice president Ron Corl, who is friends with Harbrant, is excited about the calendar. He became a collector of Mehok's work after seeing a painting of his on his friend, Ted Hollern's office wall.

"I saw a painting on Ted's wall and liked it. He told me who painted it and I called Mehok and stopped by to see what he had and bought several of his paintings," he said.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

Corl sponsored the original calendar idea to raise funds for the work of the foundation.

"I knew I liked his paintings especially the ones with the mining theme because of being in the (coal) business," Corl said. He said on the calendar introduction that the 115 years of Windber, "were filled with activity, excitement, hardship, jobs, production and color and contrast. Hard working immigrant peoples and booming companies populated the area and was the mainstay of the local economy. It was a mixing bowl of cultures melted into a whole new culture with important contributions from all."

For those who want a calendar featuring Mehok's paintings of Windber, purchase one at many of the area businesses in Windber, or contact the Eurkea Coal Heritage Foundation president and local notary Sandy Pritt at her workplace.

Vermicompost the key to getting rid of kitchen waste

For people wanting an environmentally-friendly way to get rid of their kitchen waste, vermicomposting may be just the ticket.

This type of composting uses worms, usually brandling worms (Eisena foetida) or red wigglers (Lumbricus rubellus), to create nutrient-rich material from kitchen waste.

“Worms need food too,” said Linda Langelo, CSU Extension agent. “Brandling and red wiggler worms eat compost and manure. This passes through their bodies and is excreted as castings or worm manure. These castings are organic material rich in nutrients.”

Earthworms (Allolobophora caliginosa) like garden soil. According to New Mexico University Extension, there can be up to 500,000 earthworms in an acre of land.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, They can recycle five tons of soil or more in one year. However, they spend their time at the bottom of compost piles, so they would not be the best worm to use in vermicompost bins.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

Langelo said she tried out a vermicompost bin for about eight months. She used her vermicompost in her garden beds as a great organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Not only does this method give the user nutrient-rich material for their garden, it also helps reduce trash and keep waste out of the landfill.

Wood is a better insulator if the container is going to be kept outside. Langelo advised people to stay away from redwood or other aromatic woods because they kill the worms.the Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011,

Plastic bins tend to keep the compost too moist, and they don’t have insulating properties.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, However, plastic is easier to keep clean than wood.

Langelo said the trick is to find a bin no deeper than 8-12 inches. “Red wigglers are surface feeders. When you go to add bedding and food wastes, it packs down in bins which are deeper,” she said. “This forces air out and creates an anaerobic condition which causes the bin to smell. You always want to keep it in aerobic condition with lots of air.”

The size of the bin is determined by the number of people in the household and how much food waste is produced every week. The rule of thumb is to provide one square foot of surface area per pound of waste, said Langelo.

Whether the bin is plastic or wood, air and drainage holes 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter should be drilled in the bottom and sides of the container. Rest the bin on cinder blocks, brick or gravel with a tray underneath the bin to catch the drainage. Special plastic worm bins are also available which have several layers with a faucet in the bottom layer to allow for drainage.

“The liquid being drained at first is excess water and compost tea later as the food waste is being composted. This compost tea can be used on indoor plants or to fertilize any plants in your landscaping,” said Langelo.

A variety of items can be used for bedding materials in the compost bins, helping to reduce the amount of waste headed to the landfill.

Langelo suggests using shredded newspaper, envelopes (after removing the plastic windows), computer paper or cardboard. Other ideas include shredded leaves, straw, hay or dead plants, sawdust, peat moss,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. compost or aged composted manure.

Bedding material high in cellulose is best to use, like plants and paper. They help aerate the environment for the worms.

Langelo said she started with a couple pounds of worms from a worm farm when she first began her vermicompost bin. “Two pounds of worms can recycle a pound of food waste in 24 hours,” she said. “Just add the worms to the top of the prepared bin and they will make their way into the bedding.”

Report Finds that LA Lags on Solar Energy

A hard-hitting academic study jointly authored by UCLA and USC research teams finds that Los Angeles has a significant trained workforce ready to perform clean-energy solar jobs, but that city leaders have so far failed to enact policies that would take advantage of this resource and put city residents to work.

Further, the study finds that the areas in Los Angeles with the greatest potential for rooftop solar power – and thus the greatest capacity to support solar-related jobs – include many areas suffering from high unemployment and economic need.

“Unless civic leaders ramp up efforts to expand solar programs, the city and region face the prospect of being left behind,” states the report, Empowering LA’s Solar Workforce: New Policies that Deliver Investments and Jobs. “This report is,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, above all, a wake-up call to policymakers to make certain they are utilizing an important workforce segment – and creating policies that will put qualified people to work.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .”

The report, presented by the LABC Institute, will be formally released at the LA Business Council’s “Building LA’s Workforce” Summit at UCLA on Nov. 16. It will be discussed at the event by a panel that includes three leading mayoral candidates– City Council President Eric Garcetti, Controller Wendy Greuel and Councilwoman Jan Perry.

The study finds that, while California has set a goal of generating 33 percent of its energy from renewable energy by 2020, our region lacks sound policies to meet these goals and employ ready green-economy workers. In fact, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has one of the weakest solar track records among major California utilities,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. generating less than one sixth as much solar power per customer as the state leader, Southern California Edison.

