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Originally published Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 12:11 AM
'Baggage Claim': Packed with clichés — and one pretty smile
A movie review of "Baggage Claim," an unimaginative romantic comedy starring Paula Patton, smiling gamely as a singleton flight attendant who sets off on a desperate quest to land a husband before her youngest sister gets married.
Special to The Seattle Times
Movie Review
'Baggage Claim,' with Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs, Djimon Hounsou. Written and directed by David E. Talbert. 93 minutes. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language. Several theaters.
Paula Patton is so perky!
Perky! Perky! Perky! In "Baggage Claim"!
There aren't enough exclamation points in the universe to convey how cheery, chirpy and chipper Patton is playing a woman who's been unlucky in love but determined to smile her way through life's ups and downs, come what may.
And she's got a lovely smile, seen in scene after scene blazing so brightly it could probably be detected by satellites in space.
Her character, Montana Moore, is a flight attendant pushing 30 whose pushy mother has been pressuring her for years to get hitched and settle down. Of course, the fact that mom has had five husbands doesn't exactly make her a poster child for the matrimonial state, but, well, that's just the way it goes in this clichéd romantic comedy by writer-director David E. Talbert.
When her youngest sister announces her engagement, Montana decides she will find herself a mate in the 30 days before sis's wedding date because she's tired of being a bridesmaid and never a bride. Make sense? Um, no.
Her two best friends encourage her to track down old beaus to see whether any will now be ready for the role of husband-on-demand. Worst. Idea. Ever.
Much frantic running through airports ensues as Montana, smiling, always smiling, jets hither and thither to seek out the studly likes of Taye Diggs, playing an oily politician, and Djimon Hounsou, playing a wealthy hotelier.
All fall short for one reason or another. Meanwhile, back home, her old high-school sweetheart (Derek Luke) is on hand to offer a shoulder to cry on and ... well you can guess the rest.
Patton flails in the physical-comedy scenes, but keeps smiling through the many humiliations her character endures. Though this silly picture will quickly vanish from memory, her smile, like that of the Cheshire cat, will linger in the viewer's mind.
Soren Andersen: email@example.com
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Welcome to American International Montessori School
At AIM, we offer an authentic Montessori program for toddlers, preschool and elementary-age students, within either a Japanese or Mandarin Chinese language immersion environment. Our highly-trained teachers, culturally-rich program, and engaged parent community make AIM a wonderful choice for parents who want to simultaneously offer their children a joyful, child-led and academically challenging educational experience, and the gift of bilingualism.
Learn about AIM:
Elementary School (6 – 12 years, 1st – 6th grade)
- Mandarin Chinese or Japanese immersion track
- Three trained Montessori teachers, each speaking one language
- A respectful environment fostering social, academic and executive function skills
Preschool/Kindergarten: Children's House (3-6 years)
- Mandarin Chinese or Japanese immersion classrooms
- Montessori-trained, native speaking Mandarin & Japanese teachers
- Advanced academics: reading, writing & arithmetic by age 6
Toddlers: Infant Community (18 – 36 months)
- Dual Mandarin Chinese/Japanese immersion
- Montessori approach
- A focus on language and self-care skills
- Toilet learning included
St. Mary's College Montessori Teacher Training at AIM
St. Mary's College Montessori Training center is having their Early Childhood & Elementary training program at AIM. For further information please contact Patricia Chamber at email@example.com.
Take Action:
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text: Tilke: Sochi track will be ready for Russian GP 8 August, 2013 Russian GP site in Sochi Hermann Tilke insists that he is 100 per cent certain that the circuit in Sochi will be ready for next year's inaugural Russian Grand Prix. Doubts hang over the 2014 race on the Black Sea coast, after a dispute between the promoter Omega and the Russian automobile federation resulted in Russia missing the deadline to apply to be on next year's calendar. Earlier, there were also reports of construction delays, while German Tilke, whose company is responsible for the design of new Formula 1 circuits, expressed concerns about the quality of the local construction contractors. But Tilke has now told Russia's Championat he is "100 per cent certain" that the circuit, part of the infrastructure for the 2014 winter olympics, will be ready on time. "Nothing else is in my area of responsibility," he said. "The track will be built on schedule," Tilke added, insisting that even the construction delay between November and the end of the 2014 games in February will not pose a problem. "No, everything will be ok," he said. "The track will be ready on time." Tilke also insisted that he is no longer worried about the quality of the construction work. "All of these problems were long ago. Everything is now solved," he said. (GMM) Subbed by AJN. Tweet Jack Tilke has by far the best job in the world McLarenfan An interesting looking layout for a track complete with the omega symbol. TylerC he may have the best job in the world, he's just making a complete hash of it and this Russian track will be just as mind numbingly boring as the rest of his cookie cutter circuits. None of them have any flow to them, and god forbid there were any elevation changes. Enough of these damn boring circuits and annoying rule changes! Can we please have 90's style F1 again? Bring back Imola, and ballsy drivers instead of prima donnas like Vettel and Alonso


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Current Standings - New York: 35-21, 3rd in the Eastern Conference (7.5 behind the Miami Heat), 1st in the Atlantic Divison (Leading the Brooklyn Nets by 3 games) Cleveland: 20-39, 12th in the Eastern Conference (24 games behind the Miami Heat), 5th in the Central Division (Last place, 17.5 games behind the Indiana Pacers).
Previous Meeting - The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 103-102 at Madison Square Garden on December 15, 2012.
What To Watch For - After dropping an astounding career high 41 points in the previous meeting between the two teams, one of the NBA's most promising stars in Kyrie Irving will be questionable tonight with a hyper-extended knee. Irving will have a massive impact on the game, so that remains a key factor to monitor until game-time. Although Irving has missed the past three games due to the injury, the Cavaliers are 4-2 since the All-Star break, and 9-2 in their last 11 games facing Eastern Conference opponents. Add in that they are 6-0 on their home court during that stretch, and the Knicks haven't won at the Q in the last six years, and we can have a recipe for nail-biter.
Injury Update – Cleveland – Kyrie Irving (Hyperextended knee, Questionable) Anderson Varejao (Vastus Medialis Split, Out), Omri Casspi (Appendectomy, Out) New York - Rasheed Wallace (Fractured Left Fifth Metatarsal, Out) Marcus Camby (Plantar Fascia, Questionable).
Key Matchup - Alonzo Gee, the Cavaliers best on-ball defender, will most likely be assigned to Carmelo Anthony tonight, leaving power-forward Tristan Thompson in a tough spot. Due to the Knicks three-guard starting lineup, Thompson will need to defend one of those guards, which makes the bench for both teams a much more important factor in the game. The Knicks bench vs. the Cavs bench will be a key piece to the game because of how differently the starting lineups matchup. Between the Knicks having the fire power of JR Smith, Stoudemire, and the veteran Kidd coming off the bench, it will be interesting to see how they size up with the the Cavaliers 6th highest bench scoring average in the month of February, with 40.9 points per game.
Knicks Win If – If the Knicks fly out of the gate tonight with plenty of energy and effort, they shouldn't have a problem. A 3rd seed should generally dominate a 12th seed whether it's home or away, but the Knicks have proved they can drop a dud any night. With James White currently in the starting lineup, the bench play becomes that much more important. The Knicks have been struggling all season long to find that every night #2 scoring option, and I believe it's Amare Stoudemire's time to be rewarded more minutes. Stoudemire is shooting an incredible 74 percent from the field in his last five games, and it's time the Knicks start riding him out. If Jason Kidd finds a way to shoot the ball like he did on Sunday, the Knicks must take advantage of that, and try to close this game early.
