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01/24/2009, Tenacatita
Pictured is our boat, Calou, anchored at Tenacatita Bay. This is a beautiful anchorage with calm, warm waters. We spent the afternoon at the beach, playing in the surf, having lunch at a palapa restaurant on the beach, and meeting with other cruisers for a Rubber Ducky contest.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
01/24/2009, Tenacatita
The cruisers organized a Rubber Ducky contest; each of us bet on which ducky would make it to shore first. As it turns out, we bet on a "Santa Claus" ducky that came in 3rd.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
We do plan to fly home in March to do some spring skiing, though.
Pascale enjoying a beer at Chamela Bay.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
We had a nice evening at anchor at Chamela. This morning we decided to go snorkeling by a nearby reef, then we took the dinghy to the beach by the little village. The surf was a little rough for a beach landing so we anchored the dinghy about a hundred yards off shore and swam to shore. We had our wallet, towels, and dry shirts in a "dry bag" so we could look presentable ashore.
We had lunch at a little palapa restaurant on the beach, garlic shrimp and diablo shrimp for Pascale and me, and fish and quesadillas for the boys. Then we loaded our gear back into the dry bags and swam through the surf back out to our dinghy, and then rode the dinghy back to Calou.
At that point we started preparing to depart Chamela bay to head towards Tenacatita. Tenacatita has something of a reputation among cruisers as a favorite destination. People have been known to spend years at anchor in "Ten Bay". We're looking forward to seeing what the hulabaloo is all about.
We should be arriving at Tenacatita right around sunset, about 7 PM.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
We spent the evening on the hook at Bahia Ipala, enjoying dinner on board and afterwards a movie (a comedy, "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People" -- funny!) before going to bed early. The plan was to get up at first morning light and be on our way so we could make it to Tenacatita before dark.
Alas, this was not to be because it took us half an hour to raise the anchor. We would run the electric windlass, and the chain would come up very slowly, and then after three feet or so, the circuit breaker would pop and have to be reset. After going through several cycles like this we thought that the electric windlass motor was burned out and didn't have sufficient power.
As the sun came up over the horizon, however, we could see better and I noticed that the bow roller, a rubber roller that the chain runs over before going down into the water, was cocked at an odd angle. On further inspection it turned out that the bolt that holds the roller in place had simply unscrewed itself. Fortunately, I was able to screw the bolt back into place.
We were then able to raise the anchor easily, and so we were under way, though after daybreak, not before as we had planned.
So rather than sail all the way to Tenacatita, we are planning to stop one anchorage short, an interesting spot called Bahia Carreyes. It is named after the Carrey Turtles that nest there. According to the guide, there is a nice hotel and a restaurant on the beach there. I wonder if they serve turtle soup -- not! Maybe we can see some turtle nesting grounds (though that happens in December).
We noticed there are millions of sea turtles in the water around us. You can spot a turtle from a long distance, its domed back poking above the water surface, often with a sea bird perched on its back.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
We had a great sail south from Ipala, with 12 knots of breeze on the beam, we were able to make 6 knots under sail.
Along the way, we saw a fantastic display of whales playing very near our boat.
At one point, while we were running the engine, the motor stopped. I determined that a fuel filter had clogged. We have two fuel tanks, so we switched to the other tank. Then I showed Francois how to bleed the air out of a diesel engine fuel system to get it running again.
We had hoped to make it to Carreyes, but that would have put us arriving at sunset, with no margin for error. So we decided to pull in earlier at Chamela Bay. We got into Chamela just around 630 PM and dropped anchor in 20 feet of water. I tested the anchor by running the engine in reverse and looking to see if the boat moves. It did, which indicated we didn't have good holding. So we decided to raise anchor and try somewhere else.
In raising anchor we had trouble with the windlass again; the circuit breaker kept popping off. As a result it took a long time to raise the anchor in order to reset it elsewhere. We finally got the anchor up, and set it down in a different location, where we found firm holding.
When we get to a marina, I will have to look at the windlass and consider replacing it. It's clearly not up to the task.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
We departed Puerto Vallart this morning at 8 a.m., sailed out of Banderas Bay and headed south. Conditions were light with winds under 10 knots. This was a good thing because the point, Cabo Corrientes ("Cape of Currents") is notorious for big seas due to the washing-machine effect of the currents washing around the point. With the light winds the passage wasn't bad at all.
Initially our destination was to be Chamela, but after rounding the Cape we found that we would not make it by nightfall, so we decided to head for nearby Ipala Bay. This is a small anchorage with a tiny fishing village at one end. The anchorage is tight because most of the inlet's good anchoring spots are taken up with oyster pots.
We'll leave Ipala early tomorrow morning to get to Chamela.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011
We have prepared the boat to depart Puerto Vallarta early Wednesday morning, destination Chamela. This anchorage is 65 nm south of PV.
We'll leave at sunrise so that we can be assured to arrive in Chamela before dark.
|Mexico Sailing Trip 2008-2011


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Closure of Duke Energy's Nuke Plant Opens Up More Natural Gas Opportunities
CEO Jim Rogers cautions against an over-reliance on Natural Gas
Duke Energy's decision to close its troubled nuclear unit in Florida may typify the times: inexpensive and abundant natural gas coupled with the uncertainty of building coal plants and the high expense associated with nuclear facilities.
Duke will take the next 40 to 60 years to completely decommission its Chrystal River plant in Florida and in doing so, it will avoid repair costs of $3 billion over eight years. A combined-cycled natural gas plant is easy to permit and relatively cheap to run, making it the natural option to eventually replace the one to be retired. Duke, however, is not alone. It will be joined by Dominion Resources, which also plans to eliminate a nuclear unit in Wisconsin.
"This has been an arduous process of modeling, engineering, analysis and evaluation over many months," says Duke's Chief Executive James Rogers, in a formal statement. "The decision was very difficult, but it is the right choice."
The nuclear unit in question gained the national spotlight in July 2012 when Duke's board used it as the reason to ditch its newfound leader just hours after the Duke-Progress deal consummated. The board fired Bill Johnson, saying that the 2009 idling of Chrystal River was too costly to ratepayers and stockholders.
Unit 3 there, which is 36-years-old and 860 megawatts, had a crack in the containment wall. But when engineers and contractors sought to fix it, more such fissures formed. After examining the price tab to remedy the issue, Duke's new board decided to shut it down. The money to pay for the dismantling will come from escrow accounts and its insurance carrier that will pay $835 million.
Nuclear energy has its champions: The fuel form, which is relatively emissions-free, is a bonus for climate advocates while the uranium that is used to feed the reactors is plentiful. And for three-plus decades, the plants had become reliable and efficient, running at 90-plus percent capacity rates -- more than any other form of electric generation. To top it off, no major accidents had occurred here.
Then Fukushima happened in March 2011. And that caused the world community to pause and to reexamine its nuclear energy options. While nuclear concerns around the world are cooperating in an effort to prevent such a disaster again, the shale gas phenomenon, or unconventional natural gas, keeps persisting.
Portfolio Diversification
After two units are retired, the nation will have 102 nuclear plants that supply 20 percent of the country's electricity. However, four new facilities are scheduled to be operational by 2017, two of which are to be controlled by Southern Co. and two of which are to be owned South Carolina's Scana Corp.
What now? "As someone who loves nuclear, it is a large speculation," says John Rowe, former chief executive of Exelon. "It is 30 years before it breaks even. I think the combination of low natural gas prices and Fukushima will set a real nuclear renaissance back by several decades. "We should maintain the technical knowledge if it would be needed 20 years from now. But I'm genuinely uncertain that it will be needed."
Utilities, meanwhile, understand the need for a balanced energy portfolio. Duke's Rogers had earlier said to this reporter that shale gas "seems too good to be true." That is, in 2007 the U.S. Energy Information Administration did not list any such gas in its forecast. And today the picture is much different.
At the same time, he is also concerned about the vast amount of water that is required to frack, calling water the "new oil." Furthermore, natural gas has methane releases associated with it, which have come under scrutiny lately for creating more of a greenhouse gas effect than coal -- a proposition that the natural gas industry says is untrue and that methane dissipates after 20 years.
For its part, Duke relies on natural gas to fuel about 15 percent of its generation. Nuclear and coal provide most of the rest. As part of its agreement with the state of North Carolina, it is shutting down some older coal fired plants and replacing them with modern natural gas combined cycle facilities. It's also building a supercritical coal unit in the state, as well as a coal gasification facility in Indiana -- moves that had previously received state regulatory approvals.
"We have a portfolio of options," says Rogers. "That's been the secret to our 40-year plan."
The Crystal River closing is a set back for the nuclear industry that gets at both the plant's high maintenance cost and the availability of inexpensive options to replace it. On over-reliance on natural gas, though, will eventually come back to bite -- the main reason why Duke and others are advising utilities to diversify their fuels.
EnergyBiz Insider has been awarded the Gold for Original Web Commentary presented by the American Society of Business Press Editors. The column is also the Winner of the 2011 Online Column category awarded by Media Industry News, MIN. Ken Silverstein has been honored as one of MIN's Most Intriguing People in Media.
Twitter: @Ken_Silverstein
Crystal River Nuclear Toast
This plant nearly broke the back of what was then the Investor-Owned Utility Florida Power Corp when it was originally built. Like many nuclear power plants; it cost more to build than was anticipated, and took longer to complete. But the crack in the walls are a hoot. Who but broke people would use non-coated rebar in a salt-saturated coastal area? There are more than a few cracks in this containment building. Salt, oxygen and REDOX have worked thier magic once again. At least Florida nuclear plants no loner operate under the impediment of requireing professional engineers to be on staff. That move has to save some rate payer money. Are there any Investor-owned utilities left; or is all that stock once owned by individual investors now in the hands of holding companies? Do these holding companies pay-out dividends at the same rate they now receive them. And is Duke going to actually pay the taxes it owes to Citrus County. The world waits and wonders. But Citrus County schools and police and fire services are shutting down. Maybe they are experiencing a lack of power.
Natural Gas Pricing affects Nuclear and Coal Plants
Retirement and conversion of coal-fired power plants will continue based on economics i.e. cost of construction and operating costs – most notably Natural Gas. Similarly the retirement of older nuclear plants, requiring significant retrofit, will be replaced by Natural Gas.
Per "Duke to Close Troubled Plants", Smith, R.; The Wall Street Journal; 2/6/13, pg.B2, Duke recently built a 900 MW natural gas plant [similar in size to Crystal River] for about $900MM as opposed to $1.5 - $3 Billion to repair Crystal River.
So Natural Gas plants are less expensive to build and, as long, gas prices stay below $6/MBTU the resultant annualized cost favor these plants over nuclear or coal. Please see my paper "Goodwin, R.W.; "Natural Gas Power Plants' Fuel of Choice"; Energy Pulse Weekly; July 26, 2011".
Richard W. Goodwin West Palm Beach FL 2/6/13

