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Daytona Firecracker 250
Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Daytona Firecracker 250
Daytona International Speedway
July 5, 2013
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fifth (Austin Dillon), 17th (Brian Scott) and 27th (Ty Dillon).
Dillon is fifth in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Regan Smith by 17 markers, while Scott is ninth in the standings, 64 points behind Smith.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team ranks seventh in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 33 team 11th in the standings and the No. 2 team 12th.
According to NASCAR's Post Race Loop Data Statistics, A. Dillon earned a Driver Rating of 98.1, ranking him eighth.
T. Dillon made 27 Green-Flag Passes, ranking him 10th.
Scott was fifth-Fastest on Restarts (181.007 mph) and ranked eighth in the Closers category, gaining six positions in the final 10 percent of the race.
Matt Kenseth earned his first victory of the 2013 Nationwide Series season and was followed to the finish line by James Buescher, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch and Dillon.
The next Nationwide Series race is the CNBC Prime the Profit 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 13. The 17th race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ABC beginning at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.
Brian Scott Earns a 17th-Place-Finish Under the Lights at Daytona
Brian Scott and the No. 2 Rain-X/Advance Auto Parts team traveled to Daytona International Speedway for a hot Friday night race under the lights. The Phil Gould-led team started the race from the fourth position and ultimately took the checkered flag in the 17th position. When the green-flag waved, Scott hooked on to the No. 60 car and the duo moved into the top two spots, with Scott eventually taking the lead on the third lap. With a desire to run a safe race in order to be in contention at the end, Scott dropped back in the field. The Boise, Idaho-native visited pit road under green-flag conditions for four tires and fuel on lap 36. As green-flag stops cycled through, Scott was scored in the 19th position. The caution flag was displayed on lap 70, giving the Rain-X/Advance Auto Parts driver an opportunity to visit pit road for two tires and a full tank of Sunoco Racing fuel. He restarted in the 17th spot and climbed as high as 11th. As the race progressed, the action on the track picked up. The caution came out once again on lap 89 as Scott just narrowly missed a multi-car wreck. NASCAR displayed the red flag in order to clean up the debris left behind. When the field went back to green he restarted in the 23rd position, but the caution quickly flew once again setting the field up for a green-white-checkered finish. Scott restarted from the 24th-position and took the checkered flag in the 17th spot.
Start – 4th Finish – 17th Laps Led – 1 Points – 9th
Brian Scott Quote:
"We had a really fast Rain-X/Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro tonight. I just waited a little too long to make our move towards the front. It's the first time I've ever been too cautious. I'm really proud of Phil (Gould – Crew Chief) and the guys for their hard work. We were fast all weekend. We'll take tonight and move on to Loudon."
Austin Dillon Earns Fifth-Place Finish in NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Daytona International Speedway
Sporting a patriotic, red, white and blue AdvoCare Spark NASCAR America Salutes paint scheme, Austin Dillon earned his sixth pole award of the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season and led laps in Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro before posting a fifth-place finish under the lights at Daytona International Speedway. The Welcome, N.C., driver entered the race with one-in-four odds to win a $100,000 Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash bonus by finishing ahead of fellow competitors Elliott Sadler, Kyle Larson and Brian Vickers during the scheduled 100-lap affair, and was a strong contender in the early running. He led the field to the American Ethanol green flag after earning his sixth pole award, in his last seven starts, earlier in the day and spent much of the beginning portion of the race in the front of the field before falling in the running order in an attempt to drive a conservative race. Dillon was scored in the 19th position when the caution flag was displayed with 30 laps remaining in the race. Crew chief Danny Stockman directed Dillon down pit road for a fuel-only pit stop and quick work by the AdvoCare crew gained the team several positions as Dillon restarted from the eighth position on lap 77. Just a few laps later, Dillon drafted his way into the second position before the field was frozen for a multi-car incident that occurred behind him, resulting in a 9:49 minute red flag to clean debris off the race track sending the race into a green-white-checker "overtime" finish. The sophomore Nationwide Series driver restarted from the second position and made a plan to tandem draft with Parker Kligerman. Shortly after the green-flag was displayed, their draft was broken up and Dillon dropped to 21st. With just one lap to regain track position, Dillon chose the middle line and raced his way to a fifth-place finish. Although Dillon missed the Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus at Daytona by one finishing position, his fifth-place finish qualifies him for the program and a possible $100,000 bonus at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next week.
Start – 1st Finish – 5th Laps Led – 5 Points – 5th
"Man, that was fun. I had a great time racing tonight at Daytona International Speedway. We had a fast Spark Chevrolet. It was a great comeback on the last lap. I used the middle line and I was going for it all. I knew it was all or nothing. I wish we could have stuck with Parker Kligerman at the end there."
Late-Race Incident Relegates Ty Dillon to 27th-Place Finish at Daytona
Ty Dillon and the No. 33 Hunt Brothers Pizza team were involved in an incident on the last lap relegating them to a 27th-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Daytona International Speedway. Earning the third-fastest time in qualifying on Friday afternoon, Dillon jumped into a two-car tandem in the early portion of the race. After losing the draft to pit under green-flag conditions on lap 32, Dillon battled to regain his track position throughout the remainder of the event. The Welcome, N.C., native found a dancing partner in the late stages of the race and battled back inside the top 10. A late-race caution period set the field for a green-white-checkered finish. The Richard Childress Racing team was shuffled back in the running order and was tagged in the rear fender, sending the No. 33 machine through the infield grass. Dillon saved his Chevrolet from making contact with the wall, but ultimately posted a 27th-place finish.
Start-3rd Finish-27th Laps Led-0
Owner's Points-11th
"It was a tough night. The No. 33 Hunt Brothers Pizza team did a great job putting together a fast race car. We couldn't get the track position and a drafting partner to be there at the end. We'll take this as a learning experience for next time."


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Stellar writing in Preston and Child's 'Lost Island'
"The Lost Island," the third novel to feature master thief and brilliant scientist Gideon Crew, is another clever and compelling tale from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
Gideon has a rare condition that will kill him within a year unless he finds a cure. He works for Eli Glinn, a mysterious man with unlimited wealth, who asks Gideon to steal one page from the priceless Book of Kells, an Irish tome on display at a New York library.
The security system is beyond impenetrable, and it becomes the ultimate challenge for Gideon to obtain the one page.
Through deceit, trickery and sleight of hand, Gideon successfully grabs the page, and what is discovered on the parchment is a strange map that promises treasure and a possible cure. He reluctantly teams up with Amy, one of Eli's assistants, and together they embark on a journey across the Caribbean, following a map with cryptic symbols and descriptions.
What they discover will shatter every belief they had about the history of North America and probably will kill both of them before they can discover where the treasure and cure are hidden.
Readers might be divided since regular series character Aloysius Pendergast is nowhere to be found in "The Lost Island" (Grand Central Publishing). But the stellar writing that readers expect from Preston and Child is still in abundance, and they balance the line between page-turning suspense and ancient history.
And when it gets a bit fantastical, they make it believable and completely plausible.

subset: commoncrawl


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Online Dental Education LibraryOur team of dental specialists and staff strive to improve the overall health of our patients by focusing on preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions associated with your teeth and gums. Please use our dental library to learn more about dental problems and treatments available. If you have questions or need to schedule an appointment, contact us.
There are alternative, natural-looking materials to conventional silver-colored fillings – materials made from porcelain and composite resins, which are colored to match natural tooth enamel. Unfortunately, few materials can match the strength and durability of dental amalgam and such, may need more frequent replacement. Common amalgam alternatives include:
- Composite fillings -- As stated, composite fillings are just what the name implies: a mixture of resins and fine particles designed to mimic the color of natural teeth. While not as strong as dental amalgam, composite fillings provide a pleasing aesthetic alternative. Sometimes, composite resins need to be cemented, or bonded to a tooth to allow for better adhesion.
- Ionomers -- Like composite resins, these materials are tooth-colored. Ionomers are made from a combination of various materials, including ground glass and acrylic resins. Ionomers are typically used for fillings near the gum line or tooth root, where biting pressure is not a factor. They are more fragile than dental amalgam, however. A small amount of fluoride is released by these compounds in order to facilitate strengthened enamel in the affected area.
- Porcelain (ceramic) -- This material is usually a combination of porcelain, glass powder and ceramic. Candidates for porcelain fillings are typically crowns, veneers and onlays and inlays. Unlike ionomers, porcelain fillings are more durable but can become fractured if exposed to prolonged biting pressures.


