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Enjoy Our Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites' ComfortsIn Sioux Falls, less than five miles from downtown and the Joe Foss Regional Airport, our upscale hotel offers a great home base close to area attractions and businesses.Our location particularly appeals to professional travelers because we're near the convention center, Augustana College, Sanford Hospital and Avera McKennan. All of our guests love our proximity to the Empire Mall and the heart of Sioux Falls' retail and shopping district, as well, both just minutes from the hotel. For meetings in Sioux Falls, SD, we offer three meeting spaces with free Wi-Fi, and our 24-hour business center with complimentary print, fax and copy services, ensures that you're well-prepared.Your getaway to our Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Sioux Falls at the Empire Mall can be filled with endless fun. Visit the "Heart of America," and explore historic buildings downtown and cascading waterfalls in Falls Park, or fill your itinerary with trips to the Old Courthouse, Great Bear Recreation Park and Wild Water West Waterpark. Don't forget to explore the Sertoma Butterfly House, too, which features over 700 free-flying beauties.While you look for hotels in Sioux Falls, SD, remember that we not only offer a great location, but also great amenities. Each morning, we serve a free hot breakfast. Our property also has a 24-hour fitness center, guest laundry and a heated, indoor pool and hot tub.
Ruby Tuesday has become an American classic and the unrivaled premium choice in casual dining. Each and every visitor is treated as a welcomed guest and served great tasting, handcrafted menu items. Relax in comfort in the dining area or mis and mingle wiFoley's Fish Chop and Steak House
Fine Dining restaurant.Cracker Barrel
The Cracker Barrel is located approximately two blocks North of the hotel. It has a variety of food options and a gift shop if you need to pick up a quick gift.Outback Steakhouse
Casual Steak house.Granite City Brewery
Brewery with American style foods.Puerta Vallarta
Mexican sytle restaurant


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The Ewa-Marine VG2 Underwater Housing for Sony NEX-VG20 / VG10 Camcorder is a waterproof case enabling you to shoot beneath the water's surface with your Sony NEX-VG20 or NEX-VG10 Handycam interchangeable lens camcorder. It has a depth rating of 32.8' (10 m). The VG2 provides access to all camcorder functions, which are operable through the housing.
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|Packaging Infobsuudzrfesdxuzddfazsbtwqwzwzba
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|16.4 x 11.7 x 4.8"

