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How to Understand Sway BarsWritten by on January 8, 2013 The Road to a Great-Handling Pickup
Until recently, truck owners had very limited choices when it came to their suspension: leave it stock and suffer through excessively sloppy handling and body roll reminiscent of a rowboat during high seas, slam the truck with drop springs and get a spine-jarring ride, or use an expensive airbag kit that provides a perfect stance, but will have its limits when using sway bars. One easy way to improve handling and overall drivability is to control body roll and improve traction with aftermarket sway bars, or antiroll bars as they're sometimes known.
Nearly every truck produced in the last 75 years came equipped with at least one sway bar from the factory, but OEM cost-cutting and ride-quality considerations meant most trucks rolled off the showroom floor with very small-diameter bars that kept suspension geometry in check, but didn't do much to control body roll or handling.
Luckily, aftermarket sway bar technology has improved dramatically in the last decade with hollow tube technology leading the way. Gone are the days sway bars were produced from extremely heavy solid bar stock. Now superior CNC bending equipment and precise engineering allows for lighter tubular sway bars possessing the twist resistance of solid bars with a fraction of the weight. Lighter, more efficient sway bar packages are standard equipment on new vehicles ranging from new Silverado pickups to Corvette ZR1s and a Porsche Turbos.
They key to understanding sway bars in the classic truck market is that well-engineered sport sway bars made in the USA by a reputable company will provide more handling improvement and fun than nearly anything else you can do to your truck, and most kits can be installed with handtools in a few hours.
Handling Defined
Nearly all trucks new and old come set up from the factory with significant understeer as a safety precaution. Understeer, also called "push," is what happens when you enter a turn at a high rate of speed and front tires howl, while the car continues to move forward in a straight line. Essentially the rear tires are overpowering the front tires and the vehicle goes straight.
"Oversteer" is when the front tires stick and the vehicles turns into the corner while the rear tires lose traction and the rear of the vehicle tries to rotate around the perimeter of the turn. While dangerous for a novice driver, an experienced hot shoe can control this with the throttle for more aggressive driving.
Sway bars can provide adjustments to driving dynamics like understeer and oversteer by transferring weight to different corners of the suspension as the vehicle navigates a corner. In many cases adding a rear sway bar when there isn't one from the factory, or adding a stiffer rear sway bar, can make a system designed to understeer either neutral or oversteer.
Body roll is a reference to the load transfer of a vehicle toward the outside of a turn. When a vehicle is fitted with a suspension package, it works to keep the tires in contact with the road, providing grip for the driver to control the vehicle's direction. This suspension is compliant to some degree, allowing the vehicle body, which sits upon the suspension, to lean in the direction of the perceived centrifugal force acting upon the car. Sway bars are a part of the suspension specifically designed to address body roll.
Body roll of the vehicle (body and chassis) relative to the ground is not necessarily bad. Most performance suspension setups try to keep the frame of the vehicle as parallel to the ground as possible to maximize tire contact patch (aka handling). However, completely eliminating body roll can also create a very stiff ride, so finding a balance that keeps the suspension geometry working correctly and the body parallel to the ground (thereby controlling the vehicle's center of gravity) while also maintaining a comfortable ride is the key.
Why should you change your antiroll bars from the stock ones? Well it's pretty simple. Enthusiasts typically demand more from their cars than the average driver. They need improved handling, increased high-speed stability, and better traction. Properly designed and tested antiroll bars give a car, truck, or SUV optimum handling potential and chassis balance. This is accomplished during testing by changing the roll couple (changing the stiffness of the front versus rear antiroll bars) to achieve the optimum handling balance.
Generally, the factory setup on a performance vehicle is neutral to slight understeer, but it depends on the application and vehicle. Auto manufacturers are out to give the average person the car that will suit most of their needs. If they install larger antiroll bars, stiffer springs, and lower the car, they will create more customers that are dissatisfied with their car than if they offer a "detuned" car. They opt to cut cost, and raise customer satisfaction ratings by offering a decent, if not mediocre, car. This leaves considerable room for increases in the suspension's performance or "tuning" using aftermarket parts.
Sway bars explained
Basically sway bars reduce roll and dramatically improve handling. They connect one side of the suspension to the other with attachment points generally on the lower A-arms and frame (chassis), and twist to limit the roll during cornering. As the truck enters a corner, centrifugal forces create a body roll force. This force is limited by the twisting actions of the sway bar. The stiffer the sway bar, the more resistance is extended to counteract the body roll. Too much sway bar stiffness creates excess pressure on the outside loaded tire causing a loss of traction. Sway bar stiffness is calculated by the force required to twist one end versus the other and calculated in lb-in.
Sway bars work off of torsional force (twisting motion). Therefore, the material in the center of a solid bar plays little role in the resistance of torsional force. With this in mind, hollow bars eliminate some of the center material and move it to the outside of the tube, where it is most effective. In turn, this produces a sway bar that is lighter in weight and just as stiff, if not stiffer, than solid. For example, a 13⁄8-inch hollow bar is equivalent to a 1¼-inch solid. But the 13⁄8-inch hollow bar is 6-percent stiffer and 43-percent lighter than the 1¼-inch solid.
Years ago, most trucks were only equipped with a front sway bar. Back then, the best tires were skinny with relatively soft sidewalls. Today people are running modern super-sticky tires. These tires produce serious grip and are much better than yesterday's race tires. Your truck will be the quickest and most comfortable around a corner or on your favorite twisty road with a neutral handling balance. This is achieved when the car is neither loose nor tight (excessive understeer or oversteer), but balanced with the front and rear tires doing equal work. Providing that the springs are of sufficient rate to keep the car from bottoming out, the handling balance is tuned with the front and rear sway bars. When talking to suspension designers at Hotchkis Performance, they said they typically engineer the largest front sway bar possible that doesn't overpower the front suspension and then tune (change roll stiffness) with an adjustable rear sway bar.
Some people recommend running a stiff rear spring combination without a rear sway bar. In this case, the heavy spring rate keeps the chassis from rolling, thereby eliminating the need for a rear sway bar. This is fine if the passengers wear kidney belts and interior rattles are no problem, but most truck owners know that a stiff rear spring and an unloaded bed can be brutal on long hauls. The rest of us want a comfortable ride with great handling. Adding a rear sway bar solves the ride quality issue and creates an optimum handling balance. The rear spring rate can be softer for better ride quality and corner exit traction because the rear sway bar (not the springs) is controlling the rear body roll.
Now that we know sway bar roll stiffness minimizes body roll, to make the truck handle well and remain balanced during cornering the front and rear sway bars must be tuned to work together. Well-designed sway packages offer balanced handling and are adjustable to fine tune the handling characteristics to the driver's preference. The adjustment is accomplished with holes in the sway bar end that allows the endlink to be positioned in multiple locations effectively lengthening (softening) or shortening (stiffening) the sway bars. Due to the endlink mounting location and reduced benefits of an adjustable front sway bar, companies like Hotchkis Performance often design the adjustable rear sway bar to be between a two- and four-hole difference. The adjustment holes give the driver a great tuning advantage because each hole is at least 100 lb-in difference.
How Sway Bars Are Made
Manufacturing a sway bar has been done by various methods throughout the years. The traditional method of making a bar is to take the raw bar stock, and bend it into the shape you want by using a press and bend dies. This is generally a cheap way to make them, and there are several drawbacks to this method. The first such detriment is that each bend is done separately. With each bend the tolerance increases, i.e. inaccuracy, in making the part. This allows for increased human error in production. As trucks become more complex, the packaging of the sway bar tightens. There is less room for error, and thus the part needs to be more accurate to fit in the car. Another disadvantage is that the press bends can add several extreme tooling dents or "marks" to the product. Dents such as these are acceptable on a solid bar, but they make the part less pleasing to look at. Tubular material cannot be bent in this traditional way. The press will either kink or crack the tubing when bending the material.
Companies like Hotchkis use CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) bending machines and tubular stock. The CNC does all of the bends in one handling process. Raw material is loaded into the machine, which then goes through a series of motions to produce a smoothly bent part. A computer keeps track of each bend in relation to all of the other bends. This produces a very high-tolerance part, typically in the 0.050-inch range or tighter, and with consistent reliability. During the manufacturing run, a Laser Vector inspection system is employed to measure the parts being bent by the machine. This measures the shape of the bar, and compares it to a computer file of the part print. The laser's computer sends any necessary corrections directly to the bending computer. This is done because each batch of raw material varies and bends slightly different than another.
Like all aftermarket products, sway bar testing procedures can vary from company to company. Some of the lower-end products are simply upsized versions of factory parts with increased rates and are not tested at all. The more high-end components like those manufactured by Hotchkis are rigorously tested at the track and on the street for the optimal balance of handling improvement, driver feedback, adjustability, and ride compliance. John Hotchkis states that his company's tests use a 200-foot skid pad, 600-foot slalom, road course, and street drive tests to ensure every system works correctly.
In conclusion, a well-designed, lighter tubular sway bar package is the best handling benefit you can bolt on to your classic truck. The next step in the bolt-on handling equation is a set of premium shocks. These will make a world of difference and improve overall suspension performance and ride quality.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
A pretty standard performance sway bar kit – tubular front and rear non-adjustable bars. Note that the front bar is larger in diameter than the rear, allowing for neutral handling (a larger rear bar would create serious oversteer).In figure 1, we see a chassis with no body roll, and maximum tire contact patch. In figure 2, note that as the vehicle corners and the body rolls, the left spring compresses, the right spring extends, and the tire contact patch changes shape. At the end of the corner the spring loads will make the truck rocket back the other direction, unbalancing the vehicle and degrading handling.This simple line drawing explains how the sway bar works. By tying the frame to the control arms, the sway bar forces the frame to stay closer to parallel with the ground and maintains a more consistent tire contact patch. Since the sway bar is really a big spring, it provides enough give that the ride stays compliant.Here we see (L to R) raw bar stock, a factory small-diameter bar and a performance aftermarket bar. Note the smooth radius bends of the aftermarket bar, which improve strength.This aftermarket bar (L) is adjustable, with three mounting options for different torsional stiffness settings, versus the stock bar (R). The further in that the endlink is mounted to the center of the bar, the stiffer it will be.The best modern sway bars are created by bending high-quality domestic steel bar stock in CNC controlled benders, eliminating swedges and tooling marks.After testing, engineers will finalize a design and include specs for bushings, hardware, and endlinks.This is Hotchkis Sport Sway Bar kit for the Chevy C10 pickup. Note the unusual rear sway bar design, which is a "blade type" sway bar similar to what's employed on NASCAR racers.
Endlinks are what attach the sway bar to the suspension. In many cases, factory endlinks (top) are very weak and not designed for the loads found in performance setups. Aftermarket endlinks (bottom) like this Hotchkis unit use heavy-duty hardware and high-performance Heim joints.Standard sway bar bushing brackets are usually "strap" style brackets made from pressing a piece of flat steel. Hotchkis recently released these billet brackets that offer more strength and adjustability thanks to slotted oval holes.


