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Grab your remote and rev up the DVR. We'll soon be swimming in a virtual ocean of new TV shows. What follows is a night-by-night breakdown to help you determine what is and isn't see-worthy.
"Boardwalk Empire" (8 p.m., HBO, Sept. 19): A corrupt politician (Steve Buscemi) presides over shady deals and violent deeds in Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition. Bottom line: Exquisite production values, stellar acting and a great pedigree (Martin Scorsese directed the pilot) could make this a mob hit.
"The Walking Dead" (10 p.m., AMC, Oct. 31): Comic book-inspired saga chronicles life in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Bottom line: The pilot was unavailable for review, but we're dying to see it.
"The Event" (9 p.m., NBC, Sept. 20 ): A sci-fi thriller that follows a man (Jason Ritter) as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of his would-be fiancee and unwittingly begins to expose a sinister cover-up. Bottom line: The turbo-charged pilot had us intrigued, but we said the same thing last season about "FlashForward."
"Lone Star" (9 p.m., Fox, Sept. 20): A charismatic con man (James Wolk) delicately juggles two lives -- and two wives -- deep in the heart of Texas oil country. Bottom line: Secrets? Lies? Duplicity? We're in.
"Mike & Molly" (9:30 p.m., CBS, Sept. 20): A romantic comedy about two shy plus-sized people (Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy) who connect during an Overeaters Anonymous meeting. Bottom line: It's sweet, funny and sensitive but needs to go easy on the fat jokes.
"Chase" (10 p.m., NBC, Sept. 20): Even in her cowboy boots, a spunky, twangy-voiced U.S. Marshal (Kelli Giddish) runs down the outlaws. Bottom line: Giddish gets our hearts racing, but we don't quite get the thrill of this chase.
"Hawaii Five-0" (10 p.m., CBS, Sept. 20): A high-octane reboot of the 1970s crime series, featuring Alex O'Loughlin as the island's Big Kahuna, Steve McGarrett. Bottom line: Lots of crazy stunts, hot bods and gorgeous scenery make for escapist thrills. Book it, Danno.
"Raising Hope" (9 p.m., Fox, Sept. 21 ): A young slacker (Lucas Neff) has a chance encounter with a wanted felon and is left to raise their child when she makes a trip to death row. Bottom line: Has the white-trash screwball tone of "My Name Is Earl," but is less funny and more hideous.
"Running Wilde" (9:30 p.m., Fox, Sept. 21 ): A disjointed comedy about an immature playboy (Will Arnett) trying desperately to win (or buy) the heart of his childhood sweetheart (Keri Russell). Bottom line: We're not wild about it.
"Detroit 1-8-7" (10 p.m., ABC, Sept. 21): Break out the body bags. Homicide cops hunt down killers in the Motor City. Bottom line: Problems with pilot led to reshooting. Could be DOA.
"No Ordinary Family" (8 p.m., ABC, Sept. 28 ): A fantastical drama featuring Michael Chiklis as the leader of a clan that possesses amazing superpowers. Bottom line: "The Incredibles" did it better.
"Hellcats" (9 p.m., The CW, Sept. 8): A young, hip pre-law student (Aly Michalka) loses her scholarship and reluctantly joins the cheerleading squad to stay in school. Bottom line: We'll let out a cheer when it's canceled.
"Terriers" (10 p.m., FX, Sept. 8): An immature ex-cop (Donal Logue) teams with a reformed thief (Michael Raymond-James) to run an unlicensed private investigation business. Bottom line: These mutts aren't the best in show.
"Outlaw" (10 p.m., NBC, Sept. 15): Jimmy Smits plays a Supreme Court justice who suddenly resigns when he realizes the system is flawed. Now, he's out to represent the "little guy." Bottom line: Slack writing and hokey twists have us declaring, "disorder in the court!"
"Undercovers" (8 p.m., NBC, Sept. 22): Married former spies (Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw) get back in the game, adding spice to their romantic life in the process. Bottom line: The leads are incredibly gorgeous and engaging, and the concept has promise. But the uneven pilot has us concerned.
"Better With You" (8:30 p.m., ABC, Sept. 22): Two sisters (Jennifer Finnigan, Joanna Garcia) have very different relationships with the men in their lives. Bottom line: It would have been better with more laughs.
"The Whole Truth" (10 p.m., ABC, Sept. 22): A legal drama starring Rob Morrow and Maura Tierney that examines a case from both the defense and prosecution's perspectives. Bottom line: The jury is out as the pilot was being reshot.
"The Defenders" (10 p.m., CBS, Sept. 22): A comedic drama featuring Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell as best pals and partners in a Las Vegas law firm. Bottom line: There's really no defense for this dopey offering.
"Law & Order: Los Angeles" (10 p.m., NBC, Sept. 29): The venerable crime franchise jumps coasts and spawns another spin-off. Skeet Ulrich, Terrence Howard and Alfred Molina are among the cast. Bottom line: The pilot was unavailable for review, but you know the formula.
"Nikita" (9 p.m., The CW, Sept. 9): A super-hot spy and assassin (Maggie Q) goes into kick-butt mode as she tries to bring down a shadowy government agency from which she defected. Bottom line: This killer remake has us hooked.
"My Generation" (8 p.m., ABC, Sept. 23 ): Ten years after being tailed by a documentary crew, former high school classmates are revisited. And guess what? They've changed! Bottom line: Our hunch is that we won't be talking about "My Generation" for long.
"$#*! My Dad Says" (8:30 p.m., CBS, Sept. 23): A comedy based on a popular Twitter feed has a caustic father (William Shatner) spewing politically incorrect diatribes. Bottom line: How tweet it isn't. Turns out that 140-character outbursts work a lot better online than on TV.
"Outsourced" (9:30 p.m., NBC, Sept. 23): An American (Ben Rappaport) moves to India to run a call center for a novelty company. Bottom line: We love the fresh setting and fresh faces, but the show could get old fast if it doesn't offer more than culture-clash jokes.
"Secret Millionaire" (8 p.m., ABC, TBA): A reality series follows wealthy people as they go undercover in some of America's most impoverished neighborhoods to help those in need. Bottom line: It's a show with a big heart, but can it produce big ratings?
"School Pride" (8 p.m., NBC, Oct. 15): Cheryl Hines hosts a reality series that focuses on communities coming together to renovate their aging and broken public schools. Bottom line: Pilot unavailable for review.
"Body of Proof" (9 p.m., ABC, TBA): A medical examiner (Dana Delany) helps to solve murders in Philadelphia. Bottom line: Delany, as usual, shines. Could become a solid procedural.
"Blue Bloods" (10 p.m., CBS, Sept. 24): Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg headline a multigenerational clan of New York cops. Bottom line: It's an intriguing blend of family drama and crime show. Plus, Selleck still has the best mustache in prime time.
Read Chuck Barney's TV blog at http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/category/tv and follow him at http://twitter.com/chuckbarney.


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Trail in the
"Bend's newest crown jewel! The top half was rebuilt in Fall of 2012 and rides like a mini A-line."
— Devon Lyons on Mar 29, 2013
|4.16.6 milesKilometers
|989'302 m Ascent
|5,522'1,683 m High
|5% Avg Grade (3°)
|Singletrack Type
|-21'-6 m Descent
|4,553'1,388 m Low
|12% Max Grade (7°)
Take a
Virtual Ride
RestrictionsThere is a lot of downhill use on this section of Tiddlywinks! Be cautious if climbing it and use the up-route around the top man-made features.
DescriptionRide from Wanoga Sno-Park towards Kiwa Butte. From the highest point at the intersection of Kiwa Butte Trail and Tiddlywinks, you'll descend a ripping fast and flowing section of singletrack with challenging rocks, turns, and berms through the top steep section of the trail.
The singletrack then turns into a bike park style roller coaster ride with giant banked turns, rollers, and table tops. The trail is built with both Experts and Intermediates in mind so there are rollable routes over all the features. Experts will find this trail to be one of the best in Bend, if not the state.
After the bike-park section of trail, things flatten out for half a mile on an old doubletrack. When the trail starts to descend again, the speed picks up on a fast rolling doubletrack that allows you to open it up and go as fast as you're comfortable with. The trail turns back into singletrack and begins to flatten out towards the end. It keeps a good flow as it descends, with little short spurts of pedaling through rock gardens before finishing at the three-way intersection with Funner and Lower Storm King.
ContactsLand Manager: USFS - Deschutes National Forest Office
Aug 20 Forest Roads 40 and 45 Will Reopen to the Public on Monday: Area Closure around Sheridan Fire remains in effectCentral Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA)
Apr 25 General Membership Meeting
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Seibertron.com - The Ultimate Transformers Fansite
Cyberpath wrote:Combiners are so last year, Headmasters are all the rage.
Mindmaster wrote:Crap, why did Bumblebee have to be such a good figure?
Megatron's already got me, but I just can't bring myself to get Bumblebee. I'll just wait for the Goldbug retool.
When the weapons combine, can you fold back the grip that's hanging off the top for a more streamlined weapon?
Transformermegazord wrote:for your viewing pleasure sir
Sodan-1 wrote:Yeah, it's not a bad looking figure at all. Yes the yellows are a tad weak, but at least it's actually coloured like Bumblebee. Cheers for the review. I'm sold. Although, couldn't you have chosen some less obscure figures for a robot mode comparison?
Return to Transformers Toy Reviews
Registered users: BeastProwl, Bing [Bot], CAROLINA-TF-FAN, Cyrano, D-Maximus_Primal, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Lord Raze, Mr Skram, MSNbot Media, SW's SilverHammer, TCracker, Yahoo [Bot]


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The other day my buddy Andrea took a photo of these pretty bottles on Instagram…
…a few days later, the company, Califia Farms, sent me some free coupons to try them!
My favorite way to drink almond milk – breakfast soup.
This was about 1/2 a cup of Grape Nuts, 1 cup Califia Farms Almond Milk, and 1 small Granny Smith, ding donged for 4 minutes in a giant bowl (it will overflow in the microwave).
So. So. Good.
I added a few drops of Vanilla Stevia, since the milk/cereal wasn't sweet.
If you live in CO, CA, WA, OR, NM, UT or IL, here's your chance to win some for yourself – enter below!


