I am really fascinated by how much of a commodity beauty is in our society. This is doubly true for women, whom are (across the racial board) judged more harshly for their appearance than their male counterparts. When you consider the intersection of race and beauty, we arrive at some very sticky stuff. In case you haven’t guessed, the European aesthetic is the standard by which all women are judged.

Black women are arguably physically the most distinct from the European phenotype. Lips, nose, hair, and typical body shapes are sometimes SO distinct, they become objects of fascination/intrigue rather than simply being body parts. More questions about that? Google the tragic story of “Sartji Baartman”.

Despite what seems to be an ongoing assault on the image and self-esteem of women of predominantly African descent, studies show Black women have equal or higher self-esteem than their White counterparts. Yes, despite the overuse of racially ambiguous women portraying Black women in the media, despite being bombarded with images of White femininity, Black women have managed to emerge (at the very least) no more emotionally scarred than those for whom the beauty standards are set. Society’s response to our confidence? Media images of morbidly obese sassy Black women with bad attitudes and too much self esteem (Norbit). After all, how dare a Black woman (and how DOUBLE DARE a fat woman) deem herself worthy if Whites don’t? I guess we can’t win for losing.

Don’t get me wrong, Black women in the U.S seem to display a mixture of concession and resistance to anti-Black beauty indoctrination. Very few would approve of skin bleaching, but most do not critically question the practice of hair straightening (though this is gradually changing). It’s even harder to challenge the hair-straightening process because in the last century, the process of getting hair done has also provided an actual physical space for Black female discourse (“girl talk”). Be it the kitchen or the salon, the “hair space” can make a person feel “like a ice cube in a oven” if you aren’t a member of that “sorority”. Long wait times, questionable prices, and being unsure of what the hell you’ll look like when you leave can be really stressful. Add to that list the cheeky regulars who believe you’ve forfeited your right to “face” when you enter their space. As a girl who was never allowed to do the bimonthly salon thing, I know exactly how this feels. Plenty of Black women do too. Let’s see how Youtube’s Tiffdjones interprets this phenomenon:

Now, I’m well aware of the issues that exist between lighter and darker skinned Black women. I’m also aware of the ongoing desire for some Black women to achieve Eurocentric hair aesthetics (straight, long, etc). I DO find it interesting that her immediate interpretation  of that experience was that all of those women MUST be jealous of her. Because after all, any Black woman who isn’t absolutely honored to be in the presence of a mulatto and absolutely hell-bent on making her comfortable must be harboring some deep desire to be you and lashing out because it won’t happen. While watching her video I thought back to the times I’ve been laughed at while getting my hair done, the time I was charged extra for the “extra time” because she “didn’t realize how much was there”, and the time I was flat out DENIED service by the infamous Dominicans (funny how they don’t even need names, lol) after I went natural a few years ago. I think about those experiences, sometimes hurtful, sometimes too funny and stupid to be hurtful, and I wonder since I’m not biracial, what’s my excuse?

Another thing I thought about, was the privilege Blacks often give biracials in Black (and sometimes White) contexts. This is more often communicated to biracial women by Black men, so it’s no surprise that a biracial woman in a Black female context was treated (at worse) with a little hazing, or (at best) like any other random girl. Growing up, it was pretty common knowledge that the default pretty girl would always be mixed (this would later be replaced by mixed and/or had an amazing body). However, when I went to a nearly entirely White high school I found that this simply didn’t happen in White environments. In fact, for a particular biracial girl, the combination of red hair, a slightly tighter than average curl pattern, and an affinity for Bob Marley shirts made me realize that it could be downright hard. I finally decided to ask a male student what was so funny about her. His reply was, “you don’t see Bozo’s sister?”

In reflecting on the many times I’ve observed biracials in Black and White contexts, I come to the same conclusions; overly regarded in one environment, nearly invisible in another. This is mainly applicable to the heterosexual contexts I’ve observed. This leads me to another hypothetical conclusion about Tiffdjones’ video:

If the women making her uncomfortable were White, she wouldn’t have the gall or the audacity to assume they were jealous of her. I would put my life on it. I’ve witnessed it before, Biracial women in White female groups often resign themselves to “supporting actress” roles, even if they are attractive enough to be the center of attention. They don’t conceptualize themselves as threats to the social value of White women (certainly not in the eyes of White men), so any tension that arises between a biracial woman and a White woman is likely interpreted as an individual act of meanness rather than some racially loaded act of biracial envy. The blogger has mentioned that her mother (who is Black) discouraged her from trusting Black women with he hair, and this may very well be an example of how the minority parents of biracial identified children often impart their racial insecurities on their children, and these insecurities become a part of their racial identity (as with all racial identities). I will discuss this in more detail later. It pokes a critical whole in the “best of both worlds” argument, or the argument that Biracialism is a fundamental representation of racial progressiveness. Racial progress encourages you to stereotype the very group to which your mother belongs…and your mother encourages this as well???

Since the validity of phyloXML documents is enforced by a XSD Schema, the order of elements matters.

For example, for <clade> the proper order of sub-elements is:

1. <name>
2. <branch_length>
3. <confidence>
4. <width>
5. <color>
6. <taxonomy>
7. <sequence>
8. <events>
9. <binary_characters>
10. <distribution>
11. <date>
12. <reference>
13. <property>
14. <clade>

For <sequence>, the order is:

1. <symbol>
2. <accession>
3. <name>
4. <location>
5. <mol_seq>
6. <uri>
7. <annotation>
8. <domain_architecture>

For <taxonomy>, the order is:

1. <id>
2. <code>
3. <scientific_name>
4. <authority>
5. <common_name>
6. <synonym>
7. <rank>
8. <uri>

Needless to say, not all sub-elements have to appear, but if they do, they have to appear in proper order.

El dia de hoy amaneci culto y pues decidi tirarme a la investigacion y encontré esta peculiar nota la cual copy-paste-o para uds.

¿Qué es lo que hace que los pedos tengan olor?