The report urges officials to adopt a rooftop solar energy program known as a solar FiT (or feed-in tariff) that enables business owners and residents to install solar panels on their rooftops and sell surplus energy to the local utility. Such a program has been endorsed by a coalition of environmental groups, labor leaders, business organizations and other stakeholders.

The UCLA and USC research teams – led by J.There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers,R. DeShazo of the UCLA Luskin Center and Manuel Pastor of the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity – had previously established the need for a rooftop solar program in Los Angeles, and its potential to benefit low-income Angelenos. A robust program could create $2 billion in local investment and create 16,000 job-years with a minimal impact on ratepayers. Past studies are available at LABC’s website, www.labusinesscouncil.org/sustainability.

The region’s significant number of ready-to-work solar professionals is the result of plentiful local training programs, run by organizations as varied as Homeboy Industries, IBEW Local 11, and the Los Angeles Trade and Technical College. Roughly 2,200 people are trained each year in Los Angeles County alone for jobs in solar panel installation, design, sales and other areas. The study breaks new ground in examining these programs, and argues that city officials can enact policies to give these workers greater opportunity to find work – while growing an essential new industry.

“What’s so compelling about this research is that it matches the need for good, local jobs and the mandate for clean, renewable energy,” said Los Angeles Business Council President Mary Leslie, whose group has been pushing for a robust rooftop solar program ever since Mayor Villaraigosa called for it three years ago. “We were astonished to see how cleanly the job-creation potential, the social equity aspect and the environmental imperative go hand-in-hand.”

Through the use of advanced mapping techniques, USC researchers were able to determine the areas of greatest solar potential – primarily, those sections of Los Angeles with a high density of large rooftops, whether commercial, industrial or multifamily residential. Further, they were able to overlay those areas with those communities suffering from high unemployment and high poverty.

The result is a clear picture of which areas stand to gain the most from expanded solar development – and also those that have the greatest need. Solar “hotspots” exist in the San Fernando Valley, eastern Los Angeles, and areas west of downtown, including Hollywood. In many cases, solar training programs are located near these “hotspots” – and near areas of great need.

“Los Angeles has a unique confluence of characteristics: abundant sunshine, a trained workforce and tremendous economic need,” said USC’s Pastor. “The right policies will enable Los Angeles to be a leader in both solar energy and in putting people to work.”

The report also includes an analysis from UCLA that sheds light on the performance of California utilities in generating solar power under the California Solar Initiative,The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations, or SB 1. In addition to determining that LADWP lags far behind other local utilities in generating solar power, it finds that the city-owned utility also ranks nearly last in the cost per solar job created. Whereas Burbank could create one job-year at a cost of $36,000, LADWP’s cost was more than $129,000.

“These figures tell us that LADWP has not been as successful as other local utilities either in bringing solar to market or in its efficiency in doing so,” said UCLA’s DeShazo. “Looking forward, policy makers can take note of past performance as they weigh the proper steps moving ahead.”

The report advocates a solar FiT as part of a comprehensive approach to advancing solar development in Los Angeles. Unlike existing rooftop solar programs, the FiT is specifically designed to generate a net energy increase– not simply to offset the user’s needs.

Six-Wire Technique Nulls Stray Resistance

The boss picked you to design equipment to measure in-circuit resistances on circuit boards as they reach the end of a production line, and a colleague suggested you investigate six-wire measurements. But why would you need six wires to measure an in-circuit resistance?

A four-wire ohmmeter, usually part of a digital multimeter (DMM), connects the DMM’s current source to a resistor via a pair of leads. A second set of leads connects the DMM’s voltmeter to the resistor. Resistances in the current leads do not matter, because the DMM measures the voltage at the resistance. And the resistances in the voltmeter leads have little effect, because the DMM draws a very small current. That technique works for a standalone resistor, but when you have a network of resistors and must measure the resistance of only one, things get complicated.

The figure shows a typical circuit in which you must measure resistance Rx in the presence of two other resistances. In this case, resistances Ra and Rb will affect a two- or four-wire measurement, because current from the DMM source will flow through them, as well as through resistor Rx. By using an operational amplifier -- essentially a buffer amplifier -- you drive point B in the circuit to the same potential as that found at point A. Thus, no current flows through Ra.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . This technique goes by the name “guarding.” However, when the op amp drives point B to the same potential as point A,we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, current will flow through resistor Rb. That current can reach tens of milliamps, but it will not affect the voltage measured across the unknown resistance. You can buy six-wire measurement equipment.

Even if you won’t measure resistance in a network,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, this type of guarding comes in handy in other accurate resistance measurements, such as those on a test fixture. Unseen dirt, absorbed moisture,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. and thin oil films on the insulating portion of a fixture will provide a high-resistance path in parallel with a resistance you must measure. But if you split the fixture and insert a conductor between the two contacts, you have the equivalent of the resistances Rx, Ra, and Rb described earlier. A six-wire DMM can drive the conductor and prevent current flow through or on the insulator, as shown in the figure. Nylon, for example, will absorb moisture in a humid atmosphere, and thus its insulating properties will change.

