Wednesday, February 27, 2013

US 4Q bank earnings up 37 pct as lending rises

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Profits at U.S. banks jumped almost 37 percent for the October-December period, reaching the highest level for a fourth quarter in six years as banks continued to step up lending.

The figures are fresh evidence of the industry's sustained recovery more than four years after the financial crisis.

Banks earned $34.7 billion in the last three months of 2012, up from $25.4 billion a year ago and the highest for a fourth quarter since 2006, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reported Tuesday. Sixty percent of banks reported improved earnings from the fourth quarter of 2011, the agency said.

The FDIC, created during the Great Depression to ensure bank deposits, monitors and examines the financial condition of U.S. banks.

For all of 2012, the agency said bank earnings rose 19 percent to $141.3 billion, the second-highest annual level ever.

The number of banks on the agency's "problem" list fell to 651 from 694. Banks had lower losses on loans in the fourth quarter and set aside almost 25 percent less to cover potential losses than in the final quarter of 2011.

"The improving trend that began more than three years ago gained further ground in the fourth quarter," FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said at a news conference. Still, "troubled loans, problem banks and bank failures remain at elevated levels, while growth in lending and revenue remains sluggish," he said.

Banks with assets exceeding $10 billion drove the bulk of the earnings growth in the October-December period. While they make up just 1.5 percent of U.S. banks, they accounted for about 82 percent of the industry earnings.

Those banks include Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. Most of them have recovered with help from federal bailout money and record-low borrowing rates.

Gruenberg noted that banks' profit from interest they charge has been eroded by historically low interest rates during the economic recovery. Banks' net interest income fell to $104.4 billion in the fourth quarter from $107.1 billion a year earlier. That was the lowest quarterly level since the final three months of 2009, the FDIC said.

The decline in interest income has made banks increasingly reliant on the fees they charge.

For the sixth time in seven quarters, banks' lending increased. It rose by 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter, led by growth in commercial and industrial loans, and credit cards. That shows banks are becoming less cautious, which could help the economy. More lending leads to more consumer spending, which drives roughly 70 percent of economic activity.

Home equity loans fell by 2.2 percent, however.

So far this year, three banks have failed. That follows 51 closures last year, 92 in 2011 and 157 in 2010. The 2010 closures were the most in one year since the height of the savings and loan crisis in 1992.

In the fourth quarter, the decline in bank failures allowed the insurance fund to continue to strengthen. The fund, which turned from deficit to positive in the second quarter of 2011, had a $32.9 billion balance as of Dec. 31, according to the FDIC. That compares with $25.2 billion at the end of September.

The FDIC is backed by the government, and its deposits are guaranteed up to $250,000 per account. Apart from its deposit insurance fund, the agency also has tens of billions in loss reserves.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-4q-bank-earnings-37-pct-lending-rises-183920291--finance.html

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Knowles et. al: What ever happened to Business Ethics?

I've been mulling this post over in my head for a few weeks and I'm going to attempt to do this in such a way as to not publically call out the people I'm about to write?about, but WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO BUSINESS ETHICS? I recently received a call from a friend who works at my organization asking for my help with a project. She asked me for a write up on an event we put on in the fall. I was getting ready to leave the office and told her I could send her something I had composed in November 2012?about the event for a report which was needed by the state. I forwarded the spreadsheet to her and received a return call back almost immediately. She asked me if the report I sent her was from "someone else" (not providing the names or job titles, to protect the not-so-innocents). I told her that the report I sent her was MY work and that the other person wanted to change a couple of words in two sentences and I indicated I didn't have a problem with that. Now my friend tells me that "someone else" had claimed the report was their?own work product. My response was "you've got to be kidding." I told my friend I thought it would be odd for said person to claim the report as their own?since they weren't not involved in the event. I provided information and?statistics in this report, which I indicated could have only come from the report I sent back in November.

Fast forward to February 2012. Someone in my office received an email from someone in senior management with a write up attached, indicating?it was going to be in a?brochure which was going to be published. The email was shared with me and as I read the write-up, I started shaking my head and immediately went to my computer to print out the report I provided to "someone else" back in November. Lo and behold, more than 50% of the write-up is taken from the report I provided back in November - using my exact words verbatim. Another 25% of the write-up is taken from statistics that were in the report?previously, with some minor tweaking of the text. Imagine my surprise to learn that two people are now taking credit for my work product and don't have the decency to contact me to ask if it was okay to do this (I really didn't think it was necessary for me to copywrite my own words).

What did I learn from this experience? Going forward, I'm fairly certain that I won't trust what either of these people do. When I look at their previous work products, I wonder how much of it is original and how much has been "borrowed" from other people's work? Will I provide as in-depth a work product going forward - probably, because when asked to do something, I do it in a professional manner, providing accurate information. Do I feel that next year, when this report is needed again, the same thing will happen? Yes, I think the model for plagiarism has been established. I do know that my friend who originally requested my help stated to the two people involved that she knew the original information came from me. Not that this will matter going forward. It is my belief that these two people will continue to "borrow" other people's work products and take credit for it. As I contemplate retirement in a few short years, I'm discouraged about the lack of ethics in the work place. The longer I work, the more I observe the disappearance of the work ethic. There are so many people in our organization who take their jobs seriously, and provide great customer service to the public as well as their fellow employees. Then there are the others, who only work for the paycheck and don't care about choice and?accountability. These are the people that give our organization a bad name. Hoping I see more positive changes in the next few years (although I'm having my doubts right about now).

Source: http://hdknowles.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-ever-happened-to-business-ethics.html

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Armband adds a twitch to gesture control

And you thought Kinect was cool: well, now there's a gesture control device that looks like a sweatband. It lets you control everything from computers to flying drones just by moving the muscles in your forearm.

The Myo, built by Canadian startup firm Thalmic Labs, based in Kitchener, Ontario, aims to bring gestural interfaces right into the mainstream. Electrodes embedded in the band read electrical activity in a user's muscles as they contract or relax to make gestures with their hand and arm, and transmit it wirelessly to software that interprets the movements into commands.

"We really have this belief that technology can be used to enhance our abilities," says Stephen Lake, co-founder of Thalmic Labs. "This is a way of using natural actions that we've evolved to intuitively control the digital world."

Lake and his team built Myo using electrodes that work without making direct contact with the skin, unlike medical electrodes. The first generation can recognise around 20 gestures, some as subtle as the tap of a finger ? and it is programmed to ignore random noise generated by other body movements.