subset: commoncrawl


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A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories (edition 1994)
by Robin McKinley
Work details
A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories by Robin McKinley
Books Read in 2016 (3,680)
Princess Tales (54)
infjsarah's wishlist (109)
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It was interesting reading reviews of this and comparing my reactions. It was an important reminder that readers can have completely opposing views, and that I should be careful about letting negative reviews dissuade me from reading something I otherwise think looks interesting.
"The Healer" is possibly a Damar story. I had a very subjective reaction to it - I just didn't warm to it, and I don't think there's any objective reason why.
I really enjoyed "The Stagman" for its prose. The characters are types more than complex personalities, unnamed for much of the story and identified instead by their role or relationship. If it were a longer story, I would want complex personalities, but in a short story - especially a short story that reads like a fairytale - there's something appealing about that, about the way you are left to fill in the blanks yourself.
Both "Touk's House" and "Buttercups" are similar, in so far as that the characters' names aren't revealed until well into the story and there is a fairytale feel about them. Neither of them unfold as I expected them to. There is something lovely and gentle about the romance in "Buttercups", partly because of the way the story captures the way the farmer has not questioned his loneliness and his utter delight at unexpectedly discovering someone he wants to spend his life with.
However, "A Knot in the Grain" is my favourite, about a teenager who (reluctantly) moves house with her parents and the summer she spends borrowing books from the library, writing letters to her friends back home and slowly adjusting to her new life. It's not an almost fairytale, and it is much more about Annabelle as a person - her thoughts, feelings and relationships - than it is about what happens. What I loved most about it, apart from Annabelle's reading habits, was the way it captured being 16 and dealing with change - and the bittersweetness of change.
short stories from Robin Mckinley. I don't really remember anything particularly about them other than the usual slightly melancholy sense of wonder that all her works inspire within me.
I've always loved fairytale retellings, and I really like what McKinley does with fairytales, whether she's making them up or bending them to suit her own stories. This little collection is no different: I'm told the stories are set in the world of some of her novels, Damar, but to be honest I rather preferred them to the Damar novels. I couldn't say why, but...
They're all rather quiet stories, mostly people living in a world with magic where it's really best if that magic doesn't touch them, and when it does, they have to live with it. The first story reminded me of Ursula Le Guin's writing, too, which is always gonna be a good thing. That and the fourth were my favourites, I think.
I really liked the first four short stories in this book. The last one though, I have to admit, is my least favorite and to me personally could do without. (Just my personal opinion) Other than that, I had a great time reading this book and always am looking for it on the shelf when I am at the library. These stories never get old to me and I love it when a book can do that without having to be the size of a dictionary!
Last summer I read Robin McKinley's two novels of Damar, The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, and I enjoyed the former a lot, though I was ambivalent about the latter. The "About the Author" blurb of The Blue Sword promises that it is the first of many novels about Damar, but in fact, no more ever appeared. There is, however, this collection of five short stories, four of which take place in Damar, or at least on the same fantasy world. (One character from the novels shows up in two of the stories, though he is not really one of my favorites.)
I feel like I have high standards for children's/YA fantasy with female protagonists; I don't like it when the protagonists seem ineffectual or incidental, or if they're empowered in a way I find over simplistic, or if too much emphasis is placed on their relationships to men. (All of these are my problems with Tamora Pierce's Tortall novels.) I don't think I have these same standards for YA fantasy about boys, but then, I don't think I read much of that, either. Anyway, this is a long way of saying that three of the five stories in A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories fail those standards, and so I don't like them, but I don't know if ideology is a good reason to dislike a story. But I'd like to think that these are just bad stories. Bizarrely, obnoxiously bad.
The first two stories, "The Healer" and "The Stagman" are almost the same. The protagonist is a girl in difficulty ("The Healer" features a mute; "The Stagman" a princess about to murdered by her uncle), then the girl is rescued by something/one supernatural (a traveling mage; a stagman), then the girl is taken to the realm of Luthe (who also appeared in The Hero and the Crown), then the girl hangs out there for a while, then she goes home and gets married to a man she met while hanging out with Luthe. That's it? Neither character overcomes any danger or obstacle herself; in fact, in "The Stagman," the army to overthrow her uncle is raised by her soon-to-be-husband while she is content to do nothing! The girl in "The Healer" is healed by Luthe with no risk to herself, preempting what could be a potentially interesting story about someone who's never spoken learning to speak, while the overthrow of the uncle happens in passing in "The Stagman," I don't find either very inspiring or interesting.
The third story, "Tauk's House," is no better. A witch takes a newborn girl from a poor family as payment, she raises the girl alongside her half-troll son (who is seventeen years older!), the girl grows up and walks to a far-off kingdom where she heals a prince, and then she walks back and marries the troll. So what? Is there even a plot? I don't know if it's because McKinley is trying to work in a fairy tale aesthetic, but in fact, fairy tales do not conform to contemporary notions of plotting, and neither do these boring tales.
Thankfully, things picked up with the fourth story, "Buttercups," which is where the beautiful cover image comes from. It's about a hardworking farmer and the woman he marries and the strange force residing beneath a hill on their farm. The characters are engaging, the themes are interesting, the prose is excellent, and the magic is lurking-- I really liked this one. The story kind of just stops at one point, but in a literary way that makes you think you've learned something. (I am pretty sure that that is true.)
The last story is, unusually, set in the 1990s, when it was written. "A Knot in the Grain" is the tale of a girl moving across the state and adjusting. It's full of nice details, showing the thoughts and feelings of someone adjusting to change and the coming of adulthood. I particularly liked how McKinley used the books the protagonist was reading to tell us stuff; she reads Diana Wynn Jones, The Last Unicorn, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Charles Dickens, and even Mistress Masham's Repose. It could be a piece of nongenre fiction, almost, but there is magic, which is subtle, but disconcerting and powerful. Again, the ending is kinda off, but overall I liked it a lot.
I'm glad to have read both "Buttercups" and "A Knot in the Grain," but frustrated at the rest of the stories here. I don't know that I'll be reading more McKinley after this; my experiences have been too mixed, and I'm not really interested by all the fairy tale retellings anyway.
References to this work on external resources.
Wikipedia in English
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0064406040, Paperback)
Lily. A woman with power to heal, but no powers of speech. Then she meets a mage---a man who can hear the words she forms only in her mind. Will he help her find her voice?
Ruen. A princess whose uncle leaves her deep in a cave to die at the hands of a stagman. But when she meets the stagman at last, Ruendiscovers fatehas a few surprises in store for her.
Erana, As a baby, she is taken be a witch in return for the healing herbs her father stole from the witch's garden. Raised alongsidethe witch's troll son, Erana learns that love comes in many forms.
Coral. A beautiful young newcomerwho catches the eye of an older widowed farmer. He can't believe his good fortune when Coral consents to be his wife. But then the doubts set in---what is it that draws Coral to Butter Hill?
Lily. A woman with power to heal, but no powers of speech. Then she meets a mage---a man who can hear the words she forms only in her mind. Will he help her find her voice? Ruen. A princess whose uncle leaves her deep in a cave to die at the hands of a stagman. But when she meets the stagman at last, Ruen discovers fate has a few surprises in store for her. Erana, As a baby, she is taken by a witch in return for the healing herbs her father stole from the witch's garden. Raised alongside the witch's troll son, Erana learns that love comes in many forms. Coral. A beautiful young newcomer who catches the eye of an older widowed farmer. He can't believe his good fortune when Coral consents to be his wife. But then the doubts set in---what is it that draws Coral to Butter Hill?… (more)
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Dogs help schools lick bullies
Sweet-natured dogs lolling about classrooms are helping take a bite out of bullying — and other bad behaviors — in Kansas City schools.
No More Bullies teaches, with dogs' help, responsibility, compassion, self-control and integrity. Since its small launch five years ago, teachers and counselors have become so convinced of the positive impact on kids' behavior that it's booked into the 80-classroom max it can handle, and there's a long waiting list of requests for next year.
The curriculum, developed by ex-teacher Jo Dean Hearn, humane education director at animal rescue group Wayside Waifs, is presented an hour a day for five days by trained volunteers — accompanied by irresistible canines.
Your pet can teach, too
Family pets can help teach respect, empathy and compassion — just don't expect to replicate the results of a formal curriculum presented by trained trainers. Tips from trainer Thompson:
Emphasize the animal's comfort, making sure there's always water, that it's fed on a schedule and is included in the family.
Never use physical punishment or harsh language when Fido does something unacceptable. For example, talk about why he chewed something — left alone too long, no appropriate things to chew on — "so the child begins to think about if he were in the dog's shoes … that's empathy."
Involve kids in vet visits and pet food shopping so they develop an awareness of helping others, "especially those who are smaller, more vulnerable or without a voice."
"The animals are the glue that helps the children stay focused and understand the message," says Hearn. "Children can easily identify with an animal. And it's easy for them to transition when we ask them to consider how an animal feels (if ill treated) to how the kid sitting near them feels (if poorly treated)."
Adds teacher Peggy Everist: "There's a lot of specific language, like being fair, and using compassion or integrity, that plays out with the students throughout the year."
A growing number of programs use animals to get kids' attention while teaching respect and conflict resolution. Most are free; some charge nominal amounts to cover expenses; some help schools apply for grants to cover costs.
Mutt-i-grees, a program from the Yale University School of the 21st Century and the Pet Savers Foundation of North Shore Animal League America, is just barely out of the gate and is already in 900 schools in 28 states. The curriculum consists of at least 25 age-appropriate 30-minute lessons, each aimed at building social and emotional skills.
Real animals aren't necessarily in the classroom (though some teachers invite therapy dogs, and many visit shelters). Teachers use dog-shaped hand puppets as instructional aides for younger grades; animals are the pivot point of lessons; and there's information about keeping safe around dogs developed with dog trainer Cesar Millan, whose foundation pledged $1 million.
"It's a highly scripted, user-friendly … blueprint teachers can adapt to their own styles and needs," says Matia Finn-Stevenson, an expert on child development, schools and learning, and director of Yale's School of the 21st Century. She and her team have spent two years developing the Mutt-i-grees curricula now used in two grade ranges (pre-K through third grade, and grades 4 to 6). Grades 7 and 8 are in testing.
Why it works is simple, says Finn-Stevenson: "Children have an affinity for animals. When animals are the topic of their writing or reading exercises, they are engaged."
The long-term effect on civility is indisputable, says Cheri Brown Thompson, founder of the Orangeburg, S.C.-based Healing Species, a decade-old program that uses rescued dogs in a 13-week classroom course. Independent research found suspensions decreased 55%, acts of aggression decreased 62% and acts of empathy increased 42% in classrooms where the 13-week, 1-hour-a-week curriculum had been presented, she says. Moreover, school officials report less bullying and violence "Even academic scores go up," she says, citing the group's studies comparing standardized test scores a year before and after the class. "The teacher is spending less time refereeing, and kids settle down better."
Thompson aims to interrupt the violence cycle she learned about in law school: Most violent offenders "were abused as children and began abusing animals when they were still children. The missing component is compassion …not receiving it and not understanding what it is. We can teach compassion. What better way than through a rescued dog that returns love even in the face of hate?"
She developed the curriculum — aimed chiefly at middle-schoolers — that she and trained staffers and their rescued dogs present to 3,000 students and incarcerated juveniles annually. "Satellite" programs operate in Wisconsin, Texas and New Zealand because people sought and received Thompson's training, and the program's sanctuary, opened in 2009, has rescued and placed hundreds of dogs.
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MONTICELLO, Ark. — As promised, a flashback to last weekend when a group of Arkansans mobilized in Pine Bluff, Ark., to defend the honor of a U.S. soldier whose funeral was targeted by the Westboro Baptist Church. Thanks to Aaron Etue of Flip Out Photography, we can show you the scene.
First a little background in case you didn't read the first post. Vilonia High School math teacher John Allison, a former Marine and friend, organized folks through a facebook public event to fight the hate of WBC with love toward the family.
Within 36 hours, 126 people pledged to attend and stand up for the honor of fallen Arkansas soldier, Army Sgt. Michael J. Strachota. Allison estimated more than 200 people (including the Patriot Guard riders) showed in support of Sgt. Strachota and his family.
"It was an awesome sight," Allison said in a facebook email exchange. "That many people, most of whom didn't know the Strachotas at all, standing in the hot sun to honor him and his family. Several elderly people stood on the flag line until they almost collapsed, but each time another person quickly came to their aid and another took their place in line."
Rumors placed WBC protestors at the White Hall Huddle House — a call to boycott the business received lukewarm response on the facebook page — but Allison only knew of three who protested at 6th and Main, down the street from the memorial service. The heat also forced some people to stay home though they'd pledged to come. Allison said the crowd thinned once the mass began.
Etue shot these photographs for posterity, but luckily he is willing to share here. Click on the photo to see the full-sized image.
An Arkansas high school teacher's facebook page to "Preserve the Honor of Fallen Pine Bluff Soldier" plans to buffer funeral participants from a Westboro Baptist Church protest Saturday afternoon at Pine Bluff's St. Joseph Catholic Church.
John Allison, a 44-year-old former Marine who teaches math at Vilonia High School, started the page Friday afternoon; by midnight, 62 of the more than 1,800 invitees confirmed they would attend with an additional 31 maybes. (UPDATE: Those attending topped 100 by 10:30 CST this morning.)
The stated goal of attendees is to keep the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., from disrupting the memorial service for fallen Arkansas soldier, Sgt. Michael J. Strachota of the U.S. Army. Strachota died June 24 in Afghanistan, a week and a half prior to a scheduled home leave on July 5.
"Please join us to peaceably make certain these disrespectful hatemongers are far enough removed they cannot disrupt the service or upset the family and friends," Allison writes. "Help us prevent this so-called church from dishonoring this man's honorable service and sacrifice."
A press release indicates WBC will preach "in respectful, lawful proximity" that God kills American soldiers as punishment for sin. The flier uses incendiary language about military personnel, including the phrase, "Thank God for IEDs."
In stark contrast, Allison provided five ground rules for those providing a "shield":
"1. This will be a peaceful undertaking. We are certainly not here to cause a scene that will cause more of a disturbance than WBC. Our goal is not to shout, scream, or strike those gathered with WBC.
"2. Do not bring weapons of any kind: no guns, knives, mace, pepper spray, or anything else you might be tempted to use as a weapon.
"3. Our goal is to get enough people together to shield those attending the memorial service from the WBC protesters.
"4. Flags, crosses, crucifixes, other symbols of patriotism and religion are welcome. If you wish to make signs, they should have only positive messages honoring the courage and sacrifice, nothing derogatory or demeaning toward any person or group. Remember, we are there to help honor Sgt. Strachota, not to protest or make a political statement.
"5. We have now learned the Patriot Guard will be at the service also. They do this all the time at military funerals across the country so we will fall in with them and follow their lead."
According to the Patriot Guard Riders' website, the motorcycle enthusiasts "standing for those who stood for us" will also be in attendance. The group warns participants to hydrate; the Weather Channel predicts it will be 95-96 degrees by the 1 p.m. start, though the 46 percent humidity will make it feel like 104.
(EDITOR's NOTE: Allison and the reporter attended Northeast High School in the late '80s.)
Movement the First: To Protest or Not
It started with a spark.
A Canadian spark no less, when the Adbusters Media Foundation came up with an idea to Occupy Wall Street. That spark started the occupation in Liberty Plaza Park Sept. 17, America's Constitution Day.
At first, few paid attention. But the movement gathered steam and the spark spread to cities across the country and then around the world.
During the time of year normally reserved for the state fair, the spark made it to the Natural State.
I stayed up too late Friday night with one of my best friends. He would leave Saturday morning for three weeks of drill with the Arkansas National Guard, which has orders to be ready to go to Afghanistan at a moment's notice … they just don't know when they're going. He's already been to Iraq twice and would just as soon not see the site of America's longest war.
I'd told him I'd planned to go to the march, to which he retorted, "As a participant or to cover it?" I hadn't actually decided yet. So he asked me what was the goal, since he'd heard it was just a bunch of rich kids camping out in New York. Why weren't they in D.C. instead, if they wanted to fix something with the government?
As I explained, it's not the government. When 9/11 happened, where did they aim first? At corporate America. That was a terrorist act; this seemed to be something more.
We spent the evening debating whether a protest would actually work. I suggested if I marched in protest, my personal reasons would be to end the Federal Reserve and to get the military out of Afghanistan. Needless to say, we kept it up long after we needed to go to bed.
As I lay down and set my alarm, I noticed it was nearly 2 a.m. That 9 a.m. start would come early.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — This morning we will rise early to participate in a march for Arkansas' water. Why? The easy answer: once they've messed up air, food or water, it cannot be fixed.
As an Arkansan, I've been blessed with an incredible natural water supply. I thought everyone would get pure water in the 20th century … up until the time I moved to Nashville, Tenn., in 1995. I didn't stay long, in part due to continually getting sick when the water was bad. Looking for a job took me through a couple of opportunities, including one selling water purifiers. At first I laughed, especially at the joke about "Evian," the first bottled water, being so named due to folks being naive about the world's water supply.
I didn't laugh after seeing the tap water turn a murky yellowish-brown after the exhibitor conducted a purity test.
I'm back in Arkansas again, but now the question's concerning hydrofracking and the resulting problems with our water supply (not even considering the possibility that the process is contributing to earthquakes in North Central Arkansas).Read more: "And Not a Drop to Drink"
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — I found it funny (and not in a ha-ha way) that someone actually had to ponder whether to tell me Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. I think the second title might give the holidaze too much credit.
How happy can one feel to wait in line for a checker when over a quarter of the lines aren't manned? How happy can one feel to see people trampled, in some cases killed, so that someone can get the big deal on the flatscreen television? How happy can one feel to know that even with cheaper gas (for now at least) it's going to be tough for people to have Christmas? Better yet, how can the vast majority of people consider it a holiday when their credit bill escalates while we bail out Citi and friends? Maybe Citi got a holiday; we didn't.
Happy holidays? Bah! Humbug!Read more: Merry Christmas (yeah, that's what I meant)
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — 'Tis the season of ghosts, werewolves, witches and zombies. Halloween waits at week's end.
My wife carved the pumpkin at left, took its picture and sent it to me over the cell phone. She claims Halloween as her favorite holiday.
"There's much less pressure than the other ones," Tanya says. "It's pure fun. And I like the origination of the holiday as an opportunity to commune with ones who are gone."
Unfortunately, some people never know if their loved one is truly gone. They just disappear. From the other side, the system occasionally finds victims of crimes without knowing who the victim was.
For your Halloween treat, examine what happens to the unidentified dead in 21st century Arkansas through an article I wrote earlier this year.
Tell Me, Who are You?
Tracking the Unidentified Dead
By Ronald Sitton
Nobody knows the last thought that went through her head, but Little Rock homicide Detective John "J.C." White knows the last thing was a bullet.
|Have You Seen Me? — Little Rock Police still want to know who this woman was. If you have any information, contact Det. John "J.C." White in homicide at 501-371-4660 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
She wore Arizona-brand carpenter jeans with a black leather belt and a large brown T-shirt. Over this, an extra-extra large dark blue windbreaker and jumpsuit pants while white-and-blue Reeboks clad her feet. A gold-and-silver link bracelet hung from her wrist. Standing between 5'3" and 5'7" with black hair and a nose broken earlier in life, the black woman could have been anywhere between 18 and 40.
On a walk with its owner in August 2002, a dog uncovered her tennis shoes and bones face-down under a pile of pink insulation behind an abandoned-looking house at 2772 Reservoir Road. The first responding officer would have started the investigation by preserving the scene, especially any physical evidence that would lead to identification of the victim or a suspect.
Dr. Cheryl May, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Criminal Justice Institute, estimated the victim's body had been there for several months. Inventory of her various clothes would later help with educated guesses of her overall size. Pictures of the scene show an apparently abandoned house, but crime scene investigators found nothing of evidentiary value like a bullet casing or murder weapon – though they did find more of her teeth.
Continue the article here!
This article originally appeared in the August 2008 issue of the Arkansas Free Press.
MONTICELLO, Ark. – You've heard the candidates, now it's time to also consider the issues.
Attend the 2008 Election Issues Forum at the University of Arkansas at Monticello in the University Center Green Room on Tueday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
Brought to you in part by the UAM American Democracy Project, the UAM Journalism Club, and the UAM Speech and Debate Program, this event promises to educate the public about ballot initiatives prior to the Nov. 4 election.
Supporters and opponents of the ballot issues facing Arkansas voters will speak about the proposed State Lottery, Unmarried Couples Adoption Ban, Water Bond Act and more. Confirmed interest groups sending representatives include the Family Council of Arkansas, Hope for Arkansas and Arkansas Families First.
Audience members in this Town Hall-style forum will submit questions for the candidates to answer following the discussion of each issue.