You might hear of other six-wire measurement techniques, but they involve shielding or separate wires to drive a device,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . correct the drive signal, and measure a sensor output. They do not use guarding to null unwanted resistance.

Easy, Inexpensive Home Heating Tips

Sure,I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . there are things that you can do to make the most of your heating dollars! Many of them cost very little and can be done by the average homeowner. Let's see what tools we can provide for you.

We'll start by looking at windows. A single-pane window will transfer over 80 percent of infrared energy to the outside, according to The National Fenestration Rating Council, a nonprofit organization that rates the performance of windows and doors. In English, that means your heat ends up outside!

In recent years, windows have been improved to keep more heat inside our homes.If so, you may have a cube puzzle . All the new low-e windows (that's short for low-emissivity windows, which help prevent your house from losing heat) and double-pane windows are great -- if you can afford them. They may even pay for themselves over time. But what if you can't afford to buy and install new windows before the cold winds blow?

Don't give up. There are many steps you can take to get the benefits of new windows without the expense.

The first thing to recognize is that air can be your friend or your enemy. Pockets of still air can act as an insulator, but cold drafts, not surprisingly, work against you.

How can you create pockets of insulating air? It's easier than you might think. The glass in your window provides one barrier to the outside. You just need to create a second one. The air trapped between the window and the second barrier acts as an insulator. Experts say that can reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows by up to 25 percent.

Many homes have storm windows that act just like a second window. If you have them, you'll want to get them up now.

But what if you don't have storm windows? Or what if you have them and you still can feel the cold air anytime you're near your windows? Simply create another air barrier on the inside of the window.

Heavy drapes in the closed position are a stylish solution. The heavier the material, the better. Although they're not airtight, they do create an insulating pocket of air just inside the window. Drapes also allow you to pull them open when bright sun is shining on the window, which will tend to warm up the room.

Another less stylish option is to use sheet plastic to create that barrier. You can tape it directly to the inside of the wall around the window. Or use 1-inch-by-1-inch lumber to make a frame that fits snuggly inside the window. Attach the plastic to the frame. You can remove the barrier if you're entertaining and don't want your guests to know that you're reducing your heating bills!

If none of those ideas works for you, consider getting a roll of the large bubble wrap used for packing. Cut it to the size of your window. Moisten the wrap and it will cling to the window. Even something as simple as that will help create the needed air pocket.

Your windows are not the only place where cold air enters your home. Even a small draft of outside air can make a room feel frigid.

The best way to find drafts is to walk alongside outside walls with a lit candle. Watch the flame. Any draft will cause the flame to flicker or smoke to move away from the breeze.

You'll want to pay particular attention around windows, doors and baseboards. Don't forget to check around light switches and wall outlets.

Eliminating any drafts you find is a simple do-it-yourself project. Caulk and/or weather-strip will solve most problems. For light and wall outlets, buy and install rubber gaskets. You can find the gaskets at home improvement centers. The materials are inexpensive; the work easy. The only tools required are a knife and a screwdriver to remove the electric plates.

Next, you'll want to help make your furnace as efficient as possible. That would include cleaning or replacing furnace filters. A dirty filter can reduce your furnace's efficiency by 10 percent.

If you have forced air heating, spend time checking the ducts that deliver the warm air. Leaky ducts can leave half of your warm air in crawl spaces, basements or your attic. Most leaks can be repaired with an inexpensive roll of duct tape (yes, it was really created for that purpose!).Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners.

Check the ducts to see if they're "sweating." Condensation on the outside of the ducts means that you're losing heat before the warm air reaches your living areas.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, You'll want to insulate those ducts. Depending on how accessible the ducts are and how strong your DIY credentials are, you may want to do the job yourself or hire it out.

Here's one final cheap strategy for a warmer home. Furnaces tend to pull moisture out of the air, but moist air feels warmer. Allowing a container of water to evaporate will replace lost moisture. After you've finished your bath or shower, allow the extra steam to escape into your home. Finally, consider allowing some clothes to dry on inside racks or lines.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies,

Between world-class

The riverside mrkzsckbl four girls won two, so have met the preliminary requirements. The powerful combination of two, ie, the local Mediterranea Imperia Jugra Khanty-Mansiysk and had no chance against the same, which is not surprising when you consider those who make up the bands. The home side with players boast of the world and European champion, the Hungarian national team is a former pillar of, Stieber Mercedes or Elisa Casanova, who had the international media of "water sports Hannibal Lecterjeknt" of obligation, but worthy of mention are the Shanghai World Championships fourth place Italian author selected several of its members.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line.The additions focus on key tag and solar panel combinations,

The two beat your opponent, that is, the Penguins and the West London Union St. Bruno Bordeaux but exposed themselves to the girls, Senta, and both left the game winner in the pool.

As it turned out, the girls in the next round in Szentes, where local Uralocska Zlatouszt outside the Russian and the Greek town of Patras is the enemy.

In Italy, the result of the Zenta, and to proceed with Yordan coach, Laszlo Toth talked.