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Most orders for In-Stock products begin shipping as soon as your online purchase is completed. Products are shipped once they are located in stock, your payment is approved, and the receiving address is verified.
● In stock
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18 x 5.75 x 21 cm
0.363 kg
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President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney's meticulously arranged travel schedules, a crucial element of their final-stretch strategies, could be upended in the last full week before Election Day by a super storm barreling toward some battleground states.
And it's more than just travel that could be disrupted. A confluence of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides and maybe snow could make it harder for Americans to participate in early voting, an important part of both campaigns' efforts, particularly for Obama.
Romney and Vice President Joe Biden both canceled weekend campaign events in coastal Virginia Beach, Va., though their events in other parts of the states were going on as planned.
"The campaign is closely monitoring the storm and will take all necessary precautions to make sure our staff and volunteers are safe," said Adam Fetcher, an Obama campaign spokesman.
The storm couldn't come at a worse time for the presidential campaigns. Both have enormous resources invested in getting voters to the polls before Election Day, as they try to use early voting to boost turnout among their supporters. And opportunities for the candidates to make personal appeals to voters in competitive states were already dwindling, even before the campaign faced the prospect of having to cancel stops because of the storm.
Parts of Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina — all battleground states — are in the path of the storm, which is forecast to start Sunday and stretch past Wednesday. New Hampshire, another battleground, could also be affected. Air travel could become a mess, making flying elsewhere a nightmare.
As of Friday afternoon, Obama's campaign had no plans to cancel any of the president's upcoming trips. He's scheduled to be in New Hampshire on Saturday. With stops planned Monday in Florida, Ohio and Virginia, he moved up his departure for Orlando from Washington to Sunday. He also still plans to spend Tuesday in Colorado and Wisconsin and Wednesday in Ohio.
The president could come under more pressure than his Republican rival to cancel events if the storm requires mobilizing the government resources he oversees. But that could also provide him an opportunity to show command in a crisis, and perhaps win over some late-breaking voters.
Romney was scheduled to campaign this weekend in Florida, as well as Virginia. He also had a stop planned in Wisconsin Monday.
The states where the candidates plan to travel in the campaign's final days offer the clearest insight into their potential pathways to reaching the required 270 Electoral College votes.
That's why Air Force One and Romney's campaign plane have been making frequent stops in Ohio, a state both campaigns are aggressively pursuing.
If Romney loses Ohio, he would have to win nearly every other competitive state in order to reach 270. He spent three straight days in the Midwestern battleground this week, including a trio of events across the state on Thursday. Obama has traveled to Ohio more than any other state. He's been there 18 times this year and has at least two stops planned next week.
"Ohio, I believe in you. And I need you to keep believing in me," Obama said Thursday during a rally in Cleveland, with Air Force One serving as a backdrop. He said "Ohio" 26 times in a 25-minute speech.
Travel also tells the story in North Carolina, perhaps the hardest state for Obama to win. The president hasn't visited the state since wrapping up his party convention in Charlotte seven weeks ago. Meanwhile Romney, signaling confidence in North Carolina, held a rally earlier this month in Asheville, a Democratic-leaning area of the state.
Obama advisers insist they can pull out a close win in North Carolina. But they know North Carolina is unlikely to be the state that determines if Obama hits the 270 threshold. So they would rather have him campaign in the states that could be crucial, like Nevada, Iowa and Wisconsin, in addition to Ohio.
On Thursday, the campaign passed the $2 billion mark, signaling a finance system vastly altered by the proliferation of outside groups and "super" political committees that are bankrolling a barrage of TV ads in battleground states.
That means neither campaign is facing the type of fall financial squeeze that previously has turned the final weeks of presidential races into something of a chess match. Campaigns often signaled their strategies by pulling money and staff out of states that are moving away and dumping more resources into states that were competitive.
Both campaigns say they keep spending money in all nine competitive states — Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin — through Election Day. Both also have added small amounts of advertising time in a 10th state, Minnesota.
Follow Julie Pace at https://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Ken Thomas at https://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press


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Hutaree members' former home destroyed in fire
email@example.com ADAMS — The home where Hutaree member Tina Stone was living while on bond last year was destroyed last Monday by a fire that started in the upstairs of the two-story home.
The home was owned by Stone's father Timothy Kelley Sr.
Kelley and his wife Henrietta were not harmed in the blaze, but the majority of the home and the contents inside were destroyed by the fire. Stone said her mother heard a loud pop or an explosion and yelled for Timothy. Once she discovered the home was on fire, the couple gathered their dogs and left the home.
According to a member of the Addison Fire Department, the home, located at 3151 Kelso Road, was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on scene and there was nothing that could be done to save the home.
Stone, however, said the home was not completely engulfed when crews arrived on-scene, as her father and brother were able to go in at times and retrieve some guns that belonged to Timothy and mounted deer heads. They were unable to get upstairs where the fire is believed to started. Kelley is the owner of the Grandview Shooting Preserve, which is located on the property where the fire happened.
Crews were called around 1:40 a.m. and were on-scene for more than five hours. The cause of the fire is under investigation; however, it is unlikely that an actual cause will be found because of the substantial damage.
Stone was acquitted last year on charges of conspiracy and sedition, while her husband David Sr. and his son Joshua were sentenced in August to supervised release for two years for their roles in the militia that grabbed national headlines in March 2010. The Hutaree were accused of plotting to kill a law enforcement official and then ambushing the funeral with weapons and bombs. Those accusations were never proven and seven members of the militia, including Tina Stone, were acquitted on all charges.
Stone was not living at the home at the time of the fire, but while the high-profile case was ongoing, she lived in with her parents.
The "Christian militia/survivalist group" is planning a one-year celebration in North Adams this Saturday for its "victory" over the Federal Bureau of Investigation .


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The SchoolCash Online program offers parents the option to pay online for field trips, lunch days and other items. The program is intended to reduce paper, eliminate the need for students to travel with money, and for money to be counted and stored at schools. How does it work? Parents who sign up will receive a notification when a new item becomes available for purchase. Items are personalized to each student. For example, if a Grade 10 class is attending a field trip, the option to pay for the field trip will only be visible to parents of those students..
Parents will use a secure online account to process payments, and can either make a one-time payment for each item as it occurs, or load money to carry a balance in the online account to make payments in the future. Credit card payments are now accepted!
To create an online account, go to https://simcoecounty.schoolcashonline.com.


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Police & Fire: March 1, 2013
Staff Writer
The Sault News
False alarm
Sault Police responded to an alarm on Three Mile Road shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday arriving to find an employee had accidentally tripped the mechanism during an early-morning visit to the office.
While the employee had notified the alarm company, the message did not get forwarded to Sault Police.
After confirming there was no cause for alarm, police closed the books on this matter.
Gas leak
Sault Firefighters were called to W. 4th Avenue at 7:28 p.m. Thursday on reports of a gas leak. Emergency personnel remained at that location for a little over two hours before the utility company completed the necessary repairs officially clearing the scene at 9:41 p.m.


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Pope in PH 2015 - Article
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The latest in a series of occasional posts on authors who praise each other's books
Jonathan Lethem on David Shields's Reality Hunger: A Manifesto:
"I've just finished reading Reality Hunger: A Manifesto and I'm lit up by it—astonished, intoxicated, ecstatic, overwhelmed. It's a pane that's also a mirror: as a result of reading it, I can't stop looking into myself and interrogating my own artistic intentions. It will be published to wild fanfare, because it really is an urgent book: a piece of art-making itself, a sublime, exciting, outrageous, visionary volume."
David Shields on Jonathan Lethem's Chronic City (back cover of the hardcover edition):
"I'm reminded of the well-rubbed Kafka line: A book must be the axe to break the frozen sea within us. Lethem's book, with incredible fury, aspires to do little less. It's almost certainly his best novel. It's genuinely great."
"Backscratching in Our Time" was inspired by "Logrolling in Our Time" in the old Spy Magazine. Posts in the series appear on Fridays when examples of reciprocal blurbs are available. If you'd like to nominate authors, please use the e-mail address on the "Contact" page. You'll find more examples of horse-trading in the "Backscratching in Our Time" category.
You can follow Jan Harayda on Twitter at www.twitter.com/janiceharayda.


