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Intermountain Healthcare has been named on the 2014 Health Care's Most Wired Hospital list
Salt Lake City
– Intermountain Healthcare has been named on the 2014 Health Care's Most Wired Hospital list, based on a study conducted by
Hospitals & Health Networks.
Intermountain has been named among the nation's most technologically savvy hospital systems in 15 of the 16 years the survey has been conducted.
The Most Wired assessments on hospitals and health systems nationwide were based on four categories: infrastructure, business and administrative management, clinical quality and safety, and clinical integration. Although an organization may have many advanced capabilities, it is required to meet specific requirements of analytic structure that has been implemented in the determined categories.
"We continue to develop business and care processes to help patients and those who take care of patients," says Marc Probst, Intermountain vice president and chief information officer. "Intermountain's clinical and financial information systems allow patients to move easily between inpatient and outpatient care environments. And, our new Health Hub mobile app gives patients instant access to prescription refills, lab results, and secure messaging between clinicians and patients."
Earlier this year, respondents completed 680 surveys, representing 1,900 hospitals, or more than 30 percent of all U.S. hospitals. The AHA journal
Hospitals & Health Networks
published the results in its July issue.
"The Most Wired data show that shared health information allows clinicians and patients to have the information they need to promote health and make the most informed decisions about treatments," says Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. "Hospitals, their clinicians and their communities are doing tremendous work to enhance their IT systems in ways that support care and delivery improvement, and patient engagement goals."
Intermountain has been developing and using computerized medical systems since the 1970s. A complete listing of the rankings is at
. For more information on Intermountain, visit
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The Disbelief of Saint Thomas (Incredulité de Saint Thomas)
The apostle Thomas, who had received the news but not a visit from the risen Christ, refuses to believe in the reality of the Resurrection. When Christ again appears to the disciples, Thomas is still not convinced and, for confirmation, wants to put his fingers into Christ's wounds. Jesus invites him to do just that but then reproaches him for his lack of belief. Now kneeling before his master, Thomas hangs his head in shame, as Jesus bares his wounded side and declares to Thomas, as well as to all who doubt, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
- Portfolio/Series: The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ (La Vie de Notre-Seigneur Jésus-Christ)
- Artist: James Tissot, French, 1836-1902
- Medium: Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper
- Place Made: France
- Dates: 1886-1894
- Dimensions: Image: 7 13/16 x 5 5/16 in. (19.8 x 13.5 cm) Sheet: 7 13/16 x 5 5/16 in. (19.8 x 13.5 cm) Frame: 20 x 15 x 1 1/2 in. (50.8 x 38.1 x 3.8 cm) (show scale)
- Signature: Signed bottom right: "J.J. Tissot"
- Collections:European Art
- Museum Location: This item is not on view
- Exhibitions:
- Accession Number: 00.159.341
- Credit Line: Purchased by public subscription
- Rights Statement: No known copyright restrictions
- Caption: James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The Disbelief of Saint Thomas (Incredulité de Saint Thomas), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 7 13/16 x 5 5/16 in. (19.8 x 13.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.341
- Image:
- Record Completeness: Best (88%)


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Title: Assassin's Creed III
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action Adventure, Open world, Stealth
Composer: Lorne Balfe
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, WiiU
Assassin's Creed III is the fifth main installment in the highly acclaimed and Uber awesome Assassin's Creed series set during the American Revolution from 1753 to 1783, Featuring a New Half American, Half Native ('Indian') protagonist Connor Kenway (Birth Name: Ratonhnhaké:ton). In addition to the Connor's story you will also Exprience the end of the story of The Series' recurring modern day Assassin Hero Desmond Miles as he tries to prevent the the 2012 Apocalypse alongwith a ragtag group of Modern day Assassin's which include his Dad.The game was built using a brand new engine dubbed "Anvil Next" which is said to utilise the full capabilities of current gen consoles........and perhaps the Wii U.
Assassin's Creed III Will feature 2 new fully explorable American cities: Boston and New York as well as the American Colonial Frontier which includes Hills, forests, cliffs, rivers and more diverse terrain with tons of side quests and hunting.The city of Phulladelphia is also confirmed to be visited in the game atleast once during a story mission.Other than that the Eastern Seaborad will also be explorable via ships that Connor (as in the player) will captain and use to take part in Large scale Naval battles throughout the course of the game making Assassin's Creed III the largest game in the series in terms of total explorable area.Assassin's Creed III also features a revamped combat system with a different counter mechanic than it's predecessors as well as many new gadgets and kill tools like the rope dart and Mowhawk will be at your disposal.
Connor will also encounter many notable figures of the Amrican Revoltuion such as Gorge Washington, Thoman Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Rever, William Prescott and more throughout the course of the game.All this combined with many more features such as hunting, naval battles, A new charcter with a new story and the ability to take part in many large scale battles of the American revolution during story missions will make Assassin's Creed III and experience to remeber.
Limited Editions


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The eddic poem Grímnismál describes twelve divine dwellings beginning in stanza 5 with:
Ydalir call they the place where Ull
A hall for himself hath set;
And Álfheim the gods to Frey once gave
As a tooth-gift in ancient times.
A tooth-gift was a gift given to an infant on the cutting of the first tooth.
In the 12th century eddic prose Gylfaginning Snorri Sturluson relates it as the first of a series of abodes in heaven:
That which is called Álfheim is one, where dwell the peoples called Light-elves [Ljósálfar]; but the Dark-elves [dökkálfar] dwell down in the earth, and they are unlike in appearance, but by far more unlike in nature. The Light-elves are fairer to look upon than the sun, but the Dark-elves are blacker than pitch.The account later, in speaking of a hall called Gimlé and the southernmost end of heaven that shall survive when heaven and earth have passed away, explains:
It is said that another heaven is to the southward and upward of this one, and it is called Andlang [Andlangr 'Endlong'] but the third heaven is yet above that, and it is called Vídbláin [Vídbláinn 'Wide-blue'] and in that heaven we think this abode is. But we believe that none but Light-Elves inhabit these mansions now.It is not indicated whether these heavens are identical to Álfheim or distinct. Some texts read Vindbláin (Vindbláinn 'Wind-blue') instead of Vídbláin.
Modern commentators speculate (or sometimes state as fact) that Álfheim was one of the nine worlds (heima) mentioned in stanza 2 of the eddic poem Völuspá.
'I'm not the Queen of Heaven, Thomas,
That name does not belong to me;
I am but the Queen of fair Elphame
Come out to hunt in my follie.'
Allison Peirson was burned as a witch in 1588 for converse with the 'Queen of Elfame' and for prescribing magic charms and potions. (Byre Hills, Fife, Scotland)
Elfhame or Elfland, is portrayed in a variety of ways in these ballads and stories, most commonly as mystical and benevolent, but also at times as sinister and wicked. The mysteriousness of the land, and its otherworldly powers are a source of scepticism and distrust in many tales. Examples of journeys to the realm include "Thomas the Rhymer" and the fairy tale "Childe Rowland", the latter being a particularly negative view of the land.
Álfheim, at that time, was the name of the land between the Raumelfr ['Raum river', the modern Glomma river] and the Gautelfr ['Gaut river', the modern Göta älv].The words "at that time" indicates the name for the region was archaic or obsolete by the 13th century. The element elfr is a common word for 'river' and appears in other river names. It is cognate with Middle Low German elve 'river' and the name of the river Elbe. The Raum Elf marked the border of the region of Raumaríki and the Gaut Elf marked the border of Gautland (modern Götaland). It corresponds closely to the historical Swedish province of Bohuslän.
The name Álfheim here may have nothing to do with Álfar 'Elves', but may derive from a word meaning 'gravel layer'.
However the The Saga of Thorstein, Viking's Son claims that the two rivers and the country was named from King Álf the Old (Álfr hinn gamli) who once ruled there, and that his descendants were all related to the Elves and were more handsome than any other people except for the giants, a unique and possibly corrupt reference to giants being especially good looking. The Sögubrot af Nokkrum also mentions the special good looks of the kindred of King Álf the Old.
But according to the Hversu Noregr byggdist, Álf, also called Finnálf, was a son of King Raum who inherited from his father the land from the Gaut Elf river (the modern Göta älv river) north to the Raum Elf river (the modern Glomma river), and that the land was then called Álfheim.
Finnálf married Svanhild (Svanhildr) who was called Gold-feather (Gullfjǫðr) and was the daughter of Day (Dagr) son of Dayspring (Delling) by Sun (Sól) daughter of Mundilfari. Dag as a personification of day and the sun-goddess Sól are mentioned elsewhere, but only the Hversu mentions their daughter. Svandhild bore Finnálf a son named Svan the Red (Svanr inn Rauðr) who was father of Sæfari, father of Úlf (Úlfr), father of Álf, father of Ingimund (Ingimundr) and Eystein (Eysteinn).
According to the eddic poem Hyndluljód (stanza 12), Óttar, whose genealogy is the subject of this poem, was son of Innstein (Innsteinn), son of Álf the Old, son of Úlf, son of Sæfari, son of Svan the Red. So the Innstein of the Hyndluljód and Eystein of the Hversu are presumably identical.
According to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (Book 8), the sons of King Gandálf the Old joined King Harald for the battle of Bråvalla. The Sögubrot names the sons of Gandálf as Álfar (Álfarr) and Álfarin (Álfarinn) and makes them members of King Harald's bodyguard. Presumably they died in the battle. But the kingdom of this Gandálf is not identified in these texts.
The Sögubrot also relates that Sigurd Hring (Sigurðr Hringr), who was Harald's viceroy on the Swedish throne, married Álfhild, the daughter of King Álf the Old of Álfheim. But in a later passage she appears as a descendant of King Álf. The Hversu Novegr byggdist provides instead a lineage of King Álf the Old of Álfheim who was father of Álfgeir the father of Gandálf the father of Álfhild the mother of the famous Ragnar Lodbrok (by Sigurd Hring). That Álfhild's father was the same Gandálf whose sons were at the Battle of Bravalla makes good sense in legendary chronology. But this genealogy may have resulted from misidentification of Gandálf the Old of the battle of Bråvalla with Gandálf son of Álfgeir of the Ynglinga saga who is discussed below. Or if the two Gandálfs may be rightly identified then the chronology is badly garbled.
In all these accounts, the son of Hring and Álfhild was supposedly the famous Ragnar Lodbrok, husband of Áslaug (Áslaugr) the mother of Sigurd Hart (Sigurðr Hjǫrt) whose daughter Ragnhild (Ragnhildr) married Halfdan the Black and bore to him Harald Fairhair, the first historic king of all Norway.
Illuga saga Gríðarfóstra relates of a king Áli of Alfheim and his queen Alfrun. When the queen died, the king married a beautiful but evil woman named Grimhild. She murdered him and tyrannized Alfheim until it was laid waste. His daughter Signy would marry king Hringr of Denmark.
But later parts of his saga show Harald in full control of the land west of the Gaut Elf river showing that Álfheim did soon become part of his kingdom. From that point it ceased to be an independent region. The Saga of Harald Fairhair relates that it was first conquered by the Swedish king Eirik Eymundsson (Erik Anundsson) who lost it to Harald Fairhair.