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Common Myths About Commodity Investing
There is a theory that has been doing the rounds that ordinary investors need to have some direct exposure to commodities like oil, copper and wheat through the futures market.
It's nonsense.
Commodities are far more dangerous investments than stocks, shares, or even real estate. The prices are incredibly volatile. They can spend years, even decades, in terrible bear markets. Through the 1980s and 1990s, many fell by two-thirds or more. And an ounce of gold or a pound of copper, unlike stocks and bonds, doesn't even pay interest or dividends as you go along.
"Diversification" does not mean you have to blow part of your retirement plan on dangerous bets at poor odds just because some other people are.
Look at gold.
The price skyrocketed to $1,000 in March, crashed, and soared again in July to $970. TV commercials, online ads, and a variety of hucksters urged ordinary Americans to jump in before it went to… $2,000? $10,000?
Instead it's crashed again, to barely $800.
But the recent data from Financial Research Corp., a company that tracks mutual fund sales, tells a depressing story. Americans plunged heavily into gold in July just as the price peaked. In fact, during that month they invested more money in precious metals mutual funds, $4.8 billion, than in any other kind.
And they weren't just buying mining stocks. Most of them were betting on the metal itself. More than $4.2 billion of that money, or about 90%, went into streetTRACKS Gold Shares, an exchange-traded fund that follows the gold price. Each share is worth about one-tenth of an ounce. GLD, after spiking to about $96 in July, has since slumped to $81.
What's the betting a lot of people will now sell in alarm?
It's not a matter of being bullish nor bearish on gold: This is simply no market for substantial direct investment by anyone other than specialists and speculators. This is a hand you don't need to bet.
At least with shares and bonds, an ordinary person can often reach a reasonable idea of what they might be worth. Commodities? They could be worth three times today's price, or one-third. Nobody really knows. I know some really smart people who can argue it either way.
The kicker? About 16% of the world's stock market is currently made up of companies that dig up and process metals, minerals, natural gas or oil. What exposure do you really need that you can't get through shares in, say, Barrick Gold Corp. or mining giant Rio Tinto or Exxon?
A lot of these shares are actually trading on pretty cheap levels, too. Chevron, for example, is just seven times this year's forecast after-tax earnings. What's the point of taking a gamble on oil when you can invest much less dangerously, and with much better odds, in some of these shares.
Inevitably, it's only after commodity prices have trebled or more that so many financial gurus suddenly discovered the evergreen principle that you needed to own some. I don't recall many making that argument 10 years ago, when these things were really cheap.


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If you had plans to travel over the Eagle-Thomasville Road between Aug. 15 and the end of September, you will want to find an alternate route.
Starting Aug. 15, the Forest Service will be replacing a culvert on National Forest System Road 400.0 (the Eagle-Thomasville Road). The construction project is located at the Lime Creek crossing at the intersection with NFSR 506 (NFSR 506 to remain open during construction). It is anticipated that the closure will remain in effect through September.
This construction project is part of an ongoing Forest Service program to replace aging corrugated metal culverts. The new structures are designed to better handle peak stream flows and provide easier passage for fish and other aquatic animals. The new culverts, called an Aquatic Organism Passage, are wider than a round culvert and have an open bottom allowing the stream channel to maintain more of its natural characteristics. This design, in turn, allows aquatic organisms to more freely move up and down the stream channel. These new passages are also less likely to catch woody debris that can block a culvert and cause damaging flooding during periods of high water.
The Forest Service regrets any inconvenience these road closures may cause Forest users. The public is urged to exercise caution while traveling any road on the White River National Forest and to respect all road closures where construction activities are taking place.
For more information, contact the Sopris Ranger District at (970) 963-2266.


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Top Definition
The best song ever, with the best intro ever, by Thrice.
Last night at the show, I had an orgasm when they started to play Deadbolt.
by blackphoenix39 April 14, 2005
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
When a person slides the bolt of your locker out of place, forcing you to re-open your locker all over again.
Oh my god, he dead bolted me just as I was about to go to class.
by Sarah Ca November 03, 2007
A lock that if you don't lock at night (specifically) you will FUCKING DIE!
Yo, Mary did you lock the Dead Bolt?
No, Why?
Go lock that shit, or we'll die!
No, Why?
Go lock that shit, or we'll die!
by Christmas Ornament September 05, 2015
when you are sitting down and the person next to you slugs you SO HARD,that it makes a very unique sound and hurts like a motherfucker.
OHHH FFUUCCCKKKK!!!!you just dead bolted me so hard that i wanna cry
by randomperson632 November 02, 2010
using the lock mechanism to have sex with oneself or another person.
When you can't get your dick up anymore, just take your old lady to the front door and turn your key in and out giving her the deadbolt.
by elguapophoenix February 09, 2010


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Premier League Message Board
man u or liverpool, who's most successful?
i've seen on a reply on a thread that someone listed all trophies won by man u to prove they don't suck.
they forget that liverpool's list is just as long, only with more european cups, and more league titles.
yes liverpool haven't won prem (yet), but it was harder to win title when it was 2 points for a win.
personally i go for liverpool.
what do you all think?Sort: Newest | Oldest | Most Replied Expand all replies
Man Utd will win , because they have the most stronger squad !!!
They have 11 people on the pitch , & have very good subtituts also!!!
A Yahoo! User Jan 17, 2009 03:18 Flag
so you havent won the real treble then you micky mouse of club you hate it because man u is gods team
A Yahoo! User Jan 17, 2009 03:10 Flag
your not as big as united simple as that they got the biggest fan base in the world and manu have been the most successfull club for the last 20 years when liverpoo won europian cups it was only about 6 teams in it lol untill they got us banned out of europe plus if the busby babes didnt die in that crash i wonder lol but this year man u will win every cup so far the charity sheild and the world cup already and derby wont stand a chance tuesday we will win them all good bye little keep dreaming but united dont need to dream its real and it happning lol
manu are succesful all the way
KingKtoykcaj KingKtoykcaj Jan 15, 2009 17:20 Flag
Liverpool is the
League Champions 18
1900-01 1905-06 1921-22 1922-23 1946-47
1963-64 1965-66 1972-73 1975-76 1976-77
1978-79 1979-80 1981-82 1982-83 1983-84
1985-86 1987-88 1989-90
Football Association Challenge Cup Winners 7
1964-65 1973-74 1985-86 1988-89 1991-92
2000-01 2005-06
League Cup Winners 7
1980-81 1981-82 1982-83 1983-84 1994-95
2000-01 2002-03
Football Association Charity Shield Winners 15
1964* 1965* 1966 1974 1976
1977* 1979 1980 1982 1986*
1988 1989 1990* 2001 2006
( * shared)
European Cup Winners 5
1976-77 1977-78 1980-81 1983-84 2004-05
UEFA Cup Winners 3
1972-73 1975-76 2000-01
European Super Cup Winners 3
1977 2001 2005
Super Cup Winners 1
Liverpool will be considered the more successful club than Manu,if they win 2008/09 EPL title. Else they will be on equal footing I would say. Most MANU fans are too young to learn the success of LFC.
united4life united4life Jan 14, 2009 05:04 Flag
after we won again this season we levels on league titles and dominating premier titles but you liverpool fans like counting pre war titles
Eric Cantona Eric Cantona Jan 12, 2009 18:55 Flag
Much as it hurts me to admit it but Liverpool are the most successful English club in terms of winning trophies; they have a much better European record than United. Domestically, its fairly even. For the record it goes:
....................Liverpool vs United
European Cup..........5 vs 3
UEFA cup.............. 3 vs 0
European CWC........0 vs 1
League..................18 vs 17
FA Cup....................7 vs 11
Carling Cup..............7 vs 2
World Club Cup........0 vs 2
European super cup. 3 vs 1
A Yahoo! User Jan 11, 2009 19:13 Flag
After the teams beat brazilian sides and agertina sides to get there sorry little boy we was the best in europe the brazilian teams got knocked out and agintina sides all so check up youngster
A Yahoo! User Jan 11, 2009 19:05 Flag
The holy grail keddddddddddddddddd it will never be done again man u got the biggest fan base in the world man u would of won more european cups if liverpoo didnt get us banned from europe lol and i tell you who will win every thing this year manu and who have won the world club cup twice i wonder our name is on there for good
A Yahoo! User Jan 9, 2009 15:44 Flag
if anyone with any sense or any knowledge of football will know the most successful team in english football is liverpool as they have won the league title more times than man utd,they have also won the european cup more times than them,also they have won the uefa cup winners cup more times than the #$%$ so on the whole yes man utd have won the PL more than liverpool but they are not the most successful team than liverpool YNWA
- View More Messages


