Lindsey Treffry | The Communicator
In Fall 2010 alone, there were three Dell laptops and three MacBook Pros stolen or lost by students from the library.
All SFCC laptops rented through the library can be tracked through a chip placed internally that allows a company called Computrace to track the where-abouts of the laptop.
“Once a laptop has been stolen, we do a police report, or the student who checked out the laptop [files a police report],” Library Supervisor Babs Hachey said. “I file a claim with Computrace and they work in conjunction with the police department.”
Once Hachey files a report with the police department, she then files a theft report number on the Computrace website.
According to IT Manager Rod Larse, Computrace is comparable to an On-Star system in a car. Laptops can be tracked through a GPS-like system.
According to the Computrace website, their theft program mines computers using techniques like file and registry scans, geolocaters, and key capturing, which enables Computrace to track every key struck on a keyboard.
If the gelocation system cannot track the laptop in a certain time frame, the Absolute Software company—who owns Computrace—is required to replace it, according to IT Specialist 2 Sharon Gunn.
“We got a laptop back from law enforcement in December,” Larse said. “[The student] had peeled the inventory tags off.”
According to Larse, the laptop had been vandalized by green stickers and tape.
“[When an inventory tag is removed] students don’t realize that doesn’t solve the problem,” Gunn said. “Computrace is embedded in the notebook.”
According to Hachey, if a laptop is stolen or lost, a student is charged the basic cost of a laptop: $1350 for a Dell and $2200 for a MacBook Pro. The fee for a damaged laptop amounts to the total cost of damages. For a stolen or lost power cord and computer case, students are required to pay $75, according to Hachey.
According to Washington state law, if rented or leased property is stolen, it may result in a class C felony, which has a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
“Students need to think twice before taking [laptops] because then you have a criminal record,” Gunn said.
As seen in Issue 42.6 of The Communicator
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Stop paying for cable
Lindsey Treffry | The Communicator
According to Wired Magazine, the cost of cable per year is $1643.16 while satellite is $1463.88. Here are some ways to avoid these costs altogether.
Services:
-Hulu, although this service only streams NBC, News Corp, and Disney programs, it offers recent episodes of shows like The Office, Family Guy, and SNL. The new Hulu Plus account enables you to stream full series of new and classic episodes though Wi-Fi and 3G phones, iPads, internet televisions, Blu-ray players, and gaming consoles.
Cost? $8 a month for Hulu Plus account; free to watch the most recent episode of a show you missed (some offered the same day or a week later than the television premiere).
-Netflix streams new and classic movies and TV shows through your computer, gaming console, Apple products, TiVo or Blu-ray player. Once you pay the account cost, ordering movies and shows costs no extra. Not all shows and movies are available, and it can take a month to two years for Netflix to release a movie (or not at all).
Cost? $8 a month for a basic Netflix account, $10 to be able to rent 1 DVD at a time (there is a bigger library of shows and movies if you choose this option), and the price rises per number of DVDs to rent. There is a "limited account" that allows 1 DVD at a time, but only allows you to stream 2 hours of shows a month on your computer (unlike the unlimited time of other accounts).
Gaming consoles:
-PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii are no longer simple systems that play Gran Turismo, Halo, and Rayman Raving Rabbids. These consoles now can play DVDs and all have a Netflix application, where you can stream Netflix straight from your wireless internet connection to your television.
Cost? $8 a month for a basic Netflix account (no extra cost if you already own a gaming console); $199 - $399 for a new console. The console will pay for itself within two to four months once your cable/satellite subscription has been cancelled.
Other options:
-Internet boxes: Apple TV is among other "net-connected boxes" that connects you from iTunes to your television or computer. From the iTunes store you can pay $1.99 per episode. Other boxes include Roku (connected to Netflix, Amazon, and MLB.TV), and TiVo connects to related services as well as cable shows.
-Vudu: A Walmart-owned service that allows you to rent or buy movies. The only hitch is you must buy a television or Blu-ray player that has Vudu built in. Shows and movies range from $1.99 to $4.99 and $9.99 to $19.99 to purchase.