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You might say that those who observe the Lenten fast are the original flexitarians. Since the 4th century, eating meatless — and, in some cases, eschewing other animal products and olive oil as well — has been one way for millions of Christians to respect their religious heritage during the 40-day observance before Easter.
Even when the restrictions are limited to Wednesdays and/or Fridays of each week, modern cooks find that family meal planning is essential.
"When I first started, it was hard to find recipes," said Sylvia Leontaritis, who began her Adventures of an Orthodox Mom blog in 2008. The 34-year-old mother of three now finds plenty of sources for dishes she wants to serve during Lent, which must be "basically vegan," Leontaritis says. The challenges have been avoiding soy products (for health reasons, she says); working around egg replacers in baking, because she does not like the powdered kind; and finding dishes her young children will eat: "A lot of vegan recipes are not that family-friendly."
Bean soups and avocado pesto over pasta have been successful, as have smoothies for breakfast and snacks.
"We eat so much healthier during a fasting time," Leontaritis said. 'To be honest, I look forward to it."
Some feast days fall within Lent, bringing their own food traditions, according to Catholic News Service journalist Angelo Stagnaro, whose new "Lenten Cookbook for Catholics" (Tau Publications) has received a rare imprimatur (seven, in fact) from the Catholic Church.
His 57 recipes are mainly Neapolitan and pasta-driven, with a few apres-Lent offerings to augment the feasting aspect. (A note to veteran recipe readers: Stagnaro took the unorthodox approach of listing ingredients in alphabetical order.)
"Lent is not just a matter of self-denial," he said. "I wanted to remind people that fasting comes with feasting, and that those things are not at odds with each other."
Like Leontaritis, he was motivated to ease the burden of identifying a range of suitable foods to serve during a time of need: "People don't like eating the same tuna casseroles."


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Income Distribution, Washington Region
Income Distribution, Washington Region
Originally uploaded by rllayman.
"A community's physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.
posted by Richard Layman @ 11:05 PM&Permanent Link
I am an urban/commercial district revitalization and transportation/mobility advocate and consultant and a principal in BicyclePASS, a bicycle facilities systems integration firm, based in Washington, DC. Urban economic competitiveness is dependent on efficient transit and mixed use, compact places. Therefore, I end up writing mostly about mobility and urban design. While I am based in and write about Washington, DC issues, I try to write so that "universal lessons" are evident in the entries.
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Officials acknowledge 'substantial problem' at Taunton heroin forum
TAUNTON — Taunton native Susan Cyr said she filed a missing person report for her heroin addicted son on a Friday last month. The following day, when she was coming home, she saw several police cruisers parked around her home and immediately realized that her son was dead.
"I knew right away," said Susan Cyr, expressing her dread during a public forum on the recent surge in heroin overdoses held in Taunton on Monday night. "As an addict's mother, you know."
Cyr's son Eric Cyr was 32 years old when he was found dead in a parking lot of a CVS pharmacy in Taunton, discovered a day after he suffered a fatal overdose in his car at the location. Eric Cyr, a Taunton resident, was one of five people to die from fatal overdoses in the city since the beginning of 2014, during a dramatic spike in drug overdoses that has taken place in the city during the last month and a half, according to the Taunton Police Department.
Susan Cyr, who called on Bristol County District Attorney Sam Sutter to prosecute her son's drug dealer on harsher charges related to her son death, was one of the many people who made their voices heard at the "Community Discussion on Combating the Abuse of Heroin" held at Friedman Middle School on Monday.
At the beginning of the meeting, Taunton Police Chief Ed Walsh said that there have been 64 heroin overdoses reported in the city since the beginning of January, including the five fatal overdoses.
"I've been to quite a few," Walsh said. "It's out of control. The numbers are startling compared to last year. It's not strictly a law enforcement problem. … I want to hear what we can do together collectively as a city government to try to deal with some of these problems."
Sutter also responded to Cyr, pledging to do his best to prosecute the drug dealer, potentially for homicide, while also speaking generally about what he sees as a "significant increase" in heroin and drug overdoses throughout Bristol County.
"I think it's fair to say overdoses based upon my information have at least doubled since 2007 and admissions to treatment centers have increased close to 50 percent," Sutter said. "That is a substantial problem for us."
Sutter noted that the high profile heroin overdose death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has drawn attention to a problem that was already growing.
Sutter pointed to the increased use of narcotic pain reliever Oxycontin and the cheap, accessible nature of heroin as the root of the problem.
"It's too expensive to continue to use (OxyContin) regularly, so they turn to heroin, which is much cheaper, and, should I also say, cheaper than ever right now," Sutter said.
Sutter said that $20 was once the standard price for a small bag of heroin on the streets. Now, he said it is $7 for the same bag of heroin in the Taunton area, and that the price is as low as $5 in some communities in Massachusetts.
"That paradigm is something we have to do something about," Sutter said. "Too much OxyContin. Too much use of OxyContin. And turning to heroin, which is plentiful and cheap."
Sutter called for more accurate information about the heroin epidemic, increased public information and more education programs in the schools, as an initial step to addressing the problem. "That's my humble opinion," he said.
Susan Cyr said that her youngest son Eric died after taking heroin that was tainted with Fentanyl, a strong painkiller typically used in a hospital setting, which has been linked to fatal overdoses throughout the East Coast in the last few months. Taunton Police have also linked Fentanyl to the spike in fatal drug overdoses in the city.
Cyr, who added that "there is no such thing as a good drug dealer" and that her son was willingly taking heroin, claimed that her son's drug dealer knew of the fatal effects of the Fentanyl-laced substance.
"He knew he was selling bad drugs," said Cyr, who is following related drug charges the drug dealer is being prosecuted for, but declined to name the dealer for publication. "It shouldn't just be a fine. He shouldn't get a slap on the wrist. … We can't stop our kids from taking the drug until we can punish the drug dealers who are giving it to them. Can we start charging them for knowing that they are deliberately giving these people poison?"
Eric Cyr's body was found the morning of Jan. 25 in the parking lot at the CVS on Washington Street, 24 hours after he died, his mother said. Susan Cyr said she tried unsuccessfully to get her son "sectioned" for substance abuse treatment through the courts about a week prior to his death, but that he used a masking agent to beat a drug test required for that.
His mother said that growing up in Raynham, Cyr attended Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School and was a great son, but that the drug use changed everything during his senior year.
"He was wonderful," she said. "He was the perfect student. … He wanted to have kids. It's unreal. I still expect to talk to him."
Susan Cyr said that her advice to other parents in her situation is to never trust that their addicted children are telling the truth, and to always "keep talking to them" about their problem.
Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. thanked Cyr for sharing her story and said, "We are certainly very sorry for your loss."
During Monday's forum, public health experts, law enforcement officials, educators, and drug addiction specialists also answered questions and responded to suggestions about overdose treatment, drug addiction rehab, and other related law enforcement issues.
5: The number of fatal overdoses in Taunton since the beginning of 2014.
64: The number of heroin overdoses in Taunton since the beginning of 2014.
43: ODs treated at Morton Hospital in Taunton in January 2014.
129: The number of ODs treated throughout the entire year in 2013 at Morton Hospital.
$7: The cost of a small bag of heroin on the streets in Taunton currently. In the past, the same amount has gone for $20, but the costs of the drug have gone down recently.
Sources: Taunton Police Department, Bristol County District Attorney's Office


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From annual events to art exhibits, here you can find out what's going on at Southeastern. Sort the calendar by category to find events that interest you. The interactive calendar lets you view event locations using Google Maps, save events to your online calendar or share events on social media.
To view more categories, select an option from the left sidebar under Search Options. Click a date on the calendar to view all events for that day. Click on an event title to view more details.