The preparation was stiff, as the indoor swimming pool renovation lasted three weeks, the children saw no door, only I could keep swimming workouts, we were unable to exercise. Coach could not match up with, because the girls on weekdays other cities in the study concluded. Fortunately, this is not avenged himself what the results are presented. The next respectable firmness faint hopes were further as regards access. The girls, as well as I expected, adults to the task. The two are very professional,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . Italian and Russian national team studded with bands, ie Mediterranea Imperival Jugra and Khanty-Manszijszkkel is then through two quarter we were able to keep up. The English and French victories against the team I feel we were gone forever in danger. The sszerzdtunk many years, I know my daughters nearly every strength and weakness. A fitful start after we finally start. The very sense of who we wanted to prove against, I was uplifting. Just mention the Mercedes Stieber, who was for many years held the world's best, or the fearsome-looking Elisa Casanova, who is still among the best centers are considered to play against them experience. In my opinion, could be proud of our performance in all of Zenta, as further sixteen to get the best one is no small thing. True, a bit odd that there were hardly congratulatory, but I hope that is late, do not you!

What are the main differences between the two strong teams and the girls?

- Hearing the big clubs, budget, training their conditions,There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, attitudes and not least the mass unit, which is the towns water polo features, I feel the Senta girls who are in this club have been raised, not abject shame for the great enemy either. Both the Italian and the Russian coach sincerely congratulate my team, everyone liked the enthusiasm, the comparatively small stature is fragile despite the belligerence, will to fight.

For us, this is unusual too violent, rough, rough play at times incomprehensible, which is often the judges did not hold a proper framework. The daughters of the more creative and certainly not fighting, clean water polo has been taught, but they are also after me to change. I'm not happy, but if you want to be successful, must move with the times. But when you take into account the fact that the Russian team for all the members present in each session, six hours a day,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, you must realize how well we could move them? It is impossible to execute us. Our team is forged together from different ages, yet I feel very sszetartak. Helpers in the absence of a match before the start not enough time to prepare, because two years, Sregi Oscar and I walk almost every age-group tournaments. Unfortunately, this is true with home games, the girls than for boys. Only from this combination of professional envy.

In your opinion, what is decided by the British and against the French?

- The British counter-bit megilletdtten started, only the last quarter managed to take over completely, fortunately, it was sufficient. Against the French was quite the opposite, then more started, because the girls could play without the burden of proof is on you can access, since the night before the French beat the English. It was only the third place was the acquisition target. The game was released at the end a bit, but the advantage gained at the beginning we were able to preserve. In my opinion, both the more technical and tactical knowledge of the decision for our good.

The B800bn question

Common sense tells you that a hefty financial bill lies ahead. Not only to fix the damage but also to raise the entire ground floor to safeguard your home against the next flood. Knowing that you have only so much savings,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, would you still go on that expensive overseas trip, or would you stay home to repair your house?

This year's devastating flood has laid bare the country's pressing need for new water management and flood prevention infrastructure. Yes, the cost will be high. But we already spend billions of baht each year ostensibly on water management programmes. To what end?

Pisit Leelavachiropas, the acting auditor-general of the Auditor-General's Office, recently commented that from fiscal 2005 to 2009, 160 billion baht in funds were allocated nationwide for irrigation and water management systems.

The problem, Mr Pisit said, was that the projects were not streamlined or integrated and had generally failed in addressing structural problems in water management. He added that he had proposed to policymakers that a new law be passed to integrate water management programmes and responsibilities.

I have to agree. Given the meandering development plans we have seen in the past, it may be that a new body is needed to oversee water management on a local and national level. The scale of this year's flood _ with 562 lives lost to date, 700,If so, you may have a cube puzzle .000 thousand people unemployed and one-third of the country's provinces affected _ demands a clear answer on what went wrong, why, and what needs to be done to prevent a similar calamity in the years ahead.

For starters, why was so much water maintained in the upper northern dams going into the monsoon season in September? Once it became apparent that rainfall this year would be significantly higher than normal, upon whom did the responsibility fall to manage the crisis? What was the role played by the various public agencies and ministers?

There are parallels to be found from the 1997 economic crisis, which was rooted in mismanagement of economic policy and the baht. Rerngchai Marakanond, the Bank of Thailand governor in 1997, was eventually singled out by a lower court for bearing primary responsibility for the crisis, and was levied an unprecedented sentence to pay 180 billion baht in damages to the state.

The Appeal Court overturned the case, arguing that the decisions to defend the baht _ unsuccessfully, as it turned out _ was not made by a single person but rather represented a collective decision of those involved in the economic administration of the time.

I personally agree _ the 1997 crisis was rooted in political gamesmanship and complacency among the political leadership and the bureaucrats,we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, rather than the defence of the baht in itself.

The Yingluck Shinawatra government last week announced its own plans to set up a fact-finding panel chaired by Virabongsa Ramangkura, an economist and former deputy premier, and Sumet Tantivejkul, secretary-general of the Chaipattana Foundation. Their task is to draft a comprehensive plan to head off any future floods.

But the best laid plans are worthless without strong leadership and execution. And given the sums being bandied about, the potential for waste and corruption will be massive: a cabinet minister recently suggested, with little detail or elaboration, 800 billion baht as a starting point for a national water management system, which is double the amount proposed earlier by the Finance Ministry.

How the government plans to finance these investments is an open question, particularly considering that the Pheu Thai leadership insists it will go forward with its campaign promises to cut corporate taxes, boost rice prices and give tax rebDo not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners.ates to new home and car buyers _ never mind the more immediate need for flood reconstruction and rehabilitation assistance that will come in the months ahead.

