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Focoltone helps HP in enhanced color proofing of MTV Asia Awards first commemorative book
5 March 2004, Singapore
- During the recent MTV Asia Awards, Focoltone Color Solutions helped Hewlett-Packard with an enhanced color proofing solution installed on the HP Color LaserJet 9500 to turn around the color proofing process of the MTV Asia Awards first commemorative book.
A major sponsor of the awards, HP printed 300 full-color, offset-quality 36-page books in less than 12 hours. These limited edition books have been created for MTV Asia for the journalists attending the 2004 MTV Asia Awards.
Central to the color proofing process was the Focoltone Intelligent Color Calibration System (ICCS) 2.0 developed by KiKUZE Solutions Pte Ltd.
Said KiKUZE Solutions CEO, Mr. Winson Lan, "Focoltone ICCS is truly exciting for the global print industry. People can now get closer than ever before to accurate CMYK printing from a digital color printer with a quick, reliable, and easy-to-use color calibration solution. I can certainly see a lot of potential in this remarkable technology".
Focoltone ICCS enabled HP to enhance the color calibration of the HP Color LaserJet 9500 to accurate CMYK offset color standards in minutes, a yardstick Focoltone refers to as being "Color OK!". HP was the first in the world to use this color calibration system on a commercial level with the HP Color LaserJet 9500, a workhorse printer which is ideal for proofing as it offers unprecedented image resolution quality with HP ImageREt 4800 regardless of the size of the print run. No matter the number of copies printed, the infrequent and fast closed-loop smart calibrations ensure superior print system stability and support that saves time, toner and paper that would have been spent on reprinting.
With the Focoltone ICCS solution, the HP Color LaserJet 9500 printed book proofs allowed the designers to ensure the color of the final books would accurately match the colors intended regardless of environmental factors.
Additionally, HP chose to use Focoltone ICCS because it provided a complete verification system. The software program handled the calibration of the printer using advanced Artificial Intelligence, and the subsequently printed test sheet was checked against the Focoltone Calibration Chart overlay.
For Cheong Chee Keong, Business Unit Manager, Shared Printing and Imaging, HP Imaging & Printing Group, Asia Pacific/Japan, that was the decisive factor, "The unique Focoltone ICCS solution helped us to expand into a market in a very cost-effective way that was previously not as affordable. In addition to providing an affordable in-house, short-run on demand color printing solution, the HP Color LaserJet 9500 is now capable of producing accurate CMYK color reproduction. With visual confirmation from the Focoltone Calibration Chart, we were confident in our LaserJet's ability to act as an instant color proofing machine for the MTV Asia Awards Commemorative Book".
With a HP color laser printer consistent with industry color standards, the Saatchi & Saatchi design team commissioned to produce the book could verify their final artwork colors on-site instead of waiting the usual couple of days for color proofs from a proofing house.
Mr. Bruce Watt, Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, gave his nod of approval to the system, saying, "It's really impressive how an in-house laser printer can be 'bumped up' using Focoltone ICCS to become, in essence, a reliable color proofing machine suitable for final artwork verification".
Focoltone ICCS will be launched globally during the world's leading trade show for the print industry, drupa 2004, which happens at Düsseldorf, Germany from 6 - 19 May 2004.
Focoltone ICCS is now available in English and retails for USD 900. Localized versions for the Japanese, French, and German markets will be available shortly after.
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Essential oils are a growing trend in healing and homeopathic medicine. The Huggie Black Cat Warmer adds in the warm fluffiness of a cat to further sooth sore muscles.
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Filled with herbal lavender and buckwheat, this herbal pillow is made from super soft cotton and felt.
Huggie Black Cat - Herbal Warmer Features:
- Herbal lavender & buckwheat scented.
- Material: Cotton & Felt.
Customer Reviews
I bought it for my daughter-in-law who has neck issues, she loves it and she loves cats too!
For domestic (Contiguous US states) orders we now offer FREE Shipping on any order above $35.
While free shipping is great and cost effective, we realize that sometimes our customers only need fewer items. We therefore offer a low flat fee of $5 for Economy Shipping (5-10 Business Days) within the Contiguous US States) for all those orders that are not within the $35 threshold.
