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Dragon Issue #396
By Steve Winter
We're fine-tuning the crunch-vs-flavor mix, and we want to hear your reactions to the result.
By Bill Slavicsek
January is for making big plans and resolutions; February is for putting plans and resolutions into action.
Winning Races: Genasi of Athas
By Robert J. Schwalb (Updated 3/04/2011)
On Athas, the folk who call themselves the genasi are a people apart, content to struggle in the swirling dust storms of the Silt Sea and to take no part in the despotic regimes of the Tyr Region. But change is in the air. For the first time in memory, the half-elementals are journeying from their hidden redoubts to explore the lands they abandoned ages ago.
Bazaar of the Bizarre: Beast of Talgora
By Scott Gable
The Beast of Talgora was considered by some to be a progenitor of all the animals, and by others to be the culmination of animal form. Each of the six magical devices made from the beast's remains is a potent item brimming with primal magic. Together, they form a set of increasing power, and potentially with a mind of its own.
Unearthed Arcana: Fight or Flight
By Richard Baker
Cycling initiative in the turn order does many things well. There are, however, a few exceptions. It's difficult to extricate yourself from a losing battle, for example, or to call for a parley with the enemy, or even to accept an enemy's surrender. These simple rules variants make it easier to resolve a fight with something other than total annihilation.
Class Acts: Bards of Wolfstone
By Robert J. Schwalb
Frost giants, winter wolves, and other terrors that surge down from the glaciers make Wolfstone a harsh home. The hardships of life there affect more than just local customs. Primal energy suffuses this place, leading many users of arcane magic to also draw on the power of the primal spirits. Nowhere is this more apparent than with Wolfstone's bards.
Class Acts: Hierophant Druids
By Robert J. Schwalb (Updated 3/03/2011)
Stories persist of world-spanning orders of druids who stand fast against threats from beyond the world's bounds. Each is led by a Grand Druid who shapes the organization's agenda. The Hierophants view the world from a unique perspective. To them, the spirit world is indistinguishable from the larger and vastly more powerful world of primal energy itself.
Guilds & Groups: The Last Legion
By Robert J. Schwalb (Updated 2/15/2011)
Nerath is gone, but it lives on in the deeds of those inspired by its ideals. Heroes keep alive King Elidyr's vision for a brighter world. The greatest heroes among them might even earn a place among the surviving few who keep the signal fires burning for the day when the king returns and justice prevails once more. They are members of the Last Legion.
Confessions of a Full-Time Wizard
By Shelly Mazzanoble
D&D's "Player-in-Chief" shares her observations and insights on the game we all love.
D&D Alumni
By Bart Carroll
Take a trip through past editions of the D&D game, and see how its iconic features have evolved over the decades.
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Issue #430
Time really does go by when you're having fun—especially when it's playing D&D.
Issue #429
This month -- apparently, no one around here likes food.
Issue #428
This month, getting scared is a kick, even when it's all for pretend.
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ABA Free Career Advice Series is a monthly webinar series that offers practical tips on selected topics — some for seasoned lawyers and others for new lawyers or law students. Experienced career counselor Kathy Morris, an author and speaker at attorney career programs nationwide, will host the 45-minute webinar at 1 p.m. ET on the second Friday of each month.
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subset: commoncrawl


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By Nancy R. Elliott The Herald Bulletin
The Herald Bulletin
---- — ANDERSON – Madison County sits at the bottom of the heap when it comes to health behaviors.
For the second year in a row, the county came in dead last statewide in terms of things like smoking, obesity and physical activity in the County Health Rankings.
For Madison County Health Department director Steve Ford, it's an opportunity to raise awareness of the problems, and to build momentum toward solutions.
"We know what the problems are, but when you're going to change people's choices, it's very difficult," said Ford. "The solution is very complex and very involved."
The County Health Rankings are developed annually by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The data show that Madison County residents are on a downward health trend, one that Ford and others in the community would like to reverse.
"It's a long and slow process. We have to get the momentum going in that direction," said Ford.
Among the health behaviors the study looked at, virtually all are significantly worse in Madison County when compared to national benchmarks which reflect the 90th percentile.
The data show 37 percent of the Madison County adult population is obese, with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or above. Statewide that number is 31 percent, and the national benchmark is 25 percent.
"Obesity is increasing and increasing rather sharply," observed Ford.
The study determined that 30 percent of the county population smokes. Statewide that number is 24 percent, and the national benchmark is just 13 percent.
The percentage of persons aged 20 and above who get no leisure time physical activity is 34 percent. Statewide, 27 percent of the population is physically inactive. The national benchmark is 21 percent.
Other health behaviors where the county demonstrates higher rates are excessive drinking, motor vehicle crash death rate, teen birth rate, and sexually transmitted infections.
Causes are diverse
The county also took a step downward in terms of social and economic factors, sinking to 86 out of the 92 counties. In part, this reflects the rising level of child poverty in Madison County, also highlighted by the recently released Kids Count report developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The percentage of children 18 and under in Madison County living in poverty has shown a steady increase over the last three years to the current figure of 29 percent. Statewide, that figure is 23 percent. The national benchmark figure falls at only 14 percent.
On the bright side, the county fared a little better when it comes to availability of clinical care, placing 27 out of the 92 counties, despite the 17 percent of the county population which is uninsured.
"We have good doctors. We have ways to keep people well," said Ford. He noted that the county boasts three hospitals, and programs exist to help the uninsured.
Not surprisingly, the bottom line for the combination of health factors is a downward trend in outcomes. Madison County has slipped five spots, coming in at 80 out of the 92 counties. This reflects people who aren't living as long as they otherwise might, and people who are living with poor physical or mental health, as well as low birthweight babies.
The causes of the problems as well as the solutions are diverse and complicated, and they have not been ignored. Ford said a coalition called the Transformation Committee was established last year to look at the problems. It includes the county health department as well as Madison County Community Health Center, Community Hospital Anderson, St. Vincent Anderson, the Madison County Council of Governments, Intersect Inc., and state Sen. Tim Lanane. Madison Health Partners is a similar group that also embraces the business community in the problem solving process.
"They all want to be involved…. They are stakeholders," said Ford. The coalitions have identified problems and causes.
"It's been eye-opening. It's given us a reason to come together," said Kellie Kelley, public information officer at the health department.
She cited a number of factors that have contributed to the worsening health behaviors and outcomes including unstable economy, rural living, poor access to affordable, healthy food, ingrained cultural and social attitudes, and poor mental health.
Now, the groups will work with the Indiana State Department of Health to develop a strategic plan using evidence-based practices from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Members are set to get training in July. In the meantime, there are some initiatives already in place to help people combat poor health behaviors, but in the end, the initiative has to come from the individual.
"People have to want to change," said Ford. He said he's looking forward to having further communications with residents. He also encourages folks to follow helpful health department posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Like Nancy Elliott on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @NancyElliott_HB, or call 640-4805.


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Oklahoma City —
Motivated by a technical foul on his coach, Russell Westbrook took control of a tight game and provided the energy the Oklahoma City Thunder needed to pull away from the Portland Trail Blazers.
Kevin Durant had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Westbrook scored 21 points and fueled a key third-quarter spurt that helped Oklahoma City beat Portland 103-83 on Sunday night.
Serge Ibaka added 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting — all in the second half — for Oklahoma City (52-19), which made up ground on the San Antonio Spurs in the race for the Western Conference's top playoff spot. San Antonio (53-17) lost to Houston on Sunday and now is 11⁄2 games ahead of the Thunder.
Oklahoma City held Portland to 36 points in the second half, with only 15 of those coming in the fourth quarter.
"The defense really picked up as the game went along," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "Going into this game you knew that they had five guys that score almost 14 points or above so everybody had to do their job and guard tonight. I thought our defense was really good in the second half."
Damian Lillard scored 19 points for Portland (33-37), which finished 2-3 on a five-game road trip. The Blazers, who didn't score during the final six minutes, fell three games behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the race for the Western Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.
Brooks was called for a technical foul with 2:53 left in the third quarter and that seemed to spark Westbrook. Portland's Nicolas Batum made 2-of-3 free throws to tie the game 63-63, but a steal and dunk by Westbrook started a 10-2 run that put the Thunder ahead 73-65.
Westbrook assisted on a 14-foot jumper by Ibaka and capped the spurt with a three-point play. Westbrook finished with nine assists.
"Russell really changed the game with that two-to-three minute stretch, defensively and offensively, in the third quarter," Brooks said. "The game was still anybody's game and that gave us enough of a lead. We took it into the fourth quarter and then we did a great job of finishing the game by making shots and defending. We didn't give them any easy looks in the fourth quarter."


