CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- After settling for second place last year and losing its chance for a grand slam in 2007 and 2008, Barangay Telabastagan came back Saturday with a blast to emerge as 2013 champion of the world-renowned Ligligan Parul or Giant Lantern Festival (GLF).

Chief lantern maker Arnel Flores, head electrician Alberto Dungca, and rotor maker Arnold Flores seemed to have perfected their half-half secret play, where the Telabastagan lantern -- powered by 12,000 bulbs and more than 10 rotors -- displayed interchanging half white, half myriad of colors that danced to music and later accompanied by the Lumanog brass band.

We really worked hard to perfect the play, along with the other combinations of colors and sequences we studied for months. And we are very happy we are back as the champion of the Giant Lantern Festival, said Flores, whose crew took home for the village the P120,000 cash prize, the rotating trophy designed by distinguished artist Toym Imao, and a whole year of bragging rights.

PAMPANGA. Brgy. Telabastagan village chief Elmer Manguerra and lantern-maker Arnel Flores receive the P120,000 check and championship trophy from GLF 2013 Executive Committee chairman Marni Castro, co-chairman Tess Laus, Mayor Edwin Santiago and Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin for winning this years Ligligan Parul. (Jovi T. De Leon)

Coming back after 57 years in the GLF 2011, Barangay Del Carmen, with respected lantern maestro and genius Erning Quiwa directing, this time overtook third placer Sta. Lucia for the second spot, with its dazzling display of color combinations and tricks in its more than 10,000-bulb, eight-rotor 20-feet Parul Sampernandu.

Barangay Del Carmen bested old-timers but equally mesmerizing entries from Barangays San Jose, Calulut, San Pedro, last years champion Del Pilar, San Juan, San Nicolas and Dolores.

The GLF 2013 Board of Judges was composed of Swiss Ambassador Ivo Sieber, Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar, Bangladeshi Ambassador Major General John Gomes, Japanese Minister Deputy Chief of Mission Tetsuro Amano, Clark International Airport Corporation president Victor Jose Luciano, Town and Country Magazine editor-in-chief Yvette Fernandez, Hiblocks International Architect Edwin Gallardo, Benedictine monk and fashion designer Dom Martin Gomez, UST Regent Fr. Romulo Rodriguez, Dita Sandico-Ong Apparel president and CEO Dita Sandico-Ong, and national artist Eduardo Mutuc.

Ingenuity, unity above competition

GLF 2013 Executive Committee chairman Engr. Marni Castro told Sun.Star Pampanga that more than the ligligan or competition is the unity of the 10 participating barangays, as well as their common advocacy of nurturing the 105 years of lantern-making in the city and the entire province of Pampanga.

My congratulations and heartfelt gratitude to the participating barangays and their lantern makers who continuously share their ingenuity and resources not only to showcase the best of colors and lights this season, but for unselfishly taking part in the promotion and promotion and preservation of our world-renowned lantern heritage and tradition. It is a joy to recognize the unity of our gifted artisans and technicians who toil to create lanterns unequalled around the globe, he said.

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Telabastagan wins Giant Lantern Festival

Sunday December 8, 2013

With winter here and the temperature plummeting, the need for heat in your home becomes more important. Portable and fixed heating are used to heat the home. There are those fixed heating units that supply heat to your entire home and then there are those portable heaters that can be carried from room to room for localized heating. Let's take a look at some ways to stay warm with these heating tips.

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Sunday December 8, 2013

Temperature control via a thermostat can be convenient with the use of a remote thermostat control. How nice would it be to be able to control the thermostat in your house from a computer anywhere? Then again, you can also control these with the use of a telephone.

Have you ever left the house for a trip or vacation and wondered if you had turned the thermostat down? Instead of heating or cooling the home while you're gone, turning the temperature back would be ideal. Now, with the invention of a remote thermostat control, you can control or check the temperature of the home from virtually anywhere. Any touch-tone phone becomes your access to temperature control.