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The average temperature of the earth's atmosphere and bodies of water increased during the 20th Century by approximately 1.1 degrees F. There is scientific agreement that observable warming in the last five decades is related to human activity. The primary human components are the increased levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses, which are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels (non-renewable resources) are burned, wide-spread land (for agricultural purposes) is cleared, and conventional agricultural practices are the norm. Agriculture contributes to over 20% of the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Of that, 70% of CO2 caused as a result of organic agricultural methods is due to fuel consumption and production of machinery, while 75% of CO2 caused as a result of non-organic agricultural methods can be ascribed to dependency on nitrogen fertilizer (to boost soil fertility), energy intensive mono-cropped feedstuffs, and exorbitant levels of fuel consumption.
Conventional agriculture not only plays a part in global warming it is grossly impacted by it.
Agriculture not only plays a part in creating global warming--it is also seriously threatened by it. Increased levels of CO2 and other GHGs combined with the rise in global temperatures are linked to rising sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns, as well as regularity and strength of weather events (i.e. flooding, drought, heatwaves, and hurricanes) all of which significantly deplete soils and consequently affect agricultural yields. Looming increases in global warming could shift zones for cultivation to the north (where current cooler climates exist), distort the distribution of rainfall, and cause atmospheric UV-B radiation changes--all of which could disrupt plant culture, dry out agricultural land, and cause pest and disease populations to burgeon.
Organic agricultural practices hold great promise toward remedying the negative effects of global warming. The use of farm-yard manure, green manures, and cover cropping keeps soils nutrient-rich, improves soil structure, restores organic matter (making for quicker nutrient uptake), maintains and/or increases soil fertility, and increases soil moisture retention--all of which enable the farming ecosystem to better self-regulate. The complete exclusion of synthetics in the farming operation (herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer, etc.) eliminates high-maintenance soils and crops, lowering levels of CO2 and associated GHGs released into the atmosphere, while simultaneously lowering nitrate leaching rates and reducing risks of ground and surface water pollution. Organic methods of agriculture use far less direct and indirect energy sources (many agricultural chemicals are petroleum-derived). Organic methods slow (or even reverse) resource depletion, increase the biodiversity of flora and fauna, contribute to integrated pest management efforts (natural pest control), and often enhance landscape aesthetics.
Frontier's industry-leading line of organic products offers smart alternatives for conscious consumers who choose to reduce their contribution to global warming by purchasing products containing 100% certified organic ingredients.
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text: Seignosse, Amazing land facing the ocean near Hossegor. Beautiful plot of land on the dune facing the ocean, located a few steps from the most beautiful beach of Seignosse, close to Hossegor. Its surface more than 1600 m², allows the building of a 400 m² house, with incredible views on the ocean, the Cote Basque and even the Pyrenees. Its lovely location without any trouble, makes this property a rare opportunity on the Aquitaine coast.


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Free Crochet Pattern from Lion Brand Yarn, formatted for input to refreshable Braille displays or Braille software
Spring Fling Crocheted Hat
Lion Brand® Wool-Ease
Thick & Quick
Pattern Number: 80948AD Crochet this easy pom-pom hat!
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner (Level 1)
SIZE: One Size
Finished Circumference 19 in. (48.5 cm). Hat will stretch to fit a wide range of sizes.
CORRECTIONS: None
640-103 Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Yarn: Blossom
Light cherry blossom pink
Quantity needed: 1 Skeins
Estimated Price: $ 9.49
Lion Brand Crochet Hook - Size P-15 (10 mm)
Quantity needed: 1
Estimated Price: $ 2.95
Lion Brand Large-Eye Blunt Needles (Set of 6)
Quantity needed: 1
Estimated Price: $ 3.59
Pom pom Maker
Quantity needed: 1
Estimated Price: $ 2.49
6 stitches = 4 in. (10 cm) in pattern. When you match the gauge in a pattern, your project will be the size specified in the pattern and the materials specified in the pattern will be sufficient. The needle or hook size called for in the pattern is based on what the designer used, but it is not unusual for gauge to vary from person to person. If it takes you fewer stitches and rows to make your swatch, try using a smaller size hook or needles; if more stitches and rows, try a larger size hook or needles. Making a Gauge Swatch
Exact gauges is not imporant to this project.
Chain 29.
Row 1: Single crochet in 2nd chain from hook, double crochet in next chain, *single crochet in next chain, double crochet in next chain; repeat from * across, end with a double crochet in last chain - an even number of stitches.
Row 2: Chain 1, turn, *single crochet in next double crochet, double crochet in next single crochet; repeat from * across.
Repeat Row 2 until piece measures 9 in.
(23 cm) from beginning.
Fasten off.
Seam ends together.
Thread yarn through each stitch of last row and pull to gather.
Knot securely.
Weave in ends.
Following package directions, make a pompom and tie to top of Hat.
Every effort has been made to have the knitting and crochet instructions accurate and complete. We cannot be responsible for variance of individual knitters and crocheters, human errors, or typographical mistakes.
We want your project to be a success! If you need help with this or any other Lion Brand pattern, e-mail support is available 7 days per week by mailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
For over a thousand free patterns available in versions for the vision-impaired, visit our website http://www.LionBrand.com
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text:
Does anyone have any Taylor Lautner fakes? Please and thank you he's so hot
gayer than gay
Does anyone have any Taylor Lautner fakes? Please and thank you he's so hot
Taylor is 17 and thus any fakes of him would be while he is underage and are thus illegal and not allowed on this site.
Holy unethical statutory Batman! LOL!!! He was like 15 during twilight and he just turned 17. Still gotta wait a while! But if youve read the books, hell be shirtless for the duration of the saga
I can't get him pregnant, but lord knows i keep trying
Yeah I'm pretty sure he just turned 17.
Born Feb.11, 1992.
Please DO NOT request fakes of any person who is under 18.
Taylor show his ripping abs
And his biceps
Apart from his obvious, sexy good looks he is also developing into a decent actor.
I am appreciative of his speaking abilities. I can understand, his every word. More than can be said, of several Hollywood A list actors.
Shots from the "New Moon" set in LA Times
He's only 17 years old.
He Is Underage!
Date of Birth: 11 February 1992, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Four Taylor Lautners and an order of Fries
our blog
i believe he is still underage
you cant post him, images about him as he is only 17 yrs old....................
actually, as I understand the law, it is illegal to fuck him or make porn movies with him until he reaches the age of 18
He is gorgeous, but I'd like to see what he looks like in about 3 years. I hope he doesn't 'roid' out. He's got just the right amount of muscle now.
We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing
Underage material of any kind. Sexual text or images that depict or imply subjects who are, or appear to be, under the age of 18 are strictly prohibited. JUB is a site for adults to discuss and enjoy the beauty of MEN. Any inappropriate sexualization of minors is completely and absolutely prohibited and will result in the deletion of your account.
he is beyond hot
Tyler Lautner was born 2/11/1982.
Therefore he is 17, and not a viable topic for JUB.
Thread closed.
The Three Musketeers... Bashful, Chrisglass, and Ronboy!
describe your fantasy with Taylor Lautner, look @ her ABS, armpits, legs...
just a beautiful young boy, just fresh meat
think he's next to you just with a sexy CK hipbrief, sleeping, with a wonderful package and a delineate pennis... just to be sucked
or still prefer zac efron?
hahaha I hope you describe an erotic fantasy with TL, be creative
those pictures of Taylor were taken when he was still underage and thus they are NOT allowed on this site
In before the lock!
I advise you to have a look at this thread:
Ha, like those awards mean anything. Win an Oscar, and it may mean something.
Nickelodeon hasn't been the same in years so #FAIL.
yeah he is cute cute cute . award or no award mmm mmm mmm .
I don't get all the hate.........I'm sure Lautner is a nice young man who just happens to have become extremely popular.
I'm happy for him.......
Aha, I bet you anything he got home and threw it to his dog for a chew toy.
I dont get how these can be the least bit exciting.
Talented little llama, ain't he
gIVE HIM A BREAK; HE'S ONLY 18! He probably was very happy with this.
not half as happy as I'd be with HIm sitting on my trophy case
OMG! My panties are like sooooo totally soaked!
His body's hot, but I've never gotten the overall appeal. His face is FUG.
It looks like he didn't finish cleaning up. There still something sticky and white in his hair. Lol
If his agent can get him some varied roles he will be around for awhile.
Taylor is like a lot teen "boys" who cum and go.
I'm not sure of the validity of this story, but I'd love to hear the explanation if it is true.
Taylor Lautner was spotted at a gay party at the home of openly gay X-Men director Bryan Singer (pictured below and VERY hot) last Thursday. Singer is notorious for throwing exclusive parties for Hollywood gays, and according to Limelife, a source said Lautner left the party well into the wee hours of the night. Taylor is the new great gay hope. Ricky Martin coming out is about as exciting to the gay community as Larry King posing naked in Playgirl, the source told Limelife. The mere thought of Taylor Lautner being gay is what gay men everywhere are dreaming about. He added: Think about it. Teenage girls have moved on from Taylor Lautner to Justin Bieber. Maybe they sense something .
Maybe he's just friends with the guy; also I think he got an amazing body but his face is so fug.
I've heard there are a lot of gay rumors surrounding him in Hollywood. But him being at that party doesn't automatically make him gay
It's an interesting report, but I don't think he is gay though. Either way, he's quite a hottie.
So if a gay guy goes to a non-gay party does that make him straight?
well i know that taylor lautner is suppose to be strectch armstrong and im pretty sure that brian singer is directing it so maybe he invited him........i hope he's not gay cuz if i can't have him no gay man can ha ha ha ha
meh, dunno if I believe the report but the kid is definitely gay.
I'm not one for the "one video/ gesture/ etc proves so-and-so is gay" crowd, but I've seen a few videos of him and he seems to me most likely to be gay. This video is just where it's most obvious...
I think if he really is gay there would be no chance in hell that his handlers/creators (who would certaintly know) would allow him go to a party that is well known for the majority of the attendees being gay.
They would want to bury it so they can keep him in the mainstream entertainment business i.e. little teenage girls swooning all over him.
Whereas if he is straight his handlers/creators would love to show that he is open minded, liberal and at ease with the gays, hence the well leaked appearance at a the party in question.


