text:
Should you rent and wait to buy a house after prices fall? Don't
get your hopes up. If history is a reliable guide, home values in your target
neighborhood probably won't fall. But they might stagnate long enough for your
income to catch up to prices.
year the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. prepared a research report titled, "U.S.
Home Prices: Does Bust Always Follow Boom?" The answer to the question
in the title is no. Sometimes a housing boom ends not with a decline in values,
but with prices leveling off or rising slowly.
FDIC analyzed home-value data from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight,
or OFHEO. The regulatory agency tracks value changes in repeat sales or refinancings
of single-family properties secured by conforming mortgages.
The first thing that FDIC regulators had to do was define
boom and bust. The agency defined a boom as any market where values went
up 30 percent or more in three years, adjusting for inflation.
Sticky situation: Defining
Defining a bust presented a problem. If the agency defined a bust as a
30-percent decline in three years, it would have a lot of booms but only
five busts. "The reason this measure proves to be too stringent is
that home prices tend to adjust slowly (or be 'sticky
downward' in economists' terms) during a downturn," the report
says. So the agency defined a bust more loosely, as a price decline of
15 percent or more in five years, without adjusting for inflation.
To recap:
Keeping in mind that the definition of a bust is looser, the FDIC identified 63
markets that had enjoyed housing booms from 1978 to 2003, and 21 markets that
had suffered busts.
That 3-to-1 margin might be misleading, because prices
in some markets might not have had time to decline 15 percent in five
years. If you disregard the last five years that the study encompassed,
and look at just 1978 to 1998, you end up with 54 housing booms in 46
metro areas, vs. 21 busts. (Eight areas had two booms: The California
metro areas of Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura,
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, San
Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara,
plus Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash., and Honolulu.)
"Only infrequently do home-price booms lead
to busts, at least by our criteria," write the study's authors, Cynthia
Angell and Norman Williams.
They sharpened their pencils a bit more. If a bust happens more than five years
after a boom, is it fair to say that the bust resulted from the boom? No, Angell
and Williams contend. Nine busts happened within five years of those 54 booms.
The other 12 happened long after booms.
"If it
is relatively rare for housing booms to result in a price bust, how do booms usually
end? Our look at history suggests that stagnation in home prices is often the
most likely outcome," they write. In a typical period of stagnation, values
rise about 2 percent a year for several years.
losses, not booms, cause busts
If booms don't typically cause busts, what does? Usually, severe local
recessions force people to move away to find work, and home prices crater
because there are many more empty houses than buyers. That happened in
oil-dependent cities from Alaska to Louisiana when petroleum prices crashed
in the 1980s. It happened later in California and New England, after the
Cold War ended, and the United States needed fewer war planes, ships and
Angell and Williams trace all but two of the housing
busts to falling oil prices and the end of the Cold War. The exceptions
were Peoria, Ill., and Honolulu. Peoria's home prices fell in the recession
of the early 1980s when demand for Caterpillar construction equipment
dried up. Honolulu's home values dropped when the tourism industry was
bitten twice in the 1990s, first by the California recession and then
by the Asian financial crisis.
* Mortgage rate may include points. See rate tables
for details. Click
here. * To see the definition of overnight averages click
Bankrate.com ®,
Copyright © 2016
Bankrate, Inc., All Rights Reserved,
Terms of Use.


text:
Harley Davidson will offer cheaper, lighter, and smaller motorcycles
Matt Levatich, Harley Davidson's chief operating officer, said the company will offer bikes that are more physically and financially accessible at the Reuters Global Manufacturing and Transportation Summit this week. Increasing market share in emerging markets seems to be the goal.
"In the past, our market was predominantly core customers in the United States," Levatich said. "We see an opportunity, not to make (scooter-sized) bikes by any stretch, but to make Harley-Davidsons that are physically and financially accessible for emerging markets, for international markets, for the United States for that matter."
No plans are being made for manufacture outside of the US, although "complete-knock-down" assembly plants are being used in India and Brazil to get around tariff regulations in those countries. Harley Davidson has had issues with international partnerships in the past, specifically an Italian distributor who didn't promote the larger bikes as the company wished. Harley Davidson has so far resisted partnering with Chinese companies for the manufacture of motorcycles for sale in Asia.
"We feel we were aided in waiting a little bit and not getting in early with a JV partner that had a different idea of what the Harley brand could be or should be," Levatich said. "Part of the decision to go in on our own was because of the cleanup work we've had to do, a lot of the cleanup work was where we were buying out distributors and resetting the market."
The less expensive motorcycles are planned to be marketed in the US as well as emerging markets worldwide. Currently, Harley Davidson's exports amount to about 35% of it's sales, up from 25% just a few years ago. The motor company plans to have 40% of it's sales as exports by 2014.
[The Kneeslider | Reuters]
Can't wait to see what they have to offer in these new bikes.
hmm.... This could be a good idea, especially if they made the branding slightly different to keep the imagined prestige of owning a "real" HD.
Like call the smaller group of bikes something like Harley Davidson Performance Series or something like that.
Even the 883 is considered a big bike in many parts of the world. This put HD bikes out of ereach for a huge part of the international market. It will be interesting to see what they come up with.
If they can make a 400 lb, 180 hp bike with a 100 cu. in., 45 degree pushrod V-twin with all-American parts and sell it for under $3000, they'll have a big hit on their hands.
only took em what...20 years ? =P
This could mean big things for the 1200 Sportsters and the V-Rod
They also realize that their customer base is rapidly aging. Smaller, lighter, and cheaper bikes not only gets them into emerging markets, but may get them a younger buyer in the U.S.A.
They will definitely have to be called something different, or they will dilute the brand name.
I forgot, it has to be air-cooled. ;)
They did. They had a good start with it (Buell Blast) and then they screwed it up....
Go back 60 years.
Found this picture of a proposed 750 bike I found on Motorcyclist magazines site. Could be interesting.
^ I would buy that in a heartbeat for under $7k
I think the bike pictured would sell very well (if it were priced and performed competitively) in the US. I really like the way that bike looks.
I like the look too. I too would be concerned about brand preservation.
John Deere freely admits, that the (homeowner) version that big box stores sells, has tarnished their brand name. That's a ton of extra marketing dollar, that could have been saved with a little forethought.
I hope they do it right.
I've worked for both Home Depot and Lowes. John Deere and all the other manufacturers know full well the risks and benefits beforehand and still rush full speed into the big box stores. It's a well known fact that the manufacturers cut corners and produce a cheaper product in order to meet the price point that these stores dictate to them beforehand. Shed no tears for John Deere or anyone else, I've seen the profit numbers they realized from those big box stores. They'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I was in Turkey this year and was wearing a Harley hat. I got into a nice conversation with a shop owner about bikes. Over there it seems like EVERYBODY has, or has had, a bike. He wanted to know how big the engine was on my bike. I told him it was 1600 cc's and he did not believe me. He said that they do not make bikes with motors that big. Luckily I had a picture of my bike on my phone. He said that a 500 cc bike there is a big bike.
Heh, I showed that concept bike pic to my wife and she said it was "cute" and recommended we get her one. LOL. Kinda looks like a reworked XR1200 with a smaller motor IMO, but I like the looks of it.
So not to dilute the HD brand, what should the company call the bike company 'Davies'?
something like "HD Performance" and make them look like Nortons.
Light and powerful? Sounds good to me I can't wait to see what HD comes out with. The Triumph Street Triple R is 9k and arguably one of the best naked bikes out there. If HD can do something similar to that they'd have a huge hit on their hands, and I'd most likely buy one :)
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:16 PM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2016, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
vBulletin Security provided by vBSecurity v2.2.2 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2016 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Product Listing
Filter Products by Brand
Subscribe to HWZ Here!
Subscribe now to receive latest tech news, articles and promotions straight to your inbox!
By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Related News
- The best in noise-cancelling finally goes wireless – introducing the latest Bose QuietComfort35
- Samsung Gear Fit2 and Gear IconX officially enter the market
- Sharkoon has an affordable €40 gaming audio solution for gamers
- These Urbanears headphones come presoaked in other people's sweat
- Creative's new Aurvana ANC headphones bring tired travellers audio bliss
- Samsung Gear Fit 2 and Gear IconX wireless ear buds leaked
- Razer's ManO'War wireless gaming headset promises lag-free gaming audio
- Logitech buys Jaybird for US$50 million in cash


text:
Kim Anno: Water City Berkeley at Kala Art Institute
Shotgun Reviews are an open forum where we invite the international art community to contribute timely, short-format responses to an exhibition or event. If you are interested in submitting a Shotgun Review, please click this link for more information. In this Shotgun Review, John Zarobell reviews Water City Berkeley at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California. Why celebrate when the world is going to hell? Kim Anno's ambitious effort to envision the future[…..]