In most cases, we use USPS, FEDEX or UPS services to ship your order. Orders generally ship within 24 hours. Delivery time varies according to your choice of shipping method at checkout. Once your order ships, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with a tracking number so that you can follow the package wherever it is :).
IMPORTANT: Please be advised that some of the products are shipped directly by and from our manufacturers and may take slightly longer than the above mentioned times.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Surprised By God
Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16
from the book
Sermons On The First Readings
Series I, Cycle A
James L. Killen, Jr.
Genesis 28:10-19a
Click here for more details.
We live in a culture that is increasingly secular. At its best, secularism is simply what we Americans call the separation of church and state. It is a practical way to keep people from having to live lives regimented by someone else's religious convictions and that keeps countries from being torn by conflicts between religious groups that all want to write the rules. There is a lot of history in our world that argues for the practicality of that kind of arrangement.
As it has taken shape among us, however, secularism has a downside. We have come to a time when the legal structures of society are so intent upon not appearing to favor "religion" over "non-religion" that they appear to be in opposition to religion. In intellectual circles, the dominant belief that there are no absolutes has seemed to rule out the existence of God or of anything like "the will of God." In polite society, it is considered ...
This Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 sermon, Surprised By God, is based on Genesis 28:10-19a and relates to Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 of Cycle A of the lectionary. This sermon is excerpted from the book Sermons On The First Readings . SermonSuite offers online sermons and professionally published sermons, lectionary sermons, non-lectionary sermons, children's sermons, sermon illustrations, worship resources, preaching resources, sermons on prayer, prayers, Christian drama, lectionary worship, lectionary workbooks and homilies. ...


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ITF Welcomes Shahabi Release, But Remains Watchful
8 January 2013: For immediate release
ITF Welcomes Shahabi Release, But Remains Watchful
The ITF has welcomed the provisional five day release of sick Iranian prisoner Reza Shahabi, treasurer of the ITF's affiliate the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company.
Following a three-week protest hunger strike, Shahabi was released yesterday on the grounds of his deteriorating medical condition. His condition had gone downhill since he underwent surgery to his neck and spine. Shahabi has been incarcerated for over two and a half years and it is possible he will be returned to prison after undergoing treatment. On his return home he called off his hunger strike.
"We are delighted that Reza Shahabi can finally get the treatment doctors recommend", said general secretary David Cockroft. "Charges against him have not been dropped however – so ITF unions globally remain watchful."
"This is good news for human rights and will be welcomed everywhere – the next step would be for Shahabi together with other trade union prisoners in Iran, to be cleared of wrongdoing" said ITF president Paddy Crumlin


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Feeling stressed? You are not alone. Crayfish get anxious too, a new study has found.
And we're not the only ones to benefit from Valium. When crayfish were given a precursor of the anti-anxiety medication, it was followed by what appeared to be a considerable mood lift.
On the surface, this discovery, published in the journal Science on Friday, may seem a little esoteric. But the findings suggest that emotional states such as anxiety arose in animals much earlier than first thought.
While it is well known that humans and other mammals such as rodents suffer from stress and anxiety, researchers at the University of Bordeaux have found the first evidence of these behaviours in invertebrates, a group that has been around far longer than animals with a backbone.
Crayfish are naturally inquisitive, so when the research team led by Pascal Fossat put some into a maze with sections that were both well lit and darkened, they happily explored their new environment while preferring the dark sections overall.
To see how crayfish responded to stress, the researchers gave them electric shocks and watched as they quickly abandoned the lit areas.
Even after the shocks had stopped, the animals were wary of the light sections, often choosing not to re-enter them. They also had higher levels of anxiety-induced hormones in their brains.
"The first conclusion of this study is that the stress-induced avoidance behaviour in crayfish exhibits striking homologies with vertebrate anxiety," the authors said.
The researchers then took their experiments a step further, injecting these anxiety chemicals into relaxed crayfish. They displayed the same behaviour as those who received shocks and avoided the light areas of the maze.
But when the researchers gave the animals a mix of two common anti-anxiety and anti-depressants, the crayfish went back to exploring the lit areas.
Sydney biologist Culum Brown said it was "astonishing" that this behaviour had been observed in an invertebrate.
