NYC school bus drivers, aides go on strike

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Bus drivers and supporters walk a picket line in front of a bus depot in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and matrons went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

(AP) ? More than 8,000 New York City school bus drivers and aides went on strike over job protection Wednesday morning, leaving some 152,000 students, many disabled, trying to find other ways to get to school.

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said the strike started at 6 a.m. Wednesday. About 200 bus drivers and bus matrons, who help kids on and off buses, were assembled on picket lines in the Queens section of the city.

"The first days will be extremely chaotic," Walcott told 1010 WINS radio. "It hasn't happened in New York City in over 33 years."

The union did not immediately return calls and emails seeking comment.

Matthew Mosca said his 5-year-old daughter, Ella, usually takes the bus from their home on Manhattan's East Side.

On Wednesday, they took a taxi.

"It's an inconvenience but I support the strike," Mosca said.

On Staten Island, parent Alicia Vuscemi had more scrambling to do, with kids at three different schools. Her son attends school in Brooklyn, and she got a pleasant surprise when his bus arrived. "I was still trying to figure out how he was going to get there," she said.

But she was concerned at the prospect of a lengthy strike. "Is it really going to last a while?" Vuscemi said.

Wednesday's walkout was by the largest bus drivers' union; some bus routes served by other unions were operating.

Most of the city's roughly 1.1 million public school students take public transportation or walk to school.

Those who rely on the buses include 54,000 special education students and others who live far from schools or transportation.

Parents have made plans to use subways, carpools and other alternatives, hitting slippery roads as sleet turned to rain around the city and temperatures were at or above freezing.

The city has put its contracts with private bus companies up for bid, aiming to cut costs. The Local 1181 of the Amalgamated Transit Union says drivers could suddenly lose their jobs when contracts expire in June.

The city plans to distribute transit cards to students who could take buses and subways and to reimburse parents who would have to drive or take taxis.

"We will get our children to school," Walcott said.

To do that, some parents had pieced together a patchwork of plans, such as a driving one child to one school and arranging a carpool to take a sibling to another school.

The union announced Monday it would strike amid a complicated dispute.

The city doesn't directly hire the bus drivers and matrons, who work for private companies that have city contracts. The workers make an average of about $35,000 a year, with a driver starting at $14 an hour and potentially making as much as $29 an hour over time, according to union President Michael Cordiello.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the city must seek competitive bids to save money.

The union sought job protections for current drivers in the new contracts. The city said that the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, has barred it from including such provisions because of competitive bidding laws; the union said that's not so.

Asked if the city is prepared to go as long as the last school bus strike in 1979 which lasted 14 weeks, Walcott said on WINS Radio, "This will go however long it goes. We have systems in place to support our parents and students."

Walcott, who was making the rounds of radio and television news shows Wednesday morning, told WNBC-TV there were no talks scheduled.

"We're not negotiating. They want us to do something illegal. We can't do that at all. We're always open for communication ... It's not our responsibility and job to negotiate. They work for private companies."

Asked if the city planned to take the striking union to court, Bloomberg told Fox 5 New: "I don't think it's time to do that" and characterized the union's actions as illegal.

"How is it illegal to provide the most experienced drivers and matrons in the school buses?" Cordiello asked Tuesday.

The contracts expire June 30.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-16-School%20Bus-Strike/id-e52592c8008442adb9a5077931de9bbd

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Mars Insurance Agency: Why Do You Need an Umbrella Policy?

An Umbrella policy provides liability coverage beyond the limits of your auto and and homeowner's insurance. ?An Umbrella policy kicks-in once you have exhausted the liability coverage under your home or auto policy. ?For example; if you have a homeowner's policy with a $300,000 limit of liability and a $1,000,000 umbrella policy, you would have a total of $1.3 million in liability coverage. ?Why would you need so much coverage you ask? ?Even if your net worth is less than $1,000,000, in the event of a claim resulting in a lawsuit you could be ordered to pay based on your current assets as well as future earnings. An umbrella can also cover your defense costs.

Parents of youthful or inexperienced operators may want to consider purchasing an Umbrella policy. ?Have an inexperienced driver in your household can substantially increase your liability exposure. ?As a parent and policyholder you can be held liable for injuries or property damages caused by your teenage driver. ?It's important to have adequate coverage for a serious accident.