El olor de los pedos proviene de pequeñas cantidades de Sulfuro de Hidrógeno y Azufre (Ácido Sulfhídrico) libre en la mezcla. Cuanta más rica en Azufre es su dieta, más de esos gases van a ser producidos por las bacterias en su intestino, y más hediondos serán sus pedos. Alimentos como cebolla, coliflor, huevos, son notables por producir pedos apestosos. Por otro lado, por ejemplo, los frijoles, producen grandes cantidades de pedos, aunque no necesariamente hediondos.

¿Por qué los pedos hacen ruido?

Los ruidos son producidos por la abertura anal. El ruido depende de la velocidad de expulsión del gas y de cuan estrecha sea la abertura de los músculos del esfínter anal.
En términos populares, un culito bien apretado va a tronar más fuerte.

Por eso aquello del pedo sorpresa, que a pesar de tratar de sacarlo ’soplado’ (silencioso), sale bien tronado ante las caras perplejas de los demás (como si ellos nunca se hubieran tirado uno y fueran ‘extrapedestres’).

¿Cuánto gas produce una persona normal?

En valores promedio, una persona produce el equivalente cercano a un litro de pedos por día (vaya si somos una cajita de sorpresas, más bien una caja de pedos), así que suéltenlos o van a explotar como globos), distribuidos en aproximadamente ¡14 pedos diarios!, así es, no lo nieguen.

¿Cuánto tarda hasta que el pedo llega a la nariz de alguien?

Depende de las condiciones atmosféricas, humedad y velocidad del viento, también de la distancia entre las personas.

Los pedos también se dispersan; su potencial nauseabundo disminuye con la dilución.
Hay quien presume de poderes sobrenaturales, como hacer ‘levitar’ las sábanas de la cama. En realidad, sólo es un pedorro potente y, muy posiblemente, próximo divorciado por intento de asfixia, piénsenlo, ¿acaso no son los peores?, los más difíciles de dispersar, parecen ‘pegajosos’.

Condiciones excepcionales existen cuando el pedo es liberado en un área pequeña y cerrada, como un ascensor, un cuarto pequeño o dentro de un automóvil, porque esas condiciones  limitan la cantidad disponible del diluyente (aire) y el pedo va a permanecer en una concentración que permitirá su percepción por más tiempo, hasta que se condense en las paredes.

¿Algunas personas nunca pedorrean?

No. Si una persona está viva, se pedorrea, seguro, aquí no hay excepciones ni milagritos.

Algunas personas, comprobado está, se pedorrean horas después de fallecidas.

¿Los hombres pedorrean más que las mujeres?

¡Nada más falso! Las mujeres se pedorrean tanto como los hombres.

El caso es que los hombres tienen menos vergüenza; por el contrario, bajo ciertas circunstancias, es un orgullo pedorrearse más sonoramente, más veces y más olorosamente que otros.

¿El pedo es un eructo que salió del lado equivocado?

No. La frase ‘El eructo es un pedo que tomó el ascensor’ es puro folklore.

El eructo viene del estómago y tiene una composición química diferente a la de un pedo.

Los pedos tienen menos aire atmosférico y más gases producidos por bacterias.

¿A dónde van los pedos que aguantamos? ¿Cuántas veces uno se aguanta un pedo, pretendiendo soltarlo en la primera oportunidad apropiada, y después descubre que ha desaparecido? ¿En realidad salió lentamente, sin que la persona se diera cuenta? ¿Fue absorbido por la corriente sanguínea? ¿O qué es lo que en realidad pasó?

Los médicos están de acuerdo en que el pedo no es ni liberado ni absorbido. Simplemente vuelve a los intestinos y sale luego.

Esto reafirma el hecho de que los pedos no se pierden ni se destruyen sino que sólo se ‘demoran’.

¿Otros sienten más el olor que el propio autor?

El pedo debería -en teoría- oler tanto para el que lo emite como para las otras personas, pero quien lo hace tiene una ventaja por el hecho de haberlo propulsado lejos de su cuerpo, en dirección opuesta a su nariz.

Sin embargo, pedorrear contra el viento, anula esa ventaja.

Si te parece interesante este estudio, publícalo en tu blog, sino… ¡¡¡No  hay  pedo!!
Leer más: http://tecnoculto.com/2009/11/25/no-hay-pedo-que-valga/#more-13421#ixzz0XtBkbZSG

Folks often compliment and wonder: “Who does your business cards and website photos?”  The answer is my husband, Andy Greene of Greeneman Designs, a graphic designer and burgeoning photographer.  He designs business cards, logos, posters, web & print flyers, and more.  I really enjoy his aesthetic; the designs are clean, sophisticated, and young, while the photography is very honest.  I can’t wait until his website launches!

Chequen el dato! saque el link de yanilachingan.

Vale lo que su contenido ludico en oro!!!!!!!!

Aqui la info completa!

strawberries and chives living together in harmony

Q: In your new Strawberry Companion Beds, why are chives and borage planted with strawberries?

A: Chives are pest repellent to keep pests away from the strawberries. They are also edible. Chives will spread but they tend to be balanced by the spreading of the strawberries. Borage is an attractant for beneficial insects as well as an edible flower.

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Q: In your new Asparagus Companion Beds, why are alyssum and dill planted with asparagus?

A: Dill is an attractant for beneficial insects. Alyssum is also an attractant as well as good ground cover for suppressing weeds.

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Do you have questions about Backyard Harvest, backyard farming or urban permaculture? Just ask and we will do our best to answer!

4. School Site Presentation

Teaching Principal and Administrator Daniel Hoffman gave a presentation on Coulterville-Greeley Elementary and Coulterville High School. Items that were of particular interest to me:

• CGE has a wonderful partnership with Mariposa County’s Red Cloud Library, which is right across the street. The library is open 3 days per week, but the school has access whenever they need it; teachers can take their students to check out books even when the library is closed. The school integrated their books with the library’s books. The school’s books include reading level tags. The library has increased the number of books the children have access to tremendously.
• The school has a robust sports program. Thirty children, or almost half the school, participate. They have an 18 game basketball schedule, volleyball, soccer, and football, and often travel to other schools for games. It’s great incentive for the children to keep their grades up, and the system supports intervention. If grades fall below 2.x, children go to study hall at lunch time to work on improving their grades before they fall below 2.0, at which time they become ineligible from playing sports.
• They have an after school program.