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Maloofs agree to sell NBA's Kings to Seattle group
The only thing stopping the Sacramento Kings from a sale and move to Seattle is approval by NBA owners.
The Maloof family has agreed to sell the Kings to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen, the league confirmed in a statement Monday morning. The deal is still pending a vote by the NBA Board of Governors.
A person familiar with the decision said that Hansen's group will buy 65 percent of the franchise for $525 million, move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The Maloofs will have no stake in the team.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was waiting approval.
The sale figure is a total valuation of the franchise, which includes relocation fees. Hansen's group also is hoping to buy out other minority investors.
The Maloofs will get a $30 million non-refundable down payment by Feb. 1, according to the deal, one person said. They will still be allowed to receive other offers until the league approves the sale.
The plan by Hansen's group is to have the team play at least the next two seasons in KeyArena before moving into a new facility in downtown Seattle. The deadline for teams to apply for a move for next season is March 1.
"We have always appreciated and treasured our ownership of the Kings and have had a great admiration for the fans and our team members. We would also like to thank Chris Hansen for his professionalism during our negotiation. Chris will be a great steward for the franchise," Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof said in a statement on behalf of the family.
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said last week he had received permission from NBA Commissioner David Stern to present a counteroffer to league owners from buyers who would keep the Kings in Sacramento.
Johnson, himself a former All-Star point guard in the NBA, said in a statement that the city remained undeterred despite the agreement with the Seattle group.
"Sacramento has proven that it is a strong NBA market with a fan base that year in and year out has demonstrated a commitment to the Kings by selling out 19 of 27 seasons in a top 20 market and owning two of the longest sellout streaks in NBA history," Johnson said.
"When it comes to keeping the team in our community, Sacramento is playing to win. In particular, we have been focused like a laser on identifying an ownership group that will both have the financial resources desired by the NBA and the vision to make the Kings the NBA equivalent of what the Green Bay Packers have been in the NFL."
In a saga that has dragged on for nearly three years, Johnson and Sacramento appear to be facing their most daunting challenge yet.
Hansen, a Seattle native and San Francisco-based investor, reached agreement with local governments in Seattle last October on plans to build a $490 million arena near the city's other stadiums, CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field.
As part of the agreement, no construction will begin until all environmental reviews are completed and a team has been secured.
Hansen's group is expected to pitch in $290 million in private investment toward the arena, along with helping to pay for transportation improvements in the area around the stadiums.
The plans also call for the arena to be able to handle a future NHL franchise.
The remaining $200 million in public financing would be paid back with rent money and admissions taxes from the arena, and if that money falls short, Hansen would be responsible for making up the rest.
Other investors in the proposed arena include Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and two members of the Nordstrom department store family.
Hansen's goal has been to return the SuperSonics to the Puget Sound after they were moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008. Asked in September if he could envision a team being in Seattle for the 2013 season, Hansen was cautious about finding an option that quickly.
The Kings' sale price would top the NBA-record $450 million the Golden State Warriors sold for in July 2010.
"While we are not at liberty to discuss the terms of the transaction or our plans for the franchise given the confidential nature of the agreement and NBA regulations regarding public comments during a pending transaction, we would just like to extend our sincerest compliments and gratitude toward the Maloof family," Hansen said in a statement. "Our negotiations with the family were handled with the utmost honor and professionalism and we hope to continue their legacy and be great stewards of this NBA franchise in the coming years and decades."
Brothers Joe, Gavin and George Maloof bought controlling interests in the franchise from Los Angeles-based developer Jim Thomas in 1999. The Maloofs, who have long waited for an upgrade to the team's outdated arena, backed out of a tentative $391 million deal for a new downtown building with Sacramento last year, reigniting fears the franchise could relocate.
Johnson and the Kings broke off all negotiations in the summer, with the team's owners saying the deal didn't make financial sense for the franchise.
In 2011, the Kings appeared determined to move to Anaheim before Johnson convinced the NBA to give the city one last chance to help finance an arena.
At one point, Johnson seemed so certain the team was gone he called the process a "slow death" and compared the city's efforts to keep the Kings a "Hail Mary."
Johnson made a pitch to the NBA Board of Governors in April 2011, promising league owners the city would find a way to help finance a new arena to replace the team's current outdated suburban facility. That pitch bought the Kings time, before the brokered deal between the city and the Maloofs fell apart last year.


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This article was originally published in the November/December 1993 issue of Home Energy Magazine. Some formatting inconsistencies may be evident in older archive content.
| Home Energy Home Page | Back Issues of Home Energy |
Home Energy Magazine Online November/December 1993
Fax Machine Energy Use
In the article What Stays One When You Go Out (HE Jul/Aug '93) the sidebar The `Set and Forget' List reports that a FAX machine will consume 2-8 kWh/month. I suggest that you actually monitor one. My Panasonic KX-F90 says on the back that it is a 65 watt machine. When I tested it for 24 hours in the TAD/FAX mode (which is the answering machine mode that automatically switches to FAX if it receives a fax signal during the answer mode) my monitor indicated almost 2 kW.
My clue was the fact that our electronic consumption had gone up and the size of the cord. I know that's not much of a criteria but when you're looking for clues, you go with what catches the eye. If you calculate the 65 W times 24 hours you get 1.56 kWh and I guess my old and relatively cheap monitor isn't all that accurate. Anyway, I would be interested in another look at the energy consumption of fax machines.
I did try switching to other modes (FAX and TEL) and it seemed that the energy use didn't change. It would be nice to confirm or refute my finding so that those of us who care can buy fax machines that aren't energy hogs.
Henry Hammer
Los Osos, CA
An Expensive Project?
I was just reading the Home Energy article titled Weatherizing (Almost) an Entire Town (Jul/Aug '93) and was disturbed. This article described the Espanola retrofit project at Ontario Hydro. It stated that the cost of the project was $10.6 million Canadian ($8.5 million US) including customer costs, and the savings are 2,000 kW.
These numbers imply a cost of $4,240 US/kW saved, which is three to five times greater than the cost of typical new power plants ($800 to 1600 $/kW). There may, of course, be other reasons to undertake small but ambitious pilot projects. The knowledge gained from such projects can help utilities do better in the future, both in terms of technology choice and program design. However, no one should lose sight of the fact that conservation is supposed to save society money.
Jonathan G. Koomey
Staff Scientist
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
More Insulation Damage
The moisture damage noted by Mr. Ask in floor truss construction (see Insulation Damage, HE Jul/Aug '93) can most easily be avoided by applying spray foam insulation directly to the wager board and between truss ends. As noted by Mr. Ask, the problem is primarily due to airborne moisture migrating through the fiberglass and coming in contact with half in. thick wafer board which is exposed to exterior temperatures.
Spray foam insulation (ozone-safe, water-blown, 1/2 lb. foam) applied directly to the truss will not have this problem because it will fit the contours of the truss perfectly, adhere to it and prevent airborne moisture coming in contact with the wafer board. Foam is 30 to 40 times less air permeable than a fiberglass batt. The almost impossible challenge of tightly sealing around floor joists is avoided with the use of foam because the vapor barrier is only required to retard vapor diffusion, not to prevent air infiltration.
Graeme Kirkland
Icynen Inc.
Mississagua, Ontario
The article Weatherization Assistance: The Single Family Study, (HE Sept/Oct) should have reported that during 1989, 198,000 single-family or small multifamily homes were weatherized by the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), resulting in a total (estimated) savings of nearly 3.5 trillion Btu during the first year after weatherization. Assuming there are 5.8 million Btu per barrel of oil, the program saved the equivalent of 601,000 barrels of oil during 1990-1992. The table listing nonenergy impacts of WAP should have appeared as follows:
Value of the Type of nonenergy impact impact per dwelling ______________________________________________________________ Increased property value $126 Reduced incidence of fire $3 Reduced arrearages $32 Federal taxes generated from direct employment $55 Income generated from indirect employment $506 Avoided costs of unemployed benefits $82 Environmental externalities $172 ______________________________________________________________ TOTAL $976 In the article What Stays On When You Go Out (HE Jul/Aug '93), a sentence under the subheading, Refrigerators should say the thermostat should be set to the lowest possible temperature to achieve better efficiency.
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Boy, when I get on a kick, I really get on a kick [see my search for the best possible Middle Eastern wrap (spoiler alert: I found it) or my infatuation with apple cake].
Obviously, the latest craze in Graceland is filled cupcakes.
Because pie filling is so easy to make and use and because of the nearly-unparalleled success of my apple pie, strawberry pie, and blueberry pie versions, I felt the need to include cherry pie too. After all, we don't want to discriminate against any of the pie-appropriate fruits, now do we?!
The cupcake recipe here is one that Martha and her crew created using rhubarb. Clearly, rhubarb is way out of season now, and I prefer cherries anyway. The innards consist of homemade pie filling, which I spruced up with a little orange juice and zest. To match that citrus zing, I tossed a little orange zest into the buttercream frosting as well.
All modesty aside (whether legitimate or feigned), this is another slam dunk. The cupcakes are light yet sturdy enough to support the cherries and the filling, and the frosting is smooth and vibrant, thanks to the added zest.
For a similar but much more healthful use of cherries, check out my post on the Key Ingredient blog!
Cheery Cherry Pie Cupcakes
(based on a batch from Martha)
(makes about 16)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
2 cups cherries, pitted (frozen is fine)
cherry pie filling, homemade or store-bought
Orange buttercream:
2 cups (16 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
orange zest from one orange
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until combined after each. Stir in cherries. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
To make the frosting, with an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy. Add vanilla and zest, and beat until frosting is smooth.
To fill the cupcakes, carve out a cone-shaped hole (and immediately eat the cone)(after adding frosting to it, of course) and carefully spoon the pie filling inside. Apply frosting generously to cupcakes and devour.