Cavaliers Win If – If Irving plays, and lights it up, the Knicks will be in store for a long night. The Knicks go as Anthony goes, and if they can find a way to keep him down on planet Earth tonight then they have a legit shot at getting this win. If JR and Kidd come out as cold as ice, life for the Cavaliers will be much easier to come by. If the Cavs can dominate the glass, they will be able to play at their own tempo throughout the game. The Knicks have shown they lack composure occasionally, and if the Cavs can get in there head, they're the ones that can end this night early.


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Here is the latest Alabama sports news from The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jimmy Graham caught seven passes for a career-best 146 yards and two touchdowns, cornerback Jabari Greer made a diving, touchdown-saving pass breakup on a late fourth-down play, and the New Orleans Saints held on to hand the Atlanta Falcons their first loss, 31-27 on Sunday. Graham and his Atlanta counterpart, veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, both were superb in a game that showcased all the intensity of one of the NFL's most passionate rivalries.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn coach Gene Chizik said he feels confident he can turn the football program around. The Tigers have slipped from a national title team two years ago to a miserable season. They're a longshot to pick up a win in the Southeastern Conference after Saturday night's 38-0 shellacking by Georgia.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Kenny Boynton scored 22 points and Florida cruised past Alabama State 84-35 on Sunday in a late opener for the Gators. Florida was supposed to begin the season Friday against Georgetown aboard the USS Bataan, but the game was canceled at halftime because there was moisture on the court.
ALCORN, Miss. (AP) — Alcorn State beat Oakwood 85-41 Sunday in the season opener for the Braves. Oakwood, who plays out of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, counted the game as an exhibition match.
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One of the most famous characters to grace the hills of Addison County was America's poet laureate, Robert Frost. In a earlier post, I joked about the ubiquity of signs alluding to Frost's presence in the woods of Ripton, so I thought it would be fun to describe a run built on the Robert Frost theme. The Robert Frost roadside rest area on Rt. 125 a few miles below Breadloaf seemed like a logical place to begin the run, given the ample parking.
The header for this blog describes it as "A blog for runners in and about Addison County, VT". While all of my previous posts have been describing runs in Addison County, this posting chronicles a run not far from our fair county, in the "Vail of Vermont", Stowe. Since a drive to Stowe isn't that big a deal, and this run involves a well-known Vermont landmark, I figured I might as well include it.
NOTE: Do take care when handling hot peppers, especially cutting and deseeding them. Wash your hands carefully after working with them or wear rubber gloves. Avoid touching your eyes after handling them!
Hot Chile Oil
Adapted from "River Cottage Preserves Handbook"
Makes 2 cups
VERMONT — On Friday afternoon, the Vermont Secretary of State's office released its eagerly awaited (but still unofficial) tally of the votes cast in Tuesday's Democratic gubernatorial primary. Though the numbers won't be certified until early next week, this count placed Peter Shumlin 197 votes ahead of runner-up Doug Racine.
In this week's Patchwork, Kate Gridley celebrates the joys of fresh sweet corn. Though eating it plain is delicious, there are lots of other things to do with fresh corn. Here are just a few.
Corn Salad With Black Beans
(Serves 6)
Well, the tallies are finally in, and it's not yet definitive, but the AP reports that Shumlin has claimed victory in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
In this week's Patchwork, the tomato and potato blight that is infecting crops reminds Barbara Ganley of her Irish roots. Read the column here, then try out some of the recipes below.
(As she wrote it)
My last last few blogged runs were on the long side, requiring a fairly high degree of organization and car shuttling to pull off, making them relatively rare treats for those with a little extra time on their hands. This run, however, requires much less choreography – just a short drive up the mountain from Middlebury to get to the trailhead, and thus can be done without a lot of extra driving. This is also a relatively straightforward "up and down" route, on easy to follow trails, requiring no map, and not a lot of knowledge of the topography. The catch?
This week's Patchwork column discusses the summery gazpacho, a vegetable soup served cold. Head over here to read Kate Gridley's thoughts on using the late summer bounty, then try some of the recipes below!
Red Gazpacho
Serves 6
Given the myriad of routes through the Moosalamoo region, and the great running weather, I thought it would be fun to try yet another long run bisecting this region and concluding at the Falls of Lana trailhead. My two lab assistants, Jack and Tyler, were also eager to explore some new terrain, so we decided to do another run involving a car shuttle. The original plan was to commence the run from the Robert Frost trailhead off of Route 125, but upon our arrival, we noted barriers across the trailhead announced that it was closed to the public due to the ongoing road construction.
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During most of the stops on the Reflektor tour, Arcade Fire take some time out of their encore to cover a song from an artist that's native to whatever state they're playing. In Ohio, they covered Devo; in Philadelphia, they took on Boyz II Men's "Motown Philly"; in St. Louis it was Chuck Berry and in Kansas City they played Kansas. The latest artist to be graced with a cover was R.E.M. when the band performed "Radio Free Europe" last night at their Atlanta show. According to a local report, they also paid homage to Outkast with a slowed-down recording of "Hey Ya" during the fake-out encore. You can watch a fan video of Arcade Fire's take on R.E.M. below.
(via Consequence Of Sound)
[Photo by Jason Squires/WireImage.]
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Reduce Small Employers' Cost of Buying Health Insurance
SummaryThe main reason that many small employers do not purchase health coverage for their employees is the cost. Texas could reduce that cost by allowing small employers who band together in coalitions to be treated as single employers under state law.
Many Texans working for small employers do not have health insurance. Almost one-third of Texas' uninsured workers in 2001, or almost 700,000 Texans, worked for employers with fewer than 10 employees. Nearly one-half, or almost 1 million Texans, work for firms with fewer than 25 employees.[1]
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) received federal funds through a State Planning Grant (SPG) to collect information and develop options for expanding health insurance to uninsured Texans, especially those working for small businesses. The study included a survey of Texas small businesses that generated 13,000 completed responses.[2] The Texas Insurance Code defines small employers as firms with 2 to 50 employees.
Sixty-nine percent of Texas small business firms answering the TDI survey stated that the main reason they do not offer health insurance coverage is the cost.[3] A U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) report distributed by TDI also cited cost as the primary reason small employers do not offer health insurance coverage to their employees.[4]
Small employers' administrative expense and risk
Health insurance companies incur higher costs when administering insurance plans for small firms than they do with larger firms. From 20 percent to 25 percent of small employers' premiums typically go toward expenses other than benefits, compared with about 10 percent or less for larger employers.[5] Administrative expenses include insurers' marketing and billing. These items increase the per-person administrative cost of insurance more for smaller groups than for larger ones because there are fewer people to share the cost. This pattern is also true in Texas.[6]
Smaller firms also must pay more if they have a sick employee. Larger employers have more people over which to spread the risk of a chronically ill employee and to spread the likelihood of illness than employers with fewer workers.
Higher administrative expenses for small groups result in higher premiums for small businesses. As a result, state law allows insurance companies to charge up to an additional 20 percent on premiums, based on group size.[7]
In the TDI survey, small businesses said that one of the solutions to the problem would be to encourage small employer health purchasing alliances. Of the small employers responding to the TDI survey, 95 percent said they wanted a purchasing alliance.[8]
History of purchasing alliances
Currently many Texas small employers purchase health insurance for their employees through a high cost, small group policy. Since 1993, however, the Texas Legislature has permitted small employers to join together in private non-profit health insurance purchasing alliances to obtain economies of scale.
According to one of the authors of the 1993 legislation, the intent was for cooperatives to form easily with little or no costs or liability.[9] In general, however, insurers have not been eager to participate in private alliances.[10] A study of the experiences of many states with purchasing alliances stated that insurance companies did not like being put into competition for alliance business, did not like serving small groups and realized little if any administrative savings. The insurance companies said it was not worthwhile to operate dual administrative systems (one for an alliance and one for their non-alliance small group business).[11]
The 1993 Legislature created the Texas Insurance Purchasing Alliance (TIPA), which began accepting enrollees in 1995. TIPA, which became a nonprofit corporation in 1997, experienced significant success in the beginning but was dissolved after five years due to some complex problems that included the following issues:
- TIPA only offered three standard plans.