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Hospital: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus & Family Health Centers
Facility: CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION (MAIN CAMPUS)
Department: CTR NEURO RESTORATION
Job Code: A01005
Pay Grade: 1
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Shift: Days
Job Details: Summary: With direction from assigned supervisor or leader assists with administrative, clerical, patient service or operational support duties. Job Responsibilities: Completes daily assignments, projects or tasks. Maintains equipment, files, databases and follows all department procedures and guidelines. Participates in performance improvement activities or meetings and recommends actions to improve results. May assist with patient service functions when trained and assigned. Other duties as assigned. Education: High School Diploma or GED preferred. Some positions may require additional education or training. Experience: Experience required will vary by assigned department and position. Licensure/Certification/Registration: None Physical Requirements: Requires occasional computer entry, sitting, standing and walking to attend meetings. Normal or corrected vision, hearing and speech.
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
I awoke in the morning to the sound of two people talking and hitting golf balls. Their conversation made no mention of the motorcycle and tent in the grass nearby as if it was a completely normal part of the scenery.
This is a view from my tent to the tee box just past the shade.
I figured there was half a chance I might run into Gene and Neda because they were planning to visit Thunder Bay today too. I rode out to the big peninsula that makes up Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and made the loop.
A stop at the visitor center and I was told that a vehicle permit to enter the park would cost $14. I passed on the permit and rode into Thunder Bay.
My first stop was the Madhouse downtown, run by an inmate here. Feliz was working the bar and I introduced myself and ordered the special of the day, a pita pizza and a beer.
And then another beer of Feliz's recommendation, this time a local brew.
Though they were rather busy, I talked to Feliz for a while about his business, living in Thunder Bay, and what to see and do in town. He gave me some terrible news. My most favorite bar in the world, the Inntowner Palace, was now a parking lot, having been demolished in 2010.
I walked up to the popular harbor a few blocks away.
A splash pool was filled with kids and parents on this warm July day. More swimming Canadians.
I stepped inside a small casino. None of the customers or workers seemed very happy to be there. It was a very depressing and sad place.
This one is for Neda. Reminds me. I never did run into Gene and Neda again like I figured I would.
And since I'm Polish.
Every week there is a band and festival at Marina Park in Thunder Bay, so I spent a couple hours people-watching and looking out over the lake.
This week's theme was polka. Here's Captain John and the Polka Pirates.
It was near 10pm when the sun set and almost 11pm before it got dark. Feliz had offered me a place to sleep, but now realizing how late it was, I didn't want to risk waking him or his kids. I regretted my poor planning because Feliz was a supremely cool guy, and I looked forward to having a beer with him and chatting more. Around 11pm and in fading light, I headed out of town, looking for a place to sleep.
I'm the Tent Space Guy Sign up to host fellow travelers here.
Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Joined: Mar 2006
Location: No Fixed Address (originally Toronto)
Oddometer: 667
The reason why you never ran into us is that despite repeated and documented pieces of contrary evidence, my wife still believes she is invisible to police radar.
Gene · www.RideDOT.com · R1200GS
Ride Reports: Ride The World! · Indian Himalayas · Iceland · Europe · New Zealand
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Fly over zone
Oddometer: 1,801
Still loving this report. I'm going to visit the tent space thread, and get involved. What an adventure, nice.. Flying the floatplane!
Couple of things; we just paid $33.00 a night for a campsite in Arkansas, near Eureka Springs, in a state park! With a fire ban in place, and most everything (pool) closed, I was surprised they would charge so much..
Second, when we camped up in Sleeping Giant, we made the hike up to the top.. Great view, but my wife wasn't too keen on the distance, and elevation changes... Ha. Here's the view from the top.
IBA#32778 2008 R1200GSA 2007 G650XChallenge
No man is as good as he ought to be, and few men are as bad as they seem.. (from a early 1900s post card found in Perry, Missouri..)
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
Thanks for the Sleeping Giant pic. Very nice. I've been to Thunder Bay quite a few times, and I'm sure I've been up there at least once quite a long time ago, but I'm not certain.
I'm the Tent Space Guy Sign up to host fellow travelers here.
Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
I left Thunder Bay last night in the dark, quite irritated with myself that I skipped Feliz's offer to drink a couple beers and crash at his place. In my defense, in this northern Eastern Time Zone city, it wasn't dark until well after 10pm and I didn't realize what time it was.
Finding a stealth campsite in the dark is not easy. I checked several potential places and then I found the jackpot. Kakabeka Curling Club.
There was a nice grassy spot right out back. Right next to the attached Chinese restaurant. You can't make this stuff up.
The restaurant appeared to be shuttered, but I hoped someone would show up bright and early to the Curling Club. Maybe they'd show me how to play! I've been fascinated with the sport ever since the 2010 Winter Olympics. Alas, the parking lot was empty when I woke up.
My plan was to cross back into the US today, but rather than take highway 61 like everyone else, I took a more circuitous route involving more scenic roads that I found online, namely, highway 593.
The first stop was one of the most interesting geocaches I've ever found, based on the NHL Stanley Cup. The cache itself was hidden inside this hollowed-out log.
And in order to "sign" the cache, you had to use the Dremel to etch your name on the cup. Get it? The Cup?
Pretty awesome, I thought.
I like clever mailboxes.
I think I picked the right road, too.
Where the highway turned west to follow the Pigeon River, there was another road marked "Old Border Road." I couldn't pass it up.
As expected, the road dead-ended at the Pigeon River with the US on the other side, the old bridge long-since removed. There was no remnants of any buildings or signs or any other border controls. I intended to check out the opposite side once I crossed the other border.
Highway 593 provided a beautiful view of Pigeon river.
And then I found another waterfall!
This one was more accessible--right along the highway--but the infrastructure here was long abandoned. There looked to be some sort of wading pool.
And a grown-over parking lot with the paint still visible in some places.
The entrance was blocked off. I'm curious when this part of the nearby Pigeon River Provincial Park was open.
Down near the river, I found something curious. At first, I thought I happened upon another geocache.
It was a coffee can in pristine condition. Clearly it had not been out in the elements at all. Inside was perhaps a hundred or more small envelopes, all in perfect condition.
Each envelope contained half of a card showing a cartoon character.
Looked like some sort of prop for a poker run, but there was no other information inside. Anyone know anything about this?
Anyway, back to those falls!
The cool part is that the Pigeon River forms the northern boundary between Canada and the US, so the rocks on the other side are the United States.
After climbing all over the falls and taking lots of pictures, I walked back to my bike.
On highway 61 right next to the border is the modern Pigeon River Provincial Park. They have a nice walking trail.
And then it gets a little hairy.
The trail leads to the High Falls of the Pigeon River.
And there weren't any fences or any other safety devices. Sure Jamie, just go right out there.
Considered the tallest waterfall "in" Minnesota, High Falls are 120 feet high, and I was standing at the brink.
I spent about 30 minutes climbing up and down and all around the gigantic boulders beside the falls.
But wait a second. Look closer. What's that?
That's an observation deck with people on it. People across the river in Minnesota. Wow, I had no idea that was there.
And then I had an epiphany. No doubt most of those people over there were taking pictures of the falls. I was climbing all over the falls. I wonder if I could somehow get those pictures, with me in them. That'd be awesome. I made it my goal to get over the US side as quickly as I could and see if I could find people who might have pictures of me on the falls.
But not before a couple more shots of the beauty from farther away.
And a view of the international bridge.
I jogged back to my bike and headed for the border, hoping to find someone with pictures of me climbing on the rocks.
Remember my crossing into Canada at the Peace Bridge near Toronto? The Canadian border offical was smiling and friendly and gave me a mint. The crossing took about 20 seconds.
Here, at Grand Portage, a remote crossing not near anything, the US border agent was stern and lectured me for not stopping my bike precisely where he wanted me to. As I was unbuckling my helmet he scolded me "You'll have to take that helmet off."
Then came a barrage of questions about where I'm from, where I'm going, where I'm coming from. I told him I'm from Memphis. He asked why, if I'm from Memphis, do I have Mississippi plates on my bike, and why am I coming through Canada to get to Minnesota. He wanted to know why I was visiting Minnesota. I told him I grew up in Minnesota and was coming to visit family. What town did I grow up in? What high school did I attend? What, really? My high school?
He looked through my passport. Why are there so many stamps in here? Do you have a job requiring international travel? No, I'm a student, or was a student and participated in some study abroad programs. After a long pause, he handed the passport back to me and told me I could go. Sheesh.
Almost immediately, I pulled into the newly built Grand Portage State Park welcome center.
I wasn't sure if this was the right place to see the High Falls. I asked a young couple in the parking lot if they knew if there was a trail leading back to the falls. The guy says "Yeah, we just came from there." Oh, you did?
Did you take any pictures? He said he did. I asked if he saw anyone on the falls. He told me there was a guy wearing jeans and a black T-shirt over there. That was me! Awesome. I unzipped my riding suit to show him my dark shirt. I asked, do you think I could get the pictures from you? He shrugged and held his fingers up with a tiny space between them. You can't see anything. You're only about this big in the photos. I nodded eagerly. Yeah, that'd be neat to have. I'd like to see them. He shrugged and shook his head. "It's not really worth it."
Well screw you too.
What the hell, dude? Anyway, what could I do? Grab his camera and run? I mean, how hard would it be to exchange email addresses and send me the pics? Some people suck and my welcome into the US hadn't been so welcome so far.