6. Reports

6.1 Board Member Reports:

Kim Forsythe-Allison reported on an FFA meeting she had attended. The National Resource Team placed tenth in the nation.

Joe Cardoso said he had attended the MES dance and was impressed with the variety of activities that were available for the children. He also attended the MES Veteran’s Day celebration, followed by the Board of Supervisor’s meeting where each board member recognized the great event at MES. He also attended a MCHS Boosters meeting and is impressed by what groups like this are doing to help the students—he mentioned the Boosters had just bought some basketball equipment. Mr. Cardoso encouraged schools to email him and other board members about school events. He would try to attend whenever possible.

Janette Gamble did not have any events to report on, but echoed but thanked Mr. Hoffman for his presentation.

Eldon Henderson said he had been to a Coulterville-Greeley Hill club dinner and had also gone to Lake Don Pedro and taken a tour of the new facility.

Student Body representative Richard Ballinger always has a detailed report that includes what’s happening with sports teams and going on at school. The item that struck me from his report is that profits from fundraising activities are down 25% and more from what they were last year.

6.2 MCTA: Ann Dolchanczyk reported that parent teacher conference week was ending, and she was very impressed with all the work teachers put into having things ready for the parents. Some teachers had a lot more reports to prepare given the numbers of students in some classrooms. Also, they were vacuuming floors and doing extra cleaning since custodial time has been reduced. Ms. Dochanczyk began to mention grievances. Board President Henderson asked if grievances were proceeding through proper channels. They are, and so Mr. Henderson asked that it be left at that.

6.3 CSEA: President Ken Price reported negotiations were beginning the next day.

6.4 Superintendent’s Report: Randy Panietz said the FAQs have been updated, categorized, and some have been put into an archive that is available online at www.Mariposa.k12.ca.us. He said the FAQs have a lot of good information and encouraged everyone to read through them. The Superintendent attended the high school play, the Veteran’s Day celebration at MES, the Mariposa Safe Families event honoring Kathy Delany who is retiring (he will invite the new director to a future board meeting), and a meeting regarding the Wawona School. The Wawona School in Yosemite National Park was transferred from MCUSD to the Bass Lake School District in Madera County some 15 years ago. Bass Lake has announced plans to close Wawona School at the end of this school year. The superintendent is getting ready for another meeting regarding the closure and any other possible options on December 2, and he invited all board members to attend. The Superintendent has been in contact with County Health Officer, Dr. Mosher, regarding the recent H1N1 clinics. Dr. Mosher said 1300 people were vaccinated at the clinics, which is far below the goal. Dr. Mosher is working on arranging clinics at certain district schools, making the vaccine available in more locations for those who are interested.

8. Consent Agenda

Joe Cardoso asked that item F regarding the obsolete supplies and equipment list be pulled for discussion. All other items were approved.

F. Mr. Cardoso asked if the computers on the list were usable, and if so, if there was a way to get them into the hands of students whose families don’t have computers. Technology Coordinator Dean Bernacchi said the district used to have a garage sale that included old computer equipment as well as a variety of other items. However, the personnel costs involved in organizing and running the sale were too great to continue to do them. He said there is a process for disbursing old equipment. Members of the Leadership team are aware of the policy, and it is up to the schools to move forward with it in regards to their own equipment.

The school district holds onto equipment a long time, so the computers on the list are outdated and not internet capable. There’s been a lot of salvaging of parts from items on the obsolete list. Proprietary software must be taken off of them if they are to be given (sold for at least $1, reminded Bob Morse, since they were bought with public money), but they would still have the Windows operating system and WordPad.

Superintendent Panietz suggested a motion be made to either remove the item, take it back to Leadership, and ask them to review the obsolete list, taking any usable computers off and get them into the hands of students, or move the item with the stipulation that the former would take place. Mr. Cardoso said he would hate to move to approve the list and then not have the review of the list taken seriously by Leadership, with nothing come off the list. Mr. Morse said he thought the issue with this list is that all the items are sitting on pallets in an outside location, waiting to be picked up before the rain comes. Mr. Bernacchi reiterated that these computers have been heavily salvaged and are very old, but that maybe Mr. Cardoso’s request could be brought to Leadership for consideration for equipment schools dispose of in the future. Mr. Cardoso made the motion to approve the obsolete supplies/equipment list. The motion was seconded and passed.

9.1 Monthly Construction Update. Bob Morse reported that one day they had 20 contractors at the Lake Don Pedro multipurpose room construction site, and that 10 had submitted bids for remaining work that needs to be completed. While DMSI’s original bid a year ago for the remaining work in question had been $850k, the bidding process brought the cost down to $349k, a huge cost savings to the district’s budget for this project. The bids are on four separate aspects of the project. Mr. Cardoso asked why all the work wasn’t put to bid in one package. Mr. Morse explained that dividing it into four sections saves the district more money, as a company that bid low on one aspect, actually bid higher on another, and this was true for all the bidders. Dividing it into four allows the district to accept the lowest bid on each piece of the project and realize more cost savings. Mr. Cardoso asked if there would be difficulty in coordinating the various contractors that would slow down the project and delay the completion date. The site foreman, Travis Kirk, said he will make sure it is coordinated such that there will not be delays. The final date of when the building will be ready to occupy depends on the board accepting the bids and also on weather, but it is anticipated to be ready for occupancy in January.

10. Personnel

10.1 Resolution No 09-39 Classified Layoffs

This resolution was to reduce the hours of the custodian at Coulterville High School by 1 ½ hours, and to transfer the custodian’s services for that 1 ½ hours to Spring Hill. Mr. Henderson said he had spoken to the C/GH principal and had concerns about reducing the custodian’s hours at that site, but the district would have to see how it goes. There was also concern about the distance the employee would have to travel from Coulterville HS to Spring Hill. Mr. Rosander said there had been various options discussed with the employee, and this is the one that had been chosen. The item was approved.

11. Policies and Regulations

11.1 Revision to AR 1312.1, Complaints Concerning District Employees

Superintendent Panietz said the changes reflected what was requested at the last meeting and no vote was needed.