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Michael Lombardo: Rivers has played consistently well throughout the Chargers' eight-game winning streak. During that time, he's completed 133 of 214 passes (.621) for 1,656 yards, 14 TDs, five INTs and a passer rating of 98.2. He's become more familiar with Norv Turner's expanded playbook and more comfortable with Chris Chambers, who was acquired from the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
Despite his personal progress, it has been improved play from the offensive line that has served as the catalyst for Rivers' renaissance. In Week 12, Jeromey Clary stepped in for Shane Olivea at right tackle and C Nick Hardwick returned from a four-week absence after injuring his ankle – the Chargers have not lost since.
JS: How much of an impact has Chris Chambers had on the Chargers offense since San Diego traded for him?
ML: Chambers has impressed the Chargers since the minute GM A.J. Smith pulled the trigger on the deadline deal. Chambers has at least two catches in every game since joining the Chargers. His 44 catches since he joined the Bolts pace the team, as do his 16.9 ypc. He comes into the New England game hot, having scored three touchdowns in the last four games.
Chambers' presence opens up the offense for other players. Teams cannot consistently drop eight and nine men in the box with Chambers and Antonio Gates making plays downfield. The extra attention given to Chambers also ensures single coverage for Vincent Jackson, who has exploded in the playoffs with 12 catches for 207 yards and two touchdowns.
TE Antonio Gates
Nick Laham/Getty
ML: The big three injuries are on the offensive side of the ball. LaDainian Tomlinson is questionable after hyperextending his knee in the win over Indianapolis. He is listed as questionable but practiced this week and is expected to play. Norv Turner will mix in Michael Turner and Darren Sproles to limit Tomlinson's snaps and maximize his effectiveness.
Philip Rivers is listed as doubtful but is expected to start. He has a sprained MCL in his left leg and a partially torn ACL in his right left. He took about one-third of the snaps on Friday and will give it a go on Sunday. It is a near certainty he will start the game but it is uncertain he'll be able to finish it. His already sub-par mobility will be greatly compromised.
Antonio Gates has a real chance of missing the game, as he only worsened his dislocated toe by playing on it last week. Even if he does go, he'll only play about 40 percent of the snaps and will be greatly limited in what he can do. Norv Turner would love to have him out there to draw attention if nothing else, but that ploy might not work after Gates proved to be little more than a decoy last week.
JS: Igor Olshansky had a little bit to say about the Patriots after the Chargers victory over the Colts. Is that just postgame adrenaline talking or is Olshansky prone to talking trash?
ML: Olshansky is absolutely prone to talking trash. He has called out the Denver Broncos for their cut-blocking scheme and lambasted the Tennessee Titans for their dirty play. Olshansky is a high-adrenaline player who plays with a great deal of emotion -- sometimes it comes out the wrong way when there's a microphone in front of his face.
That being said, his comments were made 30 minutes after one of the biggest wins in Chargers history. He was extremely excited at the time and made a comment he otherwise would have kept to himself. However, he stands by his words and will have a chance to back them up against the most potent offense in NFL history.
JS: Did you expect the Chargers to beat the Colts last week? What was your original prediction for the game?
ML: No, I expected the Chargers to keep things close but for Peyton Manning to pull out the win in the fourth quarter. Manning had a couple of opportunities but the San Diego defense rose to the occasion. It will take a similarly Herculean effort by the defense to pull off a second monumental upset in as many weeks.
JS: Philip Rivers was called out by the media for doing too much trash talking. Is that just a sign of Philip's competitiveness or is it a maturity issue in your mind?
ML: I believe it is just Rivers being competitive. Like Olshansky, Rivers is an emotional player who lets it all hang out once he steps between the lines. He has been caught taunting Jay Cutler, encouraging the fans in Oakland and jawing with the hecklers in Indianapolis. The thing is, he played well in all of those games and the Chargers came out victorious every time. If he continues to play like he has over the last eight weeks, the Chargers will let him talk until he is blue in the face.
It is funny that Tom Brady can go helmet to helmet with Anthony Smith and the whole world gets a kick out of it. But Rivers opens his mouth and all of a sudden he is immature. I don't buy it and neither do Rivers' teammates.
Michael Lombardo is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and a long-time contributor to the Scout.com network. He has followed the Chargers for more than 14 years and covered the team since 2003.


text: Holder's should be the first head to roll. I'll bet it won't happen though, He'll buy his way out, or Obama will slide him into anouther cushey gov job, somewhere under the radar. The ones that are trying to take our rights away will stick together and cover for each other.