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By Charles Passy, MarketWatch
Radio Shack
Last night's most memorable Super Bowl commercials — from the "Puppy Love" Budweiser ad to the '80s-themed RadioShack spot — generated plenty of buzz .
But does any of that buzz translate into higher stock prices for the public companies behind those costly commercials?
Investment and advertising experts say it can, but a lot depends on the circumstances.
A well-executed ad can translate into stronger sales, which in turn can boost a company's bottom line — the key concern for most investors. But a smart ad, especially one that runs during such a high-profile event as the Super Bowl, can also reveal a company's true strategy and direction. And that may be more critical to investors, regardless of whether the ad moves more product off store shelves or showroom floors.
Which is why the RadioShack /quotes/zigman/260227/delayed/quotes/nls/rsh RSH -4.41% ad is being seen as such a significant bellwether. (And sure enough, shares of the electronics retailer, which has struggled in recent years to stay competitive, climbed more than 7% in today's morning trading.) The commercial played off the brand's lost-in-the-'80s reputation by inviting a host of '80s celebrities — from Hulk Hogan to Mary Lou Retton — to the party, so to speak. But the underlying message was clear: The brand is willing to spoof itself because it's also willing to move forward and embrace a new era of retailing.
"That ad announced to the world that management has its act together," says Tracy Tuten, a professor of marketing at East Carolina University and author of "Advertisers at Work."
But other Super Bowl ad champs may not get the same lift in stock prices, Tuten warns. That's because their ads may be more about reaffirming the brand image than redefining it. A case in point: That "puppy love" spot for Budweiser, the beer giant that's part of Anheuser-Busch InBev /quotes/zigman/558553/delayed/quotes/nls/bud BUD -0.0091% .
"That's what I would call a maintenance ad," says Tuten. "It's about not losing ground."
It's also worth keeping in mind that successful ads live beyond the Super Bowl. These days, commercials are as much an Internet phenomenon as a television one.
"An awesome advertisement will really help a company, especially if it goes viral," says Michael Chadwick, chief executive of Chadwick Financial Advisors in Unionville, Conn.
|Audi A3 "Doberhuahua"
|/quotes/zigman/143198/delayed XE:NSU
|Anheuser-Busch InBev
|Budweiser "Puppy Love"
|/quotes/zigman/558553/delayed/quotes/nls/bud BUD
|Coca-Cola "It's Beautiful"
|/quotes/zigman/222647/delayed/quotes/nls/ko KO
|Oikos yogurt "The Spill"
|/quotes/zigman/549217/delayed/quotes/nls/danoy DANOY
|General Mills
|Cheerios "Gracie"
|/quotes/zigman/227548/delayed/quotes/nls/gis GIS
|General Motors
|Chevrolet Silverado "Romance"
|/quotes/zigman/1466682/delayed/quotes/nls/gm GM
|Microsoft "Empowering"
|/quotes/zigman/20493/delayed/quotes/nls/msft MSFT
|Doritos "Time Machine"
|/quotes/zigman/238082/delayed/quotes/nls/pep PEP
|"The Phone Call"
|/quotes/zigman/260227/delayed/quotes/nls/rsh RSH
|"Sorry, Coke and Pepsi"
|/quotes/zigman/710745/delayed/quotes/nls/soda SODA
|"Tim Tebow"
|/quotes/zigman/16052823/delayed/quotes/nls/tmus TMUS
|"The Muppers and Terry Crews"
|/quotes/zigman/199376/delayed/quotes/nls/tm TM
|Walt Disney Co.
|"I'm Going to Disney World!"
|/quotes/zigman/245568/delayed/quotes/nls/dis DIS
But if a clever Super Bowl spot can help a company, does the reverse hold true for an ad that doesn't click? Investment and advertising pros say a commercial can indeed cause harm, especially given the huge cost ($4 million for a mere 30 seconds — and that's not factoring in the often equally large production and talent expenses).
"A company who spends over $4 million on an ad which falls significantly flat could ring a bell for us," says Robert Luna, chief investment officer for Surevest Wealth Management in Phoenix, and author of "A Good Financial Advisor Will Tell You.…"
That said, experts generally agree that in last night's Super Bowl ad lineup, there were no true stinkers — commercials that generate controversy to the point of tarnishing a brand's image. At worst, many spots were mildly amusing but failed to connect the pitch to the product. The Muppets-themed Toyota spot /quotes/zigman/199376/delayed/quotes/nls/tm TM -0.45% was seen as one such example — an ad worth a few chuckles but one that didn't really say much about Toyota. "It was a waste of money," says Tuten.
Then again, for companies as large as Toyota, the millions involved may not matter much. "It's budget dust," Tuten adds.
Also see:
A sneak peek at the 2014 Super Bowl ads


text:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam
said residents expect a decision on a healthcare exchange program in about a
Haslam addressed this question Tuesday as he fielded questions from Davidson County
Republicans as a deadline nears on how Tennessee will comply with a key facet of the new federal health care law.
"We're trying to figure out what the right answer for Tennessee is," said Haslam.
The healthcare exchange mandated by the Affordable
Care Act was a hot topic. A healthcare exchange is a marketplace where
individuals or companies with fewer than 100 employees can shop around for
health insurance from several companies.
The Haslam administration has been on the fence about whether it will recommend a state-run health insurance exchange or defer to the federal government to create the marketplace required under the law.
The Governor said his staff is still studying the issue, and trying to
decide which option serves Tennessee best. He has said he leans toward having more state control, but has criticized the federal government for not being able to divulge details about how much flexibility would be granted to the state.
"We have to know there's real
flexibility. It really is a state based
exchange and we have some authority over the key decisions. The other side is we have to understand if we
do that are they organized enough to really have the interchange you need between a
state based exchange and a federally run program," Haslam said.
Haslam said it appears Tennessee could run an exchange
cheaper than the federal government. He said the federal government would pay for setting up
the exchange.Then the cost of running either a federal exchange or
state exchange will be paid by the users and the cost will be added to the
"The implication is the state run
exchange will do the same thing, but we could probably do it cheaper,' he explained.
Tennessee is one of 10 states yet to make a decision on the matter. The deadline is December 14.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text: Make the next addition to your closet with one of Free People's comfortable and versatile tunics for women. Constructed with fabrics ranging from cotton and rayon to silk and suede, our tunics for women are bound to impress. They come in a variety of colors and lengths to fit any occasion. Choose from tanks or long sleeves to discover the perfect tunic for you. Free People's tunics for women can be worn with jeans for a casual daytime look, or paired with leggings and heels for a night out. Pick your favorite from our selection of regular fit tunics & long tunics to find the one that's right for your wardrobe.


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- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 04 September 2007 11:22
- Written by David Chambers
This major Chinese vendor offers a wide range of telecom infrastructure covering all major technologies and including radio and core network components. They overtook Ericsson to capture the largest global market share of mobile infrastructure in 2012 with strong growth in developing markets.
For several years, they offered a complete end-to-end femtocell solution using almost entirely their own in-house products. In 2012, they withdrew from residential femtocell applications, and concentrated their efforts on public access small cells to complement their macrocell sites. These AtomCell products are positioned to work seamlessly with their GigaCell macrocells as part of a comprehensive HetNet network.
Femtocell History
In 2008, the company offered an end-to-end femtocell solution including their own femtocell gateway and management system. Their femtocell products had very similar specifications to other femtocells, with residential units supporting 4 simultaneous voice or data sessions and larger enterprise femtocells supporting 16 concurrent calls. A more attractive set of physical designs shown on right was launched in 2009, which won a Femto Forum award in 2010. Little information about the technical specification was publicly disclosed on the internet.
Texas Instruments claimed Huawei as one of the vendors who based their early femtocell on TI's DSP chip.
Huawei position femtocells as one of the three solutions for indoor coverage, the others being DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems) and ePico (their higher capacity/larger indoor picocell solution).
Femtocell Deployments
Various commercial trials and deployments were announced around this time, with operators including Starhub Singapore, Mobilkom Austria, Vodafone and China Unicom among others.
A number of other enterprise and small residential femtocell deployments were rumoured, but this did not seem to be a major priority for the company, which withdrew from the femtocell market in 2011.
Gigasite and Atomcell family address large and small cell needs
Instead it offers a small cell product branded the Atomocell, with 2W RF power, primarily for use in public access purposes. The small cell will be available separately for 3G and LTE, with multi-mode products in the longer term. Broadcom announced their selection for Huawei's ePico small cell designs in 2012. This is part of its wider SingleRAN and Gigasite portfolio.
Read the ThinkSmallCell interview held during 2012 with Liu Ju, DIrector of Huawei Small Cell Product Line
In June 2013, Huawei unveiled a new TD-LTE small cell
Keep informed of small cell thinking. Signup to our FREE monthly newsletter and articles and get a FREE ebook!