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Sunday December 8, 2013

We all have some sort of thermostat controlling our heating and cooling in our homes. It may be a simple rotary dial thermostat that uses a mercury switch or a digital thermostat that is often a programmable thermostat. These can be programmed for individual days and times to change the temperature in your home. Often these save you money by limiting the amount of heating or cooling based on whether you are home or not. Now there comes a new thermostat that can do it all and more! Yes, it not only can be programmed, but actually learns your heating and cooling routines. It's called "Nest - The Learning Thermostat".

According to their website's information, this innovative device will actually program itself in between two days and a week! With a patented "Auto Away" feature, The "Nest" will set your homes temperature to save you money while you are gone, up to 20%. "AutoAway" is a feature that uses a sensor that keeps track of activity within your home. That way, while you are moving around in your home, "Next" is monitoring that you need heating or cooling. When activity stops for a couple of hours, "Next" goes into "Auto-Away" mode, turning the temperature setting either up or down to the minimum or maximum temperature that you preset into the program.

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Electrical, Electrical Basics, Electrical Safety, Electrical ...

Reuters Chilean presidential candidate Michelle Bachelet (C) celebrates after winning Chile's presidential elections, in Santiago, December 15, 2013. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

By Alexandra Ulmer and Rosalba O'Brien

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Michelle Bachelet was elected as Chile's president again on Sunday in a landslide victory that hands the centre-leftist the mandate she sought to push ahead with wide-reaching reforms.

Bachelet won with about 62 percent support, the highest proportion of votes any presidential candidate has obtained since Chile returned to holding democratic elections in 1989.

Evelyn Matthei, the conservative candidate of the ruling Alianza coalition, conceded defeat after capturing just 38 percent of the vote, the right's worst performance in two decades.

Bachelet, who led Chile between 2006 and 2010 as its first female leader, will look to capitalize on her resounding win to make changes aimed at redressing persistent inequality in the world's top copper exporter.

"Today we embark on a new era ... Chile has decided it is the moment to begin deep transformation," she told crowds of cheering supporters waving flags and sounding horns outside the La Moneda presidential palace as dusk fell on a warm summer evening.

A physician by training, Bachelet is a moderate socialist and has promised 50 reforms in her first 100 days, once she takes office in March.

Her flagship policy is a hike in corporate taxes to 25 percent from 20 percent, to pay for social reforms that include a gradual move to free higher education.

Yet she is a long way from the hard-left radicalism that has shaped Venezuela and Argentina in recent years, and is closer to the pragmatic, business-friendly stance of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff.

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Bachelet takes early lead in Chile election

Reuters Chilean presidential candidate Michelle Bachelet (C) celebrates after winning Chile's presidential elections, in Santiago, December 15, 2013. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

By Alexandra Ulmer and Rosalba O'Brien

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Michelle Bachelet was elected as Chile's president again on Sunday in a landslide victory that hands the centre-leftist the mandate she sought to push ahead with wide-reaching reforms.

Bachelet won with about 62 percent support, the highest proportion of votes any presidential candidate has obtained since Chile returned to holding democratic elections in 1989.

Evelyn Matthei, the conservative candidate of the ruling Alianza coalition, conceded defeat after capturing just 38 percent of the vote, the right's worst performance in two decades.

Bachelet, who led Chile between 2006 and 2010 as its first female leader, will look to capitalize on her resounding win to make changes aimed at redressing persistent inequality in the world's top copper exporter.

"Today we embark on a new era ... Chile has decided it is the moment to begin deep transformation," she told crowds of cheering supporters waving flags and sounding horns outside the La Moneda presidential palace as dusk fell on a warm summer evening.

A physician by training, Bachelet is a moderate socialist and has promised 50 reforms in her first 100 days, once she takes office in March.