subset: commoncrawl


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St. Louis County (KSDK) - Students in the Ritenour School District collected more than 28,200 food items for families in need.
Nonperishable food items were collected, along with turkeys and potatoes for Thanksgiving feasts.
The amount of food collected this year exceeds last year's total by nearly 2,000 items.
The food will be donated to local food pantries as the Joint Charities Christmas Basket Program. Ritenour High School is also collecting money to be donated to the charity.
Earlier this school year Ritenour High School collected 1,443 pounds of canned food for a collection sponsored by Del Monte and Shop 'N Save.


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"Easy purchase. Nice fit. " (E79269)
"The only thing that was not to our expectations, was we paid for the the wording "Coach" on the two XXL jerseys, and they did not have it on them? Everything else was excellent! The kids loved the jerseys...!!!
Thanks again,
Nicole Arizpe" (E1467)
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Epic Sports
Badger Touchdown Football Jerseys [E27024]


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National Alliance on Mental Illness
page printed from http://www2.nami.org/
(800) 950-NAMI; email@example.com
Senators Fall Short in Effort to Fund Medical Research
The Senate on September 10 passed the FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Education bill (HR 2660) by a vote of 94 to 0, ending seven days of partisan, and at times bitter, debate over overtime pay and spending for education and health. Final passage occurred after the Senate rejected an effort to add an additional $1.5 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget – including the National Institute of Mental health (NIMH). The Senate defeated a motion to waive a budget point of order against an amendment offered by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The 52 to 43 vote on the motion fell 8 votes short of the 60 needed to waive the point of order.
The amendment, which would have declared the additional $1.5 billion as emergency spending not subject to a previously agreed to overall spending limit for Labor-HHS bill, would have provided NIH a total increase of $2.5 billion (9.2%) over FY 2003. As passed by the Senate, the bill includes $27.982 billion for NIH, a $1 billion (3.7%) increase.
NAMI wishes to express its appreciation to the 52 Senators who supported additional funds for medical research. This includes 35 Senate Democrats, 16 Republicans, and 1 Independent. Republicans supporting the motion were Bennett (UT), Brownback (KS), Campbell (CO), Coleman (MN), Collins (ME), DeWine (OH), Dole (NC), Domenici (NM), Hatch (UT), Hutchison (TX), Murkowski (AK), Roberts (KS), Shelby (AL), Snowe (ME), Specter (PA), and Stevens (AK).
The FY 2004 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill now moves to a House & Senate Conference Committee. They will be charged with reconciling the separate House and Senate bills before the new federal fiscal year begins on October 1. The members of the House-Senate Conference Committee are expected to be named next week.
Read additional background materials on the FY 2004 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.


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Royals announce Pepsi Max Pick 15 Plan
The Royals are introducing a new ticket package – the Pepsi Max Pick 15 Plan – for the 2011 season. Through the Pepsi Max Plan, fans will have the opportunity to choose from all 81 home games – including Opening Day presented by Sprint and great premium games versus the Cubs, Cardinals, Yankees and Red Sox – in customizing their perfect game plan.
Plans start at just $135 for a minimum of 15 games, but fans are invited to personalize their plans by adding additional games at discounted prices. Fans purchasing the plan will also receive a voucher for a free two-liter bottle of Pepsi Max redeemable at local Hy-Vee stores.
Tickets are available in a number of seating categories – Field Box, Field Plaza, Loge Box, Loge Outfield, Outfield Box, Rivals Outfield Box, Hy-Vee Reserved Box, Hy-Vee Infield, Hy-Vee Box and Hy-Vee View.
The Pepsi Max Pick 15 Plan is available now for a limited time only. For more details and pricing information, please visit www.royals.com/pick15. Fans may also contact the Royals Sales Department by calling (816) 504-4040, option 2, or emailing email@example.com.
For fans interested in securing rights to the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, the club is also offering several season ticket packages. All full-season ticket holders will be guaranteed the opportunity to purchase the same number of 2012 All-Star Game strips as seats on their account. Same package(s) and number of seats must be renewed for the 2011 and 2012 seasons for the best 2012 All-Star Game priority.