-ESPN 3: espn.go.com/espn3 is the home for all ESPN sports: live shows, upcoming previews, and replays. It's completely free and HD.
-Mobile television: Smartphones now offer portable television. Bitbop for Blackberrys, Flo TV for AT&T and Verizon plans, and Sprint TV for your Sprint phone.
-Clicker.com: Not sure what service to choose when it comes to watching television sans cable? Clicker.com is a TV Guide for the internet. You can search your favorite shows and see what services (between Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, or clicker.com itself) offer them. This may make your choice easier.
As seen in issue 42.5 of The Communicator
According to Wired Magazine, the cost of cable per year is $1643.16 while satellite is $1463.88. Here are some ways to avoid these costs altogether.
Services:
-Hulu, although this service only streams NBC, News Corp, and Disney programs, it offers recent episodes of shows like The Office, Family Guy, and SNL. The new Hulu Plus account enables you to stream full series of new and classic episodes though Wi-Fi and 3G phones, iPads, internet televisions, Blu-ray players, and gaming consoles.
Cost? $8 a month for Hulu Plus account; free to watch the most recent episode of a show you missed (some offered the same day or a week later than the television premiere).
-Netflix streams new and classic movies and TV shows through your computer, gaming console, Apple products, TiVo or Blu-ray player. Once you pay the account cost, ordering movies and shows costs no extra. Not all shows and movies are available, and it can take a month to two years for Netflix to release a movie (or not at all).
Cost? $8 a month for a basic Netflix account, $10 to be able to rent 1 DVD at a time (there is a bigger library of shows and movies if you choose this option), and the price rises per number of DVDs to rent. There is a "limited account" that allows 1 DVD at a time, but only allows you to stream 2 hours of shows a month on your computer (unlike the unlimited time of other accounts).
Gaming consoles:
-PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii are no longer simple systems that play Gran Turismo, Halo, and Rayman Raving Rabbids. These consoles now can play DVDs and all have a Netflix application, where you can stream Netflix straight from your wireless internet connection to your television.
Cost? $8 a month for a basic Netflix account (no extra cost if you already own a gaming console); $199 - $399 for a new console. The console will pay for itself within two to four months once your cable/satellite subscription has been cancelled.
Other options:
-Internet boxes: Apple TV is among other "net-connected boxes" that connects you from iTunes to your television or computer. From the iTunes store you can pay $1.99 per episode. Other boxes include Roku (connected to Netflix, Amazon, and MLB.TV), and TiVo connects to related services as well as cable shows.
-Vudu: A Walmart-owned service that allows you to rent or buy movies. The only hitch is you must buy a television or Blu-ray player that has Vudu built in. Shows and movies range from $1.99 to $4.99 and $9.99 to $19.99 to purchase.
-ESPN 3: espn.go.com/espn3 is the home for all ESPN sports: live shows, upcoming previews, and replays. It's completely free and HD.
-Mobile television: Smartphones now offer portable television. Bitbop for Blackberrys, Flo TV for AT&T and Verizon plans, and Sprint TV for your Sprint phone.
-Clicker.com: Not sure what service to choose when it comes to watching television sans cable? Clicker.com is a TV Guide for the internet. You can search your favorite shows and see what services (between Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, or clicker.com itself) offer them. This may make your choice easier.
As seen in issue 42.5 of The Communicator
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Art Coop
Lindsey Treffry | The Communicator
The Art Coop is a warm space with art spilling from the shelves, and a cloud-painted ceiling. A wall is covered with old board games, and a kiln and glass-cutter sit across the room.
Once a chicken coop in the Downriver district, the Coop started as a Washington State farm “testing ground” in the 1930s and his since evolved into a home for wacky art classes.
SFCC graduate, Lou Carver is the owner of The Art Coop. With the help of friends, Carver spent a year and a half renovating the chicken coop.They lead visitors from the front of a brick house into a welcoming backyard by building a false wall that was once made of chicken wire, adding insulation, electricity, and a wooden pathway. Her cat and beagle welcome you into her yard and a fake rooster perches in the rafters of the Coop.
