text:
When I began posting, I never set out to "blog" per se'. I wrote without any intention of having a following. It was just a diary or brain dump or therapy (less the $125.00 per hour fee.)
Over time, my writing became less verbiage and more so a photo journal. That's when I lost my desire to write and really just wanted to catalog my adventure. It's time to write again.
I'm going to stop writing at this blog. "Marie Millard" was a fluke, never anything I thought would be read by anyone but me, or my sisters. I have several blogger friends *that I adore* who have stopped writing on their site and started up on a new one. At the time, I never really understood why. I get it now. A clean slate. A fresh start.
I'm FaceBook burnt out and I dislike Twitter *it makes me neurotic* and now Google has a social network. Acccckkkk!!!
I'm going to be kickin' it old school. I'm going to start a new site and go back to blogging like I used to ... writing for me.
Marie is my middle name. Millard is the street I grew up on.
Marie Millard is calling it a day.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
City leaders to discuss if more taxi cab companies are needed
Some say more taxi cab companys are needed in Fayetteville
City leaders will discuss Tuesday evening if there is a need for a new taxi company in Fayetteville.
40/29 learned Fayetteville is the only city in northwest Arkansas that requires taxi companies to have a permit to pick up and drop off in the city.
One tax company owner told 40/29 how you can never have too many taxis and why they need the city's help to provide more of the service.
"I always tell people at 2 a.m, anyone will tell you on Fayetteville, on Dickson Street there's a need for another taxi company," said Zane Zimmerman.
Destiny Limousines and Ambassador Taxi Services is a company that's been dropping off and picking up people from the Bentonville/Rogers area to Fayetteville since March of 2012.
It wasn't until the Bikes, Blues and Barbecue Festival rolled into town this year that they got cited from the Fayetteville police for not having a taxi cab permit.
Other taxi company's in town complained to police about not having one.
"We're not trying to take over the market in Fayetteville, that's not our goal, we want to be able to serve our customers appropriately so I can't physically deny a customer because they want to go to Fayetteville," Zimmerman said.
Fayetteville city ordinance states any transportation service that wants to operate in Fayetteville has to fill out an application with the Police Department.
Once the application is complete, it's submitted to the City Council for review.
Right now, visitors are limited to what taxi company they can use if they want to travel to and from Fayetteville.
City Council members will look to see if the company meets insurance, safety and financial requirements and also consider feedback from citizens.
"Folks saying you know we want to use this cab company coming from Bentonville to Fayetteville and couldn't and that's the kind of information that will come out tonight," said City Council member Adella Gray.
On Nov. 5, Ambassadors Taxi Services will plead their case in front of the council about why they should be granted a taxi permit in the city.


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== Current status ==
== Current status ==
* Targeted release: [[Releases/20|Fedora 20]]
* Targeted release: [[Releases/20|Fedora 20]]
* Last updated: 2013-
* Last updated: 2013--
<!-- After the change proposal is accepted by FESCo, tracking bug is created in Bugzilla and linked to this page
<!-- After the change proposal is accepted by FESCo, tracking bug is created in Bugzilla and linked to this page
Bugzilla states meaning as usual:
Bugzilla states meaning as usual:
Revision as of 21:52, 8 July 2013
Using recent kernel (3.9 and later) features for (fast) SSD caching of (slow) ordinary hard disks.
- Name: Rolf Fokkens
- Email: email@example.com
- Release notes owner:
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 20
- Last updated: 2013-07-08
- Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
Detailed Description
Recent Linux kernels support the use of Solid State Drives as caches for rotational hard disks. Because the high cost per GB for SSD devices this feature may bring the best of both: fast end big yet affordable storage capacity. Linux kernel 3.9 introduced dm-cache, kernel 3.10 introduces bcache.
Benefit to Fedora
- Proposal owners: Enable caching features in new kernels
- Other developers: Support the caching features in their respective packages. Special focus should be on making the system boot from a cached root FS.
- Release engineering: All packages should operate in close harmony te make this work. Only a rebuild of the relevant packages is required.
- Policies and guidelines: No changes I think.
Upgrade/compatibility impact
N/A (not a System Wide Change)
How To Test
Implementing a caching root FS requires a reinstall for sure, because caching cannot be added to existing volumes!
Testing involves doing a clean install of Fedora, while configuring in anaconda a cached root FS. After the installation the cache state should be checked (if it is operational or not.
Additional tests:
- run benchmarks (see performance improvement over non cached storage)
- update the kernel (see if dracut builds a functional initramfs including caching
- ...
User Experience
Users should experience improved storage performance.
Although the kernel supports SSD caching, the other mentioned packages should be changed to support this and make it really work.
Contingency Plan
- Contingency mechanism: Revert the shipped configuration of the relevant packages.
- Contingency deadline: beta freeze
- Blocks release? No


text:
What If We Don't Raise The Debt Ceiling?
This week the White House has been lobbying Congress to raise the $14.3 trillion federal debt ceiling. Doing so would give the government the legal authority to borrow billions of dollars to pay its bills.
Although refusing to raise the ceiling would be an almost unprecedented move, some conservatives argue it's the only way to get federal spending under control.
The Treasury Department says that if the limit isn't raised by Aug. 2, the government will run out of money to operate.
No one can say for sure what would happen at that point. Suddenly, the government would have to pick and choose what to pay. For one, it could default by delaying interest payments on money it's borrowed in the past.
Bill Gross, managing director of the bond investing firm PIMCO, says "it would be catastrophic."
Gross says the federal government's debt plays a central role in world finance and trade, and doing anything to undermine that is unthinkable.
"It could have systemic importance, which is the same thing as saying we could have not a repeat but certainly a similar episode to Lehman Brothers in 2008," Gross says. The collapse of the Wall Street giant sent panic throughout the world's financial markets.
Default No Longer Unthinkable
Like a lot of people, Gross believes the debt ceiling dispute will be resolved and he doesn't think the government would ever let a default happen. But it's no longer as unthinkable as it once was.
Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller recently made headlines when he argued that a default might be worth the pain it would cause because it would force the government to tackle its debt problems. Economist James Ramsey of New York University says there's something to that argument.
"[As Samuel] Johnson said about hanging, it concentrates the mind wonderfully," Ramsey says. "I would say if we were in a position of not being able to pay our debts in the short term, it would concentrate the politicians' minds dramatically."
Ramsey says from the point of view of bond investors, the debt ceiling is pretty much irrelevant anyway.
"The real issue is how people refer to our seriousness of purpose in terms of meeting our obligations," he says. "That's the real issue — not whether or not you've raised the debt ceiling."
Keep Ceiling, Cut Spending
Still, the possibility of a default is a very scary prospect to most people in the markets. Some Republican senators recently argued in a letter to the White House that just talking about a default amounts to scare tactics on the administration's part. If the debt ceiling isn't raised, they say, Washington would have other options — like not paying federal employees.
Assistant Treasury Secretary Mary Miller says that would have wide ramifications.
That cannot be good for maintaining our position as the A+, number one debtor in the world.
"We would have to stop making payments to a number of constituents, obviously, people who work for the government, people in the military, retirees, vendors," she says.
Because the government employs so many people, not paying them — even temporarily — would have a huge impact on the economy and might tip the U.S. back into recession, Miller says. And if the stalemate went on long enough, politicians might have to choose between paying Social Security recipients and angering the bond market. No one can be sure which choice they would make.
Former Federal Reserve member Alan Blinder says a standoff would take a toll on U.S. credibility in the bond market. He says investors around the world could get the impression that threatening a default is now part of partisan politics in the United States.
"That can't be good," Blinder says. "That cannot be good for maintaining our position as the A+, number one debtor in the world, a position we've held for a very, very long time."
Like a lot of people, Blinder believes Congress will ultimately resolve the debt-ceiling dispute. The risk is that investors will be left with the nagging suspicion the U.S. government's debt isn't quite as safe as they once believed. And that would have a ripple effect not just in the U.S. economy, but around the world.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Sarehole Mill
Once watermills were a very common sight along Birmingham's rivers. It is estimated that in the 18th century there were over fifty the area. However, of all Birmingham's watermills, only Sarehole Mill and Newhall Mill (in Sutton Coldfield) survive as standing buildings with working water-driven machinery. Visitors to Sarehole Mill will see an attractive group of buildings, including a bakehouse, a metal workshop, a granary and the mill itself, all arranged around a cobbled courtyard. Behind the mill is the pool which receives its water from nearby Coldbath Brook.
Part of a Designated Collection of national importance is on display at this venue.
Venue Type:
Industrial heritage site
Daily 1400-1700
Closed End October-End March
see website
This venue holds parts of Birmingham Museums and Galleries' Designated Collections of national importance. If you wish to see a particular item, please contact Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
The collections on show consist of agricultural and mill machinery. The mill stones, wheels and cogs form an integral part of the building. Also on display are agricultural implements of late Victorian times and carpenter's tools. A small display in the granary features J.R.R Tolkien, the author of the "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings", who lived near Sarehole as a child.
Collection details
Social History, Science and Technology
Key artists and exhibits
- Working watermill, including a bakehouse, a metal workshop and granary.
- J.R.R Tolkien, the author of the "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings"
- Designated Collection
Sarehole Mill
Colebank Road
Hall Green
- About
- | Collections
- | Map


