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HONESDALE — Patients at DaVita Honesdale Dialysis were met with smiling faces and quilts last Friday morning.
The Mountain Laurel Quilters Guild, based out of Canadensis, made the trek to Honesdale to donate 35 handmade quilts and bags to patients undergoing dialysis.
"When you undergoing dialysis, you get cold," Lin Armstrong said, a social worker at DaVita.
Patients become chilly during treatment because their blood "is being filtered through and artificial kidney," said RN and facility administrator Cindy Houser.
She also said each treatment "takes between three to four hours" and is done "three to four times a week." Once the kidneys begin to fail, the need for dialysis comes from ailments like hypertension and diabetes.
The quilts are the perfect size for those getting treatment to rest on their laps and keep warm during the procedure.
Members of the guild, Debbie Van Kleef and Judy Vadney, were on hand to help patients choose a quilt that fit their personality.
The idea of donating lap quilts came from Van Kleef, whose husband donated his kidney to his brother after months of dialysis. She placed a call to Armstrong and decided to move forward making the quilts and bags.
"The bags are to carry their belongings back and forth" from treatment, Van Kleef said.
This isn't the first, or the last, charity donation the guild has made. They have also donated pillowcases to a nursing home and blankets to new mothers and their babies.
Armstrong, eagerly helping hand out the quilts, said, "It's such a labor of love. We're all very, very touched by their kindness."
Being able to hand the quilts to the new owner was a first for the ladies. Houser said the quilts were a perfect gesture for the patients. "It's a perfect gift that they'll use every treatment."
Location, ST | website.com


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OAKLAND -- A November ballot measure in Berkeley that would tax the distribution of sodas and other sweetened drinks appeared headed for watered-down language after a hearing in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland on Friday.
Two residents who oppose the measure had sued City Clerk Mark Numainville and Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis, objecting to the term "high-calorie, sugary drinks" in the city's ballot description of Measure D, a one-cent-per-ounce general tax on the distribution of the drinks. The measure would require a simple majority of votes for passage.
Judge Evelio Grillo noted that he had made a tentative ruling striking "high-calorie, sugary drinks" in favor of "sugar-sweetened beverages," both in the ballot label and in the impartial analysis. After hearing arguments by attorneys for the two sides, Grillo displayed little inclination he might change his mind. He promised a printed order by 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Christopher Skinnell of San Rafael-based legal firm Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni, LLP is representing the petitioners, Anthony Johnson and Leon Cain. Margaret Prinzing of San Leandro-based Remcho, Johansen & Purcell is representing the respondents.
In his petition to the court, Skinnell characterized "high-calorie, sugary drinks" as "clearly biased, misleading and false," complaining that some of the drinks that would be taxed would not qualify as high-calorie by most standards.
Prinzing countered that high-calorie drinks would indeed be taxed under the measure and that thus the wording was accurate.
Some of the measure's proponents are crying foul over the suit.
"This lawsuit is straight out of Big Tobacco's playbook that Big Soda is now using," Martin Bourque, executive director of the nonprofit Ecology Center and a member of the Measure D campaign committee, said in an email. "Attempting to bully us with corporate lawyers is how they manipulate the democratic process."
Bourque called the legal challenge "an expensive diversion from the real issue," adding, "We have a serious children's health crisis in Berkeley, and soda is a large part of the problem."
Skinnell said "high-calorie, sugary drinks" are "politically charged buzzwords" and that including them in the ballot language would be "advocacy" for the measure.
The beverage measure wording was not alone in facing a legal challenge.
Earlier on Friday, Grillo considered another suit, this one brought by Jesse Arreguin in his capacity as a Berkeley voter, seeking to tweak language in Measure R, also on the city's November ballot and popularly known as the Downtown initiative.
Arreguin, who is a Berkeley councilman, said the language unfairly downplays some elements of the measure while highlighting others. Measure R would amend downtown zoning.
Arreguin asked the judge to add "increase affordable housing requirements" among other proposed changes to the ballot label. Grillo had not issued a ruling as of late Friday.
Contact Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760. Follow him at Twitter.com/tomlochner.

subset: commoncrawl


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About Us > Newsroom > Beaux Arts Ball to Raise Funds for National Jewish Health and Veterans with Lung Disease
National Jewish Health will "Salute the Stars and Stripes" in patriotic 1940s style at the Beaux Arts Ball on March 10. A portion of the money raised will fund the research and treatment of lung disease and injuries that veterans may face as they return from overseas deployments.
The black-tie or mess dress gala will take place at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, which was built on the former Lowry Air Force Base in 1939, the year World War II began. There, attendees will celebrate the USO with a 1940s-themed evening while surrounded by historic aircraft and aerospace technology. The 2012 Beaux Arts Ball will be hosted by Grand Marshals Colleen and Javier Baz, Sharon and Lanny Martin, and Sheila and Hassan Salem.
National Jewish Health will honor U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii with the Arthur B. Lorber Award for Distinguished Service. A World War II combat veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, Sen. Inouye will be recognized for his dedication to his country and strong support of National Jewish Health for more than 40 years.
Beaux Arts Ball attendees will also participate in the direct donation Fund-A-Need program during the event to support a specific area of need at National Jewish Health. Since 2008, Fund-A-Need has raised more than $1.6 million for the institution, funding pediatric asthma and food allergies, autoimmune deficiency in infants, and Kunsberg School for chronically ill children.
This year's Fund-A-Need will support a new program at National Jewish Health to investigate the deployment-related lung disease for returning U.S. military veterans, including retired Maj. Scott Weakley, who will attend Beaux Arts Ball this year. Several surveys have suggested that warfighters returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer asthma, bronchiolitis and other severe respiratory diseases at about twice the rate of veterans stationed elsewhere. The causes of their lung diseases remain mysterious, but may be related to exposure to noxious chemicals and particulate substances in the environment.
After multiple deployments in the Middle East, Weakley was looking forward to returning to a normal life with his family in Colorado. Lung disease has made that homecoming dramatically different for him and his family. The former marathon runner now struggles to go for short walks or play with his children for more than a few minutes.
"I do believe that there is hope," Weakley said. "That's what keeps me going – this sense of what is going to happen in the future, not only for me, but most importantly for those who are coming back who don't have the opportunities to have great healthcare at National Jewish Health and the Denver VA (Veterans Affairs)."
National Jewish Health physicians are uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat these veterans and have established a program specifically for them.
"Unfortunately we don't yet have enough information to know precisely what's causing the increase in respiratory symptoms in people who are deployed," said Cecile Rose, MD, MPH. Richard Meehan, MD, FACP, a rheumatologist and Iraq veteran, and Dr. Rose have established a research program aimed at discovering exactly what is causing their disease, how to treat it, and how to prevent it.
To attend the 2012 Beaux Arts Ball or for more information, contact Laura Gillespie Lhevine at email@example.com or call 303.728.6546.
National Jewish Health is known worldwide for treatment of patients with respiratory, cardiac, immune and related disorders, and for groundbreaking medical research. Founded in 1899 as a nonprofit hospital, National Jewish Health remains the only facility in the world dedicated exclusively to these disorders. Since 1998, U.S. News & World Report has ranked National Jewish Health the #1 respiratory hospital in the nation.
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Dare To Be King:
What If The Prince Lives?
Dare to Be King Curriculum
The Dare To Be King (DTBK) Curriculum provides community leaders, educators and youth service providers with a model designed to address three main areas in Black male development: anger, decision-making and impulse control. The curriculum is based on hundreds of hours of observation of young males in schools and other environments as well as countless discussions with young males of color and their parents.
Urban Health Institute and the Johns Hopkins University Population Center symposium on the "Role of Fathers" https://www.facebook.com/UrbanHealthInstitute?ref=hl
Learn More
Designed to improve the lives of African-American Males.
A survivor workbook for African-American males.
Honest and thought provoking motivational speaker.
"David Miller is one of America's leading social entrepreneurs elevating Black male achievement and his Dare to Be King curriculum encourages young men to reach for majestic heights in their lives. Dare to Be King is an essential tool to help young men not only survive, but to thrive through, the many challenges they face."
Shawn Dove
Campaign for Black Male Achievement
Open Society Foundations
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They must stay otherwise achievements would become unattainable.
And I think 343 are pretty lame for not featuring classic playlists, especially considering all the changes. They're just not Bungie.
I remember thinking Spartan Ops sounded like a really cool thing for 343 to be doing. Oh how naïve I was. Does anybody know when the hell they will pull their finger out and let me pull screenshots from their servers?


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- We aren't here to play - we're here to win!
- Currently Unavailable
After establishing himself as a star with Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, Stewart Downing moved to Liverpool for the 2011-12 season. Used primarily as a winger, Downing appeared in 46 games during his first season in red and scored two goals in FA Cup play. He also earned a spot on England's roster for Euro 2012.
Warrior enters the world of soccer as the official uniform supplier of Liverpool and Liverpool prepares for battle. No longer do they come simply to play - they now come to dominate.
This all black away jersey is a clean jersey with red details that's ready to dominate.
Liverpool's new away jersey has a unique open crew collar with Liverpool team badge and Warrior logo embroidered on the front. Also includes embroidered Liverpool flame logo on back and contrasting red details.
Constructed of a unique blend of knit polyester and recycled polyester material, it keeps the elements out while letting sweat and moisture escape keeping players dry and comfortable. Four-way stretch mesh under arm panels for ventilation, comfort and ease of movement. Regular fit.
84/16 polyester/recycled enhanced polyester.
Liverpool is proud to wear the Liverbird on their chests. We are too.
Lamentamos que todavia no hay descripción en español para este producto.