Myo's creators envision it as an easy way to interact with everything from web browsers to video games to small drones. The first generation of the product, is expected to cost $149 and ship later this year. It will come with software that will allow any Windows or Apple Mac machine to recognise the gestures we use on touchscreens ? like a vertical swipe to scroll down a page, or a pinch to zoom.

"It's not very often that a new, affordable and convenient interface technology comes along, so I think a lot of programmers are going to want to try it," says Trevor Blackwell, founder of robotics company Umbrella Research and a partner in Y Combinator. This startup incubator programme is based in Mountain View, California and has provided Thalmic Labs with funding in exchange for a 7 per cent stake in the company. "I think so far we've only thought of around 1 per cent of its potential applications."

Thalmic Labs is not the first firm to try making a device that recognises gestures by sensing muscle activity. In 2008, Microsoft created a prototype called MUCI that worked in a similar fashion to Myo, but needed medical electrodes, which are not feasible outside of a laboratory setting.

There are also devices that use cameras to precisely track users' hand motionsMovie Camera, but they are either in early stages of development, or not portable. "Maybe this couldn't have been foreseen by early researchers working with cameras, but people don't like having cameras watching them all the time," Blackwell says. "Thalmic solves that problem nicely." Though the first generation of Myo is only just launching, the team is already imagining ways to integrate their rigs with augmented reality devices like the head-mounted display, Google Glass.

"If they combined with Google's Project Glass, I think it would be huge," says computer scientist Shahzad Malik, who co-founded the software company CognoVision of Toronto. "Something like Thalmic's technology is super-useful since you can do interactions in a subtle way, which is important when you're in a public venue."

"We're interested in seeing just how closely we can integrate technology into our daily lives and give people superpowers, if you like," says Lake.

Wear tech... look great?

Making wearable technology fashionable is tough ? think belt-mounted cellphones, beepers, and bluetooth ear pieces. But iPod earbuds and headphones seem to work.

How do you get the mix right? Google is working hard to make Project Glass rigs look hip, even convincing clothing designer Diane von F?rstenberg and her models to wear prototypes of the head-mounted displays at Fashion Week in New York last year.

Myo bands (see main story) could be an easier sell , says computer scientist Shahzad Malik. "I could see these bands becoming smaller and smaller, or are made in different colours. Or there could be clothing with it built in," he says.

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/28ef01e8/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn23210A0Earmband0Eadds0Ea0Etwitch0Eto0Egesture0Econtrol0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

13.02.24 08:00 Spaghetti Dinner Boy Scount Troop 151 - Sunday February 24, 2013 from 8:00 am to 9:00 am @ Asbury Church

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/popup.php?op=view&id=57521374&crd=wmdt

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Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider: Pentagon details state-by-state furloughs

Pentagon details state-by-state furloughs | Jamie Dupree's Washington Insider | www.wsbradio.com

Posted: 9:43 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013

By Jamie Dupree

The Pentagon has released figures showing the impact of the plan to furlough over 700,000 civilian defense workers in order to deal with automatic budget cuts set to hit on March 1.

The plan, which would involve one furlough day a week from late April through the end of the fiscal year in September, would save $4.6 billion in the United States and another $265 million overseas, for a total of $4.86 billion.

States hit the hardest by the civilian defense worker furloughs are those that have a number of military facilities ? and are neighbors of Washington, D.C. as well.

Virginia would lose $660 millin in payroll through the furloughs; California is next at $419 million, followed by Maryland at $359 million.? Texas would lose payrolls valued at $290 million.

Here is the full state-by-state list as provided by the Pentagon:

?State?Total FY2012 Payroll?Est. of Furlough Impact?Est FY2013 Payroll
?Alabama?$2,174,475,440-$183,994,076??$1,990,481,364
?Alaska?$395,643,018-$33,477,486?$362,165,532?
?Arizona?$654,272,851-$55,361,549?$598,911,302?
?Arkansas?$231,472,474-$19,586,132?$211,886,342?
?California?$4,960,293,753-$419,717,164?$4,540,576,589?
?Colorado?$862,135,217-$72,949,903?$789,185,314?
?Connecticut?$184,870,426-$15,642,882?$169,227,544?
?Delaware?$99,088,346-$8,384,398?$90,703,947?
?District of Columbia?$1,372,453,837-$116,130,709?$1,256,323,128?
?Florida?$2,190,390,094-$185,340,700?$2,005,049,394?
?Georgia?$2,400,446,142-$203,114,674?$2,197,331,468?
?Hawaii?$1,632,436,375-$138,129,232?$1,494,307,143?
?Idaho?$86,558,487-$7,324,180?$79,234,307?
?Illinois?$1,040,094,515-$88,007,997?$952,086,518?
?Indiana?$792,066,373-$67,021,001?$725,045,372?
?Iowa?$91,236,256-$7,719,991?$83,516,265?
?Kansas?$516,943,902-$43,741,407?$473,202,495?
?Kentucky$663,377,945?-$56,131,980?$607,245,965?
?Louisiana?$440,580,854-$37,279,918?$403,300,936?
?Maine$486,683,721?-$41,180,930?$445,502,791?
?Maryland?$4,246,163,841-$359,290,787?$3,886,873,054?
?Massachusetts$531,725,827?-$44,992,185?$486,733,642?
?Michigan?$818,499,422-$69,257,643?$749,241,779?
?Minnesota?$148,795,573-$12,590,395?$136,205,178?
?Mississippi?$596,325,787-$50,458,336?$545,867,451?
?Missouri?$513,160,674-$43,421,288?$469,739,386?
?Montana?$83,051,804-$7,027,460?$76,024,344?
?Nebraska?$295,724,739-$25,022,863?$270,701,876?
?Nevada?$143,069,768-$12,105,903?$130,963,865?
?New Hampshire?$68,829,433-$5,824,029?$63,005,404?
?New Jersey?$917,902,411-$77,668,666?$840,233,745?
?New Mexico?$516,643,142-$43,715,958?$472,927,184?
?New York?$774,644,655-$65,546,855?$709,097,800?
?North Carolina?$1,429,023,635-$120,917,385?$1,308,106,251?
?North Dakota?$97,200,891-$8,224,691?$88,976,200?
?Ohio?$1,957,942,009-$165,672,016?$1,792,269,993?
?Oklahoma?$1,527,654,499-$129,263,073?$1,398,391,426?
?Oregon?$219,004,894-$18,531,183?$200,473,711?
?Pennsylvania$1,830,965,501?-$154,927,850?$1,676,037,651?
?Rhode Island$403,042,209?-$34,103,572?$368,938,637?
?South Carolina$706,452,744?-$59,776,771?$646,675,973?
?South Dakota$76,044,098?-$6,434,501?$69,609,597?
?Tennessee$439,259,645?-$37,168,124?$402,091,521?
?Texas$3,437,609,788?-$290,874,674?$3,146,735,114?
?Utah$1,019,534,375?-$86,268,293?$933,266,082?
?Vermont$35,597,711?-$3,012,114?$32,585,597?
?Virginia$7,810,211,096?-$660,864,016?$7,149,347,080?
?Washington$2,068,719,736?-$175,045,516?$1,893,674,220?
?West Virginia$121,182,837?-$10,253,932?$110,928,905?
?Wisconsin$153,615,884?-$12,998,267?$140,617,617?
?Wyoming$64,215,124?-$5,433,587?$58,781,537?
?USA TOTAL$54,327,333,778?-$4,596,928,243?$49,730,405,535?
?Overseas$3,138,144,892?-$265,535,337?$2,872,609,555?
GRAND TOTAL$57,465,478,670-$4,862,463,580$52,603,015,090