text:
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text:
New Office Trend
The sort of office trend we aren't fond of.
Laughing Away Workplace Stress? What A Joke!
Workplace stress can be alleviated through laughter.
How To Read A Galileo Thermometer
If you've ever looked at a Galileo Thermometer, with all those colorful floating baubles and dangling numbered medallions, and thought, "I have absolutely no idea what that means," you're not alone.
Awesome Coworkers
Awesome Coworkers are the best!
Milk Chocolate Day Is Here!
Chocolate Lovers Unite: Milk Chocolate Day Has Finally Arrived
Work Stress And Depression Killing Productivity
Work stress and depression are taking a toll on employees.
In a hypercompetitive global economy, organizations must be "on" 24/7. Yet this scramble for perpetual performance is taking a harsh toll on employees.
10 Reasons Why Office Toys Make Fantastic Gifts
Who knew office toys could be so awesome?
(Spoiler Alert: we totally did)
New Dancing Solar Butterfly!
Experience the beauty of a dancing solar butterfly year-round.
Jimmy Fallon & Dwayne Master the Thigh Master
Thigh Master workout w/ Jimmy Fallon and Dwayne Johnson
2 New Wonderfully Unique Business Card Holders
These business card holders will make you feel larger than life.
International Friendship Day
Let your friends know that you really do like them!
2 New Satisfyingly Squishy Squeeze Toys
We've got 2 new awesome Squeeze Toys!


text:
A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years
by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger
Amazon.com - $10.76
The insanity crept up on us slowly; we just wanted what was best for our kids. We bought macrobiotic cupcakes and hypoallergenic socks, hired tutors...Read the full article
Success! Graduation Day---many thanks for the support from our graduates' parents!


text:
Oz the Great and Powerful - Fantasy - James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams
Incredible Burt Wonderstone - Comedy - Olivia Wilde, Jim Carrey, Steve Buscemi, Steve Carell
March 15th - The Call - Thriller - Abigail Breslin, Halle Berry and Morris Chestnut
March 22nd - Admission - Comedy - Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen and Lily Tomlin
April 12th - Oblivion - Action, Sci-Fi - Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman and Melissa Leo
April 12th - Scary Movie 5 - Comedy, Horror - Ashley Tisdale, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen
April 19th - jOBS - Drama - Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, James Woods, Matthew Modine
April 26th - Pain & Gain Action - Rebel Wilson, Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Ken Jeong
May 3rd - Iron Man 3 - Action, Sci-Fi - Robert Downey, Jr., Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle
Great Gatsby - Drama, Romance - Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher
Star Trek Into Darkness - Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi - Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana
May 24th - The Hangover III - Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong
50 Shades of Grey is a terribly written book about an abusive relationship masquerading as an erotica book about BDSM, and its popularity utterly confounds me. And I absolutely do not think it should be a movie. I just hope that every young actress they ask has the same reaction Emma Watson did, because who the hell wants that on their filmography?
I am looking forward to the movie 'Sole survivor' (of an airplane crash). It's a documentary, soon to be released.
Neil Blomkamp would still love to do a movie version of Halo. Let's hope this happens soon. In the meantime check out "halo 4 forward unto dawn" on Netflix.
I don't even know why they're going to bother. Most theaters refuse to book NC-17 movies at all, even if a bunch of older women might come flocking. And if it's rated R, well, what's the point?
Because I love the Star Trek franchise, and the first JJ Abrams film, I went to the midnight showing. I have a very short review of the film with big spoilers, so don't read unless you want to be spoiled/
SpoilerI thought the sequel really lacked a lot of things that made the first film work. There was no breathing room to let any of the emotional scenes pack a punch, and I felt the writing really left a lot to self-referential nods to the Trekkies out there. I also thought it lacked subtlety, and when I saw that they had four writers, I just thought to myself "wow...it took four writers to write this?" I know for Sci-Fi films, you have to have a suspension of disbelief, but there was just too many things that just didn't make sense. Also, there was just way too many cliches going on this time around. The pacing was off too. I felt they tried too hard to make you care about some of the characters, but when you don't allow any build up and breathing (quiet) scenes, then there's no pay-off. Like, I know where they're going with the Spock/Kirk thing and making Spock overly emotional, but I think that was simply a bad choice and way out-of-character. IMO, they should have maybe cut down the crazy emotional Spock scenes by 75% and it would have had the same impact if the surrounding characters recognize what a big deal it is for a Vulcan to show that much emotion.
I also shouldn't hold it against this movie, but I hate the way the Khan storyline worked here. I thought the way the Original Series and the Wrath of Khan film did a much better job with that. Again, I blame the directing and writing because I think they focused way too much on having wall-to-wall action, that the depth was just missing. Also Spock's "Khan!" scene was sort of blah and of course, the editing was so it didn't have any impact either other than to make the Trekkies happy that there was a "Khan" scene.
In terms of acting, I still don't get the point of having Carol Marcus in this movie other than being a future love interest for Kirk and bearing his child, but with the lame Spock/Kirk inversion crap, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up having Spock's baby instead in this alternate universe. I also, don't know where they're going with the Uhura and Spock relationship, but it was just boring this time around. Karl Urban is a HORRIBLE Bones. He doesn't get the character at all, and he's extremely one-note. Not every other cast member plays their character the way they were originally portrayed, but at least they look like they're still trying to play them in a way that isn't obnoxious or a walking cartoon.
Overall, I'm disappointed after the excellent first film and the promise of 4 years in anticipation, JJ Abrams direction and the four writers it took to make this film decided to go the Michael Bay route and only give us a typical summer film.
Last edited by VIETgrlTerifa; 05-16-2013 at 03:02 PM.
I went to the midnight showing, too. Before going I joked that I would probably be the only girl in the theater with a bunch of guys who to Michigan Tech. That ended up being literally true I was, in fact, the only female in the entire theater. I was actually surprised; I've made that joke before for midnight showings of geek or superhero movies but it never ended up being true. Two of the Tech guys walked in right before it started and actually did a double take when they saw me. I laughed, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it.
I'm not actually a real Trekkie, I just loved the 2009 film a heck of a lot, I adore the cast in its entirety, and I love midnight showings (but one day I will watch the series, I'm sure of it!). So, my standards would not be as high as the review above mine. I liked it. I agree that it was not as good as the 2009 movie. It was more frenetic, the emotional scenes were too short in between lots of actions so they never had the impact they were meant to, and it would have been better if they'd just slowed it down for longer stretches of time a couple times throughout the film. That said, I did love it. This is how an action film should be done, and the cast was once again wonderful. I could watch Chris Pine charisma at me every day. I agree with whomever mentioned Abrams' obvious fetish for flares and Chris's blue eyes I spent a huge portion of the movie just thinking to myself, "wow, his eyes are really blue." If that was one of the things Abrams wanted us to walk away from the film with, he succeeded. The blonde girl was a totally blah addition I could have done without. The beginning and endings both smacked way too much of magical technobabble, which is not something I'm always a huge fan of in sci fi films or television. But overall it was a fairly solid film. It could have been better, but I really enjoyed it. Oh, and Benedict Cumberbatch is a total BAMF but I think we all knew that already.
Has anyone seen the trailer for Now You See Me? It looks like it has a ton o potential. I'd post a link but I'm on my stupid phone.
"Michelle would never be caught with sausage grease staining her Vera Wang." - rfisher
It has a great cast, an intriguing plot, and a horrible, horrible director. I want to see it but I am preparing myself to be disappointed.
This movie was all action and zero story development.
I'm a die-hard Trekkie, so I was curious how J.J. Abrams was going to reinterpret the whole.
SpoilerKhan storyline. I liked the Spock-Krik reversal, but it was totally obvious that the story would end on a positive note and there was no emotional impact. The most powerful scene from "Star Trek II" was Spock's death and memorial with the bagpipes -- J.J.'s interpretation cheapened it a bit
I agree that Alice Eve was pretty forgettable and Karl Urban was just a farce. I did enjoy seeing more of Simon Pegg, who I love (and who regrettable skipped Monday's premiere so I couldn't meet him).
I didn't mind the Easter Eggs, as they probably would've gone over most people's heads. I talked to J.J. briefly and producer Ricardo Orci at length about including these elements, and they both said they only tried to work them in where they could. It definitely felt more like space comedy than space drama.
I went to one of the National Theatre broadcasts last night (fantastic play, This House, can't say enough good things about it). However it was playing on a screen next-door to Star Trek. I adore all things Trek, am planning on seeing the film in a week or two when the crowds die down ... but did it need to be so freakin' loud that it drowns out everything else in the building? Grr. Tho to be fair, I blame the movie theatre managment for not plotting the screens better.
Another film I have to recommend is The Angel's Share, which I saw on my recent trip to Portland. I found it somewhat uneven, but I still really enjoyed it. It's sort of 2 films in one. The first half is very typical Ken Loach, and what I went in expecting from the film: gritty, violent, the depressing circumstances of non-working-class youth and the almost inevitability of gangs. Then about half way through it turns into somewhat of a modern fable, farfetched but highly entertaining. But through it all are characters you really care about and root for. It was not a perfect marriage, but still an effective merging of two ideas under one umbrella.
Famed russian director Alexei Balabanov has died of natural causes at the age of 54. He was not well known outside his country but has quite a following withing his own country. R.I.P.
Trailers for smaller movies that have just been released. Black Rock is at the top of my list, as are The English Teacher and 33 Postcards. The latter was released in Australia in 2011, but is just getting a limited release in the U.S. now. But it looks good! Frances Ha is a maybe for me. I'd be interested in hearing what anyone has to say about it if they happen to catch it. Pieta looks quite good, but maybe too dark for my tastes. Another one I'd like to hear a review of from anybody who sees it. But then I read every review y'all post here anyway!
May 17 - The English Teacher (Comedy drama with Julianne Moore, Michael Angarano, Greg Kinnear and Nathan Lane)
May 17 - Black Rock (Thriller with Kate Bosworth)
May 17 - 33 Postcards (Drama with Guy Pearce)
May 17 - Frances Ha (Comedy drama, new cast. From imdb.com: A story that follows a New York woman (who doesn't really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she's not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles.)
May 17 - Pieta (Korean drama. From imdb.com: A loan shark is forced to reconsider his violent lifestyle after the arrival of a mysterious woman claiming to be his long-lost mother.)
May 17 - State 194 (Documentary. From imdb.com: A look deep inside Israel and Palestine at the men and women trying to seize a historic opportunity to end the conflict and make implementing the two-state solution a reality.)
May 17 The Expatriate (Action thriller with Aaron Eckhart)
May 17 - Augustine (French drama with Vincent London. From imdb.com: A look at the relationship between pioneering 19th century French neurologist Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot and his star teenage patient, a kitchen maid who is left partially paralyzed after a seizure.)
May 17 - An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (Animated comedy drama. From imdb.com: A quixotic artist hypothesizes about why he feels bad when a mystery girl stands him up. The event prompts him to ask: what's the content of a momentary feeling? Is it the sum of your experiences? And perhaps more importantly, are your experiences the sum of you?)
It's official. I am madly in love with Meryl Davis.
We went and saw Star Trek tonight. I did not care for it. Too many corny moments. I rolled my eyes a lot during this film. However, I should be honest and say I have never seen even one full episode of Star Trek so I know nothing about the characters or all of the little hidden jokes that were probably what had my eyes rolling.
"Michelle would never be caught with sausage grease staining her Vera Wang." - rfisher
However, I guess it's not fair since the original series was a tv show and therefore could dedicate episodes in building up the crew relationships, and had it been Shatner and Nimoy doing those scenes, with their history, it would have worked even if it made Spock out-of-character a bit.