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I prepared some fotos for exposing to paper that I care about. I searched the web for a simple test chart, and did not find, what I was looking for, so I began drawing my own. Not satisfied with the Siemens star, that I could create in inkscape, I launched qcad. Attached the results of my leisurely work. Beware: no colour management, no real resolution measurement. Any printer should recreate this without any artifacts, on the other hand, I don't trust them. I put this into the public domain. Feel free to improve.
PS: The preview was rendered in gimp from an svg exported by qcad (preserve geometry) at 10 MP and then scaled for web.
Update: remade the hatches to equal 50 % halftone when viewed at from far. (Just like the siemens star.)


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The new Volvo FH series
Volvo FH16 Classic
The new Volvo FMX
Volvo FMX Classic
The new Volvo FM
Volvo FM Classic
Peter Johansson is one of the developers behind the new cab. He tells us about the challenge of creating an effective working environment that is also a relaxing home environment. The key was a cab with more space.
"Now all cabs have full standing height inside. The upright A-pillars put a further ten centimetres of air between the seated driver and the windscreen. The whole cabin is lighter and airier," says Peter Johansson, responsible for cab ergonomics.
"Now all cabs have full standing height inside"
Altogether the cab has grown by one cubic metre. More air, but also more storage space. "Wherever you sit in the cab, you have storage space within reach. The new catwalk shelves above the doors, for example. These are ideal for the little things you often need to take with you when you're in and out of the cab," says Peter Johansson. "And now you get lots of daylight coming in from above, thanks to the large sunroof that also works as an escape hatch," says Peter Johansson.
Quality of life inside the cab is better by design. One of many functional ideas is the jalousie covers on the storage compartments that stop belongings from falling out. "We chose the jalousies because they add a high quality feeling to the interior – but more importantly, because they can be opened up completely without stealing living space inside the cab," explains Peter Johansson.
The overhead front compartments have been made bigger and have their own removable shelves. This makes it easier to organise your things and keep them in place. The upper compartments at the back of the cab are available at different heights, allowing you to optimise space with, or without, a second bunk.
"These ones have jalousie covers that open sideways – not unlike a wardrobe you might have at home – and lighting that turns on automatically when you open them," says Peter Johansson. There's even a foldaway drying cupboard for wet clothes on days when the driver gets caught out by rain.
You can choose to have the fridge in the shelf above the bed, otherwise it's placed under the bed with the lower storage drawers. "The fridge has grown from 22 to 33 litres and includes a freezer compartment. This allows you to store more food and to keep milk cartons and bottles upright. There's even space for 1.5 litre PET bottles, so drinks are still cold when you drink them," adds Peter Johansson. Another clever detail is the drawer that's hidden in the side of the instrument panel, which combines a sturdy cup holder with a concealed compartment for your personal effects.


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A concurrent student is any student who is currently enrolled at a high school but wishes to be dual-enrolled with Francis Marion University.
To be a admitted as a concurrent high school student:
- Once you have been admitted as a concurrent student, please contact the Office of Admissions to be assisted in registering for courses.
- If you wish to attend Francis Marion as an incoming freshman student, you will need to reapply as a freshman for the semester you wish to attend.
New for this year's Open House sessions: Instagram t-shirt contest.
Expand the image for more information.


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Editor's Note: Mary Ellen Gilliland is the author of "The Vail Hiker" book. She just released a full-color, sixth edition of the guidebook, which includes six new hikes, a group of fishing lakes for anglers and special "hikes for tykes" routes for kids. The book is available for purchase at The Bookworm of Edwards and outdoor stores for $19.95. The Vail Daily will be excerpting hikes from the book each weekend this summer.The trail to spring-fed Whitney Lake begins on the Homestake Road, a historic route used by gold seekers. Today, the road provides access to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Colorado Rockies. Dappled with lakes and cascading with waterfalls, the Homestake area is an unsurpassed natural resource for Eagle County. Water diversion plans threaten this beauty.Drive to I-70 Dowd Junction exit 171 and turn south onto U.S. 24. Go 13 miles to the Homestake Road, no. 703. Turn right and drive 4.6 miles to the trailhead. Parking space is available on the road's left side. Bring insect repellent to ward off persistent flies on the lower trail.The Homestake Road once served as an 1880s stagecoach route to the gold towns of Gold Park and Holy Cross City and a link to neighboring Missouri Camp and Camp Fancy. The stagecoaches brought travelers from the Denver & Rio Grande Railway station at bustling Red Cliff to these remote towns. Prospectors organized the Holy Cross Mining District in 1880. It expanded to an impressive 100 square miles during the 1880s boom years.The trail, rocky at first, climbs on an old closed road to a sagebrush hillside meadow thick with blossoms of the delicate mariposa lily in early July. Beyond you'll enter mature aspen forest with fire evidence.Enter the Holy Cross Wilderness early on. A loose set of switchbacks appears as you approach 1 mile. While still in the trees (note some beetle-kill), you'll begin to hear the creek. At this point, look for an opening in the woods that offers a view southwest to the Homestake Dam. Also look for a nice view down to Whitney Creek where white water splashes against black boulders. Now, drop down to the creek and cross on a three-log bridge with a handrail. Climb out of the narrow creek canyon into a forest of pine and spruce. The trail winds through forest, then levels off as it approaches the lake. Huckleberries abound here in September. Note where you exited the woods near the lake to assure re-locating the trail.Whitney Lake, at nearly 11,000 feet, pools beneath a rocky wall of 13,171-foot Whitney Peak. Encircled by spiky spruce, the tranquil lake reflects the ridge above and is constantly ringed with ripples made by rising fish. It thaws early, so June hikers may find the lake ice-freeJ.D. Whitney escorted a group of Harvard Mining School graduates on a Colorado mine tour in 1869. He first named the Sawatch Range's Collegiate Peaks including Mount Harvard, 14,420 feet and Mount Yale, 14,196 feet.Hiker, historian and author Mary Ellen Gilliland lived first in Vail and then Summit County since January 1970. She has skied and hiked backcountry trails for more than 40 years. She has written 16 books. For more information, visit summitandvailhikes.com.
Back to: News
July 6, 2012
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Flaunt your love with style. Wear these t-shirts on special occasions and keep the trouble away from your partner. ;)
By creating an account you will be able to shop faster, be up to date on an order's status, and keep track of the orders you have previously made.
I am a returning customer
I am a new customer


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Music lovers of all walks unite Sunday for the second annual "From Bach to The Beatles" choral concert at Lord of the Mountains Lutheran Church in Dillon, featuring music by Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Franck, Gounod, Stravinsky, Williams and - you guessed it - The Beatles.The brainchild of Marcia Kaufmann, executive director of the Breckenridge Music Festival, and Leonard Rhodes, music director at Lord of the Mountains, "From Bach to The Beatles" brings together singers from Summit Choral Society, Lord of the Mountains choir, Father Dyer Church choir and Dillon Community Church choir, plus interested students and community members. The limited participation requirement - four rehearsals plus the concert - makes the wide collaboration feasible."The key to rehearsals - and this actually goes for the orchestra too - is that it's not only about how many rehearsals you do, but about the efficiency of the rehearsals," said Olivia Grover, spokesperson for the Breckenridge Music Festival. "Everybody has homework to do. They come to rehearsals prepared and ready to go. That's how it's done well and efficiently.""This concert in particular is special," Grover said, "because as a choir, it needs artistic leadership. Len Rhodes provides that." Rhodes, a world-class musician who performs weekly on organ and piano and directs the choir at Lord of the Mountains, selected the program and will accompany the singers for Sunday's performance. He arranged medleys from "West Side Story" and The Beatles to accompany the classic pieces, which Grover called "some of the best choral music ever written." In addition to his work in the church, Rhodes served as musical director and arranger for "One Night with Janis Joplin," now running at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and musical director, arranger and pianist/keyboardist for the Las Vegas MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre production of "Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth" in April and "Summer in the City" in Calgary, Canada. Conducting the choir is Christine Keelan, who earned a master's of music in choral conducting and literature from the University of Northern Colorado and taught choral music for 34 years in Colorado and Wisconsin public schools. A soloist who has performed numerous major works, the multi-talented Keelan has since retired from her public school career and now teaches skiing full-time at Copper Mountain, while also serving as a real estate broker at Keller Williams in Frisco.Sunday's concert is a joint production of the Breckenridge Music Festival and Summit Music and Arts. Last year's standing-room-only concert started with the old-timey pieces before progressing to the modern medleys, the energy in the hall growing all the while, Grover said. "By the end of the concert, everybody was standing up, waving their arms and singing 'Hey Jude' with the choir," she said.Expect an encore of last year's energetic performance at "From Bach to The Beatles" Sunday in Dillon.
Back to: News
October 25, 2012
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Combination weight:
Up to 100 tonnes
Day cab, Sleeper cab, Globetrotter, Globetrotter XL
The new Volvo FH
The new Volvo FMX
The new Volvo FM
Warns if the truck wanders off lane
Lane Keeping Support (LKS) monitors the truck's position on the road. The system alerts the driver in the event of unintentional departure from the current lane or when entering a lane of traffic going the other way. The main application areas are in long-haul operations on motorways when the truck is driven at a steady cruising speed in monotonous traffic environments.
The system is an aid if the driver is not concentrating sufficiently, when he or she is tired or losing focus.
Warns of potential side collision
Lane Changing Support (LCS) keeps an eye on the blind spot to the passenger's offset rear that the rear-view mirrors cannot cover. When the driver operates the turn signal indicator and intends to change lanes, the LCS system's radar unit first checks whether there is a vehicle in the blind spot. If there is, the driver is alerted via a light signal.
Alert when tired
Driver Alert Support (DAS) monitors parameters such as steering wheel and pedal movements. A video camera on the inside of the windscreen reads off the road's centre and edge markings and an on-board computer compares the driver's steering wheel movements with the road markings. When the driver starts weaving with the steering wheel, DAS alerts the driver both via an acoustic signal and by flashing an indication in the driver information display. This system is an option with LKS.
Active cruise control keeps the distance
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is an active cruise control system that makes it easy to blend in smoothly with the flow of traffic and maintain safe distance to the vehicle in front.
With ACC, the driver selects the time gap to the vehicle in front. The ACC system then keeps this time gap through automatic operation of the throttle and brakes. The ACC's gap monitoring system is based on a highly advanced radar function.
Electronically controlled fast brakes
Electronically controlled Brake System (EBS) disc brakes offer distinct and well-balanced brake feel combined with heat-resistant disc installation and simple service. They are characterised by high braking effect, while electronic control results in immensely swift response with a short stopping distance. EBS is available in Medium and High program packages.
Brake stabilisation forgives the driver
Electronic Stability Program (ESP) promotes safe and secure braking with the possibility of redistributing braking force between the various wheels as necessary.
ESP operates actively to brake each wheel individually. For instance, the system registers if the truck's speed is excessive and the vehicle is on the verge of skidding or rolling over in a curve, and even if the trailer shows signs of starting to weave in a fast emergency avoidance manoeuvre. ESP is included in EBS High for all tractors and is also available on rigids with the 6x2 air suspended bogie.


