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Gastric cancer, also called stomach cancer, is a malignant tumor arising from the lining of the stomach. Though there has been a significant decrease in the number of people diagnosed with stomach cancer in the past 60 years, worldwide it is the fourth most common cause of cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths.
Stomach cancers tend to develop slowly over many years. Before a true cancer develops, pre-cancerous changes often occur in the lining of the stomach. These early changes rarely cause symptoms and therefore can go undetected.
Stomach cancer often may be cured if it is found and treated at an early stage. Unfortunately, the outlook is poor if the cancer is already at an advanced stage when discovered.
The following information is reproduced with permission from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet entitled, "What You Need to Know About Stomach Cancer".
The stomach is a hollow organ in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. It's part of the digestive system. Food moves from the mouth through the esophagus to the stomach. In the stomach, the food becomes liquid. Muscles in the stomach wall push the liquid into the small intestine.
The wall of the stomach has five layers:
- Inner layer or lining (mucosa): Juices made by glands in the inner layer help digest food. Most stomach cancers begin in this layer.
- Submucosa: This is the support tissue for the inner layer.
- Muscle layer: Muscles in this layer contract to mix and mash the food.
- Subserosa: This is the support tissue for the outer layer.
- Outer layer (serosa): The outer layer covers the stomach. It holds the stomach in place.
This picture shows the stomach and nearby organs.
Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the stomach and other organs of the body.
Normal cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When normal cells grow old or get damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes, this process goes wrong. New cells form when the body doesn't need them, and old or damaged cells don't die as they should. The buildup of extra cells often forms a mass of tissue called a growth, polyp, or tumor.
Tumors in the stomach can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Benign tumors are not as harmful as malignant tumors.
Benign tumors:
- are rarely a threat to life
- can be removed and usually don't grow back
- don't invade the tissues around them
- don't spread to other parts of the body
Malignant tumors:
- may be a threat to life
- often can be removed but sometimes grow back
- can invade and damage nearby organs and tissues
- can spread to other parts of the body
Stomach cancer usually begins in cells in the inner layer of the stomach. Over time, the cancer may invade more deeply into the stomach wall. A stomach tumor can grow through the stomach's outer layer into nearby organs, such as the liver, pancreas, esophagus, or intestine.
Stomach cancer cells can spread by breaking away from the original tumor. They enter blood vessels or lymph vessels, which branch into all the tissues of the body. The cancer cells may be found in lymph nodes near the stomach. The cancer cells may attach to other tissues and grow to form new tumors that may damage those tissues.
The spread of cancer is called metastasis. See the Staging section for information about stomach cancer that has spread.
When you're told that you have stomach cancer, it's natural to wonder what may have caused the disease. But no one knows the exact causes of stomach cancer. Doctors seldom know why one person develops stomach cancer and another doesn't.
Doctors do know that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop stomach cancer. A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of getting a disease.
Studies have found the following risk factors for stomach cancer:
- Helicobacter pylori infection: H. pylori is a bacterium that commonly infects the inner lining (the mucosa) of the stomach. Infection with H. pylori can cause stomach inflammation and peptic ulcers. It also increases the risk of stomach cancer, but only a small number of infected people develop stomach cancer. You may want to read the NCI fact sheet Helicobacter pylori and Cancer.
- Long-term inflammation of the stomach: People who have conditions associated with long-term stomach inflammation (such as the blood disease pernicious anemia) are at increased risk of stomach cancer. Also, people who have had part of their stomach removed may have long-term stomach inflammation and increased risk of stomach cancer many years after their surgery.
- Smoking: Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop stomach cancer. Heavy smokers are most at risk.
- Family history: Close relatives (parents, brothers, sisters, or children) of a person with a history of stomach cancer are somewhat more likely to develop the disease themselves. If many close relatives have a history of stomach cancer, the risk is even greater.
- Poor diet, lack of physical activity, or obesity:
- Studies suggest that people who eat a diet high in foods that are smoked, salted, or pickled have an increased risk for stomach cancer. On the other hand, people who eat a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of this disease.
- A lack of physical activity may increase the risk of stomach cancer.
- Also, people who are obese may have an increased risk of cancer developing in the upper part of the stomach.
Most people who have known risk factors do not develop stomach cancer. For example, many people have an H. pylori infection but never develop cancer. On the other hand, people who do develop the disease sometimes have no known risk factors.
Early stomach cancer often does not cause symptoms. As the cancer grows, the most common symptoms are:
- Discomfort or pain in the stomach area
- Difficulty swallowing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
- Feeling full or bloated after a small meal
- Vomiting blood or having blood in the stool
Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer. Other health problems, such as an ulcer or infection, can cause the same symptoms. Anyone who has these symptoms should tell their doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
If you have symptoms that suggest stomach cancer, your doctor will check to see whether they are due to cancer or to some other cause. Your doctor may refer you to a gastroenterologist, a doctor whose specialty is diagnosing and treating digestive problems.
Your doctor will ask about your personal and family health history. You may have blood or other lab tests. You also may have:
- Physical exam: Your doctor feels your abdomen for fluid, swelling, or other changes. Your doctor also will check for swollen lymph nodes.
- Endoscopy: Your doctor uses a thin, lighted tube (endoscope) to look into your stomach. Your doctor first numbs your throat with an anesthetic spray. You also may receive medicine to help you relax. The tube is passed through your mouth and esophagus to the stomach.
- Biopsy: An endoscope has a tool for removing tissue. Your doctor uses the endoscope to remove tissue from the stomach. A pathologist checks the tissue under a microscope for cancer cells. A biopsy is the only sure way to know if cancer cells are present.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having a biopsy:
- How will the biopsy be done?
- Will it hurt?
- Are there any risks? What are the chances of infection or bleeding after the biopsy?
- When can I resume my normal diet?
- How soon will I know the results?
If I do have cancer, who will talk with me about the next steps? When?
If the biopsy shows that you have stomach cancer, your doctor needs to learn the stage (extent) of the disease to help you choose the best treatment.
Staging is a careful attempt to find out the following:
- How deeply the tumor invades the wall of the stomach
- Whether the stomach tumor has invaded nearby tissues
- Whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body.
When stomach cancer spreads, cancer cells may be found in nearby lymph nodes, the liver, the pancreas, esophagus, intestine, or other organs. Your doctor may order blood tests and other tests to check these areas:
- Chest x-ray: An x-ray of your chest can show whether cancer has spread to the lungs.
- CT scan: An x-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of your organs. You may receive an injection of dye. The dye makes abnormal areas easier to see. Tumors in your liver, pancreas, or elsewhere in the body can show up on a CT scan.
- Endoscopic ultrasound: Your doctor passes a thin, lighted tube (endoscope) down your throat. A probe at the end of the tube sends out sound waves that you cannot hear. The waves bounce off tissues in your stomach and other organs. A computer creates a picture from the echoes. The picture can show how deeply the cancer has invaded the wall of the stomach. Your doctor may use a needle to take tissue samples of lymph nodes.
- Laparoscopy: A surgeon makes small incisions (cuts) in your abdomen. The surgeon inserts a thin, lighted tube (laparoscope) into the abdomen. The surgeon may remove lymph nodes or take tissue samples for biopsy.
Sometimes staging is not complete until after surgery to remove the tumor and nearby lymph nodes.
When stomach cancer spreads from its original place to another part of the body, the new tumor has the same kind of abnormal cells and the same name as the primary (original) tumor. For example, if stomach cancer spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are actually stomach cancer cells. The disease is metastatic stomach cancer, not liver cancer. For that reason, it is treated as stomach cancer, not liver cancer. Doctors call the new tumor "distant" or metastatic disease.
These are the stages of stomach cancer:
- Stage 0: The tumor is found only in the inner layer of the stomach. Stage 0 is also called carcinoma in situ.
- Stage I is one of the following:
- The tumor has invaded only the submucosa. (The picture shows the layers of the stomach.) Cancer cells may be found in up to 6 lymph nodes.
- Or, the tumor has invaded the muscle layer or subserosa. Cancer cells have not spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
- Stage II is one of the following:
- The tumor has invaded only the submucosa. Cancer cells have spread to 7 to 15 lymph nodes.
- Or, the tumor has invaded the muscle layer or subserosa. Cancer cells have spread to 1 to 6 lymph nodes.
- Or, the tumor has penetrated the outer layer of the stomach. Cancer cells have not spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
- Stage III is one of the following:
- The tumor has invaded the muscle layer or subserosa. Cancer cells have spread to 7 to 15 lymph nodes.