- TIPA initially sold directly to businesses and cut out insurance agents. When TIPA later began offering coverage through agents, their commissions were limited.
- TIPA made coverage more expensive to healthy groups and encouraged businesses with costly, high-risk groups of sick employees into the TIPA plan.[12]
Small employer coalitions
There is currently only one purchasing alliance in the state, the Texas Health Care Purchasing Alliance, Inc. (THCPA, Inc.) with about 2,700 total employees covered. The alliance was formed after the state law passed in 1993 to allow small businesses to join forces. THCPA combines small employers into small employer coalitions, which typically have about 50 employees.[13]
Small employers who join together may purchase standard, state-regulated small employer group health insurance plans. These coalitions may solve the problems that small employers face in purchasing insurance by allowing the coalitions of small employers to offer the benefits of a single larger employer.
Coalitions do not have to experience the problems of the now dissolved TIPA. They can purchase any plan they want from a carrier rather than only three standard plans. Insurance agents can form coalitions and participate in sales to them. Unlike TIPA, they do not require carriers to operate dual administrative systems because a coalition can be treated like any other single employer.
Coalitions of small employers could also help reduce the high costs that insurance carriers incur when they serve small groups. They can substantially reduce the small employers' and the insurance carriers' costs of serving smaller employers by combining very small groups into groups of about 50. A group of this size is sufficiently large to avoid the 20 percent increased rating that Texas insurance companies are allowed to charge to small businesses under state law. Coalitions of fewer than 50 employees also can qualify as a small business in state law, which means their insurance policies contain a feature known as guaranteed renewability.
A disproportionately large number of sick employees in a group is always of concern in the small employer market, because it raises premium risk and costs. The concern diminishes as the size of the group grows to more than 35 employees. To reduce the risks associated with insuring small employers, an insurance carrier may review the medical history of each individual in the small group and set the group's premiums accordingly, a procedure known as medical underwriting.
Very small groups are screened most extensively, but as the group approaches more than 20 individuals, fewer questions may be asked. Such individual assessments are not typically performed for large employers, so the cost of medical underwriting accrues only when selling to small employers.[14] Coalitions of small firms with close to 50 employees normally avoid this cost.
A coalition of small employers should not pose any larger financial risk for insurance carriers than larger firms. Only 1 percent of the population is thought to be both uninsured and uninsurable due to a pre-existing health condition.[15] A GAO report revealed that individuals covered by employers with two to 50 employees in health care plans had, on average, health characteristics that were similar to those insured through large employers with more than 50.[16]
Austin Hocker, president of Hocker, Inc., a Houston industrial supply company, explained the appeal of a purchasing coalition in a Houston Chronicle article: "We've always furnished health insurance. That was OK until a few years ago, when the cost was going up and up and up. We were going to have to cut the quality of insurance or make our employees start paying." Hocker and his 11 employees joined THCPA, Inc. in 1994. The company found it received higher quality insurance for 30 percent less than what it had been paying. [17]
Some insurance carriers, however, have canceled their policies with coalitions of small employers organized by THCPA in spite of the Texas Insurance Code's guaranteed renewability provisions because the carriers did not consider the purchasing alliance to be a single employer.[18] Carriers then offered coverage to each of the small employers previously organized by THCPA at a higher rate, defeating the purpose of having a small employer alliance.
Article 26.16(b) of the Texas Insurance Code states: "A cooperative is considered an employer solely for the purposes of benefit elections under the code." TDI currently interprets Article 26.16(b) to mean that small employer coalitions are not single employers. If TDI changed its interpretation and considered them as single employers, the cost of the health insurance to smaller employers who formed coalitions would be lower because they could avoid the 20 percent additional costs that the insurance code allows insurance companies to charge small employers. The author of the legislation that inserted Article 26.16(b) into the insurance code has stated that the legislative intent was to consider cooperatives as single employers.[19]
An example
Exhibit 1 provides an example that shows how a coalition of small employers could save money on its health insurance. If 10 small businesses, each with 5 employees, each purchase a policy, it will cost an estimated $210.26 per employee. (The premium is based on quotes for coverage for a small business of five employees.)[20] If the businesses are instead members of a coalition of 50 employees, the group in this example would save nearly 17 percent based on its size, and the cost per employee drops to $175.16.
If the coalition also chooses to purchase a type of policy that lets the consumers be involved in the day-to-day decisions about their health care, the cost could drop again to $140.13.[21] An example of this type of policy for health care is one in which consumers may choose certain types of coverage and eliminate other coverages based upon their individual need.
In this example, a coalition may reduce the administrative cost of providing health insurance in several ways. The insurance company could issue one "off the shelf" policy to the coalition just as it would to any other group of comparable size instead of ten to each of the employers. The insurance company's administrative costs of handling one 50-employee group are one-tenth of those handling ten groups of five employees each, and it should not have the additional cost of medical underwriting.
Exhibit 1
Example of Health Insurance Savings
For Small Businesses and Their Employees
From Treating Small Employer Coalitions as Single Employers
Sources: BlueCross BlueShield of Texas and Robert Desmond.
In addition to the benefits to be derived by small businesses, which could then afford to purchase health insurance for their employees, the state of Texas also would benefit. The Comptroller's office estimated that in 1998 Texas state and local governments and private charities spent an average of almost $1,000 on health care for uninsured Texans.[22] In 2001, about 700,000 uninsured Texans worked at firms with fewer than ten employees. A substantial reduction in the number of uninsured Texans could save federal, state and local governments and charities substantial funds that could be used elsewhere.
The Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 26, Subchapter A, Article 26.16 should be amended to clarify that employers who join together in cooperatives to purchase health insurance should be considered single employers.
If this recommendation is implemented, small employers who join coalitions to purchase affordable health insurance would have the same access to the health insurance market as any other employer group of comparable size. This amendment would make coverage more affordable to Texas' smallest businesses and provide access to thousands of employees of these businesses.
Fiscal Impact
There would be no significant fiscal impact on state government. However, to the extent that the number of uninsured would be decreased, implementation of this recommendation could reduce costs of health care programs supported by local hospital districts and state government for the uninsured.
[1] Dianne Longley, Small Employer Health Insurance Survey Results, presentation before the State Planning Grant Conference, Austin, Texas, January 2002, p. 1.
[2] Texas Department of Insurance, State Planning Grant Division, Working Together for a Healthy Texas, Final Report (Austin, Texas, March 2002), pp. 1-2, http://spg.tdi.state.tx.us/pubs/final/index.html. (Last visited October 18, 2002.)
[3] Dianne Longley, Small Employer Health Insurance Survey Results, p. 6.
[4] U.S. General Accounting Office, Private Health Insurance; Small Employers Continue to Face Challenges in Providing Coverage, GAO 02-8 (Washington, DC, October 2001), p. 4.
[5]U.S. General Accounting Office, Private Health Insurance; Small Employers Continue to Face Challenges in Providing Coverage, GAO 02-8, p. 14.
[6] Mike Pollard, executive director of the Texas Association of Life and Health Insurers, testimony before the House Insurance Committee, Austin, Texas, March 5, 2001.
[7] Tex. H.B. 949, 77th Leg., R.S. (2001).
[8] Texas Department of Insurance, State Planning Grant Division, Working Together for a Healthy Texas: Final Report (Austin, Texas, March 2002), p. 45.
[9] Tex. H.B. 2055, 73rd Leg., R.S. (1993); and letter from Texas State Senator Kip Averitt to Karina Casari, executive deputy commissioner, Texas Department of Insurance, March 4, 2002.
[10] Texas Department of Insurance, State Planning Grant Division, Working Together for a Healthy Texas: Final Report, p. 45.