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Subcommittee Report on the Establishment of a State Ethics Commission
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1928/2621
Subcommittee Report on the Establishment of a State Ethics Commission
Governor's Task Force on Ethics Reform
Noel, Jim
Sanchez, Leonard
Bluestone, Stuart
McCoy, Kathy
Winter, Brad
Carey, John
The establishment of a State Ethics Commission relates directly to ethics reform in the state of New Mexico. Such a commission does not exist in New Mexico, the establishment of which would represent a tangible and concrete manifestation of a state commitment to ethics reform, as well as the top-down expectation that state officials (elected or otherwise) will be held to the highest standard of conduct in the performance of their duties. In addition, while New Mexico does have statutory proscriptions against certain kinds or conduct or requiring other kinds of conduct (i.e., the Government Conduct Act, the Procurement Act, Campaign Practices Act), there is no common set of ethical guidelines that apply uniformly to all executive agencies, elected officials, and employees. Moreover, there is no agency or organization that is charged with receiving reports of ethical misconduct, investigating such reports, and taking action as necessary, including disciplinary action. A state ethics commission could be established to do exactly that. This report reviews the options for establishing a state ethics commission and provides recommendations.
13 p. ; A subcommittee report of Governor Richardson's Task Force on Ethics Reform.
Governmental Ethics
State Ethics Commissions
Political Reform
New Mexico
Governmental Conduct
State Ethics Commissions
Political Reform
New Mexico
Governmental Conduct


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Chris Harrison Shares Why He and Gwyneth Paltrow Have a Lot to Discuss at the Grammys
Feb 11, 2011 2:47 PM EST
What do Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Harrison have in common? The movie Bounce. "I was reporter No. 15," he told TVGuide.com of his role in the film. "I was at the very end of the movie when Ben Affleck is sitting on the bed and I'm on the news recappin… Read more


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The BBB's Latest Dirty Dozen
By Karen E. Klein
One year after it took its consumer and business-protection show online, the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) has nearly doubled the number of queries it handles from consumers, a new study shows. The U.S.-based BBBs logged 41.5 million instances of service in 2002, vs. 21.4 million in 2001, says Ken Hunter, CBBB president and CEO. Those requests included 25 million "reliability reports" on businesses.
The public has adopted the group's online search-and-reporting functions, at www.bbb.org and www.bbbonline.org, in a big way. "Fully half of all BBB business reliability reports are now issued over the Web, and two-thirds of the complaints BBBs handle are filed online," Hunter says.
The latest data was made available from the CBBB's 2002 Annual Inquiry and Complaint Summary, which also updated the annual "Top 12" -- the business categories that generated the most requests for BBB reliability reports, as well as those prompting the greatest number of complaints in 2002.
"Work-at-home" promotions topped the list of businesses that are most frequently checked out, the same position it has occupied for the past four years. Inquiries about such offers increased in 2002 by 69% over the previous year. Mortgage and escrow companies ranked second, up from fourth place in 2001. Inquiries on moving and storage companies also increased -- up 105%, with more than a half-million requests in 2002.
Three industries -- Internet services, modeling and talent agencies, and insurance companies -- appeared on the BBB's Top 12 list of inquiries for the first time in 2002, replacing plumbing contractors, air-conditioning contractors, and-credit card offers, which dropped off the list.
The remaining six most-asked-about businesses also appeared on last year's Top 12, in roughly the same ranking: roofing and guttering contractors, general contractors, franchise auto dealers, home remodeling contractors, home builders, and auto repair shops. Although debt-consolidation services did not make 2002's Top 12 Inquiry list, consumer requests for reports on such services increased significantly from the prior year, up 162%, the report says.
Of the industries that drew that most complaints, 2002 saw cell phone top the list for the first time. Moving up from 16th place in 2001, the number of cell phone complaints more than tripled -- from 5,928 in 2001 to 21,534 in 2002 -- an increase of 263%.
Ranking second and third respectively in terms of the number of complaints were franchise auto dealers and credit-card offers, followed by Internet services, and computer dealers/stores. Telephone companies came in sixth, followed by mail-order and catalog firms, home-furnishing stores, credit-collection agencies, cable- and satellite-TV outfits, moving-and-storage companies, and auto-repair shops. Long-distance service providers dropped off the Top 12 list, falling ten places from the eighth-ranked spot in 2001, thanks to a 27% decline in complaints, from 8,711 to 6,847.
Given the increasing use of BBB services by consumers, getting your small business registered with the organization should be a great credibility tool and selling point -- particularly if you're in an industry that attracts a lot of requests for information and questions about credibility.
Businesses, trade associations and members of the public may order the CBBB's 2002 Summary by sending a check or money order for $7.50 to CBBB, Dept. 023, Washington, DC 20042-0023.
Karen E. Klein writes the Smart Answers column for BusinessWeek Online


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Vegan Omaha
Late-Summertime Laze: Q&A with John McDevitt
Joining us in our walk down memory lane are some of our favorite Vida Vegan Con alumni. What are their upcoming projects and seasonal shenanigans—and what did they take home from VVC2013?
Today we're checking in with John McDevitt. Running Vegan Omaha and helping the kitties via The Teal Cat Project, it's ironic the he's the voice behind The Laziest Vegans in the World. Hey, John!
What have you been up to this summer?
Traveling, relaxing, gardening, and jogging.
Why did you decide to attend Vida Vegan Con II?
Because I really like Jess, Janessa, and Michele. Plus, all of the presenters and attendees are amazing.
Looking back, what was the most memorable class?
The VeganMofo class ruled.
How has your blog changed since the three-day conference?
Not much. Still lazy as ever (blogwise, anyway).
How did VVC2013 affect your culinary style and home cooking?
Ha! Not at all. I did enjoy hearing other people's perspectives, though.
Who were you really excited to meet?
Any nice surprises you'd like to share? Special memories of VVC2013?
I just love the vibe of the conference. So many vegans in one place, it's pretty amazing! Happy to see everyone from 2011 and meet the 2013 newbies.
So, have you started reading any new blogs?
Yes, a couple! Can't wait till VeganMofo to find even more cool vegan blogs.
What would you like to see more or less of in (vegan) blogging?
I like to see people having fun with blogging and not take it so seriously.
What would you like to see the organizers incorporate into the next VVC?
Maybe expand the conference beyond blogging?
What other vegan events put together by VVHQ would you like to attend?
A vegan cruise, just do it! [Editor's note: We've done some research, and we haven't ruled it out.]
Lastly, what was your favorite meal in Portland, outside of the conference? (as if you could resist!)
Portobello gnocchi.


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Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan is all over the clouds of popularity as usual post the success of the film 'Don 2'. He seems quite happy after the successes of Ra.One and Don 2. The man has added more sparkles to his ever-increasing worth, fame and projects, he keeps pocketing.
The latest about King Khan is that he has dolled up seven various avatars in a DTH (direct-to-home) ad. With this ad piece, he has given his buffs new dosage of entertainment to enjoy with. In his career, where he has done various things and characters he also essayed the hard to pin down don twice. But his thirst for enacting many characters have not been fulfilled yet which is why he went on donning up seven avatars for the ad.
He enacts magician, corporate honcho, cop, Greek Warrior, a doctor and others. In each avatar, the hugely talented Shah Rukh Khan looks super classy and it is hoped that he will be liked by millions of his fans worldwide in this ad.
Khan never slips down from the road of success that leads him to super stardom. He is accustomed to it and will never ever leave it. Whether his rivals go against him or any hurdles come his way, he is on and going on.
He is a great entertainer and knows the art deeply, which is why he has been in the business since such a long time maintaining his stardom, worth and stand among the masses. For the sequel to Don 2, he reluctantly has said yes and even the producer-director Farhan Akkhtar too said so. Thus be ready to see the various astonishing avatars being dolled up by the super king of Bollywood who is one and only Shah Rukh Khan. He loves doing various roles that is the reason the audience finds him in various shades in films.