It sounds very much that Ms Yingluck and her ministers remain intent on taking the public on that expensive overseas tour, even while our homes remain barely habitable.

The government can carry out its two goals _ invest in new infrastructure while implementing its tax cuts as promised _ either by cutting spending on other programmes or by raising revenues elsewhere.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . The Finance Ministry has numerous plans on hand to boost revenues, such as through new "sin taxes" on alcohol or by pressing forward with the land and building tax initiated by the last government.

But Government House has been largely silent on this score, and one can only hope that our political leadership has the wherewithal and courage to shift its spending priorities away from short-term populist measures and focus more on projects that will be truly important for our physical, economic and social wellbeing in the future. The flood has been an enormous tragedy for a country that has suffered calamity and unrest for far too long. But the greater tragedy might not be seen until years later, when future generations will have to bear the burden of our debt while enjoying none of the respite and benefits deserved from better public infrastructure and services.

McCann adds electrical systems degree to program offerings

Today marks the first day of the November term at McCann School of Business & Technology, which is now offering an associate degree program in electrical systems at its Pottsville campus.

"It's a brand new program," Shannon Brennan, campus director, said. "We've offered electrical technology, which is a diploma program, for the last 6 months, but this is an upgraded degree version of that, so it's longer, and it's roughly 18 months to 21 months, depending on how long they go."

Students will get extensive hands-on experience through lab applications of the various theories and current practices. Studies will include tools, equipment, design, installation, control systems, programmable controllers and troubleshooting systems.

Timothy Brady,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. trade program director, said the program is the first of its kind offered in Schuylkill County. The closest a student could find one prior to McCann's offering was Berks or Northumberland counties.

Brennan said that electrical systems not only prepares a person to work as a general electrician in a residential or commercial setting, it also teaches programmable logic controllers that can be used to work in an industrial setting.

McCann's Pottsville campus started its trade program about a year ago, Brennan said. The school offers a diploma program that focuses on heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration program.

The Pottsville campus added a wing to its facility last fall in order to offer the trade programs, Brennan said, including labs where students can get all their training.we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies,

In the lab, Brennan showed an area where the students will be able to practice putting up panel boxes and running wires.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

"They have a higher ceiling, so there is space to eventually have a shed structure so they can learn to wire, plumb and run heating through an entire simulated house," she said.

Motor control trainers are available in the lab, so problems can be programed into a system to simulate various types of problems for a student to troubleshoot.

There are also roll-top doors to the outside if students need to work on larger equipment.

"We have people bring in equipment so students can practice fixing broken things for the experience," Brennan said.

Brady also said one advantage to the program is it provides a lot of areas in which the students can branch, including running programs, cables and lines with computers, so they can go wherever the demand exists.

During the next to last term, Brady said students in the electrical systems program will do an externship with about 250 hours of on-the-job experience with an employer.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card .

"It's a nice way to end the academic aspect and tailor the way into the workforce," Brady said.

With about seven students currently enrolled in the program, instructors will include people such as electricians and even a PLC instructor, since Brennan said they try to get people who work in the field and have real-life experience. She said while they hope to have more people enrolled.

The entire process to add the electrical systems program began about three years ago. When McCann wants to start a new program, it conducts market research to identify jobs in the community with life-sustaining salaries.

Brennan said it takes about two years to get a program totally approved, from the writing process to state approval and then obtaining national accreditation approval.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, There was also the need to add building space, she said.

For students to obtain the associate degree in electrical systems, they will be required to complete 80 credit hours in major and related requirements and 20 credit hours of general education requirements.

Life's too short for integrity

If integrity is akin to a prosperous bank account, then Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s new Sitcom Life’s Too Short proves that they are heading for a bankruptcy of Greek dimensions.

What were once brilliant comic conceits – the mockumentary format, the use of sustained comic embarrassment and the exposure of self-aggrandising middle- managers in The Office – became tropes in Extras and in this latest outing, tired cliché.

All the element of surprise is gone. The box ticking is even repeated in the star cameos, which doubtless will raise the only genuine laughs in this lazy excuse for a primetime show, surely the product of a BBC Golden Handcuffs deal.

And please don’t let them raise the ‘postmodern irony’ defence - that was big in the Nineties, not now. This, as in the village-idiot baiting of their comedic punchbag Karl Pilkington, just feels like bullying. Only it’s a dwarf this time, not a ‘mong’.

Having the star guest play against type is what Morecambe & Wise did better some 30 ago. Back then,the impact socket pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. stars were less accessible and certainly less amicable towards lowering their status, and so the comedy was kinder, and less of a blatant device to bolster the star’s public image.

It seems now to be craven; we in, you win. The public will lap it up. Life’s Too Short is already replicating Extras, in it’s toadying up to the stars in an obsequious, cloying Uriah Heep manner. There is precious little story, and what there is, is oh-so predictable.

It has to be said though, that Gervais and Merchant are excellent star-spotters and employers – they ‘made’ the careers of Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook and Ashley Jensen: let’s hope the same happens for Warwick Davis , Jo Enright (the talented comedienne who plays his wife) and others.