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Wednesday News, October 24
Local School Enrollment Increases
(Le Mars) -- Le Mars Community Schools have more students attending than last year. Assistant Superintendent Steve Webner reported to the Board of Education that the certified enrollment is listed at 2066 which is an increase of 26 students from last year's certified enrollment. School district officials also released the annual progress report to the Le Mars Community School Board during their meeting held Monday. Assistant superintendent Webner says the school district is required to provide the information as per the stipulations of the No Child Left Behind, and it follows the district's mission statement.
Webner says Le Mars community students have performed well and in many cases they score better than students from across the state.
Listen to
Webner says Le Mars graduating seniors have performed well on their college entrance ACT exams when compared to other students across the state.
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Those annual progress reports will be published and distributed to the public within the next few weeks.
St. Joseph Catholic Church Hosts Community Day
(Le Mars) -- Today is Community Day for the new St. Joseph Catholic Church in Le Mars. Following Sunday's dedication ceremonies, the church is welcoming everyone from the greater Le Mars area, regardless of religious preference, to come and visit the new church building. St. Joseph's is hosting the weekly Chamber coffee that begins at 9:30 and continues until 10:30 a.m. In addition, Father Kevin Richter will offer several "teaching tours" to explain the various elements of the Catholic Church environment and liturgy. Throughout the day, the open house will continue for the entire Le Mars community, providing the opportunity for friends and neighbors who are not parish members or who are not Catholic to tour the new facility. The teaching tours are scheduled for 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Smoke Detected At Plymouth County Historical Museum
(Le Mars) -- Staff members of the Plymouth County Historical Museum smelled and saw smoke in their building yesterday afternoon which prompted a call to the Le Mars Fire Department. Fire Chief Dave Schipper says the reason for the smoke was a motor that had burned out with the furnace.
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There was no damage done to any of the museum's artifacts as a result of the smoke.
Chamber To Hold Halloween Trick or Treat Activities
(Le Mars) -- The Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce is planning some extra fun for area children this Halloween. On Saturday, October 27th children can come to the Olson Cultural Event Center and go trick or treating. Businesses located outside of downtown Le Mars will hand out treats at the event center. Jenni Smit, Le Mars Chamber Main Street Vice President says there will be an area set up at the Olson Cultural Event Center with scarecrows and pumpkins for families to take some fun photos. Children can come in costume to the Olson Cultural Event Center beginning at 11:00 a.m. Face painting will occur at the Le Mars Arts Center between 9:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Following the distribution of candy and other treats at the Olson Cultural Event Center, the children can visit the downtown businesses for additional treats, and end at the Le Mars Public Library where children will be given a gently used book.
Sioux City Man Hangs Himself At Wapello County Jail
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) - Authorities say an inmate at the Wapello County jail in Ottumwa was found dead in his cell from an apparent hanging.
The Ottumwa Courier says the sheriff's office says 18-year-old John Connell, of Sioux City, was found unresponsive in his cell on Monday. He was charged in Wapello County with a number of sex
crimes and possessing contraband inside a correctional facility.
An autopsy by the state medical examiner's office is pending.
Branstad Considering Changing Tax Liability
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Terry Branstad says he's considering a proposal that would let Iowa taxpayers decide if they want to deduct the federal taxes they pay from their state tax liability or just pay a lower flat state income tax rate.
Branstad says discussions are in the early stages and models are being used to determine what the proposed flat tax rate might be. Currently, Iowa's top marginal income tax rate is 8.9 percent, but
ends up in the 6 percent range once federal taxes are deducted from a taxpayer's state liability.
Branstad says the proposal is part of a tax reform package for the 2013 legislative session on property and income taxes.
He spoke about the plans on Tuesday to members of the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress.
Woman General In Charge Of Iowa Air National Guard
JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Air National Guard has its first female brigadier general.
The guard says Jennifer Walter, of Indianola, was promoted to brigadier general on Oct. 14 during a ceremony at the 132nd Fighter Wing in Des Moines. She will assume duties as the Iowa Air Guard's
chief of staff.
Walter was promoted to colonel in 2005. Since January 2011, she has served as the 132nd Fighter Wing's vice wing commander.
Walter is a native of Springfield, Mo., and graduated from North High School in Sioux City in 1974. She began her military career in 1975 in the Kansas Air National Guard before joining the Iowa Air
Guard later in the year.
She has been deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan.