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Workout Clothes With High-Tech Twist Sell Briskly
By ELIZABETH A. HARRIS
Though clothing sales have been strained in recent years, activewear has become a $33.4 billion business, as popular on the street as it is in the gym.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
The singer demonstrates that you don't have to create clothing trends to be a superstar.
Marika Emi picked up her minimalist, all-black style from the friends she made while living in New York. Though she has since moved back home to Hawaii, "Old habits die really hard," she said.
In Colorado and Washington State, wedding planners for pot enthusiasts are incorporating weed in everything from bouquets to decorations to gifts.
Neighbors of the East Hampton Airport are complaining about noise, which they say has worsened as private flights increase.
Emoji begin to dominate the conversation.
Though clothing sales have been strained in recent years, activewear has become a $33.4 billion business, as popular on the street as it is in the gym.
Thanakha, a paste long prized in Myanmar for its sunblock and aesthetic qualities, is facing a challenge from multinational cosmetic corporations.
Whisper and Secret, apps that let you dish dirt while staying anonymous, are rather tame in a city of insiders.
Unlike my boyfriend, Derek promised he would treat me, and my stuff, with respect.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is starring in the coming mini-series "The Honorable Woman," gathered with friends on the Lower East Side for a quiet evening.
The risk is high in the summer, particularly if you live in New York or have a summer house. If only we had a way out.
Moving in with my parents seemed akin to setting up camp in a wedlock war zone. But instead, our marriage has improved, as we witness my parents' union up close.
Addressing fund-raising as a wedding plan, seat-saving at a bar, children's comments about weight and the scope of a bridal shower.
In a borough where curating is a way of life, shoppers at New York Old Iron are offered the rare opportunity to rummage through the unedited castoff past.
He's the yin to her yang, as an Ivy-educated lawyer meets her match when he was in Peace Corps as an environmental health worker.
As Condé Nast prepares to anchor 1 World Trade Center, the businesses that cater to its staff have been angling for space within walking distance (in stiletto heels, of course).
Bars and nightclubs have started hosting theatrical shows as a way of drumming up foot traffic during off-hours.
Image issues affect both male and female leaders, the latest debate set off by President François Hollande of France's glasses.
The deity of domesticity hosted a party to celebrate the Champagne maker's 1998 vintage.
The pen has finally met its demise, losing out to finger and the touch screens it controls.
Long-sleeve minidresses take hold; Charlotte Gainsbourg inspires a Current/Elliott collection; and new shops from International Playground and Whisper Editions.
Jeff Koons and H&M come up with an affordable collaboration.
Show your support at temporary shops, find bargains and snag some pricey handmade sunglasses.
The bushy brow has returned to fashion. Bringing it back to your face is more difficult.
For under-age drinkers, a phony card is now high tech, and it comes at a high price.
A touch of the West, in the form of boots, and a hat in the style of Jakob Dylan will remind this young resident of home when he moves east.
The weekly Mister Sunday parties have found a happy home at Industry City, a warehouse complex in Sunset Park.
SZA, a singer who performed at last weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, explains what drives her onstage look, from pajamas to grandpa shirts.
Ms. Graves, the singer for the band Perfect Pussy, talks about dressing up for the stage at last weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.
Pusha T and Isaiah Rashad performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago over the weekend. Here is how they dressed at the shows.
Attendees at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago wore floral jumpers and crop tops to stay cool.
Get complete coverage of fashion and style and the latest looks from the runway.
It normally takes three examples to make a trend, but the close crops on Giselle Bündchen and Charlize Theron are worthy of an exception.
Find out how well you communicate using emojis in this 10 question quiz.
Summer prints took different directions: contemporary blocks of color mimicking unusual buildings and romantic flower patterns.
Summer traditions to support the arts and those living with AIDS.
See the collections from New York, London, Milan and Paris.
The upstart company Throne Watches turned to Kickstarter to help get its own first model on guy's wrists, beginning this October.
The latest in the Grey East series of summer events, curated by Kyle DeWoody at Glenn Horowitz Bookseller in East Hampton, offers eye-catching art and design by such Manhattan outposts as Project No. 8 and Kinder Modern.
A peek at what some of the guys and gals in Berlin were wearing.
A different crowd gravitates to each of three coastal spots in New York.
Increasingly, female models are showing up on the men's wear runways in Europe.
Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba were among the best dressed at the award show.
Explore an archive of Oscar red carpet looks that spans 15 years by name, designer, color, silhouette and year.
In January, we followed Tomas Gajdos during his first season — from London to Paris and from castings to fittings — as he tried to break into the fashion business.
For the latest wedding announcements, Vows columns and other related articles.
Fashion and beauty photos, from the runway to the pavement.Staff Twitter List »
If the Paris season has been about anything, it is an attempt by designers to capture a market share of well-heeled highfliers.
At the Morgan Avenue stop on the L train in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the dancer and actress Madison Krekel fits into the young, artsy crowd with sushi socks, dyed green hair and a Cramps T-shirt.
Of the hundreds of fall 2014 collections shown during New York Fashion Week, here are the ones that left the biggest impressions on fashion editors as they headed off to the next round of shows, in Europe.


