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Save money on back-to-school snacks and drinks
August 3, 2015, 4:33 p.m. by Robin Shreeves
Start planning school lunches now by using these coupons for healthy lunchbox staples.
5 websites to help you invest in clean tech
July 27, 2015, 7:05 a.m. by Sami Grover
Installing solar panels isn't the only way to support clean energy. Investing is a powerful tool too.
Jet.com takes off, takes on Amazon
July 22, 2015, 3:19 p.m. by Mary Jo DiLonardo
New shopping site claims to have the cheapest prices anywhere online.
Looking for the city with the world's best weather?
July 20, 2015, 3:18 p.m. by Josh Lew
If 70 and sunny is your dream situation, pack your bags for Ecuador.
10 tips to make the most of Amazon Prime Day
July 14, 2015, 12:49 p.m. by Robin Shreeves
Amazon Prime members can expect huge deals on July 15, and Walmart has announced a rival sale. Here's how to make the most of the savings.
Why some cities want to kick Airbnb to the curb
July 9, 2015, 1:07 p.m. by Josh Lew
Vacation rental service may be evicted for skirting regulations and taxes.
5 tips for saving money at Starbucks
July 7, 2015, 4:04 p.m. by Robin Shreeves
Starbucks raised its drink prices, but here's how to recoup the loss and maybe save a little extra.
39 coupons to save on groceries this summer
July 2, 2015, 3:54 p.m. by Robin Shreeves
A few minutes printing coupons may save you more than a few dollars at the grocery store.
9 of America's best flea markets
July 1, 2015, 12:53 p.m. by Josh Lew
The best flea markets draw experienced collectors and amazing finds.
Do you check your grocery bills for mistakes?
June 26, 2015, 1:12 p.m. by Robin Shreeves
NYC Whole Foods is overcharging for prepackaged foods. Grocery shoppers need to check receipts.
How to save the most money at Target
June 19, 2015, 8:57 a.m. by Robin Shreeves
Curb impulse buying and use money-saving tools to make your shopping a little less painful.
There's going to be a woman in your wallet
June 18, 2015, 6:58 p.m. by Mary Jo DiLonardo
The U.S. Treasury will put a female face on the redesigned $10 bill.


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Raising Confident Girls
Monica Skeisvoll
Monica Skeisvoll
Anyone still clinging to "sugar and spice" notions about girls might be dissuaded by the all-girl Plas household in Round Rock, TX, where Diane and Jim are raising four daughters. At age 4, rambunctious Samantha is "always hogging the upstairs computer," says her older sister Remy, 10. As for sister Sydney, 7: "All she wants to do with me is practice passing the soccer ball," sighs Diane with a smile. And her youngest, 2-year-old Tatum, "wants to do everything her sisters do." Diane had hoped that one of her daughters would express a yen for dance classes as she had as a girl; so far, she's 0 for 4.
It's certainly no accident that the Plas girls defy stereotypes. From early on, their parents worked hard to employ girl-empowering techniques ranging from Jim's ritual of father-daughter bike rides after work to a ban on talk about diets. The latter is especially important to Diane, who suffered from eating disorders as a teen. Although she has been recovered for more than 10 years, she and Jim take no chances with their daughters. "We never talk about size and shape of bodies," she explains. "Instead, we focus on health and nutritious foods."Cautious Optimism
After nearly a decade of "girl power," many experts say that today's girls, like the Plases, tend to reject limits that hampered previous generations. "Girls say they feel they can do anything," says Whitney Roban, Ph.D., citing a recent study of 1,100 8- to 12-year-old girls conducted by the New York City-based Girl Scout Research Institute, of which she is the senior researcher. "Over 93% of girls we surveyed told us they intended to go to college, and 76% said they're going to have careers."
This is a different picture from the one painted in 1992, when a widely publicized report from the Washington, DC-based American Association of University Women (AAUW) documented plummeting self-esteem among girls as they entered middle school, along with gender inequities in the classroom that ultimately prevented many girls from accomplishing education and career goals. Shortly after, the bestselling book Reviving Ophelia detailed drooping self-confidence among girls who spoke of powerful pressure to be thin, pretty, quiet, and compliant.

subset: commoncrawl


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LONDON – A lawsuit filed last week alleges that two coal companies operating in Perry County misled their employees about the security of their jobs and failed to comply with federal law when those employees were eventually terminated earlier this year.
Attorneys Cheryl Lewis and McKinley Morgan filed the lawsuit in federal court on July 20 on behalf of more than 135 former employees of Frasure Creek Mining and Trinity Coal Corp. Both companies are headquartered in West Virginia and owned by the Essar Group.
According to the lawsuit, the employees became concerned about their jobs in March when news reports surfaced about a separate lawsuit filed by Trinity Coal against the South Carolina Public Service Authority (SCPSA) alleging that the SCPSA breached its contract with Trinity by refusing the shipment of coal beginning in 2010. Their refusal resulted in the idling of operations in Eastern Kentucky, and company officials stated in the March complaint that they could also result in future layoffs.
Following the news report, the employees, both as a group and individually, requested from management information as to the status of their employment, according to the lawsuit.
"The Plaintiffs were told, by management representatives, that their jobs were not in jeopardy and that they should not look elsewhere for jobs," the lawsuit alleges.
On March 28, the employees say they were presented with a letter from Trinity President Doug Blackburn indicating that their jobs were safe. In April, however, more than 130 employees at the Perry County operation were terminated in two rounds of layoffs on April 2 and again a little over a week later.
Trinity and Frasure Creek are alleged to have failed to give their employees a 60-day notice as required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN. The plaintiffs allege that the lawsuit filed in March against the SCPSA is proof that company officials knew well ahead of time that they would "have to close entirely its Eastern Kentucky operations and were aware that significant layoffs were to occur."
Calls made to company officials this week were unsuccessful, though according to statements made by former employees at a meeting in Hazard last month, the company claimed that the circumstances of the layoffs were sudden and unforeseen, meaning that they did not have to give the employees 60 days of notice or severance.
The lawsuit seeks to gain all relief for the plaintiffs entitled to them under the WARN Act and punitive damages and other costs.


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Only hotels in Guerneville are listed below. Explore our guide for inexpensive and discount hotel/motel rates in or near Guerneville, CA for your upcoming personal or group travel. We show the best Guerneville California hotel rooms. Review the Guerneville hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. We also have a map of the Guerneville hotels. Group booking? Search Guerneville Group Hotel Rates
Guerneville Hotels/Motels & Accommodations
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A growing number of Phoenix-area small businesses are moving their computing needs to the "cloud," according to the owner of a Surprise-based Internet company.
Wayne Klug, president of Spectrum Technology Solutions, said he started the company in 2009 to help local businesses save money on information technology.
Spectrum now has about 60 clients, and Klug said he is expecting that number to increase rapidly as more owners of medium-size and small businesses become aware of cloud computing's cost-saving benefits.
Cloud computing comes in various forms but generally involves the outsourcing of information-technology functions to a third party that lets customers access those services online.
For instance, instead of purchasing high-speed computers to process and store data, a company can lease computing power when needed from a third party whose high-speed computers can be accessed online.
Software as a service, or SaaS, is one of the leading uses of cloud computing, in which customers access software applications using a Web browser instead of buying software and installing it on desktops.
Klug said businesses that subscribe to cloud-based services save money because they no longer have to buy expensive computing equipment or software. Instead, they lease computing, data-storage and software services on a per-use basis, allowing them to scale up or down as needed.
"It's really a game-changer as far as how it's changing IT departments," he said.
Spectrum Technology is itself a small business, with just five employees including Klug. He said the company is able to provide cloud services affordably by partnering with a firm called LevelCloud, a wholesaler of cloud-computing services.
Chad Trott, president of Phoenix-based El Sol Construction, said he became a Spectrum Technology customer in October 2010 after realizing how much money he had spent on now-obsolete Web servers and other high-tech equipment.
Trott estimates he has saved at least $45,000 since switching to cloud-computing services. He said outsourced IT services are particularly useful for the construction industry, which tends to go through frequent boom-and-bust cycles.
"With cloud computing, you can grow and expand as needed," he said. "It's really a dream come true."
Klug said IT-industry analysts expect a mass migration of businesses to cloud computing by April 2014, when Microsoft Corp. plans to stop providing security updates and customer support for the Windows XP operating system and Microsoft Office 2003, both of which remain popular with businesses.
The end of support for XP and Office 2003 means businesses will have to upgrade to new operating systems and office software, he said, and switching to a cloud-computing provider will make that transition far less expensive.
A shift to cloud computing does have drawbacks, industry analysts say. One problem is control. Companies using cloud services are giving up a significant amount of control over their data to an outside company. Another is security. Cloud-based services require a constant, back-and-forth stream of data over the Internet, which can be far less secure than working with data inside a desktop or on a local-area network.
While some experts say the cloud-computing revolution will be a big job creator, it has resulted in the downsizing of many in-house IT departments and is expected to bring about even more layoffs.
Still, a recent study led by research firm IDC of Framingham, Mass., concluded that cloud computing would create more than 1 million jobs in the U.S. by 2015, including about 14,000 in the Phoenix area.
Reach the reporter at firstname.lastname@example.com or 602-444-8681.
Wayne Klug, president of Surprise-based Web-hosting and cloud-computing firm Spectrum Technology Solutions.
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S.C. Representative proposes 'Save Our Seniors' program
As you all know, county budgets, city budgets and school budgets are constantly making demands on everyone's property tax. There's a group out there known as our seniors who have a fixed income. If their property taxes go up it's a matter of what meal to skip or what medicine to go without to try to make ends meet. Don't you think it is time to help our seniors with their "end of the road" income and not tax them beyond reason?
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How do I access WSU's Guest Wireless?
Last Updated: Sep 12, 2012 | 709 Views
Topics: Electronic Resources
Was this helpful? 4 0
For temporary wireless access, you can contact the Compton Union Building (CUB) Information Desk to request a temporary Guest Wireless login and password.
The CUB Information Desk is located on the first floor of the CUB, and their phone number is (509) 335-8426.