"Clearly anxiety predates the evolution of vertebrates, which obviously makes it very ancient indeed," said Dr Brown, an associate professor at Macquarie University.
While the researchers are not comparing the crayfish experience to the often debilitating anxiety humans suffer, the work does show that, as with many physical traits and behaviours that have survived millions of years of evolution, a sense of worry or uneasiness has clear advantages.
"Anxiety is a useful thing [because] it stops you getting into trouble," Dr Brown said.
It is useful for an animal to be scared when a predator approaches, the wise thing to do is to wait to be sure the threat has gone before venturing out into the world again, he said.
"It's a wait and see strategy," Dr Brown said.


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|Preview Image
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|Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region
|Tacoma, WA
|MUST BE RECEIVED WITHIN seven (7) DAYS from auction close.
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|Please read our return policy below.
|High bidder
|s*******4 For the protection of our buyers, the bidder name is only visible to the bidder.
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Tsunami Switching Power Amplifier Model HQ1302S
Current Price: $44.00
Seller: Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region
Pioneer Stereo Tuner Model TX-6500 II
Current Price: $15.99
Seller: Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region
Monster Power Reference Power Center HTS3000
Current Price: $45.44
Seller: Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region
Item images are no longer available
|Brand & Model
Mark Levinson Madrigal-Era Reference CD Transport No. 31 / Box
In its original double-walled box with AC cord, manual and warranty card.
Missing the remote control.
Dimensions: 19.375" W by 5.56" H by 13.726" D (14.426" H with lid open)
Approx. 62 lbs. boxed.
SN: 1007 (on back of unit with matching number marked on the box)
USA 120VAC unit
Single-play CD transport, top load with magnetic disc clamp
Back side port/jack list:
Tested: Powers on and operating controls all function very well. Audio signal is clean, full, and clear.
Unable to fully test unit: no remote control, and we are not set up for all available interfaces & ports on the 31.
Note: Many items are tested using cords belonging to Tacoma Goodwill. Unless stated, items do not include cords. Although basic operational tests are done whenever possible, we may not be able to test all items, functions, settings, calibrations, connections, controls and features. Used electronics may contain wiring or parts that will require replacement by a qualified electrician; in particular, we recommend against using items with frayed wiring prior to repair or inspection by a qualified electrician. This item is sold as-is.
Quite clean all throughout exterior and top loading area. Maybe a tiny scuff or two, but you'd be hard pressed to photograph one. Screws and warning tag still affixed to bottom.
Transport, CD mount area and magnetic clamp all in fine shape - lens & optics seem fine as well.
Sonically, you really can't do better than this Reference Transport from Levinson. As you may well know, it originally retailed for around $9000 back in 1992-93, and still commands a fair amount of that price (when you can find one), and for very good reason.
Built extremely well (like all Levinson gear); the top door is working smoothly with no noted issues at all. Display and controls seem fine as far as we can test.
Just a great piece of gear for a true high-end system...
And yes, I have numerous additional, more detailed pictures available (in an archived zip file) if you need them - just email us.
See photos for overall condition.
Shipping Notes
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May be picked up at our Tacoma, Washington e-commerce facility. Items not designated as "local pick up only" may be picked up at any of our 29 Washington State Tacoma-area stores. To arrange for Tacoma and store pick-ups, email email@example.com (sending requests elsewhere may cause delays).
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Combined orders, when practical in size & do not include breakables, may be requested for auctions that close within 3 days of each other prior to payment being made. (They cannot contain porcelain or glass). Max combined "dimensional" weight is 20 lbs. In some cases, combined shipments are more expensive due to increased box size. "Single" Jewelry auctions weighing less than 1 pound receive special $5 Flat Rate Shipping, when NOT combined. Prior to checking out, Click on Customer Service link for auction and make all combined shipping requests. You can also email Buyer ID & won Item ID #s to email@example.com. WE ARE UNABLE TO COMBINE ORDERS OR REMOVE SALES TAX AFTER PAYMENT has been submitted. Please note handling fees apply to all orders regardless of combined shipping.
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The local pickup office is located at 734 S 27th St (see map) in the Goodwill Business Service Center building, in downtown Tacoma. . Business Hours Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, with pickup schedule available two business days from payment date. During Pick-up, the customer will be required to provide their Shopgoodwill buyer id name and sign for their purchase. Buyer must provide their own packaging materials, boxes or bags for carrying.