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Yes, great program, no pb on this, and long dev life to its dev team.
Just open this thread to share your own setup on ffdshow, haali, coreavc, mendoder, ffmpeg scripts.
I was using a good conf and need to reinstall my OS cause of harddisk issue.
Now, I had a great working system after lot of tried setup, but the order, the parameters ... I lost them.
So I tried to find my old working setup ... but still lost for now.
All my vacation movies still stutter... so hardware is same (except new harddrive but it's the same type model..so )
ffmpeg stutter, mencoder stutter...
all base dll and system board driver are the same than before, cause I use a backup of these for reinstall
release of ffmpeg and mencoder same
haali / avisynth same release
just still out with a or some parameters in these sidekick.
So please try to resume yours, starting from install of them to parameters, and perhaps scripts used in pms
That should help for lot of new people using PMS.


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One of Australia's most influential readerships can now be reached with one publication.
SAM is the new style of alumni magazine interesting, engaging and informative, blending human interest with intellectual substance. Edited by leading journalist Michael Visontay, SAM delivers the latest in current affairs, travel, technology and the arts.
Professionals, industry leaders, innovators, educators and arts luminaries all take time out from their busy lives to engage with SAM. Readers are loyal and responsive, electing to maintain their connection with their University, year after year.
Limited space for selected advertisers is now available. Connect with 170,000 opinion leaders Australia's most influential readership.


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Michelle Badash, MS
Glucose is a simple sugar. It is a form of carbohydrate. It is the main source of energy for our bodies. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose in our bodies.
Glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) are a group of inherited genetic disorders. They cause glycogen to be improperly formed or released in the body. This results in a build up of abnormal amounts or types of glycogen in tissues.
The main types of GSDs include:
Glycogen is mainly stored in the liver or muscle tissue. As a result, GSDs usually affect functioning of the liver, the muscles, or both.
GSDs are caused by a genetic enzyme defect. It is inherited from one or both parents.
Normally, enzymes help convert glucose into glycogen for storage. Other enzymes convert the glycogen back to glucose when energy is needed. This happens during activity like exercise. With GSD, some of these enzymes are defective, deficient, or absent.
The abnormal glycogen builds up in the liver and/or muscle tissues.
The main risk factor for GSDs is having a family member with this disease.
The risk varies with the type of GSD.
Each type of GSD has specific symptoms.
Type 0 symptoms commonly appear in late infancy when night feedings stop. In the early morning the child may low blood sugar which could cause:
The children may also have a mild growth delay. They also may have poor exercise tolerance.
Type I may appear as early as 3 months old. Common symptoms include:
Type II is broken into the time of symptom onset. Infants generally show symptoms at 4-8 months of age. Type II can also form in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.
Infant-onset Type II GSD symptoms include:
Late-onset Type II GSD symptoms include:
Type III may appear in childhood. Common symptoms include:
Type IV appears during infancy. Common symptoms include:
Common symptoms of Type V include:
Symptoms may not appear in people with Types VI or XI. When they do occur, symptoms include:
Common symptoms of Type VII include:
The doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Diagnosis of GSDs usually occurs in infancy or childhood. It is often done by the symptoms listed above. Tests may include:
This test may be used for an early diagnosis on some types of GSD. It is often done when there is a family history.
In this technique eggs and sperm are harvested from a couple who have a known risk. The egg is fertilized in the lab. The GSD free embryo is then implanted within the mother's uterus. This technique allows parents to have additional unaffected children. This process may still pose ethical or religious concerns for some couples.
Treatment will depend on the type of GSD and the symptoms. Your doctor will develop a plan based on your specific symptoms.
People with Type 0 need to manage their blood sugar throughout the day. This means frequent meals or snacks every few hours. Uncooked cornstarch provides a steady, slow release of glucose and may help prevent low blood sugar in the overnight hours. Other considerationfs includes eating a high amounts of protein.
Treatment for Type I includes eating small, frequent meals throughout the day. People with Type I may have to restrict certain sugars. This may include sugar found in fruits, juice, and candy. Eating uncooked cornstarch is also necessary. Many people will need to take a multivitamin.
Medications and procedure may be needed to control complications of Type 1 GSD.
Type II is treated with enzyme replacement therapy. Alglucosidase alpha is given by IV infusion.
People with Type III need to manage their blood sugar throughout the day. This means frequent meals or snacks every few hours. Diet for Type III includes high amounts of carbohydrates and cornstarch. Those with weak muscle involvment are generally put on a diet with high protein intake.
Liver transplant surgery may be necessary for some people who develop liver cancer or have liver failure.
Type IV treatment focuses on treating progressive liver disease and its complications. Ultimately, a liver transplant may be necessary to survive. This does not improve damage to the muscles from the condition though.
There is no specific treatment for people with Type V GSD. Changing exercise patterns and avoiding certain activities may be important to help mangage this condition. Exercice tolerance may be improved by ingestion of some sugars prior to starting exercise.
Treatment includes cornstarch to avoid low blood sugars and eating adequate amounts of protein. Frequent meals may also be needed to help avoid low blood sugars. These changes can help promote normal growth and development.
Type VII treatment focuses on avoiding high muscle stress. This can be accomplished by reducing strenous exercise to manageable levels. In some people, high protein intake has helped with muscle weakness.
There is no way to prevent GSDs. However, early treatment can help control the disease once a person has it. If you have a GSD or a family history of the disorder, you may want to consult a genetic counselor. They can help determine the risk for your children.
Association for Glycogen Storage Disease
Genetic Alliance
Canadian Health Network
Canadian Institute for Health Information
Glycogen storage diseases. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Accessed June 6, 2013.
Glycogen and glycogen storage diseases. The Association for Glycogen Storage Disease website. Available at:
http://www.agsdus.org/html/glycogenandgsds.html. Accessed June 6, 2013.
Hypoglycemia. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse website Available at:
http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/hypoglycemia. Updated November 6, 2012. Accessed June 6, 2013.
5/28/2010 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed: FDA approves new treatment for late-onset Pompe disease. US Food and Drug Administration website. Available at:
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm213282.htm. Updated April 23, 2013. Accessed June 6, 2013.
Last reviewed February 2015 by Kari Kassir, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.