- Or, the tumor has penetrated the outer layer. Cancer cells have spread to 1 to 15 lymph nodes.
- Or, the tumor has invaded nearby organs, such as the liver, colon, or spleen. Cancer cells have not spread to lymph nodes or to distant organs.
- Stage IV is one of the following:
- Cancer cells have spread to more than 15 lymph nodes.
- Or, the tumor has invaded nearby organs and at least 1 lymph node.
- Or, cancer cells have spread to distant organs.
The choice of treatment depends mainly on the size and location of the tumor, the stage of disease, and your general health.
Treatment for stomach cancer may involve surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. You'll probably receive more than one type of treatment. For example, chemotherapy may be given before or after surgery. It's often given at the same time as radiation therapy.
You may want to talk with your doctor about taking part in a clinical trial, a research study of new treatment methods. Clinical trials are an important option for people at any stage of stomach cancer. See Taking Part in Cancer Research.
You may have a team of specialists to help plan your treatment. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, or you may ask for a referral. Specialists who treat stomach cancer include gastroenterologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists. Your health care team may also include an oncology nurse and a registered dietitian.
Your health care team can describe your treatment choices, the expected results, and the possible side effects. Because cancer therapy often damages healthy cells and tissues, side effects are common. Before treatment starts, ask your health care team about possible side effects, how to prevent or reduce these effects, and how treatment may change your normal activities. You and your health care team can work together to make a treatment plan that meets your needs.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before you begin treatment:
- What is the stage of the disease? Has the cancer spread? Do any lymph nodes show signs of cancer?
- What is the goal of treatment? What are my treatment choices? Which do you suggest for me? Why?
- What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment?
- What can I do to prepare for treatment?
- Will I need to stay in the hospital? If so, for how long?
- What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? How can side effects be managed?
- What is the treatment likely to cost? Will my insurance cover it?
- How will treatment affect my normal activities? Am I likely to have eating or other problems?
- Would a research study (clinical trial) be a good choice for me?
- Can you recommend other doctors who could give me a second opinion about my treatment options?
- How often should I have checkups?
The type of surgery for stomach cancer depends mainly on where the cancer is located. The surgeon may remove the whole stomach or only the part that has the cancer.
You and your surgeon can talk about the types of surgery and which may be right for you:
- Partial (subtotal) gastrectomy for tumors at the lower part of the stomach: The surgeon removes the lower part of the stomach with the cancer. The surgeon attaches the remaining part of the stomach to the intestine. Nearby lymph nodes and other tissues may also be removed.
- Total gastrectomy for tumors at the upper part of the stomach: The surgeon removes the entire stomach, nearby lymph nodes, parts of the esophagus and small intestine, and other tissues near the tumor. Rarely, the spleen also may be removed. The surgeon then connects the esophagus directly to the small intestine.
The time it takes to heal after surgery is different for each person, and you may be in the hospital for a week or longer. You may have pain for the first few days. Medicine can help control your pain. Before surgery, you should discuss the plan for pain relief with your doctor or nurse. After surgery, your doctor can adjust the plan if you need more pain relief.
Many people who have stomach surgery feel tired or weak for a while. Your health care team will watch for signs of bleeding, infection, or other problems that may require treatment.
The surgery can also cause constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms usually can be controlled with diet changes and medicine. See the Nutrition section for information about eating after surgery.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having surgery:
- What kind of surgery do you recommend for me? Why?
- Will you remove lymph nodes? Will you remove other tissue? Why?
- How will I feel after surgery?
- Will I need a special diet?
- If I have pain, how will you control it?
- How long will I be in the hospital?
- Am I likely to have eating problems?
- Will I have any long-term side effects?
Most people with stomach cancer get chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
It may be given before or after surgery. After surgery, radiation therapy may be given along with chemotherapy.
The drugs that treat stomach cancer are usually given through a vein (intravenous). You'll probably receive a combination of drugs.
You may receive chemotherapy in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. Some people need to stay in the hospital during treatment.
The side effects depend mainly on which drugs are given and how much. Chemotherapy kills fast-growing cancer cells, but the drugs can also harm normal cells that divide rapidly:
- Blood cells: When drugs lower the levels of healthy blood cells, you're more likely to get infections, bruise or bleed easily, and feel very weak and tired. Your health care team will check for low levels of blood cells. If your levels are low, your health care team may stop the chemotherapy for a while or reduce the dose of the drug. There are also medicines that can help your body make new blood cells.
- Cells in hair roots: Chemotherapy may cause hair loss. If you lose your hair, it will grow back after treatment, but the color and texture may be changed.
- Cells that line the digestive tract: Chemotherapy can cause a poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, or mouth and lip sores. Your health care team can give you medicines and suggest other ways to help with these problems. They usually go away when treatment ends.
Some drugs used for stomach cancer also may cause a skin rash, hearing loss, and tingling or numbness in your hands and feet. Your health care team can suggest ways to control many of these side effects.
You may want to read the NCI booklet Chemotherapy and You.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having chemotherapy:
- Why do I need this treatment?
- Which drug or drugs will I have?
- How do the drugs work?
- When will treatment start? When will it end?
- Will I have any long-term side effects?
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It affects cells only in the part of the body that is treated. Radiation therapy is usually given with chemotherapy to treat stomach cancer.
The radiation comes from a large machine outside the body. You'll go to a hospital or clinic for treatment. Treatments are usually 5 days a week for several weeks.
Side effects depend mainly on the dose and type of radiation. External radiation therapy to the chest and abdomen may cause a sore throat, pain similar to heartburn, or pain in the stomach or the intestine. You may have nausea and diarrhea. Your health care team can give you medicines to prevent or control these problems.
It's common for the skin in the treated area to become red, dry, tender, and itchy.
You're likely to become very tired during radiation therapy, especially in the later weeks of treatment. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay active, unless it leads to pain or other problems.
Although the side effects of radiation therapy can be distressing, your doctor can usually treat or control them. Also, side effects usually go away after treatment ends.
You may find it helpful to read the NCI booklet Radiation Therapy and You.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before having radiation therapy:
- Why do I need this treatment?
- When will the treatments begin? When will they end?
- How will I feel during treatment?
- How will we know if the radiation treatment is working?
- Will I have any long-term side effects?
Before starting treatment, you might want a second opinion from another doctor about your diagnosis and treatment plan. Some people worry that their doctor will be offended if they ask for a second opinion. Usually the opposite is true. Most doctors welcome a second opinion. And many health insurance companies will pay for a second opinion if you or your doctor requests it. Some companies require a second opinion.
If you get a second opinion, the doctor may agree with your first doctor's diagnosis and treatment plan. Or the second doctor may suggest another approach. Either way, you'll have more information and perhaps a greater sense of control. You may also feel more confident about the decisions you make, knowing that you've looked carefully at your options.
It may take some time and effort to gather your medical records and see another doctor. Usually it's not a problem if it takes you several weeks to get a second opinion. In most cases, the delay in starting treatment will not make treatment less effective. To make sure, you should discuss this possible delay with your doctor. Some people with stomach cancer need treatment right away.
There are many ways to find a doctor for a second opinion. You can ask your doctor, a local or state medical society, a nearby hospital, or a medical school for names of specialists.
Also, you can request a consultation with specialists at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Specialists in the NCI Surgery Branch provide consultations and surgical care for people with stomach cancer. The telephone number is 301-496-4164.
The NCI Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) and at LiveHelp can tell you about nearby treatment centers. Other sources can be found in the NCI fact sheet How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility If You Have Cancer.
Nutrition is an important part of your treatment for stomach cancer. You need the right amount of calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals to maintain your strength and to heal.
However, when you have stomach cancer, it may be difficult to eat. You may be uncomfortable or tired, and you may not feel like eating. You also may have nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea from cancer treatment or pain medicine.
Tell your health care team if you're losing weight or having any problems digesting your food. A dietitian can help you choose the foods and nutrition products that will meet your needs. Some people with stomach cancer are helped by receiving nutrition by IV (intravenous). A temporary feeding tube is rarely needed.
You may want to read the NCI booklet Eating Hints. It contains many useful ideas and recipes.
Nutrition after Stomach Surgery
A registered dietitian can help you plan a diet that will meet your nutrition needs. A plan that describes the type and amount of food to eat after surgery can help you prevent weight loss and discomfort with eating.
After stomach surgery, you may need to take daily supplements of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, calcium, and iron. You may also need vitamin B12 shots.
