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Note from the editor: Patti is a communications manager for Intel's Global Diversity organization and a social media evangelist, working to drive adoption of Intel's internal social media tools and helping connect people and their ideas across Intel's global organization. A long-time member of the Intel Women@Intel Network (WIN), Patti serves on the leadership board, has helped start WIN chapters in Folsom and China and provides mentorship to women around the world. She wrote this blog post for our internal Intel blogging network and has agreed to let us share it with you today!
Did my title grab your interest? I certainly hope so.
This is Women's History Month, and this week many of the Women@Intel Network (WIN) chapters will host events celebrating International Women's Day (which is today!) I've been involved in these events for many years and have met and talked with many women. Certain attitudes, perceptions, issues and beliefs seem to be commonly held, shared and debated. This was where my thoughts focused as I tossed and turned and tried to fall to sleep last night. What attitudes, perceptions and beliefs around gender do I hold to be true? And how have these shaped me and my life?
As I reflect upon my life, I realize I have learned some very important lessons about myself, including how my own gender stereotypes probably contributed to my learning lessons the hard way. Many times in my life, I have focused too much precious energy on trying to be accepted, to fit in and to be accepted as an equal. The "ah-ha" moments I've had compels me to blog about my "Men-O-Pause moments" –those times when the men in my life helped me gain some important insights about myself, my attitudes and my tendency to get in my own way.
At 13, I was an opinionated and very head strong teen who believed I should be able to do anything a boy could. This fact was refuted by my father on the day I did not make the football team. I came home excited and elated that I had done so well (I had made a touchdown that day). I had not actually expected to be placed on the team; however, I was determined to make a point to my Dad. GIRLS CAN TOO DO ANYTHING! My "men-o-pause" moment: Dad laughed until he cried when he saw my black eyes (the touchdown I had made resulted from the football hitting me right between my eyes and dropping into my outstretched hands.) Not too long ago, my Dad recalled this incident and told me I was quite a "women's Libber" in my day. I started to protest and then had to admit he was right. I had been. I was so determined to do everything the boys could do—from football tryouts to Science fair projects—I was the girl who just had to make the point that boys and girls were equal. I'm older and wiser now. I don't believe this anymore. No one is equal. (Equal meaning "the same"). We are all individuals. I have come to cherish and appreciate my uniqueness.
At 16, my Dad bought me a car and taught me how to drive it. I thought I was so cool. I thought I'd have so much more independence and freedom to do what I wanted to do. Wrong! At 16, we went through some changes as a family and since I was the oldest girl and now had a car, responsibilities now fell upon my shoulders. Dad had actually purchased the car because he knew I'd be doing the grocery shopping, taking my siblings to their orthodontist and dentists appointments and driving them to and from school. This seemed perfectly logical at the time. My "men-o-pause" moment: Men who grew up during my Dad's era probably have different expectations of the women in their families than the men in my generation do. Is this wrong? Nope. It just "is." I realize now that I met and exceeded my father's expectations. He's shared he is very proud of the woman I've become. This makes me smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
At 21, I became a mother. Wow, what an life-altering, mind-blowing experience! My daughter was so little, so precious and so needy. She cried and cried the first few weeks and could not keep down any of the formulas we tried. Her Dad and I took turns getting up throughout those long sleepless nights. I remember her Dad pacing the floor in the middle of the night, singing to her, cuddling her and trying to get her to sleep again. One evening, she threw up all over her Daddy. I laughed until I cried when he walked into the room with formula dripping down his back. He didn't think it was funny and was quite peeved at me for laughing. But the next night, he was up again (this time with a burp rag draped over his shoulder) walking and singing to his daughter. My "men-o-pause" moment: Dads love their daughters—in spite of the messes they cause.
At 22, My husband and I became the proud owners of Great Western Steel. Over the next 12 years, I would learn so much about my strengths and my insecurities. I was the ONLY woman, as I was surrounded all day by male employees and customers. I didn't let this fact hold me back very often. The only exception, my husband would not teach me how to weld. He said it was too dangerous. Instead, I was "banished" to the office where I learned how to manage budgets, account receivables and payables, write and negotiate contracts, order and track inventory, manage HR responsibilities and develop our company's marketing and sales plans. My "men-o-pause" moment: While I had at first thought myself "banished" to tasks because I was a girl, I came to realize that my husband needed my expertise in these areas. He did not need me to take on welding and fabrication tasks. He knew he and I had very different strengths and gifts to offer. By focusing my time and energy on these activities versus trying to show I could weld like the men in our company, I actually helped our business persevere during difficult times and eventually grow and thrive.
At 34, I took my first job working for a global company, working as a tech writer consulting on a PeopleSoft implementation at NEC. My initial assignment was to document all of the technical specifications for the implementation and the new business processes. My project manager needed someone to write test cases. I asked for the opportunity to try. He pulled out an example and gave me a 2 hour deadline. Less than an hour later, I had written the first of what would end up being more than 100 test cases. My "men-o-pause" moment: Don't be afraid to ask for the chance. My PM didn't blink or hesitate to give me the chance to prove myself. I think too often we "de-select" ourselves from key career growth opportunities because we're afraid of failing or afraid of someone's judgment. Be afraid of neither. I am very grateful for opportunities to prove myself. Since that day, I find myself asking for more and more opportunities to prove my worth and stretch my skills.
At 36, I joined Intel, working in IT Marketing. I was assigned to support IT Engineering and developers. I felt I was out of my depth. Everything was so foreign to me—the jargon. The acronyms. The people. These "techies" spoke a completely different language. My job was to be their interpreter—turn their tech speak and jargon into documents and communications vehicles "every employee at Intel" could read, understand and act upon. That's when I met Wayne. He was to be my "partner in crime" working on the Intel Developer Users Group (IDUG) project. He and I clicked instantly. He saw the value I brought as a marketing/communications expert. I saw the value he brought as a technical program manager. In spite of our differences, we found ways to connect, collaborate and excel. The IDUG forums brought together developers from around the world and from different parts of the company to learn, collaborate and share information. (Remember, this was before LiveMeeting, Video Conferencing and laptops). As a result, Wayne and I developed a great network of technical experts we could then leverage as content experts when needed. I remember when I was asked to be part of the Change Management Board—me, a non-techie—I was thrilled. Again, I was the only woman on this board (and the only non-technical person). My "men-o-pause" moment: By getting out of my comfort zone and supporting a very technical group inside Intel, I learned so much about IT at Intel. And, more importantly, I learned how to interpret and speak Intel's language. I realized I had not been invited to participate in the CMB because I was like them—rather, I had been invited to participate because I brought value and skills they wanted to leverage. I brought communications expertise. I had worried about "fitting in" when really that was not an issue at all. By focusing upon learning how to bring value to the role I was assigned, I gained invaluable experience and built my credibility and reputation.
At 44, I rejoined Intel as Intel Labs' communications manager. Within this organization I had the opportunity to meet and work with so many Intel "Rock Stars." There were many moments and memories I could reflect upon; however, one memory stands out above all the rest, supporting Intel Fellow, Gene Meieran, at the Innovation track event at IDF. That's when I had the opportunity to meet and have dinner with an astronaut, a robot creator, a medical "dreamer", a videographer, a college student and an Intel Fellow. These men had hosted an impressive IDF talk on innovation and had completed a photo op sitting inside a futuristic space shuttle. I had handled the details, including making that night's dinner arrangements. As I was hailing their cabs and preparing to head back to my hotel room, they stopped me. I was expected to join them. I have to admit, I was absolutely terror struck. Me? What could I possibly have to offer to the discussion? I imagined myself sitting quietly on one edge of the table trying to "be seen and not heard." However, this is not how things worked out. Honestly, I have never before experienced (nor do I ever expect to ever again) such a fantastic dinner conversation. I was mesmerized by the ebb and flow of our conversation. My "men-o-pause" moment: Sitting in that restaurant surrounded by those men, I believe I found my voice. I joined in and enjoyed the moment. Yes, I was the only woman at the table. Yet, I did not feel excluded, unheard or diminished. Had I followed my gut instincts and not accepted their invitation, I would have missed the opportunity of my lifetime. Let's face it—sometimes your gut is simply wrong. When you feel tempted to "opt out," check yourself and ask, "Why?" If the answer that comes back is: "I don't think I'm good enough," leap! Realize that it is not your gut doing the talking—it's the programming in your brain switching on. Don't listen to the tapes inside your head that seek to diminish your worth and value. When you feel like you're being excluded, unheard or diminished, check yourself and make sure it's not you doing the talking. Don't "opt out" because of some false expectation or fear about how others will judge you. Chances are fairly high that the only judge is the one inside your own head.
As I turn 50, I am finding myself more accepting of life's imperfections. I know there are inequities in the workplace and in society, in general. Yet I also know that many more people have access to education, careers and opportunities that enable them to grow their personal and professional lives and live lives their parents never imagined possible. And, I know Intel leaders diligently focus on making Intel a Great Place to Work for people of different backgrounds, experiences and cultures, working at Intel sites around the world. I no longer believe it's my duty to fix the imperfections—rather, I find I enjoy and bask in the glow of celebrating the bright spots. I was talking to a colleague who wanted to sway the naysayers over to accepting and taking action. I suggested focusing more effort on asking those who agreed with her to do more for the cause. If more of us focused on making the positive more positive and making incremental improvements to what is working versus focusing so much energy on what's not working, I believe we'd all be happier, more successful and far less frustrated.
Happy International Women's Day! What "men-o-pause" moments have you had?