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Wizards Work Magic Against Heavyweights
A three-game home stand against the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets awaited the Washington Wizards inside the Verizon Center in the first week of February. But the Wizards didn't even flinch at a trio of heavy weights, knocking down the visitors one by one.
Both Chris Singleton and Bradley Beal returned to the rotation, sparking a well-balanced attack that helped the Wizards win three straight.
Feb. 4—Washington 98, Los Angeles Clippers 90: With Chris Paul already sidelined with a knee injury, it didn't help the traveling Clippers when Blake Griffin tweaked his hamstring in warmups, sidelining the 2009 No. 1 overall pick. In the stars' absences, John Wall, the top pick in 2010, and the rest of the Wizards used a short 5-0 run late in the fourth quarter to seize a comfortable lead. Five players scored in double figures for Washington and Emeka Okafor finished with nine points and 15 rebounds. Washington tied Los Angeles rebounds (44-44) which allowed reserve forward Martell Webster's five three pointers to decide the game.
Feb. 6—Washington 106, New York 96: The Knicks came into town with a full roster and the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. But Washington used 11 three pointers, including five each from Webster and Trevor Ariza, to spark an upset in front of an arena divided between Wizards and packs of Knicks fans. Wall (21 points, nine assists), Ariza (20 points) and Webster (19) made sure the home crowd left with something to brag about. Six Wizards scored in double figures and the home team outscored the Knicks 36-23 in the final quarter with Wall leading the way with 10 points in that quarter. With the win, Washington snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Knicks.
Feb. 8—Washington 89 vs. Brooklyn Nets, 74: With the Clippers and Knicks both beaten and behind them, Washington stormed into the final game of the home stand against Brooklyn, landing early punches that translated into a 51-31 halftime lead. From there, all that Nene (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Wall (15 points, nine assists) had to do was hang on and coast to a lopsided victory. Washington locked the Nets down defensively, holding them to 32 percent from the field and 27 percent from long range. Washington seized the game in the second quarter, highlighted by a 22-2 run and an 11-point, 4-of-22 shooting performance by Brooklyn.
Washington (14-35) still doesn't have the record to show for it, but they've been playing superb basketball the past few weeks, shedding the label of worst team in the league. They have beaten five of the six leaders of the NBA's divisions and are rounding into a team that has the look of an obvious contender next season. Though a playoff run is unlikely thanks to the early slump, the Wizards are 10-7 over their last 17 games and have gone 8-1 in their last nine home games.
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Patient dedication
Healthcare | Charity clinics often focus on changing unhealthy behavior, but it takes a long-term outlook and patients who want to change
"Patient dedication" Continued...
Atlanta's Good Samaritan Health Center sits on a hill in a modern, $2.3 million white building that's wildly different from the run-down tire shops and soul food joints surrounding it. The road leading here is narrow and lined with weeds and construction cones.
Inside, full-time staff physician David Derrer moves through one of his typical days, with 14 scheduled appointments before noon. "I'll probably work through lunch," he says, while making notes on a patient's file. He steps into a room and greets Kirk, a young African-American man who recently lost his job and home. Kirk lives at a local homeless shelter until things get better. With high blood pressure, he can't get work as a truck driver.
"Are you still smoking?" Derrer asks. Kirk nods: "You got any meds for that? You know, to quit?" Derrer looks at him: "Are you ready to quit?" Kirk chuckles and looks down, shaking his head. Derrer pats his arm. "I'll give you medicine when you're ready." Then he prays with him: for the blood pressure, for the need to quit smoking, and for work.
Sharon, a middle-aged African-American woman, is one of the patients who has changed. She carries a quart-sized plastic juice bottle full of water wherever she goes, but she didn't used to. Six years ago she first came to the clinic with unmanaged diabetes. She had been caring for her daughter with cerebral palsy, leaving no time to take care of herself. Without insurance, she had no way to pay for her regular medical care.
Doctors at Good Samaritan taught her the importance of exercise, nutrition, and drinking plenty of water. Sharon now exercises more and eats better. Since her daughter's recent death, she has let some of her new habits go, but she plans to go back to them. During her daughter's final days, Sharon says she found comfort and help from her doctors at Good Samaritan. She still seems surprised that one doctor took her hands and prayed with her: "How many doctors you know take a personal stand with you?"
Changing patient behavior: That's a crucial challenge for clinics serving poor and uninsured patients. Many are overweight and suffer from chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease brought on by stress and bad habits—smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, and poor diets. These patients frequent hospital emergency rooms, which aren't designed to treat chronic disease.
Charity clinics have increasingly stepped into that gap. Shepherds Clinic in Baltimore offers relationship-emphasizing wellness programs, focusing on long-term rather than short-term change. Shepherds, which sits on a knoll surrounded by bright pink rose bushes, has walls painted in variations of yellow, blue, and green. Jessica, the brown-haired receptionist, greets patients as they walk in, calling some of them by name as they approach the desk.
Located in a rough section of Baltimore, Shepherds serves "a stressed-out population." The surrounding neighborhood has record high rates of homicide and hypertension, statistics that form a powerful contrast with Shepherds' bulletin boards that advertise the clinic gardening club, yoga classes, and healthy eating and cooking workshops.
The clinic's working poor patients don't have insurance. They make too much money for Medicaid, so if they didn't come to Shepherds, they'd be using the local emergency room. Executive director Jack VandenHengel says the clinic's patients are focused on paying rent, avoiding eviction, and keeping utilities on: "People come here at their wit's end. Their world is falling apart. … They need a primary care physician who will pay attention to them over time."
The clinic's staff confronts a fatalistic mentality that asks, "Why would you do anything different if you're just going to be dead?" That's where classes about cooking healthy foods, gardening, and exercising fit in: They encourage patients to take off bad habits and put on better ones. Even with all the offerings, the clinic staff can't force patients to take advantage of the free resources. It often takes months before a patient ventures beyond the examining room to see what else the clinic offers.
Patient counselor Susan Hildebrant is deep in conversation with a man who wandered into Zarephath Health Clinic in Zarephath, N.J. He didn't have an actual appointment: He just needed to talk. Hildebrant says part of her job involves talking to people who don't have friends, family, or other support networks. Sometimes those random conversations open up opportunities to discuss spiritual things.
The clinic serves mostly low-income Hispanic families, but it also sees students and anyone unemployed and without insurance. Sometimes patients see the doctor. Sometimes they see both counselor and doctor. Hildebrant explains to patients basic stuff: why it is important to eat healthier food, how to budget, and what to cook. She says her patients see fast food as a better meal than banana and peanut butter, which costs about the same but is healthier. Hildebrant says many Hispanic diabetics find it hard to limit their intake of rice, a cultural staple.
The process of behavioral change can be painfully slow. It requires cultural understanding. Wayne Aoki, mental health director at Los Angeles Christian Health Center, says the responsibility for change belongs to patients, not doctors. Attempts to badger patients into compliance never work: "In some ways it's like you are laying out a cost-benefit analysis for your patients."
For many impoverished people, healthcare isn't a priority. They aren't in the habit of making and keeping appointments. That can be a problem when specialists agree to see a patient for free. No-shows waste specialists' time, making the doctors less likely to offer charity care in the future.
Project Access NW, a program that matches needy patients with specialists in Seattle and its environs, helps people become good patients. "Teaching responsibility is integral to our success," executive director Sallie Neillie says. Among Medicaid patients, the missed appointment rate is over 30 percent—but at Project Access it is 5 percent, because mentors counsel patients repeatedly before they ever see a doctor. The program kicks out patients who miss more than two appointments: "We want them to make us part of their team. To help them, they have to play by the rules."
Some patient populations are more difficult to reach and teach. Shelter Health Services, a clinic on the grounds of a Charlotte women's shelter, deals with many homeless women. One patient, Theresa, came to Shelter Health Services to get a glucose meter to help her manage her diabetes. Lisa Bishop, clinic manager and R.N., warns Theresa that her diabetes demands careful behavior such as not walking around barefoot and having a doctor clip her toenails to prevent infection.
"Did they go over dietary guidelines with you?" Bishop asks. Theresa shakes her head no, so Bishop proceeds to tell her the foods she needs to avoid. Most people think of cookies and desserts, she says, but watch the potatoes, corn, and bread. Bishop then grabs a meter out of her desk and scoots her chair over until she is inches from Theresa. She counts out test strips, places them in a small black bottle, and says, "This will last you for 10 days. Let me show you how to use it."
As Theresa watches, Bishop clicks a small needle into the device and demonstrates the process step by step. Then she hands the device to Theresa: "Now you try it." Theresa holds it tentatively between her fingers. She has a hard time getting the needle to click. "It's OK," Bishop says. "It takes practice." Theresa whispers, "I used to watch my mom do this when I was growing up."
About a third of the people staying at the women's shelter suffer from a chronic disease. Brochures in the diagnostic room cover the most common: diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV-AIDS, and TB. Since the clinic works with such a transient group of patients, staff members focus on education, jumping on teachable moments. "Repetition is the key," Bishop says.
The clinic hosts biweekly educational workshops and makes sure they are interactive and use familiar terms. "At the end, we offer HIV testing and get the results in 20 minutes," Bishop explained. At the clinic's open forums, women sometimes ask questions like, "Why is weed a bad drug?" and "Why do my feet always stink?"
Clinics like Shelter Health Services rely on teachable moments, but others feature a calendar of classes. Charlotte Community Health Clinic (CCHC) has an education room furnished with 15 black chairs facing a whiteboard and television at the front of the room. CCHC offers classes including exercise for people with arthritis, introduction to diabetes, and how to read nutrition labels. Patients with chronic diseases come to the clinic every three months for disease management and lab work—services that emergency rooms can't provide.
Angela Williams, 50, a heavyset woman dressed in a sparkly purple halter top and black leggings, walks across the grassy area behind CCHC. Peering into the seven raised garden beds, she searches for signs of buds, but the young plants aren't producing blueberries or peppers yet. Williams first came to the clinic five years ago because she had a cold. She was grieving her mother's death and handling her grief by eating.
Nurses at the clinic told her she was at risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure because of her weight. It took years for Williams to change her behavior: "It's very hard. … If it weren't for this program, I could be dead."
She finally went to the diabetes class, the hypertension class, the diet class, and the exercise class: "Whatever they had, I would take an early lunch and go!" She lost 85 pounds over the past year and credits the clinic. She learned from a nutritionist the size of a proper portion—and holds up an open hand to demonstrate. As Williams learned about nutrition, her family benefited: "My family knows we are going to have salad three times a week. We have turkey and baked chicken. If we have fried, it will be once a month."
Jill Lipson, a patient education coordinator, set up the clinic's well-organized calendar of events, including supermarket tours—Spanish-speaking patients tour Compare Foods, and English-speaking patients tour Food Lion. Some of the education programs are limited to specific patients who need special attention, Lipson says: "We have to do it hands-on to really get it."
Clinics often woo patients through cooking classes. Alene H. is one of a dozen people gathered inside a large class-style kitchen at Church Health Center Wellness in Memphis. Today they're learning how to make stuffed vinaigrette chicken and a cucumber salad.
Alene has attended every cooking class offered over the past year: "I've learned to like things I didn't think I would like." Squash and artichokes for example: "Now I bake a lot of food instead of frying. Catfish, chicken … you know. I bake it now." She moves the food around in the skillet. "I use less salt. Sometimes you don't have to use salt at all."
Linda Stewart, 52, has lost 20 pounds since coming to the cooking classes. She's lowered her A1C level, which measures blood sugar, from 11 to 7: "I've learned how to cook with in-season vegetables." She bakes instead of frying and uses more herbs.
Many of the women come to the classes for fellowship. Helen, 69, isn't as concerned with rapid weight loss as she is with keeping up with her friends. She walks regularly and wants to lower her blood pressure, but for now she's here for conversation.
Julia Brown, 40, agrees: "The members here drag me to every class," she says, laughing. She started coming to the Wellness Center after suffering from congestive heart failure. Her doctor said if she didn't get her heart rate up, she wouldn't see her daughter graduate from high school. Now, she comes to cooking classes, workout classes, and the gym upstairs where she says friendly trainers work with her to reach goals. So far she's lost 10 pounds: "I look forward to getting up. I feel healthier."
Barbara Golden, 63, suffered two heart attacks that initially left her paralyzed from the waist down. You can't tell that by looking at her now: Thanks to years of therapy at the Wellness Center, she's learning to cook. She takes recipes home to pass on to her grandson, breaking generational habits in the process.
Broken spirits
A day in the life of a Buffalo clinic
By Chelsea Boes
Nurse practitioner Takesha Leonard sits behind a desk at Jericho Road Family Practice on Genesee Street in Buffalo, N.Y. It's a clinic with a mission "to demonstrate Jesus' unconditional love to the whole person." She wears a stethoscope around her neck, and a long skirt. She also wears very high heels: gray with white letters on them, and has an extra pair of heels, red, shoved under the desk.
The 4-foot-11-inch Leonard grew up in the Bronx and came to Jericho Road two years ago, where she serves African-Americans, Latinos, Vietnamese, Iraqis, and others. A sign on the front door lists office hours in 10 languages.
The Family Practice delivers babies and offers sick care, saving Buffalo residents from going to the ER every time they are sick. The staff also works to prevent chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes. Leonard convinced Jimmy, an Iraqi client with a convenience store across the street, to sell fruits, vegetables, and grilled food instead of the greasy food that was helping to create more patients.
At first only about eight clients came to the practice daily, but then the employees "went door-knockin'." They learned that neighbors couldn't afford food, much less brand-name medication. Now Family Practice sees 20-35 patients daily.
The greatest thing about the work, for Leonard, has been including spiritual help in the practice. She created a form for patients to fill out asking them to comment on their personal health—and she left a box at the bottom asking about their spiritual well-being. She wasn't prepared for the response she received to the "spiritual" box. Patients began to flood her with their spiritual concerns, and often with the simple request: "Pray for me."
She had no plan for processing people's spiritual needs. (Yvette, the secretary in the next room, said, "I told you not to make that form!") Patients started coming for counseling instead of medical problems. Jericho Road CEO Dr. Glick isn't going to pay her for being a spiritual adviser, but Leonard still endeavors to help the people spiritually. The worst part about it all is the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness: "I wish I coulda done more."
The day I visited, Leonard took a call about a woman living in a shelter with her nine children, who had been bitten by rats. Leonard expects them to come in later this afternoon, although she really doesn't have time to see them: "You cry, but you have to help them so you can go home and sleep at night."
In the waiting room, the carpet is stained and the white top of the plastic play desk is scribbled all over with crayon. A pregnant mother comes in with two small children, a girl and a boy. She leans against the counter and commands, "Go play." The girl has stringy blonde hair, wears a ruffled skirt with pink polka dots. She announces that her name is "Ladybug" and also Gabby, then waves three fingers, indicating her age, then says, "Mommy, my heart is breakin'."
Wyatt, the boy, moans constantly. He obeys his mother and begins to scoot across the floor on a plastic bike, which he rides backward. "Come over here, I'll give you a book," says the secretary from behind the desk.
A slim black girl comes in, hair shorn, T-shirt torn (in a manner that indicates artistry rather than poverty). She wears an African wrap around the waist. She draws out an iPhone. She examines her fingernails. A Korean woman in the row of chairs on the left has a toddler boy on her lap. She looks at the point of tears. A slow-moving woman emerges from the hallway containing the exam rooms, and heads toward the bathroom in the waiting room. Finding it occupied, she sighs and takes out a wrinkled tissue.
While Wyatt learns to propel himself backward—the strings of his white hair fly up like spaghetti—no one watches. Then the pregnant mom slings Wyatt over her shoulder and tickles his stomach. She hangs him upside down from her lap and his hair falls like Einstein's and his face looks like a little sun. He laughs.
Gabby stares at the black girl from a proximity too near for politeness. But the black girl just falls asleep against the wall. The Korean toddler begins to cry. His mother kisses and kisses and kisses him. In the hallway Takesha Leonard travels between exam rooms, still wearing her high heels.
On the walls in the hall: Chart holders, an eye chart, a map of the world, a poster featuring a pill bottle that says "Rx. Chastity. Take Once Daily Till Marriage. Waiting is Easier."
Even in this waiting room.