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U.S. News Rankings
|Ranking score and category
St. Thomas University is a private institution that was founded in 1961. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,111, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 140 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. St. Thomas University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (South), 62. Its tuition and fees are $26,370 (2013-14).
|School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):
The only Catholic Archdiocesan-sponsored university in Florida, St. Thomas University places an institutional emphasis on social justice and ethical behavior. Our School of Law boasts one of the most culturally diverse student bodies in the country, ranking first among all ABA- approved law schools in our proportion of Hispanic students, and sixth among African-American students. We are one of the only law schools in the nation with a Human Rights Institute and offer a joint M.B.A./J.D. in Accounting, International Business, Marriage and Family Counseling, and Sports Administration in addition to our 25 undergraduate and 12 graduate degrees. Approximately 90% of the faculty hold the highest degrees in their fields. Rich in diversity and small in size, our community is one of cohesiveness and collegiality where faculty are accessible and approachable, sharing a commitment to respond to student needs.
General Information
|School type
|private, coed college
|Year founded
|Religious affiliation
|Roman Catholic
|Academic calendar
|2012 Endowment
When applying to St. Thomas University, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due August 15. The application fee at St. Thomas University is $40. It is less selective, with an acceptance rate of 45.7 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
|less selective
|Fall 2012 acceptance rate
|Application deadline
|SAT/ACT scores must be received by
|August 15
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at St. Thomas University is 14:1, and the school has 66.3 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 68.8 percent.
|Class sizes
|Student-faculty ratio
|4-year graduation rate
|Five most popular majors for 2012 graduates
Student Life
St. Thomas University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,111, with a gender distribution of 44.8 percent male students and 55.2 percent female students. At this school, 20.8 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 79.2 percent of students live off campus. St. Thomas University is part of the NAIA athletic conference.
|Total enrollment
|Student gender distribution
|Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
|Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
|Collegiate athletic association
Campus Info & Services
St. Thomas University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. St. Thomas University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at St. Thomas University.
|Students who have cars on campus
|Health insurance offered
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At St. Thomas University, 95.8 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $3,604.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
|Tuition and fees
|$26,370 (2013-14)
|Room and board
|$7,500 (2013-14)
|Financial aid statistics
* Overview details based on 2012 data


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Anyone else watching the opening trainwreck that is Nicki Minaj?
Anyone else watching the opening trainwreck that is Nicki Minaj?
Bieber is attempting to sing but it sounds like a cat is being tortured by being taken by the tail and swung around...
I only want to see Maroon 5 who already won for Moves Like Jagger. I'm flipping back and forth between CBS waiting for TAR to see if I catch them.
Those who never succeed themselves are always the first to tell you how.
They won the opening award and will be performing. Can't wait. I loves me some Adam Levine
I am so upset that Kelly Clarkson is performing Mr. Know It all instead of her soon to be SMASH single What Doesn't Kill You but this wouldn't be a Kelly Clarkson album era without some REALLY stupid decisions. The performance should be neat, they are doing something different, but the song has all but run its course on radio as it is.
"Michelle would never be caught with sausage grease staining her Vera Wang." - rfisher
And now we get to have the woman beating biggot grace us with his presence...
Jennifer Hudson! WHEEEEE!!!!!
Thanks for giving me the the heads up about Kelly. I only had to watch a bit of Chris Brown's bad dancing (I thought he was supposed to be talented) before her number. She looked and sounded great! Does anyone else try to see if they know any of the dancers from SYTYCD. They often are hired for these shows.
at Jennifer Lopez's outfit and her insistence on performing on her hands and knees during parts of this song.
I actually thought that was a pretty damn amazing performance outfits not included, she can move! Was pretty awesome to me!
Any slower and Nicki Minaj would be walking backwards
Marc Anthony looks like a troll but his voice makes me tingle in unnamed places.


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Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday-shopping season. It's called Black Friday: On this day, we racing rats are expected to hit the malls and spend, spend, spend until we drop. Consumers are encouraged to start their spending sprees at Thanksgiving Day sales. How nice: Forget helping at the soup kitchen, skip the parades and football games, ditch the family celebrations, the ads seemed to demand. Instead hit the stores and get a jump on giving your cash to retailers.
Am I alone in finding this disgusting?
Let me answer my own question: No.
As has been the case in previous years, Adbusters is promoting its International Buy Nothing Day. On this day, people are encouraged to avoid the malls and to give retailers the slip. Keep your money in your wallet instead.
From the Adbusters site:
For 24 hours, millions of people around the world do not participate — in the doomsday economy, the marketing mind-games, and the frantic consumer-binge that's become our culture. We pause. We make a small choice not to shop. We shrink our footprint and gain some calm. Together we say: Enough is enough. And we help build this movement to rethink our unsustainable course.
I think that sounds sensible and sane. Why participate in a fiscal fad that adds little that is positive to our spirits and souls?
So what should we do on Thanksgiving (aka Indigenous Persons Day)? Here are some ideas:
- Enjoy the games, movies and books you already own.
- Study Native American culture and honor these historically maligned people.
- Exercise: Take a walk in the park. Better yet, take a walk to the park.
- Walk through the mall and smile at all the poor consumerist suckers.
- Do activism—write those letters to lawmakers you've put off.
- Give away something you don't need anymore.
- Spend the day volunteering at a food bank.
- Take time to actually give thanks.
Of course, the list is only a starting point. There are plenty of productive and fun things to do.
And if you find one day of mall avoidance to be edifying and satisfying, why not go for the entire holiday season? You know, it is entirely possible to have a happy Buy Nothing Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanza.
As Adbusters says, "Buy Nothing Day is only one day. Our earth, our minds, our communities deserve more than that. So this year, let's take the fun, passion and message of BND and spin it to inspire a whole shop-free season! Gather family and friends, let's rise above the consumer binge and celebrate."
This year, whatever winter holiday you celebrate, give yourself a gift and do some good for your community, your nation and your world: Spend the season focused on what really matters.


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Colt Offlee Wild Alittlebitearly
3-2-0-1 $202,680
An impressive winner of his first two career starts, Bayern comes to Old Hilltop after placing in back-to-back graded stakes in Arkansas and Kentucky.
Unraced at 2, the son of 2005 Grade 1 Suburban Handicap winner Offlee Wild opened 2014 with successive victories at Santa Anita. He broke his maiden by 3 ½ lengths in his Jan. 4 debut, and followed with a front-running 15-length romp in a one-mile allowance on Feb. 13.
Bayern was put to the test in his subsequent start, setting a moderate pace as the favorite before fading to finish third as the favorite in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 12, beaten just over five lengths.
Just two weeks later, Bayern again led from start to finish to win the Grade 3 Derby Trial at Churchill Downs by a nose over Embellishing Bob, but was disqualified and placed second after the two foes repeatedly brushed down the stretch.


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It might look innocuous; a piece of fish bordered by a handful of greens beans and a mound of brown rice, but a dinner like this can save your life, and even the world.
That's because far from Wall Street or Tahrir Square, a different revolution is brewing—the one that starts on your plate.
While the food you choose to eat may not incur world peace, many of the modern day plights of both developed and developing nations can be blamed on menu choices, including political issues like global warming and world hunger, as well as childhood obesity and the number one killer of American men and women, heart disease.
And it can all be wrapped into one neatly bundled package represented by the all-American staple and veritable symbol of our nation, the fast food burger, which can be purchased for a couple bucks. The cost to humankind, however, is truly astounding.
Enough grain is already grown to feed the world, however much of that goes to feeding cattle. Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet, Albert Einstein once said, and many scholars agree.
Not only does a diet rich in red meat contribute to the heart problems that kill so many Americans each year, but rain forests are clear-cut to make room for grazing cattle whose constant cud-munching releases a significant amount of methane into the atmosphere—talk about greenhouse gasses. (Interestingly, scientists are now looking at ways to harvest cow farts into biogas as a sustainable energy source.)
But going veggie is not for everyone and as planet-wide vegetarianism is highly unlikely, a simple solution is quality, not quantity, when it comes to meat-eating. Less is definitely more, and buying locally-sourced, free-range meats cuts down on the both the environmental and health hazards associated with a carnivorous lifestyle.
As stated in Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating by Mark Bittman, serving a typical family of four a steak dinner is the equivalent of driving around in an SUV for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home.
But while the topic of planetary health tends to be a political issue, food is bringing social concerns into the mix.
Trumping the debate over global warming as of late is an epidemic of childhood obesity in this nation. The current administration is leading the fight against a big problem for little people by slightly altering school menu options to include more fruits and vegetables and less meats and cheeses—a move which has actually, and mystifyingly, sparked controversy.
Whether or not you believe providing healthy lunches for students is overstepping the boundaries of government, the school lunch initiative exposes the fact that the world of politics is tied inextricably to food.
This correlation may have been proven even more powerfully over the summer when the words of Chic-fil-A's CEO and the demonstrations they provoked enlivened the debate over gay marriage.
Those who think that event was a matter of free speech to be defended rather than intolerance to be protested with a boycott should chew on the fact that what actually sparked ire was not CEO Dan Cathy's personal stance but the admission that the company donates millions to anti-gay marriage groups, including one has been designated as a hate group.
It has always been my belief one of the most effective powers left to citizens in the wake of a representative-style government of a country whose population has grown to massive proportions—in the midst of special-interest groups and lobbying and superpacs that can drown out individual votes—the only real power left to people is the power of money.
Every dollar spent can be seen as a vote toward the kind of world you want to live in.
It makes me wonder what the Occupy movement's members were cooking up under their tarps—aside from homemade bombs. As they prepared to protest the fat cats who ignited a disastrous financial crisis, I wouldn't be surprised they were doing it fueled on a diet of sodium-laden Top Ramen or worse, on fast food, unwittingly feeding money back into a corrupt system.
Because being disenfranchised and eating processed foods tend to go hand in hand. It's a main reason why those living in poverty suffer so many health problems, chief among them diabetes.
Poor people aren't fat because they're lazy, as some may posit—many have grown to unhealthy proportions because they are trapped in an unhealthy system, because they can't afford not to eat the foods that are getting them fat. Unlike the fat cats on Wall Street, who always seem to win no matter how much our nation loses as a whole.
Low-income people often can't afford the very foods that promote equalitarian values and contribute to positive change to marginalized people everywhere, such as farmers market, fair trade and certified organic products.
Which is unfortunate because in a money-driven society, purchasing power is a viable way to shape the world we live in. We can continue to buy food that has traveled thousands of miles, products that have had the life processed out of them and burgers that clog our arteries and our atmosphere, or we can buy a better world. We can eat our way to a revolution.
Food is more than fuel; it's medicine, it's political, it's pleasurable and it's the essence of cultural identity. It's the heart and soul of societies everywhere. Not only do national dishes unite and represent us, they are evocative of our values and provide a link to our past.
On a personal level, just one bite of homemade bread can illicit powerful childhood memories of my grandmother, and the way she'd gently and expertly roll the dough as she divulged wisdom she inherited from her grandmother.
Likewise, sensing a new flavor on a single taste bud can also take a person far beyond momentary circumstances—food can be intensely transformative experience.
While overhauling an entire unhealthy system of eating remains a daunting task, putting your money where your mouth is may be the starting point of a revolution not just in food, but in the very culture of our nation, one that starts on your plate.