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LR Baggs EAS-VTC$149.00The LR Baggs Element Active System – Volume and Tone Control (EAS-VTC) pairs an undersaddle transducer with a class-A endpin preamp. The LR Baggs EAS-VTC has an efficient soundhole-mounted volume and tone control for dynamic sound without alterations. Learn More
LR Baggs Gigpro Universal Preamp$99.00The LR Baggs Gigpro is a compact preamp that clips to your belt to provide active electronics and controls for your acoustic guitar. Treble, Bass and Trim, Volume, and Gain controls, and a phase inverter fine tune the Gigpro for the perfect guitar sound. Learn More
LR Baggs IMIX$229.00The LR Baggs IMIX combines the iBeam bridgeplate transducer and the Element undersaddle transducer. The LR Baggs IMIX features a class A FET preamp/stereo mixer for outstanding amplified sound from your favorite acoustic guitar. Learn More
LR Baggs Lyric Acoustic Microphone$199.00The LR Baggs Lyric is a high-quality condenser mic. that sticks underneath your bridge plate to convey the actual acoustic voice of your guitar. The Lyric's all-analog, discrete preamp features Tru-Mic noise cancelling, and volume and presence controls. Learn More
LR Baggs M1 Active Pickup$169.00The LR Baggs M1 Active Pickup elevates the soundhole pickup to a new level. Active class A electronics, adjustable pole pieces and a top mounted volume control let the M1 Active work with your guitar to create a rich, full tone compatible with any amp. Learn More
LR Baggs M80 Magnetic Soundhole Pickup$249.00The LR Baggs M80 Magnetic Soundhole Pickup works in 3-D for a complete acoustic signal. The M80 is a stacked humbucker with adjustable pole pieces, a lower coil that acts as a 3D Body Sensor, and an active preamp that can be bypassed for passive operation. Learn More
LR Baggs Mixpro Universal Mixer$169.00The LR Baggs Mixpro is a compact dual channel preamp and mixer that clips to your belt. The Mixpro is a Class A preamp and mixer with internal gain and ample controls for a single guitar or the perfect blend of two pickups or mini-mics. Learn More
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Open houses are drawing crowds and multiple offers across the Bay Area as buyers send prices soaring in a competition for the scant number of homes for sale.
March marked more than 20 consecutive months of year-over-year price gains for single-family homes in the East Bay, South Bay and Peninsula, according to real estate information service DataQuick, which released a report on March sales Wednesday. But the number of March sales in the Bay Area was the lowest in six years, an indication of how little is on the market.
The San Diego-based company said that prices were up 29.2 percent from the previous March in Alameda County to $575,000. In Contra Costa County, prices rose 22.8 percent to $425,000. Santa Clara County gained 20.3 percent to $800,000, and San Mateo County was up 13.2 percent to $860,000.
"There is just such a huge pent-up demand," said Margaret Garber-Teeter with Alain Pinel Realtors in Walnut Creek. An open house she held on Sunday in Walnut Creek drew more than 100.
In exclusive Piedmont in Alameda County, a four-bedroom, five-bath, 3,704-square-foot home sold for more than $1 million over asking price.
"It was on the market for less than a week," said Jane Anderson of The Grubb Co. Realtors, who handled the sale.
The home was priced at $2.95 million and sold for $4.015 million. It was on more than an acre, a rarity in the upscale, established community, she said.
One home in West San Jose recently drew 56 offers and sold for $1.33 million -- $400,000 over the asking price.
"That house was a tear-down," said Barbara Stewart, the Los Gatos broker who handled the sale. "There are so many people that want to take those tiny little houses and build mansions on them."
The home's big appeal was the coveted Cupertino Union School District, a strong draw for buyers with young children. The home had a roof that leaked and needed other major repairs. Listed for $925,000, no offer was for less than $1 million, Stewart said.
"It's an amazing market," said Mark Wong of Alain Pinel Realtors in Saratoga. Offers of $400,000 or more over asking price are common, he said.
Charles Enzwiler, 32, who works for an online tech site, gave up looking for a house to buy in Contra Costa County last year because of the frenzied competition.
"Before I could step my foot into a place, it had already been shown 40 times and that was two days after it had been on the market," he said.
Enzwiler and his wife, Jennifer, started looking again three weeks ago, finding more for sale in the $400,000 price range. That could be a sign that inventory will improve in April.
"There's extremely strong buyer demand, but up until now very little inventory," said Glen Bell of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in Berkeley. "We see that changing a little only in the last week."
With so few homes on the market, March single-family home sales were down from a year ago in the nine-county Bay Area to the lowest level since 2008, and the second lowest level since at least 1988, when DataQuick began keeping records. But sales were up from February, which is typical as the home buying season kicks off.
"Our inventory levels are still incredibly low," said Quincy Virgilio, chairman of MLSListings in San Jose, which tracks inventory in the South Bay. "Even though there's probably 600 to 700 more properties for sale than in January, we're still at about half of normal."
In Contra Costa County, price gains have shrunk the supply of homes for sale for less than $300,000, according to Marilyn Cunningham, president of the Contra Costa Association of Realtors. That's made it tough on first-time buyers, she said.
"If I have client that's a first-time buyer and they want to look under $300,000, that knocks out Concord," Cunningham said. "The house you could buy a year ago for $250,000 to $300,000 is now selling for $425,000. It's the same in Martinez."
According to DataQuick, sales in Contra Costa County of all types of homes -- condos, townhomes and single-family detached homes -- for under $300,000 were down 53.2 percent from a year ago.
At the same time, sales for over $500,000 were up 15.6 percent and up 33.6 percent for homes priced at more than $800,000.
The Contra Costa Association of Realtors said there's hope -- its latest figures show the inventory of homes has begun to grow.
"For the first time in recent memory, supply is poised to outstrip demand," the association reported.
In Santa Clara County, sales of all types of homes for less than $500,000 were down 31.5 percent from a year ago, while sales for more than $500,000 rose nearly 12 percent. Sales of homes for more than $800,000 were up 23.2 percent in March.
Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419 Follow him at Twitter.com/petecarey.


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December 14, 2012
Shoppers are willing to spend significantly more with businesses that offer a great customer experience. But in the new world of multi-channel marketing, the very definition of service is changing.
These are the findings of two new reports that demonstrate the impact that customer service has on the bottom line.
A report from Oracle, Why Customer Satisfaction is No Longer Good Enough, has revealed that 81% of consumers are willing to pay more for superior customer experience. And almost half (44%) would pay a premium of more than 5%.
Improvement of the overall customer experience (40%) and providing quick access to information and making it easier for customers to ask questions (35%) were cited as key drivers for spending more with a brand.
Other findings included:
Meanwhile, new research conducted by YourSayPays on behalf of consumer experience company [24]7 reveals that 51% of consumers feel frustrated when companies do not know who they are or what their issue is, despite having interacted with that company via another channel previously.
"Consumers are now saying 'enough is enough' and are willing to change providers if a service doesn't meet their expectations," said Mike Hughes, European MD of [24]7. "The world has changed for customers and they demand that companies know who they are, what they want, and how they want to be served. Customer service and the multi-channel experience are essential.
"Bad service is costing firms customers and cash, and organisations need to better understand what constitutes good customer service."