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Yet another study highlights the inevitable imperfection of credit reporting. Almost 1 in 4 Americans reported encountering problems with their credit reports, according to a new report from FindLaw.com, a popular legal information site.
The study found that 23 percent of survey respondents found incorrect or outdated credit information, such as bankruptcies or late payments, and inaccurate personal information on their credit reports. They also reported identity theft or information belonging to someone else.
Others said their credit score was incorrectly calculated as too-low credit or they were denied credit because of errors on their credit report.
Despite the frustrations, more than two-thirds of those who found a problem were able to correct it, while 14 percent fixed one of the multiple problems they found. Less than 1 in 5 weren't successful in correcting their credit report errors at all.
The FindLaw.com study echoes a similar study released by the Federal Trade Commission in February. That one found that 1 in 20 credit reports contained a costly error that resulted in a lower credit score and higher interest rates or insurance premiums. The most common confirmed errors related to account information and collections items.
The studies underscore the nearly universal advice from personal finance experts (including this one) to check your credit report every year for mistakes. The government makes this easy and free. U.S. consumers are entitled to one free credit report every 12 months from the major credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Get one at AnnualCreditReport.com and double-check it.
If you find an error, each bureau has an online dispute form that you can fill out. You may need to include supporting documentation for your claim. The bureaus by law will investigate your claim by contacting the creditor to verify the information. They will change the information if confirmed by the creditor.
There's a chance the creditor will deny your dispute. At that point, you can file an online complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which will help mediate your dispute. You can only file a claim with the CFPB after you have directly filed your dispute with the credit reporting agencies.
As a last course of action, consumers can contact a lawyer that specializes in consumer debt, debt collection and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Most reputable attorneys will meet with you initially for free to go over your case.
Have you run into trouble correcting a credit report error? What was it and what did you do?
Follow me on Twitter: @JannaHerron


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We often serve them with sausage,bacon and eggs,
as a breakfast dish.
Step 1: Potatoes
They should be ready to harvest around the end of August.
Or you could buy some from a shop.
Step 3: The Mix
1 Cup plain flour
2 oz butter
1/4 tsp salt
plus 1/2 oz butter for frying.
Step 4: Dough
without any lumps.
Roll out the dough on to a floured board.
I just flattened it to about 1/4 inch circle.
Here in Scotland they have been called Tattie Scones for a couple of centuries,
Next up is a dropped scone cooked in the same way, both were traditionally cooked on an iron" girdle" or as the rest of the world call it a griddle. they look just like a fat pancake. So stay tuned coming soon.
My Mum or Dad always cooked them in bacon fat. Yum.


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this wiki
|This article or section needs to be cleaned up to a higher standard of quality.
|This article or section contains information that is out-of-date.
| This article or section is an ability or talent stub. You can help expand it by editing it.
Abilities boilerplate · Boilerplate help · Research: Wowhead WoWDB
|Usable by
|Talent tree
|Focused Rage (reduced rage cost), Improved Sunder Armor (reduced rage cost)
|Other information
|Requires Shields
|Related debuff
Devastate is the 15 point talent in the Warrior Protection tree. It is a tanking skill meant to be used as an upgraded Sunder Armor, as it combines all the effects of Sunder Armor with an amount of damage that increases as Sunder Armor debuffs are stacked on the target.
Devastate is an instant attack that costs 15 Rage before talents, giving it the same cost as Sunder Armor. It deals 120% of the damage of a normal white hit plus an extra amount of damage per application of Sunder Armor on the target. The threat bonus increases with each application of the Sunder Armor debuff stack and resets the timer on the target's Sunder Armor debuff. Devastate is affected by all talents and glyphs that affect Sunder Armor, including Puncture and Glyph of Sunder Armor.
Rank table
* 854 health damage at level 85.
Tips and Tactics
- Note that while Devastate applies Sunder Armor, you do not get the threat from the Sunder that was applied. You get the threat from the damage dealt by the Devastate plus 5% of your attack power as threat.[1]
- With Patch 2.3 Devastate is affected by all talents that affect Sunder Armor, will cause the Sunder Armor effect and threat bonus, and will therefore generate more threat per rage than (talented or otherwise) Sunder Armor does. If you are a Protection-tree warrior and have Devastate, use it in every situation that you would have used Sunder Armor before 2.3, as Devastate currently functions exactly as a Sunder Armor that causes damage (and thus extra threat).
- The higher the DPS rating on your weapon, the more damage that will be caused with this ability. This is a normalized attack, so weapon attack speed does not matter when calculating bonus damage in terms of attack power. Normalization means, all other things being equal, this will cause less bonus damage when used with a dagger, regardless of weapon speed, and will thus cause less threat. All in all, a slow weapon will still apply more damage to Devastate because of its innate weapon damage.
- Example:
You have 1400 attack power and wield a dagger with 100-100 Damage over 1.30 seconds. Devastate will now do the following, when you activate it:
- It will cause 120% of your Weapon's damage not regarding any speed: 100-100 damage = 100 average damage X 1.2 = 120 Damage
- It will add damage according to the numbers of sunder armor that you have already applied on the mob. For each application it will add 202 points of damage at level 80.
So all in all, when 5 sunder armors are applied on the mob, you would cause 120 + (5 X 202) = 1130 damage (when fighting a mob with 0 armor).
As you see, the damage you do with the dagger is absolutely uncoupled from your attack power rating. Whatever dagger you wear (no matter how fast or slow it may be), the contributed damage via attack power would always be the same. So it can be said that using slower weapons doesn't matter that much, since it only affects the first number in the final formula and will otherwise reduce your aggro gained by spamming heroic strike.
- Useful when solo leveling or rep farming with a Protection-tree Warrior, since it is an instant attack and has no extended cooldown.
Patch changes
- Patch 4.0.3a (2010-11-23): This ability now deals 150% of weapon damage, up from 120% of weapon damage. No longer applies bonust threat.
- Hotfix (2010-02-05): "The damage bonus done by Devastate has been appropriate increased to be in line with the changes made in patch 3.3.2."
- Patch 3.3.2 (2010-01-02): This ability now deals 120% of weapon damage, up from 100% of weapon damage.
- Patch 3.2.0 (04-Aug-2009): Weapon damage and bonus per Sunder Armor on the target increased by 100%. This ability now requires a shield to be equipped.
- ^ Warrior WoW 3.0 Threat Values. Retrieved on 2009-11-15.
External links


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Across the variable annuities sector, numerous issuers took steps to reduce risk in the third quarter. Some insurers replaced older benefits with more expensive, less generous and more restrictive versions. Others closed older products or prohibited
additional purchase payments to existing contracts. But new products
were issued as well — many seem designed to appeal to underpenetrated
market segments, primarily the RIA and direct sales channels.
Allianz closed the C and L versions of its Vision contract, while launching
Retirement Advantage, a low-fee product with a guaranteed withdrawal benefit
tied to the 10-year Treasury. It's designed
to appeal to fee-only/fee-based advisors.
Hartford reduced withdrawal percentages to 4.5% from 5% on the Future5
lifetime withdrawal benefit and raises
fees for the single and joint version of
Future6 (to 1.05% from 0.85% and to
1.3% from 1.1% , respectively). Prudential
suspended sales of the bonus version
of its Premier Retirement product and
launched a new lifetime withdrawal benefit with lower withdrawal rates, a higher
fee (to 1% single or 1.1% joint from 0.95%), tighter investment restrictions
and limitations on the ability to add premiums after issue.
MetLife closed several income and withdrawal benefits (GMIB Plus III,
GMIB Plus IV and Lifetime Income Solution Plus) and age banded the no-lapse withdrawal percentage on its GMIB Max IV by introducing a 4.5%
withdrawal percentage for ages 62 to 67, versus the previous 5% at any
age. Lincoln introduced an optional step-up feature for its i4Life Advantage benefit and closed its 4Later Advantage with Guaranteed Income
Benefit. SunAmerica lowered the fixed increase to 5.25% from 6% on its
Income Builder GLWB when offered on the O-Share contract.
Jackson National increased both the pricing of its flagship PerspectiveII contract by 0.05% and issued a new lifetime withdrawal benefit, Life-Guard Freedom Flex; at age 65, the withdrawal rate is 4.75% and the fixedincrease of the benefit base is 5%, compared witha 5% withdrawal rate and 6% benefit base in olderversions of the rider. Ohio National decreased thewithdrawal percentage to 5% from 5.1% on its sin-gle life withdrawal benefit and to 4.5% from 5% onthe joint life version.
Of the new products
that were issued,
many seemed
designed to appeal
to underpenetrated
market segments,
primarily the RIA and
direct sales channels.
Frank O'Connor is product manager for annuity
data at Morningstar.
Click to subscribe to this magazine