[11] Economic and Social Research Institute, Barriers to Small-Group Purchasing Cooperatives: Purchasing Health Coverage for Small Employers, by Elliot K. Wicks, Mark Hall and Jack A. Meyer (Washington, DC, March 2000), p. 4.
[12]Texas Department of Insurance, State Planning Grant Division, Working Together for a Healthy Texas: Final Report, p. 45; and Texas Department of Insurance, Small Business Purchasing Alliances, by Jed Perry (Austin, Texas, August 2001).
[13] Texas Department of Insurance, State Planning Grant Division, Working Together for a Healthy Texas, Final Report), p. 45.
[14] U.S. General Accounting Office, Private Health Insurance: Small Employers Continue to Face Challenges in Providing Coverage, GAO-02-8, p. 16.
[15] The Heartland Institute, Extending Affordable Health Insurance to the Uninsurable, by Conrad F. Meier (Chicago, Illinois, August 27, 1999), p. 5.
[16]U.S. General Accounting Office, Private Health Insurance; Small Employers Continue to Face Challenges in Providing Coverage, GAO 02-8, p. 20.
[17]Rebecca Mowbray, "It Takes Creativity to Fight High Costs of Insurance Plan for Employees," The Houston Chronicle (July 21, 2000).
[18] Tex. Ins. Code Ann. Chapter 26, Subchapter C, §26.23.
[19] Letter from Texas State Senator Kip Averitt to Karina Casari, executive deputy commissioner, Texas Department of Insurance, March 4, 2002.
[20] Data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Small Group Rating System, September 1, 2001.
[21] HealthMarket Self Directed Health Plans' estimated quote prepared by Robert Desmond, September 2002.
[22] Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Estimated Health Care Spending on the Uninsured (Austin, Texas, May 2000). http://www.window.state.tx.us/uninsure/. (Last visited October 18, 2002.)


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As it seems, the onset of the shift has not really changed the probability of an opposite hit ball. But, for those most shifted in 2013, there has been a large decrease across the board in the value of their batted balls, with the average ground ball losing 66% of it's value until this year—where there seems to be a spike in ground ball run values. But the most surprising factor is the apparent effect of the shift on the fly balls and line drive value, which have both dropped significantly in value without encouraging the hitter to take a different approach to take it the other way. What we really need is to detect when the shift is on for all players, and compare the spray and outcomes of their batted balls in shifted versus non-shifted situations. [...]
However, using Gameday data, this is the best proxy I could think up as a "SHIFT SCORE" metric, to identify player's who are suitable to be shifted:
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For starters…
The Red Wings' starters ERA went from 1.17 to 1.31. Their ERA in the nine wins is 0.96.
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On this Torii Hunter matter: Doesn't MLB have bigger problems than worrying about a player giving champagne to another team? I mean, a fine is one thing. But a three-year suspension? Let's see: You're caught juicing? 50 games, buddy! But hey, did you just give that team some champagne? Three years!!!!
Meanwhile, a cheater in San Francisco marches toward one of baseball's most revered records, and we all stand by helplessly.
I'm excited about Wednesday's noon pitching matchup at Frontier Field: Matt Garza vs. Jon Lester. Something tells me you'll see that matchup in the major leagues many times down the road.
Very much enjoyed my chat with Paul Molitor today. Now I need to transcribe it before I foolishly tape over it!
Quick Wings stats: 7-0 when scoring first and 8-0 when leading after eight. Of course, one of those came when Rochester blew a five-run lead in the ninth inning vs. Ottawa on Opening Day and fell behind 11-9, only to rally with three in the bottom of the ninth and win 12-11.
Piece of cake.
Good night for now from beautiful Frontier Field.


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Find a Certified Tantra Yoga Teacher
The following Certified Tantra Educators® (CTEs) have been certified by the Source School of Tantra Yoga as having the necessary skills to provide quality, professional Tantra instruction to individuals, couples, and groups. This unique, trademarked certification process verifies these students have completed several months of direct instruction over several years in advanced Tantra practices, principles, practical applications, and professional teaching techniques.
The intensive training regimen conducted by Source School of Tantra Yoga is designed to ensure all CTEs receive the best Tantra training available in America today. This training presents the art of Tantra in a competent, professional, and respectful manner and incorporates the Muir's approach, which is an original, sophisticated blend of ancient and modern techniques of Tantra yoga.
To find a CTE in your area, open up their state/region in the table on the left or view the complete listing of the instructors by clicking the link underneath. You can then email or call the instructor directly or visit their website. Teachers who travel to multiple regions are listed in up to three states.
DISCLAIMER. Source School of Tantra Yoga does not endorse any seminar, workshop, or session not directly produced or conducted by Charles Muir. The certification title "CTE" acknowledges only that the certificate holder has completed the certification program. Those who hold this certification are generally accepted by Source School of Tantra Yoga to have all the necessary skills and training required to teach Tantra theories and practices independently. Charles Muir and/or Source School of Tantra Yoga are not responsible for the individual actions of any CTE or any claims which may result from action or teaching provided by graduates of Source School of Tantra Yoga CTE courses. The title CTE (Certified Tantra Educator and Certified Tantric Educator) are registered trademarks of Charles G. Muir, Source School of Tantra Yoga. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of these trademarks is a violation of law.


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What is at the heart of your tradition, and what matters when it comes to sharing a Thanksgiving table? For me, it's being together with friends, family - or both, spending time cooking delicious foods, and eating together - enjoying each other's company with gratitude.
Even though holidays can push all of our trigger buttons so effectively, by being thrown in the stew of family dynamics, the stress of bringing a huge meal to the table and the digestive toll of eating too much - it can also be differently wonderful. It can be exactly what you want to eat, shared with the people you most want to enjoy.
When six of us sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, for instance, there won't be a bird, stuffing, mashed potatoes or gravy on the table. Our focus will be on vegetables, cheese and homemade pasta, because that is how I want to love my family this year. All of the vegetables will come from either my fall Hogsback CSA farm share - leeks, onions, garlic, celery root, carrots, squash, thyme, potatoes - or from my parents' garden - kale, tarragon, rosemary and Brussels sprouts. The other ingredients will come from as close to home as possible, with the exception of a marvelous hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese that I brought back from a recent trip to Italy, which has inspired our menu.
We'll start the day with coffee and homemade prune or poppyseed-stuffed kolacky (Czech filled buns) - an annual Czech tradition that my mother bakes the day before. For lunch, we'll have a bowl of Celery Root Bisque with a batch of hot rolls right out of the oven. They'll be my mom's famous crescent rolls - tender and buttery, but this year my husband will be learning to make them with her, expanding his knowledge for his new love of baking.
In between breakfast and lunch, my mom and I will spend a few hours in the kitchen - my favorite place to be on any holiday - where we'll work on prepping the dinner. I'll be making one of my favorite things that needs to be made with heaps of love: homemade pasta. I'll be roasting a buttercup squash, and sauteéing onions to make the pasta into Tortelli di Zucca - or squash and parmesan-stuffed ravioli, which we'll have with a decadent butter and sage sauce. My mom will be working on the sides and her apple-cranberry tart. We'll take time away from the kitchen to play cards for several hours, make a fancy cocktail or have a little glass of bubbly, and then sit down to eat our ravioli with a lovely salad, sautéed Brussels sprouts with pecans and shallots, Tuscan white beans (recipe in my Nourish: Spring cookbook), and sautéed kale with garlic. It will be simple and perfect for our day.
Next year it will probably be something entirely different all over again. Maybe there will be more tradition on the table, or maybe not. But it will always include the important stuff: food, friends, family and love. What will be on your table?