text:
Muhammed Muheisen, Associated Press
KALLAR KAHAR, Pakistan — Clutching photocopied ID cards in bony fingers, a roomful of Pakistan's poorest women sit on gray plastic chairs and wait in silence for something many have never experienced: a little bit of help from the government.
It comes in the form of a debit card that is topped up with the equivalent of $30 every three months, enough to put an extra daily meal on the table, buy a school uniform or pay for medical treatment in a country where soaring food and fuel costs are hurting millions who already live hand-to-mouth.
The program is something of a success story for a government widely seen as corrupt and inefficient, as well as for international donors that help implement and fund it. But the very need for the scheme highlights the poverty stalking a country whose stability is seen as key to the fight against Islamist extremism.
Other cash-transfer programs in Pakistan have been plagued by graft and allegations that only supporters of the party in power received the funds. Many feared this program, named after Benazir Bhutto, the late wife of President Asif Ali Zardari, would go the same way.
But that hasn't happened, at least not significantly. The Benazir Income Support Programme is modeled on similar efforts in Africa and South America, part of a quiet revolution in the way countries and development agencies are helping the poor. Initial concerns that recipients would fritter away the money have proven unfounded, and giving cash is now accepted as a vital and cost-effective aid tool.
"I spend the money on my kids, what else would I do?" said Rifat Parveen, a mother of five who sometimes has to serve only bread and boiled chili peppers for the evening meal. "Even if a poor person gets 10 rupees (5 cents), he or she will be grateful."
When a woman is called, she goes to a room where her identity is checked against an electronic database and her thumb print taken electronically. A bank employee then gives her the card — and a crash course in how to use it — before she returns to her village.
As they do elsewhere in the world, women in Pakistan must receive the money on behalf of their families because research shows they spend it more responsibly than men do. They must also first obtain a valid identity card to be eligible. Both requirements have been credited with pushing women, discriminated against in Pakistan, a little into the mainstream.
Recognizing that giving money doesn't address the underlying cause of poverty, many schemes make the money conditional on certain actions by the recipient, such as sending one or more children to school or getting them vaccinated. The Pakistani program, which has so far handed out $1.3 billion to 5.2 million people, doesn't do that, but plans to make some of the money conditional on school attendance.
The scheme has undergone several changes since it began in 2008.
Initially, local parliamentarians chose the beneficiaries and the money was distributed through the postal system.
Amid concerns that both systems had potential for abuse, the government surveyed 27 million households nationwide two years ago using a "poverty score card" to establish who qualified for the help.
Workers carried out detailed questionnaires on family size, salary and assets. They noted GPS coordinates of each household and whether the occupants had toilets, televisions or geysers to heat water. The data was then entered into a national computerized system. Beneficiaries are now being given debit cards, replacing the postal workers.
The U.S. government has provided $160 million, enough to provide two years of benefits to some 565,000 families — though it no longer funds the program and never intended to make it a long-term commitment.
- 2 big wildfires in LA-area foothills burn...
- Lagging in fundraising, Trump calls on GOP...
- White House clears small, commercial drones...
- Hundreds of new evacuations across West as...
- SKorea military: NKorea fires 2 suspected...
- North Korea makes apparent progress with...
- In speech, Trump to ramp up critique of...
- Nearly 1 in 3 on Medicare got commonly abused...
- Immigration ruling called hurtful, a... 75
- Mormon youth leader dies on trek outing... 72
- Nearly 70 percent of Utahns say Donald... 62
- Dems stage election-year sit-in on... 46
- Poll: Trump up over Clinton in Utah,... 43
- Democrats end 25-hour plus protest to... 30
- Love won't go to GOP national convention 27
- Trump, in Scotland, links Brexit vote... 26


text:
Gea One-Sleeve Tunic
Product Actions
Additional Information
A sheer hem and gentle cascading give this top the perfect touch of whimsy for your next evening out.
- V-neck. Single long right sleeve. One draped left kimono sleeve.
- Draped overlay. Sheer hem.
- Jersey: Tencel, Spandex. Tulle: Polyester, Spandex.
- Dry Clean.
- Imported.
- Measures approximately 36.75" from shoulder to hem.
- Classic fit.


text:
Opponent: Stephen F. Austin
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Radio: 1290 AM (Brian Jeffries, Lamont Lovett)
All-Access Note: Due to TV contract restrictions, the delayed video webcast of the game will not be available online until after FSN Arizona's rebroadcast on Tuesday, September 19.
Stephen F. Austin and
First Meeting: 2006
Last Meeting: 2006
All-Time Series Record: Have not played prior to this year
Current Streak: N/A
Notes on the Series: 2006 will mark the first meeting between
Some Game Themes...
The Wildcats look inward to find a suitable response to the opening weeks of the season, and above all need a game in which overall play is at a high level...
Last Week
Homeland Security
After making the 1,200-mile trip to
LSU Quick Hits
The 92,221 fans on hand to see the game in the Baton Rouge marked the fourth-largest crowd ever that Arizona has played in front of, trailing only a 1978 game at Michigan (104,913), a 1999 game at Penn State (97,168) and a 1991 game at Ohio State (92,743) ... Helped by a career-best 30-yard rush, RB Chris Jennings averaged 6.6 yards per carry on eight rushes ... Junior CB Antoine Cason picked off his first pass of the season in the second quarter. It marked the eighth interception in Cason's career and his first since the Oregon State game last year ... Cason's fumble recovery on LSU's first drive in the third quarter was the first of his career ... Earl Mitchell (2 for 26 yards), Xavier Smith (1 for 7) and Brandyn McCall (1 for 9) all recorded their first career receptions in the game ... Mitchell was given credit for a blocked punt when he tipped LSU's only attempt in the game in the third quarter. It was UA's first blocked punt since Copeland Bryan and Marcus Hollingsworth each came up with a block at Washington in 2004 ... QB Adam Austin saw the first extended action in his career and led UA to its lone scoring drive ... DE Jason Parker recorded a career-best two TFL ... Nick Folk's 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter marked his third straight game with a successful kick and the fifth game with a scoring kick in which he's attempted one (at Oregon State, vs. UCLA, at Arizona State, vs. BYU, at LSU - he did not attempt a FG against Washington last year).
A Quick Look at Stephen F. Austin
The Division I-AA Lumberjacks (0-2) head to Tucson coming off a last-second, 17-14 loss to Delta State in Nacogdoches, Texas, last weekend ... After coming back to tie the game at 14-14 with a fourth quarter TD, SFA couldn't hold a late Delta State rally and saw the go-ahead 22-yard field goal pierce the uprights with just 16 seconds remaining to extend SFA's winless streak to four straight games dating back to last year ... SFA lost its season opener 45-7 at Tulsa on August 31 ... SFA returns 36 letterwinners, including 15 starters, from last season's 5-6 team ... QB Danny Southall returns to lead the Lumberjack offense after missing the majority of the 2005 season with an injury ... Southall has completed 22 for 40 passes this season wit 189 yards and has also rushed 19 times for 38 yards and one TD ... In addition to the mobile Southall, SFA also has senior RB Jerome Brooks, a 2005 transfer from Purdue, who has racked up 129 yards rushing on just 16 carries for an 8.1 average this season ... Junior WR Tyrell Williams is SFA's pass-catching threat with nine receptions for 57 yards thus far ... Defensively, the Lumberjacks run a multiple 3-4 base defense ... Senior DB Corey Campbell paces SFA with 20 total tackles for the year, while classmate Keldrick Holman has a team-best three TFL ... Head coach Robert McFarland is in his second season with SFA and has posted a 5-7 record with the Lumberjacks.
A Somewhat Familiar Face
A lot has changed since SFA running back Jerome Brooks last saw the Arizona Wildcats. UA has a whole new coaching staff, basically a completely different roster and Brooks no longer carries the ball for Purdue. Still the second-year Lumberjack running back probably remembers the 2003 game between Purdue and
Hey, Watch Me
The early season "watch lists" continue to stream forth and a number of Wildcats have garnered recognition ... Junior CB Antoine Cason is listed as a player to watch for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the nation's top DB ... Senior PK/P Nick Folk has been placed on the watch list for both the Lou Groza Award, presented to the nation's top place kicker, and the Ray Guy Award, presented to the top punter ... Sophomore WR Mike Thomas was recently named to the Fred Biletninikoff Award watch lists presented to the top receiver.
19 and Counting
Senior WR Syndric Steptoe got it out of the way early against LSU, his 12-yard reception on Arizona's first play from scrimmage at LSU last weekend extended his streak to 19 straight games with at least one catch. Dating back to the Washington State game on Sept. 25, 2004, Steptoe has hauled in at least one pass in all 19 games he has played in (he missed an Oregon State game twice during his streak due to injury). Step has caught 71 passes for 941 yards and four TDs over the 19 games. He is averaging nearly four catches per game, and 13.3 yards per reception. Steptoe's last game played without a catch was Sept. 18, 2004 against
Hit Men
The trio of Ronnie Palmer, Spencer Larsen and Dane Krogstad are working hard towards bringing the punch back to the linebacking corps. In the first two games of the season, and even with Krogstad's limited duty due to nickel defense employed by the Cats in the BYU game, the three have combined for 42 of
The Big Rush
The rushing duo of Chris (Henry) and Chris (
A Spring in his Step
Senior Syndric Steptoe has proven to be a pain for the opposition throughout his career in his role as wide receiver/kick returner. His 143 all-purpose yards against BYU in the season opener marked the 13th time in his career, and the fourth straight contest, he has racked up 100 or more all-purpose yards in a contest. With 3,001 career all-purpose yards on 207 total plays (14.5/play), Step is closing in on Hubie Oliver's No. 11 spot all-time at UA. A bruising power fullback who played from 1977-80, Oliver racked 3,404 all purpose yards on 699 plays. To crack the all-time top 10, Step needs 698 more yards this season to displace No. 10 Eddie Wolgast (1945-48, 3,698 APY). Dennis Northcutt (1996-99) is UA's all-time leader with 5,392 all-purpose yards.
Step's All-Purpose Yards
Kickoff Returns
Punt Returns
Totals 2003
53-629 2004
56-899 2005
84-1,271 2006
13-202 Totals
One of the Few
Senior Nick Folk is one of eight players on the Division I level that handles all of the kicking duties - kickoffs, field goals, PATs and punting - for his team. A look at how Nick stands up against his "brethren".
KO Nick Folk, Arizona
7-5TB John Deraney, NC State
8-5TB Chris Gould, Virginia
7-3TB Greg Johnson, Texas
9-4TB Matt Lasher, Ohio
12-1TB Ryan Succop, S. Carolina
7-2TB Sam Swank, Wake Forest
8-3TB Andrew Wellock, E. Michigan
Kick Folk
Well actually it's Nick, but with the way the senior kicker has boomed the ball in the past, maybe a name change is in order. The multi-talented kicker appears headed for a season of double duty as the place kicker and punter for the Wildcats. His season debut against BYU certainly showcased his talents as he connected for a career-best three field goals (30, 22, 48), including the game-winner with one second remaining, while also booting four punts for a net average of 56 yards per kick. His 75-yard punt against the Cougars was a career-long and pinned BYU on its own 5 yard-line.
Known for having a big leg on field goals (career-long 53 yards) and kickoffs (55 career touchbacks), his punting prowess came out of necessity for the Wildcats. After punter Danny Baugher went down with a season-ending knee injury in the Wildcats' seventh game last year, Folk took over the punting duties to go along with his normal place kicking chores. As the "fill in" punter, all Folk did was post a net average of 44.7 yards per kick (Baugher, a finalist for the 2005 Ray Guy Award, average 47.5 net yards per punt), hit a season-high 61-yarder and place eight of his 22 kicks inside the opposition's 20 yard-line.
Nick Folk Named Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week
Senior Nick Folk was named the Pac-10 ST POW after booting a career-best three field goals, including the game-winner from 48 yards out in the waning moments, in Arizona's 16-13 win over visiting BYU in front of a capacity 58,450 fans at Arizona Stadium last weekend. The senior accounted for 10 of UA's 16 points in the contest, connecting on field goals of 22, 30 and 48 yards on the night and adding one PAT. Folk handed the Wildcats their sixth-straight home-opening win when he capped off the night with his game-winning kick with one second remaining in the fourth quarter. The last second 48-yard game-winner tied for the third-longest FG in Folk's four-year career at UA. In addition to his game-changing place-kicking duties, Folk replaced an ineffective Kyle McQuown as the team's punter in the first half, and averaged a very impressive 56 yards per punt on four kicks, including a fourth quarter career-long 75-yard boot that placed the Cougars at their own five yard-line. On kickoffs, three of Folk's five kicks went into the endzone for touchbacks, and BYU averaged just 12.5 yards per return on the two kicks they attempted to bring out.
Sophomore Signal Callers
Including heralded Willie Tuitama, UA has had a host of second-year QBs stand under center over the years. However, one would have to go back to Keith Smith in 1996 to find a sophomore QB that was "the guy" entering the season and played that way throughout. The list of sophomore QBs to make an impact at
Team Record
Final Stats (Att-Comp-Int) Tom Tunnicliffe
11 GP, 328-176-14, 2,520 yds, 18 TD Alfred Jenkins
11 GP, 312-156-17, 2,202 yds, 11 TD Ronnie Veal
10 GP, 105-40-3, 669 yds, 4 TD Dan White
11 GP, 231-115-9, 1,548 yds, 13 TD* Keith Smith
11 GP, 193-117-6, 1,450 yds, 11 TD Willie Tuitama
2 GP, 56-27-3, 236 yards, 1 TD
* Includes White's stats from the 1994 Fiesta Bowl
A large part of UA's attendance boost was the support of the Wildcats' student section - The ZonaZoo. Numbering 10,000-plus and stretching from the north endzone well into the south stands, the student section, a general admission/first-come, first-served endeavor, was a jam-packed sea of red that was bursting capacity well before kickoff and vocal throughout the game. Kudos to the ZonaZoo.
Crystal Gazing
The Pac-10 media predicted that the Wildcats will finish sixth in the conference this season. While it's no where near where the Wildcats aspire to end the year, at least - as head coach Mike Stoops put it - "It's better than being picked last". In fact, UA's predicted sixth-place finish is the highest the Wildcats have been picked to finish in the preseason poll since 1999 when they were selected to win the Pac-10 after finishing the previous season 12-1 ... Three-time defending conference champ USC was named the team to beat for the fourth straight season ... Arizona will have first crack at ending the Trojans' Pac-10 record 23-game conference contest winning streak when the two schools meet up on Sept. 23 in Tucson.
Closing the Gap
If UA's season-opening three-point win over BYU is any indicator, maybe UA's hard luck ways are in for change. In 2003, the season prior to Mike Stoops tenure as the head coach,
Depth Perception
As noted below, the
Down in the Trenches
The Wildcats are building some quality depth along the front lines of the offense. Returning this season are five players (Peter Graniello, Tanner Bell, Erick Levitre, Joe Longacre and Adam Hawes) with a combined 63 career starts between them. Add in redshirt freshmen Daniel Borg, Eben Britton, Blake Kerley, who all earned their first career starts against BYU, as well as sophomore Bill Wacholz, and the Wildcats have a number of capable players ready to protect the offensive punch this season.
D-Line Depth
The depth continues along the D-line with four solid defensive ends (Sr. Marcus Smith, So. Johnathan Turner, So. Jason Parker and Jr. Louis Holmes) and a host of big bodies (Jr. Yaniv Barnett, Jr. Lionel Dotson, Sr. Paul Philipp, RS-F. Donald Horton Jr.) in the interior. At DE Smith, Turner and possible redshirt candidate Michael Shelton have teamed up to start 32 total games, and Holmes showed off his credentials as one of the most sought-after JC transfers in the nation against BYU with two sacks, a forced fumble and a PBU. Inside Barnett, Dotson and Philipp have combined for 41 career starts, while Bertrand has caught the eye of the coaching staff as a helpful inside threat and Horton Jr is expected to make an impact after redshirting in 2005.
Second To None
Senior strong safety Michael Johnson turned heads last season with not only with his three-interception game (including one for a TD) against Oregon State, but also when he caught future Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush from behind in UA's contest with USC in Los Angeles. Despite making only four starts last year, Johnson finished second on the team in total tackles, ending the season with 60 stops. He has continued his play stopping ways early this season with 15 total tackles, which is tied for second on the team.
The one question mark for the secondary entering the year was who would step up and replace departed team captain and defensive leader Darrell Brooks as the starting free safety? The hard-hitting Dominic Patrick has claimed the role and has posted a solid 11 total tackles in UA's first two games this season.
Coach O Told You So
When Arizona hired Mike Stoops as its head football coach at the end of the 2003 season, UA basketball coach Lute Olson warned the Wildcat fans early on not to delay, and get their season tickets now or they'd be left out. It seems that Coach O is not only a pretty darn good hoops coach, but a fairly decent seer as well. Season ticket sales in the Old Pueblo have reached near-record levels.