Well anyway, the US side is a whole lot different from Canada. Here, there is a paved trail with a fence.
And then a fancy boardwalk with rails. There was no trails to climb out onto the falls.
You get to see the falls from viewing platforms far from the water.
Though I have to admit, the US has a better viewing angle. Anyone want to photoshop a picture of me standing on the falls?
This is Grand Portage National Monument. I've been quite a number of times, but they've made some major changes since I've last seen it. Before, you used to park right in front of the lodge.
I had intended to follow old highway 61 up to the old border crossing on the Minnesota side, but I completely forgot. Looking at the map later on Google, I realized I missed a neat ride.
To get my mind off the border official and the jackass at the welcome center, I stopped for a geocache along the shore of Lake Superior.
I had made contact with FotoTEX before the trip and he invited me to stop by his winter home in Two Harbors, Minnesota. I had the address to his camp and showed up unannounced. He was sitting out front of his Airstream in a Texas-flag lawn chair. His wife offered a beer.
Donovan wanted to show me around the lake a bit, so we walked up the beach. For the record, that's some cold water.
I got a shot of him and his wife Rebecca, and then she took a picture of the two of us.
And then we walked over to a woodworking school nearby. There was a fellow inside working, and he showed us a few things and told us about the classes.
Donovan offered a place to set up my tent, but since it was only early evening, I decided to get on the road for a few more miles before the late sunset. I made a stop at Temperence River State Park, one of my favorite rivers.
And then headed back north on highway 1, considered one of the most scenic in the state.
Around nightfall, I found myself coming into the small town of Isabella, Minnesota. There was a large sign for a motel, with a smaller campground sign nearby. I decided to stop.
The thing is, there was nobody there. A sign on the building had a phone number, but half the numbers were gone.
And what appeared to be the office/camp store was gutted.
In any case, the campground out back was mowed and had picnic tables. Looked good to me. And the price was right.
Before dark, I took a few minutes to explore. The "motel" consisted of a double-long mobile home, divided into four rooms and a utility closet. There were signs asking snowmobilers to keep wet gear off the furniture.
Two of the rooms were unlocked. Inside the beds were made up and everything seemed to be in place, though there was no power or running water. It was as if the owners simply got up one morning and walked away. I briefly considered staying in one of the rooms. The beds looked more inviting than the cold and mosquitoes outside. The musty odor inside made me reconsider.
So, I made dinner back near my tent.
And crawled inside my tent to get away from the mosquitoes.
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Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Jamie Z screwed with this post 11-17-2012 at 10:58 AM
Adventuring Mystic
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Middle Tennessee
Oddometer: 1,597
The reason, I'm guessing, that 'dude' didn't want to send you the pics are because he was pissed at you for ruining all his pictures of the falls by climbing all over while he was taking them....
Follow me over here >>> WRRDualSport.com <<<
| Smokies are always on the way Ride Report
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
Funny. They look bigger in person.
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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
I woke to a light rain and my ribs shot pain through my abdomen when I tried to sit up out of bed. My riding gloves were sitting on the picnic table and soaked but I packed up quickly and warmed up some oatmeal for breakfast.
Just on the other side of town was a small restaurant and I was surprised to see it open. The rain had cleared up.
Mostly I just wanted to talk to someone and ask about the motel. I thought I might order a cup of coffee until I saw this.
How could I pass up a breakfast malt?
I talked to Tom the owner for a short time. He wasn't sure how long the restaurant had been open. An older fellow, he and his wife bought it 26 years ago and it had been open some time before that. He said the motel next door had shut down three years ago. He seemed unaware that I camped the night before. On the entire ride, this guy was the only one who asked me how fast my bike would go. I shrugged and told him it wasn't very fast at all. He went on to tell me about how he hears guys speed past on the country road out front on "one of those things." Again I shrugged and told him I'd never ridden a sport bike, so I don't know. I'm not sure he was listening and he continued to tell me about how "those kinds of bikes" will go 150 mph. If it has plastic, it must be a crotch rocket.
When I asked what I owed him, he thought for a few seconds and pulled the price out of the air. "Five bucks and we'll call it even." Is that the Canadian price? Sheesh.
An older worker wearing overalls and driving a logging truck pulled up just as I was heading out.
I continued to follow highway 1.
Road construction forced me onto some hardpack gravel.
And into the town of Babbitt, where there was a great display of retired mining equipment.
This part of Minnesota is known as the Iron Range because of the iron ore deposits. The equipment here is gigantic.
My next stop was in the town of Ely, pronounced EEE-lee, and the Dorothy Molter museum.
Dorothy Molter, known as the Root Beer Lady, was the last resident of the one-million acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The Forest Service attempted to remove her several times, but they were stymied each time by her resiliance and popularity. In the end, they made her a Forest Service "volunteer" to report the conditions inside the park. I encourage you to read about her: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Molter
At the museum, first a little movie and introduction from a tour guide.
And then to her cabin, which was disassembled and moved from its location in the Boundary Waters to Ely after her death in 1986.
Inside, as repeated by our guide over and over, everything was exactly as left by Dorothy. Everything in the house was authentic and belonged to her. Got that? 100% authentic. Just how Dorothy lived.
When I was young, my mom gave me a book about Dorothy, I thought about the book and bought a postcard to send to my mom.
I headed north out of Ely onto country road 116, known as the Echo Trail, a former logging road which today provides access to the Boundary Waters Canoe area.
The perfect pavement soon turned to rough pavement which soon turned to freshly graded gravel. The loose rocks made for a harrowing and slow ride.
I soon found the source of my riding woes.
And the teeth on the plow made the rocks loose and the riding hard.
Fortunately, they must have graded the road and parked the grader because after that point, the road was hardpack gravel on which I could ride comfortably.
The scenery was beautiful and desolate.
Desolate until I pulled into a BWCA put-in.
There must have been 40 vehicles crammed into eavey little corner. What I thought I had to myself was actually a metropolis.
The Echo Trail leads to the community of Buyck, which is immediately pronouncable.
Just beyond Buyck I saw three girls behind a lemonade stand, so I stopped. Just after I gave them a buck for a cup, the wind picked up and a cold front passed. The dark clouds coming in foretold rain was on the way, so the girls scurried to pack up their stand. Just before I left, I stood back and asked if I could take a picture.
I stopped in Orr for gas while rain started falling.
I've got a clever idea for a prop they could attach to the sign to help with pronunciation here, too.
Just outside Orr is the Mickey Elverum Bog Walk. There's a geocache there. I had to stop.
It's a neat walk through the woods.
And into the bog.
I did find the cache here.
The purpose of this whole ride was to visit my family who mostly live around the Twin Cities in Minnesota. When I'd called my mom a month earlier to tell her about my plans and that I might come down through Canada, she retold a story about my dad and her taking a trip to the border town of International Falls when they were first married in the mid-60s. She asked me, isn't there a highway 65 that runs down through there?
I looked at my map. She was right!
She described it as an especially scenic route through the forest, without any traffic at all. She was right!
She said, "There was even grass growing up in the middle of the road." I chuckled at her memory from 50 years ago. But she was right about that, too.
Along the 40 miles or so I stayed on highway 65, I didn't pass another vehicle.
But I did find one of my favorite placenames.
I rode into Effie, Minnesota on highway 1, heading west. I altered my route slightly when I saw this sign marking the northern end of the Edge of the Wilderness National Scenic Byway. I turned south and followed it.
I stopped in the town of Bigfork. Used to have a friend who lived here a few years back. I stopped at an Edge of the Wilderness interpretive center around sunset.
Don't think I didn't consider bunking in that flatboat on display. I needed to find a place to crash before dark but I'm sure some official would come by in the evening to lock up.
I located a state forest campground along my route and rode the narrow gravel to find it. To my dismay, it was filled almost to capacity, and the campground fee was bumping up against $20.
So, I followed an ATV trail back to a clearing about a mile away and pitched my tent.
I used to live in Minnesota and forgot about deer flies. Holy crap. Buzzing around my face, hair, and ears all the while I was trying to set up my tent. I pulled a stocking cap down over my head to keep them from driving me crazy. I opted out of sitting outside to make dinner and instead took some crackers and granola bars into my tent before bed and fell asleep listening to an owl nearby.
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Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
I woke up and continued south on highway 38, the Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway. Along the way I crossed the Laurentian Divide. The water north of here flows into Hudson Bay (although curiously, the sign uses the old "Hudsons Bay" name).
And for my Finnish friends.
I rode around looking for the party. Never did see it.
I found a couple of geocaches along the way and found this little buddy.
I've got a friend from this area who I haven't seen or talked to in about ten years. I stopped to watch a Little League game and found a number for her dad who in turn gave me her number. I gave her a call.
Amanda was excited to hear from me. Turns out she lives in St. Paul now and asked if I was coming down that way. We made some tentative plans and she offered that I could stay with her and her boyfriend if I needed when I go through that area in a few days. I told her that would work out great!
The Edge of the Wilderness Scenic Byway ends in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, hometown of Judy Garland. Urbanspoon on my smartphone recommended a little place to eat called Pasties Plus. What the heck, I'll try it. It's a tiny place.