Celery-Root Bisque
Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
4 tablespoons organic butter (substitute extra olive oil for a dairy allergy), divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb celery root (also called celeriac), peeled with a knife or Y peeler, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, rinsed and chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
6 cups vegetable stock - homemade stock or from organic bouillon cubes - OR water
1 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces cremini mushrooms, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Warm a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, then add 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil along with the celery root, potatoes, celery, leeks and shallots. Stir to coat all of the vegetables in oil, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add stock, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Purée soup with an immersion blender, or cool for 15 minutes and carefully purée in batches in a blender until smooth, then return to pot. Reheat bisque over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
While bisque is reheating, warm a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, then add the butter and mushrooms and sauté, stirring the mushrooms until crispy golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer mushrooms to a plate.
Serve bisque topped with mushrooms and a garnish of minced thyme leaves.
This morning tells a story of what it is to have a very large goal, a team of cheerleaders, and the support of those who believe in you.
For years, I've written down and assembled my recipes to share with friends who were making a shift in their food journey to eat healthier and feel better. For the past several years, I have been creating even more recipes and dedicating a large part of my time to crafting more foods at both ends of the health spectrum - both hyper-conscious of food allergies and intolerances - and absolutely delicious with no room for apologies.
The story of how sending recipes to friends turned into creating four full cookbooks that make up an entire year of seasonal, local, organic and healthy eating starts with being asked if I was ever going write a book at monthly cooking classes that I teach at Kitchen Window in Minneapolis. Over and over and over again. I finally got good and tired of saying that I was "working on it" and actually started to work on it. It began with a plan to gather all of these recipes, and then ended with it being too big and too much to do for one book.
So I restarted with the idea to break it down, and to write and publish just exactly how I live my life - season by season, cooking and eating with beautiful ingredients that are sourced by the prime of their flavor from local growers.
Next, I kept saying that I didn't want to do a "cooking for kids" cookbook, even though I kept hearing from families that they wanted just that.
So what I ended up doing was creating a healthy cooking series for families - or anyone who want to eat better - while managing food allergies and intolerances in the kitchen. I used my healthful recipes with the all-natural substitutions that are a mainstay in my own kitchen.
And I did it because I had a huge team of help. My team was a group of over 15 women - most of them moms, including my own mom - and two men - both dads. They worked with me for over a year, cooking and testing recipes, serving them to their families and giving me real feedback on what worked and what didn't. And guess who was eating the food? Kids. Not food that was dumbed down, breaded, flavorless or fried - but real food with whole ingredients and good flavors. Every single recipe was vetted and tested by real families.
The families of my testers are like so many other families out there, who are learning what it means to cook with healthy fats, whole gluten-free grains, colorful vegetables, and without dairy or refined sugar. Families who are learning how to cook more and stock the refrigerator with batches of healthy foods to make busy lives and nutritious eating both possible and delicious.
So the story this morning is that the seasons have come full circle, and I've been humbled in the process. The writing and recipe testing for Nourish: Winter began last September, and I complete the series today with Nourish: Fall, live on Amazon. It's a huge project completed and at the same time - just the beginning. Cheers - to more good food and healthy living!
Sweet Potato and Anasazi Bean Stew
(from Nourish: Fall by Anna Dvorak)
Anasazi beans are beautiful when dry - speckled white and deep red - and have a sweet flavor and creamy, rich texture when cooked. They have a thin, tender skin which makes them easier to digest than some beans. Native to the desert high mountain regions of the southwest, they cook remarkably well at altitude, which isn't the case for all beans. Outside of their native region they can be hard to find, so substitute pinto beans instead, which are also a very creamy and meaty bean. Serve this colorful, satisfying stew with a large green salad, and consider doubling it to have great leftovers for lunches or dinners.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Gluten-free, Dairy-free
2 cups cooked Anasazi beans or pinto beans (or use 1 (14 ounce) can beans, drained and rinsed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" dice (or 1/2 small winter squash) (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 small Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" dice (about 1 cup)
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup frozen sweet corn
1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare beans if cooking from scratch. (See full recipe for beans in Nourish: Fall.)
2. Meanwhile, warm a small soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions and sauté until onions begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir and let cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Add cubed sweet potato and Yukon Gold potato, stir to coat in oil and add 3 cups water along with sea salt, oregano and thyme. Increase heat to medium high; when the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and let cook at a gentle simmer for 25 minutes.
3. While the soup is simmering, warm a small sauté pan over medium heat until hot. Add coconut oil and corn and sauté until the corn begins to turn golden brown. Add corn to the soup pot along with chopped tomatoes and cooked beans and let the mixture simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. Add 1 cup bean cooking water if needed to thin the stew.
4. Taste for salt and adjust. Stir in fresh cilantro and black pepper to taste and serve.
I came to Italy with this Romantic Notion that things were so much better over here in terms of people appreciating their food source, living closer to the seasons, and having an integral relationship with the land. I came over to discover more about that magic, how I could find it and understand the essence of it - as a model for describing an optimistic ideal for living well.
Certainly in this little valley where I am staying, life is lived close to the land and in tight relationship with the earth and her gifts. I experience awe and wonder when I try to fathom that people have been living this way right here - as in other valleys like it throughout the world, for over 2000 years, giving and taking from these slopes that have provided for so long. There are so many medicinal plants here, so many edible wild foods, a landscape and climate with mineral-rich earth and water that keep this bioregion alive and flourishing that I am humbled to take it all in.
The flip side has been becoming aware of how our exported lifestyle is impacting life here in this region that has flourished on growing and raising foods that are optimum to this climate and land for so long. The Walmart, Costco and giant Supermarket-ification of our pro-growth lifestyle has made its way here as well, and small producers are struggling and fighting their way to stay at it - if not giving it up all together.
There is something real we can all do, in every bioregion that we live in, to make a little difference in a backwards direction as a rebellion - against dependence on giant agribuisiness and the loss of the individual voice.
It is to take a portion of our time and grocery dollars, and spend them directly with a grower or farmer or producer of food where we live. We need to act - as if the weekly farmers' market is our temporary grocery store for as many months as we can, and buy our food directly from the source - starting now. As lovely as the foods look, as similar as what's laid out might look from table to table (they are growing in the same region on the same timetable, after all) - those farmers are not there for fun and to support the carnival of a pleasant weekend morning.
They are there to earn a living because they are passionate about what they are doing, and keenly invested in the piece of land that they work and or animals they raise, to bring food to tables. They can't do what they're doing because we hope that they'll be there next week or month or year, when we're finally ready to do more than look.
They can't live on smiles and free samples.
They depend on us to thank them for what they're doing - selling the riches of the earth and of their hard work - by buying from them and bringing it to our tables, whether it is vegetables, meats, hand-harvested fish, cheeses, eggs, fruit, herbs, wild rice, or plants.
If we want to see any fraction of this kind of life survive - that is, the kind of life that might keep us alive if Walmart/Costco/SuperGrocery closes - then we need to participate in it, in our kitchens, and take part in a small way with the farmers, in the ancient cycle of living in accordance with the earth and her rhythms. The option and freedom is given to us right now by the effort of a small farmer near you, and we have a responsibility to receive, no matter where we live.
Dedicated to Brent Zimmerman of Valle di Mezzo, Mike Noreen of Burning River Farm, all the farmers at Stone's Throw and Loon Organics, Shepherd's Way Farm and at Singing Hills Goat Dairy.
I am wrestling with the burning question, "Why Does Life in Italy Seem So Much Better?"
Is it because Italians value the little things, take pleasure in the slow and the delicious, live simply and large at the same time?
Maybe. I'm only on day 5 so I am just scratching the surface. I am hunkered down in the hills of Umbria for a month, tucked into a little farmhouse within a cluster of a few homes and barns which are part of a former tiny, ancient, Etruscan village near the Tuscan border.
Life in this area is slow-paced, far away from city air or noises and charmingly beautiful. A bread truck lumbers up the road once a week to deliver Tuscan loaves of any size, and farmers and neighbors who take the shortcut to the next village over putter up and down the hill at random during the day. The neighbor nonna walks slowly out to her garden daily to pick a head of lettuce for dinner and rinses it under the cistern faucet before returning to her kitchen.
