The poems in Circles Where the Head Should Be are full of objects and oddities, bits of news, epic catalogues, and a cast of characters hoping to make sense of it all. Underneath the often whimsical surface, however, lies a search for those connections we long for but so often miss, and a wish for art to bridge the gaps. “Circles Where the Head Should Be has its own distinctive voice, a lively intelligence, insatiable curiosity, and a decided command of form. These qualities play off one another in ways that instruct and delight. An irresistible book.”—J. D. McClatchy, author of Mercury Dressing: Poems, judge

William Vacchiano (1912–2005) was principal trumpet with the New York Philharmonic from 1942 to 1973, and taught at Juilliard, the Manhattan School of Music, the Mannes College of Music, Queens College, and Columbia Teachers College. While at the Philharmonic, Vacchiano performed under the batons of Arturo Toscanini, Bruno Walter, Dimitri Mitropoulos, and Leonard Bernstein and played in the world premieres of almost 200 pieces by such composers as Vaughan Williams, Copland, and Barber. Vacchiano was important not only for his performances, but also for his teaching. His students have held the principal chairs of many major orchestras and are prominent teachers themselves, and they have enriched non-classical music as well. Two of his better known students are Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis. Last Stop, Carnegie Hall features an overview of the life of this very private artist, based on several personal interviews conducted by Brian A. Shook and Vacchiano’s notes for his own unpublished memoir. Shook also interviewed many of his students and colleagues and includes a chapter containing their recollections. Other important topics include analyses of Vacchiano’s pedagogical methods and his interpretations of important trumpet pieces, his “rules of orchestral performance,” and his equipment. A discography, a bibliography of …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "According to Pew Hispanic Center estimates, approximately 4 million to 5.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States entered the country legally on a temporary basis but then overstayed their authorized periods of admission--referred to as overstays. As requested, GAO examined the extent to which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (1) takes action to address overstays and its reported results; and (2) identifies overstays and shares this information among its border security and immigration enforcement components. GAO reviewed relevant documents, such as standard operating procedures, DHS guidance, and overstay investigations data from fiscal years 2006 through 2010; interviewed officials from DHS components; and visited 6 DHS field offices and 12 ports of entry based on geographic dispersion, among other factors. The results of these visits are not generalizable, but provided insights into DHS operations."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To stem the flow of illegal traffic from Mexico into the United States over the last 5 years along the U.S. southwestern border, the Border Patrol has nearly doubled the number of agents on patrol, constructed hundreds of miles of border fences, and installed a variety of surveillance equipment. About 40 percent of these border lands are managed by the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, and coordination and cooperation between Border Patrol and land management agencies is critical to ensure national security. As requested, this statement summarizes GAO's findings from two reports issued on southwest border issues in the fall of 2010. The first report, GAO-11-38, focused on the key land management laws that Border Patrol must comply with and how these laws affect the agency's operations. The second report, GAO-11-177, focused on the extent to which Border Patrol and land management agencies' law enforcement units share threat information and communications."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's work over the past several years has highlighted long-standing, widespread, and significant problems with improper payments in the federal government. Fiscal year 2010 marked the 7th year of implementation of the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA). IPIA requires executive-branch agencies to identify programs and activities susceptible to significant improper payments, estimate annual amounts improperly paid, and report these estimates and actions taken to reduce them. On July 22, 2010, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA) was enacted. IPERA amended IPIA and expanded requirements for recovering overpayments across a broad range of federal programs. This testimony addresses (1) progress federal agencies have reported in estimating and reducing improper payments in fiscal year 2010, (2) challenges that continue to hinder full reporting of improper payment information, and (3) recent efforts by Congress and the executive branch intended to improve transparency and accountability for reporting, reducing, and recovering improper payments. This testimony is primarily based on prior GAO reports. GAO summarized available fiscal year 2010 improper payment information reported by federal executive-branch agencies and actions taken by the executive branch and Congress intended to …

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.

Images taken at a North Texas middle school documenting the food on a lunch tray and the remains on the same tray after the meal was consumed. These images are part of a study to document what food students are eating.