Comedians playing ‘themselves’ is a feature of this new decade. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon did it in The Trip,There is good integration with PayPal and most TMJ providers, which was only a guilty pleasure for me when Coogan played up to his public perception (petty, vain, sexually incontinent) and Brydon showed his Sancho Panza (to Coogan’s Don Quixote) to have feet of clay when he made an unfortunate lunge at Coogan's PA. That it has been re-commissioned is surprising, as on so many other counts it was self-regarding, quite indulgent and in essence, was throwing a pot of piss in the licence-payer’s face. Michael Winterbottom can, and often does, do better than this. Long gone it appears, are the days of Marion and Geoff and the brilliant but underrated Saxondale.

Episodes, too,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. was equally indulgent. There was some fine acting by Stephen Mangan, Tamsin Greig and Matt Le Blanc, but we have seen the cliché that Hollywood will swallow you up and spit you out time and time again, all the way back at least to Sullivan’s Travels in 1941.

The show grew some balls as a resolution presented itself, but its premise was flawed from the start. That a pair of Bafta-wining sitcom writers would not know that Hollywood was inevitably going to rip the guts out of their product is criminally naive. David Crane, a former Friends creator/writer ought to know better. But then, he did create Joey.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, Will we ever tire of seeing celebrities playing at being themselves? It doesn’t seem so. The schedules are currently awash with barrel-scraping celeb travelogues: Joanna Lumley goes to Greece, Caroline Quentin is banished to Cornwall. Katie Price shows us around her vagina (Peter Andre).

I would imagine a TV commissioner would offer a wry smile at the idea, because it is the same as it ever was. Barrymore, Edmonds, all the light entertainment stars of the Eighties would turn up for any old format no matter how ragged, and here we are again.

Celebrity culture seems to be the only thing we actually produce in this country, and if there weren’t enough of them, we now have Geordie Shore and TOWIE to make them all anew, and endless cycle as the snake swallows its tail.If so, you may have a cube puzzle .

It used to be, back in the swinging Sixties, that the only way a person might escape the binds of his class was through acting (Michael Caine), boxing (Henry Cooper), photography (David Bailey) or pop (everyone). Nowadays, due to our total immersion in media, so many more want a slice of this lucrative pie, but the end result is there is less pie to go around. When Andy Warhol famously predicted 15 minutes of fame, he hadn’t seen TOWIE. Media platform proliferation has extended the natural life of celebs, with three years being the accepted norm. One year as newcomer, one at the top and a third on the slide. I don’t begrudge it – it is easy enough money once you get there (hello all you comedians doing commercials and voiceovers), but where do you draw the ‘integrity’ line?

Going to work sick? You’re not doing anyone any favours

Your throat is scratchy. You nose is dripping and your head is gently throbbing. You don’t feel ill enough to justify taking a sick day, but you’re far from your regular, healthy, productive self.

Welcome to world of the working wounded, the army of hacking, sneezing, watery-eyed employees who refuse to suffer their cold and flu symptoms lying down – or, at least, safely away from the workplace. While many feel pressured to soldier on with their jobs, there’s a growing consensus that ill employees could be doing more harm than good by reporting for duty.

A recent study from Queen’s University found it costs employers twice as much in productivity losses for employees who come to work while sick than for those who stay at home. Yet the same study showed that 83 per cent of U.S. adult survey participants continued to attend work or school while experiencing flu-like symptoms. The research, funded by a grant from Afexa Life Sciences Inc., the maker of cold remedy COLD-FX, also found one in three Canadian adults have a sore throat, cold or flu in any given month, and one in five ignore their symptoms of illness.They take the China Porcelain tile to the local co-op market.

Earlier this year,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . the temporary staffing company Accountemps released the results of a survey of more than 430 Canadian workers, which revealed people are far more likely to be worried about catching a bug from their ill co-workers than to be impressed by their dedication. Fifty-seven per cent said they feared being exposed to their sick colleagues, and 29 per cent said they were concerned about their ill co-workers’ well-being, compared with 11 per cent who said they would be impressed with them for working while unwell.

But when ill themselves, 51 per cent said they would go to work anyway, compared with 31 per cent who said they would stay at home and take a sick day.

“I think a lot of people feel pressure [to work while sick] because they obviously feel a sense of obligation to their employer,” says Anaar Dewjee, branch manager of Accountemps in Toronto. Some also tend to feel guilty about leaving their co-workers to pick up the slack, or believe that if they show up, they’ll make a better impression on their bosses.

Workers, however, often aren’t as effective on the job when they’re unwell, Ms. Dewjee says. They also risk infecting others, and they may prolong their recovery if they don’t rest up. “It can actually be counter-productive.”

The trouble is, it’s not always clear from one’s symptoms whether an illness warrants time off, and how many sick days one should take.

Many flu-like symptoms, such as coughing, headaches, fever, nasal congestion and muscle aches, can be due to Influenza A, Influenza B, or any number of respiratory viruses, which behave differently, says Doug Sider, acting director for infectious-disease prevention and control at Public Health Ontario.I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card .

Further complicating matters, he adds, the severity of one’s symptoms does not necessarily indicate the level of risk for spreading the illness. “If you’ve got mild symptoms, does that mean you’re less infectious? Or if you’ve got more significant symptoms, that you’re more infectious? We’re not always certain about that.”