Source: Civilian Pay File, created by DMDC on 2/8/2013

Jamie Dupree

About Jamie Dupree

Jamie Dupree is the Radio News Director of the Washington Bureau of the Cox Media Group and writes the Washington Insider blog.

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Malaysia recognised for being able to preserve Chinese culture ? Wong

  • Daily Express - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    Printer Friendly Kota Kinabalu: The Government spent about RM604.8 million to manage non-Malaysian prisoners in four prisons in Sabah sfrom 2006 until October 2012. Sabah Prisons Deputy ...

  • No issue among the Sabah BN parties Muhy

    Daily Express - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    Printer Friendly NABAWAN: Sabah is developing rapidly under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Federal level and Chief Minister ...

  • Bugis NGO denies any role

    Daily Express - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    Printer Friendly Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Bugis Community Association denied any involvement in the issuance of Malaysian identity cards (ICs) to foreigners who came to Sabah illegally. Its ...

  • Sabah standoff Clock is ticking for armed group

    Asia News Network - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    The clock is ticking away for the Sulu armed group holed up at the Tanduo village as the Sunday deadline draws near with no sign of them giving up peacefully. Reports emerged that the group by Raja ...

  • Lahad Datu stand-off The clock is ticking for armed group

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    LAHAD DATU: The clock is ticking away for the Sulu armed group holed up at the Tanduo village as the Sunday deadline draws near with no sign of them giving up peacefully. Reports emerged that the ...

  • Sea gypsies unable to go near good fishing spots

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    TANJUNG LABIAN (LAHAD DATU): The free roaming life of the Sulu Sea gypsies or pelahus has been in choppy waters for the past two weeks. The gypsies have managed well in conquering the high seas but ...

  • Malaysia deports 736 Indonesian migrant workers

    bruvoice - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) ? Malaysia has in the past three days deported 736 Indonesian problematic migrant workers through Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands, a migrant worker ...

  • Rais Don?t neglect arts and culture

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    KOTA BARU: Malaysians must place importance on arts and culture to ensure that the identity of its multi-racial population will be passed on to future generations. Information, Communications ...

  • Najib Vote Barisan for a far better future

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    says. "As for DAP, a vote for them will see Islam being oppressed. "A vote for Barisan Nasional will mean voting for a far better future for you, the future generation and the ...

  • Outlets not stocking clothes that fit plus-size women

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    PETALING JAYA: For plus-size women, buying new clothes for work and play may be harder than expected. Some are complaining that several popular international boutiques have begun cutting back on ...

  • Mechanisms in place to ensure patient safety

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    1. System-wide mechanisms have been established to ensure that patients are safe, including: > National Incident Reporting and Learning system (for government hospitals and clinics and dental ...

  • No room for mistakes in healthcare

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    For those in jobs that deal with human lives, an oops' moment is mostly inexcusable. DR Beatrice (not her real name) is no stranger to performing surgery and saving lives. At 40, this surgeon ...

  • MAS to begin KL-Paris flights daily on A380 from March 1

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    will begin daily operations for its Kuala Lumpur-Paris-Kuala Lumpur route on March 1 with the arrival of its fifth superjumbo Airbus A380. The A380 touched down at the Kuala Lumpur International ...

  • A hot hot fight

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    IT looks set to be a real fight in the coming general election with campaigners from both sides feeding the media with their own declaration of victory, complete with the estimated number of seats, ...

  • Orange-tossing tradition originates from Hokkien folk in southern China

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    PETALING JAYA: The tradition of throwing oranges during Chap Goh Meh originated from the Hokkiens in southern China. Historically, Hokkien men would throw small drums into the water while the women ...

  • Australia to tighten worker visa plan

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    MELBOURNE: The Australian Government is cracking down on the visa scheme for temporary overseas workers, saying it has evidence the programme is being used to discriminate against ...

  • Carnival air at Penang Chap Goh Meh

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    GEORGE TOWN: Thousands of people thronged Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling here to enjoy a night of culture and tradition at the Penang Chinese Town Hall's (PCTH) Malam Chap Goh Meh celebration. A ...

  • MCA will contest Wangsa Maju seat says Liow

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    . "This seat has always been a MCA seat and it is a winnable seat. There is no indication that we want to swap any seat at all," he said. Online portals have reported that Wangsa Maju MCA ...

  • Sulu group must leave today

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    LAHAD DATU: Malaysia has extended the deadline for the Sulu armed group to move out of Tanduo village and return home to today, following a request from the Philippines. The Philippine Government ...

  • Man with red IC removed from electoral roll RCI told

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    KOTA KINABALU: The name of a businessman who held a red identity card was removed from the electoral roll for the 2008 general election, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Sabah's illegal ...

  • All aboard the Keretapi Sarong

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    KUALA LUMPUR: Self-employed Maej Azripedita loves dressing up as his favourite comic characters but this time his Spider-Man costume came with a sarong. "My mother suggested tying the sarong ...

  • Stream for the Oscars

    The Star - Saturday 23rd February, 2013

    Log in to the Red FM or Capital FM websites for some exclusive content on the Academy Awards tomorrow. HOLLYWOOD'S biggest film event the 85th Academy Awards is happening tomorrow morning ...