Some people have problems eating and drinking after stomach surgery. Liquids may pass into the small intestine too fast, which causes dumping syndrome. The symptoms are cramps, nausea, bloating, diarrhea, and dizziness. To prevent these symptoms, it may help to make the following changes:
- Plan to have smaller, more frequent meals (some doctors suggest 6 meals per day)
- Drink liquids before or after meals
- Cut down on very sweet foods and drinks (such as cookies, candy, soda, and juices)
- Ask your health care team if they can suggest medicine to control the symptoms
You may want to ask a dietitian these questions about nutrition:
- What foods are best soon after surgery?
- How can I avoid dumping syndrome?
- Are there foods or drinks that I should avoid?
Stomach cancer and its treatment can lead to other health problems. You can have supportive care before, during, and after cancer treatment.
Supportive care is treatment to control pain and other symptoms, to relieve the side effects of therapy, and to help you cope with the feelings that a diagnosis of cancer can bring. You may receive supportive care to prevent or control these problems and to improve your comfort and quality of life during treatment.
You can get information about supportive care on NCI's Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping and from NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER and at LiveHelp.
Cancer That Blocks the Digestive Tract
People with advanced stomach cancer may develop a tumor that blocks the passage of food through the digestive tract. Your health care team may suggest one or more of the following options:
- Stent: The doctor uses an endoscope to place a stent (a tube made of metal mesh or plastic) in your intestine. Food and liquid can pass through the center of the tube.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy may help shrink the tumor that is blocking the intestine.
- Laser therapy: A laser is a concentrated beam of intense light that kills tissue with heat. The doctor uses an endoscope to place the laser in your digestive tract. The laser destroys the cancer cells blocking the digestive tract.
Cancer and its treatments may cause pain. Your health care team or a pain control specialist can suggest ways to relieve or reduce pain. Radiation therapy and pain medicine may help. More information about pain control can be found in the NCI booklet Pain Control.
You'll need regular checkups after treatment for stomach cancer. Checkups help ensure that any changes in your health are noted and treated if needed. If you have any health problems between checkups, you should contact your doctor.
Your doctor will check for return of the cancer. Also, checkups help detect health problems that can result from cancer treatment.
Checkups may include a physical exam, blood tests, x-rays, CT scans, endoscopy, or other tests. If you had surgery on the stomach, your doctor may order blood tests to check the levels of certain vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12, calcium, and iron.
You may find it helpful to read the NCI booklet Facing Forward: Life After Cancer Treatment. You may also want to read the NCI fact sheet Follow-up Care After Cancer Treatment.
Learning that you have stomach cancer can change your life and the lives of those close to you. These changes can be hard to handle. It's normal for you, your family, and your friends to need help coping with the feelings that such a diagnosis can bring.
Concerns about treatments and managing side effects, hospital stays, and medical bills are common. You may also worry about caring for your family, keeping your job, or continuing daily activities.
Here's where you can go for support:
- Doctors, nurses, and other members of your health care team can answer questions about treatment, working, or other activities.
- Social workers, counselors, or members of the clergy can be helpful if you want to talk about your feelings or concerns. Often, social workers can suggest resources for financial aid, transportation, home care, or emotional support.
- Support groups also can help. In these groups, people with stomach cancer or their family members meet with other patients or their families to share what they have learned about coping with the disease and the effects of treatment. Groups may offer support in person, over the telephone, or on the Internet. You may want to talk with a member of your health care team about finding a support group.
- Information specialists at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) and at LiveHelp can help you locate programs, services, and publications. They can send you a list of organizations that offer services to people with cancer.
For tips on coping, you may want to read the NCI booklet Taking Time: Support for People With Cancer.
Doctors all over the country are conducting many types of clinical trials (research studies in which people volunteer to take part). Clinical trials are designed to find out whether new approaches are safe and effective.
Doctors are trying to find better ways to care for people with stomach cancer. They are studying many types of treatment and their combinations.
Even if the people in a trial do not benefit directly, they may still make an important contribution by helping doctors learn more about stomach cancer and how to control it. Although clinical trials may pose some risks, doctors do all they can to protect their patients.
If you're interested in being part of a clinical trial, talk with your doctor. You may want to read the NCI booklet Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies. It describes how treatment studies are carried out and explains their possible benefits and risks.
The NCI Web site includes a section on clinical trials at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials. It has general information about clinical trials as well as detailed information about specific ongoing studies of stomach cancer. Information specialists at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) and at LiveHelp can answer questions and provide information about clinical trials.
Also, you may wish to contact the NCI Surgery Branch at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The telephone number is 301-496-4164.
We thank the National Cancer Institute for providing the preceding educational content. To view the National Cancer Institute's complete brochure "What You Need to Know About Stomach Cancer" or to order a free copy, click here.
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Francois Hougaard says he is better suited to scrumhalf than wing and admits to feeling like he is stalling Lwazi Mvovo's Test career.
In a refreshingly candid interview, Hougaard, who started the Test season as Heyneke Meyer's first-choice scrumhalf but was later shifted to wing, spoke about his positional preference, his form and his feelings on Mvovo's plight.
Hougaard shone for the Bulls in 2009 and 2010 on the wing, but struggled to make the transition back to scrumhalf (where he'd played most of his career) when Fourie du Preez moved on. This season was one of adjustment, painful at times, as Hougaard battled to come to terms with the tactical demands of the Bulls' game plan, particularly the kicking disciplines.
Those struggles carried over into the Test arena, before he was finally replaced by Ruan Pienaar for the Rugby Championship. Yet Heyneke Meyer still placed high value on his game-breaking ability and accommodated him on the wing.
Asked to assess his season, Hougaard said: 'I haven't been happy with my form. I'm still learning a lot at scrumhalf, but I haven't played much there. I still train there everyday, but you only get better if you play. I still think that's my best position.
'In the long run I'm a scrumhalf. I want to settle in one position or I run the risk of being an average wing and an average scrumhalf. I don't want that to happen. I know I have so much to work on at scrumhalf, but I'd prefer to cover scrumhalf from the bench for the Springboks [in 2013] if it means I'm not thrown around positionally [scrumhalf at the Bulls and wing with the Springboks].'
With the reduced time and space on offer in Test rugby [compared to Super Rugby] and greater analysis available on him after his impressive cameos off the wood as a wing in 2011, Hougaard has yet to entrench himself in the position. There are mitigating factors, among them the Springboks' inability to engineer opportunities for him. Hougaard, however, refused to look beyond himself for blame, and continued with a startling admission.
'The coach plays me ahead of Lwazi on wing, but I feel for him. I would understand and support the decision to play him ahead of me,' he said. 'It feels unfair to me because I'm playing in his position and not doing that well. Its easy to tell the guys to keep themselves up on a three-week tour, where they sit on the bench or never play. It's not nice and not easy, I've been there. But I'm here now and I have to take the chance. I'm working hard every day to improve.'

subset: commoncrawl


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After equivocating for many months, the Spanish government agreed on June 9 to a €100 billion ($122 billion) bailout of its financial sector by the European Union. The Spanish finance minister made a formal request for aid on June 25, and Eurozone finance ministers unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding on July 20. Spanish banks—particularly the regional savings banks known as "cajas"—have sustained significant losses stemming from real estate loans that soured in the wake of a bursting of the Spanish housing bubble. Those regional banks are now in need of substantial recapitalization, which is the primary reason behind the financial assistance package.
Although the majority of the rescue package's features have been approved, the final details will not likely be finalized until September when the results of an independent audit of the Spanish banking system will be completed. The EU will directly recapitalize Spanish banks, instead of funneling the funds through the Spanish government. By taking this approach, Spain can avoid increasing its debt-to-GDP ratio by nearly 10%. Spain's sovereign debt had been significantly lower than other Eurozone periphery countries, but it is now approaching a nearly unsustainable level. This high debt level has contributed to a recent dramatic increase Spanish borrowing costs.
Debt markets have remained turbulent in spite of the news of a Spanish financial sector bailout, as the yield on Spanish 10-year bonds jumped to a 15-year high of 6.83% in the second trading day following the program's announcement and have since increased to a high of 7.62% (see Figure 1 below). The ongoing turmoil likely relates to the belief held by many economists and market watchers that Spain will eventually need a full Greece-style bailout in order to set its economy on a more sustainable path and calm the market for Spain's sovereign debt.