Inside it's small. Like a little bakery, which I guess is what it is. I went to the counter and explained that I was a rookie. I didn't have a clue what a pasty is.
Turns out I wasn't even saying it properly. It doesn't rhyme with tasty. The cook on duty explained they only serve two varieties. With, or without rutabega. I chose without, but with a side of gravy, and could I have a glass of water, too?
Damn, it was good.
The pasty comes from Britain, and the best guess is that originated in Cornwall's mining communities. The miners would eat pasties for lunch. They're simple, easy to carry, and provide a hearty meal. No surprise they're popular in this region of the state.
I rode over to Itasca State Park, headwaters of the Mississippi River.
I've been here a number of times before, and I always stop when I'm near. They've made some big changes since I was last here, most notably the visitor center near the headwaters. It didn't exist a few years ago.
Here is the famous sign and the traditional beginning of the river.
What's funny is none of this is natural. Lake Itasca State Park is Minnesota's oldest state park and was formed in the days of the Civilian Conservation Corps. This rock dam and channeling of the upper reaches of the Mississippi were one of the projects. They filled in the swamp and constructed the first few hundred yards of the river into a rocky creek in an attempt to beautify the source.
And it was quite busy today. More people than I've ever seen here.
Most incredibly, a wedding party showed up.
And they all lined up along the log bridge.
The river flows out of the park under a handful of walking bridges.
At the visitor center, along with bathrooms, a gift shop, and an expensive restaurant, they have a neat model on display.
This bridge is also new. It used to be an eight-foot culvert. I've been through it.
And then the river flows out of the park.
I followed the Mississippi River Trail, a designated bike route which follows the river, as best I could. Trouble is, unlike other states, the MRT route isn't signed in Minnesota so I relied on the GPS route I pieced together at home.
And rode back through a field to what is purported to be the site of the oldest bridge across the Mississippi River. The current bridge is a reconstruction by a descendent of the original bridge builder.
There was a geocache located here, and it took me a long time to find it.
It was hot and stifling.
And then I continued along the MRT as best I could.
Stopped at Coffee Pot landing where I've camped a couple times in the past. The bridge is for pedestrians or snowmobiles only.
In Bemidji, I got a picture with Paul Bunyan.
And continued east following the river.
I started seeing signs of heavy wind damage.
Nearing sunset, I stopped at the Winnibigoshish Dam. A posted sign explained the downed trees.
It was nearing sunset. An Indian family was fishing and I talked to one of the old men while his sons fished.
While at the dam, I checked my Facebook. I was surprised to see that I had three messages from a childhood friend who I hadn't seen in almost 25 years. I had made contact with him through Facebook a while back and noticed that he also rode motorcycles. About a month before this trip I suggested to him that we could meet near Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and ride together for a day or two. He owns his own business today and told me he'd look into it. He's got a wife, a kid, a business. Didn't look like it was going to work out.
The three messages were from Zack. The first was, "I'm thinking of meeting you." The next was his phone number. And the last one was simply, "I'm on the way," and the timestamp was from two hours earlier.
On the way where? Shit, we hadn't made any plans yet. Awesome.
I called his phone and left a message. I was turning around and heading to the small town of Walker, which I figured was roughly between where I was and where I figured he was headed.
I rode into town and found a cheap motel. I wasn't sure if Zack was a camping type or not. I called and left another message for him telling him where I would be. He showed up about 45 minutes later.
The first thing I noticed is that even though Zack and I had pretty much been best friends from about the ages of five to around twelve, I wouldn't have recognized him today. He's a big guy. Several inches taller and much more muscular than I am. We walked to what appeared to be the only open eating establishment in town and sat down at the bar.
But aside from our physical differences, we had a lot in common. It was a weird sensation. I was talking to a "stranger" with whom I shared many childhood memories. We talked about Christmas at his grandparents. We laughed about the small business we opened up as kids, "Jamie and Zack's Kool-Aid and Snacks." And he told me that the influence of my dad probably led to his passion for motorcycles today.
The kitchen at the bar was closed. They sell pizza by the slice, but the bartender took the whole thing and slid it in front of us.
And when the barkeep found himself with half a can of Red Bull at the end of the evening, Jäger Bomb shots for everyone, on the house.
Zack and I walked back to the room and stayed up for another hour or so reminiscing. I told him he's the only son of a bitch I know that would ride up to meet me without even knowing where I was headed.
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Jamie Z screwed with this post 12-04-2012 at 01:20 AM
riding gently now
Joined: Feb 2006
Location: on the banks of the mighty mississippi, AR side
Oddometer: 3,010
got to get it on the good foot
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
We stopped for gas and breakfast in the morning.
I'm not a cruiser rider, but I had to admit that I really like Zack's setup. Very clean lines on his bike, and it wasn't obnoxiously loud. And he'd come prepared with tent and sleeping bag and a change of clothes. According to Zack, this was in case he couldn't find me.
I wanted to suggest to him that we switch bikes for a while, but at breakfast he looked out the window and saw someone park close to his bike. He growled, "They better watch it." I decided not to tell him my idea.
I led the way as we continued to follow the Mississippi River Trail, a bicycle route which leads from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. We crossed the Mississippi many times and it was getting bigger and bigger.
And there were more signs of the "Blowdown Incident."
To my surprise, the MRT (and the Great River Road, as the sign shows) turned onto a gravel road. I pulled over and looked at Zack. "I don't mind riding on gravel," he claimed. Despite his assurance, I thought it would be better to stick to the pavement.
This gave us an idea. We were hot and a little hungry.
We stopped for a snack in the small town of Aitkin, Minnesota, where my friend Amanda is from. I was looking forward to seeing her in a few days. I met her when she used to work in this cafe.
The desserts were terrible. I didn't want to say anything, but then Zack looked at me with a grimace and asked, "Does yours taste like sugary syrup?" I nodded.
We posed outside for a photo.
Zack doesn't wear any riding gear, and in the heat and sun, he was getting pretty burned and worn out. He never complained other than to ask if I had any sunscreen, which I did.
Another shot of the river.
And this "art" car.
Zack and I stopped for gas in St. Cloud, Minnesota in the evening. Zack needed to be home tonight and still had an hour or two ride back to his house. We'd had a great time together, and I was happy to see him again after almost 25 years. It's still hard to believe that I could have someone in my life who I haven't seen for that long.
After Zack left I made a call to another friend who lives in a northern Minneapolis suburb. Eric and I have been friends since I was about 13 or 14, and the last time I saw him was in 2000. He's now married and has a small daughter. He invited me over and asked if I'd eaten dinner yet.
Once more, Jägermeister.
His wife had purchased this special bottle while in Amsterdam, and it did taste better than Jäger I've had in the US. According to her, they use a different formula.
Eric brought me out to his garage and showed me his motorcycle. "I didn't know you had a bike!" I suggested we go for a ride before I leave. He shrugged. He hadn't had his bike out for a few months and had only ridden it a few times all year.
They put me up in the guest room for the night and I tried to lay flat on my back to keep my ribs from aching.
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Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
Just got a message from Zack:
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Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
I slept in for the first time on the trip, getting up just before noon to find Eric's wife working from home in the living room. Out in the driveway I saw Eric's truck. "Did Eric stay home from work today?" I asked his wife. She said he'd ridden his motorcycle in today. First time he's ridden his bike in months.
I did a load of laundry and cleaned up some of my gear (notice I'm no longer wearing my embarassing Hooters T-shirt in the photos). Eric came by with his work truck a couple hours later and told me to follow him back to the shop. He was taking the rest of day off.
I parked inside and he showed me around.
Eric insisted I try a Greenie at Tony Jaros'.
And then a beer nearby at a club right on the river.
I had dinner plans with Amanda, a girl I met back in Aitkin, Minnesota twelve years ago and haven't seen for about ten years. I'd called her a few days ago and told her I'd be in town. She had offered a place to crash tonight. Eric and I got a quick photo before we parted ways.
Amanda wanted to meet at the trendy Icehouse downtown. She was already there when I arrived.
The food was good, but the portions were laughable. Seriously, when the waiter set my plate in front of me, I thought it was one of the sides that came with dinner. No, it was the whole meal. It looked like two Chicken McNuggets and a small scoop of coleslaw. Probably there was a garnish on the plate, too.
One cool thing was that the wait staff used iPods to place your order, so our drinks arrived before the waiter even walked away from our table.
During dinner, Amanda asked where I was planning to stay tonight. She added that she'd like to offer a place to stay, but she'd have to ask her boyfriend first and she didn't think he'd be up for it.. There goes the digs I was planning on
After dinner I called Eric back and explained my dilemma. Could I crash at his place again? "No problem, come on over."
The next day I planned to meet with my high school friend, Tony. I'd have the scare of my life before that happened.
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Budget Travel the Jamie Z Way
Jamie Z screwed with this post 12-04-2012 at 01:28 AM
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Dec 2010
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Oddometer: 399
I really enjoy following your trip. You seem to know quite a few cool people.
Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: on Walkabout
Oddometer: 7,830
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BPAY has introduced BPAY Bingo in a bid to entice Australians to pay their bills.
By Michelle Starr
June 20, 2012
How do you keep interest in the classroom these days? For one teacher, it's a mishmash of Dungeons and Dragons, Xbox Live and World of Warcraft.
By Craig Simms
April 4, 2012


