Notice: Information contained herein is not and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however no guarantee is made or implied with respect to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness. Authors may own the stocks they discuss. The information and content are subject to change without notice.
*Real-time prices by BATS. Volume delayed. Real-time quote and/or trade prices are not sourced from all markets.
2000-2016 Investor"s Business Daily, Inc. All rights reserved
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. And since weve no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ...
What? Oh, sorry, looking out the window, it just looks like a Christmas card.
I think a possibly relevant topic for the column today is how Frederick County Public Schools determines when school is canceled for weather-related reasons.
About 25,000 students ride the bus, said schools spokesman Michael Doerrer, but the district has to consider not only those students but also the walkers.
Staff members keep track of the forecast, gathering information from those in the county who handle weather emergencies, as well as the National Weather Service.
Particularly, the school district monitors the roads and the school lots. Doerrer said that schools are equipped with cameras, and then employees with the school systems transportation department are out inspecting the roads between 3 and 4 a.m. to determine the danger.
The FCPS chief operating officer and deputy superintendent make a recommendation to the superintendent, who communicates that with Doerrer and staff, so around 5:30, students will know whether to remain in their pajamas.
Rarely does the school district make a call about school closings a day before an event, Doerrer said, only when forecasts are consistent and the predictions are so clear that the district knows that schools would need to close.
Weather is so unpredictable, Doerrer said. Generally, we need to see whats actually happening on the ground.
On Monday, schools were closed, and operating on a code yellow, meaning all staff were to stay home, except for emergency personnel, such as maintenance staff members, Doerrer said.
The school system relies on the same sort of criteria to determine whether roads are safe for employees as well, Doerrer said.
And there you have it.
My favorite part of school closing is perusing Twitter and reading all the angry tweets from students begging the school system to cancel school early in the day. (The headline of this column is in reference to one of those tweets.)
Closing early, of course, would please the students, but Ive heard from parents that hearing a decision early does help with planning.
By about 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Frederick County announced that schools would again be closed on Tuesday, following suit from Prince Georges County Public Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools and Washington County Public Schools.
Temporary leave
For the duration of the legislative session, as our usual county government reporter braves Annapolis, I will be reporting on Frederick County government.
This means I will be taking a temporary leave from my School Notes column until at least Sine Die.
My replacement, Lindsay Powers, will be taking over the column starting in February. Lindsay previously wrote about education in Montgomery County, so shell be ready to jump in and illuminate all of the relevant issues in the Frederick County realm of education.
Until then, continue to tweet @jbeowulf with both ideas of coverage that are both education and county government related. If I cant write about them, I would imagine someone will.
Who invented the mechanical television? JOHN LOGIE BAIRD invented the mechanical television
Todays Google logo has been replaced with a doodle marking the 90th anniversary of the first demonstration of a television, which leads to a search for who invented the mechanical television that includes the quick answer: John Logie Baird.
On January 26, 1926, in Londons Soho district, Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television system for the Royal Institution of Great Britain and a reporter from The Times of London. Through his invention, which he called a televisor, Baird was able to transmit images of a person working a ventriloquist doll.
It has yet to be seen to what extent further developments will carry Mr. Bairds system towards practical use.
According to BairdTelevision.com, two days after Bairds demonstration, The Times reported on the historic event with skepticism: It has yet to be seen to what extent further developments will carry Mr. Bairds system towards practical use.
Googles John Logie Baird TV doodle is being displayed on its US home page, along with many international home pages, and includes a link to share the image on social networks and email.
About The AuthorAmy Gesenhues is Third Door Media"s General Assignment Reporter, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land and Marketing Land. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs.com, SoftwareCEO.com, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy"s articles.(Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
Gabrielle Union -- I"m No Ronda Rousey, I"d Whoop Stacey Dash"s Ass
Gabrielle Union threw major shade at Stacey Dash during an interview at the Sundance Film Festival.
Whos that? Whos Stacey Dash? Is she, like, related to Dame Dash? Was she on Roc-a-Fella [Records]? Union joked.