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|Africanized Honey Bees
To understand the threat of Africanized honey bees, it is necessary to know something in general about honey bees and their behavior.
Honey bees are important beneficial insects and we would be in big trouble if they were all suddenly destroyed. Unless a honey bee colony is in a location that is close to people, pets or farm animals, it should be left alone.
Most people appreciate the main product of the hive - honey. Honey production, however, isn't the only use for honey bees. They are also very important to Arizona agriculture, a sophisticated business that impacts the state's economy by about $6.3 billion annually.
In fact, one-third of our daily diet comes from crops pollinated by honey bees. Without the pollen that honey bees transport, many plants can't produce fruits, vegetables and seeds. Imagine walking into your neighborhood supermarket and finding a third of the food currently available not on the shelves!
The behavior- not the appearance - of the AHB is different from the EHB in four major ways:
The AHB swarms much more frequently than other honey bees. A colony is a group of bees with comb and brood. The colony may either be managed (white hive boxes maintained by professional beekeepers) or wild (feral).
A group of bees that are in the process of leaving their parent colony and starting a nest in a new location is called a "swarm." Usually a new queen is reared to stay with the parent colony and the old queen flies off with the swarm. Scout bees often locate potential nest sites prior to swarming, but the swarm may spend a day or two clustered in impressive, hanging clumps on branches or in other temporary locations until the bees settle on a new nesting site. If they can't find a suitable location, the bees may fly several miles and cluster again.
Typically an EHB hive will swarm once every 12 months. However, the AHB may swarm as often as every six weeks and can produce a couple of separate swarms each time. This is important for you to know, because if the AHB swarms more often, the likelihood of your encountering an AHB swarm increases significantly.
Regardless of myths to the contrary, Africanized honey bees do not fly out in angry swarms to randomly attack unlucky victims. However, the AHB can become highly defensive in order to protect their hive, or home. Again, it is now better to consistently exercise caution with respect to all bee activity. So keep your distance from any swarm of bees.
The AHB is far less selective about what it calls home. The AHB will occupy a much smaller space than the EHB. Known AHB nesting locations include water meter boxes, metal utility poles, cement blocks, junk piles, and house eaves. Other potential nesting sites include overturned flower pots, old tires, mobile home skirts, and abandoned structures. Holes in the ground and tree limbs, mail boxes, even an empty soda pop, can could be viewed as "home" to the AHB.
The Africanized honey bee is extremely protective of their hive and brood. The AHB's definition of their "home turf" is also much larger than the European honey bee. So, try to allow ample physical distance between the hive. At least 100 feet, or the width of a four-lane highway, is a good distance. The best advice is that if you see a bee hive, start moving away immediately.
Remember these important steps:
1. RUN away quickly. Do not stop to help others. However, small children and the disabled may need some assistance.
2. As you are running, pull your shirt up over your head to protect your face, but make sure it does not slow your progress. This will help keep the bees from targeting the sensitive areas around your head and eyes.
3. Continue to RUN. Do not stop running until you reach shelter, such as a vehicle or building. A few bees may follow you indoors. However, if you run to a well-lit area, the bees will tend to become confused and fly to windows.Do not jump into water! The bees will wait for you to come up for air. If you are trapped for some reason, cover up with blankets, sleeping bags, clothes, or whatever else is immediately available.
4. Do not swat at the bees or flail your arms. Bees are attracted to movement and crushed bees emit a smell that will attract more bees.
5. Once you have reached shelter or have outrun the bees, remove all stingers. When a honey bees stings, it leaves its stinger in the skin. This kills the honey bee so it can't sting again, but it also means that venom continues to enter into the wound for a short time.
6. Do not pull stingers out with tweezers or your fingers. This will only squeeze more venom into the wound. Instead, scrape the stinger out sideways using your fingernail, the edge of a credit card, a dull knife blade or other straight-edged object.
7. If you see someone being attacked by bees, encourage them to run away or seek shelter. Do not attempt to rescue them yourself. Call 911 to report a serious stinging attack. The emergency response personnel in your area have probably been trained to handle bee attacks.
8. If you have been stung more than 15 times, or are feeling ill, or if you have any reason to believe you may be allergic to bee stings, seek medical attention immediately. The average person can safely tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight. This means that although 500 stings can kill a child, the average adult could withstand more than 1100 stings.
Africanized honey bees have arrived in Arizona. Schools may want to take a few precautions to help protect their students. The following are some guidelines for planning for Africanized honey bee safety on and around campus.
1. Designate a school monitor to walk around school grounds daily to look for Africanized honey bee colonies or swarms. Make sure the monitor is trained to recognize honey bees and is properly equipped (has a bee veil available).
2. If the monitor finds a honey bee swarm or colony, he or she should notify all teachers to keep everyone away from the area. Arrange to have swarms or colonies remove and/or destroyed immediately, even if they haven't been a problem in the past. School administrators may want to look in the Yellow Pages under bee removal or pest control for bee removal services. Some monitors may be able to remove swarms if properly trained.
Do not allow anyone to try to remove an established colony unless they are a licensed professional pest control operator or bee keeper. Do not allow untrained individuals to spray the colony with pesticides or dump kerosene on the bees. This will only arouse the bees and make them defensive.
3. Plan to use noisy equipment, such as lawn mowers, when students are indoors or away from campus, if possible.
4. Establish a plan of action for a stinging incident.
5. Make sure the school nurse is ready.
6. Educate the students and faculty about what is being done, and reassure them that most people will never encounter Afracized honey bees and those that do are rarely seriously injured. Have "bee drills" so students know where to go and what to do.
A Guide for Fire Fighters and Rescue Personnel
Africanized honey bees (AHB) are spreading in Texas. Their attacks can be a life- threatening emergency. Fortunately, rescue personnel can help people under attack by using (with slight modification) equipment and materials common on fire trucks, ambulances and hazardous materials response vehicles.
This guide can also be used to protect people from swarms of wasps and domestic honey bees, which to the naked eye are indistinguishable from the AHB.
Protective Clothing
Conventional heavy turnout gear worn by most fire fighters protects all areas of the body except the head and neck. Consequently, veils are essential, but they must be adapted to the headgear worn. Bee veils are available from beekeeping supply houses. Mosquito veils can be obtained from military surplus and sporting goods stores. Seal the veil at top and bottom with string or duct tape. Tape should also be used around the waist, wrists and ankles, and to close any other gaps. Leather areas of turnout gear, such as gloves, may antagonize the bees. Plastic or rubber gloves are best.
Disposable hazardous materials suits, such as those made of Chemrel R, Saranex R or Tyvek R, provide good protection, especially if worn over street clothing or uniforms.
Reflective aluminum suits work but may limit movement, and veils and duct tape are needed.
Wetting Agents
Bees are easily immobilized and killed by wetting agents (surfactants) - including commercial liquid dishwashing detergent. Nonfoaming fire control chemicals and fire fighting foams with surfactant characteristics such as the aqueous film-foams (AFFF) also work.
Not all commercially available products have been tested, but most such wetting agents should be equally effective. Chemicals tested so far include: original Palmolive dishwashing liquid, 9-55 R fire control chemical, Silv-ex R foam concentrate and FC-600 Light Water brand ATC/AFFF. All had a light but distinctive odor. A one percent solution was sufficient to immediately immobilize honey bees and apparently kill them within 60 seconds.
If there is doubt whether a particular chemical will work, rescue personnel should enlist the aid of a local beekeeper. Clearly, human and animal safety must be the most important consideration. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has conditionally approved detergents for use against AHB¹s.
Victim Rescue
After arriving at a site, rescue personnel first should assess the situation from within their vehicles. Then they should retreat several hundred yards, put on protective clothing and move any onlookers to a safe distance.
Each situation is unique, but to rescue a victim, two things must be done as quickly as possible: establish an adequate insect barrier, and neutralize the insects¹ alarm odor - which consists of chemical components of venom that enable more bees to find and attack the victim.
Fire and rescue units responding with standard fire fighting equipment can quickly accomplish both objectives by using water plus a non-toxic wetting agent.
Using standard fire fighting procedures, set up a line with an educator capable of delivering a one to three percent spray of one of the foaming/wetting agents and a nozzle capable of delivering a wide fan patter. A light initial application to the victim will stop the attack by most of the insects on or near the victim within 60 seconds. These insects, unable to fly, will begin to suffocate and can be quickly brushed aside.
If an obvious line of insect flight can be determined, a vertical wall of spray 20 to 30 feet in the air should intercept further flight activity. Or, the nozzle can be inverted near the victim to provide a curtain of safety.
Rescuers wearing proper protective gear then can carry a victim into a house, van or ambulance for treatment and transport. Many bees, however, will follow to continue their attack.
In a house, vacuum up bees attracted to windows by light. In a rescue vehicle, drive away and then roll down the windows and chase the insects out.
Sting Removal
Once the victim is protected, remove stings as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the white, translucent, venom sac - with its nerves and muscles attached - will continue to pump venom into the wound for a minute or more. Removing the victim¹s outer layer of garments may help because stings embedded through the fabric will be dislodged in the process.
The best way to remove stings is to simply scrape them away with a fingernail, credit card or similar instrument. Never pinch, tweeze or otherwise attempt to pull stings out, as this will simply inject the remaining contents of the venom sacs.
After sting victims have been cared for, rescuers should launder the bees¹ alarm-odor chemical from suits, veils and equipment.
Fire and rescue personnel should familiarize themselves with normal activities of stinging social insects in their area. Local bee experts or beekeepers can provide extremely valuable advice and assistance, particularly when unusual situations arise. All states have active beekeeper organizations, as do many local communities, and they usually welcome requests for assistance.
Most beekeeper groups would welcome an invitation to help develop training exercises, where bees would be used to simulate an actual attack and allow rescuers an a opportunity to practice their skills.


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Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Health Center
Know Your Blood Pressure Numbers
In this article
Do you often wonder what the top and the bottom blood pressure numbers mean? Doctors call them systolic (the top number) and diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure.
Knowing both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers is important and could save your life.
Did You Know?
Under the Affordable Care Act, many health insurance plans will cover preventive care services, including blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, at no cost to you. Learn more.
What Does the Systolic Blood Pressure Number Mean?
When your heart beats, it contracts and pushes blood through the arteries to the rest of the body. This force creates pressure on the arteries. This is called systolic blood pressure.
A normal systolic blood pressure is below 120.
A systolic blood pressure of 120 to 139 means you have prehypertension, or borderline high blood pressure. Even people with prehypertension are at a higher risk of developing heart disease.
A systolic blood pressure number of 140 or higher is considered to be hypertension, or high blood pressure.
What Does the Diastolic Blood Pressure Number Mean?
The diastolic blood pressure number or the bottom number indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats. This is the time when the heart fills with blood and receives oxygen.
A normal diastolic blood pressure number is less than 80.
A diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 indicates prehypertension.
A diastolic blood pressure number of 90 or higher is considered to be hypertension or high blood pressure.
How Is Blood Pressure Measured?
Blood pressure is measured with a simple, painless test using a blood pressure cuff -- doctors call it a sphygmomanometer. It consists of a small pressure gauge that is attached to a cuff.
The inflatable cuff is wrapped around your upper arm. Some blood pressure cuffs wrap around the forearm or wrist but often are not as accurate.
When measuring blood pressure, your doctor or nurse will use a stethoscope to listen to the blood moving through an artery.
The cuff is inflated to a pressure that's known to be higher than your systolic blood pressure. As the cuff deflates, the first sound heard through the stethoscope is the systolic blood pressure. It sounds like a whooshing noise. When this noise goes away, that indicates the diastolic blood pressure.
The systolic blood pressure number is always said first, and then the diastolic blood pressure number is given. For example, your blood pressure may be read as "120 over 80" or written as 120/80.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).


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"Cummins is a strong advocate for the CMA program, and there's a lot of encouragement within the company to get certified. I hadn't been with the company very long when I realized that taking the CMA would offer many advantages."
Kurt Riddle, CMA
Cummins Inc.
"I believe it's very important that people demonstrate mastery of a subject by earning an objective signal or sign that they have achieved a certain level of competency. That's why the CMA is such an excellent certification: It shows mastery of a very broad range of subjects."
Dr. Wanda A. Wallace, CMA, CPA, CIA
"Financial analysis and decision support are central to management accounting practice, and the CMA focuses on these areas."
David Burritt, CMA, CPA
U.S. Steel
"At Microsoft, we look for a combination of solid accounting skills, the ability to think strategically, and strong business ethics. If someone is a CMA, we can be more comfortable that the person has mastered these aspects of the profession."
Bob Laux, CMA, CPA
Microsoft Corporation
"I didn't really follow a traditional accounting path: I majored in management and economics in college…As a manager, I've encouraged many members of my staff to pursue their certification. I decided that it was time to lead by example and earned one myself."
Julie A. Lagacy, CMA
Caterpillar Inc.
"I see it as my goal to help students and to be a positive influence on their lives. I really feel like it's my duty to tell the students about the advantages of the CMA and what it can mean to their careers."
Mark DeRemer,
Concordia University of Wisconsin
We hope you find these video resources helpful as you work toward earning your CMA.
© 1997–2015, Institute of Management Accountants, Inc. 10 Paragon Drive, Suite 1, Montvale, NJ 07645-1760 (800) 638-4427 or +1 (201) 573-9000


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avatar wrote: i do find it rather peculiar why hgh selectively counters only certain points or only answers certain questions.
He Hate Me wrote: so you've made it clear to me that smoking weed is both unhealthy and unwise. i'm just curious to whether you believe it should be legalized or not. and how you feel about all the loot the government spends on catching and imprisoning pot smokers.
also, how do you feel about the dangers of alcohol comparitively and do you think that should be legal?
respect yo.
RandomSurge wrote:
bluntedinmichigan wrote:
and i was being sarcastic ^^^ there
wordsauce wrote: hgh... someone who has not been in the discussion and reads your posts is not allowed to come out and speak out against you?
i feel the 'bandwagon' against you would be much larger if more potheads were willing to read through this thread and encounter your repeated ignorance.
for a reality check, it is your words not the words of others that cause feelings toward you and your posts and your mentality... in which you have stated most everything is right or wrong.
"nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so." -william shakespeare.