Her flagship policy is a hike in corporate taxes to 25 percent from 20 percent, to pay for social reforms that include a gradual move to free higher education.

Yet she is a long way from the hard-left radicalism that has shaped Venezuela and Argentina in recent years, and is closer to the pragmatic, business-friendly stance of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff.

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Bachelet set for big win against childhood playmate as Chile votes

Which should you hire: handyman or general contractor?

The answer largely depends on the scope of the work.

In general, the handyman focuses on smaller jobs that can be done in a few hours, a day or a couple of days. A contractor typically manages larger projects that require significant coordination over weeks or months.

Specialized trades, such as plumber or electrician, require specific training and, in most states, a license. If you hire someone who isnt appropriately licensed or trained and experienced, you could end up with problems, including eventually having to pay to have work redone.

Someone with a general contractors license may be your best bet to manage a project that requires extensive time, specialized machinery and multiple workers with varying levels of expertise and licensure requirements, such as a kitchen remodel or home addition.

Before hiring a handyman or contractor, get multiple bids and confirm that the person you hire is appropriately licensed, insured and bonded.

Be wary of anyone who seeks full payment before starting work. Ask for a written agreement that details the job, cost and payment schedule, and get guarantees in writing.

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Whether to hire a handyman or contractor depends on the size of the project

Coming off a pop music hangover with Beyonc last night, I lovingly welcome Over the Rhine and Matt the Electrician tonight. Talk about range, I feel like I've left Disneyland and am driving into a forest.

For fans, neither needs any introduction but for some let's just say that if you like pure, lyrically beautiful, folksy Americana than tonight is your time to shine. With over 20 studio albums between them, longevity for both is not simply due to their general awesomeness but also their beautiful music. Matt the Electrician beckons a more upbeat, often happier, Ray Lamontagnefor me and looking forward to hearing some classic's as he does a heck of a cover of 'Jessie's Girl' among his own masterpieces.

I actually haven't seen Over the Rhine before and am quite keen to hear a lot off of their latest releaseMeet Me at the Edge of the World. True to form, it's a gem from husband-and-wife teamLinfordDetweilerandKarin Bergquist. Always something magical about husband and wife bands for me, having always thought working with a girlfriend would be water-boarding tortuous misery, but hear the chemistry is unparalleled.

By all means do yourself a solid and squash this Friday the 13th with some positive auditory loving. Hope too see those local friends there, maybe even some of you sneaky ones that made it into Queen Bey.

Tickets amazingly still available via kentuckycenter.org

Photo Credit: Kentucky Center for the Arts (penalty for thievery is a new job with your worst ex significant other)

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Tickets Still available for Over the Rhine and Matt the Electrician Tonight

South Louisiana Community College will not enroll new students in most of its technical programs for the spring semester, as the college prepares to revamp its curriculum.

The college will continue to accept new students for its general education and transfer programs this spring. They will also accept new students in their allied health, energy & chemical process technology and non-destructive testing programs, says SLCC spokeswoman Christine Payton.

Students currently enrolled in technical programs -- also known as workforce training programs -- will be able to enroll in courses, and new students will again be accepted for the Fall 2014 semester and every spring and fall semester after that.

The new curriculum will include a schedule similar to block scheduling and is expected to reduce classes with low enrollment, says Payton.

"The point of not enrolling new students is to revamp curriculums to make sure our programs are meeting industry demand. We want students to be well-prepared for viable jobs that will sustain their families when they leave SLCC," Payton says.

In some cases, the number of credits it takes to earn a credential (diploma, degree, certification) will decrease. So, it won't take as long to earn a diploma.

Seven of eight SLCC campuses offer workforce training programs -- Crowley, Ville Platte, St. Martinville, Abbeville, New Iberia, Opelousas and Lafayette.