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Chevrolet's newest rendition of the Camaro has some classic lines blended with modern styling to create a pretty cool piece. Exterior styling aside, the Camaro sits on the GM Zeta platform that was originally under the Pontiac G8. This new bad Bow Tie has independent suspension front and rear, setting it apart from its solid rear axle predecessors.
GM spent millions developing the Zeta platform, both in Australia and here in the states, and one of the compromises built into a platform shared by big sedans and muscle cars alike is that the factory suspension setup is relatively soft, with a fair amount of body roll and rear suspension slop, as well as wheel hop under full-throttle conditions.
Known for its high-performance first-to-fourth-gen Camaro suspension systems, Hotchkis was deep into the development process on the G8 when Pontiac got the axe, so it already knew the issues the platform had and how to remedy them.
With that knowledge in hand, John Hotchkis and his crew tackled the Camaro with the idea to improve handling and acceleration without giving the car a spine-cracking ride. What came out of that process was a completely tuned and balanced suspension system.
The company's package, dubbed The Track Pack, combines sport springs, adjustable sway bars, and aluminum chassis bracing to improve the Camaro's handling capabilities (check out the product sidebar for more details on the parts). All the products are protected in a high-gloss black powdercoating and are designed to be direct bolt-ons so if you wanted to install them on a lease vehicle, you can take them off before you turn it in.
To really show what these parts are capable of, we took a completely stock '10 Camaro belonging to the Byrd family and a Track Pack-outfitted fifth-gen belonging to Sam Piazza to Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, California. Other than the Hotchkis parts, these cars were identical, right down to the tires. The two were tested on a 600-foot slalom, 200-foot skidpad, and the Streets of Willow road course by the same driver.
Even though the stock Camaro is a pretty stout vehicle, the Track Pack-equipped car out-performed it in every stage of testing. The track Pack Camaro saw an almost 2-second reduction in lap time, 2mph gain on the slalom and a 0.02g gain on the skid pad. Not too shabby for a suspension system that is bolt-in, adjustable, and retails for a little over a grand.
Just as we sat down to pen this story, John Hotchkis let us know the company has just finished production on a few competition level parts, like a strut tower brace and stiffer sway bars. For more information on the parts in this story or the new competition level stuff, make sure to check out the Hotchkis web site.