Carver received her A.A.S. in Visual Media Technology, which involved photography, hand-lettering, and printing press work. According to Carver, this multimedia major didn’t mean she was necessarily proficient in one art form, but was able to enjoy “fine” art. The Art Coop was able to support her eclectic fine art habits, but also gave her the ability to share.
“If you don’t share what you learn, the knowledge dies,” Carver said.
The Art Coop has compartments of charms, glass, metal, and miscellaneous pieces that have been collected by Carver over the years. Most of these pieces are for reuse, and instead of recycling these pieces, Carver likes to call this process “upcycling,” converting waste into new, better art products.
According to Carver, the most popular craft projects between class-takers is fused-glass. According to fusedglass.org, to make fused glass you take two or more pieces of glass and heat them in a kiln until they fuse together to make a single piece. These form a dichroic piece that according to Carver come out in unpredictable colors.
She offers multiple classes a week, from jewelry, to mosaic work, hats, pins, felting, and shrine boxes. Prices per class usually range from $25 to $40; all materials are provided and no experience is needed. Unless the Coop is featuring a fused-glass class, students can usually take projects home the same day.
Although she advertises her Coop as art classes for “chicks,” according to Carver, a rooster is a chick too and men return to her classes often.
“[The Art Coop] is a shabby, chic place to just have fun,” Carver said. “You don’t have to be an artist.”
Break Out Box
Address: 4225 N. G Street
Contact: 509.327.3726
Info: Visit theartcoop.net
Other Facts: Apart from the Coop, Carver teaches one hour “Spokane Falls Living History” presentations, where she shares photographs of Spokane from 1880 to 1910, along with board games, clothing of the era, music players, and common household items.
As seen in issue 42.5 of The Communicator
The Art Coop is a warm space with art spilling from the shelves, and a cloud-painted ceiling. A wall is covered with old board games, and a kiln and glass-cutter sit across the room.
Once a chicken coop in the Downriver district, the Coop started as a Washington State farm “testing ground” in the 1930s and his since evolved into a home for wacky art classes.
SFCC graduate, Lou Carver is the owner of The Art Coop. With the help of friends, Carver spent a year and a half renovating the chicken coop.They lead visitors from the front of a brick house into a welcoming backyard by building a false wall that was once made of chicken wire, adding insulation, electricity, and a wooden pathway. Her cat and beagle welcome you into her yard and a fake rooster perches in the rafters of the Coop.
Carver received her A.A.S. in Visual Media Technology, which involved photography, hand-lettering, and printing press work. According to Carver, this multimedia major didn’t mean she was necessarily proficient in one art form, but was able to enjoy “fine” art. The Art Coop was able to support her eclectic fine art habits, but also gave her the ability to share.
“If you don’t share what you learn, the knowledge dies,” Carver said.
The Art Coop has compartments of charms, glass, metal, and miscellaneous pieces that have been collected by Carver over the years. Most of these pieces are for reuse, and instead of recycling these pieces, Carver likes to call this process “upcycling,” converting waste into new, better art products.
According to Carver, the most popular craft projects between class-takers is fused-glass. According to fusedglass.org, to make fused glass you take two or more pieces of glass and heat them in a kiln until they fuse together to make a single piece. These form a dichroic piece that according to Carver come out in unpredictable colors.
She offers multiple classes a week, from jewelry, to mosaic work, hats, pins, felting, and shrine boxes. Prices per class usually range from $25 to $40; all materials are provided and no experience is needed. Unless the Coop is featuring a fused-glass class, students can usually take projects home the same day.
Although she advertises her Coop as art classes for “chicks,” according to Carver, a rooster is a chick too and men return to her classes often.
“[The Art Coop] is a shabby, chic place to just have fun,” Carver said. “You don’t have to be an artist.”