text:
Are you looking for the creative interior design styles?
Are you looking for the extraordinary or attractive interior design styles ideas for your home? Here in this article I have tried to suggest you some beautiful ideas. Moreover, I have also tried to explain what are the advantages and disadvantages of today's modern interior design styles.
Dear friends, in this article especially for you I will mention some crucial and necessary key points about on this particular topic. One thing I would like to say my dear friends, if you read this article carefully then I must say this article will help you a lot of tell you information in depth and in details related to this wonderful topic.
The best part of the article is that it contain meaningful contents, all the necessary features, and crucial key point which is easy to understand and easy to get it. I know you are very interested to know about all these thing, so friends don't go anywhere just read this article hopefully. Let us first start with the basic interior designing methods.
What are the basics interior designing methods?
Any home can be pleasing with the proper application of basic interior design styles methods. Some people who are professional interior designers, you can just take the help from them but there are some people who are gifted with an eye for loveliness and for interior designing.
Here I am going to show you some of the crucial key points about latest interior design, friends please be concentrate on them while reading this essentials points they are –
• Firstly, you need to take the help of professional interior design styles, a person who is creative can do some interior designing on his own even without official training
• Any interior designer can create a specific impression just by putting together several pieces and combine them in a single theme
• Interiors of a room should always match with the personality of the person who will occupy that room
• For interior design of your room must wonder do this – replace the color of your wall with excellent fresh color, shiny, attractive, and charming and many more.
• Set your furniture in a proper alignment
• Flooring must be matching with your room like carpet on the floor and tiles, etc., these all are the important part of interior design styles.
For more to know about best interior design styles, you can just take the help of professional interior designers. More you can also search on the web about latest interior design styles.


text:
"Mommy, you need to clean my baby. You need to clean her eyes. They're bleeding."
Spent a major portion of the holiday watching Animal Planet's The Haunted marathon. I never watched that program before and it was pure chillsville. Absolutely loved every second of it.
And the animal/pet angle is minimal. So don't be thinking this is about Fluffy seeing dead people. In fact, this program really seemed out of place on Animal Planet. Which is a good thing.
Click the doll above to watch a sample.
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Haunted
"Mommy, you need to clean my baby. You need to clean her eyes. They're bleeding."
4 comments:
- Vintage Seance said...
I recently discovered the show too and loved it for all the same reasons. At first I thought, "oh great, Animal Planet is trying to appeal to paranormal crowd," but then I watched a few episodes and really enjoyed the spooky stories.
- November 26, 2010 at 2:16 PM
- Rot said...
I was really impressed with the production value.
I was blown away by the believability of the stories. Downright chilling.
Like I was sitting there saying "I BELIEVE that lady!"
- November 26, 2010 at 2:25 PM
- Steve Ring said...
Yeah, it's like I Shouldn't Be Alive is on Animal Planet because some sort of animal appears in every episode, if only for a few moments. All of these educational channels have identity issues, it seems.
- November 27, 2010 at 4:42 PM
- Marrow said...
My god this is on in 4 minutes. I had no idea it was on in New Zealand. I am SO excited!
- June 15, 2011 at 2:55 AM


text:
"Intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education."
Martin Luther King Jr.
As parents, we all want our children to grow up to be responsible citizens and good people. We want them to learn to feel, think and act with respect for themselves and for other people. We want them to pursue their own well-being, while also being considerate of the needs and feelings of others. We want them to recognize and honor the democratic principles upon which our country was founded. We want them, in short, to develop strong character.
The cornerstone of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is academic achievement and professional success built upon a foundation of moral strength and civic virtue. As Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has said, "We must not simply teach children how to count, we must teach them what counts." with "A quality education provides citizens with the tools to participate fully in their society...." And the payoffs for encouraging our children's character development are enormous. Research has shown that children who grow up with strong, positive values are happier and do better in school. They are also better able to balance their personal wants and needs against those of others and to make positive contributions to society.
On the other hand, if children do not learn proper values and behavior when they are very young, problems can develop. These problems can mushroom with serious consequences as children grow olderdropping out of school, drug use, teenage pregnancy, violent crimethe list goes on.
The most important thing we can do for our children is to help them acquire values and skills that they can rely on throughout their lives. In doing so, they will have the best chance to lead good lives as individuals and as citizens of their communities and of America.


text:
Right after a stroke, a survivor may respond one way, yet weeks later respond differently. Some survivors may react with sadness; others may be cheerful. These emotional reactions may occur because of biological or psychological causes due to stroke. These changes may vary with time and can interfere with rehabilitation.
How does stroke cause emotional changes?
Emotions may be hard to control, especially right after a stroke. Some changes are a result of the actual injury and chemical changes to the brain caused by the stroke.
Others are a normal reaction to the challenges, fears and frustrations that one may feel trying to deal with the effects of the stroke. Often, talking about the effects of the stroke and acknowledging these feelings helps stroke survivors deal with these emotions.
What are some common emotional changes after stroke?
Pseudobulbar Affect, also called "emotional lability," "reflex crying" or "labile mood," can cause:
- Rapid mood changes — a person may "spill over into tears" for no obvious reason and then quickly stop crying or start laughing.
- Crying or laughing that doesn't match a person's mood.
- Crying or laughing at unusual times or that lasts longer than seems appropriate.
Post-stroke depression is characterized by:
- Feelings of sadness
- Hopelessness or helplessness
- Irritability
- Changes in eating, sleeping and thinking
Treatment for post-stroke depression may be needed. If not treated, depression can be an obstacle to a survivor's recovery. Don't hesitate to take antidepressant medications prescribed by your doctor.
Other common emotional reactions include:
- Frustration
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Apathy or not caring what happens
- Lack of motivation
- Depression or sadness
- Tell yourself that your feelings aren't "good" or "bad." Let yourself cope without feeling guilty about your emotions.
- Find people who understand what you're feeling. Ask about a support group.
- Get enough exercise and do enjoyable activities.
- Give yourself credit for the progress you've made. Celebrate the large and small gains.
- Learn to "talk" to yourself in a positive way. Allow yourself to make mistakes.
- Ask your doctor for help. Ask for a referral to a mental health specialist for psychological counseling and/or medication.
- Stroke may cause you to tire more easily. Rest when you feel fatigued. Make sure you get enough sleep at night. Sometimes lack of sleep can cause emotional changes and cause you not to cope as well.
How can I learn more?
- Call 1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7653) to learn more about stroke or find local support groups, or visit StrokeAssociation.org.
- Sign up to get Stroke Connection magazine, a free magazine for stroke survivors and caregivers at strokeconnection.org.
- Connect with others sharing similar journeys with stroke by joining our Support Network at strokeassociation.org/supportnetwork.
We have many other fact sheets to help you make healthier choices to reduce your risk, manage disease or care for a loved one. Visit strokeassociation.org/letstalkaboutstroke to learn more.
Do you have questions for your doctor or nurse?
Take a few minutes to write your questions for the next time you see your healthcare provider:
What can my family do to help me when I am emotional?
Will these emotional changes improve over time?
©2015, American Heart Association


text: Microsoft Keynote: turns out that Redmond has moved 18 million Kinect sensors in just over a year, according to the Steve Ballmer's numbers. The news came amidst a few announcements that should help the company push even more of the gesture-based peripherals out the door -- Kinect for Windows, anyone? Of course, this being the company's last CES keynote for the foreseeable future, it'll have to find another convention hall full of people to brag to when it announces the numbers this time next year.


text: Heat absorbing glass is used to reduce the amount of heat transmitted through an optical system. SCHOTT KG filter glasses effectively absorb wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum. Unlike hot mirrors, which reflect the infrared wavelengths, KG filter glasses absorb the infrared radiation and then dissipate the heat into the air around the glass. SCHOTT KG filter glasses can also be utilized as a shortpass filter, in order to pass the visible and block the IR. We recommend using a cooling fan with any of our heat absorbing products to reduce stress associated with excessive heat.


text:
Honda Fit EX 2015
- Price$0.00
Eatontown, Monmouth
New Jersey, USA
* * * * * OEM CERTIFIED * * * * * VALUE PRICED,ONE OWNER, BACK-UP CAMERA, BLUETOOTH, MOONROOF, MP3 Player, NO ACCIDENTS on CARFAX, KEYLESS ENTRY, 38 MPG Highway, ALLOY WHEELS!!!!. CARFAX REPORT SHOWS 1 OWNERS and 4 SERVICE RECORDS. Thanks to an extensive used-car warranty, every Honda Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle comes with peace of mind. It covers major engine and transmission components, except for standard maintenance items, body glass and interior. Honda will repair or replace any covered part that is defective in material or workmanship under normal use. The Honda Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Limited Warranty extends the powertrain coverage to 7 years*/100,000 total odometer miles (whichever occurs first). *See dealer for details. DCH Kay Honda proudly services the central New Jersey area, we can handle all of your Used Car needs. BAD CREDIT, NO CREDIT, NO PROBLEM.
- Posted on: 2017-11-05 08:12:34
- Classified ad views: 1
- Item ID: 8988619


text:
Our pet foods have been developed and proven through extensive research to exceed the recommended nutritional levels established for your pet.
We invest our research and marketing funds into improved quality instead of national advertising. This allows us to offer you superior nutritional diets at a lower cost.
Our pet products are offered strictly through select Professional Animal Feed Dealers who specialize in the care and feeding of dogs and cats.