text:
NEW YORK (AP) - New York City police said a young woman stumbling around on a subway platform not far from Times Square fell onto the tracks and was killed by a train.
The accident happened before dawn on New Year's Day at a station just one stop from where revelers gather in Times Square to celebrate at midnight.
Police said the victim was in her 20s. Her name wasn't released.
Subway deaths are common in the city, but attention has been high in recent weeks after two men were pushed to their deaths in December.


text:
Colorado Mountain College in Rifle and Chevron kick off the third year of free PBS Community Cinema screenings on Sept. 28 with "Half the Sky," the story of turning oppression into opportunity for women throughout the world.
The linked problems of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality - which needlessly claim one woman every 90 seconds - present the single most vital opportunity of our time: the opportunity to make a change.
"Half the Sky," based on the best-selling book by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Pulitzer prize-winning author Sheryl WuDunn, was filmed in 10 countries. It follows celebrity activists America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan and Olivia Wilde on a journey to tell the stories of inspiring, courageous individuals.
"Half the Sky" will be shown at 7 p.m. in Colorado Mountain College's Clough Auditorium, 3695 Airport Road, Rifle, followed by a brief discussion and complimentary refreshments. For more information, call 625-1871.
ACCESS Roaring Fork will offer "Second Shift" after-school classes in Rifle and Riverside Middle Schools starting Oct. 15.
Classes are enriching, supportive, fun and affordable. Look for forms sent home with students by Friday, Sept. 28. Forms are due back to school by Tuesday, Oct. 2. For more details or to download a registration form, visit www.accessrf.org and click on "Programs." Contact ACCESS at 963-4402 or email@example.com.
Help the family of Warren Dodo celebrate his 80th birthday on Sunday, Sept. 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Lakota Canyon Recreation Center, 151 Clubhouse Drive, New Castle. No gifts, please. Call Scot for more information, 876-5111.
All six branches of the Garfield County Libraries will be closed Monday, Oct. 1, for a staff training day. Normal library hours will resume at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2. You can still browse and request books, movies, and more online at www.gcpld.org during the closure.
The South Side Conservation District and the Colorado Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative will sponsor a workshop on tamarisk control at the Silt Fire Station, 611 Main St., on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.
The workshop will discuss the benefits and improvements when a landowner removes tamarisk and creates better grazing, wildlife habitat and improved values of the land and landscape.
Speakers will discuss the various improvements to grazing lands when tamarisk is removed. Steve Jaouen, Natural Resources Conservation Service rangeland management specialist, will discuss reclamation, the potential of increased production of vegetation, and erosion control.
Eric Brynildson will provide a landowner's view of his goals and how those are being met. A Colorado Parks and Wildlife official will discuss the expected improvement for wildlife habitat, and Garfield County Vegetation Management Director Steve Anthony will talk about the control of tamarisk, weed invasion, and reclamation of treated sites.
For more information, call 945-5494, ext. 105.
Get your teens and preteens (ages 10-18) vaccinated at the Grand River Medical Clinic on Friday, Oct. 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No appointment necessary.
The best offense is a good defense, and immunizations can prevent serious illness. Preteens and teens are also vulnerable to other diseases as they age, like meningitis, hepatitis A and human papilloma virus. As children grow older, some of their childhood vaccines begin to lose their effectiveness.
For more information and costs of the vaccines, call 625-1100. Flu shots will also be available at Grand River Hospital, 501 Airport Road in Rifle.
The Silt Branch Library will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. Special guest speakers will start the day, followed by a ribbon cutting, refreshments, giveaways, and live music with the Mountain Smuggler Boys.
The new library is more than three times larger than the old library and features a large meeting room, two study rooms, unique children's and teen spaces, a designated
computer area, a cozy reading area with a fireplace, a plaza for outdoor reading and events, and almost 4,000 new library items.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, the Rifle Branch Library will host an exhibition, "The Bonfire of Liberties: Censorship of the Humanities," through Oct. 15.
"The Bonfire of Liberties" gives an overview of censorship in its various guises over time. The exhibition also examines the struggle between those who want to censor difficult, controversial and revolutionary material from sensitive viewers and those who want to protect the freedoms of all people to read, view and think for themselves.
Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982.
The Silt Branch Library is one of 150 libraries nationwide to host "Let's Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War."
This five-part reading and discussion series will be held every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., from Oct. 13 through Nov. 17. (No program will be held on Oct. 20).
Sarah Swedberg, associate professor of American History at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, will provide background lectures and will lead the conversations on selected readings.
All participants will receive a free ticket to watch "Lincoln" at Rifle's Brenden Theatre. This Steven Spielberg blockbuster opens Nov. 16.
Participants must pre-register to participate by going online at www.gcpld.org or calling the library at 876-5500. This discussion series is limited to 25. After registering, participants can pick up the program packet at the Silt or Rifle Branch Libraries. (The current Silt Branch Library will close on Sept. 10 and reopen in the adjacent new library facility on Oct. 6).
This series was developed by the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities, with additional support provided by the Colorado Humanities Council.
Rifle Fireside Lanes will host a fall U.S. Bowling Council Youth League at 11 a.m. every Saturday, starting Oct. 13. Youth from first grade through 22 years of age (must be enrolled in college) are welcome. Trophies, pins, scholarships and more awarded. Cost is $6 per youth, includes shoes. Call 625-2231 or drop by 0023 Colorado Highway 325 to sign up.
Coal Ridge High School held their academic letter assembly for students who earned an academic letter during the 2011-12 school year. To do so, a student must maintain a 3.5 grade point average in each semester and have taken four solid academic courses each semester from among English, Math Science, Social Studies, Business, Foreign Language, College Coursework, three credits or more.
The following students earned an academic letter for the 2011/12:
10th GRADE
Riley Shaw Bolitho, Shelby Paige Cerise, Laura Valerie Harju, Graham Benjamin Leavitt, Mariela Lucia Martinez, Tiffani Lovita Moreno, Alondra Murillo, Luke Anthony Pagni, Melissa Mae Steinbach, Olivia Rose Wernsman, Frederica Ann Young, Katie May Barner, Holly Brooke Keesee, Kellie Danielle Larsen, Molly Josephine Mello, Bryce Joseph Elmer Roberts, Kelsey Lynn Disher, Jaeda Kaeleigh Lynn Reeves, Bailey Elizabeth Davis, Kyrie Jade Foreman, Madison Rae Lund, Jesse Allen Crawford, Brandon Russell Dee Gray, Leah Veronica Kanakaraj, Tyler Matthew Sheerin, Ashleigh Morgan Tucker, Nina Isabella Vitari, William Stanley Kutnicki, Kathryn Katelynn Mae Senor, Ryan Logan Slone.
11th GRADE
Jalyn Julianna Carlson, Hannah O'Shea Hogan, Sarah Ashley King, Elizabeth Jordon Stump-Moses, Jorge Vazquez-Gonzalez, Jenifer Garcia Esquivel, Emma Ashley Speer, James Patrick Valenteen, Courtney Mary Reece, Amanda Christina Wenzel.
12th GRADE
Benjamin Robert Harju, Morgan Taylor Groves, Dakotah Andrew Howard Snode, Gunnar James Pagni, Kaylee Ann Peterson, Bo Matthew Morris, Marco Antonio Hernandez, Rebecca Anne Mitchell, Michael Anthony Moncera Niederkorn, Tzetzi Ximena Mendez, Kelsey Marie Fauser, Cassidy Louise Blackard, Casey Jordan Goldade, Ana Karen Hernandez-Gonzalez, Diamond Jacqueline Koerner, Emily Rose VanDevender, Cindy Yudith Fabela, Miranda Marisa Romero-Ruiz.
Susan Nichols-Alvis, owner of the Nichols Insurance Agency in Rifle since 2003, has been elected to serve on the Rifle Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors through 2015.
Nichols-Alvis is a member of the chamber finance committee and is co-facilitator of the government affairs committee. President of the Rifle Lions Club and the White River Trail Runners ATV Club, Nichols-Alvis said she is passionate about the Rifle Chamber and its support of local businesses and non-profits.
ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is seeking volunteer area representatives.
ASSE provides academic year and semester exchange programs in the United States for high school students from around the world. Students are 15 -18 years old and have passed a series of academic and character requirements.
Area representatives recruit and screen prospective host families, interview students to study abroad and supervise the exchange students in their community. Compensation is based on the number of students supervised.
For more information, call 1-800-733-2773 or email email@example.com.
Julie Dodo is no longer working in Carbondale. She will continue to work Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday at Creekside Salon and Day Spa, 386 Main St. in New Castle, as she has for the last eight years. Julie Dodo can be reached at 984-3625 or 274-8022.