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I love reading. I typically pick some kind of fiction, but every now and then will pick up a non-fiction book. I was chosen to give my first ever book review! My kids are typically pretty good kids. They fight with each other, don't pick up unless I threaten them, and are occasionally bad. But overall they are great kids. So I chose The Well Behaved Child Discipline that REALLY works! to see if I could learn anything new to try.
I'll be honest, this book started out pretty crazy. One of the first things the author, John Rosemond, states is that ALL kids are bad. I simply don't agree with that. There are of course some kids who really are bad kids, but there are way too many kids who are good kids. But I plowed through that insane part and I am so glad I did! There were some excellent ideas.
I've already tried one and so far, it is working! TJ has been sleeping in either Tim's or my (although it's 99% Tim) bed most nights of the week. He has a "tummy ache" or a "bad dream". I really don't buy it. He's healthy and frankly, I don't think he has that many bad dreams. So I told him that from now on when he sleeps in one of our beds, he can't use electronics the next day. So far in the week I have implemented it, he has only slept with Tim 1 night and not at all with me!
We are going to be implementing a couple of other strategies and hopefully they will be as successful! If you are having problems with your kids, big or small, I think this book is worth a read.


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Randle looked like the best player on the floor in the opening 20 minutes. Behind the star forward, UK took a 41-36 halftime lead and appeared on the way to the resume- and confidence-building win it so badly needed.
Then Randle started to hobble around. Coping with cramps, he went back to the locker room. Knowing Randle's importance, his coach encouraged UK's medical staff to be aggressive in treatment.
"They gave him like three bags of IV and the doc was squeezing it in to try to get him in, because I was saying, 'Get him back,' " Calipari said.
Randle, however, had exerted too much energy in that first half. Twice he checked back in, but neither time Randle could stay on the floor for any more than 64 seconds. When he came out for the final time with 11:01 left, UK had seen its lead disappear and trailed 52-51.
The Wildcats would have to finish the job without their leading scorer and rebounder.
"It always hurts you when you lose a great player," Andrew Harrison said. "At the same, we all knew we had to bring it. That just means we all had to step it up a little bit."
The formula that No. 18 UK had used to build a lead on No. 6/4 Louisville would have to change. No longer could the Cats throw the ball to Randle -- who needed just eight shots to score 17 first-half points -- and let him go to work.
"The guards had to step up a little more," James Young said. "We tried to drive the hole as much as we could. Coach told us to penetrate a little more and that's what we did."
Young and the Harrison twins, Andrew and Aaron, all played at least 15 minutes in the second half. Carrying the offensive load, they combined to score all but five of UK's points after halftime. The perimeter trio wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.
"We wanted to win this," said Young, who had his first-career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. "This was a big game for us. ... So we just wanted to come out and prove to everybody that we're a good team and we're starting to mature a little bit."
Consider that point proven.
With a combination of lockdown defense and timely baskets, UK (10-3) outscored visiting Louisville (11-2) 22-14 without Randle. With a season-high crowd of 24,396 loudly behind them from tip to buzzer, the Cats took down the Cardinals for the fifth time in six games with Coach Cal at the helm, 73-66.
"I feel like we took some punches with Julius going down and stuff," Andrew Harrison said. "It just showed our resilience and that we can do anything."
During that game-ending run, Young and the Harrisons scored all but two of UK's points. The only exception was a dunk by Alex Poythress with 1:44 left that gave the Cats a relatively secure 71-61 lead.
Delivering the perfect wrap-around pass off of a drive to set it up was Andrew Harrison.
"How about the pass he makes to Alex?" Calipari said. "He could have tried to shoot that."
In the not-so-distant past, the freshman point guard very well may have tried to do just that.
In fact, Andrew Harrison had one of his more forgettable college games just a week ago. He scored seven points in 20 foul-hampered minutes against Belmont and his backup, Jarrod Polson, was the story after he helped ignite a comeback with his energy.
There would be no repeat, as Andrew Harrison went toe to toe with one of the best backcourts in the country. Facing Russ Smith and Chris Jones, Andrew Harrison had a career-high 18 points.
"They're great players, Jones and Russ Smith. Smith is so quick, and Jones is too," Andrew Harrison said. "It wasn't a personal challenge. I just tried to win it for my team."
Harrison steadied the UK offense throughout against Louisville's swarming pressure, committing just three turnovers even though the ball was in his hands for much of his 34 minutes. As a team, Kentucky committed just 11 turnovers and forced 13 against the team that entered Saturday with the nation's top turnover margin.
"He grew up a lot," Poythress said. "I'm proud of Andrew, stepping up to the plate and making big plays down the stretch."
After that Belmont game, Calipari restated that his goal is for Andrew Harrison to become the nation's top point guard. The road is long, but this was a step in the right direction.
"He didn't want to lose this game like we said in the beginning," Young said. "This was a really big game for him and he stepped up. He had Russ guarding him, which is a good defender, and he knew he had to step up his game and that's what he did."
With their point guard leading the way and Randle returning to his regular form for a full game, the Cats believe a lot more in store.
"It's just us starting to come together as a team, being more mature," Young said. "You're going to see it a lot more now. We're becoming closer as a team and as a family."


text:
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text:
CHURUBUSCO — Another weekend in the Indiana high school girls' track and field season had another title go home with Columbia City.
Saturday, the Lady Eagles claimed their second consecutive weekend title at the Churubusco Turtletown Invitational.
The Lady Eagles beat Warsaw in the large school "Gold" division with 23.5 points to spare, 115.5-88.
To read the rest of this story, please order an e-subscription, found under the e-edition subscription link, or call The Post & Mail at 244-5153, ext. 207 and ask for a subscription.
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text:
Best Thailand snorkeling tours
Similan Islands snorkeling tours
- One day trip to the Similan Islands from Phuket or Khao Lak
- Or overnight by liveaboard to really escape the crowds
- Available from November to April
- More details..
Koh Tachai snorkeling tours
- Beautiful beaches and marine life. From Phuket or Khao Lak
- Go for a day trip or join a liveaboard
- Available November to April
- More details..
Surin Islands snorkel tours
- Less visited than the Similan Islands
- Go for a day trip or stay overnight in a tent
- Available November to April. Transfers from Phuket or Khao Lak
- More details..
Phi Phi Islands snorkeling tours
- Tour Phi Phi and nearby islands including Bamboo Island & Koh Yao
- Selected best tours chosen to avoid the crowds
- Available all year round from Phuket.
- More details..
Racha Island snorkeling day trip
- Beautiful snorkeling close to Phuket
- Join in day trips for just 2,100 baht or private tours for groups
- Available all year round
- More details..
Liveaboard snorkeling tours
- Stay on a boat to avoid the crowds and see the best marine life
- Boats for all budgets
- 1 night to 6 night cruises to the Similan Islands, Surin Islands, Koh Tachai and Koh Bon
- More details..
Private boat charter
- Ideal for families or groups
- Avoid the crowds. Make your own itinerary
- Speedboats, yachts or cabin cruisers available
- More details..
Snorkeling Thailand FAQ's:
Q. Where is the best place for snorkeling Thailand?
The Surin Islands is our favourite snorkeling location with shallow reefs in clear water full of fish. They are less visited than the Similan Islands which have become too popular for their own good in recent years. The Similan and Surin Islands have the clearest water, the biggest fish and the largest schools of fish. This is the closest you can get to being inside an aquarium.
Surin Islands are a good place to snorkel with turtles. Koh Bon is a good place to snorkel with manta rays which are attracted to the cleaning stations and the strong currents. Koh Tachai is another great island to snorkel with big pelagics like manta rays and whale sharks plus leopard sharks and reef sharks.
Phi Phi Islands has a huge diversity of marine life. Leopard sharks and black tip reef sharks can be seen, we have even snorkeled with whale sharks here. Turtles are also common. There is a nice variety of hard and soft corals, anemones and sea fans. There are many islands in the Phi Phi Islands chain and most snorkeling tours visit a few of them including Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Ley and the beautiful Bamboo Island.
Snorkeling trips to Phi Phi are often combined with other side activities and sightseeing such as seeing monkeys at Monkey beach or swimming at the famous Maya bay on Phi Phi Ley. A speedboat from Phuket to Phi Phi takes about 45 minutes and often stops along the way to swim at Koh Yao of Koh Khai Islands.
Racha Yai Island (Koh Raya) has mainly hard corals in the small sheltered bays that are ideal for snorkelers to get close to schools of fish. Eagle eyed snorkelers may see moray eels, garden eels, sting rays, puffer fish, parrot fish and trigger fish, among others. Corals include staghorn, brain, mushroom, cabbage and leaf coral. There are a few nice resorts on Racha Yai that are great for a couple of nights. Racha Noi island is further out than Racha Yai and is uninhabited. If you can find a boat going there it's an unspoiled paradise.
Q. When is the best time of year to snorkel in Thailand?
On the Andaman Sea side of Thailand's west coast the best season for snorkeling is November to late April. From May to October you can still do excellent snorkeling at Racha Yai, Phi Phi Islands and Koh Kai but the Similan and Surin National Marine Parks are closed to tour boats.
Q. Which type of snorkeling boat?
We mainly offer snorkeling tours by speedboat because the speedboats get snorkelers out to the best snorkeling places quickly and in small groups. The boats have covered shaded areas and toilets. They have life jackets on board. They also carry all the snorkeling equipment that you need, mask (goggles), snorkel and fins (flippers). The boat crew act as guides for your safety and enjoyment. Drinking water is also on the boats.
We also offer snorkeling tours on dive boats. These are slower boats that allow snorkelers to snorkel while the divers dive. Although slower that a speedboat they offer more comfort on boat and are often cheaper. It is sometimes possible to do an intro or try dive on board these boats. Longer trips to the Similan Islands include accommodation on board the boat so you can wake up at the beautiful islands and snorkel all day.
Environmentally aware snorkeling. Download the Green Fins snorkeling guidelines here
Happy snorkeling!