text:
Colcannon Potatoes RecipeRead Reviews Be the first to add a review
4.5 39 40
Every Irish family has its own version or this classic dish. My recipe comes from my father's family in Ireland. It's part of my St. Pat's menu, along with lamb chops, carrots and soda bread. —Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon
- 2 pounds cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups water
- 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- Crumbled cooked bacon and minced fresh parsley
- In a large saucepan, bring cabbage and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Keep cabbage warm.
- Place cooking liquid and potatoes in a large saucepan; add enough additional water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-17 minutes or until tender. Drain and keep warm.
- In a small saucepan, bring milk and onions to a boil; remove from the heat. In a large bowl, mash potatoes. Add milk mixture; beat until blended. Beat in the cabbage, salt and pepper. Drizzle with the melted butter, bacon and parsley. Yield: 12-16 servings.
Originally published as Colcannon Potatoes in Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2003, p188
Reviews for Colcannon Potatoes
Please Log In or Join to add a rating and review.
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review
Reviewed Mar. 24, 2016
"I'm from Idaho and thought I had done and seen every thing you could do with a potato. Then I found this in Taste of Home 2003. Unbelievably delicious! I was so impressed I make it every year for St.Patty's day. If you like potatoes and cabbage you are going to love this, it's a keeper!"
Reviewed Mar. 12, 2016
"I was looking for a recipe with cabbage in it and I saw this. I have to admit, I was afraid I wouldn't like them, but they were really tasty."
Reviewed Jan. 26, 2016
"I loved this recipe. Very tasty."
Reviewed Nov. 3, 2015
"I served this with corned beef instead of boiled cabbage and potatoes. It was delicious!"
Reviewed Mar. 14, 2015 Edited Mar. 18, 2015


text:
*Check back for 2016 dates
A fun introduction to volleyball. Learn skills and play games! All players will attend the Youth Volleyball Clinic and should be dressed ready to play.
Volunteer Coaches Needed: We depend on volunteer coaches for these programs. If interested, please call the Parks and Recreation Department office at 444-4321 for more information.
If you've registered your child for an activity and need to cancel the registration for any reason please refer to our Refund Policy.


text:
Welcome to the Academic Quality Initiative
Helping students learn is a team sport! ETSU's Academic
Quality Initiative is a voluntary program in which
faculty work together to . . .
set goals for student learning,
measure attainment of these goals, and
use the results to improve courses and teaching.
ETSU welcomes
all of the departments
participating in the AQI in 2007-08!
In PHASE ONE
of the AQI, departments . . .
select an
for participating in the AQI,
define expected
learning outcomes,
propose measurement plans for at least three outcomes, and
submit an annual report,
due March 1, 2008.
In PHASE TWO
of the AQI, departments . . .
collect data on measurement plans
discuss findings
and propose ways to improve student learning,
submit an annual report,
due April 1.
Have questions?
to discuss your AQI project? Email
Cynthia Burnley
or call 423-439-7484.


text:
By now you all know my absolute favourite author collective is the League of Reluctant Adults. No one can make me dirty giggle more then the League, hell I've had some of the weirdest conversations on Twitter with members of the League (I'm looking at you Mark). Yesterday for example, Nicole Peeler was talking about her dancing to Single Ladies on Skype. I said that needed to be on Youtube, that's when Nicole told me all about Kevin Hearne & his dancing chops.
Exhibit A:
Kevin is the one in the middle, getting down with his bad self. I'm still giggling!
Kevin is such a fun guy! Thanks for posting that it made my morning 🙂
this is why I love Kevin so much
LOVE! OMG, this makes me an even bigger Kevin Hearne fan! 😀
Okay, that does it. I've had Hounded on my wishlist forever, but now I think I'm finally off to one-click. Who knew he was a dancing machine!
OMG! Kevin Hearne, I thought I loved you because of the books! Didn't think it was possible to love you even more, but I do!
OMFG!! Kevin is to much. I loved this video. 😀 SO MUCH FUN! So glad to see everyone enjoying it and having a good clean laugh. 🙂
The LEAGUE authors are a riot. And Kevin! You've got some moves!
Are all of those guys teachers with Kevin? I wish I had fun teachers like that when I was in school. That video was so funny. I know that if I ever go back to AZ, I will invite Kevin out for an Irish Car Bomb. He just seems like such a great guy. Thanks for putting the video out there for us.
Do you have a spam issue on this site; I also am a
blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; many of us have developed some nice practices and we are looking to swap solutions with other folks, why not shoot me
an e-mail if interested.
If you have been wrongfully suffered investment loss,
injury, or other claims because of a collective group or company,
you need to begin thinking about class action lawsuits.
1 and 2 to part 736 provide for certain General Orders and Administrative Orders.
Most customers of these timeshare companies buy on impulse, without any intent to purchase when they first walked into the timeshare
My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.
I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
But he's tryiong none the less. I've been using Movable-type on
a variety of websites for about a year and am worried about
switching to another platform. I have heard excellent things about blogengine.net.
Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?
Any kind of help would be really appreciated!
It is essentially chosen by individuals who an experience on server administration and which are not satisfied aided by
the properties of dedicated or hosting that is shared.
Along with the hosting services we have been serving with the domain
names with excellent pricing. This means
that if the server in which your website is hosted fails, it can be instantly restarted on a different server.