An Umbrella policy can be an inexpensive way to cover your assets. ?The cost of an Umbrella policy can vary per risk, however someone who owns one home and two cars might pay an average of $150 for a $1,000,000 Umbrella policy. ?Additional limits of $2,000,000 and up are available with most carriers for an additional premium of approximately another $100 per million. ?If you break the annual premium down $12.50 per month seems like a small price to pay for an additional $1,000,000 worth of liability coverage.

Source: http://marsinsurance.blogspot.com/2013/01/why-do-you-need-umbrella-policy.html

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Miss Arkansas - Tv Food and Drink

Laughing at the Miss America Pageant has been a Green family tradition for over 40 years! Tonight?s the 2013 Pageant, but here?s a video tribute to my favorite Miss America contestant of all time, Alyse Eady, Former Miss Arkansas on the night Michael and I watched her yodeling ventriloquist act for the very first time. Click through to watch the fun!

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Tags: #MissAmerica 2013, #MissAmerica worst talent, Mallory Hagan, Mallory Hagan Miss New York, Miss America 2013, Miss America 2013 results, Miss America Alyse Eady ventriloquist, Miss America Amway, Miss America Chris Harrison, Miss America donuts on stage, Miss America Mallory Hagan swimsuit, Miss America Mallory Hagan talent, Miss America Mary Hart, Miss America Miss Tennessee sings Adele, Miss America Miss Texas drops baton, Miss America swimsuit competition, Miss America talent ventriloquist, Miss America twitter, Miss Colorado Hannah Porter, Miss Iowa Maria Cary Carey Miss America, Miss Iowa marijuana for recreational use, Miss Tennessee Chandler Lawson sings Adele, who won Miss America?, yodeling ventriloquist Miss America

Posted in TV Now 3 days, 22 hours ago at 8:43 pm. Add a comment

Source: http://tvfoodanddrink.com/2013/01/alyse-eady-miss-america-yodel-ventriloquist/

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University CIOs identify top 6 higher ed tech trends to look out for in 2013

Jan. 15, 2013

Dive Summary:

  • Based on interviews with CIOs from several universities, Campus Technology compiled a list of the top six tech trends to keep an eye on in higher ed?this year.
  • Topping the list was the increased use of "big data," as campuses will likely begin to use all student information available to them to develop internal models that help officials figure out things like what student characteristics are likely to translate to success.
  • Rounding out the rest of the list were faster reaction times to student feedback, college networks straining due to bring-your-own-device (BYOD), an increase in diverse computing, school-developed mobile apps becoming more prevalent, and the growth of social media as a classroom tool.

From the article:

Here are six areas that every IT pro in higher education should keep an eye on during the coming year. With every corner of the higher education space impacted by technology in one way or another, keeping up with the latest and greatest products, tools, applications, and equipment is no easy feat. To help, Campus Technology picked the brains of several university CIOs to get their take on the key IT trends that will take hold in higher education during the coming year. ...

Source: http://www.educationdive.com/news/university-cios-identify-top-6-higher-ed-tech-trends-to-look-out-for-in-201/90133/

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iPhone And iPad Price Drops: January 15, 2013

Polyroll

The developer says:

"The Evil Kaiser Kiwi has kidnapped Polyroll's friends and taken them to his frigid castle lair. As the last remaining Polyroll, you must run, jump, roll, float, and bomb your way through a variety of bizarre environments to save them and defeat Kaiser Kiwi."

Price: Free!

User Rating: 4.5 Stars

Download Polyroll (iOS)

iSniper 3D Arctic Warfare

The developer says:

"You are Glous Miller, the legendary super-sniper. Are you going to rot in prison for being too good at your job, or are you going to team up with a hot babe and save the world? A man of your skills is too valuable to make license plates, so buckle up because this is going to be one wild ride!"

Price: Free!

User Rating: 4.0 Stars

Download iSniper 3D Arctic Warfare (iOS)

To read more, please visit Modojo

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-and-ipad-price-drops-january-15-2013-2013-1

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Internet Marketing Strategies to Help any Business Grow | SEO Alien

9 Internet Marketing Strategies That Will Help Any Business Grow?

Internet Marketing StrategiesThese days, you need to be on top of your game when it comes to internet marketing. If you do not keep up with the current trends then your techniques may become outdated or even obsolete. Use the 9 Internet Marketing tips provided in this article to make sure you are staying current in the market.