text:
We Shall Not Forget (Provided You Pay)
For four years, MLB has exploited all the in-season holidays – Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day – plus on many occasions 9/11, by having all players wear special caps. Today, caps with an American flag patch stitched on the back, to the left of the inviolable MLB logo, were worn by all clubs and all players.
So, in New York, where in 2001 first the Mets and then the Yankees honored the fallen members of – and the heroic and selfless acts of – the New York Police Department, the New York Fire Department, New York EMS, Port Authority Police, New York Sanitation, and several others by wearing their caps during the games of the weeks after the attacks, Major League Baseball denied the Mets the opportunity to wear those caps again, just for tonight's anniversary game, the only one being played within a thirty minute ride to the World Trade Center.
According to team Player Representative Josh Thole, the Mets players debated violating the dictum and wearing them anyway. Thole told reporters shortly thereafter that the league was adamant and it was a "no-go." It is meaningful to realize that only three current Mets were even in the majors a decade ago: Miguel Batista, Willie Harris, and Jason Isringhausen. Evidently the Commissioner's representative reminded them that the punishment – a heavy fine – would be meted out on ownership, not them (and for all we know, a major fine might cause this team to go out of business before noon tomorrow). For his part, David Wright wore a Police cap on the bench, but even he resisted the temptation to wear it on the field and incur the wrath of the Bean Counters in the Commissioner's Office.
Those bloodless MLB individuals have been down this path before. Ten years ago, Bud Selig's initially ruled the Mets and Yankees could not wear the caps during games. The Mets ignored the threat, and MLB decided to give them a pass for a game or two, and then the Mets kept wearing them, and MLB wisely backed off their nonsensical decision. Tonight's ruling reminded everybody that at the moment of the nation's greatest grief, MLB's money-making instinct was unhindered by the blood and destruction and fear.
At least in 2001 the sport was smart enough to shut up. Not this year. MLB first blocked the Washington Nationals from wearing military caps in tribute after a disaster in Afghanistan last month. Then came this decision, complete with in the kind of stupidity that would make a megalomaniac proud: they blamed it on MLB Vice President Joe Torre, the native New Yorker who wore these caps at the end of the 2001 season. So if it hadn't been shameful already, pinning it on Torre made it doubly shameful.
As an aside, I should note that I actually got a tweet from an idiot who wondered why I thought wearing the NYPD/NYFD/PAPD/EMS caps was somehow "patriotic." It never crossed my mind. It has nothing to do with patriotism. 343 firefighters and paramedics died that day. 23 New York policemen did. And 47 from the Port Authority Police. This is about remembering them – and acknowledging what all those who survived did for this city and the wounds they still have. For me, as the grandson of a New York fireman, and the descendant of several others, and many NYPD and regional PD, this is something deeper than patriotism.
CitiField is, of course, ringed with commemorations and in particular the "We Shall Not Forget" logo placed in the ad right behind the batter's box. And it has all been rendered utterly hollow because of the crassness of the decision about the NYPD/FD/EMS caps. If you still haven't figured out why MLB is permitting this public relations disaster to happen; why Commissioner Bud Selig didn't get on the phone and tell the Mets they could wear those caps right away and damn the consequences, the answer is to be found here.
In case you don't want to follow the link, here's your answer: this is available as of tonight directly from MLB for just $36.99.
I guess we should be happy it has an American flag, and that MLB just didn't sell the space to the highest bidder.
55 Comments
Nitpick: 'policemen' should be 'police officers' (Moira Smith was among the 23 lost). Great post. Can't believe they did that.
Good to know that MLB only respects the all mighty dollar and nothing else. What a shame. I wonder how the NFL responded today?
More proof that MLB and Bud Selig are a bunch of blithering morons…
You forgot to mention that the hat is made in China.
The NFL responded by saying that players wouldn't be fined for wearing gear that was patriotic (as long as it was Reebok). Sure, sponsorship still applies but it was better than nothing. Also, the coaching staffs are wearing caps on both sidelines, which are clearly not Reebok made.
I know what MLB was wrong, but how does that make what NFL better? They still mandated what could be worn… Baseball still had their costly version. I'm really tired of people trying to make the NFL look good. They are no better!
The St. Lucie Mets wore the tribute caps today in the FSL playoffs.
Well said Keith and thank you for writing about this autrocity. The almighty dollar wins again and common decency loses.
Here is one vote for not purchasing this hat or anything else from the MLB shop ever again.
I'm continually disappointed in the money-grubbing leadership in MLB. It seems that everything in the sport is done with an eye towards the question "how much can we make on merchandising?"
$36.99 says the hats are CHINA made. Seems like everything I have that is official MLB is China made. That is totally offensive and reflective if the stupidity of the MLB front office. Wear the hats, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.
in the smaller print below the cap
Country Of Origin : China
Great job Keith. Perfectly stated. FYI, according to RA Dickey the hat you mentioned David Wright was wearing on the bench was confiscated in the 4th inning by MLB officials. That's right confiscated. What was he a bad kid playing with a toy during class? What a joke.
At a recent garage sale, there were hoards of new baseball caps…and they were all fifty cents each. It looks like the baby got thrown out with the bath water! One has to have a head to remember…or to wear a cap. Where is theirs? 😉
Don't forget to mention this. It could cloud your view of the story.
"A portion of the proceeds will be donated to:
9/11 Memorial and Museum
Flight 93 Memorial
Pentagon Memorial"
That's nice. I'll send $10 to each of those organizations directly, and MLB can keep their ugly ballcap. (That's not even a decent flag patch, ferluvvamud!)
Incidentally, Joe Torre's Yankees did NOT wear the caps at the end of all of 2001. They stayed in uniform. They had some explanation that the "interlocking NY" was originally from a police officer's logo or something, and that was tribute enough. Maybe they wore them during BP, but would not wear them during games (tho' they could have).
Pingback: Countdown Monday 9/12/2011 a Special Comment and old friends « Countdown with Keith Olbermann – Unofficial Fanblog
The Mets could have and SHOULD have defied the MLB cap edict. That they didn't is just another example of how this franchise has diminished itself over recent years. Any fine would have been meaningless. It would be, basically MLB fining itself, since they have already extended financial aid to the club _ here, take some of your own money back – now may we borrow some more? Management should have stepped up to the plate on this one and taken the heat for the players, who clearly wanted to wear the NYPD/NYFD caps as a tribute. And for MLB to fob off to Joe Torre the job of putting a name on its shameless corporate decision is a slap in the face to the entire city. Torre's own team (which shall go nameless here) wouldn't even wear the caps in 2001 (using the lame excuses others have already noted) when they choked away the World Series that fall _ and even team management publicly sniped at the Mets for their public efforts to help the city's relief efforts. Bottom line – just like you can lose respect for a team for not standing up for players who get thrown at (Mike Piazza and David Wright for example) the Mets lost some of my respect for not standing up for their city last night.
Somehow, I don't think we've recieved the entire story on what actually happened. Part of me believes the mets are trying to exploit this for thier own purposes, so that they can "claim" that other teams are somehow less patriotic than they themselves are. I heard them talk about it on there company owned broadcast of their game againsts the Nats on SNY. Personally, I agree with Mike Francesca, which is a first for me, when he says that he finds it awfully hard to get worked up over hats.
Btw, Olberman's blogs is almost a verbatim transcript of his special comment that he delivered on this topic this evening. It doesn't seem as if he bothered to edit it.
Personally, I believe Kieth should have gotten more worked up over the Jet's Ceremony last night which featured a known War Criminal in President Bush. Kieth spends an inordinate amout of time criticizing the Bush administrations handling of the Iraq War and their decision use torture against pows. Yet when the NFL endorses these policies by inviting President Bush to the Pregame Ceremony, Kieth is silent. Could it be because he worked on the Pre-game for NBC's coverage of the NFL?
Personally, I was more offended when the Yankees invited Donald Rumsfeld to their commemorative ceremony last week.
Dear Sir you seem to get a few facts WRONG. IN my humble Opinion when you invite a public figure to participate in a ceremony, YOU ARE endorsing there policies. Like it or not. That is just the way that it is. Which is why i am disturbed by the Yanks accepting advertising from Fox News.
My problem with Olberman is mostly Journalistic, in that he doesn't seem to get his facts straight. I tuned into the game last night during the 8th inning and Wright was wearing a hat the had FDNY on it. This was well after the forth inning when it is alledged that Baseball took it away. He also failed to mention in his special comment that baseball was donating procedes from the sale of these caps to Charity If tyou listen to his special comment in its entirety, you'd get the impression that the sole purpose was to make money. Whether or not Baseball is actually profiting from the sale of these caps, I don't really know. But I have heard it reported on ESPN that the caps were being sold to raise money for charity. But olberman doesn't mention this in his Special Comment. He makes it sound as if Baseball is keeping all of the sales for themselves. That is not a fact, mearly a statement of his own opinion. We must be careful not to confuse opion with fact, which Olbermans special comment seems to have forgotten.
Dear Sir I notices you mentined the Late Edwin R. Murrow in your post. Unfortunately, Murrow was not quite the committed journalist that everyone remembers. The first thing he did when he left CBS to work for JFK in the 60's was to ask the BBC to not show
Hi Joseph! Speaking of getting the facts straight, learn to spell his name correctly. Thanks.
HHarvest of shame because it negatively reflected on the Image the US wanted to project to the rest of the world.
Dear sir I am not trying to down play "patriotism" or the lose of life that occured in New York. However, New York was not the only City hit by that Tradgedy. Lets not forget that over 200 people lost their lives when one of the planes crashed into the Pentagon. Nor should we forget that the folks of flight 93 lost their lives in rural Pennsylvania while trying to liberate the plane from terrorist. This tradgedy affected the entire nation, not just New York. I don't think I am being insenstive.
On the flip side, I wonder if you had heard that Dirk Hayhurst was released. He put some of his gear on ebay and is going to donate the proceeds to various charities. I am proud to be the new owner of a new pair of baseball cleats, I overpaid for them, but the concept and the previous owner are the reason I did so. His new book is coming out in April, I believe, and I will buy a stack for all my baseball loving friends.
I never said he didn't have any journalistic integrity. What I am claiming is that he made factual mistakes. For example Wright was wearing the hat that was taken away from him in the 8th inning. Plus listening to his commentary, you'd think that Baseball was keeping all of the procedes when they are actually are giving the money away to Charity. It seems in his outrage, he forgot to check his facts. I'm not saying he isn't a good journalist or anything, I'm just saying he's made some mistakes.
Excellent Keith. Thank you for this.
Last night Gary Cohen, the outstanding play-by-play announcer for the Mets on SNY, also criticized MLB for this move with Olbermann-like eloquence.
For the last time, I am not questioning his integrity. I'm simply documenting factual errors that He HAS made. 1. Josh Tole tweeted that they took away David Wrights cap in the fourth inning, yet when I tuned into the game in the 8th Wright was wearing the cap that was alledge to have taken away from him. Olberman made it sound like they took the cap and didn't give it back. I watched his "special Commentary" last night and believe me that is how it sounded. Also, Olbermen made it sound as if Baseball is having players wear these caps simply so they make money, even after it was reported that they do this so they can raise money for charity. This is the sort of thing that he rightly criticizes Bill-O'Rielley and Fox new for all the time. In my CPHO, two wrongs do NOT make a right. Just because the competition does it, doesn't mean you have to do it too. Get you facts straight before reporting on a story. That's what I was taught when studying for MY degree in Journalism.
While I agree with the sentiments about this situation I can't help but be struck by how much more of an outcry this symbolic issue has generated than the very real betrayal our government committed by first promising that all medical costs of the first responders would be covered then failing to deliver. I imagine that all of those firemen, police officers, EMTs and other responders and their families would gladly trade wearing a baseball cap for one day 10 years after for very real medical care. If only the same people so upset with this had instead voted out the politicians who turned their backs on these heroes while still claiming to care about them and calling up the images of 9/11 to get re-elected.
Never underestimate the power to rile up the American public with a symbol to deflect attention from a very real problem.
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I don' know what percentages the charities get. However, my point is that when you watch the commentary you get the impression that Baseball is keeping one hundred percent of the profits from the sale of these caps. Unfortunately, that is misleading because the whole point of these hats is to sell them for charity afterwords. Also if they took away the hats in the forth inning, how come David Wright was wearing one in the Eighth Inning. It is on the game broadcast and you can see it for yourself. I simply think that Olbermen should have done a little bit of fact checking before hand, because he bases most of his complain on Josh Tole's twitter post. and Only Josh Tole's Twitter post. Sorry, you need to do a better job.
Btw, I actually happen to agree with him on 95%of what he actually says on the air. I usually start disagreeiing with him when he talks about sports, which makes him look like just another Talking Head.
The ol' English teachers sees lots of errors in these comments. Somebody had a little Meurlot or did not go to Cornell. 😉
@ English "teacher" – I didn't go to Cornell, but I noticed at least two major spelling errors in your very brief post – including the mangling of the word merlot. Perhaps spending more time studying and less time criticizing would better serve both you – and those you "teach."
I was trying to fit in, Oscar. Merlot will still need a capital letter, as it is a proper noun. I don't study anymore. Don't teach much anymore, either. You are right, sir! Will do!
To those who Have their knickers in a bunch over the exchange between Patricia and me on spelling, I suggest that instead of resorting to name calling and the like (oooh, troll!) – you look at what I directed to her personally AND her response. If you do, you will see that she responded to my playful jab graciously and with good humor – and I respect her for that. My advice to those who are getting worked up over that and not the issue at hand is to chill – and think before – AND after – you type. Maybe you'll catch a few more typos – and a LOT more misguided opinions before they are shared with others.
My turn. Heehee. I am truly sorry for any pain I inflicted on anyone. MS with cognitive loss makes it somewhat of a crap shoot every single time I go to make a comment or do some freelance writing. But I love it so much! When the TV station makes an error, I call and say, "This is the spelling police." Then I reveal the error. They laugh and appreciate it and fix it before the next news program. History, I love your comments, and in my old age, I realize that spelling is not everything. Don't anyone let me hurt you. I am so about peace and love and joy. Keith has been a hero of mine for many years. I was fired unfairly from teaching years ago, and his quest for truth is what has kept me going. My hearing is finally coming up after ten long years! There might be some justice for me. Please forgive me, and know that my intentions are good. Like the song says, "Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." Hugs all around! xo
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You are right, History! I can't even kill a roach! I love KO and there are some great comments here! I have learned so much from Baseball Nerd! Just today I was watching the Yankees and the Red Sox and thinking…I even wanna chew gum like those guys! I can't bring myself to spit, though! heehee Hugs!
It was meant to be. I wish I could have had him in my gifted class! Without even testing him, I can tell you he is gifted. His ability to make connections is marvelous! Genius! I love that he cares about the poor and those who are unfairly treated. He could have taken all his money and retreated! But he didn't. I often wonder what I would have done without him during the past ten years. Every day I would take heart, knowing that there was still somebody in the world like Keith who cared. Thank God for my family and for him. He is the best thing since Junior Mints in your popcorn at the movies! (We bring our own…too expensive at the theatre. Shhh. ;o)
Great project. Are you aware of the High Altitude and Near Space Conference being held in Oct. 19-21, 2009 in Englewood, Colorado? This is right up your alley!
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Budget Together
Cheryl and her husband are having money issues, and Dave thinks it's because they're not working together. He has lots of good advice for becoming one with money in a marriage.Read Transcript
You don't have to reach the end of the month wondering where your money went. Doing a budget is simply telling your money where to go. And if you're not good at budgeting yet, that's okay! It takes a little time. By your third budget, you'll be a pro.
This is your total take-home (after tax) pay for both you and, if you're married, your spouse. Don't forget to include everything—full-time jobs, second jobs, freelance pay, Social Security checks, and any other ongoing sources of income.
Think about your regular bills (mortgage, electricity, etc.) and your irregular bills (quarterly payments like insurance or HOA) that are due for the upcoming month. After that, total your other costs, like food, gas, and entertainment. Every dollar you spend should be accounted for.
This is called a zero-based budget, meaning your income minus your expenses should equal zero. If you're over or under, check your math or simply return to the previous step and try again.
Once you start the budget, you'll still need to stay on top of your expenses. The good news is that EveryDollar makes tracking your expenses (and budgeting for them) extremely easy. Visit EveryDollar.com to learn more!
How long does it take to "get" budgeting?
Cheryl and her husband are having money issues, and Dave thinks it's because they're not working together. He has lots of good advice for becoming one with money in a marriage.Read Transcript
Jen and her husband have been getting by, but now things have changed. Her mother-in-law has moved in with them due to health issues, and now things are really tight. Dave says this is their financial wake-up call.Read Transcript
Victor just worked some overtime and brought home $2,900 with this paycheck. Should he and his wife put some extra money toward their kids' birthdays this month or put the extra toward their debt?Read Transcript
Need help creating a budget? EveryDollar will help you focus your money on what matters.