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NCSE's Hess at "On Faith"
NCSE's Director of Religious Community Outreach Peter M. J. Hess contributed a guest column, entitled "West of Eden," to the Washington Post's on-line "On Faith" feature (June 16, 2009).
NCSE's Scott speaks at Evolution 2009
NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott spoke at the Evolution 2009 conference on June 12, 2009, and video of her lecture — "The Public Understanding of Evolution and the KISS Principle" — is now available on-line in RealPlayer format.
Eugenie C. Scott on the radio
NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott was a guest on two radio programs recently, and both shows are available on-line.
"Creationism and the Law"
Looking for the legal skinny on the court cases that shaped the landscape of the creationism/evolution controversy? NCSE's new Creationism and the Law resource provides the details on seventeen key cases, from Scopes to Selman, that made a difference.
Eugenie C. Scott interviewed in Science (now with full text)
NCSE's executive director was interviewed (full text below) in the latest issue of Science under the headline "Eugenie Scott Toils in Defense of Evolution."
What's wrong with the new Texas standards
Writing in The Earth Scientist, the journal of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, NCSE's Steven Newton explains (PDF, pp. 30-33) in detail what's wrong with the new state science standards adopted in Texas in March 2009, focusing on the Earth and Space Science standards in particular.
NCSE's Scott awarded Stephen Jay Gould prize
NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott is to be the first recipient of the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded annually by the Society for the Study of Evolution "to recognize individuals whose sustained and exemplary efforts have advanced public understanding of evolutionary science and its importance in biology, education, and everyday life in the spirit of Stephen Jay Gould."
NCSE's Scott to be on Culture Shocks
NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott will discuss the significance of Ida, the 47-million-year-old primate fossil dominating the headlines, on the Culture Shocks radio show on May 26, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. EST.
"Don't mess with textbooks"
Writing in Seed, NCSE's Joshua Rosenau explains what the new Texas state science standards mean for science education nationwide.
Eugenie C. Scott among Scientific American 10
NCSE's executive director Eugenie C. Scott is among the Scientific American 10 for 2009, described by the magazine in its June 2009 issue as "researchers, politicians, business executives and philanthropists who have recently demonstrated outstanding commitment to assuring that the benefits of new technologies and knowledge will accrue to humanity."
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White Turquoise
White Turquoise – White Buffalo Turquoise is from Nevada, owned and mined by the Otteson's who also own and mine the Royston Turquoise Mine. White colored Turquoise is unusual and is beautiful in Southwestern Silver Jewelry. The White Turquoise Ring to the left was produced by Durango Silver Company, we make a lot of White Turquoise Jewelry so make certain to come back often to see the new white Turquoise Jewelry items we add weekly. Visit our presentation page on White Turquoise.
This White Buffalo Turquoise Ring was made in a bezel setting with a fancy stamped ring shank. This is a popular contemporary style that is in vogue in today's marketplace.
White Turquoise Jewelry
Durango Silver Company produces many types of Silver Jewelry with white Turquoise. We have several types of white colored Turquoise, the most common being White Buffalo Turquoise, however, there are several other types of white colored Turquoise that is beautiful as well. We produce great White Turquoise Rings, White Turquoise Bracelets, White Turquoise Pendants, White Turquoise Necklaces, White Turquoise Earrings and many other types of Silver Jewelry made with White Turquoise as well as White Buffalo Turquoise. Check out our informational page on White Turquoise Rings.
White Turquoise
Durango Silver Company has been in the Turquoise and Turquoise Jewelry business for almost 40 years now and is considered one of the premier places to find high quality Turquoise Jewelry as well as Silver Jewelry. We mine and buy Turquoise direct from the American Turquoise Mines and hand cut most all of the Turquoise Gemstones we use in our Jewelry, white colored Turquoise is just one of many rare and unusual types of Turquoise we use in our Jewelry. Our Jewelry is handmade in the USA, a good share of the Jewelry we produce is made here in Durango, Colorado USA, plus, we buy and have Native American Indians make our gemstones into Jewelry as well.
We have a Silver Gallery here in Durango and we also have our online Silver Gallery located on the Internet which is associated to this blog. We invite you to visit either of our locations to view the White Turquoise Jewelry we have on hand and hope you will return often as we ad new products daily. We hope you will think of Durango Silver Company the next time you are considering White Turquoise.