1) Join Forums and Groups

You should join a few forums and groups about online business and ask others what they think of your website and marketing strategies. Offer people to review their sites in exchange. You could also have customers review your site for you if you offer them a free sample or a free product in exchange.

Both Facebook and LinkedIn offer Groups on any niche that you can join that you can participate in. Become the expert in your niche!

2) Promotional Pricing and/or Special Sales

To make internet marketing work for your business, is it essential to stand out from the crowd, in a way that attracts customers to you, instead of the competition. Being a price leader is one way to influence the prospective buyer to pick you. Promotional pricing or special sales, may close the deal.

3) Research Your Market

Research your market and always be up to date with your competitors. Research what their prices are, where their visitors go, and if the site is designed for success. Look for things like quality code and content, internal/external linking, and keyword density in content and links. See how their pages are indexed and ranked. Does their site have quality titles, headers, site layout and design? Find out about the conversion process, site load time, dedicated host, what new services they develop and announce, etc.

4) Customer Rewards

A great internet marketing strategy is to offer some sort of reward to customers who refer other people to your site. Try offering some sort of coupon or rebate to people who bring you more business. This is a great way to expand the amount of traffic your site receives.

5) nternet Marketing Courses

Take some time to take a few internet marketing courses to increase your knowledge and help you market yourself and your products on the internet. Internet marketing can be complicated and hard to understand at times, so taking a few courses from those who are experienced in it, can be just the thing you need to be successful.

6) Keyword Rich Article Titles

When trying to come up with a page title, use one that is very rich in keywords. Also be sure to take out any words that may be seen as being filler content. This will appear hyperlinked in search results, and you want it to catch the eye of potential customers.

7) Fan Contribution

Create content within your internet marketing messaging that doesn?t simply push facts onto consumers, but rather, gets them to actively contribute. When consumers participate with your brand, for example, responding to a question you pose or participating in a contest, they are more likely to remember your brand when it comes time to make a purchase.

8) Monitor?and Reply to Negative Comments

To encourage visitors trust your opinion, include positive and negative reviews on your site. While negative reviews shouldn?t be used to market a product, using them in conjunction with positive reviews of your merchant?s products will make you look trustworthy. This technique can also be used to sell older products. When giving a product a negative review, mention how it doesn?t compare to one of your merchant?s products, and include a link.

9) Know the Latest Internet Trends

In conclusion, you know that in this day and age it is crucial to stay in the know with the latest information on internet marketing. Use the tips provided in this article to help you stay up-to-date. Don?t get left behind or become obsolete! Make your internet marketing a success!

To Your Success!

SEO-Alien Guide to the Galaxy

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!

Source: http://seo-alien.com/articles/internet-marketing-strategies-online-business-grow/

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Fetal exposure to PVC plastic chemical linked to obesity in offspring

Jan. 15, 2013 ? Exposing pregnant mice to low doses of the chemical tributyltin -- which is used in marine hull paint and PVC plastic -- can lead to obesity for multiple generations without subsequent exposure, a UC Irvine study has found.

After exposing pregnant mice to TBT in concentrations similar to those found in the environment, researchers saw increased body fat, liver fat and fat-specific gene expression in their "children," "grandchildren" and "great-grandchildren" -- none of which had been exposed to the chemical.

These findings suggest that early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds such as TBT can have permanent effects of fat accumulation without further exposure, said study leader Bruce Blumberg, UC Irvine professor of pharmaceutical sciences and developmental & cell biology. These effects appear to be inherited without DNA mutations occurring.

The study appears online January 15 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a publication of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.

Human exposure to TBT can occur through PVC plastic particles in dust and via leaching of the chemical and other related organotin compounds from PVC pipes and containers.

Significant levels of TBT have been reported in house dust -- which is particularly relevant for young children who may spend significant time on floors and carpets. Some people are exposed by ingesting seafood contaminated with TBT, which has been used in marine hull paint and is pervasive in the environment.