Break Out Box
Address: 4225 N. G Street
Contact: 509.327.3726
Info: Visit theartcoop.net
Other Facts: Apart from the Coop, Carver teaches one hour “Spokane Falls Living History” presentations, where she shares photographs of Spokane from 1880 to 1910, along with board games, clothing of the era, music players, and common household items.
As seen in issue 42.5 of The Communicator
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Riley
I spent an afternoon with my Irish Terrier mutt, Riley. She was a cute and very curious model. Mostly this session was just to play with camera settings on a overcast, fall day.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
New shop features old styles
Lindsey Treffry | The Communicator
A one-piece jumpsuit from the 1960s, a brand new T-shirt, cowboy boots, a homemade headband, and a ring from the 1980s could be the latest outfit put together by purchases from Fringe and Fray.
A one-piece jumpsuit from the 1960s, a brand new T-shirt, cowboy boots, a homemade headband, and a ring from the 1980s could be the latest outfit put together by purchases from Fringe and Fray.
Opened by Grace and Ryan Johnson, Fringe and Fray is a resale boutique with men and women's clothing, jewelry, purses, home decor, and art.
Located downtown, the store differs from other resale shops because of the mixture of vintage clothing and new styles.
"We have older styles, like the 80s, which is in right now," Grace said.
The small space is footsteps away from Rocket Bakery on the corner of Cedar Street. Their shopfront houses a pair of mannequins with floral decor plastered on the windows, where shoppers can take a peek at the clothing racks inside.
Grace and Ryan renovated the brick space, taking out cabinets and replacing them with dressing rooms. Grace, who has worked in retail since her teenage years, opened the shop with her husband in January.
"When we first opened, one of my favorite items was this red owl dress," Grace said. "It sold fast."
According to their website, customers who bring in items can receive store credit for approximately 30 percent of the resale value. According to Grace they will take the item if it's current or vintage, and in good condition.
"We are selective," Grace said. "We want it to have a certain feel."
Although selective, their prices don't reflect their particular store credit picks. The average price for clothing and jewelry ranges from $7 to $20. According to Grace the only time prices go over $20 is when a vintage item is "completely unique." Fringe and Fray also houses a clearance rack, where some items are as low as $3.
In addition to clothing, Ryan creates some of the art available for purchase in the store. His "digital photography manipulation" is hung along the walls of the shop, and showcases different buildings and cityscapes with animals or colors superimposed into the frame.
Cloth headbands, specifically pieced together by Grace and other employees, are floral and feminine in design. Some other creations available include rings, necklaces, and other hair accessories that are on display near the home decor table.
"A lot of people feel like because of the look (of the store) it is out of their price range, when really it is affordable" Grace said. "I think people will be pleasantly surprised."
Break Out Box
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: 1325 W. 1st Ave. (Corner of 1st and Cedar)
Contact: Grace or Ryan at 509.720.7116
For more information: http://fringeandfray.net/ -OR- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spokane-WA/Fringe-Fray/392620460480?ref=ts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Skateboard shop is safe haven
Lindsey Treffry | The Communicator
Paradigm can be defined as an archetype; a philosophical framework; a Spokane skate shop.
Owner of Paradigm Skate Shop, Todd Bearden, has been skateboarding since 1989. Bearden originally got his bachelor's degree in Marketing and Human Resources from EWU. He managed Spirit Skate Shop, where Paradigm is now located, and assured the landlord would sign over the lease after Spirit's owner closed the shop.
Paradigm is located on Washington, blocks away from the concrete, Under The Freeway skateboard park.
Bearden chose to name the shop Paradigm, because he didn't want the generic "Joe's Skate Shop," and wanted his apparel to transcend other brands.
"Paradigm can mean shift, or it can be something philosophical," Bearden said. "It is phonetically correct, and intriguing. "(The word paradigm) makes people ask 'What is it?'"
Different from corporate shops that have "belly button rings, hoola hoops, and kayaks," Paradigm only carries skateboard equipment. They also design their own brand of clothing, which is their most popular item, and changes seasonally.