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- Jul 30:
- Five Willamette wines to try
One reason people love pinot noir so much is because no other grape variety is as reflective of soil and climate. It is truly a shape-shifter, and even short differences in distance can yield wines of very different characters.
Because the grape thrives in tough, cool climates, many believe that Oregon -- and specifically, the Willamette Valley, where the growing season is long and temperatures can dip into the 30s even in summer -- is the best place to grow pinot noir outside of its native Burgundy.
I remember the first time I tasted a Willamette Valley pinot noir. It was an unknown vintage of Domaine Serene, the family-owned Dundee Hills winery established in 1989. My reaction: What is this lovely creature? It didn't have the diet zinfandel taste and 14.2 percent alcohol I'd come to expect from some California producers. It also lacked the lean, dirt-and-mushroom of many Burgundies (though I do love dirt-and-mushroom).
This wine was light to medium in body and had a watery, cranberry hue. It filled my mouth with just enough fruit -- strawberries -- before the aromas and flavors of black tea and orange peel found their way to my tongue. It was fresh, complex and delightful and opened the door to many more discoveries, including Domaine Drouhin, Amity Vineyards, Erath Winery, and Stoller Vineyards.
But production is small in the Willamette Valley -- tiny by California standards. There are 186 wineries in the Willamette Valley Winery Association, which represents six sub-appellations, but many operations stick to 10,000 cases or less. Often, it is only in select boutique wine shops, such as Vintage Berkeley, and wine-centric restaurants, like BayWolf, that I have found good selections of Oregon wines. That may change after a nearly unprecedented tasting next month.
For the first time, 70 wineries -- nearly half the members in the Willamette Valley Wineries Association -- will pour their artisan pinot noir and other cool-climate varietals, like chardonnay and pinot blanc, at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio in San Francisco.
The event, Pinot in the City by the Bay, is the first in 11 years, and it's likely it will sell out.
The last time there was a major tasting of Willamette Valley wines in San Francisco was back in 2001. This time, there will be 20 more wineries in attendance with owners, winemakers and distributors doing the pouring and educating.
"Oregon is about quality," says Tom Elliot of San Francisco-based Northwest Wines, a California distributor of Willamette Valley wines since 1985. "It will never compete in the world market in terms of quantity."
Like Burgundy, Willamette Valley also is vintage-driven when it comes to pinot noir. Elliot's tip? Fans of ripe, fruity pinot noir similar to California's should look to the warm 2009 vintage, while those who like the lean, mineral-driven French style might want to explore 2008 and 2010.
But the main message, as Pat Dudley, president of Salem's Bethel Heights Vineyards, explains, is that pinot noir does best in the Willamette Valley region because it likes to grow on the edge.
"It is capable of amazing complexity and depth but needs to ripen very slowly under fairly cool conditions to achieve that," says Dudley, who is also president of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. "If it gets too warm, it can develop too much alcohol, lose its acidity and develop excess phenolic compounds that don't allow its subtleties to come through. That's why we call it on the edge. Because at the end of the season, you're almost pulling your hair out in anticipation of that pinot."
pinot in the city by the bay
Taste wines from 70 Willamette Valley wineries and meet the owners and winemakers at this first-time event, 6 p.m. Sept 13, Golden Gate Club at The Presidio, 135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco. Pinot-friendly bites and a logo glass will accompany the tasting. Tickets: $65, advance purchase recommended. http://willamettewines.com.


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OCT 22, 2013 - Benzinga
A Must Read - Share
IBERIABANK Corporation (NASDAQ: IBKC), the holding company of IBERIABANK, announced today the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has approved the application of IBERIABANK to acquire certain assets and assume certain liabilities associated with the Memphis, Tennessee operations of Trust One Bank, a division of Synovus Bank. Comple
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ON THIS PAGE: You will find some questions to ask your doctor or other members of your health care team, to help you better understand your diagnosis, treatment plan, and overall care. To see other pages, use the menu on the side of your screen.
Talking often with the doctor is important to make informed decisions about your health care. These suggested questions are a starting point to help you learn more about your cancer care and treatment. You are also encouraged to ask additional questions that are important to you. You may want to print this list and bring it to your next appointment or download Cancer.Net's free mobile app for an e-list and other interactive tools to manage your care.
- What type of sarcoma do I have?
- Where exactly is the tumor located?
- What stage and grade is the sarcoma? What does this mean?
- Can you explain my pathology report (laboratory test results) to me?
- How experienced are you in treating this specific type of sarcoma?
- What are my treatment options?
- What clinical trials are open to me? Where are they located, and how do I find out more about them?
- What treatment plan do you recommend? Why?
- Is surgery an option to remove the sarcoma?
- Do you recommend any additional treatment?
- What is the goal of each treatment? Is it to eliminate the sarcoma, help me feel better, or both?
- Who will be part of my health care team, and what does each member do?
- Who will be coordinating my overall treatment and follow-up care?
- What are the possible side effects of this treatment, both in the short term and the long term?
- How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work, exercise, and perform my usual activities?
- Could this treatment affect my sex life? If so, how and for how long?
- Could this treatment affect my ability to become pregnant or have children? If so, should I talk with a fertility specialist before cancer treatment begins?
- How can I keep myself as healthy as possible during and after treatment?
- Will you recommend specific cancer rehabilitation services for me after treatment?
- What is my prognosis?
- What are the chances that the cancer will recur (come back)?
- If I'm worried about managing the costs related to my cancer care, who can help me with these concerns?
- What follow-up tests will I need, and how often will I need them?
- What support services are available to me? To my family?
- Whom should I call for questions or problems?
The next section offers some more resources that may be helpful to you. Use the menu on the side of your screen to select Additional Resources, or you can select another section, to continue reading this guide.


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Just recovered from an injury and cleared to run! Ran last year in memory of my dad, USMC Retired Captain Harry Kelley. Want to do it again! If you have a MCM 10K bib you'd like to sell please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
ACTIVE is the leader in online event registrations from 5k running races and marathons to softball leagues and local events. ACTIVE also makes it easy to learn and prepare for all the things you love to do with expert resources, training plans and fitness calculators.


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Well that didn't take long. A Monroe County jury decided within an hour and a half this afternoon to convict former Pocono pastor Arthur Schirmer of killing his first wife and then staging a car crash to cover up his crime. Check back at PoconoRecord.com for more on the verdict.
If you think it's cold out, just wait until tonight. Wind chill values will drop to around 15 below, with winds of 15 to 20 mph. Temperatures will drop to near zero.
An overnight fire in Stroudsburg has displaced a family of seven. The Red Cross is helping four adults and three children with lodging, food and groceries.
Meanwhile, an historic Allentown restaurant was destroyed by an early-morning blaze that sent five firefighters to the hospital.
Recent child sex abuse scandals, including the one involving Jerry Sandusky, are prompting Pennsylvania legislators to look at strengthening child abuse laws.
Speaking of Sandusky, one of the young men who testified against him during his trial last summer is suing the former Penn State assistant football coach, as well as the university and the Second Mile charity.
Seven East Stroudsburg University students got an up-close look at the presidential inauguration Monday, and it's an experience they won't soon forget. It's also an event they didn't know they would attend until the last minute, despite being in the nation's capitol for several weeks.
Back to local politics, several Pocono Township residents not happy with Supervisor Henry Bengel's appointment as public works director are circulating a petition seeking to remove him. Meanwhile, Bengel is pointing tohis success handling recent storms and even a partial road collapse.
Stroudsburg borough officials are offering a reward for anyone who might have information about who damaged one of their shade trees.
Te'o's "fake" girlfriend is speaking out. Wait, what? Well, it's actually the woman whose photo was used as the "face" of the fake girlfriend's Twitter account, a hoax organized by another man.
The firestorm continues to grow after the organizer of the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show announced it would ban any showcase of so-called assault weapons at its Harrisburg show next month. Now several celebrity hunters are pulling out of the gun show.
Location, ST | website.com