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Hot Tub & Sauna
After a day on the trail, kick back, relax…
…and watch for shooting stars from our outdoor wood-fired hot tub. You might want to ease tired muscles in our cedar wood-fired sauna or take a hot or cold backcountry shower, both located in our Sauna building across from the main lodge.
The sauna and hot tub are available to guests each evening, and provide a perfect way to end a great day of outdoor adventures.

subset: commoncrawl


text: RICHARD PETER RANDALL aged 20 of Days Court, Wimborne. Admitted damaging a pane of glass intending to destroy at Medway Road, Ferndown on 06/2/2014. Also admitted using threatening, abusive, insulting words and behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress. Also convicted of stealing nappies belonging to Co-operative Retail Services Ltd, Blandford on 12/03/2013. Also convicted of beating three persons at Wimborne on February 1, 2013. Also admitted failing without reasonable excuse to comply with a community requirement of a suspended sentence order made by East Dorset Magistrates' Court on 08/01/2014 by failing to report as directed on 06/03/2014. Committed to prison for 12 weeks.


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Hi Everyone,
I am Melanie and I'm proud to be a member of the Champagne family.
My book A Love That Lasts was released in June and is available where ever books are sold.
Here is an excerpt, I hope you enjoy it.
Maggie blinked as harsh, bright light flooded the trunk. She squinted up into Quinns face and was surprised to see the way it had changed. His eyebrows pulled close together, making him seem to squint. He had his mouth drawn back, in what resembled a snarl, like a cougar about to attack. When she first met him, she thought him attractive; not handsome, but not bad looking. The man bending over her now didnt look like that man. With each second that passed, Maggie feared she would never see her family again.
Now, the anger that seemed to be building inside him made him look ugly. His mouse brown hair stood out all over his head as if he had been pulling on it. Lines she hadnt noticed before seemed to cover his face like deep scars. If she wasnt mistaken, he was emitting a low growl. What was wrong with this man, and what had she done to provoke this kind of anger?
Reaching in the trunk, he pulled out an old rag that reminded her of the oil checking rags her father had in his garage. To her horror, Quinn leaned forward, grabbed her head, and blindfolded her.
You dont need to see where we are. This is my secret place, and Im afraid if you see, youll know where we are. Its not as if youre going to get away, but one cant be too careful. Im good at keeping secrets, are you? he asked, laughing. Only it wasnt a laugh of merriment, it was a laugh of pure insanity.
He heaved her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started walking. I bought this old place a few years ago. I couldnt believe my luck, finding someplace so remote. It had no running water or electricity, so I rented some equipment, dug a well, and installed a pump to get it running. The water heater was a bitch to get up here, but with muscle, I made it. Now, the electricity was a little harder. I mean, how do you run power lines without anyone knowing? Do you know what I mean? So instead, I bought a gas-powered generator.
Sometimes, a man needs a private place, somewhere he can go to sort things out and get his head together. Then there are times he needs a quiet place for an occasion like this one.
Maggie had no idea where she was. He had driven around for hours, and for all she knew, they could be in Scotland by now. Thankfully, he had tied her hands in front of her. That had allowed her access to her front pockets and her cell phone. It had taken some effort but she had managed to work her phone out of her pocket. With the push of one speed dial button, her call was connected. Hearing her fathers voice had ignited a well of emotions, causing her to sob. She wasnt sure he was able to understand her with the gag in her mouth. Still, hearing his voice calmed her. Even if she never saw him again, at least she had heard his voice one last time and told him she loved him.
The world seemed to tip as he descended a winding staircase. After what seemed several minutes, he stood her on her feet. It was true what they said about if you lose one sense, the others take over. He had blindfolded her, so she wasnt able to see what he was doing, but her hearing became more acute. There was the clatter of an old-fashioned doorknob, and then an eerie squeak as the ancient door swung open. The smell of gasoline filled her nostrils, making her stomach churn.
Without a word, he shoved her inside the room. Instinctively, her bound hands went out in front of her. The room reeked of mold and death. When he finally removed the blindfold, Maggie couldnt see anything. The room was so dark she couldnt see her hand in front of her face. However, she could hear something scurrying around her feet. Her anxiety heightened to a new level not knowing where she was or who or what was with her. She would not give him the satisfaction of whimpering. She clenched her jaw tight, and tried not to think of rats


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HiHave a seller with a 350 vortec engine that i want to rebuild as discribed in the 450hp article. What should i ask this guy about to get the right engine for the rebuild?
YOU must determine IT is a vortec, if you are SURE it is, then you have a starting point... good luck with your build bro


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why so many times this i just in the last 100 days. we have all been part of this mess.lets move on to another car
06 wrx vs srt-4
dumb SRT4
04 srt-4 vs. my 02 wrx
Yes, another SRT-4 thread
my R32 vs. SRT4
my srt is teh fast4r
'05 WRX vs '04 SRT 4
another srt4 - wrx post
Got a ride in an SRT-4 last night
stock srt4
raced an srt4
Finally an SRT4
svt cobra, srt4, wrx
wrx vs srt4 and more
you make the call.....STi vs Stg4 wrx
dig srt4
Beat a Stage 3 SRT
Civic Turbo and Z28 and SRT4
2005 srt-4 vs 2004 wrx?
vf22 wrx vs srt4 and srt4 vs sti


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Bad News Bears: Herald rating: * *
Cheaper By The Dozen 2: Herald rating: * *
Dr Dolittle 3: Herald rating: *
Three family films, each of which is a remake or another in the continuing story ... and none of which had to be made.
In Bad News Bears, Billy Bob Thornton takes over Walter Matthau's sweatshirt as the grumpy old sports coach.
Thornton mixes his Bad Santa and Friday Night Lights personas as Morris Buttermaker, the drunk, potty-mouthed and washed-up baseballer who coaches a down-at-heel kids' team, the Bears.
The Bears wouldn't be playing if it weren't for Liz Whitewood (Marcia Gay Harden), an activist lawyer who has filed a case alleging that the league discriminates against minorities. So coach Buttermaker has a black kid, two Spanish speakers, an Indian, a scrawny kid and one in a wheelchair, none of whom can play ball.
Even if you haven't seen the 1976 original in countless replays on TV, or its two sequels, you know that by the end of the movie Bad News will become Good News and Buttermaker will be a kinder, gentler coach.
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 has Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt back as Mom and Dad Baker to a dozen kids.
Well, not quite a dozen this time, as the daughters played by Hilary Duff and Piper Perabo have "left home" and others are on their way to college.
Mom and Dad get the kids together for one last family holiday at a lakeside cottage, which turns the focus to Alyson Stoner as Sarah, on the edge of adolescence and first love.
Dr Dolittle 3 realises that most of the original characters ran out of puff in the last outing - viewers may remember that Eddie Murphy's DD2 featured a lot of wind - and this video-movie transfers the lead to the good doctor's wife.
Lisa (Kristen Wilson) sends her daughter to a dude ranch to find herself. There she uses her talent at talking with the animals in order to save the place from being taken over by a neighbouring ranch.
* Dvd, video rental today


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On this date in 1971, Matthew Richard Stone was born in Houston, Texas. Stone was raised in the Denver area before moving to Littleton, Colo., where he graduated from high school. Stone attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he earned a degree in mathematics and studied film. While in film school at Boulder, he met Trey Parker, his long-time collaborator. After leaving school, Stone and Parker collaborated on various projects, including an animated short entitled "The Spirit of Christmas" (1996), in which Santa Claus and Jesus fight about the true meaning of Christmas (the answer, by the way, is that the true meaning of Christmas is presents, not fighting). This short led to a deal with Comedy Central to make the show "South Park," (1997-present), an animated show, starring four third-grade kids: Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny (characters first explored in the short), which is frequently satirical and often employs crude humor. Stone and Parker do most of the male characters' voices themselves. The show is set in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado. Parker and Stone made a South Park movie in 1999, entitled "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut." A song from the movie, "Blame Canada," was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. South Park has been nominated for several Emmys, and has won Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) three times, for 2005's "Best Friends Forever," the 2006's "Make Love, Not Warcraft," and 2009's "Margaritaville." The three-parter "Imaginationland" won 2008's Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour Or More). In December of 2008, Stone married Angela Howard, a Comedy Central production executive. They have one son.
Through South Park and other projects, Stone and Parker have frequently satirized religion. For example, the "South Park" episode "Trapped in the Closet" (link is US only) (2005) satirizes Scientology and reveals some of its secret beliefs. A more frequent subject for their humor, though, is Mormonism. Stone and Parker both grew up in Colorado, where they knew a lot of Mormons, and have often stated in interviews that they have largely positive feelings about Mormonism. This did not stop them from poking holes in the story of Joseph Smith's founding of Mormonism in the "South Park" episode "All about the Mormons?" (US only link) (2003), in which a Mormon family comes to town. The new Mormon kid, Gary, confronts the main characters at the end of the episode, saying, "Maybe us Mormons do believe in crazy stories that make absolutely no sense, and maybe Joseph Smith did make it all up. But I have a great life and a great family, and I have the Book of Mormon to thank for that." In 2011, the musical "The Book of Mormon," created by Stone and Parker in collaboration with composer and lyricist Robert Lopez, opened on Broadway. "The Book of Mormon" tells the irreverent story of two Mormon missionaries in Uganda. Nominated for 14 Tony awards, it won nine, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. ("The Book of Mormon" was discussed on Freethought Radio on April 16, 2011.)