The programs that will not accept new students this spring are:

Business Office Administration Business Office Technology Information Technology Aviation Civil, Surveying & Mapping Drafting & Design Technology Industrial Electronics Tech AC & Refrigeration Automotive Carpentry Collision Repair Cosmetology Culinary Arts Diesel Powered Equipment Electrician Heavy Equipment Operator Industrial/Agriculture Mechanics Machine Tool Technology Welding

All of the allied health programs such as clinical lab, medical assistant, EMT/paramedic, midwifery, nurse assistant, and others will continue to enroll new students. Also, nondestructive testing, and energy & chemical process technology will too.

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SLCC not enrolling new technical students this spring

A Democratic candidate for Precinct 4 County Commissioner in 2006, New Caney business owner Roland McCleskey returns to the political arena running as a Republican.

McCleskey, 53, recently filed for the March 4 Republican primary, increasing the number of candidates to seven.

A master electrician who has lived in New Caney all of his life, McCleskey believes his familiarity with generations of East County residents qualifies him as the best man for the job.

I know what they want and what they need, he said.

Against Precinct 4 incumbent Ed Rinehart in the November 2006 general election, McCleskey attracted 35 percent of the vote (4,807) compared to 65 percent for Rinehart (8,766).

That was a pretty good turnout, McCleskey said.

Ed has done a good job as county commissioner, McCleskey said. I wanted to make additional changes, which he eventually did.

But when I heard he was stepping down, I was interested, McCleskey said.

He left the Democratic Party due to philosophical differences with President Barak Obama.

I didnt believe in everything he did, McCleskey said.

Original post:
McCleskey files for Precinct 4 Commissioner

by ALISON MORROW / KING 5 News

KING5.com

Posted on December 11, 2013 at 5:50 PM

Updated yesterday at 6:33 PM

Seattle housing officials estimate about one-fifth of the citys homeowners are underwater on their mortgages.

On Wednesday, Seattle City Council members voted to explore options to help homeowners facing foreclosure, but one of those options comes with a bit of controversy.

According to city council, these homeowners roughly owe between $65,000 and $130,000 more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.

One of those homeowners said she missed her first mortgage payment this month and shes terrified.

People dont deserve this. We didnt do anything wrong. In fact, we did everything right. And yet, were here, said Joelle Craft.

Craft is a 35-year-old mother of two. She has multiple sclerosis and says she cant work anymore. Her partner, an electrician, lost his job for a while due to the economic downturn. Their house is now worth $30,000 less than they bought it for and theyre now facing the possibility of foreclosure. Theyre exactly the kind of homeowners city council is targeting.

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Underwater homeowners get a chance for relief in Seattle

Applicants for Electrical Construction Apprenticeshipwho meet all other minimum requirements will be scheduled to take the NJATC Apprenticeship Test Battery.

The Aptitude Test is administered monthly at our location and takes approximately two and a half hours to complete. It consists of two parts: Algebra and Reading Comprehension. A short break is given between the two parts of the test.

Our office receives results from the test approximately two weeks from the test date.

Applicants receiving a score of at least 4 (out of a possible 9) will be advanced to the next step of the application process, a personal interview with the JATC Committee. Applicants who have documented at least 4000 hours of electrical construction work experience are not required to receive a minimum score for a personal interview, but will be required to take the test so Aptitude can be measured.

Aptitude Test Rules

Bring a photo ID to the test. Your ID will be checked. No ID, no test-no exceptions!

Arrive 5-10 minutes before the scheduled test time. Late entries will not be permitted. A late show is the same as a No Show. A $10.00 rescheduling fee will apply.

Calculators may NOT be used during the test. Do not bring any type of calculator. Pencils and scrap paper are provided for computation.

If you do not receive a qualifying score (4 or higher), you will not be eligible to retake the test (at any JATC in the country) for a period of six months. Do NOT attempt to retake the test before the six month period elapses. If you retest before the six month period elapses, your score will not be valid and another six months must elapse before the next retest.

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General Aptitude Test Information - IBEW/NECA Electrical ...