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Letting Go: When and how to drop a business that isn't working anymore
Publication Date:
July 2013
Columbia professor Rita Gunther McGrath lays out "the principles of healthy disengagement" from an underperforming business. "First, identify the warning signs. Often, these are qualitative leading indicators rather than quantitative lagging ones. Next, create a way for the import of the numbers to be recognized. Then, once the decision has been made, determine the situation you are in and design the disengagement strategy that makes the most sense."
Adapted from McGrath's book The End of Competitive Advantage: How to Keep Your Strategy Moving as Fast as Your Business.


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If it were personally up to me I'd play Weepu at 10 but I can't see that happening. I also get the impression Donald will play on the bench; don't think Cruden will be risked as the only specialist 10 in the 22. SBW can cover wing and centre, and Jane can switch to fullback if Dagg's unable to play 80 minutes, so that should be sufficient cover. Cowan's been rather average throughout the tournament so I've actually included Ellis on the bench.
WWCC - Loyaulte Mi Lie
"People make me happy.. not places.. people"
"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." - Samuel Johnson
"Hope is the fuel of progress and fear is the prison in which you put yourself" - Tony Benn
#408. Sixty three not out forever.
Petition To Stop Bryce Lawrence Ever Reffing A Rugby Game Again | Facebook
Over 28,000 signed up already.
Cricket Web's 2013/14 Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"The PFA does not represent players when they have broken the law and been convicted on non-football matters."
- Gordon Taylor in 2009 following Marlon King's release after a prison sentence for sexual assault & ABH
Fascist Dictator of the Heath Davis Appreciation Society
Supporting Petone's Finest since the very start - Iain O'Brien
Adam Wheater - Another batsman off the Essex production line
Also Supporting the All Time #1 Batsman of All Time Ever - Jacques Kallis and the much maligned Peter Siddle.
Vimes tells it how it is:
Good Ole Schalk:
Avatar now by choice. 5-0 in the Ashes and all.
Bloke's a worm. Least favourite sportsman this side of Maradona.
Like the two guys pointing and sticking up their hands at the end there. "Wake up, ref!"
Well, it was always going to be that team if Kahui and Dagg were fit.
But good job nevertheless.
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I currently have a (huge) RAID5 installed locally in my PC with a softRAID card. Somewhere along the line this PC will die or be replaced so that RAID5 is very dependent on it.
For this reason, I think moving a dedicated NAS box would be the best option and solution for me. The problem is that I can only remove one drive from the RAID5 without destroying it.
What are the options I have to move this? I know about obvious one such as Blu-ray, cloud, etc backup but I believe those are pretty time consuming.


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Online Access
Phone Access
You may call 651-296-2581 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to obtain case information.
The following link is for Minnesota Supreme Court administrative files from the late 1970s through 2011:
Current administrative filings and orders are available through the Minnesota Appellate Court case management system (MACS). Go to the MACS Public Search link below to access the administrative files. If you don't know the file number, you can choose "Administrative Files" as the Case Group and enter any part of the file name in the Case Title to search.


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Terry and Rob (I think it's Rob) are on SKY ARTS 2 today at 11am and repeated on SKY ARTS 1 again at 5pm.
I'm sorry for the short notice but I caught the last half hour last night (12:30) by complete accident and spent this morning tracking down the earliest repeat showing. The interview lasts an hour and talks about Sir Terry's works and ends with a short question and answer session. I found his comments about Unseen Academicals very interesting and it even covers Snuff and The World of Poo.
Anyway, sorry once again for the short notice but I'm sure it will be repeated again at some point, maybe with some links for those outside of the UK or don't have access to Sky.