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I experienced the following problem, using the Zimbra Connector 5.0.10GA:
I have a folder located in a shared mailbox, I need to move the folder to my own mailbox, then I receive an error fro Outlook.
After further investigations, I tried to to the same operation by means of the IMAP protocolo using thunderbird: again, it fails.
Even in the Web client I get an error if I try to do the very same operation, simply it is not possible to transfer entire folders from a shared mailbox to my own.
I gave myself admin permission when I shared the mailbox, so it doesn't appear as a permissions issue.
Is it just a design limitation, or could it be signaled as a Bug ? I searched various topics in the forum, but nobody seems to come out to a solution.


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This medication is used to treat a certain type of nerve disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease). Riluzole helps to slow down the worsening of this disease and prolong survival. However, it is not a cure for ALS, and it does not reverse nerve damage or muscle weakness. Riluzole is thought to work by protecting the nerves in the brain and spinal cord from too much of a natural substance called glutamate that may be part of the cause of nerve damage.
Take this medication by mouth, usually every 12 hours on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal or as directed by your doctor.
Do not increase your dose or take this medication more often than prescribed. There is no increased benefit with higher doses, but the risk of side effects is greater.
Take this medication regularly to get the most benefit from it. To help you remember, take it at the same times each day in the morning and evening.
Inform your doctor if your condition worsens.
Dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, stomach pain, or numbness/tingling around the mouth may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.
Tell your doctor right away if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: signs of infection (e.g., fever, chills, cough, persistent sore throat).
Seek immediate medical attention if any of these rare but very serious signs of liver problems occur: yellowing eyes/skin, persistent nausea/vomiting, severe stomach/abdominal pain, dark urine.
A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is rare. However, seek immediate medical attention if you notice any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including: rash, itching/swelling (especially of the face/tongue/throat), severe dizziness, trouble breathing.
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US -
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada - Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
Before taking riluzole, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it; or if you have any other allergies. This product may contain inactive ingredients, which can cause allergic reactions or other problems. Talk to your pharmacist for more details.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease, kidney disease.
This drug may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive, use machinery, or do any activity that requires alertness until you are sure you can perform such activities safely. Limit alcoholic beverages.
Smoking may affect the level of this drug in your blood. Tell your doctor if you smoke or use nicotine or if you stop smoking.
Kidney and liver function decline as you grow older. This medication is removed by the kidneys and liver. Therefore, the elderly may be more sensitive to the side effects of the drug.
During pregnancy, this medication should be used only when clearly needed. Discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.
Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with your doctor or pharmacist first.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: other drugs that may cause liver problems (e.g., allopurinol, methyldopa, sulfasalazine), drugs affecting liver enzymes that remove riluzole from your body (e.g., amitriptyline, caffeine, omeprazole, rifampin, tacrine, theophylline, quinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin).
This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.
If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room right away. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center.
Do not share this medication with others.
Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., liver function tests) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Store the US product at room temperature between 68-77 degrees F (20-25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. .
Store the Canadian product at 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. .
Keep all medicines away from children and pets.
Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.
Information last revised October 2015. Copyright(c) 2015 First Databank, Inc.
With WebMD's Medicine Cabinet, you can check interactions with drugs.Go to medicine cabinet
©2005-2016 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.


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Intermodal leads the way on the rails for the week ending August 14, says AAR
August 19, 2010
Volumes on United States railways were up year-over-year for the week ending August 14, with intermodal hitting its highest levels of the year, according to data from the Association of American Railroads (AAR).
Weekly carload volumes—at 295,948—were up 7.1 percent year-over-year and down 11.3 percent compared to 2008. It topped the week ending August 7, which hit 284,507, and fell short of the week ending July 31, which hit 300,292 carloads, which is the best weekly carload output for all of 2010.
In October 2009, the AAR began reporting weekly rail traffic with year-over-year comparisons for the previous two years, due to the fact that the economic downturn was in full effect at this time a year ago, and global trade was bottoming and economic activity was below current levels.
Carload volume in the East was up 6.4 percent year-over-year and down 12.8 percent compared to 2008. And out West carloads were up 7.6 percent year-over-year and down 10.2 percent compared to 2008.
Intermodal traffic—at 233,767 trailers and containers—was up 20.8 percent year-over-year and up down 1.4 percent compared to 2008. This eclipsed the week ending August 7 at 231,208, and the week ending July 31 at 232,985 trailers and containers, which previously marked the highest intermodal levels in 2010, beating the week ending July 3, which hit 231,286. The week ending July 3 was the highest intermodal output since week 42 of 2008. Intermodal container volume—at 199,859— was up 22.4 percent compared to 2009 and up 6.4 percent compared to 2008. AAR officials said this is the highest weekly intermodal container tally on record. And trailer volume—at 33,908— was up 12.3 percent and down 31 percent compared to 2008.
As LM has reported, domestic intermodal performance continues to be strong, due, in part, to a tightening of truckload capacity, which has some shippers converting to intermodal. This is indicative, said the AAR, of a years-long trend of domestic freight converting from truck trailers to containers on rail; truck trailers can be double-stacked, which makes them more cost-efficient and effective.
Stifel Nicolaus analyst John Larkin wrote in a research note that the growth in intermodal loads should grow at a faster rate than loads hauled over the highway
as fuel prices likely increase, highways become increasingly congested, the North American rails make further investments to intermodal corridors and terminals, and federal and local governments provide a portion of the funding for certain intermodal infrastructure projects, among other factors.
And rail industry stakeholders remain optimistic about railroad growth throughout the remainder of 2010. Among the things they have pointed to include increased industrial production growth in the form of manufacturing and new orders indices, as well as gradual consumer spending, among other factors, as drivers for these gains. But even though volumes are slowly recovering, they are still below previous peak levels.
While volumes remain below these previous peak levels, they are starting to face tougher year-over-year comparisons through the remainder of 2010, given the fact that 2009 was a down year for the rails in terms of volume growth.
On a year-to-date basis, total U.S. carload volumes at 9,041,726 carloads are up 7.2 percent year-over-year and down 13.1 percent compared to 2008. Trailers or containers at 6,783,820 are up 13.9 percent year-over-year and down 5.7 percent compared to 2008.
Of the 19 carload commodities tracked by the AAR, 16 were up year-over-year. Metallic ores were up 65.4 percent and metals & products were up 38.8 percent. Grain loadings were down 8.8 percent.
Weekly rail volume was estimated at 32.5 billion ton-miles, an 8.7 percent year-over-year increase. And total volume year-to-date at 994.9 billion ton-miles was up 8.3 percent year-over-year.
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Andersen Unbeaten After Day One at Wildcat Invite
TUCSON, Ariz.- After the first day of the University of Arizona's Wildcat Invitational, Iowa State's Caroline Andersen moves ahead without a loss in the Navy Flight.
After a bye in the first round, Andersen defeated Arizona's Carly Cassity, 6-1, 6-1. She moves on to face Arizona's Inge Hendrikx in the semifinals of the Navy Flight on Saturday.
The Wildcat Invitational is Andersen and the Cyclones' fourth shot at action of the fall campaign. Two weeks ago at the UNI Invite, Andersen took the runner-up title in her bracket after being defeated by her teammate, senior Emma Waites, in the championship round.
The Cyclones faced opponents from Arizona, California State University Northridge, University of Texas- El Paso, University of Texas- San Antonio, and New Mexico.
In the Wildcat Consolation Round, Meghan Cassens defeated CSUN's Vivian Lin, 6-4, 6-1. Lydia Green earned a win over UTSA's Miranda Poile, 7-6, 4-6, 10-6, in the Crimson Flight Consolation Round after dropping a first-round match against Cal State Northridge's Mari Taslagyan, 3-6, 7-6, 4-6.
Tournament play will continue Saturday morning at the El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort in Tucson.
Cassens/Green (ISU) def. Tench/Sylenko (UTEP), 8-3
Hsu/Poei (CSUN) def. Andersen/Merchiers (ISU), 8-4
Wildcat Flight
Mickey Hsu (CSUN) def. Talisa Merchiers (ISU), 6-4, 6-3
Emily Olivier (NM) def. Meghan Cassens (ISU), 6-2, 6-7, 6-0
Davina Meza (UTEP) def. Talisa Merchiers (ISU), 6-1, 6-4
Meghan Cassens (ISU) def. Vivian Lin (CSUN), 6-4, 6-1
Crimson Flight
Mari Taslagyan (CSUN) def. Lydia Green (ISU), 6-3, 6-7, 6-4
Lydia Green (ISU) def. Miranda Poile (UTSA) 7-6, 4-6, (10-6)
Navy Flight
Caroline Andersen (ISU) def. Carly Cassity (UA), 6-1, 6-1