  • Source: http://www.malaysianews.net/index.php/sid/212782355/scat/48cba686fe041718

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    Irene Monroe: The Boy Scouts of America: Another Closed Door for Black GBTQ Youth

    The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Black Church are rightly lauded for molding young black men into adult leaders. BSA troops have produced distinguished African-American scouts like retired four-star general Colin Powell, six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.

    African American participation in the Boy Scout movement dates back to 1911, and its impact has not only forced the integration of young black males into the organization, but also continues to address many of the challenges these young males confront today.

    With young African-American males (particularly those in urban enclaves) at much higher risks for incarceration, gang violence, unemployment, fatherlessness and substance abuse, the BSA has been a source of constant and consistent strong positive male figures for these young black boys.

    Like many BSA troops, African-American troops are often strongly affiliated with community black churches. These churches not only hold homophobic views, but also hold a tight-fisted hand on their non-gender-conforming males.

    The BSA's position on GBTQ scouts is unquestionably discriminatory, and its hesitancy to swiftly remove its ban dishonors the organization's goal and philosophy, "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law."

    This means that GBTQ black youths cannot catch the lifeline that the BSA provides their straight brethren due to the homophobia of the church and the BSA. It's no wonder these youths have higher incidents of homelessness.

    The BSA's national office is housed in Texas, the heart of the Bible Belt, and that reflects the religiously conservative influence on the organization's policies.

    Although the BSA is a civic organization that has local chapters in public schools, a large number of them are equally affiliated with religious institutions. Those religious groups have a disproportionate influence on the organization.

    Most of these religious institutions interpret and impose both the Scout Oath and Scout Law from their conservative theological perspective -- and the Black Church is not alone in doing so. The Church of the Latter Day Saints, for example, has a huge influence on the BSA because the church mandates that all male youths join the Boy Scouts.

    New York Times reporter Erik Eckholm writes in his recent article "As Partner, Mormons and Scouts Turn Boys into Men:"

    With mutual exaltation of God and country and a shared aim of nurturing "morally straight" men with leadership skills and a service ethic, the Mormons and the Boy Scouts seem made for each other, as entwined as a square knot. And in an unusual partnership dating to 1913, the Mormon Church has embraced scouting wholesale, giving it a central role in preparing male youths for their two-year missionary stints and adulthood as lay priests.

    The basis for discrimination against gay scouts and gay scout leaders pivots around two beliefs: the Judeo-Christian tenets about homosexuality and the myth that there is an inherent correlation between male homosexuality and pedophilia. Although these beliefs have been successfully refuted they are strategically upheld to maintain its ban.

    The BSA's 2004 position statement on homosexuality that has not changed states, "We believe that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the requirement of the Scout oath that a Scout be morally straight and in the Scout law that a Scout be clean in word and deed, and that homosexuals do not provide a desirable role model for Scouts."

    The words "morally straight" and "clean" are what have fueled the BSA's homophobic stance and consequently have given rise to both its misinterpretation and misuse of the group's own guidelines.

    While "morally straight" and "clean" have everything to so with being a scout, they have nothing to do with a scout's sexual orientation. The original interpretation of both words are about virtue, readiness and open-mindedness in the context of human service, and a scout's commitment to teamwork, honesty, respect for others, and community service.

    The truth that needs to be told is that the BSA's is fighting itself, and needs to come out of the closet about its founder. Perhaps that would dispel the dispute about gay scouts.

    Scout founder Robert Baden-Powell (1857- 1941) was believed to be gay. A number of biographies on Baden-Powell alluded to his homosexuality. Tim Jeal, the author of "The Boy-Man: The Life of Lord Baden-Powell," wrote, "The available evidence points inexorably to the conclusion that Baden-Powell was a repressed homosexual."

    Jeal further states that in Baden-Powell's diaries and correspondences, Baden-Powell wrote frequently about his "enjoyment at watching young men swim naked; enjoy nude men; (and) expressed disdain for female nudity." Also, Baden-Powell had an "extremely close, decades-long friendship" with Kenneth McLaren, "with whom he served in the British military and always made sure he bunked."

    The Black Church's silent stance of BSA's continued ban on gays help strengthen the church's belief that strong black male leadership is exclusively heterosexual.

    However, if both the Black Church and BSA goals are to continue to nurture the talents and gifts of all its young males, then they must ask themselves to what degree does their stance on homophobia hinders their goal?

    Sources:
    Distinguished African American Scouts

    African Americans in the Boy Scout movement | African American Registry

    Mormons and Scouts Act as Parthttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/us/mormons-and-scouts-act-as-partners-in-molding-boys.html?pagewanted=all ners in Molding Boys - NYTimes.com

    Boy Scouts of America membership controversies

    The Boy-Man: The Life of Lord Baden-Powell

    ?

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    Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/irene-monroe/boy-scouts-lgbt_b_2733337.html

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    Saturday, February 23, 2013

    All About The Entrepreneur Show with Coach Lilisa & Guests - Feb 22,2013

    United States, EnglishSelf Help

    The All About Entrepreneurs (AAE) Show with host Coach Lilisa J. Willimas is designed to help you get motivated to reach your personal, professional and entrepreneurial Success. Guest on the show have been selected to bring you up to date info on how to make a success of your business and your life. Tune in Monday thru Friday for strategies that will help you stay empowered, inspired and motivated as an entrepreneur, professional, community leader and individual. The show is brought to you by PSUI and hosted and produced by Coach Lilisa J. Williams.

    Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/allaboutentrepreneurs/2013/02/22/all-about-the-entrepreneur-show-with-coach-lilisa-guests

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    Huskies travel to Florida for Strike-out Cancer Tournament

    After rain muddied up the schedule in Miami last weekend, the UConn softball team is hoping for sunnier skies in Boca Raton, Fla. this weekend at the Florida Atlantic University Strike-Out-Cancer Tournament.

    While originally scheduled to play five games, the Huskies only played four due to inclement weather in last weekend?s tournament at Florida International University. They successfully defeated Morehead State, split a pair with Binghamton and lost one to Florida International, giving them a 2-2 record to start off the season.

    At this weekend?s tournament the team will face five teams over the span of three days, barring any additional weather complications.

    First up in the tournament are Towson (4-6) and Florida Atlantic (3-6), with the games currently scheduled to take place later today. On Saturday, they will face Northern Illinois (3-2) and Big East-rival Providence (0-0). The tournament will conclude on Sunday when the team takes on North Florida (8-3).