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There is no one in life who will not let you down.
...are you waiting for the "but..."? That magical statement that's supposed to follow to make the above sentence mean something good? Well, there isn't one. People are flawed. They're going to leave. They're going to fuck you over, they're going to disappoint you; they're going to make you sad and angry and frustrated, all to varying degrees.
And you're just going to have to keep going.
See, people need other people. But other people can't be the only thing keeping you together. Because other people are weak too. We're all fragile, we'll all fail, and then we'll all move on.
Let me back this up with a little ethos. I was recently betrayed in the biggest way by two of the closest people I knew. I had a marriage that was shorter than most celebrities', the "best years of my (social) life" scarred by a relationship I didn't realize was unhealthy, and a fragile psyche due to a life surrounded with illness, suicide attempts, and way less self-esteem than I let on. Now, I'm not trying to say my life was terrible. I was broken, yeah, but aside from the occasional destructive nights alone with my own thoughts, I was the projection of happiness.
And I even fooled myself.
It wasn't until the perfect life I had built up in my head had manifested itself and rapidly fell apart that I realized just how unhappy I was with it all.
After seeing the ravages left by successful suicide of an old friend from school, I never considered myself suicidal. Every time the darkness consumed me, I could always find at least one thing to make myself say, "This is why I can't actually go through with it." But in a way, that just made me more methodical. I would take self destruction to new levels without actually putting myself in "any real danger", or so I said. While I've gotten away from the harm for the most part, it's not like the thoughts aren't there. But there comes a certain point where you sort of just reduce suicide to the ultimate back-up plan. You tell yourself, I'm gonna keep going. I'm going to try this thing. And if all else fails....hey, there's that. It might sound sick, but it's true. And eventually, it's not even an option anymore. And you look back and realize just how far away from that possibility you are. You and I both, we may not be there yet, but as long as we keep walking forward, it's not within reach. And that's a start.
So what about these other people?
Well, they come in when you're weak. When you want to turn around and run to terrifying possibilities. Sometimes you'll need to reach out and cling to them, and sometimes they'll realize you're slipping and grab on to you. Or sometimes they'll pull you back without even realizing it. But the most important thing is, sometimes, you need to be able to do that for yourself. Even when your head is the one place you want to run from. Because the only thing worse than shutting everyone out when you're on the edge is expecting them to say what you want to hear to talk you down.
So yeah, people are gonna suck sometimes. Every one of them, at one point or another. And other times, they're gonna be exactly what you need. (And here comes the but you were waiting for at the beginning of this...) BUT, where other people lack, you're going to learn to make up for in yourself. It will make you stronger. And, in turn, you'll be stronger for them too.
I was let down in the worst of ways. But I'm finally seeing how beautiful that was. I still have nights where I struggle immensely, and to be honest this was one of them...that's why I'm here. But I can tell you right now that if my life would have gone the way I thought I wanted it to, I would be missing out on so many things that I'm finding right now. I would have accepted the dim porch light of my happiness as the true sunshine I've been experiencing since.
And most of all, I wouldn't be getting better.
But I promise you...it gets better.5 Comments


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MAR 13, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle
A Must Read - Share
'Assistance': Play explores 'a rite of passage'
Headland writes about the assistant experience in her play Assistance, having its Bay Area premiere from Open Tab Productions, a young San Francisco company aiming to create theater for the masses, or, as they put it, theater with the 're.
When Headland wrote and directed her first film, last year's "Bachelorette," her former boss saw it at the Sundance Film Festival and picked it up for distribution.
Weinstein "has always been supportive of my writing, even when I worked for him as an assistant," Headland says.
Editor's Picks
Hey you have no friends!!! Get to work and start inviting friends to help build your Comunitee. Click Here to invite friends.
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This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.
June 21, 2006
BP Commits $500 Million Over 10 Years to Support Biofuels
BP announced on June 14th that it plans to spend $500 million over the next ten years to establish a biosciences research laboratory dedicated to energy technologies. According to BP, the new BP Energy Biosciences Institute will initially focus on developing new biofuels, improving the efficiency and flexibility of ethanol and biodiesel, devising new technologies to convert a greater proportion of crops into biofuels, and developing plants that produce more energy molecules (such as oils, starches, and sugars) and can be grown on land not suitable for food production. BP is currently in discussions with several leading universities to identify which could host the new research laboratory and plans to launch its research programs by the end of next year. BP chief executive Lord Browne expects a significant growth in demand for biofuels over the next decade, and he believes that a major investment in new biofuel technology is needed to assure that biofuel supplies keep up with demand.
To make use of the technology, BP has also launched a new biofuels business within its refining and marketing division. The company is planning to offer E85 (a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) in one or more U.S. markets toward the end of this year. And on June 20th, BP announced an agreement with DuPont to develop advanced biofuels, starting with butanol, an alcohol that can be produced by fermenting sugars (BP refers to this sugar-derived butanol as "biobutanol"). The companies are working with British Sugar to convert a U.K. ethanol plant into a biobutanol production plant by next year. According to BP, gasoline containing a significant percentage of biobutanol can be burned in gasoline-fueled vehicles without any need for retrofits, and the blends offer better fuel economy that gasoline and ethanol blends. BP claims that biobutanol can also enhance the performance of ethanol blends. A U.S. company, Environmental Energy, Inc., is also developing this technology. See the BP press releases from June 14th and June 20th and for detailed information on biobutanol, see the Environmental Energy Web site.
The BP news came just weeks after Chevron Corporation announced that it was forming a biofuels business unit. On June 15th, Chevron followed up that announcement by forming a strategic research alliance with the Georgia Institute of Technology. Chevron Technology Ventures will contribute up to $12 million over the next five years for research in the production of biofuels from cellulosic biomass, the characterization of biomass feedstocks, and the development and improvement of sorbents that remove impurities from hydrogen. See the Chevron press release.


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Opening to the God of Your Life
Each year the Center for Lifelong Learning offers a contemplative retreat for women under the sheltering arms of the Benedictine Monastic Community in Cullman, Alabama. The retreat is open to any woman seeking a deeper experience of God.
The Sacred Heart Monastery is a dwelling place for a group of Benedictine Sisters whose lives of prayer and work are patterned on an ancient Rule dating back to the 6th century. "The quiet rhythm of their lives, not to mention the natural beauty of the place, contributes to the feeling that in coming here, we have crossed a threshold," says retreat leader, Lalor Cadley. "We have been given a way to move from relentless chronos time to spacious kairos time. It will be a time for resting, waiting, listening, tending...a time to come and see."
The theme for the next retreat is "Opening to the God of Your Life," May 20-24, 2013.
Retreat leader, Lalor Cadley, invites all women: "Join us as we pray and play our way to a spacious place where God's gracious Spirit can manifest in forms both ancient and brand new. In silence, in nature, in art and poetry, in gentle conversation with other women on the journey, we will open to God's presence. Jesus invites us to 'come and see,' then waits for our reply."
For more information on the 2013 retreat or to register, click here.


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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com Books at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Get it today!Shop Now
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Shawlettes are the new socks! These hugely popular, fashion accessories are worn about the shoulders and meant for showing off. They?re not only stylish but these budget-friendly pieces make for perfect portable projects. International knitwear designer Jean Moss knows this best and has pulled together a wonderfully creative collection of 25 knitting patterns for shawlettes, mini-wraps cowls, collars, and more. The garments are grouped by style: Country, Couture, Folk, and Vintage, and feature gorgeous yarns of varying content, including wool, silk, cotton, and sustainable fibers. Knitters of all levels will draw inspiration from the gorgeous four-color photos. Additionally helpful are illustrations, charts, schematics and an appendix with instructions for special stitches. Shawlettes can be endlessly reinterpreted in beautiful ways as this book shows. It?s one that will capture knitters? imaginations for years to come.. Price: $15.96
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EPPING — A woman who was reportedly struck in the head by a basketball at Epping High School was transported to the hospital Monday morning, a fire official said.
Emergency crews responded to the high school gymnasium at 21 Academy St. shortly before 11 a.m. after the ball hit a 45-year-old woman in the head, according to initial emergency communications.
The woman was reported to be conscious and breathing, but not alert.
Fire Chief Don DeAngelis was unable to provide details of the incident, but confirmed that the patient was transported to Exeter Hospital by Epping Ambulance.
Location, ST | website.com


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Belson Pro Brush Curling Iron
- Overview
- Features
- Available in 1/2" and 3/4" sizes
- Chrome-plated barrel
- Two heat settings
- Safety tip
- Power indicator light
- Tangle free 6 foot swivel cord
- About the brand
Belson Pro Brush Curling Iron features a chrome plated barrel, safety tip, and 2 heat settings. Available in 1/2" and 3/4" sizes, this curling brush can add curl and volume to any hair type.
Belson is the name behind top professional styling tool collections including Gold 'N Hot, Smart Heat and Brazilian Heat. Winner of multiple American Best Beauty Industry Efforts (ABBIE) awards, Belson professional styling tools are a salon fave worldwide.
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CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Eighth District Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's upcoming 2008 Farm Tour of Southern Missouri agricultural production will provide a look at everything from dairy cows to the production of hydrogen as an alternative fuel.
This year, the annual Emerson Farm Tour will run from Tuesday through Sept. 5.
"The farms and ranches in Southern Missouri are not your run-of-the-mill agricultural operations. We have innovations at work here that are literally leading the world, and at the same time Missouri is bringing brand new crops and products to the market," Emerson said.
Emerson will visit the area Tuesday at the following times and locations: 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at University of Missouri Delta Center Field Day at Rone Exhibit Hall in Portageville; 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at New Madrid Riverfront groundbreaking near the River Ampitheater in New Madrid; 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Tiller Dairy Farm in Matthews; 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Hamra Hydroponics Farm in Advance; and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Butler County John Deere Implement Dealer in Poplar Bluff.
" My annual farm tour is just one of the ways I keep in touch with state-of-the art methods being used to make our part of the state competitive in agricultural markets around the world," Emerson said.
Stops on Emerson's tour include a meeting with timber producers, a visit to a winery and one to a greenhouse. Emerson will also join a briefing on biofuels production and the contribution this technology should make to American energy security.
"It is especially important to me to visit with our producers, researchers, and agri-business leaders one-on-one and see their operations firsthand. Agriculture is vital to our rural economy, and our farms and ranches are a source of great pride," Emerson said.
Emerson is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture in the U.S. House of Representatives.