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Marin fiction
1. "Telegraph Avenue" by Michael Chabon
2. "Stay Up With Me" by Tom Barbash
3. "Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walter
4. "The Edge of Normal" by Carla Norton
5. "The Orchardist" by Amanda Coplin
6. "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini
7. "Dissident Gardens" by Jonathan Lethem
8. "The Returned" by Jason Mott
9. "Bitter Almonds" by Laurence Cosse
10. "How the Light Gets In" by Louise Penny
Marin nonfiction
1. "Aging as a Spiritual Practice" by Lewis Richmond
2. "Lucid Dreaming" by Thomas Peisel
3. "Vocal River" by Rhiannon
4. "Oil and Honey" by Bill McKibben
5. West Marin Review 4
6. "Lawrence in Arabia" by Scott Anderson
7. "The Bird That Swallowed Its Cage" by Walter Murch
8. "Cool Gray City of Love" by Gary Kamiya
9. "The Place That Inhabits Us" Edited by Sixteen Rivers Press
10. "This Town" by Mark Leibovich
national fiction
1. "W Is for Wasted" by Sue Grafton
2. "Never Go Back" by Lee Child
3. "The Mayan Secrets" by Clive Cussler and Michael Perry
4. "The Cuckoo's Calling" by Robert Galbraith
5. "Inferno" by Dan Brown
6. "Second Watch" by J.A. Jance
7. "Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do" by Michael Brandman
8. "Mistress" by James Patterson and Michael Ellis
9. "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini
10. "Styxx" by Sherrilyn Kenyon
national nonfiction
1. "Si-Cology.1" by Si Robertson
2. "Still Foolin' 'Em" by Billy Crystal
3. "The Liberty Amendments" by Mark R. Levin
4. "Happy, Happy, Happy" by Phil Robertson
5. "Zealot" by Reza Aslan
6. "Empty Mansions" by Bill Dedman
7. "Wilson" by A. Scott Berg
8. "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg
9. "The Duck Commander Family" by Willie and Korie Robertson
10. "God Is Not Mad at You" by Joyce Meyer
Marin best-sellers compiled from Book Passage, Depot Bookstore and Point Reyes Books book sales. National best-sellers from Publisher's Weekly.


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No one has to tell you the goal of marketing is to make a profit – spend your budget, and get enough of a return back to make the company a profit. There are many marketing channels and millions of unique media open to your business, so what do you choose?
This post isn't long enough to be a marketing 101 course about determining your target market, so let's cover one traditional mass medium and 2 forms of targeted, new media that your small business budget is able to afford.
The Shotgun Approach
Mass media are described often as "the shotgun approach" or "spray-and-pray media." The truth is that most mass media are poor for direct response, and they're much better for branding. There is one, however, from my experience, which gets a message out to lots of potential customers, has a direct response mechanism built in, and is affordable. That is the B2C trade show.
No matter what business you're in, there are likely several B2C shows that are right up your alley. If you have anything to do with home improvement, there are multiple home shows and interior design shows per year in larger cities. If you're into technology, there are many tech-focused shows each year. You get the idea – lots.
Plan on paying somewhere around $500-$1200 for a booth in one of these shows. Invest in a well-designed, fabric back drop to draw attention and help brand, and prepare what you'll share with attendees who are interested.
You might be laughing and saying, "Trade shows are the oldest medium there is. They aren't innovative or edgy." You're probably right, but this argument has 2 things going for it: 1. Your competitors are likely not there because they'll be thinking the same thing, and 2. Many of these shows get tens of thousands of attendees. Where else are you going to have the opportunity to get exposure by thousands of people per day? Enough said.
Laser-targeted Media
No matter which medium you go with, you're going to pay for eyeballs. If the medium is impressed upon a large group of people, it's going to cost more. If few people see it, it will cost less.
Following this line of reasoning, what if you could laser target your exact customers and pay only for those impressions that are legitimate potential customers? Let me introduce you to inbound marketing.
Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing are the media where you are making yourself available to someone who is already in the market for it. While most traditional methods of marketing are disruptive and are trying to interrupt you from what you are doing, inbound pitches you what you're already seeking out.
I'm quite partial to Internet marketing, and my two favorite channels are pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and search engine optimization (SEO). The ads you see in the sidebar when you do a search online are triggered based on your search query, and they only pay when you click on the ad. This makes for very targeted ads. They may be paying between $.15 and $15 for that click, based on how many competitors are also trying to show up for that key word, but you've qualified yourself with a specific search and a click, so it's more likely to bring them business.
When search engines show you the results you searched for, they use certain criteria to decide which sites to show you. With around 40% of people clicking the first result, it can be very lucrative to be in the top spot for an often-searched keyword. This is where SEO comes in. Either bringing someone in-house to do SEO or hiring an agency can help get your business to a favorable position for certain relevant keywords. Once you're there, searchers who already have the intent to find your product or service will come upon your business.
Although PPC pays off only as long as you're paying, SEO has an investment quality to it so once you achieve rankings, they stay consistent for some time with little maintenance.
So there you have it – 3 very different marketing channels that can bring high ROI for your small business!
AJ Wilcox is a marketing manager who loves data and lead analysis. He's had excellent results both on and offline and shares his experiences whenever possible. He enjoys competitive running and exotic cars, and lives with his wife and 2 kids in Utah.


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27th September 2010: The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD, has today (Monday 27th September 2010) launched Airtricity's new SmarterEnergy card, an innovative customer payment card from Ireland's fastest-growing energy utility Airtricity. The card was launched by the Minister at St Andrew's Street Post Office, Dublin 2.
Utilising bar-code technology, the conveniently-sized SmarterEnergy card will allow Airtricity billpayers to manage the cost of their home gas and electricity, regardless of their chosen monthly or bi-monthly payment method, by making top-up payments into their account at over 1,100 An Post post offices or over 3,000 PostPoint outlets nationwide. Payments can also be made using the online payment website Billpay.ie.
Airtricity's new SmarterEnergy card fits neatly into any wallet or purse and will carry each customer's personal Airtricity account details. The card is being delivered free of charge from October to all existing Airtricity customers, now numbering over 330,000, and to all new customers switching to Airtricity for cheaper gas and electricity.
This is the first time that an Irish energy utility has launched a personalised account payment card to its entire domestic customer base for both gas and electricity, and follows months of ongoing development between Airtricity and An Post.
Launching the new card, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan TD, commented: ""Electricity prices have reduced significantly in Ireland in the last 2 years. Even including the PSO levy, prices today are up to 18% lower for domestic customers than they were in 2008. There are savings to be made instantly in gas and electricity if the customer switches supplier.
"Even still, in these times we want to make it as easy as possible for customers to pay their gas and electricity bills in a way that is convenient for them. I welcome Airtricity's joint venture with An Post to make it easier for customers to pay when and what suits them.
"The policy of competition has reduced prices in the energy sector as well as bringing forward such innovations."
Direct debit customers, who represent over 98% of Airtricity's customer base, can get the best of both worlds with their new SmarterEnergy card – they will continue to enjoy Airtricity's maximum discounts by paying by direct debit for cheaper gas and electricity along with the convenience of now being able to make top-up payments for any amount at any time into their account at an An Post or PostPoint outlet. Customers will then be billed for their outstanding balance in their next billing or when their next direct debit payment is processed.
Wendy Jennings, Airtricity's Customer Experience Manager, commented: "Customers who have switched to Airtricity already enjoy some of the biggest savings on home gas and electricity unit rates. Now, with the launch of Airtricity's new SmarterEnergy card, we're putting the customer in control of their energy payments.
"This is an innovative approach by Airtricity as a responsible energy supplier to help our entire customer base have greater control over their energy costs, especially as we come into the colder winter months when energy costs rise. The new payment method proactively addresses the issue of managing energy payments rather than simply waiting until arrears have built-up to introduce payment plans.
"Every Airtricity customer will now be able to stay in control of their energy costs – instead of paying their bill in one lump sum on receipt of their bill customers can now use our new SmarterEnergy card to make regular, smaller top-up payments at their own convenience and spread the cost of their Airtricity energy bills across their standard billing period."
The launch of Airtricity's SmarterEnergy card is one of a range of customer payment support initiatives being launched today by Ireland's fastest-growing and most-trusted energy utility. In addition to the commencement of the delivery of SmarterEnergy cards to all Airtricity customers during October, Airtricity customers will be able to make a part or full bill payment from October 1st at Post Office and PostPoint outlets or online 24/7 at BillPay.ie.
The company is commencing a major customer campaign to promote the management of energy costs and to increase awareness of energy cost reductions through cuts in domestic energy consumption.
The company will also promote awareness of accurate billing and avoiding the build-up of debt by only paying for the energy the customer uses through submitting regular meter reads for gas and electricity using Airtricity's free e-mail and text alerts service.
The launch of Airtricity's SmarterEnergy card follows last week's announcement by Airtricity of a massive 20% discount off Bord Gáis Energy's regulated retail standard tariff unit rates for home gas – the new product is designed to benefit high gas users during the winter period. The company is also promoting other product options with competitive discounts on regulated retail standard tariff unit rates for customers who do not have gas or who do not want a fixed term contract.
In addition to these new payment initiatives, Airtricity is advising any customer who would like further advice in managing their budgets or who may be experiencing difficulties in paying their energy bill to contact Airtricity's Customer Service team on 1850 40 40 70. The company has also announced that it is discontinuing applying administration costs to the regulated charges for disconnection and reconnection with immediate effect.