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Same Sex Marriage
- Religious Social - Article Ref: IV1304-5418Number of comments: 9Opinion Summary: Agree:3 Disagree:0 Neutral:0 Ignored:6
By: Imam Luqman Ahmad
Iviews* -
In case you haven't noticed, the Devil (Shaitaan) is taking his fight for our souls and the souls of our children into high gear. Only a small number of people will survive the new wave of satanic thought being thrust upon us, so now is the time to dig in by stepping up our efforts to hold fast the Book and to the sunna of our Prophet (SAWS). The greatest weapons and defense that we have is our faith, our scripture, and our steadfastness. Remember; just because you do not see Shaitaan in the flesh does not mean that he, his allies and his forces are not attacking you, your family and our community.
As the national debate around same sex marriage heats up (awaiting a Supreme Court Decision), American Muslims may be called upon to take a public stand on the issue; especially if it passes. Either way, this matter and the reality of homosexuality and lesbianism in America, will remain at the forefront of national discussion for a long time to come. The homosexual lobby is relentless as this is an important fight for Shaitaan and there seems to be no letting up until everyone in America accepts this unholy lifestyle. Privately, most Muslims are very clear about homosexuality and lesbianism; they reject it outright, and it is clearly prohibited in Islam. Same sex marriage for most Muslims is out of the question. Whether or not homosexuality exists in the Muslim world, is a matter of debate. Lots of evidence points to the affirmative but that is another discussion altogether. Still, public discussion one the question of same sex marriage is difficult for many Muslims, and much of the Muslim political leadership are reluctant to take a definitive stance on it. This is for a couple of reasons; the first is that during such a time as now when some of our own religious rights and liberties have come under fire, gay and lesbian groups and individuals have been limited allies to Muslims in our own struggle for religious equality in the United States. Thus, any public stance on the matter by Muslims leaders, Imams, and political activists, risks the potential backlash from that group and from liberal America, and the potential loss of issue support for Muslims. By the way,
that's called politics.
Another reason is that in the effort to be as mainstream as possible, we have in some ways backed ourselves in a corner, and coming out, (no pun intended) on the wrong side of the same sex marriage debate will signal that we as Muslims are definitely different, and it will highlight the fact that the moral roots of our faith, which are markedly conservative, are not in sync with the current national trend of the rest of the country in accepting same sex marriage and by proxy, homosexuality.
"And to Lut, too, We gave Judgment and Knowledge, and We saved him from the town which practiced abominations: truly they were a people given to Evil, a rebellious
people". [21:74].
Some Muslim leaders, including some imams have remained on the fence about the same sex marriage issue, some are nervously silent, and some have already capitulated and we are already starting to see gay Mosques and gay friendly communities of Muslims in Europe and in the United States. So let me get this out of the way; I declare here and now that I am against it, and against the practice of homosexuality on the grounds that it is hated by God and that He has destroyed an entire people because of it;
"We sent against them a violent Tornado with showers of stones, (which destroyed them), except Lut's household: them We delivered by early
Dawn" [54:34]
Let's face it; homosexuality has become ingrained in our society, and admittedly, gays and lesbians make valuable contributions to the society like everyone else; in medicine, industry, law enforcement, the military, social services, science, education, and of course, the arts. That is a fact. So it is not totally implausible that people may empathize with them as a group, or with individuals that they know personally, even if they do not agree with the practice of homosexuality itself. Even the Prophet Abraham/Ibrahim pleaded on their behalf at
first;" When fear had passed from (the mind of) Abraham and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with us for Lut's
people". [11:74].
Many of us, have gay or lesbian co-workers, neighbors, employees, associates, and family members, who do us no personal harm so the issue for many of us, is closer than we would like. Because of this and because of the aforementioned political considerations, it is difficult for some Muslims to even talk publicly about the issue of homosexuality or lesbianism with any conviction. This is another reason why we hardly see it addressed by Muslims publicly in the United States.
Nevertheless, as the issue is being heaved upon the public like a ton of bricks, to the extent that a person could lose his or her job for being anti-gay, bolstered by such arguments that; homosexuals and lesbians are good people, or they are my relative, or that we
shouldn't judge, or they can't help it, it is understandable although lamentable that some Muslims are starting to crack and accept the practice of same sex marriage.
I'm not saying I agree; I'm just saying it's understandable since all of the above may be true, and granted, there is hardly anyone who is all bad in every aspect of their lives. However, There are murderers who give generously in charity are good people otherwise, there are pedophiles who teach grade school, and are otherwise good people, there are thieves who smile in your face, and help little old ladies across the street and are otherwise good people, there are rapists who volunteer at charitable organizations and do a good job, and there are criminals of every type who readily engage in their crimes, but are otherwise are good people. However, none of that excuses the sin or the nature of it according to our understanding as Muslims.
Open or Hidden Sin
It's not the just the sin itself that we are talking about; everyone commits one sin or another, based upon the prophetic tradition;
"By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sin Allah would do away with you and bring people who would commit sin then pray for
forgiveness." [Narrated by Muslim] It's one thing to commit sin, if the homosexuals are overwhelmed by their lower desires, and men have sex with men and women have sex with women, while acknowledging it to themselves that they are committing sin. Then this has been the case for thousands of years, before they came out of the closet. However,
it's another thing to openly pronounce that your sin, is not a sin, when God has said otherwise, and
it's still another thing to say openly and proudly that you are a homosexual, that there is nothing wrong with it, and wanting society (Muslims included) as a whole to accept that there is nothing wrong with it, all the while we have scripture that we believe is the divine word of God Almighty saying otherwise.
Imam Luqman Ahmad is the imam of Masjid Ibrahim Islamic Center in Sacramento CA, and the author of the recently released
book "The Devil's Deception of the Modern Day". You may visit his web page at imamluqman.com, or contact him
at imamluqmanmasjidibrahim.com
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Dead Rising Movie Digital Release Date Announced
Here's when you can buy or rent Dead Rising: Watchtower.
Here's when you can buy or rent Dead Rising: Watchtower.
$3 RE: Revelations 2 Episode One, $10 Devil May Cry, $1 Dark Void Zero, and more.
Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Star Wars, and more all on sale.
"Watchtower" will be available through the Crackle app on Xbox 360 and Xbox One March 20-26.
Dead Rising: Watchtower releases later this month.
See comedian Rob Riggle as Frank West in the first trailer for upcoming movie.
"Watchtower" coming to Sony's Crackle streaming service and other platforms on March 27.
Rob Riggle will star as Frank West in Dead Rising: Watchtower.
Don't expect a Darkstalkers game anytime soon.
Director Zach Lipovsky also says skipping theatrical release means the film won't be a "watered down" action movie starring Tom Cruise.
Dead Rising publisher claims 50 Koei Tecmo games infringe upon Capcom's patents, seeking $9.4 million in damages.
The movie is skipping theaters and will debut on Sony's Crackle streaming service.
Dead Rising 3 producer Jon Airhart discusses how this version of the game offers more.
Capcom's zombie franchise getting a film adaptation.
Capcom's zombie game coming to Steam on September 5, you can get the game for 25 percent off if you act quickly.
Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX+ Alpha is a new DLC arcade adventure set within the Dead Rising 3 universe; it's filled with Capcom references and ...
Capcom confirms new version of zombie game launching this summer on Steam.
Capcom says it makes evaluations based on performance, not gender.
Dead Rising 3 has sold 1.2 million copies, Monster Hunter 4 shifts 4.1 million.
So you bought yourself a Xbox One, and you want to know which games to pick up for your new machine. Never fear--we're here to tell you the top games ...
Games to be available include Forza 5, Dead Rising 3, and Ryse: Son of Rome, among others.
Resident Evil publisher begins construction on two new buildings in Japan as a means to "succeed in this challenging environment."
Xbox maker to hold special event at Natick Mall and Titanfall panel; plus, you can play Project Spark and unreleased ID@Xbox games at their booth.
Dead Rising, Resident Evil publisher halves earnings forecast and now expects to post a "special loss" for the year.
Have some extra money lying around?
Chaos Rising expansion coming to Xbox One exclusive tomorrow as part of DLC pass or as a $10 standalone download.
Producer Tim Carter said he's finalizing a deal for a Dead Rising series and working on a Mighty No. 9 movie.
COO Haruhiro Tsujimoto says rising popularity of smartphones and "increasingly social" nature of games has resulted in "enormous changes."
Capcom's Xbox One launch game on track to meet 1.2m sales expectation by the end of March.
But what does it actually contain for the open-world zombie mulcher?
Xbox One game's first expansion Operation Broken Eagle now scheduled to launch January 21.
Forget video games. Here are my top 10 EMOTIONS of 2013: 10. Jubilation, 9. Fury, 8. Moroseness, 7. Trepida--hey, wait, where are you going!?
Capcom details Operation Eagle, the first expansion for its zombie-themed action game launching December 24.
Microsoft releases trial for Capcom's new zombie game.
Check out our reviews for Ryse: Son of Rome, Forza 5, Dead Rising 3, Crimson Dragon, and LocoCycle.
The Xbox One-exclusive zombie-slaying adventure gets a surprise visit from the Blue Bomber.
Microsoft shows off how functionality works on next-generation console.
The Dead Rising series is full of deadly, silly, and otherwise over-the-top weapons for dispatching the living dead. However, none is more unpredictable than Dead Rising 3's mechanized feline, the ...
Capcom reveals worldwide sales expectations for upcoming Xbox One zombie game; Lost Planet 3 fails to meet commercial expectations at 300,000 units sold to date.
$30 offering includes four expansions.
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text: Prev | Next Purchase this photo Sholten Singer/ The Herald Dispatch Huntington's Lady Eagles celebrate a victory over Beverly Hills in the Cabell County girls middle school basketball championship game on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, at Milton Middle School. Gallery: 2013 Year in Review Sports Photos by Sholten Singer Dec. 29, 2013 @ 11:49 PM Sholten Singer The Herald-Dispatch photographer Sholten Singer looks back on sports shots of the year 2013. ()