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Handling charges apply to all pickup purchases. As designated by law, Washington State Sales tax is applied to all local pickup purchases. Washington State resellers, must contact us prior to making payment regarding any appropriate exemption.
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Payments made by 4pm Monday, will make purchase available for pickup Wednesday 10am-4pm.
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Payments made by 4pm Thursday, will make purchase available following Tuesday 10am-4pm.
Payments made by 4pm Friday, will make purchase available following Wednesday 10am-4pm.
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Unless Prior arrangements have been made, items remaining in pickup facility past 14 business days will be relisted depending on the date auction was originally posted and are then considered a donation. Please send us a message through customer service link on auction page to request additional time for pickup.
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Seller Contact Information:Goodwill of the Olympics and Rainier Region
734 S. 27th St.
Tacoma, WA, 98409
(253) 573-6525
Return Policy: Your satisfaction is very important to us. Please contact Goodwill of the Olympics and Ranier Regions about any problems within 7 days of receipt to request an Authorization for Return or to simply provide helpful feedback. All items are sold AS-IS, AS-DESCRIBED and are non-refundable unless there was a notable discrepancy in written & photo description. Approved returns must be received in the same condition as sold. All unauthorized returns will be considered a donation.
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If the item was damaged during shipment then we will need a photograph of the damage, with statement from the customer prior to refund. The shipping courier requires item to remain in original packaging and box for all claims processed and can take up to 8 business days for processing. Once the returned item is received at our facility a full refund will be issued.
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Items selected for pick up from the seller, must be picked up within 14 days from close of auction. Items not picked up from seller within 14 days from close of auction will be considered a donation and resold with no further notice


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Christy Cole, MA, LPCA
Professional Counseling Associate
18805 W. Catawba Ave. , Cornelius, North Carolina 28031
It is impossible to avoid all things in the environment that incite anger such as people, things, and settings. However, you may learn how to control responses and change reactions. There are many causes such as perceived injucices, failures, or frustrations. Or it could even be an outside stressor such as loss of property, that leads to verbal arguments or aggression. It can even cause an increase in depressed mood. There is a clear path to recovery. In therapy, you will discover the triggers of your response and become aware of your emotional state at each step. This can significantly lower your risk of serious health problems.


text:
About Us:
Good Shepherd and St. John's Episcopal Church welcomes all people to the spiritual home of those seeking a deeper relationship with God in the Milford and tri-state area, where we share God's gifts of community and hospitality.
We pride ourselves on being a welcoming church with a commitment to diversity. We take seriously our baptismal vows to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to respect the dignity of every human being.
Stop by for a visit!
We look forward to welcoming you in person.
110 West Catharine StreetMilford, PA 18337
United States
See map: Google Maps


text:
Defrock abusers, most Catholics say
By Janet Kornblum, USA TODAY
U.S. Roman Catholics strongly support their church leaders'
new policy of removing from public ministry priests who sexually abuse minors,
a new poll says. But most want to go further, saying abusers should be removed
from the priesthood entirely. U.S. Catholics also are nearly unanimous in saying
that the pope should discipline bishops who let abusers remain in positions
involving contact with minors.
Last Friday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved
a policy requiring any allegation of abuse to be reported to authorities; abusers
must be immediately removed from public ministry.
An estimated 250 priests nationwide have resigned or been
suspended since the crisis flared in January.
Zogby and Le Moyne College of Syracuse, N.Y., surveyed
506 U.S. Catholics on Tuesday and Wednesday. The margin of error is +/-4.5 percentage
points. Among the findings:
"Many bishops have lost all credibility and all authority
to lead. But I do think you can distinguish that from basic faith and basic
belief, says Mary Jo Bane, a professor of public policy at Harvard University.
Meanwhile, Boston priest Paul Shanley was indicted Thursday
by a Massachusetts grand jury on charges of raping and assaulting four boys.
He is being held in lieu of $300,000 bail in a Massachusetts jail.


text:
US History
posted by mysterychicken .
53. Show how the role of the federal government was viewed by different groups at different times in the 20th century.
I don't quite understand what this is saying, and I need to write an essay on this, so can someone explain it to me?