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News Articles
Memphis Daily News: Alexander Denounces Device Tax
Posted on May 6, 2013
By Jennifer Johnson Backer
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said he'd push to repeal a tax that levies an extra 2.3 percent on the sales of medical devices, saying the tax makes it harder for medical device makers to hire new employees.
"It is critical that we repeal the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices that is in the new health care law because that tax is causing us to lose thousands of jobs and it is raising the cost of medical care for people all over the country," Alexander said Thursday, May 2, at a press conference in the lobby of Onyx Medical Corp. in Memphis.
The medical device tax levies a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sales of everything from implantable pacemakers and hips to MRI machines and surgical tools.
Since the tax took effect Jan. 1, device manufacturers now pay an estimated $194 million per month in medical device tax payments, according to AdvaMed, an industry group. The new tax will raise about $30 billion over a decade to help fund the health law, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
"The tax makes it harder for any medical device manufacturer to hire new employees," Alexander said. "It puts pressure on the major suppliers and on the smaller suppliers like where I am today, who sell to the major suppliers. That pressure goes all the way down the line."
After the conference, Alexander toured the Onyx Medical manufacturing facilities, a niche company specializing in supplying products used for orthopedic and computer-navigated and minimally invasive operations.
The Memphis-based company develops and manufacturers pins, wires, screws and drills used by surgeons. While Onyx is not directly impacted by the tax, the company is concerned the device tax could have a negative, trickle-down effect on suppliers like Onyx Medical.
In late March, the push to repeal the medical device tax got a boost in the Senate with a 79-20 vote on an amendment that would remove the tax. But because the amendment was attached to the Senate Democrats' budget proposal, a partisan bill that likely won't pass, the vote was largely considered symbolic.
While symbolic, the vote encouraged device makers, who have fought a three-year battle to repeal the tax. But the push to repeal the device tax still faces an uphill battle as legislators search to recoup the $30 billion the medical device levy will provide over 10 years to help fund parts of the Affordable Care Act.
Medical device makers have said the tax adds to their costs at a time when they already are dealing with increased pricing pressure from hospitals and other customers and a weakened economy.
Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc. told the Wall Street Journal it expects the tax to cost $125 million to $175 million annually and said it would take funding away from other possible investments.
Medtronic Spine, the Memphis-based division of Medtronic Inc., will cut about 60 local jobs as part of a strategy to reduce overall costs by 5 percent, a company spokesman confirmed May 2. The Spine division employs about 1,300 in Memphis.
While the company did not attribute the cuts solely to the medical device tax, Eric Epperson, senior director of public relations and communications, told The Daily News in an April 26 story the medical device excise tax was a factor, along with increased pricing pressure, more complex customer device purchasing processes, and expanded medical device governmental review times and requirements.
Smith & Nephew's Orthopedics division also recently eliminated 63 positions in Memphis, 20 in Andover, Mass., and a dozen in Europe. The company employs about 1,800 in the Memphis area.
"The medical device industry provides more than 4,000 of the best paying jobs in the Memphis area," Alexander said. "It is one of the fastest-growing and best industries we have in Tennessee