text:
BlackBerry's latest smartphone is its most unusual and innovative release for years, but does it do enough to make it worth considering among a sea of worthwhile competition? The device certainly has its fair share of interesting features, and won't have any trouble standing out from the crowd. Read on as we take a close look at the Passport. Read More
A fridge full of free beer sounds like a great thing to find sitting on a street corner, but what if you needed a Canadian to open it? That was the puzzle posed by the Rethink advertising agency on behalf of Canada's Molson brewery. This northern spring, Rethink set up red fridges at various locations around Europe that would only open if a Canadian passport was inserted.Read More
While driving from Quebec to the United States, a Canadian citizen named Martin Reisch suddenly realized the fear of every world traveler: he'd completely forgotten his passport at home. Going back for it would've meant several hours extra driving time, so using a little quick thinking and a huge amount of luck he pulled up to the U.S. border holding an iPad showing a full-sized image of his passport that he had taken five years previous and had saved to a Dropbox folder. After what must have been a nerve-racking five minutes while border officials looked over the document, Reisch was amazingly allowed through into Vermont, even receiving a "Happy Holidays" from the border officer for the trouble. Read More
The iPhone 3G and latest iPod models have created problems for Apple fans because their old docking accessories are not able to charge their new purchases. Scosche has a solution which will be on sale this month - the US$40 passPORT has a female pass-through connector that can snap into any iPod universal dock or in-car iPod integration system to support charging for the iPhone 3G, iPod nano 4th generation and iPod touch 2nd generation. Read More
See the stories that matter in your inbox every morning


text:
Mary Lou Guerinot
Professor of Biological SciencesRonald and Deborah Harris Professorship in the SciencesProfessor in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program
I study the molecular mechanisms of metal ion uptake and its regulation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells using a combined genetic, molecular, and biochemical approach. My goal is to understand the functional connections between genes, proteins, metabolites, and mineral ions. I'm also looking at the reduction of iron by a family of membrane-bound Fe(III) reductases and metal metabolism in the symbiosis between Bradyrhizobium japonicum and soybeans.
Related Links
Selected Publications
Hong, S., S.A. Kim, M.L. Guerinot and C.R. McClung. 2013. Reciprocal interaction of the circadian clock with the Fe homeostasis network in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiol. 163: 893-903. PMCID: PMC3561027
Schroeder, J.I., E. Delhaize, W.B. Frommer, M.L. Guerinot, M.J. Harrison, L. Herrera-Estrella, T. Horie, L.V. Kochian, R. Munns, N.K. Nishizawa, Y.-F. Tsay and D. Sanders. 2013. Using membrane transporters to improve crops for sustainable food production. Nature 497: 60-66.
Hosmani, P.S., T. Kamiya, J. Danku S. Naseer, N. Geldner, M.L. Guerinot and D.E. Salt. 2013. A dirigent-domain containing protein is part of the machinery required for formation of the lignin-based Casparian strip in the root. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110:14498-503
Zhang, M, S.R.M. Pinson, L. Tarpley, X. Huang, B. Lahner, E. Yakubova, M.L. Guerinot, and D.E. Salt. 2013. Mapping and validation of quantitative trait loci associated with concentrations of 16 elements in unmilled rice grain. Theor. Appl. Genet. 10.1007/s00122-013-2207-5
Palmer, C., M.N. Hindt, H. Schmidt, S. Clemens and M.L. Guerinot. 2013. MYB10 and MYB72 Are required for growth under iron-limiting conditions. PLoS Genet. 9(11):e1003953
Norton, G.J., A. Douglas, B. Lahner, E. Yakubova, M.L. Guerinot, S.R.M. Pinson, L. Tarpley, G.C. Eizenga, S.P. McGrath, F-J. Zhao, M.R. Islam, S. Islam, G. Duan, Y. Zhu, D.E. Salt, A.A. Meharg and A.H. Price. 2014. Genome wide association mapping of grain arsenic, copper, molybdenum and zinc in rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown at four international field sites. PLoS One 9(2):e89685.
Socha, A. and M.L. Guerinot. 2014. Mn-euvering manganese: the role of transporter gene family members in manganese uptake and mobilization in plants. Front. Plant Sci. 5:106. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00106


text:
This list highlights some of the ways that private foundations and public charities (including community foundations) may engage in public policy without lobbying. Public charities have further flexibility and may engage in lobbying activities not described below.
1.Direct communications with legislators or their staff about a general issue of concern. To use this lobbying exception these direct communications may not either refer to specific legislation or legislative proposal, or if specific legislation or proposal is referenced, no view may be expressed on such legislation.
2.Direct communications with legislators or their staff is also permitted on matters that might affect the foundations existence, powers, duties or tax-exempt status. This is often referred to as self-defense lobbying. This exception does not extend to communications with the general public.
3.Grassroots communications to the public about a policy issue if:
- The communication does not contain any reference to specific legislation or legislative proposal;
- The communication references specific legislation or legislative proposal but does not express a view on the legislation or proposal; or
- The communication references specific legislation or legislative proposal and indicates a position on the issue but does not encourage the communication's recipients to contact legislators or provide information (e.g., legislators' names or contact information) or a mechanism to facilitate such contact.
4.Communications with executive officials (i.e., president, governors, mayors) or their staff about a policy issue where the official or staff member will not participate in the formulation of legislation discussed. If the official or staff member will participate in the formulation of legislation, the communication should either not include a reference to specific legislation or legislative proposal or should not express a view on the legislation or proposal.
5.Communications with administrative bodies to influence regulations or other implementation of existing laws.
6.Participating in class action lawsuits or similar public interest litigation in attempts to influence judicial bodies.
7.Responding to written requests from a legislative body (not a single legislator) for technical assistance on pending legislation.
8.Sharing the results of nonpartisan analysis, study or research on a legislative issue.
9.Discussing issues of broad social, economic and similar policy issues requiring legislative solution so long as the discussion does not address the merits of specific legislation.
While this list serves as a good starting place for understanding permissible advocacy activities, the assistance of experienced legal counsel should always be considered when navigating through the rules for engaging in advocacy activity.
This content is for Council members only.
Login to View [1]


text:
Green energy companies crash
The RENIXX® – Renewable Energy Industrial Index has shed over 90% of its value since 2008. The Hockey Schtick has the full story of Bankruptcy filed and Teetering on the brink companies here
Climate mania impoverishes electricity customers worldwide
Global-warming-related catastrophes are increasingly hitting vulnerable populations around the world, with one species in particular danger: the electricity ratepayer. In Canada, in the U.K., in Spain, in Denmark, in Germany and elsewhere the danger to ratepayers is especially great, but ratepayers in one country — the U.S. — seem to have weathered the worst of the disaster.
America's secret? Unlike leaders in other countries, which to their countries' ruin adopted policies as if global warming mattered, U.S. leaders more paid lip service to it. While citizens in other countries are now seeing soaring power rates, American householders can look forward to declining rates.
The North American exemplar of acting on the perceived threat of global warming is Ontario, which dismantled one of the continent's finest fleets of coal plants in pursuit of becoming a green leader. Then, to induce developers to build uneconomic renewable energy facilities, the Ontario government paid them as much as 80 times the market rate for power. The result is power prices that rose rapidly (about 50% since 2005) and will continue to do so: Ontarians can expect power prices that are 46% higher over the next five years, according to a 2010 Ontario government estimate, and more than 100% higher according to independent estimates. Read more here
The next nail in the alternative energy coffin…German Banks Banned From Financing Offshore Wind farms
The knockout blow for the financing of offshore wind farms is the so-called matching maturities rule which was aggravated to stabilize the financial markets. "Offshore wind farms cannot be financed by anyone. We have just been banned from doing this."
Next bad news for the German Federal Government: Stricter regulations of the financial markets are endangering the green energy transition.
Everything depends on everything else, it is said forever. But who would have thought that this also applies to the banking regulation and the green energy transition? At a meeting of the Council for Market Economy, supported by the Association of Bavarian Industry (vbw), Commerzbank board member Markus Beumer granted insight into applied political chaos theory.
He doubted that the switch to offshore wind power generation will occur. The dream, he said, was founded on "wind farms that cannot be financed by anyone." What particularly upset the banker: "We have just been banned from doing this". The host and President of the Association of Bavarian Industry Randolf Rodenstock commented dryly: "When it comes to the green energy transition, nothing surprises me anymore. If there are no profitable businesses, then the transition will simply not take place." Read more here
Anthony Watts Quote of the week takes the cake for me.
Quote of the week – Death by Coochey coup
The ANU "Climate scientists get death threats"
story fabrication continues to unravel. Again, paging David Appell and Nick Stokes, your second helping of crow pie is served. And Mr. Appell, while you are eating that pie, maybe you'll find the personal integrity to apologize for bringing my mother into your fantasy inflamed beyond all reason. (Update: apparently not) I'll remind you of this writing on your blog:
Here in Australia a desperate alarmist tries to whip up support from a diminishing pool of "fellow activists"
More communicating with the demented?
Andrew Bolt nails it with this quote:
We have to personalise the impacts. Everybody has been pussyfooting around the fact that when we have an extreme weather event like Cyclone Yasi, …because there is such pushback of saying 'we can't be sure that it's climate related' and so people back off it, that has been a major loss of momemtum in the campaign around Australia, that we've failed to name the connection and it has got to be named, and we've got to get on the radio… The scientific reports are saying it all the time. It's a question of intensity.
But hang on. What happened to "respecting the science"? Even the Climate Commission, aggressively pro-warming, admits there is no proof that global warming has changed cyclone behaviour:


text:
OMG!!!! What should I do G-orgy? Should I jump off of the highest bridge? Or should I buy Apple with a P/E of 10? Since you're such a know-it-all I will do whatever you tell me. Jack#@%% You and your aliases will never learn.
Why are you bursting blood vessels over someone elses opinion? You need help man! Agree or disagree just please be mature about it. Wow...you're off the deep end man! Hope you do well with your position and hope we all do well with our positions but you need something to help calm down. This is why I despise coming to these boards except once in a while to see if anything changed for the better instead of personal attacks when someone takes the opposite position in a trade. Do your homework, Tade your position, make your money and enjoy. No ONE on this board moves the markets and anyone who can, like Buffet or Cramer dont post here. Better to back up your posts with researh you've done and improve the boards than sling baseless foolery. I am here to make money. Up, Down, or Sideways. Not here to make friends or attack people but if they have something of value then I take that as a piece of my puzzle after I research it. Otherwise posts like this are a cacophony to me. Be well - uf


text:
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Honeywell 4800i Industrial Area Imagers
Featuring the same advanced data collection and image capture capabilities as the 4600g, the 4800i is built specifically for the rugged environments common in warehousing, distribution, transportation/ logistics and retail applications.
As an Authorized Honeywell Reseller, we only advertise MSRP (List Price) on Honeywell 4800i Industrial Area Imagers as part of their MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policy. To get the actual price of an item, please call one of our product specialists at (714)922-1140.
|List Price
|Your Price
|Add To Cart
Honeywell (previously Hand Held Products/HHP) 4800i 2D Industrial Standard Range Barcode Scanner - USB Kit; kit includes 4800i Industrial Scanner (Area Imager), Aimer Beam, Color: Orange, Straight USB Type A Cable (P/N 42206161-01E). (M160217)$605.00 Click for price
Honeywell (previously Hand Held Products/HHP) 4800i 2D Industrial Standard Range Barcode Scanner (Area Imager), Aimer Beam, Color: Orange, Supports True RS-232 Interfaces (Cable Required). NOTE: THIS P/N IS for Scanner Only (Complete Kits ARE Available). (M160415).
Honeywell (previously Hand Held Products/HHP) 4800i 2D Industrial Special Focus Barcode Scanner (Area Imager), Aimer Beam, Color: Orange, Supports True RS-232 Interfaces (Cable Required). NOTE: THIS PART NUMBER IS FOR SCANNER ONLY (COMPLETE KITS ARE AVAILABLE). (M160221)
Additional Honeywell 4800i Industrial Area Imagers Product Information
The 4800i Industrial 2D Imager is designed to provide unmatcheddata collection performance and versatility for applications thatdemand maximum reliability in the harshest working environments.
Powered by Adaptus™ Imaging Technology 5.0, the 4800i delivershigh-performance, omni-directional linear and 2D barcode readingplus the versatility of digital image capture. With Adaptus 5.0,enterprises have the ability to capture and process more data thanever before with a single device.
Built specifically for scan-intensive applications requiringa ruggedized solution, the 4800i features our highest dropspecifi cation and an IP54 rating to guarantee protection against thepenetration of dust and liquid. However, unlike other industrial gradesolutions, the 4800i features best-in-class ergonomics ensuringmaximum user comfort and productivity.
- Built for Industrial Applications: Rugged housing isspecifi ed to withstand 50 drops from 6.5 feet (2m) andcertifi ed to IP54 standards, while still being ergonomic andeasy-to-use.
- High Performance and Versatile Data Collection:Adaptus Imaging Technology 5.0 provides aggressive,omni-directional reading of all linear and 2D barcodes, plusenables digital image capture.
- Advanced Illumination Technology: Enhancesperformance and ease of use by delivering snappierscanning and minimizing refl ection from shiny items.
- Simplified Device Configuration Through AdvancedSoftware Assets: Visual Xpress™ software enables deviceprogramming and confi guration on a host system through aneasy-to-use Windows®-based graphical user interface.
- User Feedback Designed for Extreme Environments:Adjustable, extra loud good read beeper and dual LEDindicators ensure reliable & intuitive feedback even in noisyenvironments.
- Ease of Connectivity: All popular interfaces are on board.Visual Express™ software enables easy integration withUnified POS (UPOS) standard and Windows® Embeddedfor Point of Service (WEPOS) systems.
Products Related to Honeywell 4800i Industrial Area Imagers
Product Information
We are located in Orange, California (Southern California) and strategically located to serve Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties.
This page last updated on 1/13/2016 6:12:18 PM


text:
Veteran producer Masao Maruyama will resume his standing as an honorary Otakon staff member in 2014. Otakorp, Inc. is pleased to announce that the legendary force in the Japanese animation industry will make his 12th appearance at Otakon.
The founder and former creative director of Madhouse Studios, Maruyama has had a hand in the Japanese animation industry for forty years. In the early 1970s, he helped establish the revered animation studio and led the team as a creative producer for many years.
Over the next three decades, Maruyama would oversee countless television, OAV, and theatrical releases, developing a reputation for finding and nurturing talented directors. Under his guidance, talents like Satoshi Kon and Atsuko Ishizuka flourished. Maruyama also engaged with overseas partners, working with the Wachowskis on the Animatrix project, and overseeing anime takes on classic American comic book characters.
In 2011, Maruyama left Madhouse and formed MAPPA (Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association). MAPPA allows him greater creative freedom to pursue projects that may be less obviously commercial. The studio's first major project was the critically-acclaimed Kids on the Slope, which reunited most of the creative teams behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.
He continues to consult with Madhouse on various projects, such as Hunter x Hunter and the Fighting Spirits: Hajime No Ippo series. Maruyama is currently developing the highly-anticipated TV animation series Rage of Bahamut, as well as director Shinichiro Watanabe's Terror In
Resonance, and the theatrical project At The Corner Of This World, directed by Sunao Katabuchi.
Maruyama's list of credits has produced an amazing library of animation, including Barefoot Gen, Dagger of Kamui, Record of Lodoss War, Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scroll, Card Captor Sakura, Trigun, Perfect Blue, X, Boogiepop Phantom, Chobits, PitaTen, Abenobashi Maho Shotengai, Gungrave, Gunslinger Girl, Black Lagoon, Kiba, Nana, Tokyo Tribe 2, Beck, Monster, Highlander:
Search for Vengeance, Devil May Cry, Death Note, RAINBOW and Red Line. Maruyama has also overseen production of critically acclaimed films such as Paprika, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Summer Wars.
Also attending this year is animation director Hidenori Matsubara. Otakorp, Inc. is pleased to announce the appearance will represent his second time at Otakon.
As a young and hungry animator, Matsubara worked as an in-betweener on the Project A-Ko movies. From there, he served as an animator on Bubblegum Crisis and Gunbuster. Graduating to animation director for Nadia: Secret of Blue Water, he completed the opening animation for Bubblegum Crash, and then served as animation director on Otaku no Video (the inspiration for the name Otakon). Other credits in this period include work as an animator on Perfect Blue, Gunsmith Cats, and the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series. For the Oh My Goddess! series (and later for the movie), Matsubara served as character designer and chief animation director; more recently, he was character designer for The Count of Monte Cristo. He also served as the character designer of the hit game series Sakura Wars.
Matsubara has worked with director Hideaki Anno as an animator and animation director on the new series of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, and Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. His other theatrical credits include The Princess and the Pilot and Space Battleship Yamato 2199. Matsubara is currently working with the famed director Sunao Katabuchi on an upcoming theatrical film, At The Corner Of This World.
Otakon 2014 will be held August 8-10 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. Now entering its twenty first year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 34,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 100,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.
For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2014, see http://www.otakon.com/


text:
Wall, South Dakota: Wall Drug Store
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- 510 Main St., Wall, SD
- Directions:
- I-90 exit 110, turn north onto Glenn St., then turn left. Drive two blocks then turn right onto Main St. Two blocks north, on the right.
- Hours:
- Daily 6:30 am - 8 pm. (Call to verify)
- Phone:
- 605-279-2175
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
Results 1 to 5 of 12... Page of 3 [Next 5 items]
Wall Drug Store
This mega-tourist trap has been a vacation stop for generations of thirsty travelers -- it's much more than a drug store. Roadsideamerica.com Report... [03/15/2009]
Wall, South Dakota - Wall Drug's Singing Sam, Gorilla Man
Wall Drug - The Yard: Roadside Archives: 1992 clips from "The Yard," where dead animals crudely dance, and a rotting gorilla plays the piano. Watch Video.
Visitor Tips and News About Wall Drug Store
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
What a fun place for a stop off. There is water shooting up from the ground to the tune of dueling banjos and other tunes while I was there. It's a sort of Midwestern Bellagio fountain show like in Las Vegas. Very clever. Lots to see here.[Mel Rob, 06/27/2009]
Wall Drug
"Ride 'em Jackalope Girl!" -- Ciara Mulvihill at Wall Drug, Wall, SD, July 2007.[Abbie Mulvihill, 01/01/2008]
Wall Drug - Remember Dobby, Killed by a Billboard
Virgil "Dobby" Hansen of Philip, South Dakota, painted hundreds of the nice wooden billboards that lined the byways of the midwest, hawking the wonders of Wall Drug. Called Dobby because of the paint daubs that covered his clothing, Sherwin and Williams in RED, GREEN, BLACK, YELLOW and of course the nice crisp WHITE, he neatly hand-lettered each sign that stood out so vividly at 70 MPH. Each one, clear, concise and memorable, was a work not only of art but of the pursuit of a job well done.
Dobby began sign painting in South Dakota when he returned from World War II, and painted until his death in 1989, killed by the plywood sheets of an 80-ft. long Wall Drug billboard as it slid off a truck.
Dobby not only painted signs for the Wall Drug, but did woodwork that graces the Wall Drug as well. The brands around the dining room, the wooden Wall Drug in black walnut on the face of the store and the Travelers Chapel sign to name a few.[Crystal Jackson, 02/19/2005]
Page of 3 [Next 5 items]
Nearby Offbeat Places
Latest Tips Across Roadside America
Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.
Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!
Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.