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Did Demi Moore get special treatment?
That's what some people are asking after portions of the recent 911 call from her house were redacted before the tape was released.
Not so, said the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. It said it recommends to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which releases 911 calls, that such tapes not include private medical information because making those kinds of details public would violate federal law.
On Jan. 23, a woman called 911 soliciting help for Moore, whom she said was "convulsing" and "burning up" after "smoking something," according to a recording of the call obtained Friday from the Fire Department.
Moore was rushed to a Southern California hospital after the call.
A representative for Moore said after the incident that the actress -- who recently separated from her husband, Ashton Kutcher -- has been dealing with stress.


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ACI Pharm is a growing pharmaceutical company with global presence in products for humans and animals. We are manufacturer and supplier of quality generic medicMore
$1 mil. - $5 mil.in Revenue
10 - 20EmployeesContact people at this company
Drug Manufacturing & ResearchPharmaceuticalsHealthcareMore
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Enterprise_Iteration-NT.1579[01] SEIDXWK-35


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PHILIPPI - After 26 years on the job, Barbour County Administrator Chuck Foley has announced his plans to retire.
Foley publicly voiced his retirement intentions at a Barbour County Commission meeting Monday, following an executive session for personnel matters. His last day on the job will be Feb. 15, but he will remain on payroll until March while claiming his vacation benefits.
Foley began his employment at the Barbour County Courthouse in February1988.
Foley said he has no definite plans for the future.
"I don't have any immediate plans," Foley said. "I'm just going to relax."
The Barbour County Commission announced it will soon advertise for the position to allow potential candidates to begin the application process.
"Chuck, he's done a good job," Commissioner Phil Hart said. "He's going to be greatly missed."
Although the commissioners will search for a qualified candidate to step in, Foley has been a one-of-a-kind administrator, they said.
"We won't be able to replace him," Commission President Jedd Schola said.
County Clerk Macel Auvil joked that she was going to try to keep Foley around for another three years.
"Macel, you're just lucky you got the last two (years)," Schola told Auvil with a smile.
Foley had been planning to retire earlier, but opted to remain on the job for another two years.
The next Barbour County Commission meeting will take place at 6:30 a.m., Jan. 2, at the Barbour County Courthouse. It will be a regular meeting during which commissioners will elect the 2014 commission president. Schola is currently president, while Hart served as president in 2012.
Contact Melissa Toothman by email at firstname.lastname@example.com..


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<< Previous Plant | Next Plant >>
Carefree Spirit o.r.
Rosa Landscape/Shrub 'Carefree Spirit o.r.'
This mounding Shrub is a lot like Carefree Delight as it comes from the same breeding line. It shares the same ruggedness and glossy foliage. But it has even better disease resistance, more bushy compact habit and more bloom power. Colorful deep cherry-red blend blooms arrive in large showy clusters. A consensus winner that will perform well in any area of the country. 4-8 petals


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Day to Day
The Batesville Station is nestled between beautiful rolling hills, Ozark forests and tranquil meadows. On this page, you can enjoy a few scenes from the Station in the course of our daily operations. All images enlarge by clicking on them.
Tom Hess applies an ear tag during processing. Todd Coles does the banding while Tim Smith works the chute


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Goshen — Orange County Executive Ed Diana introduced details Wednesday of a backup plan for a new Government Center building that would be smaller and tens of millions of dollars cheaper than a $136.4 million, 333,000-square-foot facility that the county's consultants proposed.
Speaking at a Goshen Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting, Diana suggested a $90 million plan that would include a new Government Center and renovations to other county buildings. That would scale back a smaller, $93 million proposal by Rochester-based LaBella Associates, the consultants on the project.
The $93 million LaBella plan would demolish the existing flood-damaged Government Center, closed since Sept. 8, and replace it with a new 215,000-square-foot building, but would not include renovations to other county buildings.
In a phone interview after the breakfast meeting, Diana explained in more detail how he planned to pull off the cheaper alternative. The executive said savings could be realized by reducing the size of the new building to 200,000 square feet or less.
The money saved through the space reduction would be used to renovate other county buildings, such as the 1841 Court House and Annex, the Surrogate Court building and the Board of Elections building. There is a total of 70,000 square feet of space in outlying buildings that could be utilized, Diana said.
He said the $90 million figure could be shaved even more through the efficient use of parking space, by being frugal on internal decor and by adding a parking garage.
"I'm trying to do this as cost-efficiently as we can," he said.
The phone interview came after a long morning speech in which Diana addressed critics of his plan to demolish the county building, damaged by the summer storms, while also outlining alternatives proposed by LaBella Associates.
Options to save the current Government Center range from a one-and-a-half-year cleanup and cosmetic fix of storm-damaged rooms and offices for about $14 million to a three-year project that would include flood prevention measures and renovation of the Government Center and other county buildings at a cost of about $41 million.
Diana said he considered a full replacement of the current center to be the best option. But he acknowledged the lack of support for the $136.4 million option.
"That's history," he said.
Any decision on the future of the Government Center must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the county Legislature, Diana emphasized.
Location, ST | website.com


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Oilfield Process Chemicals: Global Markets
|BCC Research
|英文 172 Pages
※ このページに掲載されている内容は最新版と異なる場合があります。詳細はお問い合わせください。
The global market for oilfield process chemicals reached nearly $7.4 billion in 2013. This market is expected to grow to $7.7 billion in 2014 and nearly $9.7 billion in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6%.
Oilfield process chemicals support the exploration and processing of crude oil and natural gas in the field. Various factors influence the demand for oilfield process chemicals. The world's energy needs are increasing as emerging economies such as China, India, Latin America and Africa develop their capabilities and raise the living standards of their populations. Crude oil and natural gas are critical to the energy supply chain. For this reason, many nations are looking to be self-sufficient in energy generation across the supply chain, resulting in a drive to secure feedstocks they can control. They do not want to rely on imports from nations that may have differing political agendas or ideals that are in conflict with theirs, or are located in regions of unrest and instability that could threaten the supply of key raw materials. In addition, most of the easy-to-extract oil in locations that can be easily accessed and supported has been recovered.
All of this generates a demand for energy companies to uncover rich sources of future fuel, leading to operations that drill deeper into the Earth's substructure, explore deeper waters offshore and increase the exploitation of unconventional sources of oil and gas. In addition, companies are attempting to maximize the amount of oil and gas that can be extracted from existing reservoirs by increasing the deployment of secondary and tertiary methods of recovery. This appetite for oil and gas leads to an increased market for chemicals which enable the above activities to take place.
This study was conducted to determine the future of the oilfield process chemicals industry on a worldwide scale. The forecast demand and production of oil will have a direct impact on the need for oilfield process chemicals. This study estimates the five-year forecast for the oilfield process chemicals industry from 2014 through 2019.
During this period, new oil and gas discoveries efforts to reduce environmental impact, and the drive for energy self-sufficiency will support the growth of the industry moving forward. Based on this information, BCC forecasts the oilfield process chemicals industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% over the next five years. This estimate is based on projections in the oil drilling, exploration and production sectors. It does not include the value of services and other products offered by oilfield process chemical companies. Values have been confirmed with industry sources and industry experts.
This report is an update of an earlier (2011) BCC Research study of the oilfield process chemicals industry. Exploration and production have rebounded from the lows of the 2008 and 2009 recession and, lead by North American shale assets, oil sands and the Gulf of Mexico's deepwater resources, the last three years have been a dynamic period for the oil and gas industry. As the industry moves into 2014, investments in the energy renaissance are shifting from the upstream sector to midstream infrastructure, refinery operations and petrochemical facilities.
In view of these trends, BCC Research has decided that this is an appropriate time to revise the 2011 report in order to provide readers with an up-to-date understanding of the value and structure of the global oilfield process chemicals industry. Chemical manufacturing sales, a $7.4 billion industry, experienced rapid gains during the early part of this century, with growth rates of over 10% year on year. The challenges associated with deeper drilling and coping with hotter and higher pressure environments, as well as the drive to recycle and reuse material, means the usage of specialty chemicals will only increase.
This study will review the chemicals that are consumed in the exploration, drilling, and production of oil and gas globally. It will highlight growing and contracting segments, technological challenges that the industry is facing, and possible solutions to those challenges.
The information was obtained using standard research techniques of primary and secondary research, including but not limited to: library resources, the Internet, company quarterly and annual reports, published material, and discussions with industry experts and active players.
The scope of this study includes only the chemicals used in the upstream part of the oilfield processes and market sizes that have been calculated at the manufacturing level rather than at the oilfield service sales level. In many cases, what material is in scope and what is out of scope is clear cut, and materials that are classified as minerals have been excluded. Where it is not so clear (as in the case of insoluble salts or the usage of material produced on-site) judgment has been made by the analysts based on discussions with industry experts. Chemicals in scope have been categorized in three different ways: by process application, by type, and by chemical function. Both past and current market performance of oilfield process chemicals is assessed. Projected sales for the industry as a whole are forecast by application, type and function and the market is assessed on a worldwide scale. Impacts on the oil and gas industry are explained and the potential effects of political issues, environmental legislation and energy policies are also considered.
The authors of the original report on which this update is based are John Joseph Harkin and Ronald van Rossum. John Joseph Harkin, Ph.D. is a chemist from the University of Manchester, U.K. He has 20 years of experience providing business insight to a range of companies in the chemical industry and related industries. The majority of his industrial career was spent in global business development within a specialty firm active in many industries including the oilfield chemical industry.
Ronald van Rossum has more than 24 years of experience providing information management services to the chemical industry. For 10 years, he was a global information manager, delivering a wide range of services to a global specialty company. He is an expert information researcher and speaks several languages.
The analyst responsible for updating the report is Andrew McWilliams, a partner in 43rd Parallel LLC, a Boston-based international technology and marketing consulting firm.