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FGDC Newsletter Summer 1999
1999 National GeoData Forum
The 1999 National GeoData Forum, "Making Livable Communities a Reality," was a great success. More than 460 participants made the forum a dynamic and forward-looking opportunity to explore critical issues in achieving more effective use of geographic information in our nation's communities. The forum, conducted in Washington, DC, June 7-9, began with keynote presentations by Secretary of the Interior, Bruce Babbitt; Morley Winograd, Director of the National Partnership for Reinventing Government; Congressman Paul Kanjorski; and Dee Hock, founder and CEO Emeritus of Visa International. The afternoon session included presentations ranging from a video envisioning a digital earth to community leaders describing place and livability issues from their local perspectives. On the second day, seven concurrent breakout sessions, or "threads," provided venues for discussing specific issues. The results of these thread discussions were woven into an executive summary report that was provided to all forum participants on the third morning. The forum concluded with a policy roundtable, chaired by Congressman Kanjorski, where government, industry, tribal, and academic leaders expressed their perspectives and visions regarding the value and use of geographic information in communities.
- The hearing was one of the first congressional hearings to focus on GIS and spatial data.
During the forum, several other events supported the themes of livable communities and working together to ensure ready access to relevant geographic information. Demonstrations of GIS applications addressing community issues were conducted at the House Rayburn Building; the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) showcased university GIScience research, education, and policy programs at the National Geographic Society; and the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology held a hearing on "Geographical Information Systems Policies and Programs." This hearing was one of the first congressional hearings to focus on GIS and spatial data, and it provided an excellent finish to the forum's whirlwind three days.
All forum participants contributed to making the meeting a stimulating, thought provoking, and future-focused event. Participants' responses to the meeting were uniformly positive, and there was great enthusiasm for carrying forward the ideas and actions identified there. The forum summary graphic, presented and discussed on the final day of the meeting, captures the forum's flow and content. You are encouraged to use this graphic to help spread awareness and understanding of the forum and of the value of geographic information in addressing community issues. Although there are many more thoughts to consider, some of the major elements that emerged from the forum and the congressional hearing are listed here.
Bold Steps Identified in the Forum Summary
- Demonstrate interoperability and integration in testbeds.
- Develop open geoprocessing interfaces.
- Increase data discovery and sharing through metadata and data standards.
- Catalogue case studies.
- Increase investment in decision support systems.
- Add educational experiences about geodata at all school/grade levels.
- Increase commitment for GIScience training.
- Publish funding mechanisms and options.
- Review economic dynamics of federal and private sector interaction:
- Update and revise the NSDI strategic direction.
- Establish a data requirements registry.
- Pursue "ChaordicTM" organization discussed by Dee Hock.
* ChaordicTM is a trademark of The Chaordic Alliance.
Dee Hock Reinvents Organizational ModelsIn his keynote presentation, Dee Hock, founder and CEO Emeritus of Visa International, challenged forum participants to think differently about organizations. Today's organizations are increasingly unable to accomplish what they were created to do or to manage their affairs, yet they continue to expand and consume more resources, he said. If this situation continues, he warned, we can expect global institutional collapse. As a solution, he outlined his innovative ideas about "chaordic" organizations-self-organizing, adaptive, nonlinear organizations whose behavior harmoniously combines chaos and order.
Here are some of his many provocative thoughts about organizations and society:
GeoData Forum Summmary Graphic (441 kb)
Ideas That Emerged From the Congressional Hearing
- Establish the NSDI as a national objective through legislation.
- Consider the need for a broader coalition of organizations that can guide the implementation of the NSDI.
- Establish a means for sharing best practices in geographic information and technology as a component of the NSDI.
- Promote locally-independent, regionally-coordinated geographic information processes as means of achieving national consistency.
- Support local and state initiatives and provide incentives through activities such as the Community/Federal Information Partnership.
Further Steps
Detailed information on the forum will be provided through the FGDC (www.fgdc.gov) and other mechanisms. The challenge in front of us now is to continue to move forward in addressing and implementing the many ideas and steps identified in the forum. To further communities' access to geoprocessing tools and geographic information, we will begin the following efforts:
- Work with Congress on possible legislation to establish the NSDI as a national objective. Legislation would include:
- national goals and NSDI definition,
- federal roles and compliance requirements,
- non-federal and non-governmental roles and expectations for NSDI participation, and
- methods for partnerships and new types of organizational relationships that will facilitate NSDI implementation.
- Continue to build on the extensive involvement of the geoprocessing and technology sector and work with additional private sector organizations to broaden participation in the NSDI. This effort will include exploring opportunities to establish mechanisms to encourage businesses to engage in public/private partnerships to promote technology interoperability and make it easier to use geographic information for decision-making within communities.
- Request that the forum steering committee and policy roundtable membership guide a consensus-based implementation strategy for the steps identified in the forum summary graphic.
- Create a national coalition representing current and potential future stakeholders that will explore the potential for an adaptive, self-governing organizational and governance process to guide NSDI implementation.
We must move forward with "BOLD ACTIONS" to implement the "BOLD STEPS" and capture the "BIG IDEAS" from the forum. The FGDC, along with the forum steering committee and roundtable members, will engage all interested stakeholders in taking the next actions. This effort will require leadership, commitment, and resources from all sectors. If we truly are to create an NSDI that is a geographic information resource for the 21st century, then all of us must contribute to its implementation so that all communities can benefit from its results.
Interior Secretary Babbitt urged the forum participants to dream big dreams. This figure is the graphic summary of his presentation.
Secretary Babbit's Summary Graphic (184 kb)
Forum Threads
Tuesday was devoted to the forum threads. The full summaries of the thread activities and outcomes are being posted at the FGDC website.
Thread 1. Geospatial Decision Support Systems
What do decision makers need?
What is the state of the art?
Geospatial decision support systems (GDSS) can help decision makers solve complex spatial problems by adding analytical and interpretive capabilities to geospatial data. But do they adequately address the needs of decision makers? Participants in this thread explored this question by discussing the barriers to more effective use of GDSS, how communities can help develop GDSS capabilities, and important messages that should be sent to Congress or others concerning GDSS.
A wide variety of ideas emerged, focusing on technological, organizational, and design components:
- Technology. Technology advances, significantly reduced prices, the Internet, and widely available GIS software are increasing the viability of GIS and GDSS for many communities. Data, however, can remain costly or unavailable. More important, acquiring and maintaining the necessary expertise may be prohibitively expensive. In addition, technology, particularly decision support systems, is changing rapidly. These factors mean that many communities face substantial barriers in creating GDSS. Meeting the goal of developing a common, distributed, and widely available set of tools will require an environment incorporating modular approaches to software design, interoperable modules, and extensible systems. Such an environment would enable a community to build a GDSS gradually, assured that increased capability could be built over time and initial investments would not become obsolete with subsequent advances.
- Organization. More collaboration and coordination are needed. At the local level, increased citizen participation and better support for collaborative decision-making processes are primary needs. The implications for GDSS include requirements for facilitators that can use technology, science and technology translators that can inform decision making, and software to help participants visualize current condition and future scenarios. A conference on GDSS facilitators and translators could further the development of solutions. At the federal level, the major concerns are coordination among agencies and the development of modules or systems to support decision making.
- Design. The design philosophy of most current GISs and GDSSs does not support the types of problems that users face: Current systems are designed to handle data and problems that are clearly defined and isolated, whereas most real problems are fuzzy and integrated. Current systems are designed for experts, whereas collaborative groups of stakeholders with mixed levels of expertise represent the growing user base. And current systems do not provide the required support for the creative design aspect of community development that is central to the concept of livable communities.
Thread 2. Finance and Commercial Aspects of the NSDI
How can we finance and implement the NSDI?
Commercially viable data-sharing standards, procedures, and interoperable specifications make geospatial data developed for one application increasingly valuable to others. This thread explored new ways to finance and commercialize geospatial data creation and maintenance. Participants considered a number of questions, including: How can investments in these data be pooled? What is the role of data licensing? What legal constraints must be considered? How can public access to information be achieved at moderate cost? How can the NSDI use capital planning and finance techniques as well as venture capital? Do public-private partnerships work, and how?
Participants made the following recommendations:
- Research and test structures that make available five cross-cutting capacities for regional and local data consortia: 1) Internet portals of functional spatial information systems, incorporating public access to basic spatial data and systems, revenue options that are broader than data unit pricing, and quality branding; 2) financing options and optimization, including a Spatial Information Development Bank to serve regional data consortia; 3) bulk procurement strategies and purchasing expertise, including best practices guidelines; 4) system quality strategies that move beyond standards to address design elements for enhancing privacy, limits for liability, best practices guidelines, and techniques to address copyright and security issues; and 5) legal strategies to research and promulgate spatial data licensing, craft model privacy and security policies and guidelines for geospatial Internet portals, and review copyright and database protection issues.
- Emphasize private sector innovation and entrepreneurship in organizing and driving the five capacities. Key activities include clarifying copyright protection for spatial data developed or shared by the private sector, reviewing government and private data pricing and licensing patterns across the country for similar data, and broadening and adapting Cooperative Research and Development Agreement and other procedures for increasing the private sector's role.
- Organize appropriate public sector support. Issues include clarifying the Internal Revenue Code regarding the "public purpose" and tax-exempt status of obligations issued by regional data consortia, reexamining minimal spatial data standards and interoperability specifications required as "underwriting criteria" sufficient to align public and private investments, reestablishing a Geographer for Congress (as existed in the 1830s) to help Congress effectively use spatial data and systems to assess the impact of legislation, issuing bonds for regional or local data consortia, hosting federal revolving loan funds for spatial data and systems development, and facilitating institutional and private sector participation in regional data consortia through subscriptions and one-call laws.
Thread 3. "No Limits" Information Technology for Livable Communities
How do we want to use geodata?
What technical and policy issues are implied?
Imagine that there were no limitations imposed by technology. How would we use geodata in our communities? What would we want the technology to do for us if anything were possible? How would these capabilities affect practice and policy? This thread called on the expertise of representatives of the OpenGIS Consortium to help answer these questions and discuss the various converging technologies and markets that will support "no limits" technology for livable communities. Topics included network resources, open interfaces, Internet-based computing, database software, commercial geodata sources, and image processing. Thread participants discussed the issues that these emerging technologies raise.
Several major ideas arose:
- We need to think in terms of services, not data. Traditionally, GIS practitioners have put much of their effort into building databases. The new paradigm is that there will be myriad data and systems, all accessible through queries from users' software. This approach is a service, not just data; it is answering questions, not just providing information.
- Interoperability is key. It will free users from constant data conversion. Key steps to help achieve widespread interoperability include demonstrating interoperability and integration in testbeds and developing open geoprocessing interfaces.
- Metadata and standards help make data a commodity. Metadata make data discoverable; standards make them usable. Both components are key to making data a viable commodity.
- Technology is not the limiting factor. Technological capabilities will continue to increase. To make effective use of technology, however, we must figure out what we want to do and design for it. Doing so will require cooperation and consensus. We need to overcome the legacy of noncooperation and work through the institutional and legal issues.
Thread 4. Geodata Challenges for Research and Education in the 21st Century
How can researchers and educators work with communities?
Within the next 5 years, citizens, students, business executives, elected officials, educators, and others will have access to terabytes of geodata. How can the research community meet the challenge of removing the technical and institutional barriers to widespread use of such data? Participants in this thread examined the technical problems and discussed how resolving issues of access, equity, and information technology's influence on society will promote the dissemination of geodata for educational purposes. They also considered how researchers can best collaborate with academic, federal, and private partners to address these challenges.
Major points arising from the discussion included the following:
- Universities are communities. Like federal, state, local, and private sector communities, they have both intra- and intercommunity relationships. Universities can foster NSDI development through research, teaching, and outreach. However, universities' outreach approaches to local communities and the private sector must be improved. The Community-Federal Information Partnerships program provides an ideal opportunity for developing new partnerships between universities and colleges and local community and private partners.
- The United States leads the world in both GIS research and development and higher education. University research in geospatial information has led to vital GIS innovation and progress. If we want to maintain our global lead, continued and increased funding for basic research is required. Universities can do a better job of informing federal agencies about why their work is important, and federal agencies can do a better job of communicating with universities about research they need conducted. The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science can provide a channel for this interaction.
- There is a desperate shortage of skilled GIScience workers. Existing educational programs are not providing the necessary graduates, and there is no organized effort to change this situation. Graduates lack major technical skills in GIScience and in critical supporting areas such as computer science. These deficiencies hinder the full use of existing GIScience technology, the development of further technology, and the identification of crucial spatial aspects of government and business problems. Potential remedies include developing a unified GIScience curriculum, developing in-career training and education approaches, tackling problems surrounding GIS certification, and ensuring that the Office of Personnel Management creates an appropriate GIS Specialist or Analyst position description.
- Examples of best practices in research and education must be developed. Universities can contribute to understanding of NSDI and GIScience through well-illustrated, interactive, Web-accessible projects relating to their research and education projects.
Thread 5. Accessing Data
How can we make data sharing easier?
Barriers to data sharing slow our progress in many endeavors, and, ultimately, in building livable communities. This thread brought together people with immediate concerns about impediments to data sharing and people interested in conceptualizing the data-sharing environment of the future. They considered policy concerns, including finding data in archives, in legacy systems, and on the Internet; assessing suitability of data for use; accessing and retrieving data; opening data for analysis, visualization, and decision-making applications; and contributing and describing data for use by others.
Three major ideas emerged from this discussion:
- A community needs to be well-informed about itself, through ready access to accurate, up-to-date data. In addition to data, it needs shared methods, principles, and models-things that are part of working with geospatial data but are difficult to describe and catalog using today's technology. Sharing also relies on the availability of metadata that is tightly integrated with data and recognized by intelligent software.
- Access to data must be equitable. The Internet is creating a world of haves and have-nots, but livable communities must make information available to every member in affordable, usable form.
- We usually think of communities as geographically defined-neighborhoods, cities, and counties. But increasingly, people interact within communities that are very widely scattered, using the Internet and other methods of communication over long distances. For example, the community of people concerned about loss of tropical rain forest is widely dispersed but has important needs for information.
Thread 6. Geodata Organizational Issues
How are geodata communities best coordinated to help create livable communities?
Geodata form the information base underlying livable communities. But organizational issues such as determining data content and characteristics, establishing data creation and maintenance responsibilities, and coordinating people complicate the development of this geodata foundation. This thread provided an opportunity to explore effective ways to address these issues through the organizational perspectives Dee Hock raised in his plenary presentation. The session was structured as an exercise in experiential learning. Led by a facilitator and working in small groups, participants were urged to think about and articulate their visions of the future, in which spatial data are being effectively used. Next, they were asked to determine what principles would be required to create an organization they could trust to realize this vision. Finally, they shared their thoughts and feelings about the ideas that had been raised.
Several interesting ideas emerged from this discussion:
- Vision. In the future, geodata will be ubiquitous, transparent, and "frictionless." The days of data that "just lay there" will be gone. Data will be part of transactional systems; users will receive up-to-the-minute data, along with related information such as uncertainty. Applets will come together to provide answers, not data. It will be possible to look at the local and global perspectives at the same time. This environment will move us from geodata to geowisdom.
- Principles. Although the group found it harder to come up with principles than they expected, several useful components of principles emerged. They included trust, equality, respect, voluntary participation, democratic operation, diversity, open communication, commitment, decentralized decision making, ethics, and values.
- Getting there. Most participants favored exploring the development of a "chaordic" organization to support NSDI development. This enthusiasm was tempered by discussion of the resources-money and people's time-required to embark on such an effort. Recognizing these requirements and constraints, however, the group still had a strong sense that the community should take some of these steps and explore some of these ideas.
Thread 7. Pillars of the Community: Framework Data and Product Development
How can the current investment in framework data be leveraged to maximize benefits and minimize costs?
The framework is a crucial component of the NSDI. It is a collaborative effort to create a widely available source of basic geospatial data. The framework consists of data, technology, and procedures, as well as institutional relationships and business practices. This thread examined how well the purpose and goals of the framework are being met. Participants reviewed the recent Framework Data Survey and three case studies incorporating framework data and participated in a lively discussion focusing on increasing private sector participation, involving the user community in framework development, promoting the value of the framework, and ensuring framework reliability and availability. They recognized that a great deal has been accomplished but that a less federally focused approach must be pursued if the framework effort is to realize its potential and value to communities.
Participants answered several questions:
- Are the framework data meeting community needs? Response: 4.5 on a scale of 0 to 10. Much work remains, but the framework is a critical national resource to support community livability.
- What are the barriers to achieving the vision to develop, maintain, and integrate framework data within a geographic area? Response: inadequate private sector involvement; lack of knowledge about NSDI and its benefits; need for definition of the NSDI program in user-related terms; need for an indicator of what data are "under construction" -- perhaps a national data collection registry; slow production of federal data themes; inaccessibility of data; lack of an effective framework marketing approach that includes channels of distribution; need to connect framework data to community needs.
- How can the private sector contribute to and benefit from the NSDI effort? Response: The FGDC could create a mechanism for private sector participation in the national policy process. The National Spatial Data Council concept presented in the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) study was suggested as an approach.
- Is the goal of a widely used and useful framework being realized? Response: 4.5 on a scale of 0 to 10.
- What, if anything, must be done to achieve the framework data vision? Response: Create an NSDI portal for national coverage of framework data; redefine what the framework is-there are too many different ideas; implement NAPA recommendations; include input from local agencies, citizens, and private industry; make sure the framework supports community and regional needs; develop a business plan; provide incentives and mechanisms for developing larger-scale data; market the NSDI initiative to users; create a data requirements registry.
Don't Duck Metadata
1999 NSDI CAP Awards Announced
The 1999 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP) awards were announced at the National GeoData Forum in June. This year's program, "Don't Duck Metadata," is devoted to projects that will further framework data documentation and clearinghouse development. It builds on the expertise that has been developed in the community. It represents a new level of participation-participants and communities helping themselves and others. Participants in this program will develop metadata for existing framework data, collect framework metadata, serve metadata through new or existing clearinghouse nodes, or provide or coordinate training or technical assistance. The 1999 program will fund 95 projects for a total of approximately $1,800,000. These projects will involve over 240 federal, state, and local governments, and private and academic organizations nationwide. The list of awardees is arranged by the state in which their offices are located. Contact information can be found at the FGDC website at www.fgdc.gov.
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Municipality of Anchorage-Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility
Geological Survey of Alabama
University of Arkansas-Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies
Hualapai Tribe-Department of Natural Resources
Western Riverside Council of Governments
City of Calabasas
California Resources Agency Program (CERES)
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
County of Ventura
California State University, San Bernardino-Department of Geography GIS Center
The San Luis Valley GIS/GPS Authority
Bureau of Indian Affairs-Geographic Data Service Center
Bureau of Land Management-National IRM Center
Southwestern Colorado Data Center, Inc.
U.S. National Park Service-Denver
University of Connecticut-Center for Geographic Information & Analysis
University of Delaware-Department of Geography
GeoComm International Corporation
Florida Geographic Information Board-Department of Management Services
Georgia Office of Information Technology Policy Council
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Honolulu Engineer District
Iowa Geographic Information Council
University of Idaho Library
Coeur d'Alene Tribe-Tribal GIS
Chicago Horticultural Society-Chicago Botanic Garden
Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission
Watershed Research
Kansas GIS Policy Board-Kansas Water Office
U.S. Geological Survey-National Wetlands Research Center
University of Southwestern Louisiana-Center for Advanced Computer Studies
City of Northampton
Salisbury State University-Mapping Science Group
Towson University-Center for Geographic Information Services
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Maine Office of GIS
Eastern Maine Development Corporation
Land Information Access Association
Great Lakes Commission
Improving Michigan's Access to Geographic Networks (IMAGIN)
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission
U.S. Geological Survey-Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Ravalli County Planning Office
Natural Resource Information System-Montana State Library
North Carolina
North Carolina Center for Geographic Information & Analysis (NCGIA)
New Jersey
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Monmouth County-Information Services/ GIS Division
New Mexico
University of New Mexico-Earth Data Analysis Center
New Mexico Environment Department-Information Technologies
Regional Transportation Commission
University of Nevada, Reno-De LaMare Library
University of Nevada, Reno-Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology
New York
Monroe County-Department of Planning & Development
Tompkins County-Information Technologies Services
Genesee County-Real Property Tax Services Office
Westchester County GIS-County Executive's Office
Oklahoma Conservation Commission
Cherokee Nation-Office of Environmental Services
Conservation Biology Institute
Intertribal GIS Council
Mifflin County Mapping Department
Pennsylvania State University-Environmental Resources Research Institute
Union County GIS Department
Wilkes University GIS Consortium
South Carolina
Richland County Government-Department of Information Technology
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration-Coastal Service Center
South Dakota
State of South Dakota-Game, Fish & Parks
U.S. Geological Survey-EROS Data Center
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Tennessee Valley Authority
Science Applications International Corporation
Alamo Area Council of Governments-Regional Data Center
Petrotechnical Open Software Corporation
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Cartography & Geospatial Center
Texas Department of Information Resources
Southern Utah University-Physical Science Department, GIS/GPS Lab
Northern Neck Planning District Commission
Virginia Department of Transportation
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
The Nature Conservancy
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Water Resources Support Center, Navigation Data Center
U.S. Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division
U.S. Geological Survey-National Mapping Division
Vermont Center for Geographic Information, Inc.
Bruce Westcott
State of Washington-Department of Ecology
Washington State Department of Information Services
U.S. Geological Survey-Biological Resources Division, University of Washington Field Station
Wisconsin Department of Administration-Office of Land Information Services
West Virginia
West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection
West Virginia State GIS Technical Center
Hancock County Assessor's Office
County of Natrona
FGDC Secretariat
New FGDC Staff
The FGDC secretariat has added two new staff members Julie Binder Maitra is the new standards coordinator. She comes to the FGDC from USGS National Mapping Division headquarters, where she acquired an extensive background in geospatial data standards development. Julie was instrumental in developing the Geospatial Positioning Accuracy Standards endorsed by the FGDC in June 1998. In addition, she has been active in standards development through ISO/Technical Committee 211, Geographic Information/Geomatics; National Committee for Information Technology Standards (NCITS) Technical Committee L1, Geographic Information Systems; and the OpenGIS Consortium.
Julie began her federal career at the Defense Mapping Agency field office in San Antonio, Texas. She also worked at the USGS Mapping Center in Rolla, Missouri. In 1993, she relocated to USGS headquarters in Reston, Virginia, where she had a leadership role in developing product standards for the USGS National Mapping Program. Julie holds a B.S. degree from Washington University in Saint Louis and an M.S. degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Mark Reichardt joins the staff as the international activities coordinator. He is responsible for the coordination of international programs related to spatial data infrastructure. To ensure that spatial issues can be adequately addressed at the local, national, and global levels, Mark works with various countries and organizations to assist in the development of national, regional, and global spatial data infrastructures that accommodate data exchange and interoperability. His areas of focus include the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure, the International Steering Group for Global Mapping, Digital Earth, and a number of nation-to-nation cooperative programs.
Mark is on rotational assignment from the Department of Defense. He began his federal government career in 1980 with the Defense Mapping Agency. The bulk of his career has been devoted to mapping and information technology initiatives. Recently, he has been involved in several communitywide programs, including an assignment to the Vice President's National Partnership for Reinventing Government to establish a series of community demonstrations highlighting the benefits of GIS and SDI in local decision-making. He was also a key member of a DoD Geospatial Information Integrated Product Team that successfully reshaped the strategic direction of geospatial data production to support national security. Mark holds a B.S. degree in agriculture from the University of Maryland and has completed additional undergraduate work in computer science. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in telecommunications management from the University of Maryland University College.