text:
MON - FRI: 9AM to 6PM
SAT: 9AM to 4PM
"Just wanted to let you know I receive the booster this morning. Installed it in 2 mins and works great !!! Thanks so much for all your help." -Michael
"MADNESS GOPedal - It is an amazing upgrade! Thank you guys you are the best." -Cristiano Minchio
"The best customer service!!! Dave (the Tech with the curly hair)is an absolute SUPER STAR! I am for sure coming back for service! Fantastic! So happy I found you guys!" -Aimee Tureaud
"Special thanks to Justin is a super leader in customer service, A + + + +. Thanks again and look forward to doing business with you." -José Aponte
"IMO, the service is top end all the way, and the product I bought is absolutely awesome!!" -C Thrasher
"Thanks again for the springs! They arrived just a couple days after my order. Very fast!" -Ryan Conrad


text:
The owner of NFL franchise The New England Patriots, who recently signed quarterback Tim Tebow, said that the popular Christian athlete's spiritually is "very appealing."
"For me personally, having Tim Tebow on this team, he's someone who believes in spirituality, he's very competitive and works hard, and has a great attitude, and he's a winner. So having him as part of our franchise is great, but he has to compete just like anyone else," said Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is Jewish, in an interview on Wednesday with ESPN.
"We're blessed to have a lot of people like that, but the fact that spirituality is very important to him is very appealing to me." more >>
Tim Tebow, the 25-year-old Christian quarterback, may be gearing up to play for the New England Patriots.
Tebow was officially released from the New York Jets roster in April. While a number of media outlets questioned if the NFL player would get his opportunity to play in the league ever again, a source reportedly told USA Today that the Patriots will officially welcome Tebow into their mini training camp this week.
While Yahoo! Sports previously reported that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Tebow had no chance of joining his team, the coach recently blasted the report. more >>
The father of former New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has denied rumors that his son's career is over, after reports came out claiming that the athlete's camp had admitted his time in the NFL had come to an end.
"You are old enough to not believe all you hear," Bob Tebow told NFL.com over the weekend.
Tebow has been looking for a new team ever since he was released from the Jets in April, and has largely kept his head down and stayed out of the spotlight. Various sports broadcasters have tried to predict if, when and for who he will play for next season, but as of yet no team has said it wants to take Tebow on board, especially in his preferred quarterback position. more >>
When it comes to Tim Tebow and his supporters, it appears no circumstance goes wasted as an opportunity to encourage others – even in times of unemployment from the NFL for the Christian athlete.
"I know Tim Tebow must be frustrated that he hasn't found the right team yet and is still searching. Here's the advice I would give to Tim as he waits for his new team," wrote Tony Dungy, retired NFL coach and national spokesman for All Pro Dad, in his blog.
Dungy's words come as an introduction to his short video clip on the All Pro Dad website in which he says, "Tim Tebow, I know, is really disappointed that he hasn't got it going and on a team, in a direction, knowing what locker room he is going to be in right now, but the advice I'd have for Tim is just to be patient, be faithful, the Lord has a good spot for you, He's going to give you the right situation. more >>
International martial arts champion and conservative actor Chuck Norris wrote a 1500-word essay pubished this week in wnd.com praising former New York Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow. Norris compared Tebow to himself and suggested the Jacksonville Jaguars "give Tim the opportunity to excel as a quarterback and usher them to Super Bowl status."
In late April, the Jaguars announced they would not consider Tebow. "The Jacksonville Jaguars' plans do not include Tim Tebow," wrote Jim Woodcock, spokesman for team owner Shad Khan, in an email to the Florida Times-Union.
The immensely popular Tebow currently waits in limbo, due to the Jaguars' decision. Nevertheless, Norris expressed great confidence in the football star. "With his skillset, confidence, marketability and Christian faith, his future is rock solid and good as gold – on and off the field," the actor wrote. more >>
Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis garnered media attention this week after joking about Tim Tebow's virginity in a Twitter post.
On Sunday, Mathis posted to his Twitter account the image of a sign that said, "Don't die a virgin terrorists are up there waiting for you." He tweeted the image along with a personal message to the Christian quarterback, which said, "@Tim Tebow, thinking about you big guy."
Mathis, who played college football at The University of Alabama, also grabbed headlines last week when he posted a picture to Instagram of himself either urinating or pretending to urinate on a sign outside of an Internal Revenue Service building . As a caption to the image, which he posted several days after the IRS admitted to targeting conservative groups, Mathis wrote: "Audit this." more >>


text:
EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon men's and women's tennis programs will be hosting the second annual "Fan Day" on Friday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the University of Oregon Student Tennis Center.
Oregon tennis fans of all ages will be given the opportunity to meet and hit with members of the Duck men's and women's tennis teams. Additionally, fans will receive free t-shirts and pizza, snacks and drinks are also included. Also featured at the event will be a free raffle with great prizes, including a lesson with a member of the Oregon tennis coaching staff, and the chance for all attendees to test their serve with a radar gun.
For more details on the Ducks' 2013 Fan Day, please view the attached flyer on the right of the web page. Additional information on Oregon tennis, including tickets and schedule information, can be found at www.GoDucks.com.


text:
Please click on the pull-down menu below and select the resource you would like checked [REQUIRED]:
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SELECT A RESOURCEBartholomew County, Indiana Marriages 1821 - 1920 Frankfort Cemetery . . . In KentuckyIndex of the Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Kentucky, December 2005
FULL Names (First AND Last) or Placenames to be searched (maximum of 3) [REQUIRED]. Include given names and dates:
Please re-type your email address (to ensure that we have a correct address to respond to) [REQUIRED]):
Other information helpful to the search [STRONGLY RECOMMENDED]:
BWO Main Index
Please enter the words seen below:


text: This arrangement uses an accessible space above the ceiling plane with a floor for access and a low vertical height to accomplish a horizontal distribution of systems. The HVAC and services drop (or rise) vertically from this space into the laboratory envelope and connect to the benches and equipment. Ventilation air is typically distributed from above the laboratory space it serves. An interstitial space or a mechanical loft space has excellent advantages to provide energy-efficient layouts of the services required for laboratory-type facilities. They provide excellent access for maintenance personnel. Vertical shafts at the perimeter or in a central core connect interstitial space services with the entire building. The disadvantage compared to other approaches is the high cost, but use of interstitial space provides good long-term adaptability and a more efficient maintenance program. [Ruys, 1990; Cooper, 1994]


text:
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
April 2, 2004
Walnut Creek, Calif (April 2) - Arizona junior Monica Bisordi was named to the 2004 Pacific-10 All-Conference women's gymnastics team as an all-arounder. The Pac-10 All-Conference team consists of the top six all-around competitors, and the top three competitors in each individual event.
Bisordi, Arizona's lone All-Pac-10 representative, was selected based on a determined score by a combination of 50 percent regional qualifying score (entire season composite) and 50 percent Pac-10 Conference Championships score. So far this season, Bisordi has tallied a team-high 14 individual event titles and 41 top-five finishes. The San Mateo, Calif. native ranks No. 13 in the nation on floor (9.940) and No. 16 in the all-around (39.565). Bisordi has also posted career-highs on vault (9.950), on floor (9.975) and in the all-around 39.750 this season. Her career-best all-around score of 39.750 is the second-best mark in school history.
Bisordi earns All-Pac-10 honors for the second time in her career, as she was an All-Conference selection on beam and in the all-around as a freshman in 2002. Arizona was without All-Conference representation last season.
Arizona will host the 2004 South Central Regional Championships on Saturday, April 3 at 6 p.m. in McKale Center.
2004 Pacific-10 All-Conference Team
All-Around: Jeanette Antolin (UCLA), Kate Richardson (UCLA), Ashley Kelly (ASU), Natalie Foley (Stanford), Monica Bisordi (Arizona), Chelsea Plourde (OSU)
Beam: Molly Seaman (Washington), Kristen Maloney (UCLA), Lindsay Wing (Stanford), Ashley Kelly (ASU)
Bars: Jeanette Antolin (UCLA), Caroline Fluhrer (Stanford), Natalie Foley (Stanford)
Vault: Jeanette Antolin (UCLA), Kate Richardson (UCLA), Natalie Foley (Stanford)
Floor: Jeanette Antolin (UCLA), Kate Richardson (UCLA), Carly Dockendorf (Washington)


text:
The MYSTERY BOOK STORE/A Stitch in Crime1414 S 13th St
Omaha, NE 68108
Phone: 402-342-7343
We stock thousands of new hardback and paperback mysteries, and will happily special order any title for you. Click here to see new books in this month. To see authors coming to the store, click here.
We also stock counted cross stitch fibers, charts and fabrics, Czech and Japanese seed and pressed beads as well as finished jewelry: click here for more information.
We are open from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday.
The Mystery Bookstore does not buy, sell or trade used books. New books only.


text:
STANFORD, Calif. – The Stanford men's fencing team went undefeated in dual matches at the Western Invitational on Saturday while the women's team won four of its five contests.
The men's team ended up 4-0 after the first weekend of the season with victories over Cal Tech (25-2), Florida (22-5), UC San Diego (18-9) and Air Force (21-6). Not only did the team win all four contests, each weapon group went undefeated at 4-0 as well. Of the three weapon groups the epee looked the strongest, winning 30 of its 36 matches. The foil, despite missing one of the top fencers in the nation in senior Turner Caldwell, put together a 29-7 record. The sabre group was 27-9 on the day.
Leading the way individually for the Cardinal were junior Paul Riviere and sophomore Alex Massialas. Both fencers went undefeated on the day. Riviere posted a perfect 12-0 record in the epee while Massialas, the reigning NCAA National Champion in the foil, recorded a mark of 9-0.
"We fenced really well," said junior Paul Riviere. "It was a wonderful way to start the season. These are the guys that we are going to have to go against to go to Nationals. These are guys we lost to last year so knowing that we all can consistently beat those opponents gives us confidence going forward."
Freshman Ben Riviere, the younger brother of Paul, had an outstanding start to his collegiate career. He was undefeated until his last match of the day, finishing with an 11-1 record. Sophomore David Beam was also impressive for the sabre team, notching 10 wins in his 12 bouts.
The women's team improved to 4-2 in dual matches this season after going 4-1 on Saturday. They started off with a tough 19-8 loss to Northwestern, but came back strong to rattle off victories over Cal Tech (22-5), Florida (23-4), UC San Diego (17-10) and Air Force (15-12). Despite the team's loss to Northwestern, the epee weapon group went through the day undefeated. They edged Northwestern, 5-4, and swept three other opponents 9-0. The epee finished the day with a 39-6 record.
"I think the freshmen were a little nervous coming into the weekend, but after they fenced against Northwestern last night they came back today and fenced much better," said sophomore Avery Youngblood. "Our only loss was to Northwestern so we are confident that we will have a great outlook going against the same competition at NCAA Regionals this year."
Francesca Bassa and Vivian Kong were each very impressive for the Cardinal in leading the epee squad. They each went 14-1 on the day. Bassa's only loss came on a coin flip after time expired with the bout tied 4-4. Kong lost her second match of the day but won 13 straight after that. Freshmen Eliza Klyce and Alexa Rohan each rebounded from a tough set of matches versus Northwestern. Klyce won 10 of her next 12 while Rohan went 9-1 the rest of the way.
"I thought we did really well, especially after coming back from break and not having much time to fence together," said Youngblood. "We came together as a team this weekend and fenced well."
Stanford will be off from competition the remainder of the month. Their next set of matches will be at the Northwestern Duals in Evanston, Ill. February 1-2.