11.2 Revision to BB 9910, Terms of Office

Superintendent Panietz said that this particular board bylaw was last revised in 1993. The California School Board Association (CSBA) recommended language has been added. It doesn’t affect board member’s terms or the staggering of terms or anything else. Ms. Gamble moved the item, Mr. Cardoso seconded, and all were in favor.

11.3 Revision to BP 0430, Comprehensive Local Plan for Special Education

Ms. Damm explained the revision aligns with SELPA and brings the district up to date with current language. Ms. Forsythe-Allison moved the item, Ms. Gamble seconded, and all were in favor.

11.4 Revision to BP 0510, School Accountability Report Card

The revision allows alignment with CSBA recommendations. The SARC is updated annually, with copies available online and in school offices. Ms. Forsythe-Allison moved the item, Ms. Gamble seconded, and all were in favor.

12. Finance and Business

Superintendent Panietz noted that Linda Levesque joined MCUSD as Director of Business Services on October 21, and that she would be presenting items in this section.

12.1 Application and Resolution 09-42, K-3 Class Size Reduction Program

Ms. Levesque explained that this is the application needed for the school district to receive funding through the state’s class size reduction program for 2009-10. The state caps the numbers at what they were at the beginning of last year—the largest class was 32 students. Anything over 20.44 is pro-rated according to the class count. This application will allow the district to receive an estimated $564k this year. Final payments are based on actual enrollment data. This item was approved.

12.2 Unaudited Actuals 2008-09

The details of the budget report can be found in the board packet, at http://www.mariposa.k12.ca.us/Board%20Items/Agendas/09-10%20Agendas/11-19-09%20MCUSD%20Regular%20Board%20Meeting%20Packet%20REV.pdf

Ms. Levesque went through a very informative powerpoint presentation. The bottom line is that the school district had a higher ending balance for the 2008-09 school year than anticipated for a couple of reasons:

• The state had announced planned cuts to ADA revenue limit funds in 2008-09, and the district therefore made cuts, reorganized, reallocated what used to be restricted funds into the general fund, and prepared a budget that the board approved based on that information. However, the state was so late in passing its final budget that the 2008-09 revenue limit cuts could not be taken from the school districts’ budgets in 2008-09. Instead, these cuts will be realized in 2009-10. This resulted in what looks like an inflated bottom line (and is the case for every school district budget throughout California). But in fact, those revenue limit reductions will happen this school year, so it is not truly extra savings.
• The district saw some unexpected savings in areas such as salaries, benefits, books and supplies, operating services, and other miscellaneous places. On the other hand, less money came in than expected from federal, state, and local funding (less by $251k in local dollars) and there were other item categories that cost the district more than anticipated. The bottom line, however, shows that overall the district saved more money than anticipated.

The good news about the extra savings is that it will help mitigate the possibility of mid-year cuts, pending the state budget. There may be enough to restore items for students that were “swept” (went from restricted to unrestricted) in last year’s budget, for instance a textbook adoption, GATE funds, and so on. But projections are difficult. It’s hard to know how much the state will take and how much the district will have left to work with.

One other item that was discussed in this section was that the ending balance also reflects ARRA that funds must be spent by September 2011 (not just allocated, but actually spent). This is one reason it is difficult to allocate ARRA funds towards salaries (there won’t be any after the September 2011). Additionally, ARRA funding restrictions and guidelines have been changing and evolving due to the state’s financial crisis.

The district will receive the budget from the state in January, and most likely will come to the board with recommendations in February. Because of the work done last year, the district may be able to avoid lay-offs. But again, this depends on the budget that comes down from the state.

12.3 Resolution 09-41 Gann Limits

This resolution is required annually to verify that as a government agency, the district is not spending “faster than the growth of population and inflation”. It just verifies (each year) that we are in compliance.

12.4 Change Order for the Lake Don Pedro MP Room Project

This change order had been brought to the board once before at the 10/15/2009 meeting and it was requested that it be brought back. Summary:

The school district had created a pad for the multipurpose building early in the construction process (prior to this superintendent). After the pad was built, the project had a necessary change in direction: the site foreman was no longer a district employee but rather hired out, and a lot of the work the district had originally thought it would do itself was determined could not be done by the district because it went over the number of legally allowable hours for this type of work. While the change of direction was being implemented, the pad sat waiting. When the district was ready to start the project again, the pad was tested and found to be too dry. This wasn’t due to faulty work the first time around. Rather it was due to the length of time the pad sat before construction work began. Mr. Morse explained that a proper change-order was never done to cover the cost of this work, although a purchase order had been submitted to pay the contractor. He asked the board to approve the change order.

On questioning from Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Morse admitted that the cost was probably higher than it should be, but the agreement had been made and there were other concerns he and the current superintendent had about the contract between DMSI and the school district. The contract predated both Mr. Morse and Superintendent Panietz—if they had been involved in the creation of the contract, it would have looked quite different. The district has been trying to tidy up loose ends and get this project closed. By having DMSI resurface the pad for an extra cost, the district ensured that DMSI is the responsible party for the entire building, from the ground up, which is important in case there are problems in the future. If a crack shows up in a wall after the work is completed, and one company is responsible for the pad and another is responsible for the building, then those two companies will be pointing fingers at each other as the one responsible for the crack and for fixing it. It would then have to go into litigation, which is costly, and it would be hard to prove who was really at fault. Having chosen DMSI to repurpose the pad, even though the bid was high, means that they are responsible for the pad and the building, and if there are any cracks or any other problems, DMSI is the responsible party and must fix it.

Mr. Cardoso said it made him sick to his stomach to pay DMSI so much more for this pad. It could have been done for $50k, but instead was done for $80k. He wished to not approve the change order, but rather have it brought back after DMSI has completed all work on the project, and negotiate down the price. Mr. Morse and Mr. Kirk explained that waiting until after the project was completed would cause a delay in occupancy. The Department of State Architects, who must sign off on this project before the building is occupied, will require this change order paperwork before they sign off. In addition, if this item was brought to litigation, it is not likely the district would win. DMSI was requested to do this work and the bid was approved by the board.