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Early to Mid-Season
Standard - 32.5 to 67.5 cm (12.8 to 26.6 in)
J. Lionel Richardson
pre 1943, registered with the RHS
27 or 28
Both Seed and Pollen fertile
22 times as seed, 54 times as pollen
Fl. 100 mm wide; perianth segments broadly ovate, blunt, vivid yellow with white mucro, spreading or slightly inflexed, plane, with a metallic sheen, with midrib showing, overlapping 1/3 to a 1/2 the inner segments a little narrower, sometimes with a 'thumb' at the margin, inflexed, a little creased and with margins slightly wavy; corona short funnel-shaped, vivid orange mouth straight, split in places and overlapping, lightly frilled, with rim crenate.
Received the Royal Horticultural Society(RHS) Award of Garden Merit(AGM) in 1995 and the award was rescinded by the RHS in 2012.
|Click on the thumbnails to see the medium and full size photos
Or to see a slideshow of full size photos click on this Icon:


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- Giving to Watson
- History of the Watson College
- Indictors of Excellence
- Mission Statement
- University-School Partnership
The Watson College of Education is the fourth largest producer of teachers at the undergraduate level in the state of North Carolina and has been rated "exemplary" by the State Board of Education. Only 7 out of 47 North Carolina teacher education programs received this honor.
In 2006, the Watson College received the Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which honors leadership and innovation in teacher education.
We have excellent partnerships with businesses, school systems and community colleges in our region. Become a part of the Watson College of Education team and come learn and grow with us.
Title II Test Scores Reporting Data
In accordance with federal Title II requirements, the Watson College of Education reports the following Praxis test scores for student teachers:
- Praxis Specialty Area Tests: Watson College of Education pass rate = 98%; all institutions in North Carolina pass rate = 97%


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+myConnections: Engage your community - connect to news, events and information you care about. View more information...
View your community's facilities and features online with the new Facilities Module.View the new Facilities
Personalize your online experience to stay up-to-date on news, events and other information.View My Dashboard
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Read about the service designed to help maintain employees' emotional health.
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- Capitol Quickies - http://blogs.app.com/capitolquickies -
Proving confusing
Posted By Bob Jordan On October 29, 2010 @ 2:20 pm In Uncategorized | Comments Disabled
There's one statewide referendum voters will get to decide on Tuesday – if they can get through the 100-plus word interpretive statement that seems to do its best to muddle the issue.
The referendum will determine if the state can continue diverting money specifically designated for certain employee benefit funds. Such transfers
have occurred 22 times since 1993, with $5.4 billion paid by workers into unemployment funds and the like being used for other purposes.
But Anne Ruach Nicolas, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, fears many voters will take a pass rather than wrestle with the interpretive statement.
The league's telephone hotlines have been ""flooded" by callers looking for help, she said.
Below is the link to the question and statement. Good luck.
Article printed from Capitol Quickies: http://blogs.app.com/capitolquickies
URL to article: http://blogs.app.com/capitolquickies/2010/10/29/proving-confusing/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2008 Capitol Quickies. All rights reserved.