    The last time UConn and Florida Atlantic met, the Huskies fell 3-0 in a tough loss at the FAU Tournament last season. However, the last time UConn and Providence met, Connecticut walked away with a 10-0 victory after a five-inning mercy rule win last April in Storrs.

    All eyes will be on freshman Alyson Ambler, who had an impressive performance on the mound in Miami. Ambler played a pivotal role in both of the team?s wins last weekend, pitching 8.0 innings to give the team their first win as well as relieving Saveriano and earning the save in their second win.

    The Huskies will also be hoping for a strong performance again from junior Maddy Schiappa at the plate. Schiappa went 9-for-14 (.643) at FIU last weekend, the best of anyone on the team.

    Coach Karen Mullins indicated last week that the first three tournaments in February would serve as an opportunity for the team to find a level of cohesiveness that will give them success throughout the season. Mullins believed that finally having time playing on the grass would help get the team ?in sync,? and as they played more games their overall performance would improve.

    The forecast for this weekend shows nothing but warm temperatures and clear skies in the Sunshine State; so weather-based postponements should be virtually non-existent. The Huskies are anticipating that these predications will be matched in reality as they look to continue into their second weekend of the season.

    Source: http://www.dailycampus.com/sports/huskies-travel-to-florida-for-strike-out-cancer-tournament-1.2996725

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    RHA MA150


    It's pretty tough to find decent-sounding earphones under $30; despite plenty of advances in audio technology, cheap drivers tend to sound, well, cheap. That said, Apple recently set a bar with its EarPods, which now come bundled with iPhones and higher-end iPods, and sound surprisingly punchy for a design that sits just outside the ear canal. But RHA seems to have the formula down pat. Its latest model, the MA150, packs some serious audio power for just $19.95 (list), so it's our Editors' Choice for low-cost earphones.

    Design
    The MA150 looks like any other inexpensive pair of earphones; each plastic enclosure is all black, with rounded, rubber eartips. RHA packs two additional eartip pairs in the box in different sizes, but I had no trouble with the default ones. The soft rubber eartips are very comfortable and create a nice seal that blocks a considerable amount of external noise.

    The black cable is thin and a little prone to tangling, but it's no worse than any other inexpensive earphone pair. That said,?I heard some cable thump through the earpieces while walking; it wasn't terrible, but if you're sensitive to that effect and plan on running with the MA150, you may want to try a different pair.

    Note that the MA150 lacks an inline mic and phone controls. If you need something that lets you make and receive calls, have a look at the $50 RHA MA450i. The MA150 also doesn't come with a carrying case, although the recycled paper packaging is a nice touch.

    Performance
    For this review, I tested the MA150 with an iPhone 5 and a series of tracks in a variety of formats and bit rates.?More often than not, I liked what I heard. Rage Against the Machine's "Fistful of Steel" sounded positively huge, with a massive kick drum, and clear if slightly muted vocals and hi-hat cymbals. The Apple EarPods delivered a more open sound in a back-to-back comparison, but with considerably less bass and overall excitement in the high range.

    "No Lie (Feat. Drake)," by 2 Chainz, rumbled and boomed just the way it should; the MA150 doesn't deliver the same level of bass as, say, a Beats by Dr. Dre pair, but you do get the same voluminous low-end extension and real, if a little soft, electronic kick punch. Flunk's trip-hop track, "Indian Rope Trick," sounded clear and reasonably spacey, thanks to the heavily effected and delayed vocal, but it wasn't the most open sound I've heard. Nonetheless, the tight bass and sufficient weight from the 10mm drivers was enough.RHA MA150

    The taiko drums at the start of "Vespertillo," from the Batman Begins soundtrack, sounded ominous and rumbled beautifully, while tortured airy synthesizers loomed in the background. On the other hand, Depeche Mode's "Precious" sounded a little too closed in and flat; this is a tough track that becomes murky with the wrong headphones, and it's clear it was too much for the MA150.

    Conclusions
    Make no mistake: The MA150 is not a high-end earphone pair. But for just 20 bucks, it gives you a taste of what's possible with good audio, and shows you just how bad pack-in earbuds sound, assuming your phone or MP3 player even came with any. If you prefer a more open design that doesn't mask environmental sounds?say, for running outdoors?and that has no audible cable thump, the Apple EarPods will serve you well, and they also include an in-line remote and mic, although they cost $10 more.

    The aforementioned RHA MA450i, in addition to also including a remote and mic, deliver?slightly more transparent and detailed sound, although the sonic signature is also considerably brighter, with less bass punch. Finally, if you have a bit more money to spend, we're fans of the AKG K 350, which when compared back to back with the MA150, deliver more detail, more air, and more space around the instruments, as well as a tighter (if less bombastic) low-end.

    More Headphone Reviews:
    ??? Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000
    ??? Skullcandy Hesh 2
    ??? RHA MA150
    ??? Audio Technica ATH-ANC9 QuietPoint
    ??? Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
    ?? more

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/2e6gWsM4lhQ/0,2817,2415324,00.asp

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    Egypt opposition warns elections will add tensions

    An Egyptian Ultras activist chants anti-President Mohammed Morsi slogans while leading a rally during the fifth day of a general strike, in Port Said, Egypt, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

    An Egyptian Ultras activist chants anti-President Mohammed Morsi slogans while leading a rally during the fifth day of a general strike, in Port Said, Egypt, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

    Female protesters chant anti-President Mohammed Morsi slogans in front of the main court house during the fifth day of a general strike, in Port Said, Egypt, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

    FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 file photo, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi?s supporters, background, clash with opponents, foreground, outside the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt. For most of the 85 years since its inception, the Muslim Brotherhood operated secretively as an outlawed group, working underground and often repressed by governments. But even after its political success since Hosni Mubarak's ouster, the group is still suspected of carrying on secretive operations. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

    Egyptian protesters block the road leading to the east port preventing loaded trucks from leaving the port, during the fifth day of a general strike, in Port Said, Egypt, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. A banner with Arabic that reads "retribution for Port Said martyrs, they shot our brothers with bullets," and a poster with a picture of a slain man with his kids and reading in Arabic "the martyr of treachery, Mohammed Sami Sharan, may God count him as a martyr, January 26, 2013," are used to block the road. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

    (AP) ? Egypt's president called multi-stage parliamentary elections beginning in April but a key opposition leader warned Friday that the vote may only inflame tensions unless there are serious political talks first.

    President Mohammed Morsi set the start of a staggered, four-stage voting process for April 27 ending in June. The newly elected parliament would convene on July 6, a decree issued late Thursday night said.