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After suffering (that's the appropriate word) with arthritis for years, and getting only moderate relief from drugs, injections, and physical therapy, I decided to take the bull by the horns and walk (limp) my own path. I won't bore you with the details here--you can look up my Intro post--but I am now at the point where I can seriously start exercising again. I've also adopted a high-raw vegan diet, after being an ovo-lacto vegetarian for over 30 years.
Due to a birth in the family, a car accident, and the resulting flu from my compromised immune system (from all the stress), I was unable to go to the gym this week. Today is the first day I haven't run a fever, so I'm back on track first thing Monday morning!
Food today:
- Large glass of blueberry kombucha
Pilaf of white and wild rice, butternut squash, green onion, and craisins in a vinaigrette
Raw vegan "nachos," with raw zucchini/summer squash/carrot slices as the chips, with raw vegan "cheez" sauce, salsa, and guacamole
Strawberry wine slushie (OK, I know that sounds awful, but it really was a small amount of wine, compared to the frozen strawberries!)
I may have more to eat before bed tonight. I have high BP due to years of NSAID use, so I'm trying to watch my salt intake--although there are some tortilla chips calling my name. Maybe just a half-avocado's worth of guacamole and a few chips?
Blessings to all of you on your healthy endeavors!
Love and Light,


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Well, here we are, one year later and still the public school teachers in New York City do not have a new contract. Why? What is the delay with regard to this very critical issue?
The teachers of this city are hard working professionals who deserve a decent, fair and livable wage increase and a new contract! Now, with the threat of over 6,000 teacher layoffs in 2011-12, it is all the more reason for the Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers to negotiate a new contract.
There should be no more delays for any reason at all.
Also, we should have someone who has educational experience to be the next chancellor, not some noneducational crony of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The mayor seems to ignore the general will of the public in every situation, and makes decisions without public input.
This is not right at all!
Give the hardworking teachers of this city what they deserve- a fair, just and livable contract, with a decent raise. And treat them as true professionals with the utmost respect.
Mr. John Amato
Fresh Meadows


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This chapter describes Oracle Help for Java user interface components, such as Navigator window, Topic window, Index tab, Search tab, and Favorites tab.
This chapter contains the following sections:
The Oracle Help for Java (OHJ) user interface has two main parts, Help Navigator window and Help Topic window. The Help Navigator window includes controls for finding topics and the Help Topic window displays HTML content.
Users can undock the windows, so they appear as panes in separate windows, as shown in Figure 2-1, or dock them so they appear in as single window as shown in Figure 2-2.
The OHJ Help Topic windows (or topic panes, when docked) display HTML content. Figure 2-3 shows topic windows with different types of HTML content.
The default HTML display component included in the OHJDK is a special implementation of the ICEbrowser from ICEsoft Technologies, Inc. For more information about the browser and its supported technologies, see
http://www.icesoft.com. You may use and redistribute this component free of charge if it is used as part of a help system using OHJ. This HTML display component supports the following:
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) 1 and most of CSS 2. CSS 3 is not supported.
Java applets
Multimedia, as supported by Java Media Framework 2.0.
Support for Screen Reader software
Single topic and multiple topic printing
GIF animation
Popups with HTML support
Associative links, where a single index word or phrase can be associated with multiple topics. When the user selects one of these links, a list of all topics associated with the link is presented, and the user can choose a topic from the list.
Author-defined window types, where authors can specify colors such as background color, text color, and link color, window size and position, window title, and toolbar buttons.
Topic ID linking—hyperlink targets are specified by ID rather than URL
Synchronization with items in the table of contents
You do not have to use the default HTML display. You can replace it with a different HTML display component. Or, if your application and the help system run as an applet in a Web browser, you can use a browser window as the topic window. Consequently, the display capabilities for your implementation of OHJ rely on the HTML display you chose to embed in the system.
The navigator window is a tabbed control for navigating and finding topics in the help system. By default, the navigator window contains tabs for a Contents, Index, and Search. Authors can control several characteristics of the navigator window simply by setting parameters for the help system. For example, you can change the labels on the tabs and add icons. You could also display multiple tables of contents, for example, one for product help and one for a tutorial. For a more complex system, a Java programmer can create custom tabs, and the author can add them to the navigator window.
This topic contains the following sections:
The Contents tab displays topics in a hierarchical tree. The contents and structure of the tree are specified by the author. Multiple file formats are supported for defining the tree.
When a user double-clicks a topic title in the table of contents, that topic is displayed in the topic window. The user may also open a topic in a new, additional, topic window by selecting a button on the toolbar, or by selecting a command from the right-click context menu.
The table of contents view has the following features:
The item selected (highlighted) in the table of contents is automatically synchronized to the topic shown in the topic window. For example, if you click a hyperlink in a topic and jump to a new topic, the selection in the table of contents switches from the old topic to the new one.
Unlimited levels of hierarchy are allowed.
The list of items in the navigator window can be printed.
The Index tab displays an alphabetical list of keywords associated with topics. The keywords are defined by the help author, and, like the table of contents, multiple file formats are supported for specifying the list.
Figure 2-5 numbered callouts identify the following user interface components:
Text entry field: The user types a word or words in this field.
Keyword list: As the user types, the first keyword in the list that matches the typed letters is selected. As more letters are typed, a more accurate selection is made. Alternatively, the user can simply select a keyword from this list.
Topic list: The titles of any topics that are associated with the keyword selected in Keyword List are displayed in this list. When the user double-clicks one of these titles, the topic is displayed in the topic window. The user may also select the topic and click Open.
The index provides many useful features:
One keyword can be associated with many topics, and many keywords can be associated with a single topic.
Two levels of indenting are supported.
When merging helpsets, one unified index is created with proper alphabetization for the entire index. In other words, the entries are merged and resorted; they are not concatenated.
Indexes are properly alphabetized when translated into languages other than that used to create the index.
Identical entries are collapsed to show only one.
The Search tab displays a text field where the user can enter text, then select Search. The titles of topics whose content contains that word or phrase are listed in the Results list at the bottom of the tab. When the user double-clicks a title, that topic appears in the topic window.
Figure 2-6 numbered callouts identify the following user interface components:
Search text: The user enters a word or words in this field. To search for an exact phrase, enclose the search phrase in double quotes.
Case Sensitive: A checkbox, when selected, enables searching for words having the same case as the words entered by the user.
Search for: A set of option buttons that allows a user to specify whether to list topics that contain any or all of the specified words, or perform a search based on a Boolean expression (AND, OR).
Topic List: The results area displays the Rank, Topic Title, and Source of each topic that matches the search criteria. The Rank column indicates the ranking of the topics according to how well they match the search criteria. All columns can be sorted in the ascending or descending alphabetical order. By default, all topics are sorted by Rank. When the user selects a particular result, the associated topic is displayed in the topic pane.
Users can set the following options when performing a search:
Enable or disable case-sensitivity of search keywords.
List topics that contain all search words or at least one search word.
Search based on a Boolean expression (AND, OR).
Search tab provides many useful features:
Results are ranked according to how well they match the search criteria.
Previously entered search criteria are saved and can be displayed in a drop-down list.
Results list the title of the topic and its source.
Users can sort results by rank, topic title, or topic source.
The search database is generated when authoring the help system. The OHJDK and as other authoring tools that support OHJ include a utility for generating this database, called the Text Search Indexer. The search database uses an Oracle-defined file format. This search database is always used when you implement it on the client. You can also implement your own search on a server. For example, if you store your topics in an Oracle database, you can use the database's text processing capabilities to perform the search.
For more information about Text Search Indexer, see Chapter 11, "Using the Text Search Indexer".
Note:An Oracle database is not required to use OHJ.
Users can mark topics in a helpset as favorites using the Favorites Navigator, similar to the Favorites functionality in web browsers.
Users can identify and manage favorite topics from a helpset:
Add or delete favorite topics
Create folders and subfolders
Rename current topics from the default topic title name
Users can access Favorites navigator functionality from the Tools menu of Help Topic window, which displays an Add Favorites dialog, or by right-clicking a favorite in the Favorites navigator.
Note:Unlike Contents, Search, or Index, the Favorites navigator is displayed by invoking the method
enableFavoritesNavigator() URL, which specifies a file,
favorites.xml, to contain favorites information. For more information, see Section 13.4, "Adding the Favorites Tab or Custom Tab"
Among other features, the OHJ API enables you to customize the default OHJ user interface. For example, you can program custom tabs, also called navigators, in Java and add them to the navigator window. Figure 2-8 shows a custom tab Product Education.
A collection of help topics, with their associated control files, is called a helpset. Helpsets can be merged at runtime; multiple authors can create multiple helpsets that are seamlessly merged after authoring completed. Similarly, new components can be added to a user's help system without having to rework the entire system.
Several features support merged helpsets:
The Contents navigator merges helpsets into one tree with the contents from all merged helpsets. As of Oracle Help for Java and Oracle Help for the Web, the Contents navigator merges all tree nodes that have the same labels and do not have conflicting targets.
The index shows the index entries from all helpsets, properly sorted.
The text search searches through all merged helpsets.
Alternatively, authors can specify that selected helpsets are displayed in a drop down list in the toolbar. This can simplify the presentation of a complex help system to the user.
When this implementation is used, the Contents and the Index tabs show only items from the helpset that is selected from the list. The Search text searches only for items in the selected helpset.
When an author provides associative links, the list of topics associated with a link includes items from the merged helpsets.
Oracle Help for Java and Oracle Help for the Web, both support the merging of TOC files from multiple helpsets to create one tree. The TOC that results from merging multiple tables is essentially the result of laying all trees on top of one another. If multiple TOCs contain identical nodes (nodes that have the same text and target topic Id), then these nodes are combined into one node that has all original nodes' children.
Consider the scenario when you have two helpsets that make use of
toc1.xml and
<?xml version='1.0'?> <toc version="1.0"> <tocitem text="1" target="1_topic" /> <tocitem text="2" target="2_topic" > <tocitem text="2.1" target="2.1_topic" /> <tocitem text="2.2" target="2.2_topic" /> </tocitem> <tocitem text="3" target="3_topic" /> </toc>
<?xml version='1.0'?> <toc version="1.0"> <tocitem text="2" target="2_topic" > <tocitem text="2.2" target="2.2_topic"> <tocitem text="2.2.1" target="2.2.1_topic" /> <tocitem text="2.2.2" target="2.2.2_topic" /> </tocitem> </tocitem> </toc>
Figure 2-10 shows the TOC that results from merging
toc2.xml. You can see that there is only one node for
2 because the target is
2_topic for both the
<tocitem> items with
text=2. The same applies for the node with
This example assumes that the
<view> elements defining the Contents navigators for the helpsets do not have titles. If a
<view> for a Contents navigator includes a
<title>, then this title is used as a parent node to all
<tocitem> items defined by the
toc.xml file. For more information, see Chapter 5, "Metadata Files".
Oracle Help for Java (OHJ) features, not otherwise mentioned in this Oracle Help Guide, include the following features:
OHJ has the following accessibility features:
All user interface features are keyboard accessible, including the default HTML display component (the ICEbrowser). Oracle has modified the ICEbrowser that ships with OHJ to provide this accessibility support.
The most recent versions of OHJ and of the ICEbrowser have been successfully tested with the JAWS for Windows Screen Reader from Freedom Scientific. For more information, see
OHJ has the following internationalization features:
All text strings in the user interface are stored in resource files, for easy translation.
The locale and encoding can be set programmatically.
The default HTML display component (the ICEbrowser) supports wrapping for non-space separated languages.
Help authors can set the
charset of the HTML file, using the IANA character set encoding names (when using the default ICEbrowser HTML display component).
The OHJ user interface has been translated by Oracle into several languages.
The OHJ Help system is implemented using Java Foundation Class (JFC) Swing components.
OHJ has an open, pluggable architecture. That means that you can substitute your own components for default components such as the search facility or the HTML display component. In addition, components such as the Navigator tabs and the HTML display can be embedded into an application's user interface, to provide completely integrated help.
All OHJ application class files, control files, and content files can be encapsulated and compressed into JAR (Java Archive) files. It is not necessary to unJAR these files to run the help system.