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The 'Nasty Effect': How Comments Color Comprehension
What was once a democratic forum for opinion and information has been reduced to a feeding frenzy. No, not Congress. We're talking about the comments section. Web-savvy news junkies have known for a long time that reader feedback can often turn nasty. Now, a new study finds that just reading that uncivil discourse can change the way we interpret the news. The study comes from this month's Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication by five researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and George Mason University.
So if you write for the web, do you keep your commenters in mind as you write? 800-989-8255. Email us: email@example.com. You can also join the conversation at our website. That's at npr.org, click on TALK OF THE NATION. Dominique Brossard is a professor in the department of life sciences communication at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, co-author of the first study looking at the so-called nasty effect. She joins us from WPR in Madison. Nice to have you with us today.
DOMINIQUE BROSSARD: Thanks for having me.
CONAN: And did it come as a surprise to find that opinion on an article changed if someone wrote "that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of" at the end of it?
BROSSARD: Well, there's been some concern about uncivility and, you know, the fact that people tend to be rude on the online environment for quite a long time. But as far as the effect of the comments themselves being rude in changing the perception of the issue covering the study, yes, we investigated this from an open-minded perspective and we were surprised to see that what we use as rude comments, which as one of the news reporters that covered our study said - as reported to the online environment was quite tame, you know, like name calling such as idiot or things like that, were enough to actually change, you know, the perception of the story. So what we use as uncivil comments, were actually quite tame. So if those have an effect, then the question is what happen when people are much more outrageous in their way of behaving online.
CONAN: So you tested for this by writing a spurious article and then people read it without comments and people read it with nasty comments.
BROSSARD: No, not exactly, actually. What we did is that we wrote a balanced news story about something complicated, an emerging technology, nanosilver, that can have some risks and some benefits. And we wrote this with a science writer to make sure that, you know, we would not pushing more the risk or the benefits related to the issue. And then we had more than 1,000 Americans, a representative sample, look at this story. Half of the sample saw the story plus comments that were actually quite polite. And then the other half of the sample saw the same story but with the comments that were, you know, followed by name calling. So the same comments but just name calling and just rudeness, you know, overall in the comments.
So basically what we saw is people that were exposed to the polite comments didn't change their views really about the issue covered in the story versus the people that did see the rude comments became polarized, they became more against the technology that was covered in the story. And again, remember, like everybody saw the same story. So it was really the fact that you had that name-calling that, you know, that really out-of-the-board type of behavior that made a difference.
CONAN: As you said, the nasty comments you included were not all that nasty as far as the Web is concerned, and nanosilver, I have to say, is not as controversial a subject as, say, abortion or gun rights or for that matter, climate change.
BROSSARD: Yes. Exactly and that's a good point. We did choose nanosilver. We are interested in emerging technologies. How can people make sense of complicated issues and that have multiple dimensions, that not just about oh, I'm against or for this because my values tell me that that's not OK, right? But if you think of complex issues such as, let's say, foreign policy or, you know, the economy or you just mentioned climate change, that are complicated - you know, they have different dimension: social dimension, technical dimension, legal dimension, ethical dimension. So how do people make sense of this kind of complicated issue? And we know in communication research that people - all of us, we use mental shortcut to make sense of things that are complicated, right, because we cannot know everything about everything.
So we need to have an anchor to make sense of this. And it seems that rudeness and incivility is used as a mental shortcut to make sense of those complicated issues. So as you say, Neal, and it's a good point, this is likely to happen for other issues such as climate change, for example, that are also very complicated and have different dimensions.
CONAN: So how do we deal with this? What do we do?
BROSSARD: You know, I wish I could answer that question. I think what we do is like we all put our heads around the issue and try to find a way, all of us, you know, that are involved in journalism, communication, online communication, and that actually we believe that it's important, as you do in your show by having callers call and be part of the conversation. It's important to have that conversation. But how do we foster a constructive conversation? And I think what we need to define now on the, you know, like on the Web, what is a good conversation? What are the things that are allowed socially? Also, as an audience, what do we let happen there?
Because what happen right now is, you know, as I sense elsewhere, it seems to be like the Wild West. The trolls are winning. Now people, you know, they are used to see people being very outrageous in those comments, and then they won't comment because they don't want to be, you know, included in this type of discussion. So I think we need to really move towards how can we moderate those comments in a way that's good for everybody?
CONAN: So we want to hear from those of you involved in online communications. How do you deal with flamers or, well, do you anticipate their comments and adjust your articles accordingly? Give us a call: 800-989-8255. Email us: email@example.com. We'll start with Brett, and Brett's on the line with us from Phoenix.
BRETT: Yeah, hi. Very interesting. I have been commenting mostly at the New York Times on many of the stories that I read, especially in the opinion section. And for example, I just read Paul Krugman's very good article, I believe, in the last day. And I find that it adds layers of depth to the overall opinion piece or article that I don't get in the article itself in many cases. And I've been reading these comments for a number of years.
I would like to say one thing, though. I kind of disagree with the person on the show to say that we have to, quote, foster or moderate. I think this is a reality of today's online, and I don't see how it's any different than going to a town meeting where you might have a few hecklers and people in the audience. But still, the conversation goes on and information can be exchanged. So I'll take my answer off the air.
CONAN: Just a comment, Brett. I think that the New York Times and other places, too, will have people remove comments that are considered offensive.
BROSSARD: Exactly.
BRETT: Right. And I don't think they have to be heavily edited or moderated. I do want to hear divergent points of view, and I appreciate that.
CONAN: OK. That's a different point and, I think, a good one. Dominique Brossard?
BROSSARD: Yes, indeed. And I hope, you know, I won't be misunderstood, really not my intention to suggest that we need to heavily edit comments, and I do believe, indeed, that you can have an excellent, you know, comments that follow an article and bring a lot to the conversation. As a matter of fact, we had - a colleague of mine had an opinion editorial in the New York Times last Sunday, and you know, like, the readers brought amazing good points that really added value to our piece.
Unfortunately, it's not always the case. And to give you another example, our research was covered in the Journal Sentinel here in Milwaukee, and we got some comments that were totally disconnected to the topic of the article and were, you know, borderline offensive. So every newspaper, every media organization has, you know, different ways to deal with this. And the question is, and I agree with your caller, where you do you draw the line? You don't want to be censoring opinions, but you don't want to allow, neither, points that are, you know, out of topic and that are offensive to the other people that are discussing.
CONAN: Let's get Mike on the line. Mike's on the line with us from Cape Cod.
MIKE: Good afternoon.
CONAN: Good afternoon.
MIKE: I'm an editor of a website about Earth science. And one of the things that we do is we try to edit out comments, delete comments that don't advance the conversation. I don't necessarily mean ones that are disagreeing with the point of view or, in the case of science, you'll get people who are denying the science. We don't necessarily even weed those out. But the things that are nasty, that are uninformative, that are just sort of someone's making it up, we just go out of our way and nip those comments in the bud. They're not advancing the conversation. And just because you have a First Amendment right to have freedom of speech does not mean you have a First Amendment right to express that speech on my website.
CONAN: I understand that, too, but doesn't this take up a fair amount of time?
MIKE: It can. That's what the delete button is for.
CONAN: I see. OK. But as there are other journals and other publications that are not - don't have editors like you to say, well, I don't know. Maybe this one, maybe not that one.
MIKE: Yes. I mean, that's the problem. But I think it's an obligation. If you're going to open up the conversation online, you need to be prepared to moderate it and to stay engaged with it. A lot of - where a lot of sites go wrong, whether it's at federal agencies or at newspapers, is that they open this up and then they let the free-for-all happen, and then they wonder why it goes wrong. If you're going to have - if you can't manage the conversation, you shouldn't open the conversation. Just don't take comments.
CONAN: Just as a question of technique, do you respond to, you know, commenters' questions? I mean, for example, if they ask a factual question, would you say "the answer is 476, Ed" or something like that?
MIKE: Yes, we will do it. We've been known to make corrections or make adjustments or additions to a story and note that, that readers pointed that out.
CONAN: So there is a hint that there is an intelligence there that is moderating the conversation.
MIKE: Yes, absolutely. And we owe that to the readers. It's not easy. It's not - it does take time, but it - that's our responsibility, if you're going to have a conversation. That makes it two-way. Otherwise, you're just talking at people.
CONAN: Mike, thanks very much for the call, appreciate it.
MIKE: Thank you.
CONAN: We're talking with Dominique Brossard, a professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and one of the authors of a new study in this month's Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication on the online nasty effect. You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.
And Howard's on the line, Howard calling from San Antonio.
HOWARD: Yes, hi. I just was going to comment and say that I have a site, and it's a soccer site. It's americanizesoccer.com. And with a name like that, you can imagine that there's a lot of people who disagree and are very upset that here I am stating some of the rules in soccer may need to change and - for Americans to like the game better. So I know ahead of time that people are not going to agree with what I'm saying.
But what I try to do and because I've had so many people comment and so - the trolls that you talk about - people just out there just make horrible comments just for the heck of it, I try to be as clear, concise. I try to make common sense. And in the end, people are going to disagree, but at least I can feel good about the fact that I've written the article to try to explain exactly why, and the Americanized soccer is a thing that we should look for, for the future in soccer.
CONAN: Well, I don't - I will not agree or disagree about Americanized soccer, but I will appreciate your difficulties in writing about something that people, as you suggest, feel so passionately about. So I don't envy your editing tasks.
HOWARD: Exactly. And thank you for allowing me to comment.
CONAN: Thanks very much, Howard. And let's see if we go next to - this is...
BROSSARD: Neal, if I can say something.
CONAN: Go ahead, please.
BROSSARD: I think it's important to keep in mind, I think your callers, you know, it was great to hear that they wanted to establish a fruitful conversation with their readership. But I think the point that you brought up earlier, which is related to the volume, is extremely important. I mean, how can you deal like - our opinion editorial in the New York Times, you know, had 400 comments after two hours. So they just stopped allowing, you know, those comments to be posted.
So the problem is really a question of human power, or how can you deal with this? And I think that's where we are right now. And you do have different companies that are trying to develop different ways of having automated ways of moderating the comments, you know, but this is complicated. You need to have intelligent algorithms that let you, you know, still keep the essence of the conversation and not be too harsh in eliminating the ones that do not feed the flow, for example.
CONAN: Here's a tweet from Jessie Hudgens: "I try to engage with trolls. Often, gentle pushback can lead to concessions and convert rants into fruitful debate." And again, that's the moderated question, but what if you got 400 of them? And that's the point that Dominique Brossard just made. Matisse is on the line calling from San Francisco.
MATISSE: Hi, there. So I have about 25 years of experience in online discussion forums because I started using and eventually became an employee of and then continue to use a system called The WELL, which was one of the early online discussion systems. And my comments or observation is that a technique that is not a silver bullet but has tremendous value is to not allow anonymous commentary.
So, for example, if people must use their real name and it is linked to, say, their zip code, if there's a national or international forum, and backed by the use of a credit card, not that they have to pay in order to make a comment, but that it's backed to a real verified identity, that it helps a lot. Obviously, NPR uses, like, a much more - higher-cost technique of screening every caller...
CONAN: Yes.
MATISSE: ...before they're allowed on the air. And you can't do that if you're getting 400 in two hours. But if you restrict comments to people who are publicly identified by their real name and do not allow anonymous...
CONAN: And I don't mean to cut you off, Matisse, I just wanted to give Dominique Brossard a chance to respond. Is the cloak of anonymity a problem here?
BROSSARD: Well, actually, it does help to some extent to have, you know, way to link the commenter to some kind of identity. But it's not foolproof either. And, for example, that news story I was commenting on, that generated a lot of nasty comments for our own, you know, study, you had to actually log in with your Facebook account to this.
CONAN: Ah.
BROSSARD: So - and still we got a fair number of the - we got more than 170 comments, so our numbers are very good. Ones, you know - when I say good, it's like either they disagree or agree, but in, you know, constructive terms. And we still got the nasty ones. So let's say that didn't prevent the trolls from invading our space.
CONAN: And, Matisse, thanks very much. As you suggest, not a silver bullet, but perhaps helpful. Our guest was Dominique Brossard, co-author of a new study on the Web's nasty effect. She joined us from Wisconsin Public Radio in Madison, and we thank her very much for her time. Tomorrow, doctors work through on pot prescriptions. Join us for that. I'm Neal Conan, it's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News.
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text:
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This user is over 18.
"Joeltron dot com "
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10/11/2007 | 15 comments
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Had a pretty rough night last night in the shop. I was left wondering my motivations to work so hard to be in this industry.
Luckily I have some great friends that slapped me around a bit and put everything into perspective.
I spent the night drinking and drawing. Came up with a bunch of new designs, deleted most of them but I did some I sorta liked with some text concepts.
Goin' for a ride today to see Matt, should be fun. I needed something to look forward to, I think we both do actually. I wonder when I get my busted Tom-Tom back from the shops.. hmnn.. I'm horrible at navigation without it.
Greatly looking forward to suspending again in the next couple weeks with Jake and co in Newcastle. I need to focus on good stuff around me and in my horizon to get me through this dip.
Wonder why I always feel like shit around my birthday, the thought of getting older doesn't worry me - perhaps its from the sugar withdrawals after overdosing on Toblerone.
Ordered my "GEEK" license plates today, they should be made and ready for me within 4 weeks (or so the RTA said). I got black with silver lettering, it's gonna look pretty fucking phat.
Before I forget, all welcome two new members (and sisters) to iam.
Mel (iam:OandXs)
Sam (iam:Invader Sam).
They are both rad chix with some pretty sweet mods, drop em a line.
Days like this make me thank my friends, family and especially Renee who seems to always make me feel much better when ever shes around. Speaking of we start looking for new places soon. It'll be great to wake up every morning next to her.
I need to update from my birthday stuffs soon, but for now enjoy my first "Guess What" photo.
Click to enlarge. Non iam users can right click & 'view image' to view larger. Click on the 'GUESS WHAT' for full view (iamers only).
'Power Symbol' Implant
Modtrackerview all
848 headshots.
2/6/2012 @3:56 p.m.: Milgram (NASHUA) via /iam/joeltron/
2/6/2012 @1:16 p.m.: Republik (New Haven, CT 06511) via /iam/joeltron/?page_profile.journals=2
2/6/2012 @1:13 p.m.: Jormungand (BORAS) via /iam/media/joeltron/photo/2216984?ref_gallery=iam_profile-1
2/6/2012 @10:25 a.m.: xRonix (LONDON) via /iam/joeltron/?page_profile.journals=2
2/5/2012 @8:51 p.m.: youarec (TRIER) via /iam/media/joeltron/photo/3296814?ref_gallery=iam_profile-1
2/5/2012 @6:44 p.m.: yngv (LONDON) via /iam/joeltron/?page_profile.journals=10
2/5/2012 @1:40 p.m.: varg-1 (oslo) via /iam/joeltron/
2/4/2012 @6:24 a.m.: creer (yokohama,JP) via /iam/Joeltron/
2/4/2012 @2:04 a.m.: redjet (MELBOURNE) via /iam/joeltron/
2/1/2012 @7:51 a.m.: tallman (GALAX) via /iam/media/joeltron/iam_profile-1/