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The SRAM X.0 is the trigger shifter youve been waiting for. The features are almost too numerous to list:
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Comments about SRAM X.0 9 Speed Shifter Set:
I ran the sram XO rear shifter on my bike for a season and it was great. For the past several years a stuck to Shimano so I was a bit hesitant about SRAM but after a season of riding I can only provide positive feedback. Yes, these shifters are super expensive but you get what you pay for. The look and build of this unit is one of the best out there. The carbon on top along with looking super cool also reduces the weight. I used mine on my freeride bike and it never missed a shift and worked fantastic when paired with a XO rear derailleur. This unit is also very durable and you can really tell that its built to last. The triggers are very comfortable when shifting up and down
Overall my experience with this shift has been very positive and I would highly recommend. Even though the price is high its well worth it. The other great thing is thats its very versatile, it can be used from DH to XC. Light enough for XC but durable enough for DH.
Great product!!!
Comments about SRAM X.0 9 Speed Shifter Set:
I upgraded to X-O shifters. The X.9 just are not as smooth.
Best Uses
Comments about SRAM X.0 9 Speed Shifter Set:
The Sram XO shifters are great shifters and have a great feel to them, they are light and really let you feel the derailluer. The only problem with them is the price, the X9 shifter pretty much do the same thing.
Comments about SRAM X.0 9 Speed Shifter Set:
i replaced the original sram shifters (sx-5) with the x-o they look so much cooler with the carbon fiber and billet shifters. They are very adjustable and fit my riding style. Im not sure if they are worth the price and i think the x-9's would do the same thing as the x-o's at almost half the price.
Comments about SRAM X.0 9 Speed Shifter Set:
I'm replacing a pair of old x.9 trigger shifters. I assumed they would work the same way the x.9s did. (i.e. flawlessly). Instead, I finally put them on the bike, hooked up the rear shifter cable, and when I shift up (the silver trigger) things work great. When I shift down (the black trigger) the mechanism sticks, and I need to manually push the trigger, then pull it back. *Incredibly* lame for a $225 component.
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Get free Standard Shipping with your $50 purchase today! Just choose Standard Shipping during checkout.
Please note this offer is only available to physical shipping addresses in the 48 continental United States (no PO Boxes), and oversize charges still apply on some heavy/large items.


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Video: Jets Look To Go 2-0 From @BagBroadcaster Featuring @KristianRDyer
Posted by Erik Manassy on Sep 15, 2011 in Videos | 0 comments
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Trash Talking is Alive and Well Amongst Jets PlayersAh, trash talking in the Jets locker room, or in this case, online on twitter and Instagram. Brandon Marshall is doing some fishing to get the corner-backs to talk back that he's going to "EAT" in the red zone drills today. He apparently caught one… Read Full Post »
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The Boston Indicators Project offers new ways to understand Boston and its neighborhoods in a regional, national and global context. It aims to democratize access to information, foster informed public discourse, track progress on shared civic goals, and report on change in 10 sectors: Civic Vitality, Cultural Life and the Arts, the Economy, Education, the Environment, Health, Housing, Public Safety, Technology, and Transportation.
Transportation is the movement of cargo -- people, animals or material goods – from one place to another. Modes of transportation in contemporary life include walking, bicycling, cars, buses, trucks, aircraft, freight and passenger trains, subways, ships and boats.
Children mirror a community's values, progress and challenges. If a community's children are thriving, it is likely that the whole community is doing well. The Boston Indicators Project tracks progress through 2030—Boston's 400th Anniversary - when many of today's children and youth will be civic, political and business leaders and their children will be in school.
The Greater Boston region has a long history as a birthplace of revolution and innovation and is packed with firsts - the nation's first public park and public library, breakthroughs in medicine and "green" building. With a newly revitalized waterfront and some of the nation's - and the world's - top colleges and universities, the region - with Boston at its core - attracts students from around the world and top-tier talent in all fields to its dynamic and diversified knowledge economy.
Sustainable development refers to patterns of growth that integrate environmental and human health, economic dynamism, and social cohesion and equity. Sustainable development is multi-dimensional by definition: biodiversity health; the availability of jobs at a living age; regional and per capita carbon dioxide emissions; the availability of fresh water and open spaces; etc. All of these factors increase the quality of life.
The Boston Indicators Project's comprehensive Framework of indicators and measures reflects an intensive, participatory selection process that included hundreds of Bostonians and reviewed by thousands more. Beginning with positive goals for the future, these data-rich indicators and measures provide an objective way to assess current conditions, trends over time and patterns of relationships, as well as outcomes for specific groups, neighborhoods, the City of Boston and the Metro Boston region. The Complete Project Framework can also be re-sorted into crosscutting topics and civic agenda goals.
View the Complete Framework of Indicators
The 2012 Boston Indicators Report shows that standard top-level economic indicators don't tell us everything we need to know about the state of jobs and equity in our local and regional economy. We need to reinvent Boston's innovation economy through greater opportunity and shared prosperity.
The Boston Indicators Project produces biennial reports chronicling Boston's accomplishments and the full array of challenges facing the city and region. These reports build on expert and stakeholder convenings, data analysis, and reviews of recent research. Over the years, they have helped to catalyze an on-going set of conversations throughout the community about our region's economic competitiveness and the key challenges facing Boston.
The Measure of Poverty was released in September 2011. Findings show that the rates of poverty in Boston changed very little over the last twenty years, but is more deeply concentrated in single-parent families in particular neighborhoods. State and local budget cuts due to the recession may have long-term consequences in mitigating the effects of poverty. The Boston Indicators Project released another special report in 2008, Boston's Education Pipeline: A Report Card, which provided a comprehensive view of the entire arc of Boston's system of educational opportunities and outcomes, with an update in 2011.
The City of Boston is comprised of 16 Planning Districts and 26 neighborhoods, each with a unique history and identity.
This portion of the site is coming soon. For facts and figures about Boston Neighborhoods see the Boston Neighborhood Topic Crosscut Page.
This portion of the site is coming soon. In the meantime check out the MetroBoston DataCommon for facts and figures about Massachusetts.
What are the best ways to solve the pressing challenges of our city, region, country and planet? The Hub of Innovation profiles a set of breakthrough solutions from the region, nation and world.
Nominate a breakthrough!
Boston is a city of neighborhoods – some, like Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan, are as large as some of Massachusetts' bigger cities, while others, such as Charlestown, are town-sized. Within each of Boston's sixteen neighborhoods, designated by the Boston Redevelopment Authority as Boston's official planning districts, are micro-communities, each with its' own unique characteristics, populations, assets, and challenges. This cross-cut filter presents neighborhood-level data that makes possible comparisons across neighborhoods, as well as exploration through snap-shots and trends over time.
Diversity augments cultural vitality, increases problem-solving capacity through new skills and perspectives, and strengthens global economic connections. But highly diverse communities often require community-building efforts to achieve a whole greater than the sum of the parts.
As of 2012, 53% of Bostonians were people of color compared to just 32% of the population in 1980. Citywide, 25% of Bostonians were African American, 17% Latino, and 9% Asian Pacific Islander. The neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan are home to the highest concentration of African Americans in both Boston and Massachusetts while the city's Latino population mostly resides in East Boston and parts of Jamaica Plain. Boston's Asian population is largely concentrated into the small neighborhood of Chinatown as well as the Fields Corner neighborhood of Dorchester
Formal and informal opportunities for public education, civic dialogue and debate are critical to a community's level of participatory democracy and civic engagement. Forums that are free and open to the public provide community members with numerous ways to learn about and debate differing viewpoints and experiences.
Greater Boston offers an unusually large number and broad range of opportunities for public dialogue. These opportunities range from the formal to the informal, and include free public lectures, panel discussions, and structured settings for small-group dialogues. Technological advances, including interactive websites, social media, podcasting and Internet video streaming contribute to further democratizing access to information and create new forums for the sharing of ideas.
Civic Forums & Lecture Series:
Boston Speaker Series
Boston by Foot
YWCA Community Dialogues
One of the most important measures of social capital is whether neighbors feel that they can rely on and trust one another. Approximately every two years, the Boston Neighborhood Survey is conducted to explore the quality and safety of neighborhood life and social capital among neighbors.
Rates of neighborly trust have increased city-wide but vary across all Boston neighborhoods and over time. According to the most recent Boston Neighborhood Survey conducted in 2008, nearly 81% of Bostonians surveyed felt that they could rely on a neighbor for help, up from 76% in 2006 and 79% in 2003. More than 90% of residents in the North End, South Boston and Charlestown felt trust in their neighbors—the highest rate among the City's neighborhoods. Though Roxbury (74%), North Dorchester (73%) and Mattapan (70%) continue to have the lowest rates of neighborly trust, rates have increase since 2006 when roughly 65% of residents reported feeling their neighbors were willing to help.