text:
From the Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Royal University Hospital, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Correspondence to: Donald W. Cockcroft, MD, FCCP, Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Royal University Hospital, University of Saskatchewan, 103 Hospital Dr, Room 551, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0W8, Canada; e-mail: email@example.com
Reproduction of this article is prohibited without written permission from the American College of Chest Physicians (http://www.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml).
© 2010 American College of Chest Physicians
Direct bronchoprovocation challenges (eg, methacholine), which act directly on a specific airway smooth muscle receptor, are the most commonly performed challenge tests. Cut points have been arbitrarily selected to give high sensitivity and negative predictive values. In subjects with clinically current symptoms (within a few days) who inhale methacholine without deep inhalations, a normal methacholine test (provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1 [PC20] > 16 mg/mL) rules out (current) asthma with reasonable certainty. A positive test in the moderate or greater range (PC20 < 1 mg/mL) has high specificity and positive predictive value, comparable to the indirect challenges. Values between these levels are consistent with, but not diagnostic of, asthma. The positive predictive value (for clinical asthma) will increase the closer the PC20 is to 1 mg/mL, the higher the pretest probability is for asthma and the more the methacholine-induced symptoms resemble the naturally occurring symptoms. Direct challenges are more sensitive and less specific than indirect challenges (exercise, adenosine monophosphate, mannitol, etc).
Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is a characteristic feature of asthma, and histamine and methacholine bronchoprovocation challenges have been widely used to document and quantitate AHR.1 In 1987, Pauwels et al2 proposed that stimuli used in bronchoprovocation could be divided into direct and indirect. The direct stimuli act directly on a specific airway smooth muscle receptor and include muscarinic agonists (ie, methacholine), histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins. The indirect stimuli act through one or more intermediate pathways, many (but not all) of which involve release of mediators from inflammatory cells, primarily metachromatic cells. Mediator-releasing indirect stimuli include exercise, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea, hypertonic saline, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and mannitol. Indirect stimuli acting through other mechanisms include propranolol, tachykinins, and bradykinin, but these will not be further discussed in this article. Because the naturally occurring stimuli causing symptoms in asthma act through indirect mechanisms, Pauwels et al2 hypothesized that indirect airway responsiveness should correlate better with clinical features of asthma, including severity and control, current asthma activity, and so forth.
In this review, the direct challenges are considered. Because the methacholine inhalation challenge is both the most commonly performed and the only chemical challenge approved for human use in North America, it is the primary test considered.
In the 1940s, Robert Tiffeneau was the first to develop technology to measure maximal expiratory flow rates.3 He proposed that changes in expiratory flow rates following both bronchodilator (isoproterenol) and bronchoconstrictor (acetylcholine) administration could be valuable in assessing subjects with airway disease.4 Subjects with a 20% improvement in FEV1 were considered to have a positive bronchodilator response. Likewise, subjects with a 20% fall in FEV1 after the administration of a bronchoconstrictor were considered to have a positive test (ie, demonstrating AHR). Numerous different methods were developed for administration of histamine or methacholine. For safety purposes, challenges were started with a low dose, and the doses were increased until a response was achieved or an arbitrary maximum amount had been administered. No real attention was paid to performing a dose-response curve or to targeting an identifiable dose.
It is now appreciated that the provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) to a direct stimulus can be measured well into the normal range1 and that the measurement, namely the PC20, is imprecise, with a best-case short-term repeatability of plus or minus one doubling dose or concentration.5 Consequently, there is an important need to standardize methods to achieve a reproducible dose of methacholine; the two major reasons are to identify normal from abnormal as clearly as possible with such an imprecise measurement and to compare values performed in different laboratories and by different methods.
Crapo et al6 have published details of two of the more commonly used methods. The 2-min tidal breathing method developed by Cockroft et al,7 involves inhalation of aerosol from a jet nebulizer, which is operated while continuously calibrated to an output of 0.13 mL/min. The dosimeter method modified8 from Chai et al9 involves inhalation of aerosol with five deep inspiratory capacity inhalations to a total lung capacity with a 5-s breathhold following each inhalation; the nebulizer is calibrated to deliver 9 μL per actuation. Except for the method of inhalation, the remainder of the methodologic recommendations is the same. Saline diluent is used as a baseline control and is then followed by doubling concentrations of methacholine from 0.03 mg/mL to 16 mg/mL or 32 mg/mL (or higher for research purposes). The inhalations are carried out with a 5-min interval between the start of one and the start of the next inhalation. Single measurements of FEV1 are made at 30 s and 90 s after the completion of inhalation. The percentage decline in FEV1 after methacholine is calculated from the FEV1 following diluent. The test is completed when the top concentration is administered or the FEV1 has fallen by 20%, and the PC20 is calculated from the log concentration vs dose-response curve.1,10 For clinical purposes, the test can be shortened by adjusting the starting concentration based on the clinical picture,1 by omitting concentrations if there has been no response at a given concentration,1 or by using a quadrupling dose protocol.6
Despite the difference in the volume of aerosol administered between methods, the two were believed to give similar results based on a single small study using histamine.8 It was proposed that the deep inhalation and breathhold probably resulted in greater retention of aerosol, better deposition of aerosol, or both6; however, recent studies by two groups have shown that this is not the case.11,12 When the methods are performed as outlined by the American Thoracic Society, the tidal breathing method repeatedly produces a greater response (lower PC20). There are two reasons: The first is the greater dose administered in the tidal breathing method, and the second, and likely more important, is that the dosimeter method, with its five maximal inspirations and breathholds, produces bronchodilation and bronchoprotection in subjects specifically with mild AHR to methacholine.13,14 The results of the two methods are much more comparable when dealing with subjects with moderate or greater AHR (Fig 1),11,15 which is important because positive methacholine challenges in a routine diagnostic laboratory (tests done in subjects with symptoms that could be asthma but with normal resting lung function) most often will fall in the mild AHR range.
The majority of the early work in the field of AHR was done with the direct challenges of histamine and methacholine. Histamine and methacholine produce very similar responses on a milligram-to-milligram or millimole-to-millimole basis1 and are, for simplicity here, considered identical. AHR, including variable airflow obstruction, is a constant and defining feature of the syndrome termed "asthma." There is a correlation, with much overlap, between asthma severity and severity of AHR.16,17 Direct AHR increases with allergen exposure as demonstrated by Altounyan18 during the grass pollen season and as demonstrated by Cockroft et al19 following allergen challenges in the laboratory. Direct AHR also improves with antiinflammatory therapeutic strategies, such as allergen avoidance20 and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS).21 Most studies have demonstrated a correlation between the severity of direct AHR and airway inflammation primarily with eosinophils or metachromatic cells22; however, this correlation is only modest.23 Many groups have demonstrated that subjects with nonasthmatic airflow obstruction (ie, chronic airflow limitation) have increased response to direct stimuli that is closely related to the severity of the obstruction.24,25 This response is believed to be nonasthmatic in nature and likely represents a geometric issue with regard to airway diameter.
Consequently, 25 or 30 years ago a concept developed indicating that (direct) AHR had two components: variable and fixed. The variable component changes sometimes rapidly (eg, with allergen exposure, ICS), and the fixed component remains despite, at times, intensive treatment of asthma. It is now hypothesized that the variable component likely reflects changes in airway inflammation and that the fixed component likely reflects structural and functional changes in the airway that are persistent, if not permanent, and that have been labeled "airway remodeling." Because airway remodeling appears to relate to chronicity of disease, a function of both duration of disease and intensity of treatment, this fixed component is likely to be minor, if not absent, in subjects with recent-onset asthma. The transient nature of AHR is especially evident early on in occupational asthma when AHR can normalize within a few days of exposure.26 It is also almost certainly an issue in children with asthma who, in epidemiologic studies, frequently have normal histamine or methacholine challenges27 that likely are related to lack of clinically current exposures and symptoms.28
The relationships outlined here are likely overly simplistic and have not been validated; therefore, they remain hypothetical. The relationship of the variable direct AHR to asthma activity, exposures, inflammation, and antiinflammatory treatments is indisputable; the mechanism, however, is uncertain. Although it has been attractive (and traditional) to attribute this transient AHR to (eosinophilic) inflammation either directly or indirectly (secondary to mucosal or smooth muscle effects), recent experience with some antiinflammatory therapies, particularly anti-interleukin-5 (mepolizumab), has dissociated AHR and eosinophils.29 The relationship of fixed AHR with structural changes is based on the (nonasthmatic) AHR seen in COPD24,25 and has not been fully validated in asthma. Nevertheless, it does appear, in my view, to relate to asthma duration and to at least a degree of residual airflow obstruction. Interestingly, I often have observed significant methacholine AHR in patients with mild or no symptoms with longstanding, sometimes previous, asthma, and this AHR does not seem to be associated with symptoms.
A major difficulty in assessing sensitivity and specificity of methacholine challenge relates to the difficulty in obtaining an independent objective confirmation of the presence of asthma (a so-called "gold standard"). In subjects with mild symptoms, often the best comparator is termed "doctor diagnosis." Unfortunately, it is the lack of clinical assessment accuracy that requires the airway responsiveness testing in the first place, and therefore, discussions in this area become at times somewhat circular. Needless to say, the multiplicity of methods also poses a problem in assessing sensitivity and specificity.
The arbitrary cut points for the histamine and methacholine challenge have been defined to produce maximal sensitivity.1,5,7 Cockroft et al initially chose 8 mg/mL, which identified all subjects with asthma.5,7 The test is also positive in a substantial portion of subjects with both allergic and nonallergic rhinitis and 4% to 5% of subjects without symptoms in a random population.30 This cut point of 8 mg/mL has now been expanded to a borderline range of 4 to 16 mg/mL (ie, 8 ± 1 mg/mL concentration).6 At 16 mg/mL, an even greater number of positive tests in subjects with no symptoms of asthma in a random population occurs; this may be as high as 20% from a review in a previously studied population.30 At a cut point or a 8 mg/mL or 16 mg/mL, using a non-deep inhalation method, the sensitivity and, consequently, negative predictive value for current symptomatic asthma approaches 100%.30 There are two caveats, the most important being that symptoms must be clinically current (ie, within the past few days)28; a negative methacholine challenge will not rule out seasonal asthma. The second important caveat, recently identified, is that for maximum diagnostic sensitivity, the methacholine should be inhaled by non-deep inhalation methods,15 which could involve either the tidal breathing method or a modified dosimeter method.13
The specificity is not as good. Positive challenges may occur in many individuals with no asthma symptoms. The positive predictive value of a PC20 < 8 mg/mL in a random population is well below 50%, that is, < 50% of the subjects in a random population with a PC20 < 8 mg/mL have clinically current asthma symptoms.30 When the PC20 is < 1 mg/mL (moderate AHR), the specificity and positive predictive value approach 100%.30 Thus, the positive predictive value increases when the measured PC20 is lower. The positive predictive value is also higher in a group of individuals with a higher pretest probability (ie, those who are more likely to have asthma based on their symptoms).6 Although not validated, it is also thought that the positive predictive value will increase if the methacholine-induced symptoms resemble the naturally occurring symptoms for which the test was ordered.
The indirect challenges considered here will be limited to those involving inflammatory cell-mediator release. Differences have been summarized recently 31 (Table 1) and support the hypotheses outlined by Pauwels et al.2 Direct airway responsiveness measures airway smooth muscle function, whereas to a lesser extent, the variable component likely reflects airway inflammation. Airway caliber is important in determining response to direct stimuli. A relatively low dose is needed (approximate dose of methacholine inhaled at 16 mg/mL concentration is 1 mg). There is no limitation of the dose that can be administered, and the arbitrary cut points have defined a test that, with the caveats noted previously, is highly sensitive but not that specific. Minor tolerance or refractoriness occurs only at high doses and is limited to subjects without asthma and subjects with mild asthma. Therefore, the direct challenges function best to exclude current asthma when they are negative. By contrast, the indirect challenges (exercise, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea, hypertonic saline, AMP, and mannitol) critically depend on the presence of airway inflammatory cells. They do require a responsive end organ (the smooth muscle), but this is less important. Airway caliber is less important in determining the response to indirect stimuli. A higher dose is required for the indirect stimuli: 50- to 100-fold higher for AMP32 and 600-fold higher for mannitol33 compared with methacholine. Many of the indirect challenges are dose limited34 in that it is impossible to push the dose beyond a certain limit determined by physiology (exercise, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea) or solubility (AMP). The mannitol challenge may be an exception to this. Indirect challenges all produce a significant and important refractory period, and numerous studies have shown cross-refractoriness between different indirect challenges.34
+ = strength of the relationship (greater number of + indicates greater strength); ± = uncertain but probably no relation; EIB = exercise-induced bronchospasm.
Comparative studies have demonstrated that the indirect challenges are highly specific but have a relatively low sensitivity compared with methacholine.35‐40 With the high specificity (and low sensitivity), indirect challenges function best to confirm the presence of disease and would be the ideal challenges of choice for studying subjects who have or are suspected to have exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Unlike direct challenges, indirect challenges are negative in subjects with nonasthmatic fixed airflow obstruction.24,41 Indirect AHR correlates better with eosinophilic airway inflammation23,41,42 and shows greater improvement with both allergen avoidance43,44 and ICS.45,46 The issue of deep inhalation and indirect challenges has not been studied. However, Allen et al47 have demonstrated that the bronchoprotection while inhaling methacholine is greatest in subjects with low airway eosinophils, and because airway inflammation is required for the indirect challenges, it would be expected that the indirect challenges would be less sensitive to deep inhalation, which remains to be studied.
The methacholine challenge is a highly sensitive direct challenge with a high negative predictive value. A negative methacholine challenge (PC20 > 16 mg/mL) excludes current asthma with reasonable certainty. The important caveats are that symptoms must indeed be quite recent, that methacholine be inhaled with no deep inhalations, and that both functional and specific antagonist medications must be withheld for the appropriate duration. There is the occasional elite athlete who has negative (deep inhalation method) methacholine challenges and positive exercise challenges48; this is not the rule among regular individuals. A positive methacholine challenge in the moderate or greater range (PC20 < 1 mg/mL) has a high specificity and a high positive predictive value29 and at this level performs similarly diagnostically to the indirect challenges. The direct challenges will not identify individuals with corticosteroid-responsive airway disease not associated with variable airflow obstruction, the classic example being eosinophilic bronchitis (cough, eosinophilic inflammation, no AHR, and good response to ICS).49 It is unlikely that indirect challenges would identify these individuals either. In this group of subjects, and indeed in individuals with asthma as a whole, a case could be made for studying sputum cell counts and differential in order to identify steroid responsiveness.50
A methacholine PC20 between 1 mg/mL and 16 mg/mL is consistent with but not diagnostic of asthma. Methacholine PC20 values in this range are intermediate in sensitivity and specificity. The positive predictive value will increase as the PC20 falls,30 the pretest probability for a diagnosis of asthma increases,6 and (probably) the methacholine-induced symptoms mimic the naturally occurring symptoms. Although not diagnostic of (clinically symptomatic) asthma, a PC20 between 1 mg/mL and 16 mg/mL does provide a physiologic rationale for a trial of asthma therapy.
Financial/nonfinancial disclosures: The author has reported to CHEST that no potential conflicts of interest exist with any companies/organizations whose products or services may be discussed in this article.
Other contributions: I thank Beth Davis and Jacquie Bramley for assisting in the preparation of this manuscript.
airway hyperresponsiveness
adenosine monophosphate
inhaled corticosteroids
provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1
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1000 business English tests for artists and students with free online class. Some topics are: The Cybernation Economy, Micromanagement, The Southeastern European Economies, Internet Securities Trading, Mortgage Law, Basic Microeconomics, Trade Regulation, A Quick History of Advertising, Hedge Funds, The Victorian Apprentice (1), The Victorian Apprentice (2), Current Liabilities, Global Capital Management, Price-based or Target Costing, Transfer Pricing, Internal Controls, Internal Control Activities, Business Software Competitors, Electronic Tax Records, Accounting Information Systems, Global Protocol Advertisement, The Global Financial Environment (1), The Global Financial Environment (2), Dividends, Tort Law, Products Liability Law, Detecting Competition, Globalization in Aviation, Interpersonal Skills, Electronic Commerce (1), Reverse Marketing
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Good Friday service – Catholic
|St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
|234 Church St., Waynesville
|Mar 29, 2013
St. John Catholic Holy Week services
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 234 Church St., in Waynesville, will hold the following Holy Week and Easter services:
• 7 p.m. Friday, March 29, Stations of the Cross, followed by 7:30 p.m. Good Friday service; 8:30 p.m. in Spanish;
• 8 p.m. Saturday, March 30, Easter Vigil (no 5:30 p.m. Mass);
• 8:30 a.m. Sunday March 31, Easter Mass at Immaculate Conception, in Canton; 11 a.m. Mass at St. John's; 5 pm. in Spanish.
For information, call 456-6707.