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My Ninth Nanny.
I just lost my ninth nanny. I go through nannies the way some women go through men. Nine nannies in seven years seems suspect. Some wonder if we're secretly beating the nannies or keeping them chained inside the playroom. Why else would we have had such a spectacular run of bad luck in keeping childcare?
Our latest casualty is Stephanie, an attractive, athletic, marathon running Mormon who has been with us for a year. My kids adore her, she even took them camping a few weeks ago. Always anxious that I'm going to lose a good nanny, I tried to keep the love alive by throwing in job perks including free gym membership and tutoring. (I rewrote all of her English papers last semester.) I even indulged Stephanie in her various and pricey diets – from the all organic cleansing one to Weight Watchers. And this summer, knowing how Stephanie likes the outdoors, I got her a gig at my children's day camp. After a raise and the promise of a roundtrip ticket back to Utah during Christmas, Stephanie committed to staying with us another year. We were thrilled. And then, my nightmare replayed itself, Stephanie got poached.
At 10 pm, two nights ago Stephanie announced to me that she would be leaving in a couple of weeks because a mom in a neighboring, tonier town offered her more money and THREE roundtrip tickets to Utah each year.
First I was shocked; then I got angry. Strangely I was more peeved at the mom who poached my nanny than at Stephanie herself. I see Stephanie as a kid who is being practical and is trying to put herself through school. At least this is what I tried to convince myself in between spurts of crying to my husband about how our kids are going to be crushed when Stephanie leaves. I also felt like a total sucker. I was buying her organic raspberries in November! While I felt betrayed by Stephanie and nauseated by the thought of finding someone new and integrating them into our chaotic family, I was seething that another mom – for the second time – had poached one of my nannies. About a year ago my nanny Sally was spotted on the playground by a predator mom and offered more money to leave us. But Sally didn't even have the courage or decency to tell me she got a new job. She simply moved out on a Friday night without our knowing and never said goodbye to my kids. It was devastating.
I don't know how moms could do this to each other. There should be a non-poaching pact among us. Stealing another woman's nanny is like sleeping with her husband – maybe even worse. Robbing a working mother of good childcare could more quickly destroy the fabric of a family than a one night stand. I'd seriously sacrifice my husband for a fling faster than I would want to lose a good nanny to another family.
My nanny dramas are legendary. There was Vanessa, the Mexican hottie who we flew in from Mexico City and showed up dripping in Chanel. Within a few weeks, she contracted Scabies or some other itchy ailment and after three unsuccessful visits to a dermatologist, she too packed up and without warning disappeared. There was the Czech nanny who told me she didn't like my children and after four days in my house, I deposited her in another town with garbage bags full of her clothes.
As someone who used to nanny, the comments about no loyalty are a bit one sided. You know why I finally stopped? I was great at my job, families loved me- that is until someone found out they had a nanny. Then they would impart that they got help from significantly cheaper sources that didn't mind being paid under the table. I would go from being "the best thing that ever happened to us" to we're going to have to let you go in two weeks. They didn't bat an eye on dropping me for someone cheaper that they didn't have to legally pay. It's heartbreaking to invest so much into my career, giving up my own goals and aspects of my personal life for people who care more about saving a buck or two than about who and how well someone is caring for their child(ren). Loyalty goes both ways.
Sorry bout your issues! I have similar ones. No matter how I reward, I can't keep a nanny. It certainly doesn't help that I'm not very good at hiring in the first place. I think I could weed out some of these I could read people better.
And about the comments about how not everyone can afford a nanny, I get so tired of that. I make huge sacrifices to keep a nanny at home because childcare in our town is really bad. It's not always this big luxury people seem to assume it is.
Its really hard to find a loyal and dependable nanny these days. You never know if that smiling face is also the same when you left the house. Just be more careful and never give your full trust. Some people take advantage of it.
Glad you all have the luxuries of a nanny. Being a working mom as well I would love one but even though I have a great salary..i just can't afford one, so my children's child care center which never flakes on me and they are always open, caring , and a licensed state approved preschool and gives my oldest son whom has autism special attention(when he is not in school) right along with my 2 year old and 4 mo old. THEY treat them like GOLD. I wish finding a nanny was a problem for me.
Whether it is your regular babysitter or your nanny - that's just not right! One of my neighbors tried to steal my au pair and I still don't talk to her.
What she doesn't seem to know is that there is no way the agency would have allowed it unless we had done something wrong. The great thing about the Au Pair programs is that the fee is determined by the State Dept, so someone can not legally bribe your cherished caretaker with money. Plus, the annual fee is much more cost effective than most nannies and even more cost effective than a lot of out of home options. This is the hidden gem of childcare! (Shh... our little secret!)
Your ninth nanny. Ok. I think the "no loyalty" comment was key. It's just a job to most people, and they will leave for a better situation. If you really don't want to go through the nanny mill, why not consider childcare out of the home? (Gasp). I had my girls in a licensed, small family day care (not even a preschool) for two years and you know what, it was great. They got plenty of attention and the provider didn't ever flake or quit on us because she was invested in the daycare, it was her livelihood. Sorry for all the flakes you've encountered. I also don't see what the nationalities of the girls has to do with anything, frankly it sounds kind of patronizing to me.
This is a funny, clever blog. Sent it on to many others. But...we need to remember that most people can't even afford quality child care, let alone a nanny who gets a free gym membership. I feel your pain, but we need to keep it in perspective.
I feel your pain. Keeping a good Nanny is almost as hard as finding one. And there is no loyalty at the end of the day! If I were you, I'd track down the Nanny Poacher and...well... I guess I have to be realistic, if it were me, I'd want to do that, but with a full time career, kids, house, husband, etc. There's scarcely any time to start the veritable hell called the Nanny Search. I have had similar experiences with many of my nannies--including paying for a round-trip ticket for the teenage daughter of my nanny for Christmas, only to find that in January, she had registered for high school down the street and was going to live with us! They had cashed in the return trip and bought school clothes! Like I said...I feel your pain...
That's horrible. If I had been you, I would have tracked down 'Nanny Poacher' myself and gave her a piece of my mind. She ought to know better.
I feel your pain I can't seam to keep a good babysitter. I had one for 3 years and then DD started school and she did not want to drive to our house 3 times a week for only half a day. The struggle to find a new one is no fun. I ended up using the 13 year old neighbor not my ideal situation but somebody to call 911 if necessary. If I live in NYC and was not practically married I would watch your kids for you and I would not let anybody take me away from you. I hope you find a nanny soon.