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Never Be Fat Again: The Science Behind Slimming
by JohnMc
MIT-trained chemist Raymond Francis got tired of dead-ends with doctors and took his health � and weight � issues into his own hands.
His first book was Never Be Sick Again. He's back with his mind-boggling new effort: Never Be Fat Again (HCI).
Francis has found the answer to the obesity plague that has left 2-in-3 Americans overweight! Using basic science of how your body works, he�s come up with a 6-week plan he says will permanently break the fat cycle.
"What makes Never Be Fat Again fundamentally different is that, unlike most weight-loss books, it actually promotes permanent weight loss," Francis says.
"It is an established fact that weight-loss diets don�t work. This is because most weight-loss books are scientifically and nutritionally unsound, and many are so unsound, they are dangerous. This book provides a revolutionary understanding of overweight. Never Be Fat Again identifies overweight as a serious chronic disease � a disease caused by massive cellular malfunction�resulting from nutrient deficiency and exposure to environmental toxins.
"The book proposes the NBFA Lifestyle to address these causes. By addressing the true causes of overweight disease, permanent weight loss can be achieved... without counting calories or feeling hungry or deprived. Best of all, overall health dramatically improves while the pounds are being lost."
Francis says the biggest problem with most approaches to weight loss is that most approaches focus on cutting calories.
"We know that this doesn�t work over 90 percent of the time," he says. "When you cut back on food, you increase food cravings. Even if you lose weight in the short term, it comes right back, and yo-yo dieting is dangerous and permanently harmful.
"Never Be Fat Again focuses on eating foods that supply cells with the nutrients they need, while avoiding toxins that we know will pack on pounds. In this way, hunger disappears and pounds melt away naturally and effortlessly.
"Further, most approaches fail to address the mental, physical, genetic and medical dimensions of overweight."
Francis says it is not how much you eat that matters, but what you eat.
"No one needs to feel hungry," he says. "You can eat as much as you like so long as the food is nutrient-rich and free of toxins. To achieve permanent weight loss, we must supply our cells with all the nutrition they need while avoiding toxins that interfere with our appetite and weight-control mechanisms."
Francis says identifying toxicity as a major cause of overweight is a breakthrough in weight loss.
"To permanently reverse overweight, or any other so-called disease, it is necessary to address deficiency and toxicity and restore cells to normal function," Francis says.
"By eating a diet that does not supply cells with all the nutrients they need, our appetite and fat storage controls are turned on. When the body knows it lacks nutrients; it turns on the appetite and tells us to eat. The problem is we typically eat more high-calorie, nutritionally-deficient foods, which add to our calories and pounds but keep the appetite turned on because we still lack nutrients. Likewise, the body senses the lack of nutrients as starvation, and it instructs the cells to store fat in order to protect us from the famine."
So how does toxicity cause us to be overweight?
"Certain toxins, such as aspartame, glutamates, prescription drugs and pesticides, can turn our appetite controls �on� making us hungry all the time," Francis says.
"In addition, they turn our fat-storage controls on. When these toxins are acting, even if you cut calories, you will still pack on pounds because you will be storing fat regardless of what else you do. Tragically, most diet books allow, and even encourage, consumption of foods that we know contain these toxins."
Francis says sugar is a deadly poison that may be the largest single contributor to the epidemic of chronic and degenerative disease plaguing America.
"Sugar is a major contributor to overweight," he says. "It is one of the deadliest poisons we are exposed to on a daily basis, causing both deficiency and toxicity. It causes nutritional deficiency because it is just empty calories, delivering no nutrients, while it consumes precious nutrients as the body tries to metabolize it.
"The toxicity comes because it sets off a cascade of chemical reactions in the body, producing chemicals that have a toxic effect on us. Every time you eat sugar, the effect on your body is like a 50-car pileup on the freeway � toxic spills, wreckage, injuries, chaos. Permanent injury is done from which you will never recover. Sugar wreaks havoc on your DNA, immune system, hormone system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and cellular health�it ages you."
So what can the average person do right now to lose weight?
"Very simply, cut out processed foods," Francis says. "Cut all the empty-calorie foods containing sugar, white flour and other processed grains. This includes breakfast cereals, breads, cookies, cakes, chips, sodas and most packages foods.
"Eat primarily a plant-based diet consisting of organic fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, sprouts, nuts and a small amount of animal protein for those who desire it. Start a consistent exercise program, and work on the psychology that affects their weight."
August 18, 2008
Copyright © 2004 - 2016 Diet Health, Inc. All rights reserved.