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Tennis elbow is inflammation, soreness, or pain on the outside (lateral) side of the upper arm near the elbow. With tennis elbow, there may be a partial tear of the tendon fibers, which connect muscle to bone, or the tear may be at or near where these fibers begin, on the outside of the elbow. According to our tennis elbow research, an estimated 70% of kids in tennis training programs suffer serious injury and surgery before the age of 13. Now, that's a pretty steep number! So we suggest putting your tennis racquet aside for just a moment so we can discuss the tennis elbow epidemic, by the numbers:
- 4 – Most commonly believed causes of tennis elbow: (1) overuse, (2) technique, (3) racquet, (4) direct hit to the side of the elbow or falling on an outstretched arm.
- 0 – Number of conclusive studies on the cause of tennis elbow.
- 1 – Reason there are no tennis elbow studies: no medical or tennis organization has been willing or able to provide necessary funding.
- 3 – Symptoms that signal that you have tennis elbow: When pain (1) slowly increases around the outside of the elbow, (2) is worse when shaking hands or squeezing objects, (3) is made worse when moving the wrist (e.g. using tools, opening jars, or even using a knife and fork).
- 50 – Percent of the tennis-playing public will get tennis elbow at some time in their playing lifetimes.
- 30-50 – Age range you're most likely to get tennis elbow.
- 3 – Do-it-yourself tennis elbow treatments to try: (1) Rest and avoid tennis, (2) apply ice, (3) take ibuprofen. See a doctor if these self-care steps don't ease the pain and tenderness.
- 5 – Medical treatments for tennis elbow: (1) physical therapy, (2) forearm bracing, (3) topical anti-inflammatory and cortisone gels, (4) cortisone injections, (5) surgery.
- 5 – Percentage of tennis elbow sufferers who will need surgery.
- 85-90 – Percent of those who undergo surgery actually return to the court at full strength.
- 1 – Stroke that causes symptoms: the backhand.
- 4 – Things you should do when you return to the court: (1) Use the proper tennis racquet, (2) Wear a counter-force brace around the forearm just below the elbow, (3) relax your grip on the handle, (4) pay attention to movements that can cause pain.
Were you able to keep count? Tennis safety is a top priority for Donnay and the focus of our Safety Blog, so be sure to lean on us for tennis health information anytime at http://blog.donnayusa.com/!
(Sources: 1. International Tennis Federation, 2. MayoClinic.com,
3. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 4. EmedicineHealth.com)


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Del wrote:OR.... ARGH.... JUST as I am about to log off to get a few hours before dawn the whole damn LOT OF YOU come online and keep me up til the sun in blazing in the windows and I get NO damned sleep!
Besides ... When your brain isn't in gear, you tell us embarrassing things about you, that most people would never divulge!
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Stephanie Moran lives her life by a simple, four-word mantra.
When there's a problem, "instead of being critical or negative, I'm just going to ask the question: 'How can I help?'" Moran said.
It's that question that led her to a career in connecting people as the director of the Community Partnership Center at Anderson University, and to her long list of community service organizations that center on youth in Madison County.
And for her service, Moran was named the 2012 Athena Award winner at the Athena and Community Shining Star Awards Gala on Tuesday night at Anderson Country Club. The awards recognize individuals with high levels of personal and professional accomplishments and who show a commitment to their community.
Mary Jamerson, president of Myers and Ford Autoworld, which co-sponsored the awards with The Herald Bulletin, presented the award. She said Moran was chosen because "she dares to think big, take the leap, and dream of a better community for all."
"Our whole community is uplifted by her passion and commitment," Jamerson said.
Moran's long track record of community service includes stints as director of Character Counts of Madison County, safety director for District 6 Little League, and as a current member of the Anderson Community School Board. She's worked to prevent child sexual abuse as a Darkness2Light facilitator and with the Madison County task force against sexual assault.
And that's only a small sample of her community service.
"I feel so thankful that I come from a family that has taught me the legacy of service," Moran said. "My family taught me that money was not to grab on to, but it was to give."
Growing up, Moran's house was often offered to international college students. Vacations "were an opportunity for service, not leisure," she said.
Sixteen women were nominated for the Athena Award.
The other 15 were named Community Shining Stars, whose work "validates that we are all connected by a bond" to community service, Jamerson said.
Moran, a three-time nominee and first-time winner, said she was "speechless" she was chosen for this year's award, adding she was thankful to see so many people are "mentors and leaders in our community."
She said she hopes the community continues to live by that four-word mantra.
"We've been able to do a lot in our community ... and we're going places," she said. "And as long as we ... continue to say to each other, 'How can I help?' we'll do it together."
— Baylee Pulliam is a reporter for The Herald Bulletin. Story reposted with permission. Photo credit: Don Knight/The Herald Bulletin.
Anderson University is a private Christian university of 2,600 undergraduate and graduate students in central Indiana. Anderson University continues to be recognized as one of America's top colleges by U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review, and Forbes. Established in 1917 by the Church of God, Anderson University offers more than 65 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, music, nursing, and theology.


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How 19 seconds can change your sales call
Why do salespeople complicate something that at least in my opinion is so simple?
When I go in the "field" or travel with salespeople and make sales calls, especially cold calls, I watch them have very little success in most cases.
After a few of these feeble attempts to make a number of calls to companies that are not using the product or service of the salesperson who is trying to get their business, I make a small suggestion.
Now, before we move forward in this discussion, I do not blame the salesperson. She is doing either what she has been "trained" to do in past jobs, or what I would refer to as lousy sales managers or people who are acting as self-titled managers. It is not the salesperson's fault. He is doing what he was told unless (which is usually the case) he was self-taught.
I have always said this next line in my seminars. "Would you go to a self-taught doctor?" I know I wouldn't under any circumstance. I prefer to deal with someone who has been professionally trained.
My suggestion is simple and right to the point. The typical salesperson is trying to blow right past the receptionist or "gatekeeper" to see the decision-maker and wants to make a sale. Things usually don't happen like that. It might take a few steps, but rest assured the receptionist is not going to say, "Whatever you are selling, I know that we will buy it, so come right in."
First, the salesperson has to realize that the person who has the power (receptionist) to let you in or not also has to be sold. This will not happen by trying to bully your way past gatekeepers or drop off information that they will pass on to the person who makes the decisions on that subject matter. In most cases, just check their trash at the end of the day, and that is where you will find most of the promotional literature that has been dropped off.


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[Produced by Dr. Dre & Mike Elizondo]
Go, go, go, go, go, go
Go shorty, it's your birthday
We gonna party like it's your birthday
We gonna sip Bacardi like it's your birthday
And you know we don't give a fuck it's not your birthday
You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub'
Look, mami, I got the X if you into taking drugs
I'm into having sex, I ain't into making love
So come give me a hug if you're into getting rubbed
You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub'
Look, mami, I got the X if you into taking drugs
I'm into having sex, I ain't into making love
So come give me a hug if you're into getting rubbed
[Verse 1]
When I pull up out front you see the Benz on dubs
When I roll twenty deep it's twenty knives in the club
Niggas heard I fuck with Dre, now they wanna show me love
When you sell like Eminem and the hoes they wanna fuck
But homie ain't nothing changed: hoes down, G's up
I see Xzibit in the cut, nigga, roll the weed up
If you watch how I move you'll mistake me for a player or pimp
Been hit with a few shells, but I don't walk with a limp (I'm aight)
In the hood in L.A. they saying "50, you hot"
They like me, I want them to love me like they love Pac
But holla in New York the niggas'll tell you I'm loco
And the plan is to put the rap game in a chokehold
I'm fully focused, man, my money on my mind
Got a mill' out the deal and I'm still on the grind
Now shorty said she feeling my style, she feeling my flow
Her girlfriend willing to get bi and they ready to go
My flow, my show brought me the dough
That bought me all my fancy things
My crib, my cars, my pools, my jewels
Look nigga, I done came up and I ain't changed
[Verse 2]
And you should love it way more than you hate it
Nigga, you mad? I thought that you'd be happy I made it
I'm that cat by the bar toasting to the good life
You the faggot ass nigga trying to pull me back, right?
When my joint get to pumping in the club it's on
I wink my eye at your bitch, if she smiles, she gone
If the roof on fire let the motherfucker burn
If you talking about money, homie, I ain't concerned
I'mma tell you what Banks told me cuz go ahead, switch the style up
If niggas hate then let them hate and watch the money pile up
Or we can go upside your head with a bottle of bub'
They know where we fucking be
Don't try to act like you don't know where we be neither
We in the club all the time, so pop, pop of
Shady Aftermath


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In addition to the complete lines of products shown hereunder, feel free to flip through the pages of our paper catalog.
Here we work to encode, sample, analyse, pack and despatch our products.
Here we work to optimise customer service.
Here we apply the best methods in a friendly environment, which in its essence is the spirit of the product.
The company focuses all its energies on ensuring that the chocolates reach their destination in optimum condition and on time.


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Live Well STL Forum Focuses on Community Health Initiatives
On July 21, Saint Louis University's Center for Outcomes Research (SLUCOR) welcomed more than 100 community leaders from business, public health, medicine, social service agencies, and advocacy organizations for Live Well STL at the University's Il Monastero Conference Center.
|More than 100 community health, business and advocacy leaders took part in Live Well STL.
Live Well STL provided a forum for discussing the possibilities of driving substantial community health improvement by unifying regional efforts around a single health issue.
This open meeting, coordinated by the Midwest Health Initiative, explored how such work could be achieved and evaluated through an alignment of efforts from a broad set of stakeholders.
SLUCOR's Eric Armbrecht, Ph.D., and Thomas McAuliffe, MPA, of the Missouri Foundation for Health, co-led an interactive session with audience polling devices to facilitate discussion and refine the group's focus.
Using input from lively attendee discussion as well as survey data collected from more than 300 health care providers and community members, more than 80% meeting participants endorsed "obesity" as the unifying framework for a multi-stakeholder effort.
Small group discussions dove deeper into possible policy and behavioral interventions to influence physical activity and diet.
Mary Jo Condon from the Midwest Health Initiative acknowledged the many community health planning efforts underway in St. Louis, and remarked how the high level of participation from corporate leaders in discussions about public health concerns differentiated Live Well STL.
"Community health is a matter of economic development for the region," Armbrecht said. "The investment of employers in prevention and disease management, beyond offering subsidized health insurance to employees, will enhance reach and sustainability of efforts to improve human behaviors affecting health."
The following Saint Louis University faculty members are active contributors to the Midwest Health Initiative in a variety of leadership roles: Eric Armbrecht, Ph.D.,(Community Advisory Committee), Bruce Bacon, M.D. (Physician Advisory Board) and William Kincaid, M.D. MPH (Community Advisory Committee).
Click here for more information about the Midwest Health Initiative or the Live Well STL meeting or contact Eric Armbrecht (firstname.lastname@example.com , 314-977-9300) or Mary Jo Condon (firstname.lastname@example.com, 314-721-7800).