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Bulk CCTV Store is pleased to announce the arrival of the Platinum Tools 15003 and 15005 ProStrip Wire Strippers. The Platinum Tools 15003 cable strippers can handle copper wire from 10 AWG to 20 AWG. The Platinum Tools 15005 wire strippers can handle copper wire from 16 AWG to 30 AWG. These cable strippers are great for anyone that installs security cameras and works with Siamese RG59/18-2 cable.
Some of the features of the Platinum Tools cable strippers are:
- Precision-ground strip nest
- Requires less hand force to cut due to geometrically designed handles.
- Use left or right handed. – Wire size marked on both sides of tool.
- Curved blades for easier cleaner cuts.
Buy online at http://www.bulkcctvstore.com. Tools also available for local pickup at our Chicago, IL warehouse.
Platinum Tools 15003 ProStrip 10/20 AWG Wire Strippers


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Monolingual is a program for removing unnecessary language resources from Mac OS X, in order to reclaim several hundred megabytes of disk space.
Required OS: 10.7
Tags: monolingual , resource
14 Opinions
i used English for sustem menu and English and Chinese input. Monolingual has helped me recover so much space, it's great. Works perfectly, I've never had any problems. I have not upgraded to 1.4.3
Better use Xslimmer instead, it's not free but with very good support and updating blacklist to prevent crashes and bugs. This app has broken down my system before...
I don't see how any of you had any serious problems.
I've been using the app ever since I got my '07-'08 macbook and it worked like a charm. Always yielded perfect results and was a quick little finishing touch after installing large applications to gain back some HDD space.
Just don't touch the input menu's and architecture options and you'll be fine. But watch out if you actively use different languages, as it doesn't remember the languages you select/deselect.
Be very careful if you choose to use this application. I did it one and went through a lot of trouble when one Apple update came up. Since I had removed several languages that I don't use, I could not get Apple to update one of its components. I can't recall exactly which one it was, but I think it was iChat. Because there were components missing, the update for that application would not work. If you don't want several language files added to your Mac, do that during a system installation. Do a custom install and pick the languages you want.
Great. Who needs viruses when we have this? Plenty of Intel Mac users have unwittingly run this software with the default settings and had it kill Rosetta (needed for running PPC apps like Photoshop). AFAIK only an Archive and Install can fix it. BE CAREFUL if you want to use this app. I messed up my system using it and I know others that have too :(
Screws it up if you don't select the right settings...
Do not use this app! Sourceforge forum has long list of complaints from users: apps, computers, OS ruined. Developers do not respond to requests from help on their own forums, for months and months. I wish I had read those complaints before I used this dangerous app. You may be one of the lucky ones whose computer is not radically screwed-up by this app, but don't take the chance. The minimal saving in disc space is not worth the risk.
But is it safe for PPC?
To remove Power PC architectures WITHOUT DESTROYING ROSETTA: in the preferences, uncheck "/system" directory; the app won't touch your system, and you're good to go with only Intel apps.
It freed up a lot of space - in the number of applications it ruined and I had to delete. This should not be released to the general public yet. Do not use it, it's not worth it.
Page 1 of 2. 14 entries.


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You don't see too many "I Believe You, Anita" bumper stickers anymore, but a new documentary film opening in Bay Area theaters Friday brings back and spins forward the nationally televised sexual harassment drama 22 years ago that pitted a young Oklahoma woman in a teal suit against a U.S. Supreme Court nominee.
"Anita Hill, Speaking Truth to Power" makes a legacy argument for Hill as a torchbearer for gender equality as it returns to the 1991 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which Hill, then a professor at the Oklahoma School of Law, details allegations of graphic sexual harassment from nominee Clarence Thomas who was later confirmed to the high court by a vote of 52-48. It also shows what Hill has done to continue making her story relevant a generation later.
The film was written, directed and produced by San Francisco native and 1972 Cal graduate Freida Mock, whose documentaries have produced one Academy Award and five nominations.
For those who followed the saga of a young unflinching lawyer who recalled sexual talk in the workplace from Thomas, the first third of the film will be a rerun that's not particularly bombshell dropping.
Mock said the information is presented that way for a target audience of "people who weren't even born yet." Butshe conceded the reality is that those who actually go to see it in theaters will be women over age 50.
Making the film 22 years later allowed her to bring clarity from time and hindsight, she said. She started filming in 2010 after a mutual friend connected the two at Hill's request, she said. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last year.
"There are just so many facts lost in the accusations and the intensity of that brilliant exchange where they really attacked her as a character witness," Mock said. "I also thought it was a good time to take a look at sexual harassment after 22 years. The issues she raised then continue to be raised now and need to be addressed, especially in the military and on college campuses."
It was in the 1980s that Thomas was Hill's boss at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, when Hill said the harassment took place.
The film tells the story from Hill's view, showing how 14 men on the Senate Judiciary Committee turned her testimony around so that she was defending her own credibility, and how Thomas then accused Hill of racism; both are black. Jane Mayer, a staff writer at "The New Yorker" who co-wrote a book about the hearings with Jill Abramson, executive editor of The New York Times, calls Thomas' use of race a brilliant political move that was orchestrated by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
"At that point the whole story line changed," Mayer says in the film. "It was now the racial victimization of Clarence Thomas," who during the hearing vehemently denied the allegations and called Hill's testimony a "high tech lynching."
Mock said she did not try to interview Thomas because of his reputation for not granting interviews and because "this is really her story."
The last two-thirds of the film are more interesting for those familiar with the 1991 saga in that they show what Hill has done with her life afterward.
Hill went back to Oklahoma to her job as a faculty member at the Oklahoma School of Law. She received all kinds of threats: death, violence, sexual. Republican lawmakers in her home state tried to get her fired, but she was tenured, so then they went after her boss. They even tried to close the school. She eventually moved to Massachusetts, where she is a professor at Brandeis University and has written two books, one about the hearing and one in 2012 called "Reimagining Equality, Stories of Race, Gender and Finding Home."
Mock said the movie is a story about "transformation" because Hill "rose to being a spokesperson on gender equality."
In the film, Hill said when she returned to Norman, Okla., after the hearing, she realized her life would never be the same. She had to continue what she started.
"The pressure to keep me quiet would have been so great (in Oklahoma) that I would not have been able to do what I am doing," Hill says in the film. "If I am not public, there will be a sense of victory they will have over me. Either I was going to be inside, hiding, or I was going to go out and deal with it, and I chose the latter."
The film shows her speaking in public at various events, with closeups of rapt young women hearing her story. At the end of the film, during a commencement address to the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Hill tells young graduates that when they go out in the world, "honesty, dignity and courage is what will be remembered."
Reach Doug Oakley at 925-234-1699. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/douglasoakley
"Anita Hill, Speaking Truth to Power"
The film opens Friday at the Embarcadero Theater in San Francisco and the Landmark Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley.


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Formal action on project sketch plan in two weeks
Pam Boyd
The Haymeadow development plan shrunk by 192 units Tuesday night as the Eagle Town Board approved the concept of the Brush Creek Valley residential development.
That number is down from a 809-unit figure town staff and the developer had negotiated this week in preparations for town board deliberations regarding the density issue. Two weeks ago, the board and the developer ironed out a list of 49 conditions for a sketch plan approval and set the stage for the density discussion Tuesday.
Haymeadow developer Ric Newman had originally proposed 979 residential units - multi-family and single family dwellings - on the property located southeast of town in the Brush Creek Valley adjacent to the Eagle Pool and Ice Rink. He said the plan is a "conservation-oriented development" characterized by large open space tracts that comprise the major amenity of the development. Newman said 60 percent of the land contained in Haymeadow is classified as open space. The Haymeadow proposal includes 11.5 miles of recreational trails and a wildlife migration corridor ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet across runs north to south across the property.
The Haymeadow discussion is part of the development's sketch plan review. This is the initial step in the town's development process and it is limited in scope. In general, sketch plan determines if proposed uses and densities for a project are acceptable. If approval is granted, the town traditionally sets a series of conditions that must be met when a developer proceeds to a more detailed preliminary plan.
Noting that staff negotiations had resulted in a density reduction from 979 units to 809 units, Eagle Mayor Yuri Kostick said he was more supportive of the plan. "Looking at the overall density number, there is a couple of things going on. I am sort of comfortable where the staff got to with the applicant," he said.
Kostick pointed to the Eagle Ranch development, saying the total approved density there is larger than the number of homes actually built once the developers satisfied their various road, open space and park land requirements. Kostick said he doubted that Haymeadow could actually hit the 809 unit figure.
Town board member Joe Knabel presented his own density analysis, which features higher density closer to town and lower density as the project stretches to the southeast. Knabel's analysis resulted in a density of 596 units.
In response, town board member Scott Turnipseed suggested that attaching specific density figures to proposed neighborhoods contained within the Haymeadow exceeds the parameters of a sketch plan discussion. Instead, he suggested moving proposed residential development away from the Brush Creek Road corridor to preserve the character of the valley and trimming the density number negotiated by staff accordingly. To that end, he proposed a 787-unit figure.
Other members said they were not as concerned with the density number as they were with ensuring a quality project that fits in Eagle.
"The lower that we make this density, the more expensive we are going to make these houses," said town board member Ann McKibben. "I don't want trophy homes but rather homes for middle class people. By lowering the density, we are putting a lot of this at risk."
Town board member Brandi Resa said the Haymeadow plan was too dense and that she believes approved density at the site should be less than 600. "It seems like sprawl to me," said Resa. "Sometimes the best decision is not to develop."
Other members responded that the Haymeadow property sits within the town's master plan growth boundaries and it is called out for residential development.
Ultimately Resa and Knabel cast dissenting votes on a motion to instruct town staff to prepare the formal resolution to approve the Haymeadow sketch plan with a total density of 787 units. The board will take formal action on the plan at the Oct. 23 meeting.