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Executive Director Joy Petroelje of Widowed Persons Service (WPS) was a recent guest speaker for the Rockford Lions Club to get the word out about her organization.
WPS was established in the Grand Rapids area in 1978 and is one of a few support organizations for widowed persons in the country. Their service model of peer-to-peer support has resulted in healing and renewed hope for thousands of widowed men and women through what Petroelje said is "one of the most difficult transitions in life."
WPS provides a variety of opportunities and services based on the belief that widowed individuals are best helped along their grief journey by other people who have had similar experiences. The vision of WPS is to provide grieving widowed men and women of all ages with a safe and healthy environment in which to process their grief and begin to build an enriching life as a single person.
Petroelje stated, "Widowed persons tend to focus on the grief of other family members and friends and never really deal with their own road to recovery."
Petroelje would like anyone that has been recently widowed, or knows someone who has been, to visit WPS's website at www.wpsgr.com for more information, or to learn more about their approach to service, and to find their location in Wyoming, Mich.


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wasternoun [ C ]uk /ˈweɪ.stər/ us /ˈweɪ.stɚ/
› informal disapproving a person or thing who wastes something:
He's a time waster.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
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a person who has spent a lot of their life doing yoga and studying the philosophy of yoga


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Kendrick Lamar debuts at No 2 as Taylor Swift's 'Red' tops Billboard 200
(Billboard) As earlier reported, Taylor Swift's 'Red' album explodes at No 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 1.208 million copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the largest sales week for an album since 2002, when Eminem's 'The Eminem Show' sold 1.322 million in its first full week at No 1.
'Red' is only the 18th album to sell a million units in a single week since SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991.
Settling for a No 2 debut on the chart this week is Kendrick Lamar's 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City', starting with 241,000. The Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope set is Lamar's major label bow, after earlier charting with his Top Dawg indie release 'Section.80'. The last male artist to start with a bigger sales figure with his first major label full-length set was Drake, when 'Thank Me Later' launched with 447,000 in June of 2010.
Lamar also hits No 1 on both the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums charts.
Last week's No 1 on the Billboard 200, Jason Aldean's 'Night Train', chugs down to No 3 with 116,000 (down 72%). Another previous No 1, Mumford & Sons' 'Babel', dips 2-4 with 53,000 (down 27%).
Pop icon Tony Bennett steps into the top 10 with another duets album, this time pairing himself with an array of Latin music stars. His 'Viva Duets' release starts at No 5 with 36,000, following the top five success of 'Duets: An American Classic' (No 3, 2006) and 'Duets II' (No 1, 2011).
Guitarist/singer Gary Clark Jr makes a smashing debut at No 6 with his first major label studio album, 'Blak & Blu', selling 35,000 copies. The Warner Bros set also hits No 1 on the Blues Albums chart and follows his EP 'The Bright Lights', which has moved 82,000 to date. It reached No 91 on the Billboard 200 and No 1 on Blues Albums.
Rock band Stone Sour earns its third top 10 album on the Billboard 200 as 'House of Gold & Bones – Part 1' starts at No 7 with 31,000. It follows 2010's 'Audio Secrecy', which debuted and peaked at No 6 with 46,000.
P!nk's 'The Truth About Love' slides 6-8 with 25,000 (down 19%) while Lady Antebellum collects its fourth top 10 set with the No 9 arrival of 'On This Winter's Night' (just under 25,000). The 12-song album contains the six tracks Lady A released on its 2010 Target-exclusive EP 'A Merry Little Christmas'. Unlike 'Merry', the new set is widely available.
Rounding out the top 10 is Brandy's 'Two Eleven', dropping from No 3 to No 10 in its second frame, moving 22,000 (down 65%).
Over on the Digital Songs chart, PSY's "Gangnam Style" reigns at No 1 for another week, selling 255,000 downloads (up 11%). Far behind at No 2 is Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven," climbing seven slots with 161,000 (up 52%).
Ke$ha's "Die Young" is steady at No 3 (150,000; down 4%) while Maroon 5's "One More Night" rises a slot to No 4 (142,000; down 6%). Rihanna's "Diamonds" is up two rungs to No 5 (122,000; up 4%) and fun.'s "Some Nights" is a non-mover at No 6 (111,000; down 11%).
The chart's highest debut comes from Taylor Swift, who arrives at No 7 with "22" from her 'Red' album, selling 108,000. She also climbs in at No 10 with "I Almost Do" (76,000) from the same set.
Flo Rida's "I Cry" zips up four slots to No 8 (up 21%) and Phillip Phillips' "Home" rallies 15-9 with 85,000 (up 5%).
Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Oct 28) totalled 6.28 million units, up 19% compared with the sum last week (5.27 million) and up 12% compared with the comparable sales week of 2011 (5.61 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 240.43 million, down 4% compared with the same total at this point last year (249.29 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 21.08 million downloads, down 4% compared with last week (22.08 million) and up 5% stacked next to the comparable week of 2011 (20.10 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 1.098 billion, up 6% compared with the same total at this point last year (1.034 billion).
Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2011 when: Justin Bieber's 'Under the Mistletoe' rang in the season with a No 1 debut, selling 210,000. Wale's 'Ambition' started at No 2 with 164,000 and Miranda Lambert's 'Four the Record' launched at No 3 with 133,000.
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2014 Draft Prep: Golden Tate will be a Fantasy star
Moving from Seattle to high-octane Detroit can only be good news for Golden Tate. Our Jamey Eisenberg says the Lions receiver is about to become a Fantasy star.
Editor's note: FanDuel.com is hosting a one-week long $100,000 Fantasy Football contest for just Week 1. It's only $10 to join and first prize is $10,000. Starts Sunday, September 7th at 1 p.m. ET. Enter now
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Prior to the start of preseason action, many Fantasy owners were skeptical of Golden Tate. They likely weren't expecting a big statistical leap despite his move from Seattle to Detroit.
It will be interesting to see how things change now that we've seen Tate on the field.
He's has come out and played well through two games, especially the second outing against Oakland when he had three catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. We never doubted Tate would shine with the Lions and the prediction here is Tate will be a Fantasy star this season.
Before the preseason started, Tate's Average Draft Position was No. 77 overall, which is Round 7 in a 12-team league. He was being drafted after guys like DeSean Jackson, Emmanuel Sanders and Julian Edelman, among others. I'd gladly take Tate over those receivers, and I would draft him as early as Round 5.
Now, to be fair, Tate has never had a big season before. His best finish as a Fantasy option was last year when he was the No. 28 receiver in standard leagues with 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns in Seattle.
But moving from the run-oriented Seahawks to the pass-happy Lions is the equivalent of taking off training wheels. It's time for Tate to fly.
What we like about Tate is he's among the most reliable receivers in the NFL with only five drops since 2011. He has caught 144 of 149 catchable passes thrown his way over that span, according to Pro Football Focus.
His hands are going to be tested because Matthew Stafford has attempted at least 630 passes in three consecutive years. By comparison, Russell Wilson has combined for 800 passes the past two seasons.
Tate had just 98 targets last season, but that number should rise significantly. He will be in single coverage on nearly every play because of Calvin Johnson drawing constant attention. And Stafford has had plenty of time to develop a rapport with Tate since Johnson has missed the first two preseason games.
Stafford must have been dying for a receiver like Tate. The players who have finished No. 2 in receptions behind Johnson the past three years have been Reggie Bush in 2013 with 54 catches, Brandon Pettigrew in 2012 with 59 catches and Pettigrew again in 2011 with 83 grabs.
The receivers who have played opposite Johnson over that time have been Nate Burleson, Titus Young, Ryan Broyles, Kris Durham and Kevin Ogletree. No offense to those players, but that screams mediocrity.
Tate will make Stafford better, he will make the Lions better and he will enhance Fantasy lineups with his ability in a high-powered offense. You should plan on drafting Tate as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver and he has the chance to help you win championships this season.
This is going to be a career year for Tate and he's ready to become a Fantasy star.
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International Sites
Site Navigation
Global Social Betterment & Humanitarian Programs Sponsored by the Church of Scientology
What is the International Association of Scientologists?
The International Association of Scientologists (IAS) is an unincorporated membership organization open to all Scientologists from all nations.
The IAS was formed in 1984 at a time when the religious freedom of Scientologists was imperiled. Delegates from Scientology Churches world over assembled at Saint Hill Manor (L. Ron Hubbard's home from 1959 to 1966) in recognition of the need to unite all Scientologists as an international body. To confirm their dedication toward the Aims of Scientology [1], those first IAS delegates formulated and signed The Pledge to Mankind.
The purpose of the IAS is: "To unite, advance, support and protect the Scientology religion and Scientologists in all parts of the world so as to achieve the Aims of Scientology as originated by L. Ron Hubbard."
The IAS was formed to guarantee that Scientologists will always be free to practice their religion and assists Churches of Scientology and Scientologists subjected to religious persecution. The IAS works further to guarantee religious freedom for all.
Today, Scientology is expanding at an ever-increasing rate and the time for defense alone has long since passed. Accordingly, the IAS now funds grants to sponsor campaigns that are truly reshaping the destiny of Earth. IAS members seek out fissures in the social fabric that have traditionally brought on the collapse of civilizations and inject solutions based on L. Ron Hubbard's works. Donations from IAS members have funded grants to establish international facilities for secular social betterment utilizing Mr. Hubbard's discoveries, including:
Narconon Arrowhead [2] in Oklahoma, one of the largest drug rehabilitation facilities in the world, which also serves as an international training center for drug rehabilitation professionals and volunteers.
Applied Scholastics International [3], a 100-acre educator training campus in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Way to Happiness Foundation International [4] in Glendale, California, coordinating the worldwide distribution of L. Ron Hubbard's common sense moral code.
The IAS has also made grants to fund public information campaigns aimed at addressing key societal ills, including:
The world's largest nongovernmental anti-drug initiative, reaching tens of millions annually.
The world's largest nongovernmental human rights campaign, broadly promoting the 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [5].
Global literacy programs helping tens of millions of underprivileged students in America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
The Scientology Volunteer Minister program [6] bringing emergency relief to more than 10 million people at every major disaster site throughout the last decade.
IAS grants have funded new Church facilities in Harlem, Inglewood, California, Johannesburg, New York, Madrid, Hamburg, London, Rome, Washington, DC, Brussels and elsewhere.
[1] http://www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology/the-scientology-creeds-and-codes/the-aims-of-scientology.html
[2] http://www.scientology.org/activity/narconon/narconon-arrowhead.html
[3] http://www.appliedscholastics.org/
[4] http://www.thewaytohappiness.org/about-us.html
[5] http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/universal-declaration-of-human-rights/introduction.html
[6] http://www.scientology.org/activity/volunteer-ministers/volunteer-ministers.html