From here I can see green hills where at least 10 different things or creatures are being grown or raised: olives, grapes, wheat, farro, lentils, canola, chestnuts, sheep, honey, and chickens. That's about it for excitement, which is pretty exciting. It means not only do you get chestnuts but you get chestnut honey, not only do you get sheep but you get pecorino cheese, olive oil, etc. You get the picture, and it is pretty abundant.
So, I am enjoying being where I am and living in the question. In the meantime, I am keeping busy looking after the farmhouse and gardens, as well as writing, walking, painting, learning Italian and of course, cooking and eating. Healthy eating is simple when so many delicious vegetables are grown nearby, many raised from heirloom seeds which favor flavor over traveling ability, and sourced from the garden or the village vegetable store.
A quick chopped salad below is what I made to eat after the thunderstorm last night, along with a starter of pan-fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with homemade yogurt cheese and herbs. This is a nice main dish salad consisting of a little raw zucchini, which is sweet and crunchy when it is young and fresh, contrasted with a little bitter radicchio - a member of the chicory family and a beautiful purple-red - plus some sweet cherry tomatoes and chopped romaine. To truly taste the vegetables, you barely need any dressing - just some good sea salt and a little drizzle of excellent quality olive oil. And maybe a nice glass of Chianti for the full effect.
Zucchini and Radicchio Chop Salad for One
(doubles easily)
5 large cherry tomatoes or 8 small cherry tomatoes
1 small clove garlic, minced
large pinch sea salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 baby zucchini (no longer than 5 inches)
1 baby head radicchio (about 1 cup chopped)
2 inner leaves of romaine (1 cup chopped)
1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced herbs - I used lemon thyme, parsley and chives
Quarter the tomatoes and place in a small ceramic bowl that can hold 2 1/2 cups of chopped vegetables. Toss them with the minced garlic and sea salt and let that macerate while you chop the rest of the vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces. You'll end up with a salad that looks like you can eat it with a spoon - and you can, if you like. As you chop each vegetable toss it in the bowl on top of the tomatoes but don't stir until you've got it all done. Once everything is in the bowl and it has been about 5 minutes, give everything a stir. Taste it for salt - it should be nicely seasoned - and then drizzle with a little bit of excellent olive oil, about a teaspoon or so. If you have some herbs growing on a pot outside your door or on your balcony (hint: this is a really good idea, whether you're in Italy or not) then pick a couple sprigs at random and tear them into the salad. Serve immediately, with or without the Chianti.
Heirloom zucchini, cherry tomatoes, fresh rosemary and radicchio. Photos © Anna Dvorak
Today on Earth Day I am cautiously dreaming about what I'll plant in my new garden this year, what will go in my "foster" garden, and which clever new ways I can organize my herb pots so that they keep me supplied with cooking herbs throughout the summer.
All that, and I am also thinking about food, summer, and recipes - most specifically for my next e-cookbook, Nourish: Summer, which is due out June 1st.
One thing that has changed for me this past year has been paying greater attention what goes on in a typical kitchen for a family with school age children in my neck of the woods. Eleven women - most of them moms - and two men - both dads -have been my recipe testers for the three cookbooks I've written, and am writing, thus far. As I've received their feedback on the recipes, I've used it as a benchmark to write about cooking in a way that makes it so very practical and doable in a regular kitchen with the busy schedule that most families maintain.
This is why I get even more excited when I hear voices who command a much larger audience saying things like, "Cooking is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your diet. What matters most is not any particular nutrient, or even any particular food: it's the act of cooking itself. People who cook eat a healthier diet without giving it a thought. It's the collapse of home cooking that led directly to the obesity epidemic." That is from Michael Pollan, and it is the message at the forefront of the new book he has just written called "Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation."
Without Pollan knowing it, I consider myself part of a big team doing "work on the ground" in communities across America to implement a similar message, by educating about food and how to cook in front of groups 2 to 32 in size.
As a result, I'm pretty darn excited to go and hear Michael Pollan speak live in Minneapolis next week as part of the Inspiring Minds series at Beth El Synagogue, with proceeds to benefit an excellent organization in North Minneapolis called Appetite for Change.
I'm so excited, in fact, that I bought two tickets. So, if you'd like to join me next Thursday to get a taste of what inspires me and hopefully get a little inspired yourself,
(...read the rest of the blog HERE and get the full instructions!)
Oh January in Minnesota, how well you succeed in every attempt to dissuade, punish and intimidate all of our healthy new year resolve! You are dark, you are cold, you are dreary.
The only way to survive these cold days and nights without escaping to the tropics is to focus on something wonderful (to eat, in my case). And the best way to beat the pants off of flu and cold germs is to make that something garlicky and wonderful.
Which brings me to kale, garlic, onions, red peppers and sweet potatoes. Prepared and served in a comforting way, these colorful, seasonal foods deliver all of the warmth that is so desperately needed with the nutrition that will help us defy the worst of January weather.
What you have in these five foods is a powerhouse of immune-boosting, nutrient-packing and inflammation-reducing super-goodness. Antioxidents abound in every single vegetable this combo, plus vitamins A, C, K, as well as the minerals calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.
Eat them because they are delicious, naturally sweet and will add to your health. Bake them so that you will feel nourished and warm from the inside. Try them so that you, too, will be able to scoff in the face of January. Or just have something really garlicky and wonderful to eat.
Garlicky Kale-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 2 (with leftovers)
2 medium organic Garnet or Jewel yams (orange flesh sweet potatoes)
1 bunch organic kale, stems discarded and leaves chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced lengthwise into 1/8" strips
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced
organic goat cheese or feta, optional for garnish (my favorite is Singing Hills Dairy from Nerstrand, MN)
Heat oven to 400º. Scrub the sweet potatoes, prick several times on all sides with the tines of a fork and place on a metal baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes or until soft when squeezed in the middle. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, warm a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the oil and the onion and sauté until the onion turns very tender and sweet, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes longer, then stir in the chopped kale. Raise the heat to medium and sauté, stirring to toss, for 3-5 minutes or until the kale turns dark green and tender-crisp. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper and remove the pan from the heat.
Slice each roasted sweet potato lengthwise and squeeze apart to open. Mash the flesh of each sweet potato lightly with a fork, lightly drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then stuff with half of the kale mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley and the diced red pepper. Eat immediately, or keep for up to two hours at room temperature of up to two days, refrigerated. To serve prepared dish, return to the oven and bake until warmed through, about 15 minutes (depending on whether or not they were refrigerated). Serve along with a crisp green salad and a small portion of the protein of your choice.


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Preschool Matters Newsletters
NIEER spotlights national and international news regarding preschool education in its magazine, Preschool Matters. Each issue features articles on early education - from research studies and public funding to facilities development and teacher training. You can also read interviews with newsmakers (from government leaders and policymakers to researchers and advocates), thought-provoking columns from NIEER Director Steve Barnett, and more.


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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
Find a pet to adopt
My name is Sparky!
Facts about Sparky
- Breed: Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier
- Color: Silver & Tan (Yorkie Colors)
- Age: Adult
- Size: Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
- Sex: Male
Sparky's Info...
I am already neutered, housetrained, purebred, up to date with shots, good with dogs, and good with cats.
UPDATED BIO 09/05/2011: Surprise! It's me – Sparky. I am 10 years old and weigh 6.1 lb. I'm a little guy, you could say; I'm being fostered in Punta Gorda, FL. Well, here I sit - at my foster parents house……just waiting, waiting, waiting for somebody to come along and see how cute I am and wanna adopt me! I know you are out there, and I am waiting patiently until you (my forever family) comes for me.