    Mohamed ElBaradei, who leads the main opposition National Salvation Front, wrote on his Twitter account Friday that Morsi's "decision to go for parliamentary elections amidst severe societal polarization and eroding state authority is a recipe for disaster."

    Egypt has been mired in political turmoil for the past two years. The current phase began when Morsi took over as president in June 2012.

    The opposition accuses Morsi and the Brotherhood of monopolizing power and going back on campaign promises to set up an inclusive government and introduce far-reaching reforms.

    Morsi's supporters say the new government cannot immediately fix years of neglect and poor administration from ousted Hosni Mubarak's 29-year rule, and say they have the legitimacy of the ballot box in their favor.

    Tensions deepened with the second anniversary of the Jan. 25 uprising, when anger spilled out onto the streets and violence again engulfed the nation. About 70 people died in a wave of protests, clashes and riots that began with the anniversary and lasted for weeks.

    Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, which emerged as the most powerful political faction since Egypt's uprising two years ago, has already been setting the stage for elections through outreach programs, including helping poor families receive subsidized bread that is often hard to find.

    The group has grassroots support partly through its vast network of charities that help the poor.

    The mostly secular and liberal opposition has trailed significantly at the polls, but Morsi's popularity has waned in recent months.

    Among the most pressing issue for Egypt is its economy, which has been badly hit by the nation's turmoil with foreign currency reserves falling below a critical level to less than $14 billion.

    The country is in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a nearly $5 billion loan. Insiders say talks have been prolonged because of Morsi's reluctance to implement unpopular austerity measures ahead of elections.

    Abdullah Shehata, an economy expert with the Brotherhood, said the elections will help the country's ailing economy.

    "The elections will be positive because it will be the final institution to fall into place after the presidency and the constitution," he said. "The coming parliament will be elected by the people and will help build confidence in Egypt again. "

    ElBaradei's group, though, has warned it would boycott the vote unless there are talks with the president aimed at forming a national unity government with more participation by the various political groups. A national dialogue by Morsi failed so far failed to bridge differences or build confidence. The opposition has also said it will boycott if election laws written by the Islamist-led interim parliament favor the Brotherhood's party.

    The founder of the opposition April 6 movement said if the election law is not agreed upon, they will not support participation in elections.

    "The election laws have not been agreed upon and this is an essential problem," Ahmed Maher told The Associated Press.

    "Until now, the Brotherhood party is dealing in the Shura Council as if there is no opposition and they are forcing these laws on the rest," he said, referring to Egypt's interim parliament.

    The most recent show of unrest came in the restive city of Port Said, where a general strike entered its sixth day on Friday. Factory workers, activists and laborers have held street rallies that brought the coastal city on the northern tip of the Suez Canal to a halt, though shipping in the international waterway has not been affected.

    Thousands took the streets again on Friday, demanding Morsi's ouster and denouncing his call for April elections. More than 40 people died in violent protests there late last month.

    Meanwhile, rights groups have complained of widespread police abuse, saying in a joint statement Wednesday that brutality is on the rise in detention centers and at demonstrations.

    The groups said they hold Morsi responsible for failing to stop such practices.

    For its part, Egypt's powerful military has shown signs of growing impatience with Morsi, issuing thinly veiled threats that it might seize power again as it did after Mubarak stepped down and the army generals took over, remaining in control until Morsi's election.

    After several spasms of deadly violence on the streets, a decimated economy and depleted foreign reserves, many hold Morsi responsible for the turmoil.

    His critics say he is not much different from Mubarak, pointing to a highly controversial presidential decree from November in which Morsi gave himself near absolute powers.

    The decree has since been rescinded but Morsi and the Brotherhood in the meantime managed to push through a constitution ? drafted by an Islamist-dominated panel ? that was approved in a referendum late last year.

    According to Thursday's decree, Egypt's 27 provinces will be divided into four groups that will vote separately over two days over a period ending on June 27. This is allegedly to give the more than 50 million voters enough time to participate in the balloting.

    Egypt's previous, Islamist-dominated parliament was disbanded on June 14, after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled on the grounds that a third of the chamber members were elected illegally.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-22-Egypt/id-7c73f6a9ad3d42958d6938a9ef64d76f

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    Friday, February 22, 2013

    Indiana GOP Pushes Bill to Mandate TWO Invasive Ultrasounds (Little green footballs)

    Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/286488741?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    WikiLeaks discover ties between Nigerian scammers and Straftor

    About a year ago, Julian Assange's WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy organization that became a global sensation with the release of tens of thousands of US diplomatic cables and military field reports, said it had hit paydirt again: Seven years worth of emails from the private consulting firm Stratfor, about 5 million in all, that were stolen by hackers.

    It had been 24 months since the big leaks, which the US alleges were orchestrated by Pvt. Bradley Manning, a soldier currently detained awaiting trial by the army on charges that include aiding the enemy, theft of public records, and computer fraud. On Saturday, Private Manning will enter his 1,000th day of detention. Mr. Assange has fared relatively better. Neither he nor anyone at WikiLeaks has been charged with the release of the US documents, but after losing an extradition battle in the UK over sexual assault allegations he faces in Sweden, he fled to Ecuador's London embassy, where he's lived for the past 8 months.

    Nevertheless, most of his energy and that of WikiLeaks have been tied up in his fight against extradition to Sweden (he insists that the allegations, stemming from complaints from two women, are spurious and part of a conspiracy between the US, UK, and Sweden) and leaks have been few and far between.

    He had hoped that the Stratfor emails would get WikiLeaks back on track, and trumpeted them as a major anti-secrecy coup. But he and his supporters don't appear to understand that Stratfor, its own PR to the contrary, is less of an intelligence player and more of an analyst of open sources. Few of the thousands of emails of Stratfor's that WikiLeaks have released in the past year have garnered much press attention. That's mostly because, unlike the US cables, they aren't very interesting.

    As I wrote in a piece on this a year ago:

    Assange thinks he's hit paydirt again, with seven years of emails stolen from the Texas-based Stratfor, a company that provides intelligence and geopolitical analysis. Stratfor says it generates its own intelligence for reports, though it also relies heavily on open-source data collection. I've read dozens of their reports over the years. I've found some wildly speculative, others accurate but banal, and still others intriguing.

    And while I've found some Stratfor analysis to be flat wrong, and so perhaps harmful if conclusions are taken by policymakers at face value, I've never seen anything nefarious or dangerous. Yet today, the Internet is filled with claims that the Stratfor is some kind of "shadow CIA," with ominous warnings about its hidden influence and function.