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Self leveling suspension with third row seating
What effect on handling and ride will this self leveling air suspension have as compared to an X5 without the third row seat option?
in my opinion the "self leveling suspension" is only useful to adjust the ground clearance by adjusting the height of the suspension if there is load in the trunk. If you dont have 3rd row and will not use it for towing then I dont think it is of any use. Adaptive drive will effect your ride for sure.
Some say SLS is standard on X5M and X5D but I am not sure. This thread has some information
I find it hard to believe rear air shocks won't affect the ride quality vs springs. Maybe not in cornering, but I bet you'd discern a noticeable difference on rough pavement (less bucking/bouncing from the rear springs).
I ordered mine with the 3rd Row Package because I'll be towing a 4500 pound boat up and down big mountain passes in the summer and the self-leveling suspension gives me piece of mind.
I have full self-leveling, height adjustable air suspension in my LR4 and absolutely love it--I will never go back to a fully sprung SUV or truck again. The ride quality on air shocks is sublime.
because it is only self "leveling" suspension which means it only adjusts height. It does not do anything to the firmness or shocks. If you want adjusting or adapting firmness based on the road conditions then "Adaptive drive" is the options to go with.
just what I was lookign for.
Thanks guys.
In other words, it rides better than the standard springs....it's NOT just height adjustment.
There was an old post on this forum about the self leveling suspension. Basically, it works by optimally set your suspension where it was designed for. I got third row for exactly that reason. For some odd reason, my nephew loved it and always want to sit in the back.
Here is the ZF video for that.
Not IMO
Interesting info about how this system works in the video above. I also have an Audi allroad with air suspension...which uses a separate compressor and operates much differently than that video would have one believe. The Audi system is notorious for failures and wear/tear every 80K miles. I've had better luck with the lexus/toyota air suspension system.
Looking at the parts diagrams below, something doesn't match up with the video. They look like totally different systems.
Some approx prices just so that you know what you are getting into if you ever had to pay for replacement/repairs:
conventional OEM rear shock - $220
self leveling OEM rear shock - $500
adaptive drive, self leveling OEM rear shock - $1100
Range Rover and others have spawned a "cottage industry" making steel spring replacement kits for the air suspension system because the failures were pervasive I would pass unless I was leasing and turning in the car before warranty expired on any air suspension set up.:thumbdwn:
See if that works, its the diagram from real-oem, which clearly shows it is 2 air bags instead of mechanical springs.
If you don't think that has a different set of ride/handling characteristics you are crazy.
I'm also assuming the bags aren't just supplemental... which they may be, in which case nothing has changed, I'm an idoit...
I think the video above is describing a different system. The systems with a built in compressor don't use the motion of the vehicle to pump it up. They are usually active.
The video is not meant to show what bmw does, but the benefits of self level suspension. In BMW site, they do list this as air suspension. I have read post regarding failure of it. So I suspect it is as problematic as other vendors.
I have sat in cars with suspension compressed due to weight. It does make a difference. Now this applies to a Chrysler minivan. Perhaps the BMW does it better. I can't see how you can beat the problem of compressed spring? May be I am totally off the mark.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Bimmer App
I had a first gen 350z that had horribly calibrated rear springs which made the rear end literally porpoise up and down on uneven pavement or road expansion joints. Many owners at the time were going to full aftermarket air suspension set-ups to get rid of it since none of the 3rd party guys had figured out how to dial out the bounce in their own springs yet without sacrificing ride quality.
Air suspension handles night and day from spring/shock set-ups. It doesn't continue bouncing/rebound after hitting a bump like springs do.
Granted BMWs are so dialed there's probably not that much difference in the ride, but here in Northern Cal with our crappy freeways, ill take the chance!
1 Attachment(s)
My order has the self-leveling listed. I asked about it during the test drive but didn't explicitly ask for it. Note the lack of 3rd row.
Also, an air spring is a spring that can bounce/rebound every bit as badly as anything else. When it isn't properly dampened by a well tuned shock absorber, you'll get exactly what you are talking about regardless of air or conventional spring.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Bimmer App
Sport Activity Pkg? :dunno:
Oh well...
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Released: 2007
Genres: R&B / Soul
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Craig Ashley David is an English singer, songwriter, MC, rapper and record producer who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single, "Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, Born to Do It, was released in 2000, after which he has released a further five studio albums and worked with a variety of artists such as Tinchy Stryder, Kano, Jay Sean, Rita Ora and Sting.
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It is perfectly natural that elites — those with special gifts and achievements — will rise to prominence. When these gifted people exercise noblesse oblige, they should be celebrated and rewarded with appropriate leadership responsibilities. Elitism, however — that phenomenon whereby elites use their gifts and achievements to deprive others of a decent life — should accordingly be confronted with loss of privileges and honors.
Conspiracies between elitists to consolidate their power and position of malign rule certainly exist, but conspiracism (often indulged in by those deprived) — whereby all acts of violence are assumed to be controlled and manipulated by secret societies — serves to mobilize resentment against elitism into a fruitless pursuit of delusionary trivia. Preventing elitism through research, education, organizing and action is only effective when based on exposing real crimes using evidentiary methods and documents admissible in court, not when based on unfounded rumor, hearsay or group hysteria.
Gathering and analyzing such evidence requires exercising judgment and self-discipline, keeping an open mind and avoiding the temptation of demonizing. After all, elitism endures thanks in large part to a willingness to go along to get along; unfortunately, going along with elitism (or conspiracism) means that we will no longer be able to get along.