Blumberg categorizes TBT as an obesogen, a class of chemicals that promote obesity by increasing the number of fat cells or the storage of fat in existing cells. He and his colleagues first identified the role of obesogens in a 2006 publication and showed in 2010 that TBT acts in part by modifying the fate of mesenchymal stem cells during development, predisposing them to become fat cells.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Irvine.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Raquel Chamorro-Garc?a, Margaret Sahu, Rachelle J. Abbey, Jhyme Laude, Nhieu Pham, Bruce Blumberg. Transgenerational Inheritance of Increased Fat Depot Size, Stem Cell Reprogramming, and Hepatic Steatosis Elicited by Prenatal Obesogen Tributyltin in Mice. Environmental Health Perspectives, 2013; DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1205701

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/MU5S2_nJ8jk/130115090217.htm

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I Looked for the Silver Lining~Found Family & Friends

The nasty influenza has run its course and I am on the road to becoming healthy. ?Thank you for your get well wishes and your blog friendships. ?I appreciate each and every one of you.

I can't remember when the last time I was ill for over seven days, perhaps when I was a child, but this is the first time as an adult. Between sleeping, coughing, taking medicine, and moaning, I tried to read a book.?

I had heard about this book from Susan a fellow Wisconsin blogger, she writes the fabulous blog Upscale Downhome?and also has a facebook page. Her blog is filled with delightful decorating ideas.?

"I believe in creating a home with upscale style on a downhome budget."

I am reading,?

published June 9, 2011.

While I still haven't finished reading the book, what I have read has opened my eyes to new terminology, other publication, and general knowledge about items I knew nothing about.?

This book is not a guide but a look into a mans life that loves antiques and tries to make a living to support ?his family by selling his antiques at different venues such as Brimfields.?

The song,?Look for the Silver Lining,?

popped into my head while I was ill.

[Chorus]

Look for the silver lining
When e'er a cloud appears in the blue.
Remember somewhere the sun is shining
And so the right thing to do is make it shine for you.
A heart full of joy and gladness
Will always banish sadness and strife.
So always look for the silver lining
And try to find the sunny side of life.

I was touch by my lovely children, they took the time out of their busy lives to make sure I was doing okay and running around doing my errands for me, friends who popped over with comfort food, delicious chicken soup, and cheesy rice with broccoli, and phone calls, from so many people to see if I needed anything. I am blessed.

Cheerfully,
Paulette

Source: http://cheerfulthriftydoor.blogspot.com/2013/01/i-looked-for-silver-liningfound-family.html

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Iran confiscates over a ton of narcotics a day

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's media are reporting that police confiscate over a ton of narcotics a day from smugglers.

Gen. Ali Moayedi, head of Iran's anti-narcotics police, is quoted by newspapers Sunday as saying that some 30 drug smugglers and addicts are identified and arrested every hour in Iran. He said over 200,000 were detained in the past nine months alone.

Iran lies on a major drug route between Afghanistan and Europe, as well as the Persian Gulf states.

Moayedi said that over 1,286 kg (2,835 pounds) are confiscated each day. This represents about a fifth of the total drugs that officials have previously said enter Iran --- of the rest, nearly 700 tons are consumed inside Iran and the remaining 1,300 tons are transited to Europe.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-confiscates-over-ton-narcotics-day-103632612.html

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Good Northallerton College sports share their skills

Good Northallerton College sports share their skills

STUDENTS have proved themselves good sports in an initiative designed to develop their skills.

Volunteers from Northallerton College have been sharing their sporting prowess with younger children, clocking up their hours towards bronze, silver and gold awards.

As part of the national Step into Sport project, the students have been coaching younger children, some with special needs, in sports ranging from tennis, hockey and fencing to athletics, rugby and football.

Several of the students have already achieved their 50 hours bronze award while others have achieved silver for 100 and are on the way to the 200 hour gold mark.

The college?s head of sport Anna Harvey said: ?They have done exceptionally well helping young people get into sport and develop their skills in the community and college.

?For our students, the scheme builds confidence and self-esteem, encourages them to take coaching qualifications and develops them as individuals.?

Among those involved in the scheme is Lucy Clarkson, 18, of Morton-on-Swale, who competes in county athletics, She said: ?It is great fun working with the younger children who seem to look up to us. We organised a primary school sports day which went down very well.?

Others involved include Anna Morris, 17, of North Cowton, who plays hockey for Thirsk, Fergus Roberts, 18, of Romanby, who runs cross country for England, Northallerton Town footballer Josh Fitter, 17, of Northallerton, Michael Bush, 17, of Northallerton, who plays rugby for Middlesbrough and James Greenwell, 17, of Northallerton, who plays for Brompton Football Club.

Source: http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/news/10158858.Good_Northallerton_College_sports_share_their_skills/?ref=rss

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