As an indicator of civic health, voter participation rates reflect democracy in action - the degree to which people exercise individual choices to produce community leaders and collectively influence policies and laws. Not all Bostonians are eligible to vote today, but electoral politics in Boston also provide a pathway to leadership for newcomers and their descendants.
As of 2013, more than 370,000 Bostonians were registered to vote, a decrease of 17,000 from 2012. Over 141,000 ballots were cast in the 2013 municipal election for a turnout rate of 38.17%. This is an increase of about 30,000 ballots over the previous municipal election in 2009.
Turnout rates continue to be highest in precincts located in Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury and South Dorchester and lowest in the student-heavy neighborhoods of Fenway and Allston. Turnout rates also fluctuate greatly depending on the election with the lowest rates in non-mayoral city-wide election years.
Rapid movement in and out of a neighborhood affects the ability of people to get to know and trust their neighbors, and may reflect a process of either deterioration or gentrification - with lower-income people being displaced because of rising rents and home values, as wealthier people move in. On the other hand, too little turnover can result in stagnation and the threat of disinvestment. Finding the right balance is a challenge - particularly in neighborhoods with a high percentage of renters who have little direct control over prices.
Boston continues to have a highly mobile population. As of 2010, 73% of all householders had moved into their current residence since 2000, with 41% of householders having moved into their current homes since 2008. Among households who moved since 2008, 88% were renters, a more highly mobile population.
Neighborhoods with the largest percentage of renters who moved in after 2000 are Fenway/Kenmore (81%), Allston/Brighton (68%) and East Boston (59%). Neighborhoods with the largest proportion of owner households that moved in after 2000 are Charlestown (28%), West Roxbury (28%), Hyde Park (27%) and South Boston (24%).
In 2008, while the number of annual SBA loans was down by 85 from 333 in 2003, the average gross loan was more than $229,000, up from about $67,000. Since 2003, the Small Business Administration had made more than 1,500 loans to businesses in Boston totaling more than $150 million. Since 2003, 35% of SBA investment has been to small businesses in the Back Bay, South End and Central Boston, and in 2008 alone, nearly half were directed to businesses in these neighborhoods. The next highest concentration was in the student-dominated neighborhoods of Allston/Brighton and Fenway, which received 19% of SBA loans since 2003. The Boston neighborhoods most dense with families, children and people of color—Roxbury, Mission Hill, Dorchester and Mattapan— received 18% of all SBA loans since 2003, with 8% in 2008, down from 22% in 2006.
Neighborhood libraries foster literacy and learning, provide an open civic space and promote opportunities for formal and informal public education. The number of books in circulation at a library is a direct reflection of a community's access to and use of new, pertinent and available information. Each neighborhood of Boston has its own staffed and networked library enjoyed by individuals and families alike. The city's library system offers Internet access and takes full advantage of new technological advances in library science to increase access to information and literary resources.
Total circulation for the Boston Public Library continued to grow through FY2010 to more than 3.4 million, a 3.5% increase over FY2009. Nearly 1.3 million of books circulated were from the central library and neighborhood branches with the highest circulation in FY10 were Jamaica Plain (164,310), Honan-Allston (164,077) and West End (156,548). However, the branches with the largest year-over-year increase were Grove Hall (+116%), Mattapan (+74.3%) and Parker Hill in Roxbury (+22.7%).
Boston's children are highly concentrated in the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and East Boston. However, according to the New England Foundation for the Arts, there are just 59 cultural organization in Roxbury, 115 in Dorchester, 39 in East Boston and 23 in Hyde Park. By Comparison, there are nearly 300 in Back Bay and the South End and more than 230 in Fenway/Kenmore which are home to fewer of Boston's children
The availability of free and reduced-price tickets indicates the responsiveness of cultural institutions to the challenge of making art programming and activities accessible to all Bostonians, irrespective of their ability to pay. It is also a measure of the level of commitment institutions have to attracting and serving new and underserved audiences.
Public Art Boston is an initiative of the Boston Art Commission that promotes the development and installation of free, public art pieces throughout the city, including Paint Box where community members and artists turn utility boxes into public art. The number of permanent, temporary and paintbox installations are highly concentrated in the central neighborhoods, there are 16 pieces in Dorchester, 10 in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain and seven in East Boston and South Boston. Public Art Boston provides an interactive map of all free, public art installations across the city.
The department of Arts, Tourism & Special Events continues to increase awareness of cultural activities in the performing arts, visual arts, parades, feasts and festivals as well as Boston Open Studios with events in twelve of the city's neighborhoods.
ArtsBoston also provides a comprehensive calendar of free arts and cultural events around Greater Boston and hosts BosTix where discounted tickets to visual and performing arts can be purchased.
ArtsBoston is also currently supporting the ArtsBoston Audience Initiative which will provide comprehensive data on cultural participants and audience members which will help ensure that residents from all neighborhoods have equal opportunity to access the arts.
Boston's neighborhood festivals and parades contribute to the cultural vibrancy and economic life of the city. Often beginning as spontaneous local events, many of these festivities have blossomed into celebrations attracting people from all over the city and the region. Representing neighborhoods across the city and ethnicities across the globe, these festivals create opportunities to experience and share new cultural traditions.
Data coming soon...
Deep disparities in employment persist along lines of educational attainment in Boston as elsewhere. Averaged between 2006-2010, the unemployment rate for Bostonians between the ages of 25 and 64 without a High School diploma was over 12%. For those with a High School Diploma the unemployment rate was 12%, and for those with some college education 11% were unemployed. By comparison, among Bostonains with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher the unemployment rate was about 4%.
Furthermore, labor force participation increases with educational attainment. Roughly 35% of those without a High School diploma were not in the labor force as well as 25% of those with a High School diploma, 19% of those with some college and 12% of those with a Bachelor's Degree or higher. Working-age adults who are not active in the labor force are not counted in official unemployment rates.
Boston Public Schools have set a goal of 100% accreditation for early education programs by 2019 and Boston's Thrive in 5 initiative has set the goal of 100% accreditation for all public and private programs by 2023.
The greatest number of providers are located in Dorchester with 222 facilities, Roslindale with 98 and Roxbury with 97. However, the greatest number of places for children as measured by capacity are Dorchester serving up to 4,346, Roxbury with a capacity of 2,276, Roslindale with 1,481 places and Jamaica Plain with 1,451 places.
Kindergarten registrations increased to more than 2,300 in SY 2012-13, up 25% from about 1,800 the previous year. As of the start of SY 2012-13 BPS had added 12 new kindergarten classrooms to accommodate the increase in registrations, but as many as 300 children did not have kindergarten placement.
Access to clean air and healthy homes are essential to nurturing healthy children with low rates of asthma and blood lead levels. However, pollutants emitted by diesel buses and trains, automobiles, and trucks, as well as by certain businesses such as auto repair shops and hazardous waste-related enterprises, are often linked poor child health outcomes in many low-income communities and communities of color.
Child hospitalizations due to asthma fell slightly from 2008 to 2009--most recent year available--but with persistent racial/ethnic disparities. Hospitalizations for all children ages two and under fell from 13.2 to 11.7 per 1,000 and for children ages three to five fell from 8.8 to 8.4 per 1,000. However, among children two and under hospitalizations per 1,000 were much higher for African Americans (16.5) and Latinos (12.3) than among white (8.3) and Asian (4.0) children. Similarly among three to five year olds, the rate per 1,000 was 13 among African Americans and 8.2 among Latinos compared to 5.4 among Asians and 2.7 among white children.
Transit-oriented development—or dense, comprehensive development with a mix of housing, retail and services around transit stations—has garnered attention among planners, environmentalists, and public health advocates. These developments allow walking and bicycling within neighborhoods for healthier and less sedentary lifestyles, and they reduce auto dependency, which translates into lower consumption of fossil fuels, less air pollution, and lower spending on transportation. The concept of transit-oriented development is not new to Boston, a city that created streetcar suburbs in the 19th century and still continues to function best along transit lines.
There are more than 1 million people and 466,000 households located within 1/2 mile of an MBTA subway or Commuter Rail station and more than 886,000 people are employed at a location withing 1/2 mile of a station.
Green and open spaces provide residents and children the opportunity to experience the natural world in the heart of the city, engage in healthy outdoor recreation and exercie and contributes to the ecological integrity of an urban area.