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AVG Anti-Virus Pro/AVG Internet Security 2011 11.88 Build 3311 | 631 MB
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CHESTER – The school board, after reviewing its food service program options, has decided to keep the program in house. The decision was made at the July 17 meeting after months of discussing the issue at meetings and with parents, and after soliciting bids from applicants and professional food service providers.
The issue was prompted when the board let former in-house director Cheryl Musser go. This prompted concern from parents passionate about making sure the board made a decision that kept their kids at the forefront of the kitchen's concerns.
At a special meeting the board set up with parents, there was unanimous support for the in-house option. Parents said such a scenario would best cater to their kids, and expressed concerns that a corporate solution would result in cut corners and less communication between kids and the kitchen and parents and the kitchen.
School board members explained to parents that while they heard them, they needed to pursue all options for the kitchen before making a decision. At last week's meeting, the board reviewed three responses from a Request for Proposal they issued to for-profit food service providers.
Chair Royal Richardson explained that all the companies provided detailed responses and presented plans that, at least in words, met most of the goals parents had asked for in the kitchen. Two companies, The Abbey Group and Fresh Picks Café (Café Services), came in with bids of approximately $185,000 for the coming year. A third company, Fitz, Vogt, came in at $250,000 but had a much more ambitious plan for the Chester Academy kitchen.
Richardson described the menus from Fitz, Vogt as extravagant, more like a restaurant than a school food program. It included guest chefs, a smoothie bar, salad bar, the donation of about $12,000 of new equipment for the kitchen and other "glamorous" options, said Richardson. It all sounded good, according to the school board, but they wondered whether Fitz, Vogt would actually provide all those options.
Fitz, Vogt was projecting a substantial increase in students buying lunch and breakfast at the school, up from the current 59 percent to nearly 90 percent. School administration and board members were skeptical if they could do that, and questioned whether, if they couldn't, corners would be cut.
Principal Leslie Leahy said that realistically any company coming into the school will begin with its presented plan and then make adjustments as the year progresses if it is not meeting revenue projections.
Financial manager Annmarie Scribner said all school lunches have to meet state and federal guidelines for nutrition.
And while Fitz, Vogt said current kitchen employees would be given priority in hiring, the other two companies were less willing to accept those employees. Another difference among the vendors was that the Abbey Group would not have an on-site food director. All companies had detailed plans for marketing.
Interim superintendent Jim Gaylord handled the process of finding an in-house kitchen manager. There were 11 applicants, three of whom he deemed of sufficient quality to get an interview. The one person he followed up with had glowing reviews from her current employer and in Gaylord's opinion had a strong background to be a success in Chester.
The individual comes from a kindergarten through eighth grade school where she turned around a food service program, keeping food healthy and of good quality and under budget, Gaylord explained.
School board member Maria Veale said when such difficult decisions faced her, she fell back on the comments of those who elected her. And they want the program in-house, said Veale.
School board member Sarah Ungaro said she agreed 100 percent. While she conceded that the meeting the board held for parent input wasn't filled with every parent in the school, the meeting attracted those who cared very much about the future of the program and they unanimously wanted the program in house.
Richardson said all of the companies provided what parents were looking for. He added that they did not seem like the corporate monoliths some have serious concerns with, but instead seem community focused and willing to work well with the school community.
But, Richardson added, the individual candidate also seems to meet that community wish list.
When public comment was sought, parent Melissa Munroe said the in-house option provided a better chance to get people in the kitchen who care about the kids. And that was the most important thing, she said.
Parent Patrick Connelly thanked the board for its due diligence in researching the matter, but said he was excited about the local candidate and was looking forward to letting his kids buy lunch if they wanted.
The board decided unanimously to keep the program in house and to make an offer to the local candidate found by Gaylord.


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THE POWERFUL BLEND OF HUMAN AND VAMPIRE BLOOD THAT FLOWS THROUGH DIMITRI BELIKOV MAKES HIM A DHAMPIR. HE IS DEDICATED TO A DANGEROUS LIFE OF PROTECTING THE MOROI FROM THE STRIGOI. Now Dimitri has his eyes on someone else, who distracts him from his ongoing struggles with Rose. When a nearby Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, the Academy moves its students away on a mandatory holiday ski trip. All goes well until three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi. Soon Dimitri will discover that's not all he'll have to worry about when Rose goes missing. Follow Dimitri in this tragic story Frostbite (the second book to Vampire Academy) written by the original author Richelle Mead.
skylarock Jul 05, 2016
I'm so excited for this book , I can't wait for the part where dimitri saves rose at the end of the book
TheDarkMisstres Jun 21, 2016
Who's idea was it to put rose and Dimitri alone in a long car ride?
DinaOrban Oct 27, 2015
You as a Strigoi trying to awaken her, her being charged with the murder of the Queen B., finding out that even your closest friends can betray you,... and the list goes on, and on, and... you get the point.
Opal9166 Oct 04, 2015
@LittleDhampir18 Omg ur such a great writer!! This is the best thing I've read from Dimitri's POV! Please continue writing the VA series all the way to Last Sacrifice in Dimitri's POV!! I'm telling you it will be worth it! Thanks so much for writing this
agustdiccs Jul 25, 2015
hahaha comrade!! you really ain't gonna like where this is going!!
SaYaliGaikwad Jul 13, 2015
are you going to write all the books through dimika's pov? please reply ! much love


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Joined Aug 2006
54 Posts
Season Finale set
The third and final USRA race of the season is set for Oct 7-10.
The site is a Winslow, Az.
The racing is sure to be fast and furious.
Unlimited, F1 Pro, F1 GT, and Sundowner classes expected to show their best of the best.
Only 12 points separates 1st and 2nd in F1 GT
Only 11 points separates 1st and 2nd in F1 Pro
Unlimited has a tie for first place and only 5 points separates 3rd thru 6th.
It is for sure going to be a war.
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Publisher: Longman
Language: English | Number of Pages: 400 | Format: Softcover and Stapled
Isbn-10: 0582494672 | Isbn-13: 9780582494671 | Publish date: 11/04/1995 | Edition 1
Also available as: Hardcover
Do you like The Medieval Church ?
Join aNobii to see if your friends read it, and discover similar books!
The Church was the central institution of the European Middle Ages, and the foundation of medieval life. Professor Lynch's admirable survey (concentrating on the western church, and emphasising ideas and trends over personalities) meets a long-felt need for a single-volume comprehensive history, designed for students and non-specialists.


text:
Sent to the lead from the outset, Beholder established a two
length advantage around the Club House turn and was 3 ½ lengths clear of
second choice Fiftyshadesofhay turning for home after carving out
splits of 23.61, 47.14, 1:10.97 and 1:36.36.
"She ran really well today," said Gomez. "She left the gate
like a shot…and it looked like no one really wanted the lead so I went
ahead and crossed over, and was going to dictate it from there.
"I knew she was going to have to work a little harder today, just
from the simple fact that (Bob) Baffert (trainer of Fiftyshadesofhay)
let my horse get an easy lead in the (March 2) Las Virgenes. I knew his
filly would be up on top of me somewhere along the way today, which she
was, early.
"Beholder set some decent fractions and stayed on well today.
She gives me a 110 percent when we go out there and she's just a
pleasure to be on all the time. The mile and an eighth (in the Kentucky
Oaks) will be another question but we'll see what happens."
A 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by Henny Hughes, Beholder,
trained by Richard Mandella and owned by B. Wayne Hughes' Spendthrift
Farm, came off a 3 ¾ length win over Fiftyshadesofhay in the one mile,
Grade I Las Virgenes Stakes on March 2, and has now won five of her
eight career starts.
"You expect (to win), but with horse racing, you don't want to
expect too much," said Mandella. "It'll break your heart. She just did
everything right, handled herself well and she's a very good
filly…She's got the heart of a warrior."
The prohibitive favorite in a field of six, Beholder paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10.
With the winner's share of $180,000, Beholder now has $1,575,000 in earnings. Her complete record stands at 8-5-2-0.
"I think the Kentucky Oaks might be tougher than the Derby this
year," said Hughes. "We're looking forward to the Oaks. We can't go to
the Derby. They won't let us in anymore."
Fiftyshadesofhay, who tried to stay with the winner, was tagged
late by longshot Iotapa for the place, beaten a neck while finishing
third, 3 ¼ lengths in front of Spellbound.
Off at 16-1 and ridden by Joe Talamo, Iotapa paid $7.80 and $3.80.
Fiftyshadesofhay, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, paid $2.10 to show.
"The winner was much best today," said Bejarano. "I tried to
keep my position, but I just couldn't catch the winner. My horse came
running at the end, but it wasn't good enough."
The Santa Anita Oaks was run as the fifth race on an 11-race Santa Anita Derby Day program.
In her first-ever time around two turns, Bob Baffe...
Bolstering a prime time card that already included...
Idle since November, 2015, Grade I winning Big Mac...
An attentive third going into the Club House turn,...
Like Collected in the Precisionist Stakes, morning...
William "Buff" Bradley and Carl Hurst's The Player...
John Oxley's Classic Empire is putting the Triple ...
My first experience at Ascot Racecourse, and Royal...
American dirt bred horses are not supposed to win ...
Copyright © 2010 -
Immerse!, LLC