Union went on to speak about the importance of networks likeBET, as well as the importance of the NAACP Image Awards and the American Latino Media Arts, or ALMA, Awards because mainstream award shows have always lacked diversity.
The more that we focus on inclusion and a true representation of this country, I think that crazy lady will have less to say, Union said.
Australian Open 2016 Roger Federer vs David Goffin
Roger Federer wants to take back some of what he said about fellow tennis player Bernard Tomic a couple of weeks ago but only part of it.
Asked to assess the then 17th-ranked Tomic, Federer suggested that Tomic had missed an opportunity to live up to his potential. The trouble was Federer was under the assumption Tomic was ranked ``liked 50 or 60 and (instead) he was top 20.""
So on Tuesday at the Australian Open Federer tried to set the record straight.
``You know, I"d like to see anybody succeed and anybody make their move,"" he said. ``I thought I was somewhat tough, but I was fair because I said nice things about him. But then I checked his ranking. I didn"t know his ranking was as high as it was, to be quite honest.
``That was my bad. But I still believe it"s a big difference, top 10 for a week or for a year. It"s a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work. There"s a lot of guys who have the potential right now, not just him.""
Stephen Curry"s Back-to-back 3-Pointers | Spurs vs Warriors | January 25, 2016 | NBA 2015-16 Season ShareTweet
As another week goes by in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs cannot cut the deficit between them and the Golden State Warriors, who sit in first overall in the Western Conference at 33-2. The Spurs, 30-6, still have their eyes on the top spot by seasons end and theyre playing the second-best basketball in the NBA.
The Spurs, winners of five straight and nine of their last 10 games, had an odd loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day but have been rather remarkable to conclude December and begin January. After the loss, the Spurs margin of victory for their next five games is 19.4, including an 18-point victory against the same Rockets team that gave them their last loss.
The month of January will bring multiple tests from title contenders as the Spurs have scheduled games against the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. With information provided by TiqIQ.com, below are the most expensive Spurs tickets on the secondary market this month.
1/25/2016 | Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs | Oracle Arena | Average Price: $484.60 | Get-in Price: $173
1/22/2016 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs | Staples Center | Average Price: $373.54 | Get-in Price: $97
1/14/2016 | San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | AT&T Center | Average Price: $347.76 | Get-in Price: $81
1/30/2016 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs | Quicken Loans Arena | Average Price: $288.57 | Get-in Price: $105
1/17/2016 | San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks | AT&T Center | Average Price: $247.42 | Get-in Price: $44
As expected, a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Western Conference leads the list as the Spurs try to knock off the Warriors at Oracle Arena on January 25th with an average ticket price of $484.60 and a get-in price of $173. Like the Spurs, the Warriors are a perfect 17-0 at home and will without a doubt be the teams stiffest test of the month.
The Spurs will also be a part of the Kobe Bryant tour, which has raised ticket prices for games at the Staples Center. When the Spurs play the Los Angeles Lakers the average ticket price is $373.54 with a get-in price of $97.
Two dates with the Cavaliers appear next with one at home at the AT&T Center and one on the road at Quicken Loans Arena. If attending either game against LeBron James and the Eastern Conference favorites, ParkWhiz.com will make entering the exiting the venue as easy as possible. AT&T Center parking through ParkWhiz.com starts from $14 (13 spaces available), while Quicken Loans Arena parking for Spurs fans in the area starts from $20 (five locations remaining). The more expensive game is a Spurs home game on January 14th with an average ticket price of $347.76 and a get-in price of $81.
To round out the top-five games, the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks on January 30th with an average ticket price of $247.42 and a more reasonable get-in price of $44.
Jon Solomon of CBS Sports discusses how it"s impossible to identify who has won the most national titles in college football. Alabama claims 15, but three of them aren"t recognized by the NCAA, which doesn"t have anything to do with championships anyway. If Notre Dame counted titles the way Alabama does, the Fighting Irish would have 10 more championships. Instead, the NCAA recognizes Alabama and Notre Dame tied with 12.