text:
Advisory Councils
Evaluates and schedules art exhibits for the library's Main Gallery. Arranges for lectures, seminars and discussions about the creative arts. Artists interested in submitting work for consideration should click on "Exhibits" and then "Exhibit Your Work" from the pwpl.org homepage or send a letter to the library c/o Art Advisory Council.
Council Members:
Reuben Bechtold
Christina Byers
Raisy Derzie
Allan Fishkind
Barbara Fishman
Betty Gimbel
Shelley Holtzman
Rita Katz
Marion Klein
Rachelle Krieger
Bruce Laird
Eileen Neville
Toby Ozure
Patti Paris
Ann Pellaton
Eric Pick
Pamela Record
Ellen Hallie Schiff
Shellie Schneider
Lynda Schwartz
Elaine Walden
Catchi, Honorary Life Member
Marian Goodman, Honorary Life Member
Marion McManus, Honorary Life Member
Dan Chuzmir, Staff Liaison
Advises the Library Director on programs for family audiences.
Council Members:
Nancy Gordon
Michele Hyde, Chairperson
Susan Kass
Elise Tepper
Lori Tyras
Jeffrey Zeh
Rachel Fox, Staff Liaison
Joni Simon, Staff Liaison
The Health Advisory Council is appointed by the library's Board of Trustees to advise on policies and programs that serve the health interests of the community.
Council Members:
Christine Alley, R.N. A.
A. Addison Barman, M.D.
Myron Blumenfeld, Honorary Life Member
Laura Leigh Carroll
Katherine Crean
Nancy J. Dintenfass, D.O.
Joan Easton, M.D.
Tina Fuchs, R.D.
Christine Anne Ganzer
Sarah Hogenauer, R.N., Chairperson
William S. Knight, M.D.
Patricia Mullholland
Margaret M. Rajnic, R.N.
Brenda Turok, Honorary Life Member
Janet West, Staff Liaison
Evaluates and schedules performances for the Library's music program. Presents lectures, seminars and discussions about music and dance in its broadest interpretation.
Council Members:
Betty Bock
Ruth Feingold, Chair Emeritus
Frances Hettinger
Nettie Jonath
Jane Murphy
Jean Ritchie Pickow, Honorary Life Member
Bernard Schneider, Co-Chairperson
Jonathan Watkins
Mary Watts, Co-Chairperson
Jessica Ley, Staff Liaison
Advises the Library Director on nautical collections and services. Recommends and plans nautical programs for the public.
Council Members:
Craig Albrecht
Peter Bergen
Alan Bergman
William Brakman
MaryLu Dempsey
Alan Dinn
Joan Kent, Honorary Life Member
Ginger Marshall Martus, Honorary Life Member
Sue Miller
Bill Palafox
Bill Simon
Joshua M. Smith, Ph.D.
Andrea Watson, Chairperson
Joel Ziev
Jeff Zeh, Staff Liaison