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DeTour girls take EUP Conference lead
DeTOUR — The DeTour Raiders remained unbeaten and took over sole possession of first place in the Eastern U.P. Conference Friday night.
Relying on defense in a tight game, the Raiders rallied past Pickford 33-24 in an EUPC girls basketball game at the Richard Roan Gym.
Lindsay Grzesiek and Alyssa Anderson led the way with 11 and 10 points respectively for the Raiders (7-0 overall, 3-0 EUPC).
The Raiders took control of the game with a 19-1 run during an eight-minute stretch between the third and fourth quarters.
"It was typical EUP Conference basketball," DeTour coach James Geyer said. "It was a matter of somebody stepping up in the second half. We kept our composure and our defense turned it around."
The Panthers were limited to just three points in the fourth quarter. Oliva Smith scored 12 points for the Panthers (6-4, 2-1).
The Raiders still found a way to win even after their leading scorer Nicole Bouwma fouled out with just over five minutes remaining. Anderson, the Raiders' senior point guard, was the catalyst in breaking the press and setting up her teammates for good shots down the stretch.
"They threw everything at her (Anderson) but the kitchen sink," Geyer said. "If it wasn't for her, we would have been in serious trouble. She really got the job done for us. That's why she's one of the best point guards in the area."
Neither team could muster much offense in the first half, and the Panthers led 11-7 at intermission.
Sierra Johnson and Taylor Miller were the next leading scorers for Pickford with three points each.
"It was an ugly game," Pickford coach Paul Griffin said. "We just didn't play with any intensity in the second half and we couldn't make a shot. We couldn't hit the lake if we were standing on the dock."
Pickford will be at home against Newberry Tuesday, while DeTour visits Brimley on Jan. 18.
DeTOUR 5 2 15 11 — 33
PICKFORD — Smith 12, Rambo 2, McCord 2, Johnson 3, Wondergem 2, Miller 3. FT: 10-23; F: 15.
DeTOUR — Anderson 10, Bouwma 4, Hoffman 6, Grzesiek 11, Reed 2. FT: 4-9; F: 18; 3PFG: 3 (Grzesiek 2, Anderson 1).