Not only a store, Paradigm hosts events and sponsors local skateboarders. Their sponsored skaters receive discounts and free equipment, in exchange for giving Paradigm "a face." They make sure their skaters are presentable, can attend contests and demos, and do not include themselves in drug-related activities.
Paradigm often hosts "under-ground" events, like skate jams and barbecues, but most often attend skate park openings. Samuel Imus, an employee at Paradigm, has known Bearden since middle school.
"Skateboarding made us friends," he said. "Owning a shop made us brothers."
According to Imus, Bearden provides equipment and boards for kids who shop at Paradigm, but don't have the extra money. Bearden said he is like a "big brother" to a majority of the kids who shop at Paradigm.
"We cater to loitering," he said. "We have a PS3 and a big screen to let kids hang out.
"It's a safe place, and their mothers knows where they are."
As seen in Issue 41.9 of The Communicator
Paradigm can be defined as an archetype; a philosophical framework; a Spokane skate shop.
Owner of Paradigm Skate Shop, Todd Bearden, has been skateboarding since 1989. Bearden originally got his bachelor's degree in Marketing and Human Resources from EWU. He managed Spirit Skate Shop, where Paradigm is now located, and assured the landlord would sign over the lease after Spirit's owner closed the shop.
Paradigm is located on Washington, blocks away from the concrete, Under The Freeway skateboard park.
Bearden chose to name the shop Paradigm, because he didn't want the generic "Joe's Skate Shop," and wanted his apparel to transcend other brands.
"Paradigm can mean shift, or it can be something philosophical," Bearden said. "It is phonetically correct, and intriguing. "(The word paradigm) makes people ask 'What is it?'"
Different from corporate shops that have "belly button rings, hoola hoops, and kayaks," Paradigm only carries skateboard equipment. They also design their own brand of clothing, which is their most popular item, and changes seasonally.
Not only a store, Paradigm hosts events and sponsors local skateboarders. Their sponsored skaters receive discounts and free equipment, in exchange for giving Paradigm "a face." They make sure their skaters are presentable, can attend contests and demos, and do not include themselves in drug-related activities.
Paradigm often hosts "under-ground" events, like skate jams and barbecues, but most often attend skate park openings. Samuel Imus, an employee at Paradigm, has known Bearden since middle school.
"Skateboarding made us friends," he said. "Owning a shop made us brothers."
According to Imus, Bearden provides equipment and boards for kids who shop at Paradigm, but don't have the extra money. Bearden said he is like a "big brother" to a majority of the kids who shop at Paradigm.
"We cater to loitering," he said. "We have a PS3 and a big screen to let kids hang out.
"It's a safe place, and their mothers knows where they are."
As seen in Issue 41.9 of The Communicator
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
How to dig up the dirt you need
After assisting in research on an article regarding Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) hiring the new Chancellor despite past allegations, I found these few following links and shortcuts extremely helpful (and free):
- Visit harvester.census.gov to find a single audit database. This can be helpful when trying to find a past evaluation on a person or an organization.
- When looking for a home phone number in the US, type "rphonebook: full name, state" in a Google search.
- If trying to find court case filings, you can usually find county reports on their website, for example: Denver, Colorado. Beware that not all civil cases can be filed in this manner, if only looking up a name. Also, some states like Colorado require you to pay for a state court case report and are not open record like other states.
- Not getting the info you know you have rights to? Visit splc.org to get a sample FOIA letter or fill out your own.
Make sure to read the featured story above to see how some of these links were implemented for research.
- Visit harvester.census.gov to find a single audit database. This can be helpful when trying to find a past evaluation on a person or an organization.
- When looking for a home phone number in the US, type "rphonebook: full name, state" in a Google search.
- If trying to find court case filings, you can usually find county reports on their website, for example: Denver, Colorado. Beware that not all civil cases can be filed in this manner, if only looking up a name. Also, some states like Colorado require you to pay for a state court case report and are not open record like other states.
- Not getting the info you know you have rights to? Visit splc.org to get a sample FOIA letter or fill out your own.
Make sure to read the featured story above to see how some of these links were implemented for research.
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