The contract the district has with DMSI predates current board members, Bob Morse, and the Superintendent, and is very much written to the favor of DMSI. There is no start date specified, no end date specified, and so no way to collect damages due to lateness. Given all of this, the district is trying to finish this project as quickly as it can, minimizing damages. Mr. Kirk reminded the board that though this change order is expensive, the district has seen significant cost savings in the current bidding process. DMSI’s bid for the entire remainder of the project was $850k. The four bids bring the total cost down to $349k. This is well under the original budget, even taking into account the change order for the pad work.

Mr. Cardoso asked about Mr. Kirk’s contract, which is due to end shortly. Mr. Morse said he would be working with Mr. Kirk on an addendum to the contract, so that it will last to the completion of the project. He and Mr. Kirk noted that Mr. Kirk’s costs were more than recouped by the savings Mr. Kirk had realized for the district in the bidding process.

Mr. Cardoso made a motion to table the change order until DMSI turns in all change orders and the project is completed. This was seconded by Mrs. Forsythe-Allison, but the motion did not carry as Mr. Henderson and Ms. Gamble were not in favor.

More discussion followed. Mr. Morse suggested that since the change order must go to DSA before the building is closed out, perhaps a better way to negotiate with DMSI would be through the retention clause—per the contract, the school district retains 10% of this $2.5 million project until all work is completed. The school district could negotiate funds from DMSI through the retention funds. Mr. Kirk cautioned against this, however, as there is also a clause in the contract granting DMSI a certain percentage increase on the $2.5 million every year for inflation. DMSI has not asked for this and said they will not ask for it. However, if the school district tries to negotiate back monies that the board already approved to be paid to DMSI for the pad work, then DMSI might just turn around and ask for the inflationary increase. This would cost the school district significantly more than the change order amount. The school district does not have legal grounds to ask for a decrease in the amount charged for the pad work; DMSI does have the legal grounds to ask for the inflationary increase.

All agreed that any future contract for construction would be written quite differently, with a beginning date, end date, and grounds for recourse. But again, this contract predated the present MCUSD team, and the goal now is to end the project as soon as possible and have the building approved and occupied by the students.

Ms. Gamble made the motion, recognizing the unhappiness all felt in paying more for the pad work than was necessary, but also recognizing the situation and wanting the project to come to completion and have the building occupied by students, to approve the change order. Mr. Henderson seconded the motion. After a long pause, Mr. Cardoso said he was in favor. Ms. Forsythe-Allison was opposed.

13 Other

13.1 Safety on School Buses

Mr. Morse reported that a committee is forming to examine this issue. The committee includes the bus dispatcher, drivers, MCHS principal Celeste Azevedo, and there was discussion of adding a student member. Mr. Cardoso expressed great concern over what he has heard of happening on school buses. It is hard for drivers who are all transporting multiple grade levels. Mr. Cardoso said he knew the most effective fix would be to have another person riding in the back of the bus. But this is too much to expect of parent volunteers, and would be too expensive to fund. Mr. Morse said he has heard concerns about drugs being transported on buses. This went down when the district had used dogs to check the students on buses, but the problem has increased without the dogs. Mr. Morse said he would report the committee’s progress at a future meeting.

13.2 How to Fill Board Vacancy—Election or Appointment

The board voted to fill the vacancy by appointment. Ms. Peters’ letter gives 60 day notice, the last day of which would be January 5. The board has 60 days from January 5 to fill the vacancy. If they are no suitable candidates and they cannot fill the vacancy, they can run with a 4 person board until the next election. There will be a notice in next week’s Gazette, and the week after that. The Superintendent would like two board members to review the letters and any other materials requested that come in by early December, and hold the interviews in public session at the December 17 meeting.

14 Pending items

Estimated presentation dates:

Motor Pool – Dec
TB/Fingerprinting process – Dec
Food Service – Ms. Levesque met with the committee last Friday, and they will meet again
Election by Trustee Area vs Trustees at Large – Jan
Graduation Requirements – Jan
PE Curriculum – Jan
Alternative Class Schedules – Jan

15 Future Agenda Items

Mr. Cardoso asked for an update on the Yaqui Gulch property. Mr. Cardoso also asked for a resolution to be drafted to the state, explaining the unique characteristics of our district and how particularly devastating state cuts are to MCUSD. Ms. Gamble requested an update on the Lake Don Pedro High School situation since the joint board meeting with the Groveland Big Oak Flat school board.

I’ve had some FAQs about the blog recently that I wanted to clear up.

Some people have been confused about where to find chapter 1 of “The Darkest Hour.” I have made some modifications and am pleased to say that the site is now much more organized. To the right, you will see two types of category boxes. One is a simple list, and the other is called a “category cloud.” Both serve the same function and perform the same actions. Choose “The Darkest Hour” from either to see every chapter posted up to this point in time, including chapter 1!

Also, note that “(vbgal101)” is next to the blog name, “Re-awakening.” This alteration is due to some confusion about the URL address, which is not www.reawakening.wordpress.com. THIS blog’s address is actually www.vbgal101.wordpress.com. Please do not get them confused.

Thank you so much to all of my readers for all of your support! Please keep returning to see all the regular updates, and don’t forget to comment! I would love to hear what all of you have to say. Thank you again!

-Re-awakening Blog Author, vbgal101

I’ve posted a couple of specific questions and answers about the new $6,500 tax credit for existing homeowners on the FAQs page. There’s a lot of information to digest, and I’m happy to help you figure out where your situation fits into all the rules.

Call or text 919.796.3470, or email me… Whatever works best with your schedule. I’m ready and available to answer your questions.

Virginia DUI Defense Attorney, T. Kevin Wilson – Attorney Profile – www.1800DUILAWS.com.

Regularly, people ask me, “Of all the healing diets out there, why would I do GAPS as opposed to raw vegan, raw omnivore, or Body Ecology Diet, for examples?”

I believe that every healing program has its benefits and the Body Ecology Diet, for one, has a lot in common with GAPS (though it includes some pseudograins, which are problematic for many GAPSsers). I have no great attachment to what healing modality people choose. I will tell you, then, only why I choose GAPS:

1. Cravings – GAPS was the fourth major dietary approach I had tried. The others had left me with significant cravings for specific foods, temperatures, or preparation styles. When after starting GAPS I was left with no craving I could not fulfill, even despite the restrictions, I was smitten.