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OAKLAND -- This week, a group of boisterous teenagers marched down to a ballot box a few blocks from their school. The first-time voter contingent and their sign-holding supporters whooped and chanted all the way to the Alameda County Courthouse, eliciting friendly toots from passing cars.
"I feel like I'm always complaining about what's wrong with the world," said Di'Jahnay Stewart, a Dewey Academy student who turned 18 on May 23 and registered to vote shortly thereafter. "I feel like if I vote, at least it'll mean something."
Many young Americans aren't as quick to exercise their new electoral power. Although they voted in larger numbers in 2004 and 2008 than they had in decades, their turnout was still the lowest of any age group. For all the buzz surrounding the 2008 presidential race, for all the YouTube videos and the plugs on MTV, just 41 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds and 47 percent of 21- to 24-year-olds reported voting in that election. By contrast, 58 percent of all age groups and 68 percent of those 65 and older went to the polls that year, according to a survey of noninstitutionalized adults by the U.S. Census Bureau.
"I'm finding a shocking number of young people who just won't vote," said Deanita Lewis, a parent leader who has long been involved in Oakland's public schools. The reasons she most often hears? "'My vote doesn't count. It doesn't matter. Nothing's going to change.'"
Lewis is a member of Oakland Community Organizations, a coalition of congregations, schools and groups that is working with schools to educate students about voting rights and other ways to participate in the political process. The group coordinated Tuesday's "Let My People Vote" march at Dewey, an alternative high school, and helped to register more than 100 students at Oakland high schools, organizer Katy Nuñez-Adler estimated.
Other Bay Area schools, such as Pittsburg High and Black Diamond High, also in Pittsburg, have also encouraged their students to vote as soon as they are eligible, through registration drives. At Encinal High in Alameda, representatives from the League of Women Voters and the Alameda County Registrar of Voters have come to speak to students about civil rights and the importance of voting, and to register those who are 18 or about to turn 18.
Alexis Ogdie, an AP government teacher at Encinal, said about 95 percent of the seniors in his classes have been registered. In class, Ogdie said, his students regularly discuss controversial issues and how politics and government touch their lives.
Researchers who study civic engagement say those kinds of class discussions are often neglected, as teachers race through a multitude of social studies standards that focus heavily on the past. The study of current political events is especially important at high-poverty schools, where the tremendous pressure to raise test scores tends to displace civics lessons, said Peter Levine, director of Tufts University's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
"I think one of the reasons young people don't vote is actually knowledge and information," Levine said. "You have to know who you're going to vote for as well as how to vote."
A survey of 19 California school districts by the Civic Engagement Research Group at Mills College found that white, wealthy and academically successful students had much greater access to political discussions and debates than the average student. Even within schools, classes with higher income, college-bound students were twice as likely to study how laws are made and to take part in service learning projects than the average classroom, concluded the report, "Democracy for Some."
Those differences in exposure, researchers say, also perpetuate a gaping disparity in lifelong voting patterns: Those with college degrees vote at twice the rate of high school dropouts and are 50 percent more likely to go the polls as residents with high school diplomas or GEDs, according to the census figures.
Outside the courthouse Tuesday, 18-year-old Dominique Dyer signed her ballot, slid it into the blue ballot box and raised her fists overhead in celebration as she turned to her friends. "It felt good to vote for the first time," she said. "I feel proud of myself for voting."
Joe Kahne, who directs the Mills College group, said the civics push at Dewey Academy and other schools will likely be felt long after Tuesday's election.
"Voting is very much habit-forming," he said. "People who vote when they're 18 are much more likely to vote four years later."
Read Katy Murphy's Oakland schools blog at www.IBAbuzz.com/education. Follow her at Twitter.com/katymurphy.


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Judge's ruling rectifies an injustice
Published: Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 19, 2013 at 6:22 p.m.
A Superior Court judges decision to pay teachers wages they were owed by the defunct Hendersonville Christian School rectifies an injustice thats been simmering more than two years.
Judge Erwin Spainhours ruling that the teachers Faith Cooper, Lynn Lechron, Denise Walden and Grace Currie should be first in line to get paid also helps heal a controversy surrounding the closing of the school last year.
The interest of justice requires that the teachers who taught children at the school be given priority over other unsecured creditors, Spainhour wrote in the court order filed last week. He ruled that the remaining claimants should be paid on a pro rata basis.
The school closed in July 2012 after 50 years in business. Its campus was sold to Henderson County for $910,000 for a new park and activity center. Of that money, $765,000 went to satisfy a mortgage held by TD Bank, $30,000 went to the N.C. Employment Security Commission, and $91,000 went to real estate commissions and other closing costs.
The schools former headmaster, attorney James L. Goldsmith Jr., petitioned the court for $273,000 in attorneys fees. Claims against the school were also filed by the city of Hendersonville, Southern Alarm and Jostens Inc.
Goldsmith laid off the teachers in June 2011. The teachers had signed contracts with the schools previous headmaster stating that they would work 10 months and be paid over 12 months. But Goldsmith argued they were not entitled to pay after the June layoff because he changed the pay cycle from 12 months to 10 months. When the teachers went to pick up their personnel records last year, several reported that their signed contracts were missing.
The teachers complained to the N.C. Department of Labor. The Labor Department determined that they were owed the back wages they claim. Yet when the school refused to voluntarily pay the teachers, the Labor Department declined to take legal action on their behalf, saying they were free to pursue the matter on their own in court.
The original amount of the claims against the school tallied $296,605.51. Under a plan devised by court-appointed receiver William Gardo, each of the claimants would have gotten a prorated share of the $55,362.54 remaining, with Goldsmith walking away with $50,956.48. That would have meant the teachers would have gotten less than one-fifth of what they are owed.
Instead, the teachers will finally get paid for the work they did more than two years ago. That amounts to $3,750 for Walden, $3,992.40 for Cooper, $4,632.68 for Lechron and $4,463 for Currie. Goldsmith will still get more than anyone else $37,652.75 while Southern Alarm will get $432.26, Jostens Inc. will receive $482.43 and the city of Hendersonville will get $27.02.
According to documents Goldsmith filed with the court, he was seeking compensation for more than 400 hours of legal work he performed on behalf of the school. Goldsmiths affidavit states that when the school closed due to financial issues on July 30, 2012, the board of directors retained him to represent the school in all legal matters relating to the schools dissolution. The retainer agreement called for Goldsmith to receive a contingency fee of 30 percent of the amount fetched from the sale of the school property. That would have amounted to $273,000 of the $910,000 sale price.
But two former school board members said it would have been wrong for the teachers to receive a pittance of the money they were owed, the scenario that would have occurred under Gardos distribution plan. To me, (the teachers) are at the top of the list of who should be receiving money, former board member Chip McChristian said.
Former school board member Kathleen Seng also spoke out on behalf of the teachers. She saw a problem with the fact that Goldsmith, as both headmaster and attorney, was overseeing the schools finances in the year leading up to its closure. I just think thats a serious conflict of interest, and I dont think thats ethical, Seng said. The school, she said, had a total lack of transparency.
It would have been wrong to award Goldsmith almost all the remaining funds while giving the four teachers a fraction of what they were rightfully owed. Judge Spainhour acted with justice and compassion. His ruling clears the way for the teachers to get on with their lives and helps lift a cloud of controversy hanging over the memories of Hendersonville Christian School.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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In my last post, I discussed how to troubleshoot InnoDB locks using the new InnoDB Plugin's new Information Schema tables.
However, that got me to thinking about how many MySQL 5.1 users who have still not switched to use the plugin as opposed to the built-in version of InnoDB.
There are many advantages to using the plugin as opposed to the …[Read more...]