Depending upon the time and the group, the federal government was seen as the devil, as an unnecessary interference in people's individual freedoms, as a welcome provider of jobs and relief, as a money-wasting bunch of crooks, as a defender of freedom, as a protection against the Nazis, as an imperialist, as a necessary provider of services, etc.
Thanks! Can you also please briefly explain this one to me? It's my last essay for this course!
54. Would you say that America's place in world affairs reflects its economic position? Explain your answer.
As one of the wealthiest countries, the U.S. is a world leader. Many people want to emigrate here for better jobs and standard of living. The U.S. is expected to take help solve conflicts involving other countries. At the same time, the U.S. is hated by some because of its wealth and customs.


text:
01643112, Seal
Please help our community — upload your photos of 01643112.
This is a seal for Cadillac cars. This seal fits 1 General Motors car models which have been manufactured for US market. This part is genuine General Motors part with GM OEM part number 01643112.
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Liberals Need To Exploit Progress, Not Fight ItClive Crook
May 2 (Bloomberg) -- Last week I argued that accelerating economic change driven by globalization and information technology ought to make conservatives in the U.S. and Europe rethink some of their ideas. The same goes for liberals.
This economic transformation has two important features. One is faster obsolescence of many job-specific skills. In the future, fewer careers will be lifelong. People will need to be more adaptable and protect themselves better against economic risk. The other is widening income inequality, a trend that's already apparent. Globalization and IT are amping up the winner-takes-all aspect of the modern economy. Those who do well will do very well; many of the rest, if they prosper at all, will see that they're falling further behind.
Risk and inequality are themes, of course, that liberals already emphasize. The Great Recession has pushed the left's favorite topics up the political agenda. The point is, this shift isn't temporary. These issues won't subside even as the industrial economies start to grow faster, because faster growth will go hand in hand with greater risk and further widening of the gap between rich and poor.
So liberals have the right concerns. It's their prescriptions that need work.
Affordability Matters
Effective safety nets will be more, not less, important. They also need to be affordable, something that many on the left prefer not to think about. In the U.S., ignorance of that challenge is a little easier to defend than in Europe. Taxes are low by international standards. The country can still talk about how much more tax the winners should pay. In most of Europe, much as the left may wish to deny it, there's less scope for debate. In some countries, the various tiers of government already consume roughly half of national income. Europe is testing the limits of the tax power.
Meanwhile, again in Europe more than in the U.S., demographic change is raising the ratio of retirees to workers and will put heavy new burdens on taxpayers. As these pressures mount, ignoring affordability is the surest way to jeopardize state-funded pensions and other safety-net programs.
There are good and bad ways to shore up the programs' finances. Overall caps on benefits so that they grow at less than the rate of inflation are a bad way. That merely rolls the programs back by stealth, without regard to need. Raising the retirement age in line with improvements in life expectancy is a good way. Instead of resisting this, the left should advocate it as a way of advancing the program's core purpose: supporting the incomes of those who most need help.
Means-testing should be on the left's agenda as well. Safety nets are too important to be regarded as untouchable. They can either be reformed cautiously, with the needs of the unlucky uppermost, or one day they will be overwhelmed and demolished regardless.
One of the hardest things the left must do is reconsider its traditional alliance with labor unions. In making government more effective and affordable -- for the purpose of preserving its services, not eliminating them -- liberals need to see unions for what they often are: the enemies of reform.
In the U.S., education is the clearest instance. Control of costs is not the main issue. The challenge is to repurpose education so that it can meet the new economic demands. The premium is on supply-side flexibility, which unions instinctively despise. Teachers' unions are powerful enough to block change -- both at the micro level in the running of individual schools and at the macro level in the design of the system. America's failing schools may be its biggest economic problem.
Bidding Unions Farewell
In the U.S. and U.K., unions are no longer a significant force outside the public sector. In other countries, they still are. Where they follow a tradition of cooperation rather than confrontation with company bosses (as in much of northern Europe), the results can be good. At the other extreme is Spain, whose fascist-era pact between owners and unions has created a two-tier labor market of protected insiders and disposable outsiders, pushed the unemployment rate to 24 percent and rising, and helped bring the country to the brink of ruin. A fair deal for labor-market outsiders is one more reason the left needs to be more discriminating in its alliance with organized labor.