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It's a pristine spring morning on the remote tip of Big Pine Key, 30 miles north of Key West. The lone paved road is surrounded by dense brush and wetlands that give way to the Gulf of Mexico. On this particular Tuesday, though, the usually silent landscape is dominated by the pulsing whoosh of a brown and tan helicopter that just touched down. Half a dozen workers in neon safety vests, surgical masks, and sunglasses emerge from the roadside and hustle toward the aircraft. Under the whirling two-blade rotor, they form an assembly line and dump bags of a yellowish substance called larvicide into cone-shaped containers on the sides of the chopper.
This is the modern frontline of the war on mosquitoes — an epic, centuries-long struggle between mankind and nature that has left an indelible mark on the Sunshine State. Minutes after landing, the helicopter is back in the air, buzzing treetops. The pilot banks a tight U-turn, cuts down to an altitude of 60 feet or so, and delivers the payload. As the helicopter bolts out of sight, a barely visible granular trail flutters toward the ground. "Don't look up," says one of the workers on the ground.
The commander in chief of this latest skirmish that's unfolding in the Keys is entomologist (insect expert) Michael Doyle, a slight, mild-mannered Midwesterner with a fastidiously trimmed salt-and-pepper mustache and rimless eyeglasses. Executive director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, Doyle says that about $45,000 will be spent by the end of the day just to counter the onslaught of mosquitoes hatched in the three to four inches of rain that fell over the weekend.
genetically modified mosquitoes
Back at the agency's headquarters in Marathon, Doyle explains that the larvicide unleashed by the helicopter consists of ground-up corncobs slathered in naturally occurring bacteria that is toxic to mosquito larvae. (It would take a pickup truck-and-a-half of such larvicide to kill a human.) When the pellets land in puddles and nearby water, larvae gobble them up and die before they can morph into the flying, blood-sucking pests we so loathe.
But this method is expensive, labor-intensive, and ineffective against one of the most troublesome mosquito species, Aedes aegypti. Of the 44 species in the Keys, Aedes aegypti is the one that keeps Doyle up at night. It's the stealth bomber of mosquitoes: silent, capable of biting 20 people a day, breeding in the shallow puddles around densely populated residential areas. Most alarming: It's the only species in the region that can spread dengue fever — a nasty and sometimes fatal disease that popped up in the Keys in recent years and could scare away the tourists who drive the local economy.
When Doyle left behind his days at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Colorado, where he studied mosquito saliva, to take charge of the Keys in July 2011, board members who oversee the mosquito program gave him a more than $10 million annual budget, staffers with PhDs, and a fleet that includes four helicopters and two airplanes. They also gave him two orders: Cut the budget while killing more mosquitoes, and ensure that no cases of dengue fever grab headlines like they did in 2009 and 2010.
"The dengue cases were a big deal," Doyle says. "It was the first time [the disease] had been back in more than 60 years. The concern is that the Keys could be a way for dengue to get a new foothold, or a refoothold, in the United States."
Doyle's solution? To move ahead with a controversial experiment that has been in the works since before he arrived: importing and releasing millions of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that have been genetically modified in the labs of a British biotech firm called Oxitec. These minute marvels of science are tweaked to pass down a gene that causes their progeny to self-destruct soon after hatching. Only males would be released; theoretically, they would breed with normal females and spawn offspring that keel over and die just before adulthood. The dengue-spreading population would collapse generation by generation.
If Doyle's plan goes forward, Key West will be only the fourth site in which these genetically modified insects have been let loose — behind Malaysia, northern Brazil, and the Cayman Islands. But not everyone is eager to tinker with Mother Nature's genetics, perhaps put off by the idea of getting bitten by a mutant mosquito. This is, after all, the Conch Republic — full of sinners, sailors, developers, and assorted rebellious characters who, in 1982, famously declared they were seceding from the United States. Here, the environment teems with beauty and biodiversity, which in turn draw legions of money-spending tourists. Local residents will fight like hell to protect their unique way of life.
Doyle understands the complexity of the situation. "We are in a weird spot, because we want to get rid of dengue and not make headlines...," he says and then adds, laughing, "Then come GM mosquitoes."
As dusk settles over the hordes of sun-soaked tourists lumbering down Key West's boozy Duval Street, an eclectic gaggle of locals, without a formal group name but united in their concern about modified mosquitoes, gathers around a table in a cavernous real estate office. A delectable aroma from a platter of gourmet goodies hangs over the table while ice-cold bottles of Corona are passed around.
Kicked back in a chair is Joel Biddle, a mellow, slow-talking, Bermuda-born man who operates at a cosmic tempo that matches the pace of life near the southernmost point of the continental United States. His thick, bushy white hair, lazily parted to the side, flops around as he gestures with his meaty hands. Biddle's smooth skin and striped pants belie his 68 years.
Three years ago, Biddle sat on the edge of his bed in tremendous pain, staring at his feet. His bones ached. His head had the woozy, second-behind sensation that accompanies a fever. "I was completely out of my mind," he recalls. "I had been sick for two weeks and thought I finally had the strength to go to the clinic. I put a sock on my foot, which was hard to do, and just sat there for three hours. Then I just went back to bed."
An Aedes aegypti mosquito had pierced Biddle's skin and infected him with the virus that causes dengue fever, an ailment that's earned the ominous nickname of "break bone fever." Each year, upward of 100 million people are infected around the world, and about 25,000 — mostly in Latin American and Asian countries — die from the most severe form. The World Health Organization calls dengue a "fast emerging pandemic prone viral disease" whose rates have "increased 30-fold over the last 50 years." There's no approved vaccine and no treatment. Thankfully, though, dengue is exceedingly rare in the U.S.
"It's debilitating," Biddle concedes. "It's a tough disease, and I can see why [public health officials] are afraid of it."
No one at the table underestimates the severity of dengue or the potential threat it poses to tourism — an industry they all rely on directly or indirectly. And the more mosquitoes and the more tourists, the bigger the threat.
There are, according to some estimates, 40,000 mosquitoes for every person in the United States. In most of the country, mosquito season lasts four months. In South Florida, it's ten months, sometimes 12, depending upon rainfall. Because most Florida counties have had mosquito control programs in place since the 1950s or '60s, modern-day Floridians take their relatively mosquito-free lifestyles for granted. It can be tough to appreciate the extent of mayhem once stirred by "our species most deleterious pest," as environmental historian Gordon Patterson puts it in his book The Mosquito Wars: A History of Mosquito Control in Florida.
In the late 19th Century, when Florida was referred to as "the Devil's property," swarms were so dense in some areas that it was impossible to breathe without inhaling mouthfuls of mosquitoes. Union soldiers struggled with the pests during the Civil War, bundling up in overcoats despite the sweltering heat to stave off bites. In August 1864, Acting Master Mate Van Ness of the USS Chambers — a Union ship patrolling the coast of what's now Brevard County — committed suicide by jumping overboard to escape being eaten alive. A "mystery disease" broke out among the remaining crew and killed five. Patterson quips, "Confederate sympathizing mosquitoes were victorious."
Livestock also suffered. In September 1932, in Cape Sable, near the southern tip of the state, 80 cows, 67 hogs, 20 chickens, three horses, two dogs, and one mule were killed in a single night by a blitz of mosquitoes. As noted by Patterson, the animals died either from sheer blood loss, nervous exhaustion, or a toxin. Though mosquito attacks can be excruciating and craze-inducing, the diseases they spread have always been more dangerous. Over the course of mankind's history, mosquito-borne diseases, especially malaria and yellow fever, have combined to kill billions of people.
Dengue, though less lethal than malaria and yellow fever, has soared in the Caribbean in recent years. In 2011, the CDC issued a travel advisory for the Bahamas after 1,000 suspected cases were recorded in a one-month span. In Puerto Rico, more than 21,000 cases — representing a financial burden of $40 million — were reported in 2010, the most in the history of the island. But the last major outbreak of dengue in Florida occurred back in 1934, when nearly 1,500 of the 2,000 cases were concentrated in Broward and Miami-Dade. Noxious chemicals such as DDT that were brewed in the "Better Living Through Chemistry" era played a vital role in suppressing the disease.
Only a few cases emerged in Florida over the following decades, mostly in people who had picked up the virus while abroad. But in 2009, a woman from New York who had traveled to Key West was diagnosed with it. This set off national alarms; the fact that she hadn't left the country meant the disease was acquired in the continental United States. The CDC sent investigators to the Keys who worked with local health agencies and confirmed at least 27 locally acquired cases in 2009 and an additional 66 in 2010.
Dengue cannot spread from person to person. For the disease to show up the way it did meant that someone already infected must have traveled to Key West and was bitten by an Aedes aegypti, which in turn became infected and traveled around biting other people. Those people now had the virus and spread it to other mosquitoes, which spread it to more people, including Biddle.
This outbreak sent mosquito control into hyperdrive, and the local Department of Health launched massive education campaigns that urged residents to dump any standing water and use bug spray liberally. These efforts appeared successful: There hasn't been a confirmed case of dengue in the Keys since November 2010.
This dearth of recent infections is a rallying point for the concerned Conchs at the table. "There haven't been any reported cases in almost two years, but they're trying to use [dengue fever] as the reason they need to release Oxitec's mosquitoes," says Kelly Young, a blond, soccer-mom-looking lady. "There's no validity to that argument."
An elderly woman with a refined British accent who didn't want to reveal her name worries that decimating the population of one mosquito species could damage the local food chain and ecosystem. "Everything has a purpose," she says.
Mila de Mier, a real estate agent who organized this get-together and started a petition against the experiment, rattles off a litany of concerns in her thick Spanish accent. "They're going to spend our money for us to become guinea pigs," she says. "We want this place to remain natural, to be the way it is. We don't need their mosquitoes... Mr. Doyle wants to be a pioneer. He wants to be the first in the U.S. to do this type of experiment."
Biddle raises his soft voice to tamp down this dizzying powder keg of a roundtable. "Mosquito Control is not an enemy; they're good people," he says, a sentiment that everyone, including de Mier, nods in agreement with. "I'm not against this technology. What I am against is corporations like Monsanto and now this Oxitec company cutting corners and not listening to the scientific community."
Although the mosquito control department had been kicking around the idea of releasing modified skeeters for two years, it wasn't until a newspaper article published this past winter that these Conchs became aware of it. Once Biddle, de Mier, and other critics began to complain, Oxitec and Doyle held a town meeting to discuss the issue and assure residents that the plan is safe. The crew at the table says the event was little more than a sales pitch. So they began doing their own research.
That's when they learned about some troubling controversies ignited by Oxitec's experiments.
Today, the mosquito control industry is an arms race.
After World War II, when developers forged into the swamplands, control efforts were concentrated on DDT, a powerful and notorious pesticide first tested in Florida. By the 1950s, however, scientists discovered that some mosquitoes had become resistant to it. Chemists pushed on and created potent alternatives, a few of which decimated anything and everything in their path. But the birth of the environmental movement in the '60s and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring left mosquito control efforts in a quagmire. How could they kill the mosquitoes without destroying entire ecosystems or making humans ill?
"Everything is becoming more smart-bombish. It's like the military in a lot of ways," Doyle says. "In the '50s, it wasn't that complicated. You got into a truck and off you went. Now the industry is much more specialized. There are computer-aided drift models [to predict how pesticides will disperse in the wind], and you use a laser to calibrate your droplet size [for the sprays]. It's an intricate science."
Despite access to these sophisticated-sounding technologies, Doyle is in a lurch. Although there are effective chemicals for killing pests, he can't use many of them because of tighter regulations and greater public awareness, especially in an area as environmentally sound as the Keys.