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Intel has said on multiple occasions that its 45nm process
is on track for
production 2007. In fact, Intel began sampling its Penryn
45nm chips just several weeks ago. At the IEDM, IBM and AMD described three
technologies that hope to compete with Intel's 45nm development: the use of
immersion lithography, which AMD says will "deliver enhanced microprocessor
design definition and manufacturing consistency," ultra-low-K interconnect
dielectrics to enhance performance-per-watt ratio and multiple enhanced
transistor strain techniques.
Current process technologies use conventional lithography,
which has significant limitations in defining microprocessor designs beyond the
65nm process
technology generation. Immersion lithography uses a projection lens filled with
purified water as part of the step-and-repeat lithography -- think of the same
principles applied to immersion microscopy.
Immersion lithography provides increased flow of light, depth of focus and improved image
fidelity that can improve chip-level performance and manufacturing efficiency. For
example, the performance of an SRAM cell shows improvements of approximately 15
percent due to this enhanced process capability, without resorting to more
costly double-exposure techniques.
In addition, AMD and IBM say that the use of porous,
ultra-low-K dielectrics reduces interconnect capacitance, wiring delay, as well
as lowering power dissipation. This advance is enabled through the development
of an ultra-low-K process integration that reduces the dielectric constant of
the interconnect dielectric while maintaining the mechanical strength. The
addition of ultra-low-K interconnect provides a 15 percent reduction in
wiring-related delay as compared to conventional low-K dielectrics.
In spite of the increased packing density of the 45nm
generation transistors, IBM and AMD demonstrated multiple enhanced transistor
strain techniques that give an 80 per cent increase in p-channel transistor
drive current and a 24 per cent increase in n-channel transistor drive current
compared to unstrained transistors. The companies claim that their achievement
results in the highest CMOS performance reported to date in a 45nm process
In November 2005, AMD and IBM announced an extension of
their joint development efforts until 2011 covering 32nm and 22nm process
technology generations. AMD and IBM expect the first 45nm products using
immersion lithography and ultra-low-K interconnect dielectrics to be available
in mid-2008.
quote: It's going to be really interesting in a few years when we hit that 22nm mark
quote: The AMD New York plant isn't a done deal. AMD has signed a nonbinding agreement while it hashes out final details with the state.
AMD Chief Executive Hector Ruiz says it would be only the company's second new plant that uses the newest wafers, which are 300 millimeters in diameter. Companies cut chips from silicon disks, or wafers. Chip companies can get 2.25 times as many chips from 300 mm wafers as they can from the earlier standard, 200 mm.


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BEGINNER BALLET IMMERSION—Workshop • $40
(includes Yoga class from 10:30am-12:00pm
Guest Speaker, Lee Arters from Pangea Earth Foods
Sunday, September 15th • 12:30 til 2:30pm @ SCULPERE
Organic • Vegetarian • Vegan • Raw • Juice
There are so many diet options to choose from! At Sculpere we believe in living a balanced lifestyle with healthy routine, avoiding extremes, and living with mindful understanding about healing and the effects of what we put into and onto our bodies. We will demonstrate ancient self care methods and teach you how to incorporate these techniques into your modern lives. You will leave this workshop with a free gift, a full belly, and a deeper understanding of how & why the food choices you make and products you use effect your internal ecosystem as well as our external environment.