    Today comes a rather humorous example with a potentially alarming undercurrent (that I'll explain in a minute). Today WikiLeaks released some new Stratfor emails (it's labeling the Stratfor dump, rather self-importantly, the "Global Intelligence Files.") That caught the eye of a supporter who tweeted "New #Stratfor docs: US soldier stealing $22M from Iraq?" This was duly retweeted by the main WikiLeaks account.

    That's pretty eye catching, right? Well, until you open the file.

    It begins with a wry comment from a Stratfor employee, who was forwarding something on to his colleagues "Now they're getting really creative - anyone want to help a poor soldier get rid of some money?" The forwarded text has the subject line "Dear Friend," and begins:

    My name is Sgt.Walter Evans, an American soldier; with Swiss Background, serving in the military of the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq with a very desperate need for Assistance. I and my partners moved one of the boxes containing funds which we believe is belonging to Saddam Hussein in March 2003, the total fund in this box is (TWENTY-TWO MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS), this fund had been moved via a safe Diplomatic Courier Service to a secured security company... Basically since we are working for the American government we cannot keep these funds, we are Three (3) persons in involved. This means that you will take 25% percent and 75% will be for me / my partners.

    Anyone who has used email since the mid-1990s will immediately recognize this for what it is: a variant of the Nigerian scam, a con-artist come-on that always revolves around some prince/lucky treasure hunter/disgraced politician/international banker who promises you an enormous financial windfall if you'll just come to his assistance with some money up front (to facilitate the eventual transfer of the loot to his "dear friend.") This isn't intelligence, it isn't even analysis. It's spam. And that's obvious to any media literate person who reads the first two sentences.

    Now we get to the alarming part. When WikiLeaks released the US embassy and military documents, it failed to take steps to protect the identities of confidential sources to US officials, putting people in country's across the word at potential danger for reprisal killings or arrest. That's one of the reasons the army charged Manning (still not convicted of any crime) with aiding the enemy.

    While I'm of the opinion that the odds of anything potentially dangerous being found in the Stratfor emails is very, very low, this release is a sign that there's next to no vetting going on. Since WikiLeaks, unlike me, believes there's big secrets lurking in this stuff, shouldn't they be taking steps to read stuff before they release it? And if they are, how on earth did this get by them?

    It's been a rough time for Mr. Assange and his organization. Earlier this month, Jemima Khan, an associate editor of The New Statesman in the UK, became the latest in a string of stalwart supporters of Assange to abandon ship. She was one of the people who had posted bail for Assange while he fought extradition and lost the money when he fled to the Ecuador Embassy. On February 7, she wrote:

    It may well be that the serious allegations of sexual assault and rape are not substantiated in court, but I have come to the conclusion that these are all matters for Swedish due process and that Assange is undermining both himself and his own transparency agenda ? as well as doing the US department of justice a favour ? by making his refusal to answer questions in Sweden into a human rights issue. There have been three rounds in the UK courts and the UK courts have upheld the European Arrest Warrant in his name three times. The women in question have human rights, too, and need resolution. Assange?s noble cause and his wish to avoid a US court does not trump their right to be heard in a Swedish court. I don?t regret putting up bail money for Assange but I did it so that he would be released while awaiting trial, not so that he could avoid answering to the allegations.

    She concluded her piece by writing that "it would be a tragedy if a man who has done so much good were to end up tolerating only disciples and unwavering devotion, more like an Australian L Ron Hubbard." The Stratfor emails, for now at least, are not going to do much to turn things around for Assange.

    Read this story at csmonitor.com

    Become a part of the Monitor community

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-discover-ties-between-nigerian-scammers-straftor-220536877.html

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    Community-by-community Iowa Storm Preparations

    IOWA WEATHER: A community-by-community breakdown of severe winter weather's impact on central Iowa.

    Altoona

    The Altoona snow ordinance will go into effect as soon as one inch of snow accumulates.

    Snow plowing plans and preparation are already well underway, beginning with some minor adjustments and repairs to snow vehicles, according to Public Works Superintendent Aaron Putnum.

    The other element involves coordinating schedules between employees with public works, public utilities and the building departments. Things could be more complicated if the storm hits midday, as predicted.

    ?If this event occurs during the day, it will be more challenging than a night time event because of the increased traffic on the streets,? Putnam said.

    As for the game plan, during the day the full crew will maintain the arterial and collector streets and the residential as needed based on winds and accumulation, Putnam said. Following that, an evening crew will keep arterial streets open and at midnight the full snow removal crew will come back in and clear the ?arterial, collector, and neighborhood? streets, according to Putnam.

    Ankeny

    Ankeny?s Public Works Department plans to start the snow removal crew around 4 p.m. Thursday, and they will work until 3 a.m. Friday. There will be a crew of eight working from 3 to 7 a.m. Friday. A full crew is expected to go over the roads again at 7 a.m. Friday.

    The city has declared a snow emergency banning parking on city streets that goes into effect at 4 p.m. Thursday.

    Clive

    Clive public works crews are beginning to prepare for the storm expected to hit the metro Thursday.

    City staffers have carried out the standard vehicle and equipment checks to prepare for the snowfall, assistant city manager Matt McQuillen said.

    A 17-person crew, comprised of public works and parks department staff, is preparing to clear the streets around mid-afternoon Thursday, he said.

    If conditions warrant, crews will be prepared to work overnight, McQuillen said.

    McQuillen said Clive?s snow ordinance will begin when snow starts to accumulate.

    ?Whenever snow starts to accumulate, we ask that all resident have their vehicles off the streets,? he said. Crews can clear streets in a more efficient manner when residents abide by the ordinance, he added.

    The ordinance remains in effect until streets have been plowed curb to curb. Those in violation of the ordinance are subject to ticketing and towing.

    Dallas County

    Dallas County Engineer Jim George said roughly 26 employees will begin working dawn to dusk once the snow starts ? 10 on motor graders assigned to push snow off roughly 700 miles of gravel roads, another 10 in plow-quipped trucks patrolling a total of 180 miles of paved streets and a half-dozen in the shop focused on keeping all the equipment running.

    Today is mostly about vehicle preparation, George said, because Dallas County believes it doesn?t tend to work very well to try to pre-treat rural roads in advance of a snowstorm. It?s better to just let the snow blow off, if it can.