The larvicide dropped by the helicopter is good for killing only mosquito larvae, not mature, flying mosquitoes. Doyle estimates that for larviciding to be effective to the point he desires, the mosquito control program would need to add 40 staff members. Efforts to kill adult mosquitoes, a tactic known as adulticiding, rely on chemicals dispersed by planes and trucks. For adulticides — some of which are derived from chrysanthemum flowers — to kill mosquitoes, a droplet actually has to hit a flying mosquito. Achieving this level of precision is pricey, and many of these chemicals are too potent to regularly dump over the Keys.
"There are some really toxic chemicals I could use but won't," Doyle says. "There are some that have a really big impact on marine life, but we're a marine sanctuary, so I'm not going to use those."
Anyway, Doyle explains, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the dengue-spreading species, live in and around homes, not out in wetlands and other open areas that are easy to blanket in a fog of killer chemicals and bacteria. "They're highly adaptive to human beings," he says. "They're almost like a parasite." Current efforts against this single species are focused on sending 18 full-time inspectors to thousands of properties throughout the Keys to ensure there's no standing water. If an inspector finds a few Aedes aegypti, he or she can use a handheld fogger to kill them. But to wage a successful war with shock-and-awe-like results requires a game changer.
So Oxitec's genetically modified mosquitoes are an ostensibly elegant solution to Doyle's conundrum. "I've looked at all other options for Aedes aegypti control, but they're too expensive or environmentally damaging. This sounds like the best option we have going."
In Oxitec's mosquito factory on the outskirts of Oxford, England, scientists use razor-sharp glass needles to inject small amounts of DNA into tens of thousands of mosquito eggs. Most of the eggs will die, but the ones that survive will incorporate the extra DNA into their genome and go on to develop two genetic modifications that can be passed down. The first causes the mosquitoes to glow fluorescent red when placed under a high-powered microscope. Though it might sound like something from a Michael Crichton novel, it's a relatively old trick that's used to track all types of research animals. The second modification, the insertion of an autocidal gene, is what causes the mosquitoes to self-destruct.
In the lab, the modified mosquitoes are fed tetracycline. This common antibiotic essentially turns the death gene off. It allows the insects to stay alive, breed, and produce eggs that now contain the gene.
"All the fancy genetic stuff is done over [in England]," Doyle explains. "I call Oxitec, they send a boxful of eggs, we grow the eggs in cake pans, give them food and water, and sort them in a lab we'll set up in a trailer."
By sorting, Doyle means weeding out any females by looking at the size of the larvae — males are smaller than females. It's the most crucial step in the process because only female mosquitoes bite humans, and releasing hordes of modified mosquitoes capable of sucking our blood would be counterproductive at best. Doyle acknowledges, however, this sorting method isn't foolproof; about one female gets through and is released for every 1,500 male mosquitoes, he says.
"The chance of getting bit by a female genetically modified mosquito is pretty small, but it's not impossible. It's going to happen." The effects of such a bite are unclear, but the idea of getting bitten by a mutant mosquito could freak people out. Environmental groups and organizations opposed to genetic modifications of any sort have been vocal over the lack of information on this aspect. Oxitec maintains that the proteins composing the genetic modification aren't present in mosquito saliva and thus won't be transmitted during a bite. It's a sentiment that scientists who are critical of the company tend to agree with.
Doyle and his team are now busy looking for two similar six-block-by-six-block areas in Key West where they can conduct their experiment. In phase one, they intend to release a few thousand Oxitec mosquitoes and set traps. From the mosquitoes that are caught, they can determine the ratio of Oxitec mosquitoes to normal ones. Then they'll do a second phase, releasing ten Oxitec mosquitoes for every wild one. Doyle says that over six months, 2 million to 6 million genetically modified mosquitoes will be released. Saturating the test site with the modified mosquitoes should increase their odds for successfully mating with normal females.
A potential pitfall is that the street-smart, wild males will simply outgun the lab-pampered mosquitoes. But if all goes as planned and Oxitec mosquitoes reach the females first, the offspring will hatch and live for a few days before the genetic modification kicks into effect and shuts down the cellular machinery needed for the pupae to become functioning adults. Hordes of tiny mosquito corpses will flow through the shallow breeding grounds.
Doyle is well aware of the experimental nature of a release and says he needs to be a "cautious buyer." At the same time, he's eager to get the test under way because the threat of dengue looms as millions of tourists flock to the Keys each year.
When Joel Biddle, Mila de Mier, and their Conch friends began looking into Oxitec's history, they found a few worrisome things about the decade-old, privately funded company. Oxitec, which employs about 40 people, has consistently come under fire from environmental organizations, anti-GM groups, and academics for its lack of transparency when carrying out experiments. So far, the company has released mosquitoes in Brazil in 2011, Malaysia in 2010, and the Cayman Islands — where more than 3 million genetically modified mosquitoes have been dispatched since 2008.
Few peer-reviewed scientific journal articles have been published demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of genetically modified mosquitoes when released in the wild. Articles that have been published include an Oxitec staffer among the authors, and there are no independent, third-party studies under way.
Opponents, including the Conchs at the real estate office, hone in on the Cayman experiment because it's the furthest along. About four years ago, Oxitec and the Cayman mosquito control authority collaborated on an experiment without providing much information to the scientific community or local residents about the release. In November 2010, Oxitec took the stage at a medical conference in Atlanta and delivered findings from what was the first field trial of genetically modified mosquitoes. Some researchers in the crowd were surprised that, all of a sudden, a British biotech company was announcing it had released its mutant mosquitoes in the wild without consulting the larger research community.
In response, the prestigious journal Science published a news article that took a biting tone as it questioned whether the company had rushed to release its mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands, and suggested that the hastiness and off-the-radar style of the experiment had strained Oxitec's ties with funders, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This past January, researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute published a paper in the journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases implying that Oxitec exploited a weak regulatory environment in the Cayman Islands to do the experiment with minimal oversight and little effort to inform the locals that millions of genetically modified organisms were being let loose in their back yard.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth, one of Oxitech's harsher critics, says the company has not "been open and honest with the local communities about the possible risks its technology pose." Helen Wallace of GeneWatch UK took that sentiment a step further when she said in a statement that Oxitec's Cayman experiment shows that the "British scientific establishment is acting like the last bastion of colonialism, using an overseas territory as a private lab."
In addition to these transparency complaints, opponents fret over a few lab-based studies showing that 3 percent of the Oxitec mosquitoes survived into adulthood despite possessing the self-destruct gene. Oxitec CEO Hadyn Parry tells New Times that this hasn't happened when they're released in the wild, nor is it likely that such mosquitoes can live long enough to transmit diseases. As for Oxitec's opaqueness, Parry says the company never denies an interview and welcomes reporters into its laboratories and has even shared confidential data with activist groups to quell further uproar.
According to Parry, the Cayman experiment worked well. He says the wild Aedes aegypti population plummeted by 80 percent after the Oxitec mosquitoes were released. Final data from the experiment has not been published in a journal. Parry says they are undergoing the peer review process for potential publication in Nature Biotechnology later this year.
Parry insists the company doesn't have any special interest in doing a release in the Florida Keys; it's Keys Mosquito Control that is pushing for the experiment. "From our point of view, we're working in a number of different places," he says. "We don't have a hit list saying that we'd like to work in this place or that place. If someone is interested and says, 'Hey, can you help us?' we say, 'Yes, of course we can.'"
The Keys is the only area in the States in talks with Oxitec about the use of modified mosquitoes. Even though the Keys are the sole site of locally acquired cases of dengue, some veteran mosquito experts in Florida are surprised that Doyle is picking up his predecessor's plan.
"Given that [Doyle is] brand new to the job, not even a year on, and is looking to take this step... yeah, we were surprised," says Phil Lounibos of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, a Vero Beach-based facility that's part of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. "It's surprising because there is not supporting background evidence that we've seen showing that this will solve the dengue problem."
Even if the Cayman experiment did reduce Aedes aegypti populations by 80 percent, as Oxitec says, that might not be a great enough reduction to control the spread of dengue. Lounibos points to Singapore, where mosquito control efforts are extensive yet dengue persists. "Many people don't doubt that the Oxitec method can reduce abundance of the mosquito that carries dengue," he says. "But it doesn't necessarily mean that it will control dengue."
Lastly, Lounibos says, Oxitec's mosquitoes are not a "self-sustaining technology," meaning the Keys might end up making hefty payments to Oxitec to keep a steady stream of modified mosquitoes breeding with whatever population of wild females remains. "They're going to have to keep releasing these things," he says. "They're considering investing in this without knowing if the technology will get the end results."
Doyle has set aside $125,000 to cover the initial overhead of an experiment — converting a trailer into a lab, setting and monitoring traps, and paying for similar expenses. Doyle expects to spend half a million on Oxitec eggs the first full year, with the price dropping by half the second year. For the experiment, Oxitec has agreed to provide him with its mosquitoes for free during the first six months, and with good reason.
A successful test could provide a new customer for the fledgling company. More important, pulling off a release in the Keys would go a long way in removing the stereotype that genetically modified mosquitoes are a creepy, sci-fi solution. A release in the United States is a proverbial golden seal of approval, a mark of acceptance from one of the most stringent, red-taped regulatory bureaucracies in the world. Genetically modified mosquitoes could be pitched as a designer solution to dengue that doesn't need to be dropped from helicopters or dispersed from handheld foggers by uniformed men.
There's just one holdup. Genetically modified mosquitoes are so technologically advanced that no federal agency has claimed to have the jurisdiction to give Oxitec final approval for a release. Doyle likens them to a hover car: If Ford were to suddenly make a flying car available to consumers, would the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates aircraft, have oversight, or would the Department of Transportation, which regulates roadways? Oxitec's proposal to release its creation has bounced through the USDA, the EPA, and the CDC, all of whom have claimed not to have jurisdiction, Doyle says. Now the FDA is reviewing Oxitec's application for what's called an "investigational new animal drug." Doyle says the FDA's decision could come in a few months or drag on for two years. If the agency ultimately denies the application, he could theoretically release Oxitec mosquitoes anyway because there's no law against it — but he says he wouldn't.
As for the concerned Conchs, they have little or no power to stop the plan if it's approved. Even if they fill a petition with signatures and persuade the city council to pass a law against mutant mosquitoes, the public health authority granted to the Keys Mosquito Control District trumps the power of the city. Biddle, the former dengue patient, doesn't necessarily want to stop the plan from going forward; he simply wants independent, peer-reviewed assurance that Oxitec mosquitoes are safe.
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"[Oxitec] should have to do a five- or six-year study in the Cayman Islands and see what really happens," Biddle says. "What are the effects on people? What are the effects on tourism? What are the effects on the disease? And what are the effects on the ecosystem? That's what we should be studying. And still, without these findings, we're going to put something in the Florida Keys that's genetically modified, and we don't know what's going to happen."
Doyle is afraid it will take another outbreak of dengue fever for people to see the wisdom in his plan. "I'm optimistic that it will happen someday," he says. "But I think nothing will happen until there's some external push to make something happen, like if we see dengue again."
While he and Oxitec wait for a federal yea or nay, Doyle does his best to assuage the concerns of people like Biddle and local lawmakers who remain opposed to the idea. A recent survey among Keys' residents found that 30 percent supported it, 30 percent were against it, 8 percent were unaware, and the remainder were undecided. If those numbers shift and the majority turns against the project, Doyle hints he will still push ahead.
"My job is to protect them," he says, "even if sometimes they don't want to be protected."