I am a good boy, who is totally lovable. I love to give kisses, sleeping under blankets, running and playing with my ball. But I can only play when I am by myself, because FM says I can get very rough. Geesh. After all, it is MY ball! So I guess you could say I don't share very well. I do not mind all the animals in the house; you see, the other foster dogs that live here are Davie, Lindie, baby Kourtney. Oh! I forgot the resident cat, Cleo - she is just silly. I would love a fenced -n backyard where I could run and play, but that is not necessary. I take a walk every day, and I tell FM and FD when I have to go potty – aren't I a smart boy? Oh, wait……I AM smart, but sometimes I do have accidents. So I am better if I wear a bellyband - that way, I won't accidently piddle in the house.
I hope you come soon.
Love ya,
UPDATED BIO 07/29/2011: It's me – Sparky. I am 10 years old and weigh 6.1# - I'm a little guy, you could say; I'm being fostered in Punta Gorda, FL. I am still here in Foster Mom's house. It's great, and FM and FD are so wonderful to me, but all my foster sisters are being adopted to their forever homes – but I'm still here…..my feelings are a little hurt – why am I still here? I miss all my foster sister…., I am good with other dogs and cats, too. Resident Cat and I are buddies. I like to cuddle and be scratched, go on long walks and meet the neighbors. Paying fetch with my favorite ball is the best thing in the whole world, so a yard for me to play fetch in would be awesome, but it's not a deal-breaker, as long as you will take me on long walks a couple of times a day. Oh! And play my favorite game of ball with me. I am just waiting to be loved, and I hope you come to get me soon.
UPDATED BIO 05/12/2011: Sparky is 10 years old and weighs 6.1#, though he looks and acts MUCH younger! He is being fostered in Punta Gorda, FL. In a conversation earlier, here's what Sparky had to say for himself…………
Hi everyone! It's me - Sparky. Man, it's been a busy couple months. I've sat by the window and have seen so many of my foster sisters come and go, and I keep hoping I am next to get my forever home. Could it be you? Foster Mom says I am almost housetrained - she takes the belly band off a little more each day. Yippee........ I now go to the front door when I have to potty. I'm pretty smart, huh? Yeah, yeah, I know - I'm really smart - at least that's what FM tells me every day. She also tells me that I'm a total gentleman. I take care of all the foster sisters I have…I look after them and make sure they are safe. My one foster sister is 15 years old and FM is her real mom, but I still have to help cause she can't see, and I make sure she doesn't run into the wall. Right now I have some tummy troubles, and FM gives me some medicine, and I take it like a good boy, no fussing at all. See, I told you I was smart – and very good. Well, FM is telling me that I have to get ready for a photo shoot? Are you kiddin' me? Stay tuned……..
UPDATED BIO 02/25/2011: Sparky is a sweet & spunky little guy. He is 10 years old and weighs 6.1#, though he looks and acts MUCH younger! He is being fostered in Punta Gorda, FL. Now that Sparky has been vetted, he had a whole lot to say about the vetting situation and other important things….
Hi Everyone! Sparky here with today's highlights on my life. I made it through the vet visits like a champ. My teeth are clean and sparkly and I was also neutered (umm, not too sure what happened there?!) And that growth thing I told ya'll about earlier – the vet had to remove it. They had to shave my side, so I look kinda goofy! All vaccinations are up-to-date, and I am soooo ready for my furever home. Foster Mom says I am the most loveable little boy, and that I have totally perfect manners when it comes to the other furkids in the house. Heck, I even like kitties. I am still in belly bands, because I have some bad habits in the housetraining department. Foster Mom is working with me on it, though….it's like - I need to go potty a lot during the day, so I need to be let out lots and go for lotsa walks; otherwise I have accidents. I love to cuddle - a LOT, and sleep in my very own special crate. Sometimes I even let my foster sisters share my crate, hey, I may be 'middle-aged', but I still like the girlies! I am such a gentleman, though, and I think that's why they like to snuggle with me (wink, wink!) I would be very happy in a home with older kids, and a backyard would really be cool because I love playing ball. Since I have to go potty a lot, it would be even cooler to have someone home during the day to keep me company. Could this be you? Love, Sparky
INITIAL BIO 02/07/2011: Sparky is a sweet and spunky little 10 year ld 6.1 lb guy (though he looks and acts MUCH younger!). He is being fostered in Punta Gorda. He had this to say:
"Hi Everyone I am Sparky! I had a great family, but I will be honest..... I went potty in the house.... So they gave me up. I am not sure why, but things at foster mom and foster dad's is different. Maybe because I am surrounded by girls and I want to behave? You think? Foster Mom has me in a belly band, but she will be the first one to say I have not gone pee pee in my pants. I am only going outside like a good boy. Foster sister Penny had the same problem and she is also doing really well with no accidents. Maybe we help each other! :)
Yesterday we both went to the dogtor. I am a healthy little guy, but I need my teeth cleaned. They are really painful, and I may lose a few. I also need something called a neuter. Yikes! My bloodwork came back fine but I do have a urinary tract infection; so, I am on medication for that and expect it to clear up right away! (between clearing up the UTI and getting a neuter, I will be the best behaved little guy in your home! Just wait!) Yesterday I spent the whole day with foster dad because foster mom works, and I was so good. We snuggled while he read something called a newspaper. All of us dogs took a nap on top of foster dad. So far I like it here, but I know I will like your forever home too. What do you think? Could I be your new pal? xoxo - Sparky
p.s. I have a foster sister cat, and I like her too. Or should I say she likes me.
Other Pets at United Yorkie Rescue - FL - Punta Gorda - Kandice
Why Adoption is a Great Option
Sparky, a Punta Gorda Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier dog was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier for sale in Punta Gorda, or seeking a Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier dog from a breeder in Punta Gorda.
- Rescues and shelter volunteers in Punta Gorda already know the personality and tendencies of their pets. This means they can match you with the right pet. That will makes it much easier transition to owning a pet for yourself and your new pet.
- On average adoption fees are much less than you'd pay a Punta Gorda breeder, or pet store. Plus most often rescue pets have already been to the veterinarian for a check-up, had a round of vaccinations, and are spayed or neutered. That is a lot of savings!
- You will become a hero, and give a needy dog or cat a loving home. In fact, there are even Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier breeders who help with Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier rescue. One puppy or kitten adopted in Punta Gorda paves the way for another one to be saved.


text:
- Running
- Cycling
- Triathlon
- Fitness
- Race Results
- More
About This Activity
Your participation in this event helps support Lorain County Red Cross Emergency Services.
Since 1916, the Red Cross has provided assistance to families in Lorain County affected by disaster.
Map & Direction
Saturday, April 13, 2013 @ 9:00 AM (EDT)
Lorain County MetroParks, Bur Oak Pavilion in the Black River Reservation 6150 Ford Road Elyria, OH 44035Get Directions


text: Getting the golf ball airborne and adding yards is easy with the low-deep center of gravity in the new G25 Fairway wood, creating optimal spin and high launch. Perimeter weighting and a large face (slightly taller than G20 (1.31" vs 1.27") increase the moment of inertia for improved accuracy. The larger-profile G25 generates fast ball speeds for maintaining distance, even on mis-hits, ensuring long, straight golf shots.


text:
Get LISNews via email! Enter Your Email Address:
LISTEN. Do you hear it? The bits are dying.
The digital revolution has spawned billions upon billions of gigabytes of data, from the vast electronic archives of government and business to the humblest photo on a home PC. And the trove is growing — the International Data Corporation, a technology research and advisory firm, estimates that by 2011 the digital universe of ones and zeros will be 10 times the size it was in 2006.
But the downside is that much of this data is ephemeral, and society is headed toward a kind of digital Alzheimer's. What's on those old floppies stuck in a desk drawer? Can anything be read off that ancient mainframe's tape drive? Will today's hard disk be tomorrow's white elephant?