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LEXINGTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2013 -- Four VMI cadets got a free, first-hand glimpse at life outside the United States when they traveled to Panama last summer on a trip paid for by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation.The Olmsted Foundation sponsors overseas trips for commissioning cadets, with the goal of preparing future military leaders for careers that will increasingly call for multicultural understanding and a global perspective, said Col. David Miller, director of international programs at VMI.
This year, four cadets will have the same Olmsted-funded opportunity for cultural immersion – but this time, the destination is Vietnam. That trip, to be led by Jim Adams '71, is scheduled for March 8-17.
Going on the trip to Panama last summer "was one of the greatest adventures of my life," said Cadet James Ethington '14, a history major from Prince George, Va. Accompanying Ethington on the 16-day trip were Katie Kondas '14, a civil engineering major from Manassas, Va.; Justin McCarty '14, a civil engineering major from Mechanicsville, Va.; and Patrick Callaway '14, an international studies major from Midlothian, Va. The VMI foursome was joined by an equal number of cadets from Virginia Tech, the institution sponsoring the trip.For Ethington, just making the journey was a major milestone, because he'd never been outside of the United States before. He'd never even been on an airplane. But after two smooth flights – one from Washington, D.C., to Miami, and another from Miami to Panama City – he found himself face-to-face with life in the developing world."It was very interesting," said Ethington, who plans to commission in the Army after graduating from VMI. "Everybody says you don't look at what you have until you see somebody with less, and it was actually like that. Those people didn't have much money but they made it work. Everywhere you looked, there was somebody working. They worked from the time the sun came up until they couldn't see their hand in front of their face."While in Panama, the cadets engaged in several service projects, including cleaning up at a local health clinic and cooking lunch in a day-care center run by nuns. They visited the slum areas of Colon, one of the poorest cities in Panama, and they also met the Kuna Indians who inhabit the San Blas Islands off the coast of Panama."It was sobering on one hand, but I remember the cadets commenting on how warm their reception was from the locals," said Miller of the cadets' exposure to slum life. One of the primary goals of the Olmsted program, he added, is to ensure that cadets get a deeper look at the country they're visiting than a tourist would get."Those are the kind of experiences that will pay off as a young officer," Miller added. "It's kind of a cliché, but that's the whole idea."Ethington concurred, saying, "[The trip] got me more culturally aware."He'd stepped off the plane eager to try out his Spanish, a language he's been studying since high school, but he quickly found himself overwhelmed by the natives' rapid-fire speech. Not surprisingly, he found he could understand much of what was being said around him, even though speaking was a difficulty and slang was confusing.Because of the trip, "I know how to interact with people that don't speak English or come from the same kind of background that I come from," Ethington continued. He added a bit of advice for any cadet considering overseas travel: "Take advantage of all of the activities and talking to people. Speak the language of where you are. Get out there and get active with it."–Mary Price


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We currently have an in-house application that is used to book rooms for events such as meetings (for internal and external groups), tutorials, teleconferenced sessions. We recently installed Zimbra and, if possible, would like to use its calendaring features to replace our room booking application.
We dont necessarily want to use Calendar to send emails to invitees in this application but do want to be able to search for and book the locations and resources for the events. We also need to be able to restrict access to certain users, assign room managers and tech support to specific locations, and set up public display stations to show what rooms are being used on a given day. Room booking must allow for multiple rooms for individual events, as well as recurring days/times. We would also like to be able to assign an event type to each booking, filter searches and displays by those types as well as date and/or location, and archive past events for future reference.
One unique feature that is needed involves setup and breakdown times for events. The person doing the booking has to be able to specify if additional time is required before the event for setup, or after for breakdown/cleanup, or both. We do not want these times shown on the public displays but the times must be taken into account when bookings are made so there is no overlap/double booking.
Do any of you know of an existing or planned application that can do what we need? Any suggestions for how to use the features of Zimbra effectively for this application?


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Whole grains and whole grain ingredients provide several health benefits and are recommendedin the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans published by the FDA and USDA. You can find out more below or by reading The Whole Story On Whole Grains article in our resource center.
The outer layer (bran) contains up to 80% of the grains total nutritional value, including B vitamins and fiber.
The middle layer (endosperm) contains protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
The small inner core (germ) contains highly concentrated B vitamins, antioxidant vitamin E, protein, trace minerals, unsaturated fats, and phytochemicals
The FDA recommends children 2-8 years old consume 3-5 oz equivalent per day from the grain group 1/2 of those oz servings should be whole grain. (Source: www.choosemyplate.gov )
Look for the Whole Grain stamp on specially marked Earth's Best products.
Look for the stamp on specially marked products.