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Hong Kong: HANG SENG INDEX (.HSI) now trades at 99% of book value
A month into one of the fastest global market meltdowns in recent history, investors aren't willing to pay more than liquidation value for stocks in Hong Kong.
The 50-member Hang Seng Index now trades at 99% of book value, a level only seen twice before in data compiled by Bloomberg going back to 1993.
That means traders are pricing firms' assets at less than than their stated worth, something that last happened in 2016. The gauge last week entered its second bear market in as many years.
The prospect that the virus outbreak may send the global economy into recession is adding to the fragile sentiment in Hong Kong, where the economy was already on a downturn due to last year's protests.
The city's stock market may also be paying the price for being highly liquid and widely owned, making it vulnerable to volatility shocks in the US or Europe.
After a 4% slump to start the week, the Hang Seng Index was relatively steady yesterday as US stock-index futures jumped. Investors in Hong Kong have been boosting their hedges and preparing for further losses, with short selling on Monday accounting for about 18% of total turnover on Hong Kong's main board.
That's the highest proportion in more than six months.
About half of the companies listed on the Hang Seng Index trade below book value, with Swire Pacific Ltd – which controls embattled airline Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. — the cheapest with a ratio of just 0.31.
Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd remain expensive with a price-to-book ratio of almost 7.3, though that's still down from a February high of 8.9.
In 2016, Hong Kong stocks fell below the value of their net assets amid concerns over capital outflows and China's economic slowdown. But reaching the milestone could also signal that the worst may soon be over for Hong Kong: when it happened in 2016, the index went on to rally about 80% in two years.
The Hang Seng measure's relative-strength index remained below 30 for a fourth day Tuesday, a signal that selling may have gone too far and too fast.
Technical Indicators
Overall, the bias in prices is: Downwards.
Note: this chart shows extraordinary price action to the downside.
By the way, prices are vulnerable to a correction towards 26,146.87.
The projected upper bound is: 23,427.36.
The projected lower bound is: 20,918.91.
The projected closing price is: 22,173.13.
A big black candle occurred. This is bearish, as prices closed significantly lower than they opened. If the candle appears when prices are "high," it may be the first sign of a top. If it occurs when prices are confronting an overhead resistance area (e.g., a moving average, trendline, or price resistance level), the long black candle adds credibility to the resistance. Similarly, if the candle appears as prices break below a support area, the long black candle confirms the failure of the support area.
During the past 10 bars, there have been 4 white candles and 6 black candles for a net of 2 black candles. During the past 50 bars, there have been 26 white candles and 24 black candles for a net of 2 white candles.
Momentum Indicators
Momentum is a general term used to describe the speed at which prices move over a given time period. Generally, changes in momentum tend to lead to changes in prices. This expert shows the current values of four popular momentum indicators.
Stochastic Oscillator
One method of interpreting the Stochastic Oscillator is looking for overbought areas (above 80) and oversold areas (below 20). The Stochastic Oscillator is 16.5785. This is an oversold reading. However, a signal is not generated until the Oscillator crosses above 20 The last signal was a buy 3 period(s) ago.
Relative Strength Index (RSI)
The RSI shows overbought (above 70) and oversold (below 30) areas. The current value of the RSI is 20.15. This is where it usually bottoms. The RSI usually forms tops and bottoms before the underlying security. A buy or sell signal is generated when the RSI moves out of an overbought/oversold area. The last signal was a buy 6 period(s) ago.
Commodity Channel Index (CCI)
The CCI shows overbought (above 100) and oversold (below -100) areas. The current value of the CCI is -135.This is an oversold reading. However, a signal isn't generated until the indicator crosses above -100. The last signal was a buy 11 period(s) ago.
The Moving Average Convergence/Divergence indicator (MACD) gives signals when it crosses its 9 period signal line. The last signal was a sell 17 period(s) ago.
Rex Takasugi – TD Profile
HANG SENG INDEX closed down -971.910 at 22,291.820. Volume was 125% above average (neutral) and Bollinger Bands were 149% wider than normal.
Open High Low Close Volume___
Technical Outlook
Short Term: Oversold
Intermediate Term: Bearish
Long Term: Bearish
Moving Averages: 10-period 50-period 200-period
Close: 24,554.02 26,953.99 27,039.22
Volatility: 45 31 23
Volume: 3,686,678,272 2,192,521,472 1,733,086,208
Short-term traders should pay closer attention to buy/sell arrows while intermediate/long-term traders should place greater emphasis on the Bullish or Bearish trend reflected in the lower ribbon.
HANG SENG INDEX is currently 17.6% below its 200-period moving average and is in an downward trend. Volatility is extremely high when compared to the average volatility over the last 10 periods. There is a good possibility that volatility will decrease and prices will stabilize in the near term. Our volume indicators reflect moderate flows of volume out of .HSI (mildly bearish). Our trend forecasting oscillators are currently bearish on .HSI and have had this outlook for the last 35 periods. Our momentum oscillator is currently indicating that .HSI is currently in an oversold condition.


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Sjogren's Syndrome Center - Hicksville, NY
Hicksville Rheumatologist Doctors and Specialists for Sjogren's Syndrome
Type of Physician: Rheumatologist
What is a Rheumatologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners treat diseases of the joints, muscles, bones, and tendons. The rheumatologist diagnoses and treats arthritis, back pain, muscle strains, common athletic injuries, etc. The rheumatologist may work closely with other specialists such as orthopaedic surgeons and physical therapists.
Specialty: Rheumatology
Common Name:
Rheumatologist Doctors in Hicksville, NY
Sjogren's Syndrome
Sjögren's syndrome facts
- Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disease of salivary and tear glands.
- Sjögren's syndrome involves inflammation of glands and other tissues of the body.
- Most pati...
Other Related Sjogren's Syndrome Articles
- In case of Emergency, call 911
Nearby Hicksville, NY Hospitals
Note: Clicking on a hospital will take you to Google Maps.
* Provider Directory Terms of Use:
The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval.
You are prohibited from using, downloading, republishing, selling, duplicating, or "scraping" for commercial or any other purpose whatsoever, the Provider Directory or any of the data listings or other information contained therein, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever.
The Provider Directory is provided on an "AS-IS" basis. WebMD disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, WebMD does not warrant or represent that the Provider Directory or any part thereof is accurate or complete. You assume full responsibility for the communications with any Provider you contact through the Provider Directory. WebMD shall in no event be liable to you or to anyone for any decision made or action taken by you in the reliance on information provided in the Provider Directory.2
The use of WebMD Provider Directory by any entity or individual to verify the credentials of Providers is prohibited. The database of Provider information which drives WebMD Provider Directory does not contain sufficient information with which to verify Provider credentials under the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) of the Utilization Review Accreditation Committee (URAC).
By using the WebMD Provider Directory, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.


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Richard Kegler
- Website
- http://www.p22.com
Born: Buffalo, NY, 1965
Richard Kegler is the senior partner and founder of P22 type foundry. For years before P22 became a 'real' type designing entity, Mr. Kegler had been involved in various aspects of the book arts ranging from hand-binding and hand printing to hypertext. His varied interest in the history and processes of art and design initially seemed to have little in common with interests in up-and-coming technologies, but more and more there seemed to be much common ground that could be found. This meeting of old and new has become the premise of P22's collection of fonts. With so much history overlooked and so much potential for new technologies, Mr. Kegler sees no limit to future projects.


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Salt Lake Portrait Artist Call 801-708-4687 perfectportraitpainting com
Here is my review on how to get CUSTOM Portrait Paintings, Dog Painting, etc from photo: 1. Find the #1 Artist for quality at a reasonable price (link below for Utah Artist) 2. Review all current oil artwork and other media (digital oil etc) for quality and find out about cheap paintings commissioned, etc 3. Send a photo and get a free consultation – they are always willing to chat! 4. Check all reviews and testimonials, online tutorials, forums, etc to ensure 100% Satisfaction Easiest thing would be to visit Emily Tjomsland's website and see what she is up to. Her work is AMAZING and remarkable. Emily's art is one of a kind. Her gift for finding what is beautiful in people transforms a canvas into remarkable heirlooms. She cultivated her talent for realism via her academic and professional portrait painting experience. She is best known for digital and oil painting mediums. Emily has been invited to Judge oil artwork at Arts Festivals and other competitions and she currently offers custom work from her studio in Utah. Emily offers a variety of commissioned work including portrait paintings, digital art, book covers, etc. OIL PAINTINGS & DIGITAL PAINTINGS Our clients choose Emily primarily for Digital Oil Paintings and she is happy to also consult on oils. There are some important differences. Digital oil is painted in Coral Painter with a tablet and the end product looks magnificent on stretched canvas. Our clients prefer digital portraiture because of the vibrant colors and ease of reproduction on canvas. It also allows for more accuracy and faster turnaround due to the ability to easily change inaccuracies. Emily ensures each client is fully satisfied with their portrait before she finishes it on canvas. With traditional oils the finished canvas is slightly less vibrant because the more colors that are added the darker the painting and the "muddier" the painting tends to be. Conversely, the more color added to digital oil the more vibrant it becomes. Digital paintings are Emily's primary love for so many reasons. If you have not yet experienced the remarkable quality of a digital oil portrait painting we would highly recommend it. Feel free to read about the creative process -- Must See Portfolio! Visit her website to submit your photo for a free consultation on your future custom portrait painting. www.perfectportraitpainting.com