The Trust for Public Land,2009 City Park Facts reporting onthe state of park land and open space in the 77 most populous cities in the US found that Boston has 5,040 acres of public parkland and ranks 5th among high-density cities in parkland as a percent of total land area (16.3%), 2nd in acres per residents (8.3), 9th in playgrounds per 10,000 residents (3.6) and spent $101 per resident on Parks and Recreation in FY07.
The City of Boston contains 5,518 acres of open space, including 3,251 acres of parks, playgrounds, squares and outdoor malls, 240 acres of protected 'urban wilds;' and 62 acres of community gardens. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department oversees 2,200 acres of parkland, including 215 parks and playgrounds, 65 squares, urban woodlands and street trees, three active cemeteries, 16 historic burying grounds, and two golf courses. The balanced distribution of greenspace is a critical component of neighborhood quality. Over the last 10 years, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department has implemented a $120 million rehabilitation of the city's park system, targeting every tot lot and the majority of ball fields and courts.
According to the City of Boston Parks Department, Central Boston and the South End have about 2 acres of green space per 1,000 people, the least in the city. Fenway, Back Bay, and Dorchester have about twice that amount. Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury have the most open space per capital.
Boston is home to 25 community health centers serving neighborhoods across the city including: seven in Dorchester, three in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain, two in Allston/Brighton and others in South Boston, Roslindale, East Boston and Charlestown.
Obesity is a risk factor for largely preventable hypertension, asthma, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and some cancers.
Residents of Massachusetts and Boston have healthier weights than Americans overall but rates are climbing. In 2010, 23% of Massachusetts residents were obese—9% higher than in 1997 and a 2% gain since 2008. In Boston, obesity declined by 3% from 2008 to 2010, but with stark variations by income: 15% of Bostonians earning more than $50,000 were obese in 2010, down 3% from 2001, while obesity rates for those earning less than $25,000 and between $25,000-$50,000 have increased by 9% since 2001, to 27% and 25%, respectively. Among high school students in the Boston Public Schools in 2009, 18% were overweight and 15% were obese.
Type II diabetes is among the fastest-growing high-cost preventable diseases. Dr. David Ludwig of Children's Hospital Boston warns that without any change, by 2020 half of Americans will suffer from preventable type II diabetes at a cost of $500 billion dollars a year
The percent of Bostonians with type II diabetes has remained between 6% and 7% between 2001 and 2010. As of 2010, 7.8% of adults in Metro Boston had type II diabetes, up from 5.8% in 2004. Statewide, the percent of adults with type II diabetes increased from 3.8% in 1995 to 7.4% in 2010. Type II diabetes rates vary widely by race/ethnicity, educational attainment and income. As of 2010:
Housing continues to be the largest expense for most residents. In these tight and difficult times—with increasing health care, transportation, and utility costs—housing costs are straining the budgets of almost all income groups.
In 2011, the citywide median sales price of $362,500 was a 4% increase compared to 2010 for one-, two- and three-family homes and condominiums of $349,000. This is the second year that the citywide median sales price increased since the market peak in 2005 of $390,000.
Since 2005, median sales prices have fluctuated across Boston's neighborhoods, with the steepest declines found in neighborhoods hardest-hit by the housing and foreclosure crisis, which already had a less-established homeowner base. However, since 2010, many neighborhoods have seen increases in the median home price, most notably Roxbury with a 16% increase and Mattapan with a 9% increase. Fenway/Kenmore saw a 9% decrease, Hyde Park saw a 4% decrease, and West Roxbury saw a 6% decrease since 2010.
Despite moderating home prices, housing is less affordable in Boston and the region. In 2010, Boston's median household income was $49,893, with 57% of renters and 45% of homeowners spending more than 35% of their income on housing. Those spending more than 50% increased from 20% in 2000 to 25% in 2009. In Massachusetts, about half of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
As Boston's home prices have declined and foreclosures increased, rents have increased. Fiscal Year HUD Fair Market Rents (FMRs) increased from FY2011 to FY2012 for all bedroom types by 1%. The median advertised asking rent increased by 25% from $1,600 in 2010 to $2,000 in 2011. The change in median rents increased in all neighborhoods from 2010 to 2011 except for Hyde Park, which decreased by 4%. South Boston saw the largest increase of 52% in median rent. The South End and Central Boston also saw significant increases in median rent by 19% and 16%. Also, Fiscal Year HUD Fair Market Rents (FMRs) increased by 1% from FY2011 to FY2012. According to the Department of Neighborhood Development, the number of listings in 2011 decreased by 67% because of less turnover and vacancy rates decreasing by half.
The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $8.00 per hour, and the 2011 median rent for a 2-BR apartment in Boston is $2100. At minimum wage, a person would have to work 450 hours per month in order to afford a 2-BR apartment at median rent.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, residents should not pay more than 30% of their income towards housing. High housing costs can create financial distress for households. A lack of disposable income limits our choices in terms of food, transportation, recreation, and educational enrichment.
As of 2010, 36% of home owners and 48% of renters in Boston spent more than 30% of gross income on housing costs. The housing cost burden is greatest for those with the lowest household incomes: 95% of owners and 74% of renters with incomes less than $20,000 spent more than one-third of income on housing. By comparison, among Boston households earning more than $75,000 16% of owners and 8% of renters were cost-burdened by housing.
Cost burden varies by neighborhood with the greatest concentration of rental cost burdened households in the Fenway/Kenmore area and parts of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester and Hyde Park where more than 70% of renters were cost burdened in 2010. Because Boston has a substantial inventory of affordable and subsidized housing, there are low rates of cost-burdened households in areas with the lowest household incomes.
An abandoned building represents the loss of a residential or commercial resource. In addition, abandoned buildings represent blight on a neighborhood, a threat to health and safety, and a loss of potential property tax revenue. If abandoned buildings are not sold or renovated immediately, time takes a further toll on the structures, making re-use of the property an increasingly expensive and difficult venture.
In 2010, 246 buildings were categorized as abandoned or distressed by the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development. This represents a decrease over 2008 which found 318 of such buildings, but strikingly lower than in 1997 when more than 1,000 buildings were categorized as such. Of these buildings in 2010, 127 (51.6%) were residential, whereas 119 (48.3%) were commercial and/or mixed-use.
The City of Boston recorded 525 foreclosure deeds in 2011 down from the most recent peak of 1,215 in 2008 but still well above the years 2000 through 2005 when fewer than 100 foreclosure deeds were recorded annually.
Despite the overall decline foreclosures remain highly concentrated in Dorchester, with 149 in 2011, and Roxbury, with 79. By comparison, there were fewer than 10 foreclosure deeds in Central Boston, Charlestown, Back Bay/Beacon Hill, the South End and Fenway.
The Boston Public Library system, with 25 branches in addition to the central library in Copley Square, is a primary point of free access to computers and the internet across all of Boston's neighborhoods.
Use of the Boston Public Library as a source of wireless internet and computer access continued to increase in FY11. More than 230,000 wifi session were logged--more than double the rate in FY08--and public computers were used nearly 750,000 times, up 38% from FY07.
Access to BPL computers is evenly distributed across the 25 neighborhood branches, all of which have at least 20 computers. Branches with the greatest number of public computers are Mattapan with 47, Grove Hall with 45 and Dudley with 45.
Access to computers outside the home can help to close the divide between people with in-home and workplace computer/Internet access and those without. Public access is generally found in local libraries, schools, after-school programs, universities, and special community technology centers and clubhouses.
There are more than 25 community technology centers in the Timothy Smith Network located throughout Roxbury and parts of the South End and Mission Hill that provide access to computers as well as educational and training programs in computers and technology.
And there are 5 locations through the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network operating in Boston as a part of a world-wide network to provide access to technology and skills development for young people in underserved communities.
Some of the benefits of walking to school are increased physical activity for children, reduced transportation costs for the district and a sense of connection and community between the school and the neighborhood. Boston Public Schools reserves 50% of each school's seats for children within the walk zone which extends 1 mile for elementary schools, 1.5 miles for middle schools and 2 miles for high schools
As of school year 2011-12, 24,907 or 44% of students enrolled in a Boston Public School lived within the designated walk zone. Schools in East Boston had the highest concentration of students who walked to school: O'Donnell Elementary (91.5%), McKay K-8 (90%) and Otis Elementary (89.5%). Schools with the lowest concentration of children in the walk zone were citywide high schools and 16 schools enrolled no students who lived within the walk zone including the three exam schools, the Hernandez K-8, the Timilty Middle School and a number of specialized schools.