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Just had to say thanks and let you know how wonderful Beachbody really is!!
I am 31 years old, have four kids, and have never really been in shapethin off and on throughout life, but never really in shape. After having two babies back-to-back, I gained quite a bit of weight, although I would not admit to that then.
My husband ordered Power 90 when I was away at a women's church retreat. He wanted to bulk up and I wanted to slim down. Twice we started the program, but didn't make it past the first two weeks. I didn't honestly think I needed to lose that much weight anywayafter all, I had just had a baby.
Okay so I kept that whole line of "I just had a baby" for a year before I just couldn't use it any more. On my baby's first birthday, out of curiosity, I weighed myself and what a shocker it was!! 183 poundshow in the world did that happen? Just three years before, I was 125 pounds! I couldn't blame it on the babies any more...I was just out of shape and overweight. I weighed more on my baby's first birthday than I did when I gave birth to herNOT GOOD!! It was time for a change!
I decided I was going to do this Power 90 thing. I logged on to WOWY for the first time on August 24, 2004 and did my first sculpt workout. After the workout was done I went to the Message Boards to look for supportI had to stick with it this time...no more quitting. I found great support online, which kept me accountable and motivated.
I started Power 90 wanting to be thin again and to wear a certain dress...now on my second round of Power 90, all I think about is sculpting my muscles and being in great shape AND getting into that certain dress...which, by the way, I can fit into finally! Woo hoo! I have so much more energy for my kids, I'm not so grumpy, and I have tons more self-confidence. I'm so happy with myself, with my results. I know if I can do this program, anyone can!
I've got to say I'm totally addicted to Power 90! I tell everyone I know about it and how much it helped me not only lose weight, but get in shape for the first time in my life.
I lost 44 pounds, 33.5 inches, and dropped from a size 16/18 to a size 8/10 with Power 90. This program is amazingso simple yet so effective. If you Push Play every day and eat right, it will totally work! Tony makes working out a blast and I look forward to working out every day. Who would have thought that working out and sweating could be so much fun? It is with Power 90! Next up for me is Power Half Hour and I am really looking forward to that.
Big, big thanks to my husband for ordering Power 90 for me, pushing me through it, and believing in me the entire time. Thanks to Beachbody for making this great program, WOWY, and the Message Boards. Thanks to Tony for making the workouts so much fun. Thanks to all my support online, tooyou guys are too awesome for words!
Stephanie S., "stufawen"
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The Dilemma of Low Risk Chest Pain
I'm a believer that if an adult patient presents to the ED with chest pain, unless you are very, very positive the diagnosis is not cardiac, you owe it to the patient to pursue a cardiac work-up. Sounds pretty straight forward to me – but many would disagree.
But even when you are confident that a patient does not have a cardiac diagnosis, there are risks. The study below found that on 30-day follow-up, chest pain patients who were thought to have a clear-cut non-cardiac cause for their chest pain (whether admitted or discharged) had a surprisingly high 4% event rate (death or cardiovascular event) on 30-day follow-up. Of those with a musculoskeletal pain diagnosis, 2% died or had a cardiovascular event, 3% of the GERD diagnosis patients, 4% of the pneumonia patients, 1% of the PE patients and 12% of those with "other miscellaneous" diagnoses.
And to really make your day, there's a study indicating that 6% of ED patients with rheumatologist-confirmed costochondritis actually had an MI at the time of an ED chest pain visit (Disla, Arch Intern Med, 154:2466-9, 1994).
I believe that most people have better things to do than go to an ED and subject themselves to waiting for protracted times with the great unwashed masses, being given a gown that doesn't cover their tush and potentially having the ignominious privilege of being evaluated on a gurney in a hallway next to a hand-cuffed fellow trying to set a blood alcohol record. Most normal people do not want to alarm their family or friends by going to an ED and I am of the general belief that, because of these factors (and others), that patients who go to the ED with chest pain are not the same as those who go to their family doctor with chest pain – and they need to be taken very seriously.
The study noted below, although performed in Belgium, indicated that patients who presented to a primary care physicians with chest pain were much more likely to get a GI-related diagnosis, while ED patients with chest pain were more likely to get a cardiac diagnosis.
So, given the relatively high risks, the fact that U.S. society has virtually no tolerance for missing serious conditions and missed MIs remains among the major cause of ED suits, I have a real problem with the idea that it's acceptable to tell a patient it's "probably not your heart." Honestly, that's just not good enough. At least not good enough for me, my family and probably yours.
I know, I know – people will say we can't admit everyone with chest pain and our rate of making the diagnosis of ACS may be unacceptably low in the eyes of some, but if I were the patient, I would want a reasonable cardiac work-up. I'm well aware of the risks of false-positive tests and the idea of getting progressively more and more invasive tests associated with false-positives, but ACS is a serious diagnosis that is very hard to reliably exclude based on history, risk factors, EKGs and cardiac markers – it's just a fact.
So what are the alternatives? The AHA has advised a very conservative approach to adult chest pain patient where ACS is being considered. Serial EKGs and markers over a period of substantial time (8-12 hours from symptom onset) and if everything is negative, some sort of stress or cardiac imaging study shortly thereafter.
Clearly, initiating this protocol, although likely to prevent mistakes, requires a great deal in the way of time, work and charges (substantially different from costs) and will consume a considerable amount of the patient's time as well. Many hospitals have developed "Chest Pain Centers" just to deal with these challenges. It is clear that patients with serial negative markers and negative or nonspecific EKGs will have a low risk for having ACS – especially those under 40. However, the risk is clearly not zero and, as repeatedly brought up by Greg Henry – what is the acceptable miss rate in the United States? Is it 1%? What is it in the airline industry? If 1% of the flights had a serious malfunction, nobody would fly. What about 1 in 1,000 – still not acceptable in the airline industry – not even 1 in 1 million.
So how can we be reasonably comfortable that a person does not have significant cardiac disease who presents with chest pain yet not spend a lot of money and time and exposing them to risks associated with more and more testing? Here are two studies – one from 2003 and one that is brand new. The newest study, which was extremely well done, suggests a two-hour protocol in low risk patients may be acceptable. It considered three factors. You had to have a TIMI score of zero with negative serial markers as specifically defined in the study (they used rapid beside point-of-care testing) and negative EKGs both initially and at two hours (as specifically defined in the study). Not that everyone has memorized what constitutes a zero TIMI score, so you need:
The bottom line in this study – of the 9.8% of their chest pain patients who met these very low risk criteria (unfortunately a very small percentage), on 30-day follow-up, 3 of the 352 patients had a major cardiovascular event (death, cardiac arrest, emergency revascularization, cardiogenic shock, ventricular. arrhythmia or high degree AV block needing treatment or AMI). Is 3 out of 352 an acceptable miss rate – the fact is we'll never really do better.
Here's an older two-hour protocol. It seemed to require more physician judgment and required continuous ST segment monitoring and automated serial 12-lead EKGs (something that the vast majority of EDs don't have – and this may be one of the major reasons this protocol never got much in the way of traction) along with nuclear stress testing. But the results were again remarkably good – in a subset that cleared all of the hurdles the sensitivity and specificity for picking up 30-day ACS was 99.1% and 87.4% -- we'll not likely to do better.
So, seems the bottom line is that we need more research in accelerated protocols that are relatively black and white, that do not short change the patients regarding an evaluation but yet which are shown by evidence to be cost-effective and safe. Given the huge economic toll associated with low-risk chest pain evaluations it seems that more focused research on accelerated protocols is sorely needed and will be most welcomed.
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Part 'History of', part showcase, part bitch fest... a place for those interested in the fine art of the comp and storyboard - especially as they are used in advertising
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Some of my latest storyboard panels
4 comments:
Great looking stuff. I always expected more basic stuff on storyboards, but this is extremely well developed. Nice work!ReplyDelete
This is pretty cool, my Brother in-law draws storyboards as well, he loves making stuff like that, he is also trying to make a mini comic series, I think that it is pretty awesome though, and good work!ReplyDelete
These are some great looking storyboards! You do a really good job! I wish I was an artist and could do things like this.ReplyDelete
The Cheesy Animation specialists is Animation Storyboard, 3D Cinematics, 3D-2D Cartoon Storyboard, 3D Storyboard, 2D Storyboard, Animation Storyboard Company.ReplyDelete


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On http://www.datastax.com/solutions/scaleable-elastic-datacenter you write that is very easy to add new hardware on demand to a Cassandra cluster.
I wonder on the best strategy here. Given a cluster with n nodes, does it makes sense to just add 1,2,3 or so, or should one always add exactly n nodes, i.e. should one always double the cluster size?
Since Cassandra arranges the data in a logical ring, new nodes can always be placed between two existing nodes, right?
This means however the token range of the successor neighbor is bisected.
Thus if not adding exactly n nodes the token ranges will become unbalanced across the ring, leading to different load factors for different nodes.
Thanks in advance and best regards


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Drum Class Learns Beat Heard Around the World
Published: Dec 7, 2009
Not even five minutes into the class and adjunct music professor Nathaniel Strawbridge is already feeling the beat. He's leading the class through a rehearsal for their final performance on Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. in the Vaughn Center lobby.
"You tired? You hurting? We're not messing around," he shouts to the World Drumming Ensemble class. "Count louder!"
He uses his whole body to teach the class – dancing, pacing, drumming as an echo, drumming as the leader, drumming on the floor. He even sings the drum beats like a foreign language.
As the rumbling of the drums rattles the lockers in the back of the room, it is clear the energy of the drum beat is awakening something inside this music instructor.
"This is my passion," he said. "I love world drumming."
Strawbridge, who spends his days as a music teacher at Crestwood Elementary School in Tampa, has been teaching the World Drumming Ensemble in the evenings for about three years and has seen it grow in popularity.
Diana Wise '10 said she took the class because she thought it could help with her rhythm. As a music major in voice, Wise needed the ensemble class as a course requirement but has been having a great time with it.
"He makes it a wonderful class," she said. "Even those of us who aren't talented, he makes you feel so."
Strawbridge is a professional trumpet player but has always been attracted to the drum.
"Growing up I'd be tapping tables all the time," he said. "When I graduated I started to study music from different cultures. The more I learned, the more I learned I don't know."
While the class meets on Mondays this semester, it'll switch to Tuesdays next semester. The final performance for this semester on Dec. 7 will include an Afro-Cuban rumba, a West African Gahu, a Chinese folk piece and a Dominican merengue.
"Students come away learning about different cultures and gaining rhythm proficiency," Strawbridge said. "A lot of people don't think they have rhythm, but it's there. What I do in the class is drain it out. If you have a heartbeat, you can drum."
Jamie Pilarczyk, Web Writer
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|The City of Fruita is in the process of developing a marketing strategy to attract more tourism to our area, and part of that strategy entails the design and production of promotional materials that will appear in fixed locations such as highway billboards, bumper stickers, and the like. We can't do it alone, however, so the City is requesting feedback from citizens on some different ideas. Check out the images below, and let us know what you think. To respond with feedback, you can send an email to Odette Phelps, our Tourism contact person, or call the city at (970) 858-8373. Thank you for your input!
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Located outside the Thunder From Down Under Theater, Octane Lounge is the perfect place to grab drinks before or after your show. Whether you are here for a bacholerrete party, or to see the Australian Bee Gees Octane is a fun filled ideal destination to start your night out in Vegas.
Fri- Sun 5pm - 1am
Must be 21 or older.
View Cocktail Menu
Located on the casino level, The Lounge offers a chill upbeat atmosphere, ideal for socializing and enjoying drinks with friends. Enjoy live music, Thursday through Sunday 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. Enjoy a variety of music and bands and check out Walk Off Hits performing every other weekend!
Open 24 hours daily
Must be 21 or older.
View Cocktail Menu
Visit the Shame O' the Strip and wash down your meal! Enjoy live entertainment every Friday and Saturday from 10:00pm - 12:00am.
Sunday - Thursday: 11:00am - 11:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 11:00am - 12:00am
Located on the casino floor.
It's a Las Vegas bachelorette party every night! Direct from Australia, it's Thunder from Down Under! You'll laugh! You'll stare! You may even faint! These guys will give you something to write home about! Get ready to party with the hottest blokes in town.
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When I was in college, I read a lot of Romantic poetry, and what still sticks in my mind is all the water imagery those writers used. For them, water was a stand-in for life, transcendence, and the creative impulse. With such inherent possibilities, it's all but essential for painters to be able to accurately depict this inspiring element, and that's why we've compiled several methods and solutions for doing just that.
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|OS X - Apps and Games Discussion of applications and games available for Mac OS X.
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Up until I downloaded DiscBlaze I had been using Disk Utility to clear my CD-RW disks and Finder to burn my backups. Unfortunately Finder likes to take it's sweet time in burning so I wanted to find burning software that was freeware (so don't tell me I need Toast, I'll get that when I get my Superdrive!). I almost didn't check out DiscBlaze because a search here brought nothing up. I tried it out anyway due to the better then average rating on VersionTracker.
Anywho, I did my normal backups using Disk Utility and Finder, then on DiscBlaze. Timed both and found DiscBlaze to be much quicker. Well, not quick enough for my tests since I was using Mitsubishi Chemical Blue Platinum CD-RW disks (4x max). Hey, they're all I got as far as RW! The biggest difference between Finder burning and DiscBlaze that I've noticed is the fact that Finder has to "copy" the files first before you burn, which in my test ran an additional 2:04 for the 258.5MB folder I was burning. Actual burntime was a bit over a minute faster for DiscBlaze.
Nice thing about it is that you can save the different disks you've burnt already, see attached image to get my mean. It should make backups a breeze.
Just read up more about the program and noticed it also burns DVDs as well. Perhaps I wont need to pick up a copy of Toast! I'll have to experiment a bit with that as well when I get the Superdrive.
The interface is pretty self explanitory. I didn't need a readme file or anything. A couple clicks and away I went. Very easy to use. I'd definitely recommend this program. If you currently don't have burning software, as freeware you can't beat this one.
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Once (and future?) Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams has leaped to the defense of Beyonc? regarding the non-issue that has arisen from TMZ.com's quip about "Beyonc?'s roboho performance getup" that the diva wore during last month's BET Awards (in a nutshell, Al Sharpton lashed out at the paparazzi-driven mega-blog, saying its use of the word "ho" was racist and misogynistic). TMZ then pointed out that their "ho" branding was not in reference to Beyonc?, but her outfit. But don't tell Michelle that! Said the warbler to the New York Daily News:
"It's downright mean. You can write me word for word. What has Beyonc? done to deserve being called a 'ho'? No one should be called a ho!"
Way to go, Michelle, running to stick up for a poor, defenseless superstar. How much do you want to bet that this is Michelle's way of angling for a Destiny's Child reunion. Or, at the very least, for another cameo in a Beyonc? video? Michelle can do the Naomi Campbell walk and the scissor-leg, but her biggest talent is her ability to do the ass-kiss. [New York Daily News]