    The blowing will start in earnest tomorrow afternoon, George said. After that, county drivers will be working roughly from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    County roads are curvy, George said: ?If you put them out after dark, you end up with more in the ditch than on the road.? A countywide snow ordinance is in effect. No parking is allowed on rural roads.

    ?That?s probably our biggest problem is folks venturing out when travel?s not advised,? the county engineer said. ?People end up getting stuck and then we have to work around them.?

    Grimes

    Grimes crews have not done anything out of the ordinary to prepare for the snow storm. Crews will not plow through the night Thursday, said Joe McAreavy, public works director, but the 10-member crew will play it by ear.

    ?The whole point is to get the people home at night.?

    The snow ordinance will go into effect when two inches hits the ground, requiring all cars not park in the public right-of-way. The city can also put the ordinance in effect depending on the weather conditions, McAreavy said.

    McAreavy asks Grimes residents to pay attention to the weather and react accordingly.

    ?If they don?t need to be out in it then stay home,? he said.

    Indianola

    Snow ordinances for Carlisle and Indianola are in effect as of Wednesday afternoon.

    In addition, Norwalk Community School district has announced that they will move up parent-teacher conferences to try to beat the weather. Conferences will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday and try to complete all conferences, weather permitting, by 6 p.m. Thursday.

    To change conferences, contact Mrs. Stewart at 981-1005.

    The Simpson College Storm also is delaying its season opening baseball game against Sul Ross State from Feb. 22 to Feb. 23 at 10 a.m.

    The Storm are slated to play in Clarksville, Ark., but changed travel plans due to the potential bad weather.

    Johnston

    Johnston crews have pre-treated all main streets and are going over equipment this afternoon.

    ?It?s pretty quiet; it?s the lull before the storm,? said public works director Dave Cubit.

    Plowing won?t start until there?s enough snow on the streets to move. Depending on how the storm hits, Cubit said, plow drivers could be out all night Thursday. The entire crew of 25 drivers will be out when the snow flies.

    The snow ordinance will go into effect tomorrow afternoon based on the current storm predictions. The ordinance requires motorists not to park their cars on the street during a snow storm.

    Pleasant Hill

    The streets in Pleasant Hill have been treated with a brine solution and are ?all ready to go,? according to Pleasant Hill Police Chief Tim Sittig.

    Sittig said a snow ordinance will likely go into effect around noon, depending on when the heavy snow hits. The city would like to have the streets cleared of parked cars for the evening commute.

    ?With any luck we won?t get that thick ice,? Sittig said of the elements that plagued the streets for days after recent snow storms.

    He also said it appears the wind will be blowing the opposite direction, which will ?pretty much reverse all the trends for the blowing and drifting.?

    The police department and city are otherwise prepared for the next arctic blast.

    ?They?re just waiting for it to start snowing,? Sittig said.

    Polk County

    Polk County workers are preparing snow maintenance vehicles ahead of Thursday?s anticipated storm and monitoring the weather forecast, Engineer Kurt Bailey said.

    County employees won?t work overnight, Bailey said, though he expects nearly 40 employees to be available as the storm hits tomorrow. High winds may stifle the county?s snow efforts, but Bailey hopes to make headway with road clearances by Friday.

    More than one inch of accumulating snow will trigger the county?s snow ordinance, Bailey said, a no-parking enforcement along roads that mostly affects those in townships and unincorperated areas.

    Story County

    County roads on Thursday will be plowed by 26 maintenance staff from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., said Darren Moon, county engineer. There are no snow ordinances for county roads. Plows will be pulled if driving conditions become too dangerous, he said.

    Urbandale

    Urbandale streets have been pre-treated and salt has been put out to help minimize the snow pack, city officials said.

    Urbandale crews plan to work through the night Thursday and call in additional help from the solid waste operators and parks and recreation staff, said public works director David McKay. About 30 people will be out plowing the streets.

    McKay expects to put a snow ordinance in place tomorrow afternoon, which requires all cars to not park on the street.

    ?Other than that it?s just waiting for the storm,? he said. ?I think we?re ready.?

    Waukee

    Waukee?s snow ordinance will be in effect beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, assistant director of public works Tim Royer said.

    He said the plan was for the ordinance to remain in effect until noon Saturday. Parking is prohibited on all city streets while the ordinance is in effect.

    Royer said he had communicated with the police department about storm preparations.

    As of now, crews are preparing to clear the streets during the mid-afternoon Thursday. There will be nine dump trucks and six pickups out plowing, Royer said.

    Royer said the tentative plan was for crews to be out until around 11 p.m. Thursday and for crews to report Friday around 3 a.m. Royer said he hoped people weren?t working overnight, but that crews may adjust their plan, depending on the storm?s timeline.

    West Des Moines

    West Des Moines road crews hope to be finished by roughly 4 p.m. today with their plan to pretreat city streets with a mixture of salt brine and a substance made from sugar beet (so the salt sticks to the road).

    After that, crews plan to stand down and wait.

    Public Works Director Bret Hodne said the city will run two 12-hour shifts with roughly 20 plow drivers each. The first crew will report for duty as normal on Thursday; their replacements will come in at 8 p.m. and stay until the following morning.

    Crews initially will work in groups of three to five trucks per team in a bid to clear arterial streets curb-to-curb as quickly as possible, Hodne said. After that, at some point, drivers will split off for solo assignments in one of 13 residential districts. Hodne is hoping there will be some kind of lull in the storm that will let drivers spend all night in residential areas.

    ?Really, the timing of this event isn?t too bad,? he said. ?But the wind will not be our friend Thursday night.?

    West Des Moines plans to institute a streetside parking ban some time around 6 p.m. on Thursday, he said. The city also is calling in extra employees to staff its fire stations and emergency dispatch centers.

    ?The whole city?s kind of preparing, getting ready to batten down the hatches,? he said.

    Windsor Heights

    Windsor Heights Public Works Director Jason Van Ausdall said Wednesday afternoon he is preparing his crews to run a 24-hour shift after they start salting and plowing streets Thursday as the latest winter storm begins.

    ?I will be putting the snow ordinance into effect in the morning, probably around 8 or 9 after people get to work,? he said, adding crews will start work when the storm is predicted to hit. They?ll then plan to work all night Thursday.

    ?We?ll be running around-the-clock shifts with a six-man crew.?

    While Des Moines Public Works employees started pretreating city streets with a brine solution Tuesday evening, Windsor Heights does not use that solution, Van Ausdall said, and they won?t pretreat the roads.

    Source: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/viewart/20130220/NEWS/302210032

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