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Some Blue Cross rates to rise; hikes not as steep as requested
By Rina Miller
Some Michiganders who buy their own health insurance will pay more for their policies beginning in May.
But the price hikes aren't as steep as they could have been.
Blue Cross Blue Shield had planned premium increases of as much as 21 percent.
But the Michigan Attorney General intervened.
"Through negotiations we were able to slash that in most cases by about 60 percent, so the increases ended up being about 60 million dollars smaller just in the first year alone," says John Selleck, a spokesman for the attorney general's office.
The increases will now amount to about $30 more per month.
Blue Cross had projected it would lose between $40 million to $60 million in the individual market this year.


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Posts tagged with carpooling
New year. New challenges. Same mission. And more moxie than ever to see this thing through. Yes, 2013 is going to be big. So, stick with Merging Lanes for all the latest analysis about how transportation and air quality issues play out in Georgia during the year.
Fiscal Cliff Deal Brings Welcome Changes to Commuter Choice Program
As the nation teetered on the edge of the "fiscal cliff" earlier this month, Congress came through for transit and vanpool commuters with an increase in allowable tax benefits that restores parity with commuter parking benefits. The new maximum benefit for 2013 climbs to $245 per month for qualified transit, vanpool and carpool expenses. The bicycle commuter benefit remains at $20 per month for qualified expenses. For workplaces, the "Commuter Choice" program that carries these non-taxable benefits (IRS section 132(f) for those interested in looking it up) represents an important and still-overlooked resource. According to a US Census Bureau National Compensation Survey on employee access to quality of life benefits, 34% of all workers have access to wellness programs through their employer, but only 6% of workers have access to subsidized commuting. It's time for more employers to connect the dots between these concepts and how they can work together to make employees happier and healthier.
Lane ends 2,000 feet.
Airpocalypse: Smog Goes Off the Charts in Beijing
January's events in China's largest metropolis remind us that there's poor air quality, and then there's air quality so hazardous it could not be measured. A massive air inversion enveloped Beijing in a cloud of particle pollution for a week, with concentrations of soot that surpassed the measurement scheme created to gauge them. What caused this phenomenon, dubbed by some English-speakers in China as "the airpocalypse?" A combination of high energy demand satisfied by coal and a rapidly expanding fleet of cars, plus stagnant weather. And concentrations there were reported to have reached as high as 800 micrograms per cubic meter, which would obliterate the scales using the EPA's measurement system. For reference, the Air Quality Index values we use in the United States end at 500, which indicates hazardous conditions that would be grave enough to seriously affect everyone's health. Fortunately the likelihood of this occurring in our neck of the woods is extremely remote. But a hemisphere away, another Olympic city is puzzling through similar challenges to manage population growth and energy consumption that results in particle pollution.
Lane ends 1,000 feet.
Not-So Wide Awake: New Study Examines Drowsy Drivers Among Us
Maybe it's time to switch to espresso. A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control found that one in 24 of adults admit to having dozed off while driving. Yikes. The findings suggest men were more likely to have driven while drowsy and those ages 25-34 also indexed higher. At the root of these slumbering sojourns, of course, is sleep deprivation. Perhaps a great excuse to get more shuteye, and find a wakeful wingman to carpool with. Be careful out there.
Lane ends 500 feet.
Look Around: The Signs Point to Georgia Commute Options
If you've been crawling in traffic around metro Atlanta recently, your eyes may have cast a glance toward digital billboards for Georgia Commute Options, the new name for the suite of services that help commuters and workplaces take action to reduce congestion. Georgia Commute Options is a program of the Georgia Department of Transportation, delivered in partnership with The Clean Air Campaign and local transportation management associations. These colorful billboards are part of a campaign to introduce commuters to the notion that they can get more out of life by driving less. Because when it comes to commuting, more of us have more options than we realize. Have you taken stock lately of what else is out there to try besides driving alone? Find out more about what Georgia Commute Options can do to help you.
Brian Carr is Director of Communications at The Clean Air Campaign, one of several organizations in the Atlanta region that deliver Georgia Commute Options programs and services in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation. A daily MARTA rail rider, Brian uses his morning commute time on the Blue Line to read about current events and play "Words With Friends."
We were saddened this week to learn that The New York Times has declared carpooling dead. The article describes a national trend that the vital signs for carpooling, once thriving in the 70's during the oil crisis, have been declining over the past 30 years -- and now a once-popular solution to combating fuel prices and traffic has passed away.
According to the Times, carpooling is survived by its distant cousin, slugging.
The Clean Air Campaign, along with metro Atlanta carpoolers, read the obituary. But we didn't get the memo.
Reports about the death of carpooling are greatly exaggerated. In fact, the American Community Survey shows metro Atlanta carpool numbers have held rather steady over the past decade:
% Atlanta Commuters Who Carpool
Looking at the national picture, remember that carpooling first appeared as a data point on the census in 1980, when the aftereffects of the oil crisis were still raging. And it's not surprising that carpool numbers went down from 1980 to 1990 as oil prices stabilized. In spite of this, Atlanta ranks among the top 10 U.S. cities for carpooling based on 2000 census figures.
Georgia – particularly Atlanta – is better positioned than many other areas of the U.S. to make carpooling attractive to commuters and employers because of programs like:
- Guaranteed Ride Home – when carpoolers and other users of commute alternatives need to get home because of an unexpected event – or have to work late – RideSmart and The Clean Air Campaign can arrange a free ride home.
- Ridematching Assistance – there's a database of 50,000 Georgia commuters seeking carpool partners, vanpool partners and bike buddies. Chances are, many of them may live and work near you.
- Carpool Rewards – carpools of three or more can earn $40-$60 in monthly gas cards from The Clean Air Campaign.
It could also be argued that Atlanta's limited transit footprint makes it more likely for commuters to opt for carpooling if they're motivated to do something other than drive alone and have the means.
So we say to those grieving over the death of carpooling, before you pull the hearse around front, be sure to hold Atlanta out of the funeral procession.
Seeing is believing. When commuters see how much they stand to gain from not driving alone, they're reluctant to go back to old habits. When they're shown that clean commuting can actually be made fun, they are likely to share the news with others. And when they can visually comprehend how transportation and air quality fit together like yin and yang, they hold the power to change the world. At least that's the vision for this latest installment of Merging Lanes. So keep your eyes peeled, and take a quick glance at what's happening.
All Aboard: New Vanpool Riders Can Now Earn $3 a Day, Too
Did you know there are more than 300 commuter vans rolling across Georgia? For some dedicated vanpoolers, there's simply no other way they'd even contemplate getting to work. And now, an exciting new change to the financial incentives program is going to help bring even more new vanpoolers on board. The $3 a day program that pays solo drivers to make the switch from driving alone to alternatives has been expanded to include vanpooling as an eligible mode. For years, vanpool commuting was not included in the $3 a day program, in part because of the other financial support available to vanpoolers. But happily, the van is now part of the plan. There are resources to help you locate vanpool routes, find riders and sign up to earn $3 a day. Check it out.
Lane ends 2,000 feet.
Ozone Update: Still Waiting to Exhale
The US Environmental Protection Agency has further extended the timeline for its review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone. The new deadline is December 31, 2010. So, hang in there a little longer. And as soon as a ruling is communicated, The Clean Air Campaign will help make sense of it. The new standard – wherever it lands – holds the prospect of saving thousands of lives. There's no doubt a ruling that makes this much difference to public health and welfare takes time.
Lane ends 1,000 feet.
Carpool Cool: Rap Video Nets National Award Recognition
How do you make carpooling cool in the eyes of John and Jane Q. Public? Write a rap about the joys of carpooling and the resources to help people do it That's exactly what one commuter did. And in 2009, The Clean Air Campaign worked with this talented individual, plus the three other members of his carpool, to produce a music video that calls out key components of the commute options incentive programs designed to get commuters to try alternatives.
The Transportation Research Board recently recognized this carpool rap video with an honorable mention in the organization's 4th annual competition, "Communicating Concepts with John and Jane Q. Public: Sustainability and Livability." It's exciting to see fun projects like this recognized by TRB. Now, what should we do for an encore? Send us your ideas.
Lane ends 500 feet.
More Carpool Fun: Mobile Web Game Rewards Carpoolers
What do you get when you cross FourSquare, the popular location-based social media game, with a ridematching concept that helps place people into carpools? Ridekicks, a game/rideshare tool from the UK (still in beta) that brings the potential to put more commuters into carpools. Carpoolers will ultimately earn points toward rewards, and frequent carpoolers can vie for elite status, akin to becoming "mayor" of an establishment in FourSquare. Sounds like fun. Hope a US version is on the way soon.
A new marketing survey finds commuters in "The City Too Busy to Hate" have ample time to project anger towards each other as they jockey for position on the region's congested roadways.
Atlanta, the genteel metropolis where people say "hey" and open the door for one other, checks in at #4 on the list of cities with the least courteous drivers, behind New York, Dallas and Detroit. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Portland, Oregon, topped the rankings as the most courteous city for motorists.
The worst part is that Atlanta moved up on the list, from 6th in 2008. Guess lots of the 84% of commuters in the region who drive alone each day need to smooth out some anger issues.
How did we go from bad to worse? A few thoughts:
1. Population growth has brought a million new residents to metro Atlanta in the past decade, and the region expects to add another two million people by 2030. We're fighting for our "personal space" on a crowded transportation network that projects to grow even more crowded. And we're not happy about it.
2. We're not paying attention to what we're doing because we're preoccupied with multi-tasking, talking on the phone or texting. Of the 24 cities participating in the survey, Atlanta was the city most likely to see other commuters slam on their brakes at the last minute.
3. We're short on patience because we're always running late due to delay from traffic (which burns up 60 hours a year for the average metro ATL commuter). This shows up in the finding that Atlanta is second-most likely to see other commuters run through red lights on a daily basis or change lanes without warning.
What can we do to suppress some of the asphalt angst we fling at our fellow commuters?
Here's an idea: next time you're behind the wheel and that vein pops out of your neck because the dummy in front of you just swerved into your lane and cut you off, share a laugh about it with your carpool partner. Or, tuck away that middle finger and thank your lucky stars you don't have to do battle in traffic the next day because you're working a compressed workweek. Or, ease up on the horn and make a mental note to ask your employer about getting a discounted transit pass.
Maybe these are the things the happy commuters do in Portland.
Back to school and back to the carpool line. Every year parents wait anxiously in the car to greet their students after the first day back. It's very tempting to wait with the air conditioning running, especially since we've all heard the myth that idling uses less fuel than restarting your car. Actually, idling for 30 seconds wastes more gas than restarting your engine.
And every minute spent idling releases 6.6 pounds of pollution into the air around your child's school. Pollution from vehicle emissions is especially harmful to children, who are lower to the ground near vehicle tailpipes and breathe on average 50 percent more per pound of body weight than adults. This means their young lungs could be breathing in twice as much pollution.
Not a healthy thought.
Through the Clean Air Schools program, The Clean Air Campaign offers solutions to unhealthy air on school grounds. No idling campaigns, walking school buses and bus ridership empower students to do their part to make the air cleaner and healthier.
Do the programs really work? During the 2007- 2008 school year, 10 Gwinnett County Public Schools participated in a no-idle pilot program and reduced idling on schools grounds by 69 percent, more than double their goal. And thanks to a grant from The UPS Foundation, The Clean Air Campaign will be able to take no idling campaigns to almost 125 schools this coming school year.
Through our longstanding partnership with Mothers & Others for Clean Air, The Clean Air Campaign is supporting greater awareness among school administrators of the health risks that children face when they participate in outdoor physical activities on Smog Alert days.
Do you know if your school system employs no-idling measures? Are students encouraged to form walking school buses or carpool? Let us know how your school keeps the air healthy or blog about getting involved with Clean Air Schools.
"Meta-what?" you're probably asking. That's the battle cry being heard around the state from devoted "Good Morning America" viewers and all of us here at The Clean Air Campaign. We've been rooting for our Bronze Level Partner Metametrix, Inc. as five of its employees competed in the morning show's first ever Carpool Challenge.
Duluth-based Metametrix was one of eight carpooling teams from around the country that competed to lower their commute costs and save the environment. They did it by ditching their solo commute and sharing the ride with co-workers headed in the same direction.
You can track Metametrix's success here, where they logged their commute and blogged about it all week long.
And if you're inspired by what your fellow Georgians have been doing in the national media spotlight, why not give carpooling a try yourself? Just a few weeks ago Michael, Kris, Bryant, Eve and Augustin were driving to work alone too, but after reading their blogs, it seems they love their new commute and the instantaneous benefits that come with sharing the ride. RideSmart will even match you with a potential carpool. So give it a try, then come back and leave a message on our blog about your experience.