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Enter your Email address:
Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed
to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without
your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Staras, Stephanie A. S. PHD*; Cook, Robert L. MD†; Clark, Duncan B. MD, PHD‡
From the *Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, School of Medicine, the †Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; and the ‡Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
We thank Diane M. Comer for data management and technical assistance.
Supported in part by funding by the National Institute of Health K23 AA00303 and K02 AA00291.
Correspondence: Stephanie A. S. Staras, PhD, University of Florida, Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, PO Box 100017, Gainesville, FL 32608. E-mail: email@example.com.
Received for publication June 13, 2008, and accepted October 3, 2008.
Background: Among adolescents and young adults, the extent that partner characteristics account for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in context of individual sexual activities and demographic characteristics is unclear.
Methods: Sexual partner characteristics, individual sexual activities, and STD diagnosis were assessed among 15 to 24-year-old STD clinic attendees from 1999 to 2002 (n = 412). We used exact logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) for several sexual partner characteristics (age discordance, incarceration, STD diagnosis, other partners, alcohol problem, marijuana problem, and a calculated composite variable) adjusting for demographics and individual sexual activities, including condom use.
Results: Sexual partner characteristics associated with STD diagnosis were ≥5 years age discordance [OR = 2.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.6, 4.5)] and STD in the past year [OR = 3.4 (95% CI = 2.0, 5.7)]. Even when considering individual sexual activities, composite partner risk was associated with STD diagnosis [intermediate to low OR = 2.1 (95% CI = 1.0, 4.2) and high to low OR = 3.4 (95% CI = 1.6, 7.0)]. Composite individual sexual activities was associated with STD diagnosis when considering demographics [intermediate to low OR = 1.8 (95% CI = 1.0, 3.2), high to low OR = 2.3 (95% CI = 1.2, 4.5)], but not when also considering partner characteristics [intermediate to low OR = 1.6 (95% CI = 0.9, 2.8), high to low OR = 1.8 (95% CI = 0.8, 3.9)].
Conclusions: Among this sample of 15 to 24-year-olds, sexual partner characteristics identified individuals at increased risk of prevalent STDs and were more predictive of STDs than an individual's sexual activities.
In the United States, 9 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occurred among 15 to 24-year-olds in 2000.1 Because individuals cannot acquire STDs through sex with an uninfected partner, having sex with a partner who has a STD is an important risk factor for STD acquisition.2 Several characteristics of partners are associated with STD risk including: (1) age difference between partners (age discordance)3–5; (2) partner has other partners during the same period in time6,7; (3) partner intoxicated during sex8; or (4) partner was previously in jail.9,10 The importance of each partner characteristic has been shown, but studies have not considered the cumulative effect of partners' risk characteristics on an individual's likelihood of having a STD.
The relative importance of partner characteristics and individual sexual activities (e.g., age at first intercourse, number of sex partners, and condom use) in STD diagnosis is unclear. The association between sexual partner characteristics and STDs persists when considering the individual's number of sexual partners.5,11 But the influence of other important individual sexual activities, including condom use, has not been considered in assessments of partner characteristics.
Among urban STD clinic attendees ages 15 to 24 years, we pursued 2 objectives to improve understanding of the influence of partner characteristics on STD risk. First, we assessed the association between STD diagnosis and a composite measure of partner characteristics incorporating age discordance, incarceration, STD diagnosis, other partners, alcohol problem, and marijuana problem. Second, we compared the association between STDs and partner characteristics to the association between STDs and individual sexual activities.
Data were from The Relationship of Alcohol, Youth, and STD Project, described previously.12 This study was conducted among men and women aged 15 to 24 years (n = 448) attending an urban STD clinic in Pittsburgh. STDs were assessed clinically and an interviewer administered a questionnaire about demographic variables, alcohol use, sexual activities, and sexual partner characteristics. The present analysis includes the 412 black and white participants who reported having heterosexual sex. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained for the study procedures from the University of Pittsburgh and for this analysis from the University of Florida.
Based on the literature about partners and sexual risk,3–5,9,12–14 we selected 6 measures of partner characteristics: (1) ≥5 years age discordance, (2) previously incarcerated, (3) STD diagnosis in the past year, (4) other partners in the past year, (5) alcohol problem, and (6) marijuana problem. Participants reported each characteristic for both their main partner and their most recent, not main partner. Responses for each partner were considered equally. The partner was defined as having a perceived alcohol problem if the participant reported that the partner "needs to cut down his or her drinking," "has been annoyed by people criticizing his or her drinking," "has felt bad or guilty about his or her drinking," or "has had to take a drink first thing in the morning to steady his or her nerves or get rid of a hangover." The partner was defined as having a perceived marijuana problem if the participant reported that the partner smokes marijuana daily.
Using a predetermined method, we created a simple composite partner characteristic variable that could be incorporated into clinical practice and maximized the existing data. For each of the 6 partner characteristics described above, we assigned a value of 0 to the referent category and 1 to the risk category. For each participant, we calculated the proportion of the responses in the risk category. This yielded a score ranging from 0 to 1 for each participant; 0 indicated all characteristics were in the referent category and 1 indicated all characteristics in the high risk category. We divided this score into 3 broad groups: low (≤0.33), intermediate (>0.33 and ≤0.66), and high (>0.66). For sensitivity analysis, we also created the composite without the measure of partner had a STD.
Based on the literature of individual sexual risk factors,9,12,15–19 we selected 9 measures of individual sexual activities: (1) age at first intercourse, (2) number of lifetime sexual partners, (3) number of past year sexual partners, (4) concurrent sex partners, (5) new sexual partner in the past month, (6) casual sex in the past 12 months, (7) sex under the influence of alcohol, (8) condom use during last sex, and (9) frequency of condom use in past 12 months. Age at first intercourse, number of lifetime sex partners, and number of sex partners in the past year were collected as continuous variables and categorized by the overall median response for analysis.
We also created a composite of individual sexual activities. Because we detected moderate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient between 0.3 and 0.5) between casual partner and 4 of the other measures, we did not include casual partner in the composite variable. We created the individual sexual activities composite variable with the 8 other individual sexual activities measures using the same methodology as we used to create the partner characteristic composite. In brief, we created a score from 0 to 1 by calculating the proportion of responses of increased risk among the individual sexual activities variables. Then, we divided this score into 3 categories; low (≤0.33), intermediate (>0.33, and ≤0.66), and high (>0.66).
Women's cervical samples and men's urethral samples were tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Syphilis was tested among serum samples for both sexes. Women's vaginal samples were cultured for trichomonas. Viral culture of genital herpes was performed for suspicious lesions and genital warts were diagnosed by clinical observation. Similar to our previous analysis from this study,12 an individual diagnosed with any of the above diseases was defined as having a confirmed STD.
Based on the STD literature, we selected 5 covariates: race, sex, age, marital status, and type of medical insurance.16,20 Marital status was analyzed as single versus other (married, divorced, living with partner in marriage-type relationship, and widowed). Type of medical insurance was analyzed as any insurance (Medicaid or private insurance) versus no insurance.
We used SAS software, version 9.0 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC) for frequencies, and LogXact software, version 8.0 (Cytel Software Corporation, Cambridge, MA) for exact logistic regression. For each variable, we used both race-adjusted and multivariate (covariates included race, sex, age, and type of medical insurance) exact logistic regression to estimate the association between partner characteristics and STD diagnosis. Marital status was not included in the multivariate model because there was little variability in this measure: 83% of participants were single. Common to models with several covariates,21,22 we found that the exact permutation distribution for the sufficient statistic was computationally infeasible to calculate for our multivariate models; therefore, for multivariate models we used the LogXact network-based Monte Carlo sampling approach for conditional logistic regression to estimate unbiased exact confidence intervals.21,22
The mean age of the 412 study participants was 20.4 years (2.2 standard deviation), ranging from 15 to 24 years. There was substantial representation by sex (48% men), race (41% white), and health insurance (40% did not have health insurance). Most of the participants were single (83%) and lived in the city of Pittsburgh (76%).
All of the participants were sexually experienced. The median number of lifetime sex partners was 10 (range: 1–200) and the median number of partners in the past year was 3 (range: 1–50). Most participants reported that they had a casual partner in the past year (70%), used a condom less than nearly always (67%), and believed that at least one of their sexual partners had other sexual partners in the past year (71%). Approximately, 25% reported ≥5 years age discordance with one of their partners; partners ranged from 6 years younger to 34 years older than the participant.
We found differences between women and men on reporting of partner characteristics and individual sexual activities (Table 1). Women were more likely than men to report partners with risk characteristics including discordant ages, previously in jail, and had alcohol, or marijuana problems. Men were more likely than women to report individual sexual activities with increased risk, except for condom use and sex under the influence of alcohol that were reported equally by men and women.
STDs were diagnosed among 27% (113/412) of the adolescents and young adults; 15.9% (65/409) had chlamydia, 12.4% (50/402) had gonorrhea, 1.5% (6/412–lesions were tested for 29 adolescents) had newly diagnosed genital herpes, 3.4% (14/412) had genital warts, and 8.0% (17/212) of women had trichomonas. Women (30%) and men (26%) were equally likely to have an STD (Table 1). For most of the STDs examined, a similar percent of men and women were infected, but genital warts were more common among men than women (Table 1).
Adolescents reporting that their partner had a STD in the past year were 3 times as likely to have a STD as adolescents who did not report a partner with a STD (Table 2). Compared with individuals with age concordant partners, individuals with age discordant partners were approximately 3 times as likely to have a STD. We were unable to assess whether there was a differential association with older and younger partners because few participants reported partners ≥5 years younger (n = 8). Results were similar for other analyses considered: adjusting for race only, analyzing blacks and whites separately, and analyzing the 4 race-sex groups separately.
Adolescents reporting condom use during their last sexual encounter were half as likely to have a STD compared with adolescents reporting no condom use (Table 2). A similar association was found between condom use and STD diagnosis when considering the frequency of condom use in the past year. Additionally, individuals reporting casual partners in the past year or ≥10 lifetime sexual partners were more likely to be diagnosed with a STD. The associations between individual sexual activities and STD diagnosis were weaker than associations found between partner characteristics and STD diagnosis (Table 2).
Each category of the composite variables separated the sexual activity markers well. For example, we found a significant linear trend by category of partner composite risk (low, intermediate, high) in median age discordance with the most discordant sex partner (2, 3, 5 years of age difference) and median number of sex partners of the not-main partner (2, 3, 4 partners). Across categories of the individual sexual activities composite (low, intermediate, high), we found significant linear trends by the median reported number of lifetime sex partners (4, 10, 23 partners) and the median age at first intercourse (16, 15, 14-years-old).
With each increased category of partner characteristic composite, the percent of individuals diagnosed with a STD increased (P < 0.001). When adjusting for demographic characteristics, the partner characteristic composite was significantly associated with STD diagnosis (Table 3). When also adjusting for the individual sexual activities composite, the association between partner characteristic and STD diagnosis remained significant, and partner characteristics contributed to the explanation of STDs (Likelihood ratio test: P < 0.001). When we created the composite without the measure of whether the partner had a STD in the past year, the association between partner characteristics and STD diagnosis was slightly reduced [intermediate to low OR = 1.9 (95% CI = 1.0, 3.5) and high to low OR = 2.3 (95% CI = 1.1, 4.6)].