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Suede-Like Ballerina: Classic ballet flat with a soft, faux-suede finish in gorgeous colors. These versatile shoes look great with everything from jeans to dresses and more!
Read what customers are saying about this product:
Rating: 3.50 out of 8 votes cast
Nice Wide Dress Flats
Purchased them in Rose Pink to go with an outfit I have. They arrived and I wore them 3rd Sunday in May. I received lots of compliments. I love the fact that I can buy dress flats in wide sizes. It's impossible to find them in any store where I live without paying a small fortune for them. I love them.Faye
Burlington, NC
Pretty, but...
Purchased these in blue. They are very pretty, and I ordered them in wide. Problem is there isn't enough support through the middle so they bow out at the sides. Will return them for another style.
Haverhill, MA
nice flats
I like the flats but the orange is not a true orange it is more like a washed out rust. the brown is a very very dark muddy brown I was hoping they would be more like a coco brown. the fit is good I wear 9 1/2. building a wardrobe of flats keeping them because I don't have those colors
sliver fox
detroit mi
Love these!!
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Myrtle Beach, SC
Cute & Comfortable
I bought these in Emerald and I love them! The color is just so pretty and they are surprisingly comfortable for ballet flats. In regards to the sizing...I ordered my regular size (9) and they were maybe just the teeniest bit wide in the heel, but I still consider them a good fit.
Bren B
Boston, MA
Ran Way too big
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Chicago, Il
Golden Glow Shoe
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Beautiful Shoe
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Powell Tn
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In mathematics, computing, linguistics and related subjects, an algorithm is a sequence of finite instructions, often used for calculation and data processing. It is formally a type of effective method in which a list of well-defined instructions for completing a task will, when given an initial state, proceed through a well-defined series of successive states, eventually terminating in an end-state. The transition from one state to the next is not necessarily deterministic; some algorithms, known as probabilistic algorithms, incorporate randomness.
A partial formalization of the concept began with attempts to solve the Entscheidungsproblem (the "decision problem") posed by David Hilbert in 1928. Subsequent formalizations were framed as attempts to define "effective calculability" (Kleene 1943:274) or "effective method" (Rosser 1939:225); those formalizations included the Gödel-Herbrand-Kleene recursive functions of 1930, 1934 and 1935, Alonzo Church's lambda calculus of 1936, Emil Post's "Formulation I" of 1936, and Alan Turing's Turing machines of 1936–7 and 1939.
No generally accepted formal definition of "algorithm" exists yet.
An informal definition could be "an algorithm is a computer program that calculates something." For some people, a program is only an algorithm if it stops eventually. For others, a program is only an algorithm if it stops before a given number of calculation steps.
A prototypical example of an "algorithm" is Euclid's algorithm to determine the maximum common divisor of two integers greater than one: "subtract the smaller number from the larger one; repeat until you get a zero or a one." This procedure is known to stop always and the number of subtractions needed is always smaller than the larger of the two numbers.
We can derive clues to the issues involved and an informal meaning of the word from the following quotation from (boldface added):
No human being can write fast enough or long enough or small enough to list all members of an enumerably infinite set by writing out their names, one after another, in some notation. But humans can do something equally useful, in the case of certain enumerably infinite sets: They can give explicit instructions for determining the nth member of the set, for arbitrary finite n. Such instructions are to be given quite explicitly, in a form in which they could be followed by a computing machine, or by a human who is capable of carrying out only very elementary operations on symbols
The words "enumerably infinite" mean "countable using integers perhaps extending to infinity." Thus Boolos and Jeffrey are saying that an algorithm implies instructions for a process that "creates" output integers from an arbitrary "input" integer or integers that, in theory, can be chosen from 0 to infinity. Thus we might expect an algorithm to be an algebraic equation such as y = m + n — two arbitrary "input variables" m and n that produce an output y. As we see in Algorithm characterizations — the word algorithm implies much more than this, something on the order of (for our addition example):
The concept of algorithm is also used to define the notion of decidability. That notion is central for explaining how formal systems come into being starting from a small set of axioms and rules. In logic, the time that an algorithm requires to complete cannot be measured, as it is not apparently related with our customary physical dimension. From such uncertainties, that characterize ongoing work, stems the unavailability of a definition of algorithm that suits both concrete (in some sense) and abstract usage of the term.
...Turing's informal argument in favor of his thesis justifies a stronger thesis: every algorithm can be simulated by a Turing machine (Gurevich 2000:1)...according to Savage [1987], an algorithm is a computational process defined by a Turing machine. (Gurevich 2000:3)
Typically, when an algorithm is associated with processing information, data is read from an input source, written to an output device, and/or stored for further processing. Stored data is regarded as part of the internal state of the entity performing the algorithm. In practice, the state is stored in one or more data structures.
For any such computational process, the algorithm must be rigorously defined: specified in the way it applies in all possible circumstances that could arise. That is, any conditional steps must be systematically dealt with, case-by-case; the criteria for each case must be clear (and computable).
Because an algorithm is a precise list of precise steps, the order of computation will always be critical to the functioning of the algorithm. Instructions are usually assumed to be listed explicitly, and are described as starting "from the top" and going "down to the bottom", an idea that is described more formally by flow of control.
So far, this discussion of the formalization of an algorithm has assumed the premises of imperative programming. This is the most common conception, and it attempts to describe a task in discrete, "mechanical" means. Unique to this conception of formalized algorithms is the assignment operation, setting the value of a variable. It derives from the intuition of "memory" as a scratchpad. There is an example below of such an assignment.
For some alternate conceptions of what constitutes an algorithm see functional programming and logic programming .
Minsky makes the pertinent observation, in regards to determining whether an algorithm will eventually terminate (from a particular starting state):
But if the length of the process is not known in advance, then "trying" it may not be decisive, because if the process does go on forever — then at no time will we ever be sure of the answer (Minsky 1967:105).
As it happens, no other method can do any better, as was shown by Alan Turing with his celebrated result on the undecidability of the so-called halting problem. There is no algorithmic procedure for determining of arbitrary algorithms whether or not they terminate from given starting states. The analysis of algorithms for their likelihood of termination is called termination analysis.
See the examples of (im-)"proper" subtraction at partial function for more about what can happen when an algorithm fails for certain of its input numbers — e.g., (i) non-termination, (ii) production of "junk" (output in the wrong format to be considered a number) or no number(s) at all (halt ends the computation with no output), (iii) wrong number(s), or (iv) a combination of these. Kleene proposed that the production of "junk" or failure to produce a number is solved by having the algorithm detect these instances and produce e.g., an error message (he suggested "0"), or preferably, force the algorithm into an endless loop (Kleene 1952:322). Davis does this to his subtraction algorithm — he fixes his algorithm in a second example so that it is proper subtraction (Davis 1958:12-15). Along with the logical outcomes "true" and "false" Kleene also proposes the use of a third logical symbol "u" — undecided (Kleene 1952:326) — thus an algorithm will always produce something when confronted with a "proposition". The problem of wrong answers must be solved with an independent "proof" of the algorithm e.g., using induction:
We normally require auxiliary evidence for this (that the algorithm correctly defines a mu recursive function), e.g., in the form of an inductive proof that, for each argument value, the computation terminates with a unique value (Minsky 1967:186).
There is a wide variety of representations possible and one can express a given Turing machine program as a sequence of machine tables (see more at finite state machine and state transition table), as flowcharts (see more at state diagram), or as a form of rudimentary machine code or assembly code called "sets of quadruples" (see more at Turing machine).
Sometimes it is helpful in the description of an algorithm to supplement small "flow charts" (state diagrams) with natural-language and/or arithmetic expressions written inside "block diagrams" to summarize what the "flow charts" are accomplishing.
Representations of algorithms are generally classed into three accepted levels of Turing machine description (Sipser 2006:157):
High-level description:
(Quasi-)formal description: Written in prose but much closer to the high-level language of a computer program, the following is the more formal coding of the algorithm in pseudocode or pidgin code:
Input: A non-empty list of numbers L.
Output: The largest number in the list L.
largest ← L0
for each item in the list L≥1, do
if the item > largest, then
largest ← the item
return largest
For a more complex example of an algorithm, see Euclid's algorithm for the greatest common divisor, one of the earliest algorithms known.
Different algorithms may complete the same task with a different set of instructions in less or more time, space, or effort than others. For example, given two different recipes for making potato salad, one may have peel the potato before boil the potato while the other presents the steps in the reverse order, yet they both call for these steps to be repeated for all potatoes and end when the potato salad is ready to be eaten.
The analysis and study of algorithms is a discipline of computer science, and is often practiced abstractly without the use of a specific programming language or implementation. In this sense, algorithm analysis resembles other mathematical disciplines in that it focuses on the underlying properties of the algorithm and not on the specifics of any particular implementation. Usually pseudocode is used for analysis as it is the simplest and most general representation.
Fields tend to overlap with each other, and algorithm advances in one field may improve those of other, sometimes completely unrelated, fields. For example, dynamic programming was originally invented for optimization of resource consumption in industry, but is now used in solving a broad range of problems in many fields.
Another way to classify algorithms is by computing power. This is typically done by considering some collection (class) of algorithms. A recursive class of algorithms is one that includes algorithms for all Turing computable functions. Looking at classes of algorithms allows for the possibility of restricting the available computational resources (time and memory) used in a computation. A subrecursive class of algorithms is one in which not all Turing computable functions can be obtained. For example, the algorithms that run in polynomial time suffice for many important types of computation but do not exhaust all Turing computable functions. The class of algorithms implemented by primitive recursive functions is another subrecursive class.
Burgin (2005, p. 24) uses a generalized definition of algorithms that relaxes the common requirement that the output of the algorithm that computes a function must be determined after a finite number of steps. He defines a super-recursive class of algorithms as "a class of algorithms in which it is possible to compute functions not computable by any Turing machine" (Burgin 2005, p. 107). This is closely related to the study of methods of hypercomputation.
Algorithms, by themselves, are not usually patentable. In the United States, a claim consisting solely of simple manipulations of abstract concepts, numbers, or signals do not constitute "processes" (USPTO 2006) and hence algorithms are not patentable (as in Gottschalk v. Benson). However, practical applications of algorithms are sometimes patentable. For example, in Diamond v. Diehr, the application of a simple feedback algorithm to aid in the curing of synthetic rubber was deemed patentable. The patenting of software is highly controversial, and there are highly criticized patents involving algorithms, especially data compression algorithms, such as Unisys' LZW patent.
Additionally, some cryptographic algorithms have export restrictions (see export of cryptography).
The word algorithm comes from the name of the 9th century Persian mathematician Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi whose works introduced Indian numerals and algebraic concepts. He worked in Baghdad at the time when it was the centre of scientific studies and trade. The word algorism originally referred only to the rules of performing arithmetic using Arabic numerals but evolved via European Latin translation of al-Khwarizmi's name into algorithm by the 18th century. The word evolved to include all definite procedures for solving problems or performing tasks.
Tally-marks: To keep track of their flocks, their sacks of grain and their money the ancients used tallying: accumulating stones or marks scratched on sticks, or making discrete symbols in clay. Through the Babylonian and Egyptian use of marks and symbols, eventually Roman numerals and the abacus evolved (Dilson, p.16–41). Tally marks appear prominently in unary numeral system arithmetic used in Turing machine and Post-Turing machine computations.
The clock: Bolter credits the invention of the weight-driven clock as "The key invention [of Europe in the Middle Ages]", in particular the verge escapement (Bolter 1984:24) that provides us with the tick and tock of a mechanical clock. "The accurate automatic machine" (Bolter 1984:26) led immediately to "mechanical automata" beginning in the thirteenth century and finally to "computational machines" – the difference engine and analytical engines of Charles Babbage and Countess Ada Lovelace (Bolter p.33–34, p.204–206).
Jacquard loom, Hollerith punch cards, telegraphy and telephony — the electromechanical relay: Bell and Newell (1971) indicate that the Jacquard loom (1801), precursor to Hollerith cards (punch cards, 1887), and "telephone switching technologies" were the roots of a tree leading to the development of the first computers (Bell and Newell diagram p. 39, cf Davis 2000). By the mid-1800s the telegraph, the precursor of the telephone, was in use throughout the world, its discrete and distinguishable encoding of letters as "dots and dashes" a common sound. By the late 1800s the ticker tape (ca 1870s) was in use, as was the use of Hollerith cards in the 1890 U.S. census. Then came the Teletype (ca 1910) with its punched-paper use of Baudot code on tape.
Telephone-switching networks of electromechanical relays (invented 1835) was behind the work of George Stibitz (1937), the inventor of the digital adding device. As he worked in Bell Laboratories, he observed the "burdensome' use of mechanical calculators with gears. "He went home one evening in 1937 intending to test his idea.... When the tinkering was over, Stibitz had constructed a binary adding device". (Valley News, p. 13).
Davis (2000) observes the particular importance of the electromechanical relay (with its two "binary states" open and closed):
But Heijenoort gives Frege (1879) this kudos: Frege's is "perhaps the most important single work ever written in logic. ... in which we see a " 'formula language', that is a lingua characterica, a language written with special symbols, "for pure thought", that is, free from rhetorical embellishments ... constructed from specific symbols that are manipulated according to definite rules" (van Heijenoort:1). The work of Frege was further simplified and amplified by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell in their Principia Mathematica (1910–1913).
The paradoxes: At the same time a number of disturbing paradoxes appeared in the literature, in particular the Burali-Forti paradox (1897), the Russell paradox (1902–03), and the Richard Paradox (Dixon 1906, cf Kleene 1952:36–40). The resultant considerations led to Kurt Gödel's paper (1931) — he specifically cites the paradox of the liar — that completely reduces rules of recursion to numbers.
Effective calculability: In an effort to solve the Entscheidungsproblem defined precisely by Hilbert in 1928, mathematicians first set about to define what was meant by an "effective method" or "effective calculation" or "effective calculability" (i.e., a calculation that would succeed). In rapid succession the following appeared: Alonzo Church, Stephen Kleene and J.B. Rosser's λ-calculus, (cf footnote in Alonzo Church 1936a:90, 1936b:110) a finely-honed definition of "general recursion" from the work of Gödel acting on suggestions of Jacques Herbrand (cf Gödel's Princeton lectures of 1934) and subsequent simplifications by Kleene (1935-6:237ff, 1943:255ff). Church's proof (1936:88ff) that the Entscheidungsproblem was unsolvable, Emil Post's definition of effective calculability as a worker mindlessly following a list of instructions to move left or right through a sequence of rooms and while there either mark or erase a paper or observe the paper and make a yes-no decision about the next instruction (cf "Formulation I", Post 1936:289-290). Alan Turing's proof of that the Entscheidungsproblem was unsolvable by use of his "a- [automatic-] machine"(Turing 1936-7:116ff) -- in effect almost identical to Post's "formulation", J. Barkley Rosser's definition of "effective method" in terms of "a machine" (Rosser 1939:226). S. C. Kleene's proposal of a precursor to "Church thesis" that he called "Thesis I" (Kleene 1943:273–274), and a few years later Kleene's renaming his Thesis "Church's Thesis" (Kleene 1952:300, 317) and proposing "Turing's Thesis" (Kleene 1952:376).
Here is a remarkable coincidence of two men not knowing each other but describing a process of men-as-computers working on computations — and they yield virtually identical definitions.
Emil Post (1936) described the actions of a "computer" (human being) as follows:
His symbol space would be
Alan Turing's work (1936, 1939:160) preceded that of Stibitz (1937); it is unknown whether Stibitz knew of the work of Turing. Turing's biographer believed that Turing's use of a typewriter-like model derived from a youthful interest: "Alan had dreamt of inventing typewriters as a boy; Mrs. Turing had a typewriter; and he could well have begun by asking himself what was meant by calling a typewriter 'mechanical'" (Hodges, p. 96). Given the prevalence of Morse code and telegraphy, ticker tape machines, and Teletypes we might conjecture that all were influences.
Turing — his model of computation is now called a Turing machine — begins, as did Post, with an analysis of a human computer that he whittles down to a simple set of basic motions and "states of mind". But he continues a step further and creates a machine as a model of computation of numbers (Turing 1936-7:116).
Turing's reduction yields the following:
A few years later, Turing expanded his analysis (thesis, definition) with this forceful expression of it:
J. Barkley Rosser boldly defined an 'effective [mathematical] method' in the following manner (boldface added):
Rosser's footnote #5 references the work of (1) Church and Kleene and their definition of λ-definability, in particular Church's use of it in his An Unsolvable Problem of Elementary Number Theory (1936); (2) Herbrand and Gödel and their use of recursion in particular Gödel's use in his famous paper On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems I (1931); and (3) Post (1936) and Turing (1936-7) in their mechanism-models of computation.
Stephen C. Kleene defined as his now-famous "Thesis I" known as the Church-Turing thesis. But he did this in the following context (boldface in original):


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This video drew raves at the World Winter Games opening ceremony.
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Today, the Templeton Foundation gave its most prestigious award to my hero, Jean Vanier. For Linda and our children and me, he has also been our retreat leader, our teacher of humility, our guide.
Posted on 2015-03-11 by Tim
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