2. Ease – Although I’m quite taken with the raw omnivore program, I have continued to choose GAPS over it for a few reasons. For one, it is not possible for me right now to access fresh, never-frozen meat as regularly as I would need to be able to.  GAPS allows for a wider range of access. For example, it encourages the use of raw milk for its fermentations, but acknowledges that one can find wellness using pasteurized for its fermentations, and supports its use if that is all that is available. Another aspect of the ‘ease’ category is the support available. GAPS has an incredible support network, including an online forum available free 24/7, a step-by-step guidebook (which I wrote), a book describing the science and physiology of the program, and shopping sources. Finally, I feel I can only learn and do so much at any given point in my life. With its relatively known foods and preparations, GAPS was a do-able transition for me.

3. Results – The main spokesperson for one dietary approach is significantly overweight, has laboured breathing and is slow to smile. She acknowledges that she has little interest in food or in exercise (in moving her body in general). I deeply appreciate and respect her honesty. In my mind, though, health would give one a happy appetite as well as energy such that one naturally craves to move. In GAPS I find a lot of people with happiness, energy, laughter, an enjoyment of food and an inclination to move their bodies. Of course, GAPS also resolved a wide range of issues in both my son and in myself.

You could say, then, that these are the three criteria I apply when pondering a program:

• Will my body feel nourished and satisfied?
• Practically and psychologically speaking, can I do it for a good length of time?
• What are the results in most people doing it?

Again, I see value in every program. I believe, for example, that a raw vegan diet can be a wonderful cleanse, but I also feel that any cleanse should be temporary, and that the body will subsequently need resources for healing and rebuilding.

Conversations at the WAPF conference gave me so much to think about. I’ll be posting from a new mental place for some time, I think…

Posted by request of some beloved GAPShelpers. Funny to see oneself mid-expression! (I can only count my blessings that my live “poo squat” demo was not captured.) Don’t let the under-eye circles dissuade you from GAPS: By this point, I had lost two nights’ sleep and many a pre-talk stress tear. Absolutely worth it, though! Big thanks to Ann Marie of CheeseSlave for photos!

What should we wear?
There are two key things to think about with regard to dress options.
1.    You should choose if you want to be casual or dressy.
2.    Try to make everyone look like they belong together.

Here are some more tips:

• Solid tops with nice jeans or khakis work well outdoors.
• We recommend that you stay away from patterns.
• Neutral tones are great because they help keep the pictures classic and the clothes don’t distract from the people.
• Sweaters are excellent when the weather is chilly.
• Coordinate clothing colours so no one person stands out, but you don’t have to all match.
• Be ready to smile

Where should we get our photos taken?
Melissa: Location isn’t that important to me as we can make great photos almost anywhere.   It’s nice to choose somewhere that is important to your family, or that you want showcased in your photo.

What about the weather?

Weather is an important factor important especially in the lower mainland where it is unpredictable. Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather. A back up location can still be outside but covered. We can always shoot in home or in studio
I’ve read all this but I’m still unclear about how we can look our best
The thing to remember here is to relax. Trust in us as professionals who work with people to help them feel comfortable in front of the camera. All you have to do is show up, practice god posture, and have fun!  We’ll do the rest.

I know we have mentioned it before but please plan early if you want to do a photoshoot and calendar or book for a holiday gift. A calendar needs 13 edited images and a book needs 20 – 25. It will take you a while to pick the images out, then several days to edit them and provide the proofs to you, and then a few more days to lay the book or calendar out. Once that’s complete there is the time it takes the lab to print it and ship it to us. I usually say that you should allow about 20 days from the shoot to have the finished product. Calendars are a bit faster because the layout is a simpler process and can actually be done via email and a phone call or two. But the book layout is much more complex unless you want only one image on a page. Then it’s similar to a calendar time frame. Both books and calendars can have words placed with the images. On a calendar we usually recommend that you create a “tag line” that goes with the shot and represents the month. For instance, a shot in a sexy halloween outfit for October with a tag line of “Trick or TREAT!” But a book could have a poem with the photo or something that would make the person receiving the book know how much you care about them. It can get complex and time consuming. There are SO MANY options…

So plan early, have some themes in mind, get your outfits ready ahead of time, and be ready to create the most unique and sensual gift that they could ever receive. And as a reminder, Valentine’s Day is only 2 months away!!!! Hint hint…

It’s been exactly 20 days since I last posted and I’ve been really busy but today finally I have the time to post something! Drumroll please: …… Torchlight Cheats!

Ok, to start cheating you’re going to have to do some complex looking things:

1) Go to: My computer/ C:/ Documents and Settings/ User/Application Data/ Runic Games/ Torchlight

(It might take a while)

2) Here you will see the “Settings” txt file, click it

3) At the bottom you will see “Console :0″. Change the 0 to a 1 and save the file

4) Now while in-game you will have to hold Shift and hit the ~ key to pull up the console.

(All cheats ARE NOT case-sensitive.)

Warning: Cheating will flag your character as a Cheater and will remove the shared stash.

Don’t forget to…

COMMENT!!!

Years ago I asked my friend about his decision doing his master, as I wonder if he is ready. He gave a surprisingly philosophical answer for my simple question-

‘You are never ready for what you have to do.’

In this particular case, I do not know whether I should struggle to change the course of things, or simply leave it to the hands of God as Miss P said it. Since I feel that I have already been given a handful. Instead of jumping out of the window/ taking drugs/ getting pissed, I go for sleep, long hours of it… until the sky gets dark, and brightens up again.

Or may be, in the grand scheme of things, there will never be a good time for death, like there will never be a good time for sickness or departure, but it s just a very mechanical process for all of us living things.

This time, instead of introspecting on screen, I am going to pray, hard.

The following was sent out yesterday from the Superintendent’s office to all school employees and parent teacher group representatives:

Yesterday, Mark Taylor, California’s Legislative Analyst released his department’s fiscal forecast for the remainder of the current fiscal year and next year.