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Dell to go private in landmark $24.4 billion deal
By Poornima Gupta and Nadia Damouni and Greg Roumeliotis
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Dell struck a deal to take Dell Inc private for $24.4 billion in the biggest leveraged buyout since the financial crisis, partnering with the Silver Lake private equity firm and Microsoft Corp to try to turn around the struggling computer company without Wall Street scrutiny.
The deal, which requires approval from a majority of shareholders excluding Dell himself, would end a 24-year run on public markets for a company that was conceived in a college dorm room and quickly rose to the top of the global personal computer business - only to be rendered an also-ran over the past decade as PC prices crumbled and customers moved to tablets and smartphones.
Dell executives said on Tuesday that the company will stick to a strategy of expanding its software and services offerings for large companies, with the goal of becoming a full-service provider of corporate computing services in the mold of the highly profitable IBM. They played down speculation that Dell might spin off the low-margin PC business on which it made its name.
Dell did not give specifics on what it would do differently as a private entity, angering some shareholders who said they needed more information to determine whether the $13.65-a-share deal price - a 25 percent premium over Dell's stock price before buyout talks leaked in January - was adequate.
"This feels like the ultimate insider trade. Why weren't the plans and projections that Michael Dell has going forward been shared with me and other shareholders?" said Frederick "Shad" Rowe, general partner of Greenbrier Partners and a trustee of the $22 billion Texas Employees Retirement System. Rowe said he dumped about 400,000 shares of Dell on Tuesday, adding, "I was so irritated I didn't want to think about it anymore.
Dell spokesman David Frink said the board had conducted an extensive review of strategic options before agreeing to the buyout to ensure that the best interests of all stockholders were served.
Although Dell shares were trading at more than $18 a year ago, many analysts said they believed the majority of shareholders will accept the buyout because of pessimism over the growth prospects of the PC business.
"A private Dell is likely to more aggressively cut costs, in our view. But we think merely restructuring only postpones the inevitable, creating a value trap," said Discern Inc analyst Cindy Shaw. "Dell needs to do more than reduce its cost structure. It needs to innovate." Continued...