With each increased category of individual sexual activity composite, the percent of individuals diagnosed with a STD increased (P = 0.01). When adjusting for demographic characteristics, individual sexual activity was significantly associated with STD diagnosis (Table 3). When also adjusting for the partner characteristics composite, however, we did not find a significant association between individual sexual activity and STD diagnosis and individual sexual activity did not contribute significantly to the explanation of STDs (Likelihood ratio test: P = 0.16). Similar to the analyses for each measure, the association between composite individual sexual activity and STD diagnosis was weaker than the association between composite partner risk and STD diagnosis (Table 3).
Partner characteristics and individual sexual activities identified different individuals (Fig. 1). Within each category of individual sexual activity, we found adolescents and young adults classified as high partner risk. For example, among adolescents with low individual sexual activity, 47% reported partner characteristics of intermediate (40%) or high risk (7%).
Black individuals were 4 times as likely as white individuals to have a STD [OR = 4.5 (95% CI = 2.6–8.1)]. When adjusting for demographic covariates, partner characteristics, and individual sexual activities, blacks individuals remained 4 times more likely than whites to have a STD (Table 4). We found the largest change in the OR by race when controlling for whether the partner had a STD in the past year (OR = 3.0), but this estimate was not statistically different from the crude OR estimate. Partner characteristics did not explain the racial disparity in STD diagnosis.
Even when controlling for individual sexual activities, including condom use, partner characteristics identified adolescents and young adults at high risk of STDs. Incorporation of a composite measure of partner characteristics into routine assessment of STD risk would be beneficial because partner characteristics identified different individuals than individual sexual activities and partner characteristics may be more predictive of STD risk than individual sexual activities. Despite the importance of partner characteristics in STD risk assessment, partner characteristics did not explain the racial disparity in STD diagnosis.
The stronger association we found between partner characteristics and STD diagnosis than between individual sexual activities and STD diagnosis supports and expands previous findings from black 14 to 19-year-old girls to both black and white men and women ages 15 to 24 years.5 Additionally, our study expands previous findings by showing a persistent association between partner characteristics and STD diagnosis when considering condom use and other individual sexual activities. One reason partner selection may be more important for STD acquisition than individual sexual activities is that sexual activities with an uninfected partner present no risk of STD acquisition.
Our finding of a 50% reduction in STDs among condom users is among the stronger associations detected for protectiveness of condoms for prevalent STDs and adds to the evidence of condom effectiveness preventing transmission of STDs other than HIV.19,23,24 The detected association is likely an underestimate of the protectiveness of condoms because we were unable to assess infection status of the partner, incident infections, or correctness of condom use (i.e., condom problems or not using condoms from beginning to end of sexual intercourse).23,25 Additionally, our estimate of condom effectiveness is a combination of the protectiveness of condoms for the STDs examined.23,26–28
Individuals may have come to the STD clinic because their partner was diagnosed with a STD; therefore, the adolescents and young adults in our study may be more likely than the general population to have a partner who had a STD in the past year. This potential selection bias may have resulted in a stronger association between partner characteristics and STDs in our study than would be found in the general population. The persistence of an association between composite partner characteristics and STD diagnosis when disregarding whether the partner had a STD suggests that even if selection bias was present it would not account for the association between partner characteristics and STD prevalence.
Previous studies suggest that the participant's report would likely agree with the partner's report for partner's age and whether the partner was previously in jail, but agreement may be low regarding the existence and number of other sexual partners.29,30 Despite the potential for low agreement on some measures of sexual partner characteristics, we were able to use the participant's report of several characteristics of their partners to separate individuals into 3 categories (high, intermediate, and low) that showed a clear association with STD diagnosis.
The 4-fold racial difference in STD diagnosis was not explained when controlling for partner characteristics. It is possible that some of the racial disparity in STDs is explained by partner characteristics other than those measured in our study (e.g., partner's race).4,31 Additionally, racial differences in STD diagnosis may be due to biologic differences in vaginal bacteria; for example, 1 study found increased STD incidence among black women with bacterial vaginosis infections compared with all white women and black women without bacterial vaginosis infections.32
This study had limitations. First, we performed secondary analysis of The Relationship of Alcohol, Youth, and STD Project; therefore, we were limited to the data collected and could not assess potentially important partner characteristics including partner's race or intoxication during sex.4,8,31 Second, because sexual partners were not interviewed, our analyses relied on the individual's knowledge of their partner; agreement between the partners may be low for some measures, especially the existence and number of other sexual partners.29,30 Third, our study population was not representative of all youth ages 15 to 24-years-old; the study population was recruited from an STD clinic and may have higher risk partners than the general population.
This study had several strengths. First, STDs among adolescents were diagnosed clinically as opposed to relying on self-report that may underestimate STDs because of social desirability bias in reporting and undiagnosed infections.33 Second, we had multiple measures of sexual partners. Third, our measure of age discordance included both older and younger partners for both men and women, incorporating the multidimensions of age discordance that are rarely considered.34 Finally, the creation of a composite partner characteristic provided a comprehensive view of overall sexual risk and may have provided a more realistic representation of partner risk than considering each measure alone.
Incorporating an assessment of the composite partner characteristic measure described in this study may aid clinicians in identifying individuals at increased risk of STDs. First, over half of individuals with high-risk partners had a STD. Second, among the measures assessed, STDs were most strongly associated with composite partner characteristics. Third, the strong association between STDs and the partner characteristic composite persisted when considering individual sexual activities, including condom use.
This article has been cited 2 time(s).
© Copyright 2009 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association
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Getting college and career ready in middle and high school
Part 2: This is the second of a two-part series about college and career readiness in Ramona schools. Part 1 focused on elementary schools.
By Pixie Sulser
As students move from elementary to middle school, the focus on college and career readiness increases.
"OPMS is a marvelous example of a middle school which has taken college preparedness to heart," said Dr. Robert Graeff, superintendent of the Ramona Unified School District. "With combined efforts of NJHS, ACE classes, AVID, collegiate flags on campus, college T-shirt days, campus video programs, and the principal's strong leadership in this area, our middle school students are receiving a daily dose of collegiate vocabulary which is truly remarkable."
Each leadership group on the OPMS campus has a significant role in involving students in activities outside of the classroom. The National Junior Society (NJHS) makes college awareness its goal. Two years ago the group purchased a college flag for each classroom and office.
"The idea is to expose students to as many universities as possible even if just by name," explained NJHS co-adviser Ingrid Forbes. "Staff members regularly share facts and bits of information about their adopted colleges on OPT (the school's daily broadcast)"
NJHS also presents college information sessions to classes, sharing with all students what kind of courses should be taken in high school, what the SAT and ACT actually are, and making college a viable option.
"It's all about the students constantly seeing and hearing about college that takes the mystery and sometimes, the fear, out of the idea," said Forbes.
The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at OPMS also promotes college awareness as well as study skills. AVID instructor JJ Sclar said, "Students in the program not only learn information about future careers or how to get into college, but they are learning the skills to dominate in college."
Students who participate in the program in seventh and eighth grades tour all five main San Diego universities.
"Just as our testing data shows great strides in achievement in the elementary level, our data shows convincingly that students are entering high school far more prepared for rigorous college-prep coursework than ever before," said Graeff.
"My own goals in the preparation of students," continued Graeff, "include a hope that we will continue to increase the rigor of our academic instruction and eventually move to the place where high school graduation and college entrance are very close mirrors of each other.
"At the high school level, we are experiencing a true revival in preparing students for college. Ramona High School recently restructured its entire counseling office and counseling assignments to better support the college readiness mission."
RHS counselor Tocarra Best shared that a College and Career Center is now open for students through the Bulldog Connect program. "In the center, students may research colleges or careers, receive help in completing financial aid forms, search for scholarship opportunities, or take career surveys to help focus their skills."
The counseling department also created a publication targeted for RHS students titled Ramona High School: College & Career Guide. It provides tips for college applications, scholarship searches, financial aid, vocational and technological institutions and career explorations.
In their junior year, all students complete a College and Career Portfolio, which requires them to research at least one career choice requiring a college education and one career in which a college degree is not required.
"Many teachers highlight colleges and career opportunities," said Best, "with guest speakers and information posted in their classrooms."
Students also have the opportunity to prepare for certain careers through the school's ROP courses. ROP stands for Regional Occupational Programs, which teach students job skills on industry standard equipment. RHS students may learn career skills through a variety of ROP offerings in health care, automotive repair, sports medicine, food trades, digital photography, veterinary assistant, and architectural design/interior design.
High school students involved in NJROTC program experience many activities designed to encourage students to pursue college or be career ready after high school, shared Commander Mike Ernst. Through trips to various facilities, the program exposes students to various career options. "We provide career guidance on how to prepare to take the ASVAB test, which is the military entrance exam," said Ernst. "We then provide counseling on career paths within the service."
NJROTC also focuses on gaining acceptance into service academies as well as earning scholarships. "We currently have two previous students who received NJROTC scholarships to four year universities," shared Ernst. "Sabrina O'Gwynn is a sophomore at Tulane University and Adi Gutierrez is a freshman at the University of New Mexico. This year senior Paul Loska received a four year scholarship, although he has not yet chosen his school."
"NJROTC also offers something called Alternative Scholarship Reservation which was put in place for students who may not score high on standardized tests, but who have demonstrated leadership, integrity, and character,' explained Ernst. "If these students were not in NJROTC, they wouldn't have this extra opportunity for a scholarship. No matter whether students pursue career or high education, the mission of NJROTC is: to instill in students in United States secondary educational institutes the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment."
RHS schedules visits from college representatives that are on campus during the school day giving access to all students. "Additionally," said Graeff, "RHS has worked very hard to increase the number of courses (A-G) that students can take which qualify toward admission to any public or private university in California."
"The school continues to provide a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses, with recent data showing a marked increase in improved test results in the College Board's AP testing program for college credit."
At Montecito High School sophomore students took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude test (PSAT) for the first time. "The results form the PSAT will give our students and staff an indication of college readiness in addition to other factors," shared Cynthia Nakhshab, principal.
"Our counselor also presents scholarship information to our seniors as well as takes the students on a tour of Palomar College."
Graeff shared that, although the district has never completed a follow-up survey to learn how many RHS students eventually graduate from college, the senior exit surveys compiled each year indicate that approximately 40 percent of RHS graduates plan to enroll in a four-year university, 50 percent in community colleges, and the remainder divided between entering the work force and joining the military.
"The fact that so much data shows that college graduates typically earn two to three times the career earning of non-graduates makes a very compelling case for improving the rate of college admission of our students," said Graeff. "The future of our schools in Ramona lies in increasing expectations for student achievement, applying more attention to critical skills needed in the 21st century, and a rapid increase of online curriculum and technology based learning."