“Our forecast of California’s General Fund revenues and expenditures shows that the state must address a General Fund budget problem of $20.7 billion between now and the time the legislature enacts a 2010-11 state budget plan.” The projected deficit consists of a $6.3 billion projected deficit for 2009-10 and a $14.4 billion gap between projected revenues and spending in 2010-11. The complete report can be found on the Legislative Analyst’s Office web site.

At this evening’s Board meeting our Unaudited Actuals will be presented, which detail our calculations of actual revenue and expenditures for the 2008-09 school year. The State has made numerous changes to school funding, both during the 2008-09 school year and two months after the fiscal year ended (adjustments to the 2008-09 fiscal year were made in August 2009). Due to these changes, we experienced a higher than expected ending fund balance, as did all California school districts.

The attached article is taken from a three part series from School Services of California. It is being forwarded to you to provide factual information, as it is critical to putting our current budget status in perspective. Please contact my office if you would like a copy of the entire three part series.

During the coming weeks as we move into developing our First Interim Report, and we learn what the State has in store for school finding for the current and next school year, we may once again be confronted with a significant loss of State revenue. It is and will continue to be our mission to work collaboratively with all of our employee groups to avoid loss or our valuable staff and programs.

The Frequently Asked Question page on our web site is sorted by topic (general, budget, personnel, necessary small schools and archived FAQ’s).  These FAQs contain a wealth of answers to a variety of issues of interest.  Please take a moment to look them over.

As always, please contact me if you have questions.

Please forward this article to other interested parties in Mariposa.

Thanks,

Randy

Randy Panietz, Superintendent
P.O. Box 85082 Old Hwy. N.
Mariposa, CA 95338Office # (209) 742-0250
Cell# (209) 456-4867

—-

Putting the 2008-09 Ending Balance in Perspective (This article is a condensed and edited version of a three part article from School Service of California.)

MCUSD is closing out its books for 2008-09. For MCUSD, like most school districts (SDs) in California, there is a sizeable jump in its ending balance. This is not a windfall or a reversal of fortunes, but rather a result of the timing of the state budget; a few one-time, state-approved accounting changes known as “sweeps” and “flexibility;” the late 2008-09 receipt of State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF); and required, multi-year fiscal planning.

Timing: In its May Revision of the governor’s draft 2008-09 budget, the state legislature had warned school districts to expect a reduction in revenue limit funding. Revenue limit is the funding model used by the state in which a per-student dollar amount is multiplied by a district’s average daily attendance (ADA). In light of this announcement, MCUSD, like most every other SD, began to scale back and implement cuts to address this anticipated revenue reduction for 2008-09. However, the 2008-09 revised budget was not ultimately passed until August 2009, which was too late to impose the reduction for the 2008-09 school year. As a result, the legislature voted to impose the reductions in the 2009-10 budget year rather than in 2008-09. In other words, the expected loss of approximately $500,000 for 2008-09 did not materialize in that budget year, but was pushed forward to affect this (2009-10) school year. The result is a revenue limit funding reduction of approximately $465,623 which is the result of an increase to the deficit factor from 17.967% to 18.355% ( Meaning, out of $100 promised we actually get $81.64) and a one-time reduction of $250 per ADA for the 2009-10 budget year.  Because MCUSD had prudently planned for the reduction in and for 2008-09, the district’s ending balance for that year reflects an inflated amount—it includes revenue limit funds that were not expected to be there. Those funds are not “extra” monies, however. They are needed to fund the 2009-10 school year when the budget is updated at First Interim. The state will implement these reductions by releasing smaller monthly apportionments to MCUSD.

Sweeps and flexibility: At the end of the 2008-09 school year SDs were allowed to sweep the ending balances (unspent money) of many state categorical (restricted) programs and redirect those funds where needed elsewhere. This was done with the expectation that it could help SDs weather the economic crisis for the next several years. Additionally, the state temporarily eliminated more than 40 categorical programs, allowing those monies to be allocated, at the Board’s discretion, “for any educational purpose.” The state implemented this as another tool to support fiscal solvency in SDs. MCUSD operates 20 such programs. MCUSD’s Board of Trustees voted to take these steps, and these funds are also reflected in MCUSD’s 2008-09 unrestricted ending balance. From an accounting standpoint this means that funds which had been on the restricted side of the budget are now on the unrestricted side.

State Fiscal Stabilization Funds: The federal stimulus package, known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, provided the state of California with funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). MCUSD applied for and was granted federal SFSF funding, which was received late in the 2008-09 budget year. As such, MCUSD, like most SDs, ended up carrying over a significant amount into 2009-10. These are one-time funds with specific spending guidelines that are also reflected in the ending balance. These funds are intended to implement school reform and improvement efforts, while also saving and creating jobs. These one-time resources are to be spent in ways most likely to improve results for students, long-term gains and school system capacity. Districts are required to submit a quarterly expenditure report to ensure accountability.

Cash flow, deficit spending, and multi-year budget projections: The state is expected to make additional cuts to funding mid-year and to continue to delay payments to educational agencies. Furthermore, it is expected to take the state several years to restore lost funding to education. In addition, most of MCUSD’s unrestricted general fund 82.4% supports personnel costs. Typically these costs rise every year, due in part to salary and health benefit increases that deservingly come with years of service. Given these factors, MCUSD, like many SDs, slowed down spending and made cuts to build 2008-09 reserves. This was done in order to make required multi-year budget projections that show economic solvency for the current and two successive school years, plus ensure enough cash on hand (cash flow) to meet payroll needs, and other expenditures. Even so, the MCUSD, current year, 2009-10 budget reflects deficit spending (more expenses than income), which cannot continue indefinitely. Moreover, experts warn that seemingly high 2008-09 ending fund balances are unlikely to carry SDs through the next few years. Careful budget management is imperative.

MCUSD continues to investigate other cost saving measures, with a committee now formed to study the option of implementing a four-day school week and another soon forming to investigate school consolidation if it becomes a financial necessity.

The financial challenges facing SDs throughout the state will undoubtedly continue for the next few years. And while MCUSD’s budget reduction efforts in 08-09 have resulted in an ending balance that will help to address the 09-10 funding reductions, careful multi-year budget planning will continue to be a crucial element to the district’s ongoing success.