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Hi Low Printed Halter Dress
Style # 227409
Sultry halterneck dress is vivid! Perfect for the season with its smocked waist, high low cut, and no closures. Just add a wedge sandal and a floppy hat and your outfit is complete.
- 100% Polyester
- Imported
- Center back to hem: 49" (122 cm)
- Model is 5'10" and wears a US size S
Rated 3 out of 5�by 1 reviewer.
Rated 3 out of 5�by fab40 Sexy dress I received this dress today. The fit is nice, however there is no elastic in the back so it hangs off my back, creating a gap, more than it does on the model in the picture. I will bring it to a seamstress to see what the cost to alter will be, however if its too much I will return it. This dress runs true to size. The under slip rises up some when walking. January 7, 2014
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And You Thought Town & Country Had A Deer Problem
Categories: News
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You'll recall in that incident how a renegade Bambi tried to fight an ornamental deer statue, broke off an antler in the process, and then headed into the hardware store's lumber department where two police officers needed three rounds from a handgun and one from an M-15 assault rifle to bring the beast down.
And that was just one deer.
Officials estimate the herd in the lush St. Louis suburb hovers around 800 -- much to the chagrin of garden-tending residents.
Makes one wonder whether the controlled deer hunt in Town & Country (scheduled for later this fall) will be as fruitful as the recent one in Kansas City's Shawnee Mission Park.
In what sounds like an epic bloodbath, "volunteer sharpshooters" bagged 313 deer there last week.
Now officials are deciding whether archers should be brought in to thin the herd even more.
Via the Kansas City Star:
Volunteer sharpshooters killed 313 deer in Shawnee Mission Park last week, park officials reported Monday.Oh, deer.
Randy Knight, a spokesman for the Johnson County Park and Recreation District, said the first phase of the park's deer harvest has ended and the herd will be surveyed later this month to determine whether more deer should be killed.
If a second phase is needed, bow hunters would be brought in beginning Dec. 7.
Sponsor Content


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Sporting News' college football columnist Matt Hayes sizes up the Heisman Trophy race after Week 8.
QB Cameron Newton, Jr., Auburn: Rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns against the best defense in the game. He's far and away the leader, and would need to collapse to not win the award.
QB Kellen Moore, Jr., Boise State: Broncos were off this week, but Moore's consistent, impressive play looks better and better each week.
RB LaMichael James, So., Oregon: James is good. Really good – but still hasn't had a Heisman-type game to remember. Next week at USC will be his opportunity.
QB Andrew Luck, Stanford, So.: Consistently strong all season, but needs plenty of turmoil with the leaders to make a move to the top three.
RB John Clay, Wisconsin, Sr.: Big back, big performance in big games – including four touchdowns in back-to-back wins against Ohio State and Iowa.
Up next: After two big home wins over ranked teams, Auburn travels to Ole Miss in a classic letdown game. A loss for the Tigers could open up the Heisman race.
On the outside: Robert Griffin III. Your Big 12 South Division leaders: the Baylor Bears. Thanks, in large part, to Griffin, who has 20 total touchdowns (14 passing) and only three interceptions.