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The issue of marketing good to children is a tricky one for food companies, whose profit margins depend on being able to woo young customers, but whose public relations concerns require them to advocate healthier eating for kids. Three weeks ago, eleven of America's biggest food and drink companies announced that they would adopt rules to limit advertising to children under the age of 12, including not using popular movie characters in connection with unhealthy products. This move anticipated an FTC hearing that sought to increase pressure on food companies to address the child obesity epidemic through responsible marketing. The McDonald's spokesperson at the hearing claimed that McDonald's would market only healthy foods to children under 12.
Despite this voluntary agreement to limit their marketing through some mediums, companies are not abandoning the children's market. At a recent conference, major food companies gathered to hear tips from marketing specialists about how to work around limitations on marketing in England, where new regulation has sharply cut down on television commercials. Alternative tactics focus on the internet and cell phones, finding ways to encourage children to market products to their friends through games and contests.
The strong power of marketing extends beyond persuading a child to choose one kind of food over another. New Scientist reports on a study conducted by Dina Borzekowski at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health in Baltimore and her colleagues, funded by Stanford University, which looked at the effect of McDonald's packaging on pre-schoolers' perception of the taste of food. Children said that food wrapped in McDonalds packaging tasted better than food that was not wrapped in the packaging, despite the fact that the two food samples were identical (and both from McDonalds). From the child's perspective, she is simply choosing the food that tastes better. However, the study indicates that the McDonalds logo is generating that perception.
* * *
Fast food branding makes children prefer happy meals
by Roxanne Khamsi
Fast food branding really does make food more appetising to children. A study has revealed that pre-school kids prefer foods wrapped in McDonalds packaging over the same snacks wrapped in unmarked packaging.
The finding gives all the more reason to limit the marketing of fast foods to youngsters, say the researchers who conducted the study. But they also add that it suggests that powerful branding could help sell more nutritious healthy foods to a generation of increasingly overweight kids.
Dina Borzekowski at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health in Baltimore, Maryland, US, and her colleagues asked 63 preschoolers, aged three to five, to sample two meals, each consisting of a chicken nugget, a quarter of a hamburger, french fries, two baby carrots and a small cup of milk.
Although both meals came from a local McDonalds, only one of them appeared in its original packaging. Researchers presented items from the other meal in plain wrappers, which lacked the company's distinctive logo.
In most cases children said they tasted a difference between the two meals, and they overwhelmingly preferred the McDonalds-branded foods.
Commercial influence
For example, 76 per cent favoured the fries presented in the branded packaging, compared with 13 per cent who liked the unbranded fries better. And while 60 per cent of the children preferred the McDonalds-branded chicken nuggets, only 10 per cent favoured the nuggets presented in plain wrapping.
"It's no surprise that branding works," says Borzekowski. "What's interesting about these results is to see how strongly it affects the three- to five-year-olds."
The study also found that children in homes with more televisions were more likely to show a preference for the branded meal, suggesting that fast-food commercials exert a strong influence.
"It just shows how difficult it is for parents to fight the battle alone," says Kathryn Montgomery, an expert on children and media at American University in Washington DC.
Experts have estimated that the food and beverage industries spend more than $10 billion each year to market products to US children. "They could just as easily use marketing to support parents in their efforts to feed kids a healthy diet," says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest based in Washington DC.
Healthy Alternative
Borzekowski points out that the children in the study were twice as likely to prefer the McDonalds-branded carrots as the plain-packaged ones. This suggests that marketing savvy could perhaps convince youngsters to make healthful choices. Some companies have already begun experimenting with this tactic by using Mickey Mouse cartoons to sell sliced fruit and placing Curious George stickers on bananas.
Last month McDonalds announced it would shift its advertising targeted to children under the age of 13 to focus on the 375-calorie Happy Meal, which it says meets current dietary standards outlined by the government.
Nutritionists hope that curbing fast-food television ads will help reverse the obesity epidemic among youngsters. But new forms of cellphone and internet marketing mean that adolescents are increasingly exposed to junk-food ads. "My guess is that the effects [of ads] might even increase with time," says Thomas Robinson at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in California, who co-authored the new study with Borzekowski.
Journal reference: Archives of Pediatrics (vol 161, p792-797)
Limiting marketing to children on certain mediums like television during popular children's shows may not go far enough in addressing the situation that fosters dangerous eating habits. McDonald's has said that the only Happy Meals it will promote to children will be healthier options that contain fruit. However, if the brand itself causes kids to think that the food tastes better, then whether or not the company markets specific products to kids may not matter as much. Regulating the effects of this situation may prove to be far more difficult than anticipated.
For a sample of other Situationist posts about the effects of advertising on consumers see Banner Ads Really Work,The Big Game: What Corporations Are Learning About the Human Brain,and Another Reason Not To Watch Drug Commercials. For an excellent book detailing the food industry's odious methods of marketing to kids, see Susan Linn's "Consuming Kids." Click here for a recent New York Times article about Kellogg's announcement that it would phase out advertising certain products to young children (apparently, though not explicitly, in response to the threat of lawsuits).


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Every August, millions of young adults matriculate to colleges and universities across the country. A good number of them will put on weight during their first-year. Many will appear noticeably heavier–and we're not talking about added muscle, either.
This phenomenon is sometimes called the "Freshman 15," and suggests that first-year college students tend to put on about 15 pounds over the course of their first year. The Freshman 15 has been attributed to a host of situational explanations, including increased access to alcohol, peer pressure to consume the alcohol, more demanding classes and heightened expectations for studying, continuous exposure to unhealthy foods in college cafeterias, the prevalence of low-cost, fast food restaurants in and around campus, and the late night studying- or partying-induced "midnight munchies," where a student has stayed up too late and craves food, with Dominoes Pizza and the like catering to their hunger needs into the wee hours of the morning.
Some believe that the Freshman Fifteen is exaggerated. Nutrition Professors Alison Duncan and Janis Randall Simpson of the University of Guelph, for instance, recently published a study finding that at least among female first-year students at their university (which is located in Ontario, Canada), the average weight gain is only 5 pounds. Yet other observers believe the Freshman Fifteen is quite true.
A new article by Steve Gershman and Hai-Jung Kim in the Tufts Observer examines the Freshman 15 through a survey of Tufts students. We excerpt portions of their article below.
* * *
A vast majority of students interviewed in an Observer survey set times for eating meals. In addition, many of them provided unprompted insights into their behavioral patterns. "I eat lunch around 12:30 and dinner around seven depending on classes," says senior Josh Yellin. Likewise, other students claimed that their class or work schedules were the most influential factors determining when they ate meals.
Robin Kanarek, a psychology professor at Tufts, says these abnormal eating habits are largely due to a "society of work," and how "people have set lives in our society" in terms of what is done at what times. In deciding when to eat, students maneuver around classes, part-time jobs, studying for tests, and extracurricular and other activities. Additionally, most students prefer to wake up as late as they can without sacrificing their commitments. Since eating breakfast is not considered a commitment, the majority of students surveyed said they eat only two meals each day. Every person who responded that he or she eats fewer than three meals a day also refrained from eating in the morning. However, breakfast is considered by medical professionals to be the most important meal of the day since it restores the glucose levels and essential nutrients necessary for the body to perform to its potential.
Prof. Kanarek provided a glimpse into a working person's life as being even more stringently regulated in terms of eating times. "Get up, go to breakfast, work, lunch at meetings," she says, noting that "dinner varies more than other meals." She contrasted this routine with eating patterns she observed in Africa. She studied a group of Bushmen — indigenous people of the Kalahari Desert — who "didn't go to work, but ate much more often than we do [and] in smaller proportions."
People's snacking habits depend, therefore, on the society in which they live and on their schedule. Because students are generally busy with classes, homework, errands, and extracurricular activities, they tend to eat infrequently and have large meals at the buffet-style dining halls.
* * *
There is an additional evolutionary basis to eating in groups. Prof. Karanek conducted a study with foods that smelled different. In her experiment, a rat ate a food that smelled like licorice or basil, while another rat stood watching. The rat that saw another rat eating licorice was more likely to eat licorice. Likewise, the rat that saw another rat eating basil was more likely to eat basil. Through observation, the rats learned something about each food and found out whether it was safe to ingest.
The study exemplifies the psychological term "mere exposure effect," in which simply sensing a person or thing brings it to the forefront of one's mind and therefore is more familiar and often consequently more desirable. The idea that choosing to eat one thing over another as a matter of life or death is far removed from our daily reality. But the next time we decide to eat ice cream after watching a friend eat ice cream, it is interesting to note that there may be millions of years of survival at play.
* * *
For the rest of the article, click here. For related Situationist articles on eating and food, click here.