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1. Expressing your approval
2. No.
3. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
4. Your apartment's heat finally comes on
5. Finishing your work for the day
6. After a breakup
7. JUST missing the train
8. Getting a promotion
9. When you can't figure out what to wear
10. When you wake up thinking it's Saturday and it's not
11. Looking for your keys
12. When you mess up and hope no one saw
13. When you're starving and finally get to eat
14. After finishing that meal
15. Learning that you're the father
16. After the dentist
17. Arguing when you have no idea what you're arguing about
18. Step outside right when it starts raining
19. Finishing this post
20. Think these cat gifs are good?
In The Friskies, these cats are contending to become the new Internet "thing," and you should definitely judge them based on if they'll make good gifs. (Among other things.)
Preview Your Response
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Well, I hate to be a "killjoy" be we are getting an increasing number of posts that are not posted in the proper forum. Many of you have complained that these off topic posts are cluttering up the forums and dragging the focus off topic. For us to move off topic posts to another thread is a 5 step process that is very prone to errors and is taking much too much time to keep straight. I know this is going to get some of you upset but I am going to go through each of the topics (in each thread) and delete "off topic" posts that add nothing to the topic being discussed. I'm only going to do this once and then will delete them daily as I find them. If any of you find anything out of place, please let me know.
Please take the time to insure that your post is on topic and, if not, post it in the appropriate place. If you have something you want to post, but cannot decide where to put it, shoot me a PM and I will help you decide. Everything is safe from being deleted in the off topic fourms, but they may be moved to an on topic forum if need be.


text:
Pantech Pursuit II starting July 17 for the 2-year contract price of $49.99 after rebates. The successor to the original Pantech Pursuit from last year, this model is powered by Qualcomm's BREW MP platform – something that's naturally not as complicated as today's modern smartphone platforms. Furthermore, it features a 2.8" QVGA touchscreen, vertical sliding QWERTY keyboard, 2-megapixel camera, microSD card slot, AT&T Navigation, 3G connectivity, and a variety of social networking apps.
Considering that there are a handful of decent entry-level smartphones out there, its pricing undoubtedly will be something to think about for potential customers – but we're confident to see this one priced for free with the usual crew of online retailers.
source: AT&T via Phonescoop


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Fire Girls of Indian River County will hold a We Care To Wear Pink fashion show and dinner at Oak Harbor Country Club at 5 p.m. Oct. 13.
The event will kick off with a silent auction. Guests will be entertained with the latest fashions available at local boutiques. After the fashion show, guests will then move the main ballroom to enjoy dinner and dancing. The evening will end with guests receiving a PINK gift bag in honor of their support.
Proceeds from this event will be dedicated to the Fire Girls of Indian River County's Pink 4 Life mammogram assistance program, which provides mammograms for men and women in Indian River County who cannot otherwise afford them.


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Rob Kampia, executive director of the Washington, DC–based Marijuana Policy Project, which aggressively lobbied for the Rhode Island law, hailed the vote, saying, "[It] proves yet again that the movement to protect medical-marijuana patients from arrest is unstoppable. Last June, White House drug czar John Walters proclaimed 'the end of medical marijuana as a political issue' . . . but he couldn't have been more wrong. . . . We will continue to roll back the government's war on the sick and the dying, and the White House drug czar can't stop us any more than he can make water flow uphill."
As for Massachusetts, the public seems to be in favor of medical marijuana — all five non-binding medical-marijuana initiatives on ballots across the state in 2004 passed by at least a two-to-one margin. There are two medical-marijuana bills now sitting in committee in both the House and the Senate. And if one of them does wind up on Mitt Romney's desk, it's likely the legislature will be pushing to override him as well.
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Your Dog, Your Life
The Scoop
Dog News, Politics
Bark-Out-Loud Humor
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Gear and Glam
Wildebeest creates the perfect present for new dog parents.
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Eve is getting all her hair buzzed off. She gets a little squirmish, so a break is definitely needed. All I have done is her backside so she's a bit funny looking right now :). She doesn't know it yet but there is also a bath, nail trimming, and teethbrushing coming up. Eve is not going to be happy with me by the end of the night....
"Good Luck" to me!!!
oh and the nail trimming is the worst part; 1) because she has black nails so it's hard to see her quick 2) because she can't sit still for one second. Anyone else know what I'm talking about??
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Subaru WRX Forum (http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/)
- WRX Video Links (http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f96/)
- - hurray for ken block (http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/f96/hurray-ken-block-27913/)
hurray for ken block
<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RjtG-dQNVIs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RjtG-dQNVIs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>
Nice video, and not a bad song either.
pretty cool video!
but he is moving to ford.:mad:!Cry!:confused:WTF:notgood::nono:
considering subaru is not in the wrc anymore what is he suppose to do not rally at all, or move to a different company that is in wrc (ford)
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Not gonna lie the focus rs is a bad ass car too... I'd be tempted if they brought it over from Europe, just gotta get over the lack of AWD. Turbocharged straight 5 cylinder? Cool.
I think it's a good call on his part to switch to Ford. He'll make so much more money.
!Thumbs Up:D
sweet vid!
I think its a great idea to switch to Ford, they are the only car manufacturer that didn't take any bail out money, and are actually turning a profit.
I'm sure the "new" S197 Mustang has something to do with it. There are so many of those on the road these days - I can't drive anywhere without seeing at least one. Subarus, on the other hand, are a much rarer breed.
I do see a ton of Subarus on the road too though...i even had an old lady in a new Forester ask what kind of Subaru i had...she said she wanted my wheels..lol. Subaru also turned a nice profit last year.
[quote=man show;238320]I'm sure the "new" S197 Mustang has something to do with it. There are so many of those on the road these days - I can't drive anywhere without seeing at least one. Subarus, on the other hand, are a much rarer breed.[/quote]
Not in Colorado :wink:
I see Subarus absolutely everywhere.
However... I did see a mustang T-Bone this little Chevy the other day... :tease:
Nice video...but a couple of errors in posts. He rallied in rally america, he's stepping up to WRC. Which subaru isn't supporting as a manufactor. Unless I'm mistaken, ford is using the AWD turbo Fiesta for WRC. Not a Focus. The Fiesta isn't a car that the common man can buy, which I think is stupid. The ford car that was in the X games.
What? No. It's a Ford Focus RS frame. You can buy them. It's not a fiesta.
There's only two factory WRC cars left:
Citroen C4
Ford Focus
Mosc is right its a Focus. Heres several articles about Block and what willbe going on with him:
[url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80754]autosport.com - WRC News: Block secures Ford WRC deal[/url]
[url=http://www.rallybuzz.com/block-ford-monster-world-rally-team-2010/]Ford Teams Up With Rally Car Driver Ken Block for Global Motorsports | RallyBuzz[/url]
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st: RE: Is there any test to examine disitribution overlap with Stata?
"Nick Cox" <firstname.lastname@example.com>
st: RE: Is there any test to examine disitribution overlap with Stata?
Mon, 2 Jun 2008 10:05:20 +0100
It seems that no one has replied to this, perhaps for the reasons I nearly didn't.
I don't know precisely what you are seeking here. Measures of similarity don't always function well as test statistics, and vice versa, and I don't know what you mean by correlated pdfs, as distinct from correlated variables.
But it is not obvious that any such measure or test exists. Even if you have three points in some space, there isn't a unique single distance between them, and you have three functions, which in any case have to be estimated.
Contrary to any intuition that three is only a little more complicated than two, I assert that once you have three variables then your problem is multivariate. Other than treating your problem as related to standard ANOVA (classical or nonparametric) or principal component analysis, I can't see that there is an easy way forward of the kind you seek.
There is a growing field called functional data analysis, but it is does not seem to matched by Stata implementations.
I have 3 correlated probability density functions (pdf), and would like to
obtain a simple measure of similarity among them. Cohen´s U statistics do
that, but they look at two pdfs at a time. There are also measures of
intrinsic discrepancy, but I am not sure if they work with 3 pdf.. could
not find any reference.
Are you aware of an alternative test to do what I am looking for using Stata?
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salud para la gente195 aviaton blvd watsonville, California USA
salud para la gente dr coldwater physician asking staff to wipe off instrument to use on a child santa cruz California
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last week i was in the dr office and over heard the md tell his nurse to bring him something to remove stitches on a child. As I am sitting there the nurse says we dont have them there dirty and the argument began over heard the md tell the nurse to wipe them done or wash out, as a pt those things should be sterilized and after over hearing this makes me wonder what type of facility and who is running this office and since Salud is funded by the federal government some one definately needs to check into this because this is unacceptable behavior from this MD who should be spoken to by some other than his superior.
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text: Anyone know if the guide pin seals for the rear calipers on a 2001 Suburban 1500 are one-piece or two-piece per guide pin? The ones I got have a metal sleeve that fits inside the pad carrier attached to a rubber seal that slips over the metal flange on the the caliper. This seems right, but I cannot remove the flanged piece that is attached to the pad carrier. From the looks of it, I'm not sure it is supposed to come out. Is there just a rubber seal that fits over the flange on each piece?