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A new concept in prenatal care has arrived at the Hartford Hospital Women's Ambulatory Health Services. It's called Centering Pregnancy and it brings expecting moms together for their pregnancy journeys.
At each appointment, you will spend time with your midwife or doctor and other pregnant women, so you can learn more about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.
How does it work?You will join a group with other women whose due dates are close to yours. In each of your ten appointments, you will have private time with your midwife or doctor to check your baby.
Then, you'll gather together as a group so you can talk and ask any questions about your health, the baby, your pregnancy, and what you're going through, both physically and emotionally. You'll also have a chance to talk about how to care for your baby. Groups are a great way to learn from each other and get community support.
If you'd like to bring a partner, friend or family member to your group appointments, they are welcome to join.
When do groups meet?Your first prenatal appointment with your midwife or doctor will be a private appointment. Then, when you are between 14-18 weeks pregnant, you will join a group. Your group will have appointments once a month early in your pregnancy. As you get closer to your due date, your appointment will be every 2 weeks.
Where are appointments held?Groups will meet at the Women's Ambulatory Health Services facility, located at 111 Park Street in Hartford.
Why group care?Group care is becoming a more popular choice for prenatal care because:• You spend quality, one-on-one time with your midwife or doctor• You can meet other women; it's a great opportunity to make new friends and learn from each other• All of your care and education will take place during your group appointments, so you won't need to make separate appointments for lab tests or childbirth classes• You'll enjoy refreshments at each appointment
Visit us on Facebook
This service is supported and partially funded by the March of Dimes.