text:
Enter your Email address:
Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed
to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without
your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Fotouhi, Akbar*; Hashemi, Hassan†; Yekta, Abbas Ali‡; Mohammad, Kazem§; Khoob, Mehdi Khabaz∥
*MD, PhD
‡PhD, FAAO
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (AF, KM), Noor Ophthalmology Research Center, Noor Eye Hospital, Tehran, Iran (HH, MKK), Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (HH), and Department of Optometry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran (AAY).
This work was supported, in part, by Noor Vision Correction Center, Tehran.
Received June 12, 2010; accepted April 5, 2011.
Akbar Fotouhi, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, PO Box: 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Purpose. To study and analyze astigmatism and its characteristics in a cross-sectional study of schoolchildren from Dezful, Iran.
Methods. In a cross-sectional study using random cluster sampling on 460 schools in Dezful (clusters), 39 clusters were selected. The study was conducted after coordinating with schools and obtaining written consent from students' parents. Cycloplegic refraction was done for primary and junior high school students and non-cycloplegic refraction was done for high school students. Astigmatism was defined as the cylinder power of 0.75 diopter (D) or more.
Results. Of 5726 selected students, 5544 (96.8%) participated in the study. The prevalence of astigmatism was 13.47% (95% confidence interval: 11.90 to 15.04) and was not significantly related to age and gender. Regarding axis, 45.76, 48.14, and 6.09% of astigmatic schoolchildren had with-the-rule (WTR), against-the-rule (ATR), and oblique astigmatism, respectively. An increase in age was accompanied by a decrease in the prevalence of WTR astigmatism and an increase in the prevalence of ATR astigmatism (p < 0.001). The association between astigmatism and myopia [odds ratio = 8.81] was stronger than its association with hyperopia (odds ratio = 3.81). Those with high values of spherical error had high values of cylindrical error, as well. Mean sphere in WTR, ATR, and oblique astigmatism was 1.93, 1.37, and 0.88 D, respectively (p < 0.001). The highest values of spherical refractive error were observed in WTR astigmatism group.
Conclusions. The prevalence of ATR astigmatism was high in this study. It appears that the decrease in the prevalence of WTR and the increase in the prevalence of ATR astigmatism as a result of aging happened earlier in our study compared with other studies. Astigmatism was found to have a strong correlation with myopia, although individuals with high hyperopia also had high astigmatism. Individuals with high ametropia mostly had WTR astigmatism although the percentage of ATR astigmatism was high in those with low ametropia.
Astigmatism is of one the most common eye conditions with a reported prevalence of 3.5% in children to 77% in individuals above 50 years.1,2 Different articles have studied the relationship between various demographic and ophthalmic factors and astigmatism.3–9 Age and gender are the most important demographic factors.6,7,10,11 However, available reports on the prevalence of astigmatism have shown conflicting results regarding these two factors.
Although, there is still no common agreement on the effect of age and gender on astigmatism, on the basis of most studies, it can be said that astigmatism axis is importantly affected by age in a way that the prevalence of with-the-rule (WTR) astigmatism decreases and the prevalence of against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism increases with age.10,12,13 Some studies have shown the effect of lid tension on the cornea as a probable cause of changing astigmatism axis with age.14–16
Most studies have reported no difference in astigmatism prevalence between genders but a few have addressed the type of astigmatism in males and females.1,7,12,17–21 In addition to demographic factors, there are some studies that confirm the relationship between astigmatism and ocular components, particularly the spherical component of refraction.4 However, there are still some unknown aspects of the relationship between astigmatism and spherical errors. It has been shown that there is a direct correlation between myopia, and even the severity of myopia, and astigmatism.5,22,23 However, there is little known regarding the relationship between hyperopia and astigmatism.4
What is more, only a few articles have addressed the variations of astigmatism axis in different refractive errors.4,12 We previously studied the prevalence of refractive errors in Dezful school students and briefly reported on the status of astigmatism in school students.24 Because some aspects of astigmatism were not covered in the previous report, this report is presented with the aim of a more in-depth analysis of astigmatism in Dezful school students and its relationship with factors such as age, gender, and spherical refractive errors.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on the schoolchildren of Dezful, a city in the south west of Iran, between 2004 and 2005 using random cluster sampling in a student population of 83,250 in 460 schools of the city. Of these schools as clusters, 39 schools were selected randomly with regard to the ratio between urban and rural areas, and all the students from each of the 39 schools invited to participate in the study.
Uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and visual acuity with glasses (GVA) for those with glasses and objective refraction using a Topcon KR 8800 refractometer (Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) were determined on all students. The validity and reliability of the Topcon KR8000 in measuring astigmatism has already been reported.25,26
In this report, analyses were performed on all data obtained via auto-refraction. Cycloplegic refraction with the auto-refractometer was measured on primary and junior high school students after administering 3 droplets of cyclopentolate 1%; non-cycloplegic refraction with the auto-refractometer was performed on high school students. BCVA and subjective refraction were determined on all students whose uncorrected visual acuity was worse than 20/20. Those students whose BCVA was worse than 20/32 were referred to an ophthalmologist for further examination. Analysis was performed on data obtained from these students as well.
Considering the high correlation between the left and the right eyes regarding astigmatism (r = 0.758, p < 0.001), only the results of the right eye were analyzed. We defined astigmatism as a cylinder power of at least −0.75 diopter (D). On the basis of astigmatism axis, an axis of 180 ± 30 was classified as WTR, an axis of 90 ± 30 was considered ATR, and others were considered oblique astigmatism. A spherical equivalent of −0.5 D or worse was defined as myopia and a spherical equivalent of +2.0 or more as hyperopia. In Iran, children start primary school at the age of 7, junior high school at the age of 12, and high school at the age of 15, provided that they do not fail a grade.
The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The local school board and school principals also approved the study. A written informed consent letter from a parent or guardian, in addition to the assent of each student was obtained before examination.
The prevalence rates of astigmatism were calculated in the study population. The design effect of cluster sampling was considered in calculating the 95% confidence interval (CI). The 95% CIs were calculated by assuming a normal approximation. A binomial distribution was used for cases with few outcomes that did not follow a normal distribution. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between different variables and astigmatism. The χ2 test for trend was used to show the relationship between astigmatism axis and age.
Of 5726 selected students, 5544 participated in the study (96.8% response rate). Because 193 individuals did not have refraction data, analysis was performed on 5351 participants. Of the participants, 41.0% (2273), 25.3% (1400), and 33.7% (1871) were primary, junior high school, and high school students, respectively. Of them, 54.9% were females and 69.2% lived in urban areas. The mean age of the participants was 12.4 ± 3.1 years (6 to 20 years).
Randomly, 323 students had both cycloplegic and non- cycloplegic refractions. The mean and SD of the cylinder power of the students was −1.44 ± 1.0 and −1.42 ± 1.0 based on cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic refraction, respectively (p = 0.296). Also, these two methods were found to have a high correlation (r = 0.935).
J0 and J45 were used to compare astigmatism axis between the two methods. Mean ± SD of J0 was 0.001 ± 0.60 and −0.037 ± 0.59 for non-cycloplegic and cycloplegic refraction, respectively, and their difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.396). Similarly, mean ± SD of J45 was 0.063 ± 0.62 for non-cycloplegic and −0.055 ± 0.65 for cycloplegic refraction revealed no statistically significant difference (p = 0.837).
Mean and SD of cylinder power in students was −0.35 ± 0.53 D. The prevalence of astigmatism was 13.47% (95% CI: 11.90 to 15.04). There was no significant statistical difference between females and males (p = 0.459) and between age and cylinder power (p = 0.112). The prevalence of astigmatism according to age is shown in Table 1. Multiple logistic regression also revealed no significant difference between astigmatism prevalence and either age or gender.
Regarding axis, 6.39% (95% CI: 5.21 to 7.57), 6.28% (95% CI: 5.18 to 7.38), and 0.80% (95% CI: 0.49 to 1.11) of the students had WTR, ATR, and oblique astigmatism, respectively. In individuals with astigmatism, the prevalence of WTR, ATR, and oblique astigmatism was 45.76% (95% CI: 37.79 to 53.73), 48.14% (95% CI: 41.15 to 55.14), and 6.09% (95% CI: 2.84 to 9.35), respectively. WTR astigmatism was significantly higher in females (p = 0.019) and ATR astigmatism was significantly higher in males (p = 0.012), whereas the prevalence of oblique astigmatism did not show any significant difference between the two genders (p = 0.731).
In those with astigmatism, the distribution of astigmatism axis in different age groups is shown in Fig. 1. The prevalence of WTR astigmatism in 7- and 8-year-old participants was 70.79%, which decreased to 18.46% in those aged ≥16 years. The logistic regression showed a decrease in the prevalence of WTR astigmatism as age increased (p < 0.001). Aging was accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of ATR astigmatism from 23.13% in 7- and 8-year-old individuals to 64.1% in those aged 16 years and above (p < 0.001). Regarding the oblique astigmatism prevalence, no significant difference was observed between different age groups (p = 0.121). In a multiple logistic regression model, age and gender had a significant association with WTR and ATR astigmatism whereas oblique astigmatism was not significantly related to age adjusted for gender.
Although we found that astigmatism and its axis were not affected by cycloplegia, to evaluate the correlation between cylinder and sphere, analysis was performed on individuals with cycloplegic refraction because sphere is affected by cycloplegic refraction.
In all students, the prevalence of emmetropia, myopia, and hyperopia was 78.25, 9.34, and 12.41%, respectively based on spherical equivalent. These values, based on cycloplegic refraction in primary and junior high school students, were 79.38, 2.29, and 18.33%, respectively. In students who had received cycloplegic refraction, the prevalence of astigmatism in emmetropic, myopic, and hyperopic individuals was 9.31% (95% CI: 7.68 to 10.94), 47.50% (95% CI: 38.24 to 56.75), and 28.13% (95% CI: 22.39 to 33.86), respectively. Considering emmetropia as a reference group, the association between astigmatism and myopia (odds ratio = 8.81, 95% CI: 6.00 to 12.95) was stronger than its association with hyperopia (odds ratio = 3.81, 95% CI: 2.95 to 4.93).
Fig. 2 shows the average amount of astigmatism according to spherical values. As shown in the Figure, those individuals with myopia worse than −5.0 D and those with hyperopia more than +5.0 D had the highest values of cylinder. Analysis of variance showed a significant difference between different values of refractive errors and cylinder (p < 0.001).
Mean sphere in WTR, ATR, and oblique astigmatism was 1.93 ± 2.31, 1.37 ± 0.92, and 0.88 ± 4.45 D, respectively (p < 0.001). Distribution of axis type in astigmatic students by spherical values is shown in Fig. 3. As seen in this Figure, individuals with high ametropia mostly had WTR astigmatism whereas ATR astigmatism was more prevalent in those with low ametropia (p < 0.001).
A detailed report of myopia and hyperopia among schoolchildren in Dezful has already been published.24 This report aimed at a more detailed analysis of astigmatism among schoolchildren. Different definitions of astigmatism have been presented in various studies. However, in those on schoolchildren, it has been defined as cylinder power of 0.75 D or more, and we used the same definition for appropriate comparison.1,7,8,17–21,24,27–30 It should also be noted that there was no significant difference in cylinder power and astigmatism axis between cycloplegic and non- cycloplegic refraction; therefore, we reported the data of the two groups together.
The prevalence of astigmatism was 13.47% in Dezful students. The findings of other studies are summarized in Table 2. The lowest prevalence has been reported in Nepal and the highest in southern China.1,27 The prevalence of astigmatism in this study was found to be moderate. In view of the diversity of the results from other studies, it appears that environmental and racial factors are among important causes of astigmatism. As seen in this Table, the prevalence of astigmatism is higher in East Asian countries. Some reports have also discussed the role of ethnicity. Read et al.,10 in a review article, showed that both astigmatism and its type were affected by ethnicity.
In this study, the total prevalence of astigmatism did not show a significant correlation with age. Other studies have reported controversial results.1,2,8,11,18,19,21,27,28,30–33
We observed no statistical difference in the prevalence of astigmatism between the two genders. Similarly, other studies of similar age groups performed by Tong et al.,11 Dandona et al.,17 Goh et al.,18 Naidoo et al.,20 and Kleinstein et al.32 did not notice any differences in astigmatism between the two genders. However, in some reports by Pokharel et al.,1 Murthy et al.,7 Maul et al.,19 Zhao et al.,21 and He et al.,27 a higher prevalence of astigmatism was reported in women.
As reported, 48.14% of the school students with astigmatism had ATR astigmatism. This rate reached 64% in subjects between 17 and 20 years. However, based on other studies on schoolchildren, we expected to see a higher prevalence of WTR astigmatism.11,13,34 Similar to our finding, Mandel et al.12 reported a higher prevalence for ATR astigmatism compared with WTR astigmatism and the age range in Mandel study was 16 to 22 years, making his findings more expected.
The prevalence of ATR astigmatism in our 17 years or more old participants was even higher than its reported prevalence in middle-aged or elderly individuals.35 Two points must be taken into account in this regard: first, the definition of astigmatism axis is different in different studies, and second, racial and genetic differences cannot be ignored. Consistent with our study, previous studies have also reported that ATR astigmatism increases and WTR astigmatism decreases with age.12,13,34 It appears that one possible explanation is the change that the curvature of the cornea goes through with age. Also, decreasing weight of the upper eyelid with age can be another possible reason for this relationship. However, it appears that this process (i.e., the increase in ATR astigmatism and decrease in WTR astigmatism with age) happened earlier in our study compared with other studies, resulting in a higher prevalence of ATR astigmatism in individuals between 6 and 20 years.
Most of the studies on the correlation between refractive errors and astigmatism have been performed on myopic subjects.4,5,12,22,23 As with previous studies, we observed the relationship between astigmatism and myopia.5,11,21,22 Gwiazda et al.5 showed that newborns with ATR astigmatism were more prone to myopia.
To date, the correlation between astigmatism and hyperopia has been addressed by few studies. Farbrother et al.4 has already reported this correlation. It was an interesting and unexpected finding in our study. However, further studies are warranted to confirm this.
Another interesting finding of our study was the relationship between the degree of the spherical refractive error and the type of astigmatism axis, which has only been addressed in a few studies.4,6,12 Some studies have showed that most myopic subjects have WTR astigmatism.4,12 However, we found that WTR astigmatism was seen in individuals with high hyperopia in addition to its relationship with high myopia. In other words, those with high ametropia mostly had WTR astigmatism. The same finding was previously reported by Farbrother et al.4 and Mandel et al.12
As we have also shown in Fig. 3, the percentage of WTR astigmatism was higher in individuals with high myopia than those with high hyperopia. This may be due to the fact that individuals with WTR astigmatism have a longer axial length.4,36
The prevalence of astigmatism was moderate in this population but the prevalence of ATR astigmatism was high. The decrease in WTR astigmatism and increase in ATR astigmatism with aging in this study seemed to occur earlier than other population studies. High values of astigmatism were observed in those with high values of spherical refractive errors. Astigmatism showed a stronger association with myopia than with hyperopia. Individuals with high ametropia mostly had WTR astigmatism whereas the percentage of ATR astigmatism was higher in those with low ametropia.
This study was a research project by the Institute of Public Health Researches, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
Akbar Fotouhi
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
School of Public Health
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
PO Box: 14155-6446
Tehran, Iran
e-mail: email@example.com
This article has been cited 2 time(s).
astigmatism; schoolchildren; prevalence; Dezful
© 2011 American Academy of Optometry
Colleague's E-mail is Invalid
Your Name: (optional)
Your Email:
Colleague's Email:
Separate multiple e-mails with a (;).
Thought you might appreciate this item(s) I saw at Optometry & Vision Science.
Send a copy to your email
Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague.
Some error has occurred while processing your request. Please try after some time.
An Existing Folder
A New Folder
Folder Name:
The item(s) has been successfully added to "".
Login with your LWW Journals username and password.
Username or Email:
Forgot Password?
Enter and submit the email address you registered with. An email with instructions to reset your password will be sent to that address.
Link to reset your password has been sent to specified email address.
What does "Remember me" mean?
By checking this box, you'll stay logged in until you logout. You'll get easier access to your articles, collections,
media, and all your other content, even if you close your browser or shut down your
To protect your most sensitive data and activities (like changing your password),
we'll ask you to re-enter your password when you access these services.
What if I'm on a computer that I share with others?
If you're using a public computer or you share this computer with others, we recommend
that you uncheck the "Remember me" box.
Save my selection
Article Level Metrics
Keyword Highlighting
Highlight selected keywords in the article text.
Search for Similar Articles
You may search for similar articles that contain these same keywords or you may
modify the keyword list to augment your search.