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Welcome back, oh Amazing watchers, to week three of "The Amazing Race." Nine teams are heading for Christchurch, New Zealand, after a hospital stop for Dave and Connor, the Utah dad-and-lad team, to get a diagnosis for Dave, who pulled something on his sprint to the mat last time. The California surfers hand off their second express pass to the pair, figuring they can use all the help they can get at this point.
Dave discovers that he has torn both his Achilles tendon and its muscle. He's fitted with a special boot but man, that must hurt like crazy. "We'll keep going till we can't," Dave tells the others when they meet up at the Papeete airport where a typical bunch-up has occurred.
New Zealand Detour
Three flights finally take off with besties Pam and Winnie on the first; the surfers, YouTubes, dad-lad, the honeymooners and roller derby moms on the second; and the country singers and hockey bros on the third. Mr. Taxidermy and his wife are on the fourth flight, which leaves a full two and a half hours after the first flight. Given the way this race typically goes, though, they'll bunch up again soon, waiting somewhere in the dark for something or other to open.
In Christchurch, the racers drive themselves to the Rakaia River Gorge as a gorgeous green landscape unfolds, dotted with woolly sheep. "Wouldn't it be great to get some fresh lamb for dinner?" Dave says. "I heard it's not baaaad," his son agrees. Ten points for an excellent pun, guys, and another 100 for great attitude in what must be excruciating pain.
Bunch time! Green dome tents are lined up at the riverside, where the jet boats don't leave till morning. Everyone grabs a number and sleeping bags. Chuck and Wynona finally arrive and grab the ninth place ticket for what will turn out to be an incredible scenic ride to the clue box in the morning.
This leg's detour involves two choices: Rev it up or reel it in. In rev it up, racers must drive a muscle car through a slalom course in 83 seconds or less per team. In reel it in, they have to catch a fish that measures 12 or more inches. Dave, who has already waded from his jet boat to shore -- on crutches, with a blue plastic bag wrapped around his boot -- soon discovers the cars are manual transmission. Dave can't feel his foot, let alone handle a clutch, so they retrace their steps to go fish.
"Let's give it 5 minutes fishing," Connor says. They end up using the express pass to get to the next stop.
At rev it up, the other teams start racing.
"Why are you fishtailing?" newlywed Katie yells at her husband. "Who would have thought, you're the albatross at this." Max runs over three cones on his fourth attempt. "You're killing us," his beloved tells him. "He sucks," she tells the staffers. It takes them six passes -- and gallons of bile -- to finish the challenge.
Roadblock: The Shemozzle
At Mt. Hutt Station, one member of each team will be competing in the Shemozzle, a muddy obstacle course run while wearing a burlap sack and gum boots. They'll be covered in molasses and feathers, collect a dozen chicken eggs and race -- with a dog -- through a demented course that involves feather-filled tubes, a giant slip-and-slide, haybales and a pond that smells like manure. This is awesome! Please please please let newlywed Katie be the one to do this.
"I have feathers coming out of every orifice in my body," Connor says, as he finishes in first place and heads for the pit stop at Terrace Downs with his father. Their prize? A trip for two to Bangkok -- and the next clue. It's a not-over-yet leg, to be continued next time.
Next time: A surfboard memory challenge in Thailand and -- we hope -- the spectacle of Katie covered in molasses and feathers, looking like an albatross.


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- Feb 12:
- Contra Costa Times editorial: Water districts should impose conservation measures now
- Oakland Tribune editorial: Water districts should impose conservation measures now
- Feb 7:
- California Drought: Desperately needed rain, courtesy of "Pineapple Express" slamming into California
- Feb 6:
- Drought doesn't mean doom for your plants
- Rain soaks Bay Area, another storm coming
- California drought: Big rain headed toward Bay Area could double dismal rainfall totals
- Feb 5:
- California drought: House water bill exposes deep partisan divide
- Feb 4:
- Fremont district urges conservation, offers water-saving program as drought persists
- Gov. Jerry Brown calls congressional Republican drought bill 'divisive'
- Roadshow: Caltrans watering less as drought continues
- Feb 3:
- North Bay homeowners slash water usage through creative conservation
- California drought: Biggest rainfall of 2014 soaks Bay Area
- Jan 31:
- California drought: State Water Project will deliver no water this summer
- Gov. Brown says flush less as California struggles with drought
- Jan 30:
- Obama pledges support amid California drought
- California wine industry reports robust 2013, but worries loom about drought
- Drizzle brings hope to thirsty California but does nothing to deter drought
- Jan 29:
- Bay Area wakes up to drizzle as light rain appears for first time in more than a month
- Zone 7 Water Agency seeks 20 percent voluntary water reduction from customers
- Jan 28:
- California drought: 17 communities could run out of water within 60 to 120 days, state says
- Jan 27:
- Water oak trees if needed, but not too much
- Rain expected this week won't put dent in the drought, forecasters say
- Gold prospectors take advantage of California drought
- California drought: Bay Area water districts start asking urban residents to conserve
- Jan 26:
- After decades of payments, EBMUD may finally use its emergency water supply
- Jan 25:
- California drought: Past dry periods have lasted more than 200 years, scientists say
- Jan 23:
- Around Dublin: Do your part now to get ahead of drought
- Jan 22:
- Drought: California is a red state, if you're talking weather
- Jan 21:
- California drought: Tips for conserving water
- Jan 18:
- Snow makers rescue big Sierra resorts as drought bakes smaller ones
- Jan 17:
- Brown declares California drought emergency
- California drought: Three more months of dry weather likely, National Weather Service announces
- Jan 16:
- Drought declared a natural disaster in California, 10 other states
- Jan 14:
- Drought imperils California salmon, steelhead
- California drought: What's causing it?
- Jan 10:
- Despite California drought, chances for water bond are evaporating
- Jan 8:
- Timm Herdt: Learning to adapt to droughts
- Jan 3:
- Barnidge: California droughts aren't nearly as scary as they used to be
- Dec 29:
- California drought deepens as another year's rains stay away
It is gorgeous all over the Bay Area, and that worries fruit grower Andy Mariani. Winter? He blinked, and it was gone -- evaporated by our warmest January on record.
Average high temperatures around the region this month have soared about 7 to 8 degrees above normal, triggering an explosion of bright red buds on the tips of the 4,000 cherry trees in Mariani's orchards in Morgan Hill. He needs 850 hours of cold temperatures to set fruit; he's had only 650.
"My trees don't like it," he said. "They need a certain amount of chill, to rest, just like we do."
Spring has sprung all over the Bay Area, despite a calendar that says we're only halfway through winter. Birds are pairing. House painters are busy. Wildflowers are blooming. The homeless stay warmer and drier. Outdoor cafes offer a balmy display of Havaianas flip-flops, cropped pants and aviator glasses.
Just how peculiar is January's weather?
It's also been one of the driest Januaries, too. Santa Cruz has had less rain this season than Death Valley. Only 1.34 inches have fallen since July in normally wet Surf City; Furnace Creek has had 1.43 inches.
What's going on? A persistent high pressure system -- dubbed the "ridiculously resilient ridge" by meteorologists -- has diverted all the cold air from California and transformed Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York into one giant ice chest, according to meteorologist Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Service.
"I don't see any huge pattern shifts that will turn on the hose," he said.
The Sierra was blanketed in white powder early Thursday, but the Department of Water Resources measured only 2 inches of snow water equivalent -- 12 percent of normal for the date.
The warm midwinter means an early start for one of San Francisco's most breathtaking annual natural marvels, the "Magnificent Magnolias" exhibit at the Golden Gate Park's Botanical Garden, which is erupting in a fragrant riot of pink and white, curator Don Mahoney said.
Bouquets of blossoms also are bursting at Tilden Regional Park's Botanic Garden in the north Berkeley hills, said Bart O'Brien, garden manager. Giant houndstongue? Check. Star lilies? Check. Douglas iris? Ceanothus? Check, check.
"We're a month, even two months, early," he said. Even wildflowers such as shooting star and milkmaids are up, he said.
December's cold snap -- remember that? -- sent most of our migrating Monarch butterflies fluttering to parts unknown, but the first butterflies of the spring season are flying into view. There's a Mourning Cloak on Gilroy's Uvas Creek and a Pygmy Blue in Alviso Marina County Park in Santa Clara County.
Romance is well ahead of schedule for some birds. Two gorgeous broods of pied-billed grebes are paddling around Saratoga's Sanborne County Park. De Anza College raptor biologist Ryan Phillips has spotted courting northern harriers, red-tailed hawks and white-tailed kites. A pair of golden eagles in the South Bay have started a nest. They typically nest in March, April and May.
Turtles, typically slumbering in cool winter mud, are swimming in percolation ponds.
Winter is normally a sleepy time for the construction industry as well, where workers get paltry "show-up pay" on rainy days.
"This has been a complete bonus for a builder," said Robert Lancer of Redwood City's Lancer Construction. "Stucco dries faster. We can paint it faster. We don't have to protect our tools. We don't have people tracking mud all over the job site."
The homeless have fared better this month, even though waiting lists for shelters are long, said Brian Greenberg of InnVision Shelter Network, which serves Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. "We don't want their lives to be any more miserable than they already are, so the warmer weather is certainly welcomed."
REI customers are interested in backpacking, cycling and camping; products sales in those departments are all significantly up over last year, according to Saratoga store manager Jerry McKeon.
"There's nothing we can do but enjoy the sun," said Tawnya Sargent, strolling the beach in Santa Cruz. This winter, doing the laundry isn't so bad, said bikini-clad volleyball player Roberta McGann, "because we don't wear enough clothes."
But underlying the balmy weather is a growing sense that something's not right.
Without rain, the winter chorus of Pacific tree frogs has gone silent. The annual migration of newts across Tilden's South Park Drive into Wildcat Creek near Berkeley is on hiatus; last weekend, Pleasanton's "Newt Festival" was canceled. Some wells have run dry. Ski slopes are bare. Ranchers are downsizing their herds. Some cities are looking at empty reservoirs.
President Barack Obama on Wednesday called Gov. Jerry Brown to express his concern over the historic drought here. Members of the Muslim community will gather Saturday at the Alameda County Fairgrounds to pray for rain.
January shopping at Oakland's farmers market has meant wearing just a T-shirt, blazer, leggings and sneakers for Laura Ogle, 23. Her wool sweaters, long underwear and down jackets? "They're in the closet," she said.
"But I long for them," she confessed. "I miss that cozy feeling."
Staff writer Nicholas St. Fleur contributed to this report. Contact Lisa M. Krieger at 650-492-4098.


text: There's something to be said for bands taking grand risks. It may be comfortable to pump out album after album of songs that are slight derivations and deviations of the norm, but those can't always satisfy the creative yearning to do something daringly unique, to embrace the spirit of art in a way that popular music doesn't often accept. Not all of these endeavors turn out well, but there's something intriguing about hearing music that's completely unexpected, that turns expectations on end, and delivers an experience no one could have seen coming.