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washington-dc Articles
Things to Do, Travel Tips, & Advice
Oprah Slept Here: Outrageously Expensive Washington D.C. Hotel Suites (PHOTOS)
by Julie Wolfson. Posted Jun 14th 2011 07:30 AM
Continue ReadingWashington D.C. is a city that knows how to welcome the queen of daytime TV, business magnates, and heads of state from around the world. The Mandarin Oriental, The Four Seasons and The Ritz-Carlton offer lavish suites to pamper the powerful people who visit Washington D.C.
The Ritz-Carlton
Cherry Blossom Weddings: Five Great Locations in D.C.
by McLean Robbins. Posted Mar 7th 2011 09:00 AM
Continue ReadingWashingtonians know that one of the best times of the year to host a wedding is during Cherry Blosom season. April, while rainy, is often temperate, and the profusion of spring greenery ensures a scenic backdrop to photo spreads. Planning your own Cherry Blossom wedding in Washington, D.C.? Here are our five favorite locations:
kathryn_rotondo, Flickr
Running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler? Here Are Our Tips
by McLean Robbins. Posted Feb 21st 2011 03:00 PM
Continue ReadingAre you planning on running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington, D.C. this April? Whether it's your first visit to the nation's capital or your annual trip to view the trees, we've got some tips that will make your race day as pleasurable as possible.
Getty Images
Zoo Animals on Vacation
by Sarah Rose. Posted Feb 18th 2011 05:30 PM
Continue ReadingWe flock to zoos to see exotic animals from faraway lands, but those creatures may just be visiting, too. Some travel as goodwill ambassadors, others make a trip for a little long distance romance to mate and shake up the gene pool of a captive species. Here are some of our favorite critters who have taken their show on the road.
Kansas City Zoo
Washington DC Tours: Exploring Your Passions
by Gerard Walen. Posted Feb 11th 2011 06:00 PM
Continue ReadingEven if you lived there and had unlimited time to explore the nation's capital, it would likely take decades to see all the sights in Washington DC. Tours, whether guided or on your own, can be the answer, especially if your time is limited and you want to delve deeply into a particular site or subject. Here are a few of the more specialized Washington DC tours that are available.
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- 375Promote
Framed Art Print
Circle of Lifeby Deepti Munshaw
Choose from a variety of frame styles, colors and sizes to compliment your favorite Society6 gallery, or fine art print - made ready to hang. Fine-crafted from solid woods, premium shatterproof acrylic protects the face of the art print, while an acid free dust cover on the back provides a custom finish. All framed art prints include wall hanging hardware.
Thanks so much, David, and Dominique! :)
Thank you, addu! :)
Great shot! And good name... Just little deep ;)
Thank you, Andrew! :)
Great perspective Deepti!
Thank you, Arcane! :)
Hey Deepti! This is wonderful ~ I love the black and white with color highlights~ !!
Thank you so much, Angela! So good to see you! :))
SO cool!!!
Thank you, MoArt! :)
Brilliant angle Deepti, the black clouds behind the wheel makes me a scary feeling .....
Thank you, J. Janiel! :D & don't be scared.... lol!!!
Yay for you, Deepti!!! :)
Thank you, Shawn!!! :))))
Thank you, Rachel! :)
Ha Ha...I,ll try not to be scared deepti..... waiting for your next publish.....
deep colours :-) Deep
Thank you, J. Janiel... hopefully soon! :)
Thanks Jasper! You speak Queen's english... like that! :)
so nice of you, deep :-)
so pretty.
Thank you, MarleyMor! :)
Wonderful shot! :)
Sick Image!!
Always so wonderful!!
Thanks a lot J.MK, Ammar, Kristie, & Galaxy! :)
Absolutely beautiful sweetheART & a fave ;~} Valz
Thanks, V!
Oops. That was supposed to be a comment on my photo. But, while I'm here, amazing shot, D! ;)
lol!! Thanks Valerie & Jaina! :D
love this! Beautiful!
Thanks again, Garima! :)
This is very cool. Nice Effects.
such a wicked pic- nice!
Thanks so much ritz, Michael, and a. rose! :)
Thanks a lot Krzysztof and Viggart! :)
Wow! This is stunning!
Thank you so much, Paper Angels! :)
this is fantastic!
Thanks so much, Wondrous Sky! :))
This is so cool, Deepti !
Thank you, Tracey! :)
I need some cotton candy! this is great!
Thanks for you lovely comment again, Tyler! :D
Amazing shot!! Gorgeous :)
Thank you so much again, Maximonsterje! :)
cool contrasts!
Thank you, Joke Vermeer! :)
Fantastic great!!!! Wonderful!!!!
Thank you so much, Marko! :))
Thanks again, Fabian! :)
So cool!
Thank you so much, Lisa! :)
Thanks so much, Malcolm! :)
Brilliant use of imagery and light.
Thank you so much, Sheri! :)
Very cool!
Thank you so much, Kim! :))
really love this, Deepti!
Thanks so much, GaleStorm! :)
I missed this one before! It's awesome - love how it glows against the dark sky!
Thank you so much, Christine! :)
I love this Deepi - perfect title
Thanks so much, Bob! :)
Thank you, Deepti, for promoting my work today! I know that you clicked the heart icon on my work because you like it… and I want to tangibly show my appreciation by giving this stunning piece of art that you've created additional exposure and a promotion too. It's truly awesome piece, just as your generous support of your fellow artists is worth admiring!
Thank you so much again, Wayne! Really appreciate it! :))
Amazing, Deepti - very powerful.
Thanks so much again, Patricia! :))
Incredible work!
Thank you so much, missema! :)
excellent! love it
Thank you again so much, Christy! :)
wonderful one !
Thank you so much again, catspaws!! :))
w o n d e r f u l
Thank you so much again, pixel404!! :))
Outstanding shot, Deepti! BRAVO to YOU!!!
Thank you so much Christiane!! :))
haunting piece!!
Thank you so much, out-of-the-mists!! :))
Thank you so much, bri.buckley!! :))
like the way you make the digital editing of shots!
Exceptional capture, Deepti! Great contrast, colors and meaningful! ***
Thanks so much for the compliments, bubblyk and Christiane!!! :)))
How could I miss this Deepti? Wonderful work - the light is outstanding!
Thank you so much, Moni!! Happy that you found it! :))
Magic! Great job Deepti :)
Thank you so much, John!! :))
Nice work!
So cool! Fabulous piece, and great title~
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Greetings from (Hot) Atlanta
June 21, 2010
Greetings from Atlanta. I am at the eyefortransport 3PL Summit. This is the fifth year I have made the trip down from New England for this event. And if past years are any indication, this year's event should be replete with excellent commentary, analysis, and insight from those in the know i.e. 3PL CEO's, shippers, and industry analysts and consultants, among others.
Heat aside, the 2010 3PL Summit comes at a good time, given the myriad things occurring in the market, whether it be outsourcing logistics strategies, going green, energy-related matters, tech trends, managing capacity and shipper-3PL relationships and collaboration to name a few.
In my short time here today, I have talked to a few industry friends and learned the following: rates are going up, demand is improving, and things are better than they were a year ago. Chances are, you already know these things but I am writing a blog and have not hit any sessions yet today, so give me a break, ok? Grin.
In any event, it is great to be back in Atlanta for this terrific event. Please be sure to check http://www.logisticsmgmt.com later in the week for event-related news stories and more blog postings.
As always, thanks for reading Newsroom Notes.
About the Author
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Washington, DC — Every year, more than 860 billion gallons of raw and partially treated sewage foul America's waters and threaten public health, but most people have no idea that these spills occur in their local rivers and streams. Today, lawmakers in the House took an important step towards changing that. The Committee on Transportation and… Read more »
Press Releases
Press Releases
American Rivers Launches National River Cleanup 2009
Washington, DC — American Rivers, the nation's leading river conservation organization, today announced the kickoff of its 2009 National River Cleanup season. Since 1992, hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the country have participated to clean up thousands of tons of trash on America's rivers and streams. Last year American Rivers sponsored the most successful… Read more »
Clean Water Restoration Act Will Protect Our Nation's Waters
Washington, D.C. — More than 160 leading freshwater scientists and engineers sent a letter yesterday to President Obama urging his support for the Clean Water Restoration Act. This legislation is urgently needed to ensure that Clean Water Act protections are provided to the nation's vast array of headwater streams and wetlands; waters that are critical for… Read more »
Group targets flawed federal levee policies in Puget Sound
Read the 60-day Notice (PDF) Seattle – An Army Corps of Engineers policy to remove trees and other vegetation from levees on Puget Sound area rivers jeopardizes endangered salmon and may compromise flood protection, American Rivers said today in a 60-day notice of intent to sue letter to the Corps. American Rivers urged the Corps… Read more »
The Maxwell Pond Dam on Black Brook to be Removed
Manchester, NH — The City of Manchester is taking an important step toward fostering a more resilient community this week as construction begins on the removal of the Maxwell Pond Dam on Black Brook. Reporters are invited to view the removal of the spillway and talk to dam removal experts on Monday, March 2 (details… Read more »
Congaree River Blue Trail Photo Wins National Contest
Washington, DC -The Congaree River Blue Trail, the first water trail in South Carolina to be designated a National Recreation Trail, has one more thing to add to its resume. Recently a photo of the trail won the annual National Recreation Trail Photo Contest. American Rivers, the nation's leading river conservation organization, played an instrumental… Read more »
Go Green This Spring: Save Water, Save Money, and Prevent Pollution
Toledo, OH — For the first time this year, Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan residents have the opportunity to save money and water by purchasing discounted rain barrels, thanks to a partnership between American Rivers, the Toledo Stormwater Program, the Rain Garden Initiative of Toledo Lucas County and The New England Rain Barrel Company. Rain… Read more »
Congress passes Economic Recovery Plan: A Big Step Forward for Jobs, Clean Water
Washington, DC –– American Rivers today applauded the United States Congress for passing H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The bill will create jobs, put our nation on the path to economic growth, and transform the way we manage clean water and rivers, bringing real health and quality of life benefits… Read more »
Senate Economic Recovery Plan is Big Step Forward for Jobs, Clean Water
Washington, DC — American Rivers today applauded the U.S. Senate for passing H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which will create jobs, put our nation on the path to economic growth, and transform the way we manage clean water and rivers, bringing real health and quality of life benefits to communities nationwide…. Read more »
Rogue River's Contribution to the Economy Larger Than Previously Thought
The Rogue River is renowned for its world-class whitewater and fishing opportunities, but its economic significance is often overlooked. Two new studies recently conducted by ECONorthwest quantify both the hard revenue generated statewide by recreation on the Wild and Scenic Lower Rogue River and the value to society of Rogue River salmon and steelhead. "Regional… Read more »


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ST. CLAIRSVILLE - If at first you don't succeed, try again.
And again. And again. And again.
''We had a ton of shots and maintained possession most of the match, but couldn't find the back of the net,'' St. Clairsville coach Gary Watt said as darkness started to set in Tuesday evening at Red Devil Stadium.
The Red Devils finally scored twice in the final 12 minutes and rallied past John Marshall, 2-1, in boys' soccer action.
''It's a simple game,'' Watt said. ''You have to score goals. It doesn't matter how many shots you take. If you can't put the ball in the back of the net, you're giving the other team some momentum and that's exactly what we did.''
Ty Boone's shot with 5:46 left proved to be the game-winner in what was a test of perseverence for both squads.
''He made a nice shot off that rebound,'' Watt said. ''I don't know of any goalie that would have been able to stop that one.''
After constantly pounding at the Monarchs' defense all evening, St. C. finally broke into the scoring column with 12:01 showing on the clock when Boone found Zach Rigby, who sent a rocket past JM netminder Collin Stipetich to knot the game at 1-1.
''We just kept applying constant pressure,'' Watt said.
That pressure was taking its toll on the Monarchs, a squad of 13 players.
''At one point we got tired and I think that's where they got us,'' JM coach Jesus Marin said.
''They played a good game. They had several shots and our defense and our goalie did a great job.''
Austin Litman gave the Monarchs (0-3) an early 1-0 advantage when he sent a breakaway shot past St. C. netminder Izaac Wiley in the 10th minute of the first half.
The Red Devils (2-1) harassed Stipetich plenty early on. But shots either went left, right or hit the crossbar and bounced out.
JM bent, but didn't break and carried the lead into halftime.
''We were trying to play long ball in the first half,'' Watt pointed out. ''We were trying to kick the ball over everybody's head and it wasn't working. We had shots, but the shots weren't quality shots.
''The adjustment we made was to make shorter, quicker passes to set somebody up. That created better opportunities and that was really the difference.''


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