Oracle Apps DBA – Interview Questions

1. what is the utility to change the password of a dba schema in oracle apps? Ans: FNDCPASS
2. what are mandatory users in oracle apps?
Ans: applsys,applsyspub,apps
3. What simplay a oracle Architechture?
Ans: Desktop Tier, Application Tier, Database Tier

5. What are the components in the Application Tier?
Ans: Apache(http)
Jserver(jre)
Forms Server(f60srv)
Metric Server(d2ls)
Metric Client(d2lc)
Report Server(rwm60)
Concurrent Server(FNDLIBR)
Discoverer

6.What are main file systems in Oracle Apps?
Ans: APPL_TOP, COMMON_TOP,
DB_TOP,ORA_TOP

7. What are there in Desktop Tier?
Ans: Internet Browser, JInitiator

8. What is the location of JInitiator in the Desktop Tier?
Ans: c:\program files\oracle\Jinitiator

9. What is the location of client cache?
Ans: c:\documents and settngs\user\oracle jar Cache

10. What is the location of Server cache?
Ans: $COMMON_TOP/_pages
11. Which package will be used for the user validation by plsql agent?
Ans: oraclemypage
12. What are adadmin utilities? and Its location?
$AD_TOP/bin
Ans: 1.adadmin
2.adpatch
3.adsplice
4.adident
5.adrelink
6.adlicmgr
13.What are the location of JaVA Files?
Ans: JAVA_TOP and all PRODUCT_TOP/Java/Jar
14. What is the name of the xml file of Apps and its location?
Ans: Context Name.xml and $APPL_TOP/admin
15. what is the location of Apps environment file? and its name?
Ans: contextname.env and $APPL_TOP
16. In how many way Jar files are generated?
Ans: Normal and Force
17. Once Jar files are generated what files get effected?
Ans: All Product_top/java/jar files and Two files in JAVA_TOP they are appsborg.zip
appsborg2.zip
18. How do you see the files in zip file?
Ans: unzip -v
19.How do you generate jar files?
Ans: Using adadmin and option 5
20. How do you start the apps services?
Ans: $COMMON_TOP\admin\scripts\Contextname\adstrtal.sh apps/appspwd
21. What is the executable to generate jar files?
Ans: adjava
22. How do you relink a executable of a product
Ans: by relinking option in adadmin or adrelink
23. How do you relink AD product executable? and usage?
Ans: adrelink.sh and adrelink.sh force=y “ad adsplice”
24.When do you relinking?
Ans: 1. when you miss a executable file
2. When there is a problem with any executable file
3. When any product executable get currupted
25. What is DAD?
Ans: It is a file which stores apps passwords in hard coded format. i.e wdbsvr
26.How do you relink OS files and libraries?
Ans: using make command
27.What is compile scheman option in adadmin?
Ans: This option is used to compile/resolve the invalid objects
28. Where do you get the info about invalid objects?
Ans: from dba_objects where status=invalid

29.How do you compile an obect ?
Ans: alter object_ type objet _name compile. Eg: alter table fnd_nodes compile
30.How do you see the errors of a table or view?
Ans: select text from dba_errors where name=’emp_view’
31. How do you see the errors in the db?
Ans: show error
32. How do you compile a schema?
Ans: using utlrp.sql (location is ?/rdbms/admin/) or
going adadmin, compile schema option
33. How do you know how many invalid objects are in specific schema?
Ans: select count(*) from dba_objects where status=’INVALID’ group by owner;
34. How do you know the package version?
Ans: select text from dba_source where name=’package name’ and type=’PACKAGE BODY’ and rownum<10>/rdbms/admin)
41. How do you load java class to databae?
Ans: loadjava
42. What are restart files? and its location?
Ans: These files contains the previouse session info about adadmin.. location is $APPL_TOP\admin\sid\restart\*.rf9
43.How do you validate apps schema?
Ans: To validate synonyms, missing sysnonyms and all grant. You can do it in adadmin. after validating it iwll produce
a report in the location $APPL_TOP\admin\sid\out\*.out
44. How do you enable maintainance mode?
Ans: using adadmin or running a script called “adsetmmd.sql ENABLE/DISABLE” (AD_TOP/patch/115/sql)
45.What is APPS_MRC Schema?
Ans: It is used for multi language support. To synchronize APPs schema and APPS_MRC
46. How to see the version of a script or form or report or etc?
Ans: grep Header adsetmmd.sql or adident Header adsetmmd.sql
strings -a GLXSTEA.fmx grep Header or adident Header GLXSTEA.fmx
47.What is the location of adadmin log?
Ans: $APPL_TOP\admin\sid\log
48. What are the oracle homes in Apps?
Ans: 8.0.6ORACLE_HOME(Dev 6i products) and IAS_ORACLE_HOME (Apache)
49. How do you configure you ipaddress at client side? and server side?
Ans: c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts and \etc\host
50. What is the location of Datbase server related scripts?
Ans: $ORACLE_HOME\appsutil\scripts\contextname
51. what is the utility to clean the concurrent manager?
Ans: @cmclean.sql ( You have download from metalink)
52. How do you stage the 11.5.10 Apps software?
Ans: using adautostg.pl
53. What is the location of the source files of forms?
Ans: AU_TOP/forms/US/
54. What is the executable to generate forms?
Ans: f60gen

jajajajaja El chupacabras, la llorona, dracula, influenza Ah1n1, Y2K….. cuanta mamada no?

Extraido del sitio de la nasa, bajo esta el link para leer el FAQ completo, nos vemos el 22 de diciembre del 2012

2012: Beginning of the End or Why the World Won’t End?

Remember the Y2K scare? It came and went without much of a whimper because of adequate planning and analysis of the situation. Impressive movie special effects aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won’t be the end of the world as we know. It will, however, be another winter solstice.

Much like Y2K, 2012 has been analyzed and the science of the end of the Earth thoroughly studied. Contrary to some of the common beliefs out there, the science behind the end of the world quickly unravels when pinned down to the 2012 timeline. Below, NASA Scientists answer several questions that we’re frequently asked regarding 2012.

Question (Q): Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012.
Answer (A): Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012.

Continuar leyendo