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If you're into the joys of anal then this dvd is the one for you. Most of these girls can practically fit an 18 wheeler up their rumps and love it. If you don't mind a few tattoos then I recommend this one. The girls are HOT!
I thought this one was better than SMP #1. The girls were just as hot looking but the main difference was their swallowing enthusiasm compared to the girls in the first one who appeared less than overjoyed at having to swallow anybody's pride. It's worth a view.


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The "fad" of today's tea drinks boasting health benefits is not even remotely new. According to ancient Chinese legend, the first cup of tea was produced in 2737 B.C., when the leaves of a black tea shrub haphazardly fell into the boiling water of Emperor Shen Nung, the father of Chinese medicine. Ever since, Asian monks and herbalists have used teas to treat various ailments. The Chinese wrote of the curative properties of tea in the eighth century, and when the British and Dutch took this newly discovered beverage back to Europe in the 17th century, they celebrated tea's healthful effects.
More recent discoveries of tea's health benefits, in addition to the renewed appreciation of its ancient heritage, has pushed tea sales to nearly every corner store and numerous specialty tea shops everywhere in the US. Tea's active ingredients are caffeine in combination with the tannin that gives it its pungency and much of its aroma and flavor.
The New York Academy of Medicine held a symposium on "Pharmacological and Physiological Effects of Tea" in 1955 and found that, for reasons they could not explain, tea, unlike coffee, does not cause nervousness, insomnia, or stomach irritation when drunk in quantity. The scientists' tests showed a cup of tea gives both an immediate and a delayed lift without secondary depressing effects later on.
The word "tea" refers to any brew made from herbs, spices, seeds, bark, stems, flowers or leaves. The most common teas you will find are Black, Green, White, Oolong, and Red. They all start as Camellia tea leaves and differences arise in the steaming, withering, fermentation, frying and drying out processes. Herbal teas, called tisanes, technically are not teas at all, but infusions of various herbs, flowers and spices instead of Camellia leaves.
Scientific studies have found numerous health benefits of tea consumption for the following conditions: atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, cancers (bladder, breast, colon, rectum, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, prostate, skin and stomach), inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, liver disease, obesity, and cognitive impairment. The main reason for these healthful effects is the high antioxidant content in teas. Antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals, preventing damage to cells that cause cancer and other diseases.
More specifically, white tea has 15 times the antioxidant properties of green tea and is beneficial in cancer prevention, detoxification, and complexion. It has been shown to be more protective than green tea at killing bacteria that cause strep infections, pneumonia and dental cavities. Green tea is beneficial in cancer prevention, lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, digestion, metabolism and cavity prevention (as long as you don't add sugar). Red tea improves digestion, complexion, allergies and is high in vitamins and minerals. Oolong tea is relaxing and good for skin and teeth, metabolism, digestion and weight loss. Black tea is a gentle stimulant that helps lower cholesterol, prevent tooth decay, and is good for the heart. Herbal infusions are high in vitamins and antioxidants and caffeine free—great for kids! Iced tea works as well as hot tea in bestowing health benefits. But, you should know the FDA does not support these qualified health claims.
Tea is an easy, inexpensive and healthy addition to your diet. No wonder why we can't get enough of it!
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RICHMOND — Richmond Utilities has lifted the 24-hour boil-water advisory in parts of downtown Richmond following work on the area's water main.
The boil water advisory had been issued at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for Woodland Avenue, Glyndon Avenue and Moberly Avenue between Third and Fifth streets.
The utility had previously announced that repairs on the area's water main would be performed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday, which resulted in service disruptions. Howeverr the work went longer than expected into Wednesday afternoon.
Lonnie Banks, water quality specialist, said the boil-water advisory is a routine measure that is taken anytime water pipes are exposed to the air. Water samples were taken and tested before the advisory was lifted.
Read tomorrow's Richmond Register to find out about the efforts the city's water utility is making to improve water pressure and eliminate discolored water for downtown customers.