That should be part of a larger shift in thinking. Instead of resisting and demonizing the forces that are reshaping economies -- a futile posture favored by the old left and its friends -- liberals should think harder about how to exploit them. Richer countries can afford better public services. They can do more to furnish opportunities for the disadvantaged to move up. They can help more people share in the benefits of economic growth. Here is where the left should focus its attention.
Instead it gets distracted. It's quick to see evil conspiracy behind faster job turnover and the surging success of the richest sliver of the 1 percent -- as though you can only win by stealing from the losers. The whole system, in this view, is a semi-criminal enterprise. Well, the pay of some CEOs is outrageous and can only be explained as a failure of corporate governance. And parts of the economy, notably banking, have used their political clout to benefit from implicit public subsidy. Those real systemic defects need to be confronted. But they aren't the core of what's happening.
Suppose bad men weren't gaming the system. Globalization and IT would still be sufficient to polarize the jobs market, skew the demand for skills, destroy careers-for-life and channel a bigger share of income to the successful. But globalization and IT are not threats to be resisted, much less crimes to be punished. Like earlier industrial revolutions, this one will have bad consequences that need to be addressed. But overwhelmingly, this transformation is a force for progress. That is something the left should not set its face against.
(Clive Crook is a Bloomberg View columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)
Read more opinion online from Bloomberg View.
Today's highlights: the View editors on the upside of Greek dysfunction and the U.S. Senate's attempt to reform the Postal Service; Margaret Carlson on the Romney campaign's ad strategy; William Pesek on China's slowing growth; Peter Orszag on flawed economic forecasting.
To contact the writer of this article: Clive Crook at email@example.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this article: James Gibney at email@example.com.


text:
Did the cuckolded husband of Paula Broadwell send a letter to a New York Times advice column back in July that revealed he knew of her affair with David Petraeus?
That intriguing possibility has been raised after canny observers dug out the July 13th edition of Chuck Klosterman's 'The Ethicist' and pointed to extraordinary coincidences between one readers letter and the now scandalous love tryst.
Writing about a deepening relationship he knew his wife was having with a 'government executive' whose job 'is seen worldwide as a demonstration of American leadership' the anonymous man offers up what could be considered in hindsight as striking information.
The letter writer explains that 'exposing the affair will create a major distraction that would adversely impact the success of an important effort,' and asks 'The Ethicist' whether it is OK for him to 'suffer in silence for the next year or two for a project'.
Indeed, he seems pained to make it clear he believes the mission 'must succeed' and wants to know if he should confront his wife in some way and 'finally force closure' or if he should 'suffer in silence for the next year or two.'
The reader tells 'The Ethicist' that has 'watched the affair intensify over the last year' - which matches the timeline of the affair from August 2011 until around several months ago.
However, some have questioned whether the coincidences are just that and if the letter really was penned by Scott Broadwell.
Petraeus scandal: Did husband describe his agony at partner's affair with the CIA chief to NYT advice column?
Current Status: Published (4)
Seeded on Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:23 AM
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How many of you have dental operatories or laboratories that could benefit from a customized glove, mask solution station? Here is a dental find!
In today's work environment, having various non-latex, different sizes of gloves for each hygienist or dentist working out of the operatory it can get "cluttered looking." Here's a great and affordable solution that is totally customized for your dental design needs! See how loading the product is easy from the side and when retrieving the masks or gloves the aperture is created so single units are designed to come out. The units can be totally customized for cabinetry match and also shape and design for your specific measurements and requirements. This is a win-win solution where function meets design.


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Taken in Quebec, Canada
Nikon D3001/60F5.6ISO 320EV 0.00Pattern MeteringNo Flash390 mmMonopod
timber wolf timber wolf pics timber wolf pictures timber wolf images wolf images wolf pictures wolf photographs wolf photography eastern gray wolf eastern gray wolf pictures gray wolf images gray wolf photography canus lupus framed art pillows cups scarves timber wolves timberwolves canada wolf wolves grey wolves grey wolf
Fantastic capture my friend…..these are such awesome and mysterious animals. Well captured once again !!