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Feb. 10, 2013
Michigan improves to 65-35-5 in the all-time series against Michigan State. U-M has claimed 12 of the last 15 meetings, including each of the last three.
Senior/junior Eric Grajales improves to 18-5 in Big Ten duals over his U-M career.
Senior/junior Mike Hillock is the ninth different Wolverine wrestler to earn his first collegiate dual win this season, joining Rossi Bruno, Camryn Jackson, Michael Carpenter, Jake Salazar, Taylor Massa, Jordan Thomas, Chris Heald and Justin Dozier.
Michigan Assistant Coach Donny Pritzlaff
On Michigan's comeback ... "Sean [Boyle] getting pinned was a nine- or 10-point swing. So, we were upset and a little concerned after that. That's a bad habit that we've let creep into our wrestling -- we're on our backs way too much. I think we've given up a pin in every Big Ten dual.
"Rossi [Bruno] really got us back going. He went out there, put that guy on his head for five points and secured the major. We really wanted bonus out of him and knew we had a good chance at three more weights to keep us in the match. Eric [Grajales] followed up [Mike] Hillock's big win with a fall. That was huge. We felt confident with Eric. He's done well against that kid, and he's been wrestling very well."
On Rossi Bruno's win ... "We've been waiting to see that from Rossi. He's a guy who has been in a lot of competitive matches in his career. He always rose to the occasion. That was another indication of it right there. Everyone was upset after that pin at 125 -- there was no way to hide it -- but Rossi was ready to go right away. That double-over position he got late -- that takes a lot of courage to go out there and put somebody on their head."
On Eric Grajales' pin at 149 pounds ... "Eric did a much better job than he did on Friday night of being the aggressor and forcing that kid to wrestle the way he wanted to wrestle. The match didn't last very long. That's fine with me."
U-M Senior/Junior Eric Grajales
On his pin at 149 pounds ... "Today I knew I wanted to go out and wrestle my style, which is a lot of upper body and my tie-ups, and get to my moves rather than wait around for him. That was really important for me today. I did exactly that."
On having confidence against MSU's Dan Osterman ... "I do have confidence against him, but as this Big Ten season has progressed, I have gained a lot of confidence in myself more than anything. I'm constantly watching my matches that I've wrestled in the last few weeks to see what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. So, I think that confidence is growing."
U-M Freshman Rossi Bruno
On his win ... "He took a really bad shot, and I just had to scoot around him. I didn't think he'd be able to do anything from his feet, so I focused on grinding him down. I heard the coaches say we need bonus points, so I went to my go-to move. It was the perfect position I got in, so I just went for it. Luckily it worked."
On earning bonus points after an MSU pin at 125 pounds ... "It's always a good feeling to get bonus points, especially in the Big Ten and especially after a long season of wrestling good guys and not getting the results you want. I was fired up. Sean [Boyle] is my teammate and like a brother, so to see him lose like that, I went out there wanting to make them pay. That was a lot of motivation."
On ending the Big Ten dual season with a win ... "My confidence never really wavered during the season -- maybe a little bit with some heartbreaking losses. I'm a freshman with a lot of room to grow, and I know it's going to build up and make me better in the long run. It's definitely a great win for the end of the Big Ten season."
Sign up for Michigan Insider to be the first to learn about 2017-18 Michigan wrestling ticket opportunities.


text:
Member since 3/4/2012
- 2 total posts
- 2 comments
Recent comments from rlgminitummy
You look great! congratulations. I had a mini tummy tuck 3 days ago and still have a lot of swelling hope my results look s good as yours READ COMMENT
How many days til the pain and burning goes away? I'm day 3 and having little pain but lots of burning? READ COMMENT


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(Read Part 1 here.) Last time, I talked about the ongoing argument in American feminism between liberals and radicals, and how our failure to distinguish between the two has left the movement ideologically confused. This confusion causes people to compare fundamentally unlike things (e.g., number of women CEOs vs. unrealistic female beauty standards), and reach conclusions that look oppositional but are really just different perspectives on the same problem. To wit: "We now have women in the Fortune 500, so sexism = OVER!" [Read more…]
Free Radicals, Part 2
Free Radicals, Part 1
Feminists fight with each other a lot; we're a scrappy bunch. Most of the arguments are useful, a healthy airing of the differences you're bound to find in a social movement as large and long-standing as US feminism. But there's one particular argument I'd like to see us put to rest forever. [Read more…]
Points of Entry, or Why Everyone's Yelling About Sheryl Sandberg
There's an argument that the American women's movement has been having with itself on and off since since the late 1800's, and it looks like we're in for another round this week. It's an argument about authenticity and the movement's true purpose, about what qualifies as a real feminist concern and, by extension, who qualifies as a real feminist. In the 19th century you would have heard Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone shouting each other down (politely, over tea) about the enfranchisement of African American men; in 2013 you get feminists tweeting (less politely, beer in hand) about Sheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead," which was released today and is causing quite the uproar in ladyblogger circles. [Read more…]


text:
Hong Kong Stocks Rise on U.S. Jobs as Energy Shares Climb
Hong Kong stocks rose, with the benchmark index headed for its biggest gain in more than a week, after U.S. employment grew more than forecast in April, boosting confidence in the world's largest economy. Materials and energy companies led gains.
Jiangxi Copper Co. (358), the country's biggest producer of the metal, jumped 4.2 percent. Cnooc Ltd. (883), China's biggest offshore oil producer, increased 1.8 percent on higher commodity prices. Man Wah Holdings Ltd. (1999), a sofa maker that gets half of its sales in the U.S., rose 1.6 percent. Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. (27), the casino operator that doubled its profit last year, gained 2.6 percent after saying it will buy a Macau resort.
The Hang Seng Index (HSI) climbed 0.9 percent to 22,891 as of 9:50 a.m. in Hong Kong, with about seven stocks advancing for each that declined on the 50-member gauge. The index is headed for its biggest gain since April 25. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (HSCEI) of mainland companies increased 1 percent to 10,953.22 even after a private report on the nation's services industries showed expansion slowed last month.
Hang Seng Index futures gained 1 percent to 22,770. The HSI Volatility Index advanced 1.4 percent to 15.47, indicating traders expect a swing of 4.4 percent for the equity benchmark in the next 30 days.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kana Nishizawa in Hong Kong at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Gentle at firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
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Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 (Special Edition Using)
by Steve Lane
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Once upon a time, you were an experienced FileMaker user. Now there's an updated version of the software and you feel like you're back at the beginning of the story. Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 can help you get back to "happily ever after" with your database building skills. Frequent tips, case studies and thorough examples create a learning experience as if you were in the same room with the experienced FileMaker developers. Written by The Moyer Group, a leading FileMaker Pro consulting and training organization, this book will show you how to avoid mistakes and save time in developing databases. A CD is included to show you sample files with before-and-after examples, as well as an interface explorer tool that will allow you to prototype interfaces quickly for clients. Special Edition Using FileMaker 7 is sure to keep you from seeing the end of your database building days.
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The flagrant foul charged to Chandler on Lebron was complete horse ****. Chandler fouled him but in no way shape or form should that be a Flagrant. And the ref who originally called it called a flagrant 2. This coming not long after Lebron flopped his way into another BS call.
I really hate NBA officials. The worst officials in any sport anywhere.


text:
"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it." So said Benjamin Franklin and his words still ring true today. Can cardiologists and providers rebound after a slip? A health system administrator and two cath lab directors share tips on how to face negative events head on and apply key principles that will help preserve good will and restore a damaged reputation.
How do healthcare providers build and maintain a good reputation? And how do they repair their reputations after a damaging incident? According to the Public Relations Society of America, the three most important factors that contribute to regaining a good reputation after a damaging incident are transparency, responsibility and effective problem-solving.
Transparency & responsibility
|Before-after Claims & Costs
University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, reported decreases in the number of claims, resolution time and costs when it changed its method for responding to patient injuries and malpractice claims in 2001. Between 1995 and 2007:
• The average monthly rate of new claims decreased from 7.03 to 4.52 per 100,000 patient encounters;
• The average monthly rate of lawsuits decreased from 2.13 to 0.75 per 100,000 patient encounters;
• Median time from claim reporting to resolution decreased from 1.36 to 0.95 years; and
• Average monthly cost rates decreased for total liability, patient compensation and noncompensation-related legal costs.
Source: Ann Intern Med 2010;153(4):213-221
Typically when a cardiologist has a poor outcome and reports it to a medical liability insurer, the physician is instructed to limit discussion of the problem with the patient, and to be careful not to concede error. Doing so will encourage the patient to file suit and will weaken the physician's defense, according to traditional thought.
The deny-and-defend tactic has ill-served healthcare providers, says Richard C. Boothman, JD, a trial lawyer who spent much of his career defending physicians in malpractice actions and who currently serves as executive director of clinical safety at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. He asserts that an institution that supports a culture of hiding mistakes or wrongdoing cannot effectively monitor itself, and therefore cannot effectively address compliance, or most importantly, patient safety issues.
Srihari Naidu, MD, the director of the cardiac cath lab at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y., advocates for a proactive approach. He holds and documents a family meeting before all high-risk procedures. His purpose is to make sure that everyone who will be involved in the process understands the potential risks and benefits and has an opportunity to prepare for all possible outcomes.
Naidu will delay a procedure a day or two if necessary to ensure that all appropriate family members are in the room for the family meeting. During the meeting, he tries to convey that the patient's treatment and recovery are a team effort that requires the cooperation and informed participation of everyone on the team—and that Naidu himself is a member of the team, not just the "procedure-doer."
This approach benefits his reputation, he says, especially when the result is not as good as had been hoped. "If the patient has a complication, then I can go to the patient and the family and say, 'You remember, this is one of the things I was concerned about,' and it becomes a simple conversation, because I have already done the hard work at the family meeting," Naidu explains.
Full disclosure is necessary to honor the trust that must guide an appropriate physician/patient relationship, Boothman adds. The University of Michigan's experience shows that trust can be regained when a hospital creates a culture of acknowledging errors, he claims (ACHE Frontiers 2012; 28:13-28).
In an effort to settle claims in a speedier and more predictable fashion and to improve patient safety, Boothman and his colleagues in 2000 developed a process of responding to medical errors and patient complaints that utilized experienced nurses as risk managers to review and investigate all unanticipated outcomes. These risk managers discuss all such situations fully with patients and families, and provide explanations as far as they are known. In cases of true error, the patients receive an apology and compensation. When the situation reveals an opportunity for a change in systems or processes to prevent a recurrence,