Data is "the natural resource for the Internet age," said Francine Berman, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego, a national center for high-performance computing resources. But, she added, "digital data is enormously fragile." It can degrade as it is stored, copied and transferred between hard drives across data networks. The storage systems might not be around or accessible in the future — it is like putting precious information on eight-track tapes.
Full story in the New York Times.
For all their qualities, electrons can seem awfully feeble when compared with a good old-fashioned book. "With the right kind of paper and the right kind of stewardship," Dr. Berman said, "you can keep a book for 100 years or more." The interface is as simple as it gets: open the book and look at the page.
At the same time, a second National Science Foundation-supported effort is finding ways to address the cost of saving digital memories. Dr. Berman leads this two-year task force with Brian Lavoie, a research scientist at the Online Computer Library Center, a nonprofit organization near Columbus, Ohio, that helps more than 60,000 libraries around the world find, share and preserve materials.
What goes out on the podcast feed is not what we would archive. I have higher quality AIFF and WAV files on a seemingly Cylon-free computer that I would prefer for archives usage. Eventually I could possibly deposit copies of episodes with Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville as well as the Center for Restoration Studies at Abilene Christian University. That would be up to me negotiating such as well as finding a suitable medium to make deposit in.
As for scripts, we rarely have extant copies. Frequently there are hand-written corrections to them as well as my ad-libbing at various points. I certainly have barely enough resources to pull off an episode each week let alone do transcription. There is a reel-to-reel recorder sitting in storage in Cleveland that, if we had the funds to ship such, we could at least take the source files and convert such back to analog.
For now we have the risk of a hard drive crash. That is not a good risk to take. Unfortunately a lack of particular resources ties our hands in terms of carrying out archiving.
Stephen Kellat, Host, LISTen


text:
15 Ways You Know You're The Thrifty One
You give yourself a few extra bucks to add to the hundreds you could save by switching to GEICO. You know better than to spend money on all those unnecessary life extras.
1. You've got the cheapest phone case of all time.
2. You rent out the other half of your full bed.
3. You own a Budget Segway.
Showing the world you know how to roll.


text:
Indian traders worried about Rio Tinto diamond asset sale
China could well topple India's monopoly in the diamond cutting and polishing business, if a Chinese company buys out Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine in Australia, fear Indian traders.
Posted: Friday , 06 Apr 2012
Diamantaires in Surat, Gujarat, are a worried lot. And, one of their biggest worries is that Rio Tinto will decide to sell its diamond business to a Chinese concern.
Rio Tinto owns the big Argyle mine in Australia and Argyle exports about 85% of its rough diamonds to Surat. If a Chinese buyer steps in, diamond traders are worried that India could well stand to lose its stranglehold on the diamond cutting and polishing business.
More than 90% of the world's rough diamonds come to India for cutting and polishing. A large delegation of the trade from India and a 30-member Russian delegation is participating in a gathering at Surat to ensure that diamond buyers meet up with Indian diamond manufacturers and have access to their wares.
Surat Diamond Association's Damji Mawani said if a Chinese company takes control of the Argyle mine, it would necessarily control supplies of rough diamonds. ``This will affect diamond traders in India, who will be forced to source their roughs from elsewhere and incur heavy costs in the bargain,'' he said.
Rough diamond prices have been on an upswing, rising 24% last year after two consecutive annual gains of 32%. India's annual requirement of rough diamonds hovers over $10 billion. In 2010-11, India imported $11 billion worth of rough stones, said traders. Gems and jewellery exports from India rose 11.65% to $32.1 billion during the April to December 2011 period.
Rio Tinto operates three diamond mines: Argyle in Australia, a 60% stake in Diavik in Canada, and a 78% interest in Murowa in Zimbabwe as well as an advanced diamond project in Bunder, India. Analysts' estimate Rio's diamond operations could sell for around $ 2 billion.
The Argyle mine supplies a significant volume of stones to the cutting and polishing traders in India. Its diamond business is the smallest contributor to Rio Tinto's earnings, dwarfed by its iron ore operations. If a possible deal happens, India could well lose control over the $1.5 billion worth of annual supply from the Argyle mine, traders said.
"Argyle alone accounts for around 20% of the global diamond supply and more than 90% of the world's production of pink diamonds. This is a very rare variety which is very popular in India,'' said Sarabhai Dholakia of the Harekrishna group, a diamond export house.
To date, though, a Chinese firm has not officially evinced interest in Rio Tinto's diamonds, Rio Tinto's Murowa mine in Zimbabwe lies close to a number of Chinese owned diamond operations. The fact that China has also emerged as the second biggest diamond cutting and polishing sector after India, has got many diamantaires worried.
Traders point to the fact that diamond cutting and polishing in China increased from a mere $600 million in 2007 to $2 billion in 2011. ``China is now the world's second largest processor of small diamonds. It imports its rough diamonds from Antwerp, Israel and Africa. It is already giving the Indian cutting and polishing industry a run for its money with its skills in small diamonds,'' said Mawani.
In India, the cost for cutting and polishing one carat diamond is $13, while in China it is $17. Diamond traders in Antwerp charge $150, while those in Tel Aviv charge $100.
A recent report by KPMG India had noted that China's share of the global diamond processing industry is set to increase to over 21% by 2015. Moreover, traders said a growing number of Israeli companies were opening polishing plants in China, further leading to the boom.


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Cramer: 'Realogy Is For Real'
NEW YORK ( TheStreet --
Debra Borchardt:
Realogy (RLGY) is going to be reporting their earnings on May 1, but ahead of that we're going to talk about this hot real estate stock. Jim, we all know that the real estate market has been definitely on a path to recovery.
Jim Cramer:Right. Debra Borchardt: It seems to really be heating up, just lately. This company, also they just redeemed many of their notes with their IPO proceeds. Jim Cramer: Right. Debra Borchardt: Company went public, now they've been up 33% since they went public. Jim Cramer: Right. This is a classic case of a deleverage situation. They do issue stock, they pay down debt, the earnings per share goes up. That's kind of what Ben Bernanke wanted when he decided to lower rates, you can refinance everything. The important thing is that Mr. Smith, who's the CEO, said there's a housing shortage. It's not a developing housing shortage, there's just a housing shortage and that's how prices are going up 20-30%. We were discussing before we did the video that we both know people...where there's multiple bidders now for most, because there's not been any homes...if you look at the number of homes that were created and you look at the number of households that are created and you look at the number of homes that are destroyed by a fire or flood every single year. You realize that we're just not putting up anywhere near the homes...and it's been seven years. Seven years of a downturn is a very long time. When you look at Realogy's numbers, you recognize that this is still trough. As amazing as that sounds, it is still trough, particularly for this company, which had so much debt on. Debra Borchardt: Now, you and I were just talking before this taping about how, like we said, neighbors that we know that have put their house up for sale - had multiple bidders. The one I knew, every bidder had a 20 or 30% down payment they were willing to do. So, it sounded like there was a lot of pent up demand, people were saving their money and waiting.
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- LaurentMarch 29, 2010 at 9:33 PM
Teeth. Teeth do come into play in the first frame. Trapezius is toast.ReplyDelete
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Hotel Cavos Bay Armenistis, Ikaria
Rooms: 41
Armenistis Rahes - Ikaria - 833 01 - Greece Hotel Website | | 2275-071381/3
1 Traveller
Review - Hotel Cavos Bay Armenistis
My hols in IkariaSubmitted by: Clive Sowden in 28/04/05
- Age Group: 41 - 50
- From: United Kingdom
- Traveller type: Mature Couple
ikaria was wonderful unspoilt and quiet made all the better with our accomodation at Cavos Bay hotel, which was immaculate, the service was first class and the views stunning.The room we had was small but comfortable, the food was good and nothing was too much trouble. I could not fault the hotel, It is the only place i have wanted to return to!
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