Greater Boston's multi-modal transit system offers a number of options for traveling to work. However, the segregation of housing and job centers as well as inequitable access to rapid transit can contribute to a commute time burden of one hour or more.
Commute times within Boston vary considerably with proximity to the rapid-transit subway and trolley lines. In the high-density neighborhoods of Boston more than one-third of workers have a commute time 15 minutes or less. By comparison, workers who live within parts of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan without access to MBTA subways or commuter lines have disproportionately longer commutes. More than 20% of those workers spend an hour or more getting to work each day.
Improvements to the Fairmount commuter rail line, which runs directly through these neighborhoods but does not stop, will result in five new stations providing fast, direct access to the central city.
Car ownership is outstripping population growth nationally, regionally and locally. Massachusetts has more than one motor vehicle for every licensed driver, two vehicles for every household, and 1.5 vehicles for every job in the state. The increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) due to rising automobile ownership rates and dispersed development patterns is unsustainable and contributes to air, noise and water pollution.
There were more than 236,000 registered passenger vehicles in the city of Boston, equal to about 1 per household. By comparison, a majority of cities and towns in Massachusetts that are not accessible by the MBTA have more than 2 cars per household.
Within the city of Boston, the largest concentration of no-car households were in high-density neighborhoods such as Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Downtown Boston and Fenway where more than half of the households have no car. The lowest concentration of no-car households were in outer neighborhoods such as Brighton, West Roxbury, Hyde Park, Roslindale and South Boston.


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>Women's History Month Heroes: Alice Walker
>GLSEN is proud to honor Women's History Month by celebrating contributions of women to the LGBT and safe schools movements. Throughout March we will be recognizing heroes who have made significant contributions to the LGBT and safe schools movements. Click here for more information, and keep reading all month long for new additions!
We want to know who your heroes are! If you know a woman who has contributed to the LGBT and safe schools movement, post about them on the Gay-Straight Alliances Facebook page. You can also tweet your heroes to @DayofSilence using the #GLSENWHM hash tag!


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News from WTOP
News from the AP
Mike Causey
Shows & Panels
Shows & Panels
- Agency of the Month
- Business of Government Hour
- The CFO Agenda: Delivering value from financial transparency and audit efforts in the public and private sector
- Cloud-Driven Data Insights in Government
- CXO Surveys
- Disaster Resilience for America
- Federal News Countdown
- Government Perspectives on Mobility and the Cloud
- Reducing Risk in the Cloud
- Reimagining the Next Generation of Government
Shows & Panels
- AFCEA Answers
- American Readiness: Renewable Power and Efficiency Technologies
- Ask the CIO
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Fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer dies at 81
Monday - 4/8/2013, 12:08pm EDT
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) -- Lilly Pulitzer hosted parties in her bare feet and wasn't afraid to get a little messy -- just as long as she looked good and had fun, too.
In the late 1950s, the Palm Beach socialite had time to spare and a wealthy husband who owned citrus groves, so she opened an orange juice stand just off the island's main shopping street. Pulitzer needed to hide all the juice stains on her clothes, though. Instead of just putting on an apron, she asked her seamstress to make some sleeveless dresses in colorful fruit prints, and a fashion staple was born.
Pulitzer died at her home Sunday, according to Quattlebaum Funeral and Cremation Services. She was 81.
Pulitzer's tropical print dresses became a sensation in the 1960s when then-first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who attended boarding school with Pulitzer, wore one of the sleeveless shifts in a Life magazine photo spread.
The colorful revolution came as fashion shed its reliance on neutrals, and Pulitzer's stuff was almost the housewife version of the more youthful mod look that was migrating from London.
To this day, the Lilly Pulitzer dress remains a popular, if not a necessary, addition to any woman's closet.
"I designed collections around whatever struck my fancy ... fruits, vegetables, politics, or peacocks! I entered in with no business sense. It was a total change of life for me, but it made people happy," Pulitzer, who married into the famous newspaper family, told The Associated Press in March 2009.
Pulitzer's dresses hung behind her juice stand and soon outsold her drinks. A boutique featuring the company's dresses -- developed with the help of partner Laura Robbins, a former fashion editor -- soon replaced the juice stand.
"Today we celebrate all that Lilly meant to us and come together as Lilly lovers to honor a true original who has brought together generations through her bright and happy mark on the world," James B. Bradbeer Jr. and Scott A. Beaumont, who bought the Lilly Pulitzer brand in 1992, said in a statement.
The signature Lilly palette features tongue-in-cheek jungle and floral prints in blues, pinks, light greens, yellow and orange -- the colors of a Florida vacation.
The line of dresses that bore her name was later expanded to swimsuits, country club attire, children's clothing, a home collection and a limited selection of menswear.
"Style isn't just about what you wear, it's about how you live," Pulitzer said in 2004.
"We focus on the best, fun and happy things, and people want that. Being happy never goes out of style," she said.
In 1966, The Washington Post reported that the dresses were "so popular that at the Southampton Lilly shop on Job's Lane they are proudly put in clear plastic bags tied gaily with ribbons so that all the world may see the Lilly of your choice. It's like carrying your own racing colors or flying a yacht flag for identification."
But changing taste brought trouble. Pulitzer closed her original company in the mid-1980s after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The label was revived about a decade later after being acquired by Pennsylvania-based Sugartown Worldwide Inc.; Pulitzer was only marginally involved in the new business but continued reviewing new prints from Florida.
"When Lilly started the business back in the '60s, she targeted a young customer because she was young," Bradbeer told the AP in 2003. "What we have done is target the daughter and granddaughter of that original customer."
Pulitzer herself retired from day-to-day operations in 1993, although she remained a consultant and a muse for the brand.
Sugartown Worldwide was bought by Atlanta-based Oxford Industries in 2010. Sales of the Lilly Pulitzer brand were strong in the earnings period that ended Feb. 2. The brand's revenue increased 26 percent to $29.1 million, according to Oxford Industries' earnings report. The company said last week it planned to add four to six new stores each year for its Lilly Pulitzer brand.
Pulitzer was born Lilly McKim on Nov. 10, 1931, to a wealthy family in Roslyn, N.Y.
In 1952, she married Pete Pulitzer, the grandson of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, whose bequest to Columbia University established the Pulitzer Prize.
Pulitzer had three children in quick succession. After the third was born, she had a nervous breakdown and ended up in a mental hospital that catered to upscale clientele in New York. A doctor there told her that she needed to find a job.
"The doctor there said, 'You're not happy because you're not doing anything,' and I said, 'I don't know how to do anything.' I'd always had everything done for me, always had my nanny and my mummy making up my mind. The doctor said, 'You've got to go out and find something to do,'" Pulitzer told The New Yorker in 2000.


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First Known Use: 1644
noun fo·cus \ˈfō-kəs\
: a subject that is being discussed or studied : the subject on which people's attention is focused
: a main purpose or interest
: a point at which rays of light, heat, or sound meet or from which they move apart or appear to move apart; especially : the point at which an image is formed by a mirror, a lens, etc.
plural fo·ci \ˈfō-ˌsī also -ˌkī\ also fo·cus·es
Full Definition of FOCUS
a : a point at which rays (as of light, heat, or sound) converge or from which they diverge or appear to diverge; specifically : the point where the geometrical lines or their prolongations conforming to the rays diverging from or converging toward another point intersect and give rise to an image after reflection by a mirror or refraction by a lens or optical systemb : a point of convergence of a beam of particles (as electrons)
a : focal lengthb : adjustment for distinct vision; also : the area that may be seen distinctly or resolved into a clear imagec : a state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding <tried to bring the issues into focus>d : direction 6c <the team lost focus>
: one of the fixed points that with the corresponding directrix defines a conic section
: a localized area of disease or the chief site of a generalized disease or infection
a : a center of activity, attraction, or attention <the focus of the meeting was drug abuse>b : a point of concentration
: the place of origin of an earthquake or moonquake
: directed attention : emphasis
— fo·cus·less \-ləs\ adjective
— in focus
— out of focus
: not in focus
See focus defined for kids
Examples of FOCUS
- He's successful, but he feels that his life lacks focus.
- His life lacks a focus.