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Images: Arctic Thunder [Image 10 of 56]
Photo by Justin Connaher
Aerobatic pilots, Skip Stewart, left, and Melissa Pemberton perform a stunt maneuver close to the ground while racing down the runway during the Arctic Thunder Open House biennial event hosted by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 26, 2014. The event features more than 40 Air Force, Army and civilian aerial acts, July 25-27, and has an expected crowd of more than 200,000 people. It is the largest two-day event in the state and one of the premier aerial demonstrations in the world. The 2014 Arctic Thunder Open House is a proud part of the Anchorage Centennial Celebration. (U.S. Air Force photo/Justin Connaher)
This work, Arctic Thunder [Image 1 of 56], by Justin Connaher, identified by DVIDS, is free of known copyright restrictions under U.S. copyright law.
Date Taken:07.26.2014
Date Posted:07.28.2014 19:12
Photo ID:1469331
Size:2.47 MB
Location:JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US


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awww poor little thing, but he is just adorable! Nataliewww.projectdowhatyoulove.wordpress.com
Aw, poor little cutie! I used to be scared of Santa - or so the pictures say. I always looked a bit bewildered. :DLove,~bree
My son is 18. The only good picture I ever got with Santa and him was when I was pregnant. He used to walk backwards in the mall to avoid seeing Santa (and the elves would laugh at us). Cute pictures but love the older one.
That is about how our Santa trip was this year! haha


text: The selection of Gap discount toddler dresses includes adorable dress styles for any occasion. Find toddler dresses on sale in bright and colorful knit, corduroy, cotton, taffeta, denim and more. Clearance toddler skirts look chic over coordinating tights, knee high socks or pants. Discover the quality and value of discount toddler dresses from the sale collection at babyGap.


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Recently Opened Restaurants
by Julie Besonen, 05/07/2014
Photo: Robin Caiola
Tavern on the Green
Central Park West, between 66th and 67th Streets, 212-877-8684, Central Park, Manhattan
Leave it to a couple of out-of-towners—Philadelphia restaurateurs Jim Caiola and David Salama—to brilliantly reinvent the storied Tavern on the Green. Cradled in Central Park, the 700-seat indoor-outdoor restaurant has a smart, seasonal New American menu from the gifted Katy Sparks. Start off with a savory sandwich of Serrano ham and cave-aged Gruyère, for instance, or Japanese eggplant, wood roasted to a melting sweetness and cooled by sheep's milk yogurt. Large plates are shareable, ranging from tender braised lamb shank with pickled golden raisins to baked farro pasta with braised shiitakes, heirloom beans, blistered sweet peppers and creamy ricotta. The light, glowing Central Park room has a view of the open kitchen on one side and the park on the other. The cloistered South Wing room is available for private events. The dark, swanky bar and lounge accepts walk-ins, an ideal perch for a burger and a classic Manhattan. Tavern was always famous for brunch, a practice that commences again on Mother's Day weekend (May 10–11); lunch service begins the ensuing week.


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Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - David Lee had 21 points, 12 rebounds and
seven assists to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 103-93 win over the
Toronto Raptors on Monday.
Klay Thompson scored 19 points and Stephen Curry added 17 for the Warriors,
who were coming off two straight losses. Andrew Bogut, who was out with an
ankle injury since Nov. 7, scored 12 points in his return.
Aaron Gray registered 22 points and 10 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan scored 21
points and dished out nine assists and Ed Davis added 12 points and nine
rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost seven of their past nine games.
The Sports Network


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De Budelse b.v. World Cup
Wanting to create an attention-grabbing application to showcase their digital printing business and capabilities, De Budelse leveraged the buzz surrounding the 2010 FIFA World Cup by creating a personalized calendar for their clients and prospects. This calendar utilized imagery of the World Cup, complete with group breakdowns and die-cut uniforms, and was personalized with the recipients name, business name, and company logo. De Budelse forecasted a volume of 30,000 pieces to be produced.
For more information, call 1-800-275-9376 ext. 774 or contact us online.


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Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Ersan Ilyasova scored 27 points and pulled
down 16 rebounds and Brandon Jennings had 25 points and seven assists to lead
the Milwaukee Bucks to a 110-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris
Bradley Center.
Monta Ellis scored 18 points to go with 10 assists and Mike Dunleavy added 11
points off the bench for the Bucks, who have won three straight.
Evan Turner had 23 points and seven assists and Spencer Hawes added 21 points
and 12 rebounds for the Sixers, who have dropped 19 of their last 26 games
Nick Young scored 20 points off the bench in the setback.
The Sports Network


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Hello together,
I have a Problem with my calendar.
Emails and Contacts are will be synced perfectly. But calendar events in Zimbra will not be synced to my iPhone 3G 32 GB. Only Allday events will be synced. But no normal event. Vise versa it works. That means, that I can create a new event with my iphone and it will be synced with Zimbra.
It is very important for me, to sync my calendar. Otherwise the iPhone and/or Zimbra are useless for me.
Is there a trick?
The Mobile Option in Zimbra is active for my account. And the iPhone is setup as a normal Exchange Connection.
Thanks and best regards,


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BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:1.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20130315T000000 DTEND:20130315T010000 LOCATION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:1305 Gallery (1305 Main St. , Over-the-Rhine, Ohio) DESCRIPTION;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:
Nate Weikert's work is a collection of oil paintings on canvas or linen, and graphite drawings with gouache on paper. The two types of media appropriate portrait style imagery of individuals from history and culture onto a blurred and diffused surface, reflecting the numb and often oversimplified feelings we tend to draw from subject matter presented by the media. Join the gallery on Final Friday to discover local talent!SUMMARY;ENCODING=QUOTED-PRINTABLE:Nate Weikert PRIORITY:3END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR


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Love to win these
Polk Audio UltraFocus 8000 Headphones Sweepstakes
According to Polk:
In the UltraFocus 8000, Polk has distilled 40 years of knowledge from our high-performance home speakers to craft a superb headphone listening experience. That's because we believe the quality of the sound you want to hear, your music, is more important than those you want to cancel.
The UltraFocus 8000 produces a truly amazing sound as easily on an airline or train, as it will at home in front of your stereo system. With SecureFit support, generously cushioned ear pads and Active Noise Canceling technology, you'll hear your music with extraordinary clarity and detail, even around high levels of ambient noise. Polk's patented Dynamic Balance Driver Technology, combines with active noise canceling and passive noise isolation, to produce an audiophile-grade listening experience.
In addition, an on-ear 3 button remote control and an in-line microphone enable you to use IPod, iPad and IPhones anytime, anywhere. There's also a push-to-hear ambient control that mutes the audio and amplifies outside sounds, so you can hear without removing the headphones. Details that add to an enjoyable listening experience include an ultra-flexible, tangle-free audio cable, made of non-microphonic material, that eliminates exterior sound transfer, and a lightweight carbon fiber headband for a snug yet comfortable over-ear fit.
Click here for more info.
To enter the sweepstakes, all you need is an account on HomeTheater.com. If you don't already have one, click on the link labeled "register" at the bottom of this announcement or "Create new account" in the right column. Then, enter a username and a valid e-mail address, and click on the "Create new account" button. A message will be automatically sent to the e-mail address you specified, which will include a link to activate the account.
You can enter once on HomeTheater.com. No more than one entry allowed.
The final step (and only step for those who already have an account) is to log in and leave a comment right here on this announcementany comment will do, as long as it's not profane or spam. Then, when the sweepstakes closes, a lucky commenter will be chosen at random to receive the prize. So post a comment, and good luck!
For complete sweepstakes rules, click here.
[This Sweepstakes is now closed]
I never win, but here is my comment....Pick me please!
I could use a new set of headphones.
My headphones are starting to get a little beat up. These look a little newer. I could use a pair of these.
Man these headphones are beautiful. If I could get a pair that would make my year. And it would be a great early Bday present. Thanks for the chance to win HT!
I could totally use these!!!
Would love to have a great quality set of head phones to listen to my music. Probably would help alot when I practice my drums.
I made an account just so I can win these headphones! \o/
Love polk, my whole 7.1 system consists of Polk speakers.
They look delicious! Can't wait to try them out!
Would it be wierd if your headphones cost more than your amp?
Remembering the old days with Mathew and his lab coat standing next to some SDA-SRS towers...wanted those as much as I want these headphones...
Hope these sound as good as they look
Thanks for all you do HOME THEATER!!
I hope they sound as good as they look!
Interesting look with the earpiece. Would like to win.
Birthday is the 16th..hint! hint!
I need these to drown out my boss.
Looking forward to try it
My Semicircular Canals are shot (but my Tympanic Cavity works like a champ).
I would love to win these!. Good luck to all!