Ideally, Dr. Sider says people should stay home for at least two to three days when they start feeling ill, as that’s when they’re most infectious. He acknowledges, though, that staying home isn’t always feasible. “There’s a whole series of workplace disincentives for people to do the right thing,we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, in terms of basically isolating themselves when they’re ill,” he says.

Some workplaces,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, for instance, require employees to obtain a doctor’s note, even though a crowded waiting room while they’re at their most contagious is the last place people should be, Dr. Sider says.

Craftsman bungalow in 'an amazing neighborhood'

What do you do if you love your home and your neighborhood, but you need more space for your growing family?

You could do what Kelly and Jonas Sickler plan to do - sell their 1,600-square-foot Strathmore bungalow at 812 Stinard Ave. for $119,900, and buy another, larger home less than a block away.

Jonas, an illustrator with a popular series of children's nursery rhyme picture books under his belt and more projects in the works, needs a home studio and the two Sickler boys need a larger yard. But the couple wouldn't consider leaving Strathmore, where Kelly has always lived.

"It's just an amazing neighborhood," said Kelly,we supply all kinds of oil painting supplies, a librarian assistant at DeWitt Community Library. "The neighbors all know each other and look out for each other. Our oldest son goes to J.T. Roberts School. I think it's the best in the city."

The three-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath bungalow is on a corner lot, with the front of the home on Stinard and the paved driveway and detached one-car garage on Glenwood Avenue. The garage has a new carriage-style door and, along with the house, a new roof with architectural shingles.

A curved walk in the backyard connects the brick paver patio to the driveway. The Sicklers landscaped with rock walls and plants, including dogwood trees Jonas said are covered in blossoms in the spring.

The deep front porch,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . with plenty of space for rocking chairs, sets the Craftsman tone that continues as you swing open the original front door and enter the living room. The Sicklers have chosen a traditional, earth-tone Craftsman color scheme throughout the two-story home, complemented by the original textured, horse-hair plaster walls, woodwork and arches dividing living areas.

The brick-front fireplace has a terra cotta hearth and a natural gas insert, complete with a cottage-style screen and doors and a remote control. A wooden mantel provides a wide shelf for accessories in front of a mirror that seems to add space and light to the room. Windows flank the fireplace and on one side there are built-in book shelves.

In the formal dining room, which has a guest closet,I have never solved a Rubik's plastic card . crown molding, an original brass chandelier and sconces with fabric shades, two original windows swing into the room when opened.

The house has oak floors throughout, including in the kitchen, which has updated raised-panel cabinets, laminate counters, a four-burner gas range and a built-in microwave. The refrigerator will not be sold with the house. A wooden door in the kitchen opens to reveal several steps to a landing with a door to the patio and yard. Next to the door is the original "milk box" - a small, built-in wooden cupboard where the milkman once left deliveries.

Several more steps descend to the unfinished basement, which has a cement floor and houses the washer and dryer (which will not be sold with the house) as well as a double utility sink. Jonas uses one end of the basement as a wine cellar and the other as a workshop.

Two first-floor bedrooms with extra deep closets flank a full bathroom with a combination tub and shower, subway floor tiles and larger ceramic wall tiles. Outside the bathroom, there's a built-in linen cabinet and drawers, and a laundry chute.

Bare wooden stairs lead to a spacious second floor room that doubles as a bedroom and playroom for the Sicklers' children.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . The room has mirror-image windows on either side, with a window seat on one side,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, flanked by two closets.

A small adjoining dormer room serves as a studio for Jonas, but could be a nursery or roomy walk-in closet. There is storage space built into the eaves in the studio as well as in the bedroom.

The home is on municipal water and public sewers, has recently updated gas forced-air heat and central air. There is a security system with motion sensors.

A photo and description of the home, which was built in 1920, was featured on the "Family Photo" page of the spring 2011 edition of "American Bungalow" magazine.

"There's sort of a glow to these older homes that we just love," Jonas said. "I grew up in the suburbs with cookie-cutter houses; everything is the same and boring to me. We love this neighborhood too much to leave it."

IMF piles pressure as Italy eyes post-Berlusconi future

The International Monetary Fund piled pressure on Italy with a call for "political clarity" on Thursday as global markets plunged over fears for the eurozone's third largest economy ahead of a bond test.

"Political clarity is conducive to more stability," IMF chief Christine Lagarde said on a visit to China, while in Italy former EU commissioner Mario Monti emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

In a move widely seen as an endorsement, Berlusconi wrote Monti a telegram congratulating him on his appointment as senator-for-life on Wednesday and saying that the economist would work "in the interests of the country."

Berlusconi has promised to step down following parliamentary approval this weekend of a package of economic reforms aimed at calming investor fears,the Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011, which have pushed Italy's borrowing rates to alarming levels.

The imminent handover of power has led to fevered backroom negotiations and Monti's appointment appeared far from a done deal after several leading members of Berlusconi's centre-right coalition insisted on early elections.

The 68-year-old Monti earned a fearless reputation as the European Union's competition commissioner taking on US corporate giants Microsoft and General Electric and is seen as a possible head of a national unity government.