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NEIL Young was left fuming by the 'massive error' he believes cost Chester FC the chance of extending their lead at the top to seven points.
The furious Blues boss aimed a fresh blast at the standard of officiating in the league after what would have been a winning Jerome Wright goal was controversially ruled out for offside at Chasetown on Saturday.
Young, whose side's lead at the summit was cut to five points as a result of the 1-1 draw, said: "We can't make excuses for the chances we've missed because we should have put the game to bed.
"But at times it's beyond belief some of the decisions you see at this level of football. We talk about respect but at some stage the officials have got to stand up and be counted for their role in the game.
"Jerome must have been five or six yards onside. Jerome ran past two players to get to the other side, he dispatched the ball and then the linesman put his flag up. Fair play to the referee he went over and said, 'is he the lad who ran past him?,' and the linesman said, 'yes, but he was offside'.
"Unless the rules have changed and you've now got to be 10 yards onside to be offside, then I don't know why it was disallowed. It was a massive error."
Of equal disappointment to Young was Chester's finishing and their marking for Chasetown's 83rd-minute equaliser.
A poor match came to life in the 49th minute when Antoni Sarcevic cleverly lifted the ball over the home defence and sent a clinical 18-yard strike into the bottom corner.
From that moment on the Blues dominated. They were unable, however, to find a way past the inspired Ryan Smith.
Chester, who lost captain George Horan to a broken nose during the match, are at home to Buxton on Saturday (3pm).


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March 7, 2013
Vivian J. Hanel
Vivian J. Hanel, age 88, of Gasport, NY, entered into rest on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at her home. Born on July 8, 1924 in Lockport, she was the daughter of the late Lynn and Edna (Bowmiller) Sanders.
Vivian was a 1940 graduate of Lockport High School. She continued her education at Bryant and Stratton Business Institute. After graduation, Vivian had worked at a Harrison Radiator in Lockport then she worked at Niagara County Veteran's Service Agency in Lockport for 30 years. Vivian married Anthony J. Hanel in June of 1948. They had been married for 48 years. Tony Hanel died on December 25, 1996. Vivian and Tony owned and operated Highland Flower Farm on Mountain Road in Gasport for many years. Vivian was a member of Myrtle Rebekah Lodge #84 for 68 years. She was a past Assembly Marshal on the Rebekah New York Assembly Staff. Vivian enjoyed the beauty of nature and always found the good in everyone she met.
Vivian is survived by her daughter, Margaret C. Bourne of Gasport; and her dear friend, Dolores M. Silsby of Fort Pierce, FL.
Family and friends are invited to attend visitation at the Sherrie-Bream Funeral Home, 4521 Main Street, Gasport, NY, on Saturday, March 9, 2013 from 10-11 AM. Funeral Services will be held at the funeral home at 11:00 AM with the Reverend Ron Houseman officiating. Interment will be in Cold Springs Cemetery, Lockport, NY.
Please sign the guest register at www.sherriebreamfuneralhome.com and leave a condolence for the family.


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Pedaling Along With Bill Nye
April 9, 2008 5:32 PM
In keeping with the spirit of upfront season, Tuesday's Discovery Communications slate announcement at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills included lions, bicycle-powered blenders and Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
Discovery's new slate, covered here, included standouts like a singing competition show called "The Singing Office" on TLC, "Dave Salmoni: A Year With Lions" on Animal Planet and "Stuff Happens" on Discovery's newest channel, Planet Green, set to launch June 4.
The Daily Blink met up with "Stuff" host Bill Nye during the reception. Mr. Nye is best known for his Emmy Award-winning series "Bill Nye, the Science Guy."
Mr. Nye had set up camp next to the Planet Green bar, which was using bicycles to charge batteries to power blenders.
Mr. Nye said "Stuff Happens" is about "surprising connections between our actions and the environment, and the choices you can make, especially as a consumer, to make life better for everyone in the world."
"To change the world!" he added, with a flourish.
One noteworthy episode he discussed was about the demand for bacon, in which South American sardine farmers are selling fish feed to North American farmers.
"So that when you eat bacon, you're eating meat that was fed fish. Now, I don't know how much you know about pigs, but they don't do a lot of fishing," he said.
As a result, he said, penguins are suffering because of the harvesting of their food supply.
Speaking of "Bill Nye, the Science Guy," Mr. Nye gave us a tip that that series could be on the shelves in DVD form sometime before Christmas.
The party was hopping as other Discovery talent and execs mingled, including "L.A. Ink's" Kat Von D and boyfriend Nikki Sixx, "Entourage's" Adrian Grenier, promoting his show "The Green Life," and "How Stuff Works" CEO Jeff Arnold. Discovery bought "How Stuff Works" earlier this year, and the Web site is using Discovery programming clips to help punctuate its articles.
Discovery Channel President-General Manager John Ford said his favorite program coming up on the slate is "One Way Out," a show where escape artist Jonathan Goodwin breaks out of specially designed traps.
The upfront also saw a slew of rebranding from last year. Discovery Home is changing to Planet Green, Discovery Times rebranded itself earlier to Investigation Discovery, the Science Channel and Animal Planet have new logos and branding, Discovery Health is prepping its transition to the Oprah Winfrey Network. Even Discovery will be sporting a new logo.
"The digital networks are all distinguishing themselves, and for Discovery it's not so much a rebranding as it is a tweak," Mr. Ford said.


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The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — Norman High
Record: 9-12
Last week: NHS lost to Edmond Memorial on Tuesday and Friday defeated Del City.
This week: The Tigers close out the regular season with a trip to Westmoore on Tuesday before hosting Norman North on Friday.
Outlook: The Tigers put up a good showing against second-ranked Edmond Memorial before an impressive victory over Del City. With another good week, NHS could get rolling just in time for the postseason.
Record: 8-13
Last week: The Tigers dropped two games to Edmond Memorial and Del City.
This week: The Tigers have split games with Westmoore so far this season, and travel there Tuesday for the rubber match before hosting North on Friday.
Outlook: The Tigers have come a long way since the first Clash of the year, and Friday will be a huge opportunity for NHS to get a win over their crosstown rivals and enter regionals on a high note.
Norman North
Record: 9-12
Last week: Dropped a pair of games to Westmoore and Edmond Memorial.
This week: The T-Wolves host Southmoore on Tuesday and Friday travel to NHS.
Outlook: North played one of its better halves of the year in the first half against second-ranked Memorial on Friday, and one of its worst in the second. They have one week left to try and find some consistency before entering the playoffs.
Record: 15-6
Last week: The T-Wolves defeated Westmoore on Tuesday and Edmond Memorial on Friday.
This week: Fourth-ranked Southmoore visits Tuesday before North heads to NHS for the Crosstown Clash.
Outlook: North rebounded nicely last week after a tough stretch. Tuesday's game against No. 4 Southmoore will be a litmus test for the Timberwolves after dropping a 45-33 decision two weeks ago, and the Clash on Friday will be a charged atmosphere a week before North hosts a regional.
Record: 16-4
Last week: CCS defeated Paoli on Tuesday in a lopsided game.
This week: CCS ends the regular season with a contest against Stratford on Monday and open the postseason on Friday.
Outlook: With just four losses on the year, confidence shouldn't be lacking at CCS, something that will benefit the Royals when they travel to Wellston for an 8 p.m. game Friday to open the postseason.
Record: 11-9
Last week: Defeated Paoli on Monday.
This week: Travel to Stratford on Monday and Wellston on Friday for the playoff opener.
Outlook: After a difficult test on Monday, CCS has an even more difficult one at 6:30 p.m. Friday against Wellston in the playoff opener.
— Corbin Hosler
For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.


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Sink into the magic of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival at Hill-Stead Museum. The bi-weekly summer poetry event continues on July 11, featuring newly appointed U. S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey!
The evening begins at 5 p.m. with the prelude talk about Trethewey by John Stanizzi in the Makeshift Theater. At 6:15 p.m., move into the Garden to hear the Music of Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem. Then hear the spoken word of 2nd place Sunken Garden Poetry Prize winner Sue Burton followed by Natasha Threthewey at 7:30. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, food and wine and enjoy the beauty of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival. Food and drinks are also available for purchase on site. Handicap parking, access and restrooms available also. Gates open at 4:30pm. $5 per person. Visit www.sunkengardenpoetry.org for more information.