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Kai Wolfe lives not far from where I grew up. So, you'll have to forgive a little geographic homerism on my part. Alma High School, the home of the Cardinals, is not a big school. They field an eight-man football team, which gives you some idea. But it's a team which came off only two losses last year, the last one coming in the state playoffs.
And you could say Wolfe is one of the "big" reasons for that.
OK, enough playing on words.
But at his size, especially in eight-man football, Wolfe admits that he doesn't see many his size. He's seen one, to be exact. He was big. But that's about it. "Yeah, he was probably 6-4 and 300 or so, but he really couldn't move all that well," Wolfe said.
Just a refresher for those who don't know, in eight-man football you can have three or four down linemen on offense, and on defense you can go with three or the more typical four. Wolfe found himself playing center and guard on offense, and on defense you can imagine he spent most of his time on the nose.
You can say the same for the offenses facing him.
"I'd get triple teamed a lot. They would collapse down on me, and seemed like the entire line was trying to block just me," he said.
In some cases, they actually were.
And on offense, Wolfe said he remembers when teams would run a four-man front against his team or even better, when they ran a three-man front. Considering the fact that Wolfe takes up the space of two guys by himself, you can figure he liked it when there were only three guys across from the ball. "I think whenever we ran a three-man front, our running back had at least 175 yards. He was getting a bunch of yards beyond the line of scrimmage before he would even get touched," he said.
With all the attention he got on defense, it's probably surprising that he still managed to get 43 tackles. You can imagine that most teams figured out where he was, and then ran the other way. But on offense it's kind of hard to do that when you know that wherever the ball is, it's probably right behind him.
So yeah, Wolfe stands out.
But don't think that he's just a big guy playing small school football. He's got questionnaires and the interest to show that he isn't just another name on the wall. "I got stuff from Alabama, North Dakota, Colorado State, Miami and, of course, Nebraska," he said.
His coach also got a visit from Nebraska's big man for the big men, fourth-year offensive line coach, Barney Cotton. "That was pretty cool. I know he stopped in to talk to my coach. He dropped off some stuff for their camps in June as well as some stuff about junior days," Wolfe said. "I don't know exactly when I'll make it up there, but I know I will definitely get up there to take a look around."
What is funny about talking to Kai, is that you can tell he's a fan of sports. He basically plays all the sports, and without anytime to condition himself physically, he went right from football straight into the basketball season. And he's big track guy, too. Maybe it's that versatility that hasn't made him only football crazy, but ask him about football and, of course, the Huskers - he gives a pretty practical response. "Oh, I like them. I mean, I really like what direction the program is going under Coach Pelini," he said. "But I kind of grew up a fan of Kansas too, because both of my parents really like the Jayhawks."
Right now recruiting is something Kai is thinking about, but not really. It's one of those things he recognizes as possible, but isn't worrying about it until there's something solid. Besides, outside of all the sports he plays, Wolfe sports a 3.96 GPA with aspirations of becoming an Orthopedic Surgeon.
How about that for well rounded?
So, football and his future are there, but as an option and one he'd enjoy taking to the next level if that happens to come around. As for the Huskers and looking at the potential and the scenario of an actual written offer, something most kids in Nebraska will never know, yet another even tempered response for Wolfe: "If they offered me, I'd definitely consider it. That's a great program with a great tradition," he said.
Wolfe isn't typical for a lot of things, not just where he is and the size of team he's on. But he'll be one name to watch down the road, because I don't care if you are playing eight man or 11-man, 6-4, 300 plus is big, playing all the other sports is huge and having his GPA means that this kid is going to be solid, both on and off the field.


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The planet is low on latex. This global condom shortage is only partly due to the Bush administration's recent abstinence-only cutbacks on the developing world's two biggest suppliers, the UN Population Fund and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Another problem is that the corporate world's contribution has been "disappointingly small," in the words of officials from the UN Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. To remedy this sheath shortfall, the Fund is enlisting multinationals, such as Coca Cola, to pony up to put the rubber to the road. But let's face it: helping handouts are temporary, while product placement is forever. POZ offers three examples of how brave brands could do well by doing right -- and sex up their slogans.
Condoms Inc.


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We talk about coming out as if it's something you only do once. In my experience it's an ongoing part of life. Sometimes it's easy, and other times it makes my stomach flutter.
Read Whole Story
The Sanctuaries, DC. Photo by Erik Martínez Resly
We are still fighting the myth that interfaith children grow up to be lost and confused. Rev. Erik...
Fear of plummeting over the "fiscal cliff" is driving the political discourse in Washington right now. The conversation, however, needs to be framed not as a political or economic issue, but as a moral issue.
As a liberal, progressive minister in Brooklyn, I receive frequent requests to officiate weddings of couples who want to be married by a religious leader, but who don't want to have a particular tradition's stamp pressed too deeply upon their hour of celebration.
Sometimes we think so highly of ourselves that we think we know what's best for the people around us. That's not religious thinking. That's ego speaking.
At church last night, I came out as polyamorous. It was an endorphin rush. Coming out is hard, though. I am a layperson at church, and I have a very strong leadership role.
As president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I am fascinated and encouraged by the current public discourse around Rob Bell and the concept of universalism.
Why are we so willing to believe bad things about good people?
If an MLK led a Selma march today and the media ignored it, as they have ignored so many anti-war and anti-torture protests these last years, would it...
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Photo: David Tsay
Breathing Room
The real beauty of the house, however, lies in the ways it seamlessly integrates its indoor and outdoor spaces. Large French doors open from the living room out to the front of the house, where the Lipkowskis use their courtyard as a true extension of the interiors, complete with a fire pit, a dining table, and plenty of seating options.
The fire pit in the courtyard is stacked with cannon balls, an alternative to traditional wood logs.
Around The Web