"Italy is facing a difficult time and particularly arduous choices to overcome the crisis," said President Giorgio Napolitano, who will be forced to call early elections if there is no consensus on a new government.

"Europe is urgently awaiting important signals of a taking on of responsibility by one of its founders. We will be up to the task," he said.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards,

The European Commission has warned Italy may need to adopt "extra measures" in order to meet its target of balancing the budget by 2013.

The Commission on Thursday forecast Italy's growth rate will slow to just 0.1 percent in 2012 -- far below the government's forecast of 0.7 percent.

It also warned that Italy would fail to reduce its deficit to 1.6 percent of output next year as planned and the level would instead be 2.3 percent.

European Union and European Central Bank officials arrived in Rome this week as part of a special EU-IMF surveillance mechanism that Berlusconi reluctantly agreed to at the G20 summit of world leaders earlier this month.

IMF officials are expected to arrive in Italy to check the accounts by the end of November and will then continue to monitor the government's efforts to implement key structural reforms on a quarterly basis.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles .

Italy meanwhile was set to hold a bond auction -- its first market test since a parliamentary revolt and Berlusconi's resignation announcement sparked mayhem that pushed borrowing rates above 7.0 percent.

The rise in rates fanned fears around the world that EU founding member Italy could be the next eurozone economy to be forced to seek a bailout in a debt crisis that has already put Greece, Ireland and Portugal on their knees.

There was more bad news on the economic front for Italy after new data showed industrial production dropped 4.8 percent in September -- its worst monthly drop since the start of the global economic crisis in 2008.

Italian stocks however rallied after opening in negative territory, with the benchmark FTSE Mib index up more than 3.0 percent.

Shares in Berlusconi's business empire Mediaset, which had dropped almost 12 percent on Wednesday, were rising sharply.

Asian markets earlier slumped on fears over Italy's surging borrowing costs and European stocks were mostly down.

Berlusconi had promised his fellow eurozone leaders that he would overhaul Italy's pensions system and accelerate sales of state assets, but the reforms have stalled to the intense frustration of Germany and others.As many processors back away from hydraulic hose ,

Berlusconi's resignation looked set to have more personal ramifications for the larger-than-life premier, who is currently a defendant in three trials; for bribery, tax fraud,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . abuse of power and paying for sex with a 17-year-old girl.

Before Leaving The Bar, A Chance To Breathalyze

Imagine driving without a speedometer and still trying to go the speed limit. Chris Montag, chief operating officer of Ladybug Teknologies, says that's analogous to going out drinking without a Breathalyzer.

"It's something we've done for hundreds of years, and nobody's ever had a tool and we guess ... that we're OK," Montag says. "But, really, how do you know when you've never been able to measure it?"

Most people know 0.08 is the legal limit for driving under the influence of alcohol in the U.S., yet few know when they've hit it or what it feels like. Montag wants to change that by placing interactive Breathalyzer-type monitors in bars.

So Ladybug Teknologies has designed a touch-screen device about the size of an ATM. Users pay $5 and receive a small plastic mouthpiece to attach to the machine. After blowing hard for 5 seconds, the screen flashes a user's blood alcohol level in large, bold numbers. Then, a coupon for a taxi company prints out.

One of the machines, dubbed the SipSmart kiosk, recently made its debut at Caputi's, a bar in suburban Buffalo. It's the kind of place where most patrons drive home.

"I don't know what exact 0.08 is, no. I don't know what that legal drunk limit is.the Aion Kinah by special invited artist for 2011, I don't know what feeling that is or anything," says 21-year old James Wanglin, a regular here. He says his group usually has a designated driver, but many groups don't.

"People think they're OK, and that's the problem — they aren't," Wanglin says.

To guide Wanglin and others to the kiosk, Ladybug's Joe Rank works the crowd, wearing a backward baseball cap and a shirt that reads "Blow Me.If so, you may have a cube puzzle ." Rank tries to inspire drinkers to work the blood-alcohol monitor into their routines.

"We're going around [to help] promote, getting people toward the machine to actually use it and figure out what it is. Mostly, it sits there and not everyone really can tell what it is," he says.

While some are too embarrassed to use it in a social setting, many young drinkers are naturally drawn to the machine,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . Rank says, for entertainment and gaming.

"I see it more with the younger crowd; they're going see how high they can get their blood alcohol level," he says, "where an older crowd is going to use it ... for the more responsible way,As many processors back away from hydraulic hose , to know that, 'Alright, I have to drive home. What [level] am I at?' "

But Ladybug doesn't want its readings to be taken as gospel. In fact, a legal disclaimer on the machine says it's just an educational tool. Ladybug CEO Sherry Colbourne says her company and bar owners assume no liability even if a user blows over the legal limit and still gets behind the wheel.

"We're all grown adults, and certainly by the time you're allowed to drink, you're sufficiently mature enough to be able to understand the consequences of bad decision-making," Colbourne says.

But using the machine requires some expertise. To provide an accurate sample,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, users must wait 15 minutes after their last drink. Intoxication levels constantly change, meaning you could be at 0.07 now but blow 0.09 just a few minutes later. Plus, Ladybug's Montag says she's had trouble placing the kiosks: Bar owners see them as a threat to their bottom line.