Origin of FOCUS
New Latin, from Latin, hearth
Related to FOCUS
: to cause (something, such as attention) to be directed at something specific
: to direct your attention or effort at something specific
: to adjust (something, such as a lens or a camera) to make an image clear
fo·cused also fo·cussedfo·cus·ing also fo·cus·sing
Full Definition of FOCUS
transitive verb
a : to bring into focusb : to adjust the focus of (as the eye or a lens)
: to cause to be concentrated <focused their attention on the most urgent problems>
: to bring (as light rays) to a focus : concentrate
intransitive verb
: to come to a focus : converge
: to adjust one's eye or a camera to a particular range
: to concentrate attention or effort
— fo·cus·able \-kə-sə-bəl\ adjective
— fo·cus·er noun
Examples of FOCUS
- She has an amazing ability to focus for hours at a time.
- I wasn't able to focus the camera.
- I wasn't able to get the camera to focus.
First Known Use of FOCUS
Related to FOCUS
- Synonyms
- center, fasten, concentrate, rivet, train
Learn More About FOCUS
Next Word in the Dictionary: focus groupPrevious Word in the Dictionary: fo'c'sleAll Words Near: focus
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FlashLine Glossary
Channel Definition
FlashLine channels are "containers" that hold specific types of content. Some channels will always appear on your My FlashLine pages. You are able to subscribe to other channels and place them on the FlashLine tabs you use the most.
Channel Illustration
Channels appear in a box format. Here is an example.
IMAGE: KSU Links Channel
Official University Business
- Time sensitive information or other information that makes the message critical in nature;
- Applicability to, and of significant interest to, a large segment of the campus community; and
- Adherence to the university's responsible use policies, which include but are not limited to:
Personal Announcement Channel
The Personal Announcement channel, to which content can be posted, appears at the top of the middle column on the My FlashLine tab. Information can be customized to appear to the entire Kent State University community or to narrower audiences, such as history majors, all faculty members, etc.
IMAGE: Personal Announcement Placement
Personal Announcement Channel, Appropriate Use Examples
This channel will most often be used when your request is intended to reach a specific subset of a larger population and the request does not meet targeted announcement (e-mail) criteria. So, if you are promoting a business scholarship to business majors or trying to reach female students for your Greek organization membership drive, these types of posts would appear here. Appropriate use examples include:
- Improvements to curriculum in a particular major,
- Scholarship opportunities,
- Other messages intended for a specific audience.
During peak usage months (such as April and October), when the personal announcement channel contains many posts, items of an academic nature will be posted to this channel first. Other events, particularly those that apply to all students or all faculty and staff, will instead by posted to the e-calendar/calendar channels that appear off of the Kent State Web site and in FlashLine.
Targeted Announcement
A targeted announcement is an e-mail that can be sent to a specific group of Kent State recipients, based on various classifications, such as whether an individual is a faculty member, employee or student. Narrower roles may also be identified. This announcement can also appear as a posting on the Personal Announcement channel.
Additional Channels
If you would like to regularly communicate with a particular audience about a specific topic, please e-mail email@example.com to suggest creation of a new channel. If this channel is approved, you could then instruct your audience to subscribe to this channel to receive important information. Criteria will be determined based on regularity of content, size of audience, etc. In some cases, you might be guided to use a FlashLine Group.


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Next, you'll be asked to connect with Twitter. Rest assured, we will never send a tweet from your account without your permission.
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A lifetime of better social media, for free. Win @Hootsuite Pro for life! #Hootsuite4Life
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Social Media is Dead. Long Live Social Media ROI: by @karagos #roi #socialmedia via @SlideShare
RT @ESpotlight: 50 Key Landmarks in the History of Digital Marketing -
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Why Coupons Work [Infographic]: via @hubspot
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RT @whartonknows: Can Ello -- or Any Social Network -- Take on Facebook?


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Browse Books
The Cotsen Institute Press publishes critically acclaimed volumes on archaeology in eight series. Our titles are distributed by the University of New Mexico Press / Eurospan and can be purchased online.
To browse our books by series, click the one of interest for a list of titles or click View All to see our entire catalog. To place an order, select a book and click on the Buy this Book icon. For sales inquiries, please contact us.
This series focuses on contributions in synthetic field research and current issues in archaeological method and theory.Cotsen Advanced Seminars
Volumes in this series are the published results of Cotsen Institute sponsored seminars, where scholars explore cross-disciplinary themes in conferences periodically sponsored by the Cotsen Institute.Ideas, Debates and Perspectives
This series offers a forum to address theoretical and practical issues of concern to contemporary archaeology.World Heritage and Monuments
Volumes in this series highlight major archaeological sites and monuments around the globe and seek to preserve their unique cultural contributions through scholarly documentation and publication.Perspectives in California Archaeology
This series presents substantive and theoretical topics focusing on archaeological research in California.Monumenta Archaeologica
This series contains final reports of significant field research, presented in hardcover format.Archaeological Research Tools
Volumes in this series present manuals covering specific topics of practical interest to archaeological research.


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What do Mr. USA 2008, a former President of the American Osteopathic Association and LECOM have in common? They helped kick off the premiere of a new children's television program that begins airing this fall in Erie.
LECOM hosted the Premiere Party for Wellsville USA, a 13-episode television program that encourages children and their parents to take a mind, body, and spirit approach to healthy living. LECOM underwrote production for the first season of Wellsville which begins airing October 3 and every Saturday morning at eight on WXF_TV, the Erie FOX affiliate.
Prior to the preview the guests heard from LECOM Provost Silvia Ferretti, DO;Past AOA President Peter B. Ajluni, DO; and. Mr USA2008 Matthew Ivan Rusilko, a fourth-year medical student at LECOM.
Dr. Ferretti noted that in Pennsylvania one out of three school age children are overweight and that children who lack physical activity puts those children at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, arthritis and even cancer.
"Working with children early in life to encourage one hour of physical activity each day, having them understand how to make the right food choices, and assisting our children to develop positive self esteem, will lay the proper foundation for a healthy adult life and prevent chronic disease," Dr. Ferretti explained to the parents in the audience. "The Wellsville USA Team and LECOM agreed that each program should address, in some way, the Mind/Body/Spirit or holistic approach to health and wellness. LECOM believes that health is a condition of the child and adult that makes possible the highest enjoyment of life. In fact, health is a quality of life and as such can be a continuous standard of inspiration and ever increasing achievement."
When Dr. Ajluni became the 111th AOA President in 2007, he challenged his fellow physicians to to set the example for their patients by focusing on health and fitness. Dr. Ajluni knows healthy living requires individual accountability when it comes to diet, nutrition, exercise and regular doctor visits. He understands that a physician can serve as a role model of health and fitness for their patients. His plan, Fit for Life, meant that instead of just talking the talk, physicians and their patients literally must get up and walk the walk.
"Did you know that approximately sixty-six percent of americans are overweight or obese?" Dr. Ajluni asked.
"At the rate we are going, by the year 2015, seventy-five percent of americans will be overweight or obese. And children are not immune to this epidemic. Why, the car seat manufacturers have had to increase the sizes of their car seats to accommodate for larger than normal babies!"
He added that through programs like Wellsville we can talk with our youth about how the decisions they make now impact their health in the future. "They're at the stage in life where we can truly influence life-long behaviors and attitudes on prevention and wellness," he said.
Matthew Ivan Rusilko will graduate from LECOM in May 2010 with a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree, but for the last year, he's traveled overseas as Mr. USA 2008 and placed 15th in the Mr. International competition in Tawain last year.
"Now one might say that being Mister USA and being a future doctor have nothing in common, but I beg to differ," Rusilko said. "LECOM prepared me in many ways with the abilities I needed to do what I did for one full year. The knowledge I gained mentally in health, anatomy, and nutrition helped me create a great exercise and diet plan to keep me in shape for all the photo shoots and appearances that were required. The experience in dealing with patients helped enabled me to confront any and all situations and deal with them effectively."
Wellsville USA is the creation of Tony Snow, MD and his wife Kathy Iorio. Both have been lifelong advocates of exercise, nutrition and self-esteem programs for children. "It is our heart felt desire to use education and entertainment to bring home these healthy messages and lead to positive behavioral changes in the lives of our viewers, said Dr. Snow, "Good health comes in all shapes, sizes, ages, skin colors, and abilities and we feel that we all can make a positive difference in the lives of our families, children and communities."
The TV show contains segments on exercise, nutrition and self-esteem. Each show has a medical theme such as the lungs, the heart, germs, immunizations, etc. The Healthy Hollow segment features LECOM physicians who discuss how the body works and how physicians help the body heal itself when a child is ill or injured. Other segments talk about money management, hometown heroes and other health and fitness related issues.