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A reversible thermal cushion includes a resilient layer; an insulating layer adjacent the resilient layer, the insulating layer having a reflective surface facing away from the resilient layer; and a PVC top sheet and bottom sheet for containing the resilient layer and the insulating layer. The resilient layer is made from polyurethane foam having a density of at least 1.8 lbs./ cubic foot, and has a convoluted surface on at least one side. The reflective surface is aluminum vacuum deposited on one side of a polyethylene film laminated to polyurethane foam.
1. A mattress for supporting a person at a predetermined location, the mattress comprising:
at least one resilient section of the type selected from innerspring, foam, air or cotton;
a frame capable of supporting the resilient section;
a reversible thermal cushion between the resilient section and the location where the person is to be supported, the cushion including a resilient layer, an insulating layer including a metal layer on a plastic layer, the plastic layer being laminated to a polyurethane foam layer, and means for containing the resilient layer and the insulating layer; and
a ticking layer between the reversible thermal cushion and the location where the person is to be supported.
2. The waterbed mattress as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is a soft-side frame having foam walls surrounding the resilient section, and wherein the reversible thermal cushion extends to cover both the resilient section and the foam walls.
3. A reversible thermal cushion comprising:
a resilient layer comprising foam, the foam being convoluted on at least one side;
a reflective layer; and
means for containing the resilient layer and the reflective layer, said means being impervious to water, wherein the side of the foam which is convoluted faces the reflective layer.
4. A reversible thermal cushion comprising:
a resilient layer;
a reflective layer comprising metal vacuum deposited on one side of a polyethylene film, wherein the side of the polyethylene film away from the vacuum deposited metal is laminated to polyurethane foam; and
means for containing the resilient layer and the reflective layer, said means being impervious to water.
The present invention relates to a non-electrical reversible thermal cushion, and more specifically, to a reversible thermal cushion which covers, rests on, or rests inside a mattress or other body support surface or system.
There is a growing demand in the marketplace for waterbeds. Dealers and consumers are concerned about safety of electric heaters that are sometimes placed in these waterbeds. A further concern is the recent disclosure of potential health hazards related to electromagnetic field radiation generated by the electric resistance heaters used in waterbeds. Additionally, it is desirable to avoid the energy costs associated with the electricity required to operate the heater.
An unheated waterbed poses two major problems. First, the water fill of the waterbed will settle to the ambient temperature of the room. At a typical room temperature of 70� to 72� F., a waterbed, because of its relatively high specific heat, will draw body heat to the point that a person in the bed will become uncomfortably cold, and in the case of aged or debilitated users can cause hypothermia.
Secondly, moisture in the air will condense on the surface of the mattress if it is at or below the dew point temperature. The dew point temperature near the mattress tends to be high because of the combination of environmental conditions and water vapor emitted by persons sleeping on the bed. Condensation, once formed, tends to buildup making the sheets and bedding feel damp and clammy. In extreme cases, the condensation builds enough to seep between the mattress and the walls of the frame, where it cannot rapidly evaporate and thus creates conditions for growth of mildew and odors.
Prior attempts have been made to solve these problems. These attempts have not been altogether successful, because of condensation problems or the inability of the insulation to breath thus causing ballooning of the mattress. Other attempts to solve the problem have resulted in quilting or laminating insulation material into the mattress cover. However, quilting results in many needle holes which allow moisture to permeate the insulation layer. Quilting or laminating also results in making the thermal surface non-reversible and thus the users cannot alter its thermal characteristics. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved thermal cover for an unheated waterbed mattress and other support surfaces where warmth is desired.
Innerspring, foam and air mattresses are not capable of being heated in the same way as a waterbed mattress. Primarily, users of such mattresses rely on electric blankets for heating. Electric blankets, while consuming less power than a waterbed mattress heater, can present problems such as overheating, electric shock and energy costs, and also produce an electromagnetic field. Therefore, it is also desirable to have a reversible thermal cushion to cover these types of mattresses.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved reversible thermal cushion for various sleeping and seating surfaces. It is a further object of the invention to provide a reversible thermal cushion for a waterbed mattress, and a cushion which does not promote condensation.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In accordance with the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a reversible thermal cushion comprises a resilient layer; a reflective surface; and means for containing the resilient layer and the reflective surface.
In a preferred embodiment, the resilient layer comprises polyurethane foam, and the foam is convoluted on at least one side. Preferably, the polyurethane foam has a density of at least 1.8 lbs./cubic foot. Further preferably, the reflective surface comprises metal vacuum deposited on one side of a polyethylene film laminated to a polyurethane layer. Also, the retaining means is preferably impervious to water.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 depicts a typical soft-side waterbed incorporating the invention.
FIG. 2 depicts a typical hard-side waterbed incorporating the invention.
FIG. 3 depicts one embodiment of a reversible thermal cushion of the present invention.
FIG. 4 depicts a second embodiment of a reversible thermal cushion of the present invention.
FIG. 5 depicts a containing cover of the present invention.
FIG. 6 depicts a third embodiment of the present invention adapted for conventional mattresses.
FIG. 7 depicts a variable innerspring-insert mattress using the invention.
FIG. 8 depicts conventional innerspring mattress incorporating the invention.
FIG. 9 depicts a foam mattress according to the invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
A typical waterbed includes a frame, water bladder or cylinders and ticking cover. The frame may either be a soft-side frame, e.g., one made of foam, or a hard-side frame, e.g., one made of wood.
FIG. 1 depicts a typical soft-side waterbed 10. The top ticking panel 12 may be quilted with a combination of fiber or foam. Ticking panel 12 is disposed with a mating zipper sewn into its perimeter. The mattress has a lightly quilted side wall 14 which has a mating zipper half sewn in its perimeter. Side wall 14 is fixed to a bottom sheet 16 of fabric which underlies the entire upper structure. Foam walls 18 provide outer side structure for the mattress. A safety liner 20 of PVC sheeting fits within the cavity of the frame and overwraps the top and outer surfaces of the foam walls. Bladders or cylinders 22 hold water, and are adjustable in firmness by increasing and decreasing the amount of water held therein. According to the invention, reversible thermal cushion 15 is located between bladders 22 and ticking panel 12. Cushion 15 extends to cover both water bladders 22 and foam walls 18, and prevents a person lying on the bed from feeling a difference in support at the location where the bladders and the foam come together.
FIG. 2 depicts a typical hard-side waterbed 24. In this case, a quilted ticking panel 26 holds in place a reversible thermal cushion 15 according to the invention. The quilted ticking panel 26 and side wall 28 of the unit have mating zipper 30 permitting easy access to water bladder 22. Boarder walls 28 of the cover are sewn into fabric bottom 32 which underlies the entire system. A safety liner 34 is designed to catch and hold water contents of the mattress in the event of any leakage.
In accordance with the invention, a reversible thermal cushion includes a resilient layer. As embodied herein and shown in FIG. 3, reversible thermal cushion 15 has resilient layer 36 preferably made of polyurethane foam. However, resilient layer may be made of other materials, such as fibers, springs and cotton, as known in the art.
Preferably, the polyurethane foam of the resilient layer has a density of at least 1.8 lbs. per cubic foot, and an indention load deflection of not more than 30 lbs. The foam is preferably at least 1.5 inches thick and has a convoluted surface with fingers 38 on one side. Preferably, base section 40 is 0.75 inches thick and fingers 38 are 0.75 inches long. A further preferred embodiment is shown in FIG. 4, the cushion may has a 3-inch layer of foam with a convoluted surface on both sides. The 3-inch foam layer may be made by putting two 11/2 inch foam sections 36 back to back.
In accordance with the invention, a reversible thermal cushion includes an insulating layer. As embodied herein and shown in FIG. 3, the insulating layer 42 comprises a polyethylene film which has aluminum (or other reflective material) vacuum deposited on one side of the film. The film is preferably 0.0025 inches thick. The coated side of the polyethylene film is laminated to a layer of polyurethane foam of between 1/8 inch and 1/16 inch in thickness. The preferable method of laminating is by adhesive. Insulating layer 42 thereby created has the advantage of being flexible, not making "crinkling" or other noises, and preventing bunching, tearing, stretching and breaking when a person lies thereon. Insulating layer 42 is arranged next to the resilient layer 36 such that the reflective surface (i.e., the polyethylene) faces away from the resilient layer.
In the 3-inch resilient layer embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the insulating layer 42 may be sandwiched between the two 11/2 inch foam sections. Alternatively, insulating layer 36 may be located next to the resilient layer such that the reflective surface faces away from the resilient layer, as in the 11/2 inch foam embodiment.
A reversible thermal cushion of the invention can, in cold weather, be arranged such that the reversible thermal cushion is placed with the reflective surface facing a person lying on the bed. So placed, the reversible thermal cushion reflects the person's body heat back toward him or her, and increases the temperature of the area around the person by 2�-4� F. as compared with no reversible thermal cushion. In addition to warming the person, this temperature increase makes condensation less likely. In warm weather, the cushion may be turned over so that the reflective layer does not reflect heat back toward the person on the bed.
In accordance with the invention, the reversible thermal cushion has means for containing the resilient layer and the insulating layer. As embodied herein the containing means includes two polyvinyl chloride ("PVC") sheets 44 and 46 of preferably 8-10 mil. gauge. These sheets are dialectrically heat sealed to each other around the entire perimeter, as known in the art. The PVC sheets have the added advantage of providing a two-layer water and moisture barrier between a person lying on the mattress and the water bladder. If such water barrier is not necessary or desired, then the containing means may be made out of other materials known in the art, such as cloth made of natural or synthetic fiber.
Preferably, as shown in FIG. 5, holes 48 of 1/4-inch diameter are provided in the PVC sheets to allow layers 36 and 42 to breathe. These holes also allow air to escape and prevent the containing means from ballooning when a person lies on the reversible thermal cushion. Commercially available breather buttons can be substituted for holes 48.
The cushion may also have means for maintaining alignment of the insulating layer and the resilient layer comprising plastic or aluminum rivets 50 and washers 52 (shown in FIG. 3 and 4) located about the perimeter of the convoluted foam panels and the insulating layer to keep those layers in alignment. Other alignment maintaining means can be used such as laminating and tying the layers together.
The reversible thermal cushion of the invention may be adapted to provide a removable cushion for a mattress. Such a cushion is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiments, cushion 15 is preferably fitted with corner attachments such as elastic straps 54 which can be placed around the corners of, for example, an innerspring, air or foam mattress.
The reversible thermal cushion of the invention may be incorporated into various other kinds of bedding. FIG. 7 shows reversible thermal cushion in a novel innerspring insert mattress 56. Ticking panel 12 covers an reversible thermal cushion 15 according to the invention. Foam walls 18 provide a support frame for innerspring inserts 58, 60 and 62. These inserts may be designed to have different levels of firmness. By exchanging one insert for another one of different firmness, a user can vary the firmness of the mattress in different areas. Foam, air, cotton, and other resilient materials known in the art may be substituted for the springs in inserts 58, 60, and 62.
FIG. 8 shows a reversible thermal cushion according to the invention used in a conventional innerspring mattress 64. Quilted panel 26 and lightly quilted sidewalls 28 form a cover for the innerspring system 66. Reversible thermal cushion 15 is placed above the springs. Access to the inside of mattress 64 may be provided by zippers 30. Cushion 15 can be reversed by accessing the cushion using zipper 30, or the entire mattress may be reversed if both the top and bottom surfaces are quilted. In a mattress of this type foam, air, cotton, and other resilient materials known in the art may be substituted for the springs.
FIG. 9 depicts a thermal mattress 68 according to the invention. Thermal mattress 68 is similar to the reversible thermal cushion of the invention. Resilient layer 36 is made from polyurethane foam. Preferably, the foam is convoluted on both the top and bottom surfaces. Further preferably, the foam is approximately 5 inches thick. Insulating layer 42 is located adjacent to the foam layer. The foam layer and the insulating layer are contained together as a unit. In order to vary the thermal characteristics of the mattress zipper 30 can be used to access the mattress, and resilient layer 36 and foam layer 42 may be reversed, or the entire mattress may be reversed if both the top and bottom surfaces are quilted, so that the reflective surface of the insulating layer faces away from a person lying on the bed.
A reversible thermal cushion as described above in connection with a waterbed mattress may be used in a variety of applications such as innerspring mattresses, foam mattresses, air mattresses, futons, sitting surfaces, back cushions, headrests, sleeping bag inserts, blankets, recliners with heat and massage units, shoe inserts, carpet underlaying, chairs, stadium cushions, motion furniture, sleep sofas, hideaway beds, and medical mattresses.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the reversible thermal cushion of the present application and in the construction of this cushion without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
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