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Assessing Earthquake Risk at Oyster Creek [AUDIO]
The Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant in Lacey Township, Ocean County, is among 21 plants nationwide being ordered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct in-depth analyses of earthquake risk.
NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said safety upgrades were already planned, but the Japan disaster highlighted the importance of seismic issues.
"This is related very specifically to the Fukushima disaster in March 2011," Sheehan said. "We were already on course to have plants do these updates. Fukushima lent greater urgency to that."
The spokesman said plants like Oyster Creek that were built in the 1960s haven't had earthquake assessments since they were designed.
The agency reviewed updated earthquake hazard information for 59 reactor sites that were due in March. The review was part of a priority list of actions that was developed by the NRC to implement in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident.
The list takes into account a limited number of seismic experts in the industry available to complete the effort.
"So we wanted to use those resources on the plants where the greatest increase in ground motion was seen," Sheehan said.
Plants included in the first tier of the priority list must detail their risk by June 30, 2017. Oyster Creek is among the second-tier plants, which have until Dec. 31, 2019 to complete the analysis.
Although Oyster Creek is scheduled to close in 2019, Sheehan said the shutdown process could take several years and that the seismic analysis will still be very valuable in terms of increasing safety at the facility.
"We do expect them to take some interim actions to make sure that the plant could withstand this higher level of earthquake activity," Sheehan said.
You can view the full list of central and eastern U.S. plants included on the NRC's priority list at www.nrc.gov.