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Purdue's Cernan last to walk on moon 40 years ago
The last moonwalk occurred 40 years ago, performed by Purdue University grad and Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan.
Purdue says Cernan holds the distinction of the most recent person to walk on the moon because he was the last person to re-enter the lunar lander 40 years ago Tuesday. That concluded the last of three moonwalks with crewmate Harrison Schmitt over three days spent on the lunar surface. The mission collected about 250 pounds of soil samples and moon rocks and took scientific measurements.
Cernan graduated from Purdue in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He was one of 14 astronauts selected by NASA in 1963 and made three space flights.
Purdue says the Chicago native donated his personal papers to the university's flight archives in 2009.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING: Indians conclude regular season with win
Indiana swept its WPIAL Section 4-AA swimming finale Friday evening at IUP's Memorial Field House. The boys' team won, 146-4, and the girls' squad won, 143-22.
Joey Churner (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle) and Ben Peng (50 freestyle, 500 freestyle) led the boys' team with two individual victories each. Logan Hess (200 individual medley), John Zarpentine (100 butterfly), Brendan Bertig (100 backstroke) and Wei-Wei Wu (100 breaststroke) also claimed first-place finishes.
Indiana's teams in the 200 medley relay (Grant Hess, Peng, Frank Bevevino and Dylan Rinehart), 200 freestyle relay (Rinehart, Adam Henderson, Wu and Bevevino) and 400 freestyle relay (Zarpentine, Churner, Bevevino and Logan Hess) added victories.
Eliza O'Neal (200 freestyle), Anna Manges (200 individual medley), Sarah Henderson (50 freestyle), Anna Paccapaniccia (100 freestyle), Sophie Manges (500 freestyle) and Gabby Bobak (100 breaststroke) were the girls' first-place finishers.
Indiana also won all three relay events. The 200 medley relay consisted of Michelle Sgro, Bobak, Anna Manges and Sophie Manges; the 200 freestyle relay featured Sarah Henderson, O'Neal, Sophie Manges and Paccapaniccia; and the 400 freestyle relay included Sophie Manges, O'Neal, Bobak and Paccapaniccia.
Both Indiana teams concluded the regular season at 8-2, 6-0 in the section. Indiana will compete in the WPIAL Championships on Feb. 27 and 28.


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Regional Report: The Mountain States Climb with Green Energy and Bioscience
Energy, biosciences, and manufacturing sectors are helping the Mountain States find economic stability during the Great Recession - and beyond.
September 2010
Positive Economic Indicators
Recent studies reflect the economic success of the Mountain States. Each month, up to 400 supply managers employed by manufacturing, mining, and utilities companies in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming provide data for the Mountain States Leading Economic Indicator survey. The Goss Institute for Economic Research, a Denver economic development think tank, conducts the survey.
"If our survey respondents are seeing things good right now, then that indicates the economy will be good in about six months," says Ernest Goss, Ph.D., institute director and Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Omaha's Creighton University. The June 2010 survey is optimistic, as it reveals "an overall consensus that the economy is crawling out of the recession. That will occur probably in the second half of 2010," Goss says.
The indicators have markedly improved from surveys conducted during the second half of 2009. June's results represent the ninth consecutive month that the leading economic indicators have been above "growth neutral."
How accurate is the monthly survey? In the past it's done a "pretty good job" of determining the direction of the regional economy, Goss says. Much of the anticipated recovery has to do with improvements in manufacturing. "The export market is looking better," Goss says. "We're seeing mining and natural resources industries improving even as oil prices have remained fairly stable."
The Gulf Coast oil spill and general concerns about off-shore drilling have renewed interest in land-based onshore drilling in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. In Wyoming, "there are some new areas of discovery where there will be increased drilling," Goss says. "The outlook is looking very promising."
Regarding alternative energies, wind and solar production in these three states is good, but "not as strong as advertised," Goss says, attributing slow growth to the federal government. "It takes a while for government policies and programs to be put in place, and business leaders are [still] trying to figure out where these policies are going," he says. And issues about distributing the alternative energies within and outside the Mountain States persist.
Other survey results show that supply managers reported significant commodity price bubbles, and that hiring was increasing while layoffs were decreasing. "Again, the overall economic numbers are better, but we're still not back to pre-recession levels," Goss says. "We have a ways to go yet."
Future Alternative Energy Boom
Clean Energy Leadership in the Rockies: Competitive Positioning in the Emerging Green Economy, a report by Headwaters Economics of Bozeman, Montana, provides encouraging news for the region's alternative energy initiatives. It focused on indicators of green economic success and policy leadership in Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico.
The green economy, as defined by the report, encompasses businesses and people providing services and knowledge associated with alternative energy production, recycling, energy efficiency, and cleanup of environmental pollution.
The report found a strong relationship between energy policy and job creation, says author Julia Haggerty, a Headwaters research analyst. "The most successful states have the ability to attract both private and public capital, and then turn these fledgling green industries into mature industries," she says.
Federal and state regulations from the 1960s and 1970s, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, have provided the foundation for much of the region's current success in implementing environmental protections. "We're just beginning to see the impact of state renewable portfolio standards and programs enacted in the past five to 10 years," Haggerty says, and the impact on future green energy growth could be powerful.
The region's green energy sector attracts significant investments. Between 2006 and 2008, the area's venture capital investment totaled almost $800 million, with Colorado ranking fifth among all U.S. states, the report noted. So it's not surprising that in 2007, half of the 3,567 regional green establishments were based in Colorado. Utah and New Mexico were each home to 16 percent of them, Montana housed 11 percent, and Wyoming recorded 6 percent.
Japan-Based Bridgestone Rubber-BSA Opens Biorubber Process Research Center In Mesa, Arizona
Prysmian Group Plans $8.2 Million Expansion At Abbeville County, South Carolina, Manufacturing Center
31st Annual Survey of Corporate Executives: Confidence in U.S. Economy, Need for Investment in Infrastructure Reflected
Geraldine Gambale, Area Development Magazine
13th Annual Consultants Survey: Confidence in U.S. Economy, Concern Over Proposed Trump Policies
Geraldine Gambale, Area Development Magazine
Automation Takes Hold, But Humans Still Needed
Geraldine Gambale, Area Development Magazine
Industrial Manufacturers' Optimism Reflected in Expectations of Higher Revenue Growth, Increased Capital Spending
Geraldine Gambale, Area Development Magazine
In Focus: Has the Moment for Infrastructure Revival Arrived?
Walter Kemmsies, Ph.D., JLL
Where Should Aerospace Companies Invest? Evaluating Aerospace Manufacturing Hubs
Scott Thompson, PwC
2016 Top States for Doing Business: Georgia Back in Top Spot Again
Steve Stackhouse-Kaelble
Regional Talent Attraction Study Results: It's Not All About Core Cities
Joshua Wright, Emsi
U.S. Manufacturers Attempting to Upskill Their Workforces
Geraldine Gambale, Area Development Magazine
Developing Loyalty Among a Millennial WorkforceAll Studies/Research/Papers
Geraldine Gambale, Area Development Magazine
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Nanotech 2007 Vol. 3
Technical Proceedings of the 2007 NSTI Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, Volume 3
Chapter 2: MEMS/NEMS: Modeling & Characterization
New Analysis Method for Coupled-Field Micro Devices
|M. Motiee, A. Khajepour and R.R. Mansour
|University of Waterloo, CA
|69 - 72
|finite element, MEMS, micro electro-thermo-mechanic, electro-thermal actuator
|MEMS actuators are typically used for either one time deployment of structures for automatic assembly or constant periodic actuation as in case of micro optic scanners. Electro-thermal actuators rely on the joule heating resulting small mechanical expansion of a conductor when a current is passed through it. In the literature, an extensive research is done on modeling of thermal actuators but the modeling is limited to developing and solving the exact equations of a particular system with limited number of elements. Developing a new finite element formulation is necessary to solve a general multi-disciplinary domain with arbitrary arrangement of boundary conditions and large number of nodes and elements. This paper, presents a new finite element formulation for automated modeling of multi-disciplinary domains. The electro-thermo-mechanical domain is explained and an algorithmic approach for sequential analysis of an arbitrary ground structure with multi-disciplinary boundaries is developed and implemented using the finite element method. To solve a specified domain with defined electrical, thermal and mechanical boundary conditions, the constitutive equations of the system in all three domains are derived and discretized into finite number of nodes and elements. The equation of continuity of current is solved by modified nodal analysis method, MNA and the Galerkin's integration is used to integrate the thermoelstic equations over the domain. Thermal effects are included in the formulation in the form of dilatational strains. Moreover, in this paper the phenomena of heat transfer in micro scale for conduction, convection and radiation are studied. Results show that the micro scale heat transfer takes place by conduction, as opposed to convection. The above automated algorithm is implemented in Matlab and its results are compared and verified with exact solutions and experimental results of the hot arm thermal actuator and Chevron actuator. The agreement of results verifies the application of proposed finite element formulation to the analysis of electro-thermo-mechanical domains. This new finite element formulation provides a fast and reliable tool to analyze electro-thermoelastic devices. It also enables topology and hot arm placement optimization in thermal actuators.
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