Thank you kindly Sean :-)
Wow!! This capture just floors me! Such an intense focus on you…wow!
Thank you Deb
Absolutly Stunning Michael.
Thank you Andrew
What an amazing capture of these two beautiful wolves! Instant favorite.
Thank you Starlite :-)
Thank you very much Bradley :-)))
Another great capture! Wonderful eye contact in all your shots!
I am not sure all that eye contact is a good thing, I might start looking like lunch LOL
Beautiful !!!
Thanks Anthony
amazing, Michael!!!!
Thanks Catherine
"Excellent! Thank you for submitting your work to the Art & Collectables Sales Group. ":http://www.redbubble.com/groups/the-collectors-...Beautiful capture!
Thank you Joyce :-)
Thanks Scott
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Obama administration delays Keystone XL pipeline review
The Obama administration is extending indefinitely the amount of time federal agencies have to review the Keystone XL pipeline, the State Department said Friday, likely punting the decision over the controversial oil pipeline past the midterm elections.
The State Department didn't say how much longer it will grant agencies to weigh in but cited a recent decision by a Nebraska judge overturning a state law that allowed the pipeline's path through the state, prompting uncertainty and an ongoing legal battle. Nebraska's Supreme Court isn't expected to rule for another several months, and there could be more legal maneuvering after that. The delay potentially frees President Obama to avoid making a final call on the pipeline until after the November election.
"The agency consultation process is not starting over. The process is ongoing, and the department and relevant agencies are actively continuing their work in assessing the permit application," the State Department said in a statement.
Republicans were quick to blast the latest delay in a review process that has dragged on for more than five years. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Obama of kowtowing to "radical activists" from the environmental community, while House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the decision "shameful" and said there were no credible reasons for further delay.
"This job-creating project has cleared every environmental hurdle and overwhelmingly passed the test of public opinion, yet it's been blocked for more than 2,000 days," Boehner said in a statement.
In an ironic show of bipartisanship, prominent Democrats from energy-dependent states joined Republicans in blasting the Obama administration for delaying the decision once again. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, in a statement called the administration's decision "irresponsible, unnecessary and unacceptable" – and "nothing short of an indefinite delay of the Keystone Pipeline."
"By making it clear that they will not move the process forward until there is a resolution in a lawsuit in Nebraska, the administration is sending a signal that the small minority who oppose the pipeline can tie up the process in court forever," she said. "There are 42,000 jobs, $20 billion in economic activity and North America's energy security at stake."
Facing tough reelection in a traditionally red state, Landrieu has taken up a fierce position against the president's energy policies.
"This administration continues to say that its energy strategy is all of the above but its actions have been delay at all costs," she said in the statement. "I plan to use my power as chair of the Senate Energy Committee to take decisive action to get this pipeline permit approved."
But environmental groups fighting the pipeline hailed the delay, arguing that it shows the State Department is taking the arguments against the pipeline seriously.
"This is definitely great news," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president for the League of Conservation Voters. "We are very confident as they continue to examine the issues with the lack of legal route in Nebraska and the terrible climate impacts, at the end of the day the pipeline will be rejected."
The announcement from the State Department came Friday afternoon, when many Americans were observing Good Friday and preparing for the Easter holiday. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., accused the administration of seizing that opportunity to downplay news of the latest delay.
Obama and environmental groups dispute the notion that the pipeline would create many permanent jobs or have a substantial economic impact, but Obama has refused to say whether he will nix it. The 1,179-mile pipeline would travel through Montana and South Dakota to a hub in Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries in Texas.
The pipeline project, proposed by Canadian company TransCanada, has become a proxy for a larger battle between environmental activists and energy advocates over climate change and the future of American energy.
In January, the State Department said that building the pipeline would not significantly boost carbon emissions because the oil was likely to find its way to market no matter what. Transporting the oil by rail or truck would cause greater environmental problems than the pipeline, the report said.
The State Department has jurisdiction because the pipeline would cross the border between the U.S. and Canada.


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With the American pop rock band's new song, "First Time," being the band's fastest breaking single on Top 40 radio, this is an exciting time too see the siblings perform live with special guest Karmin.
DETAILS >> 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $52-$96. (602) 379-2800 or http://comericatheatre.com.


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Here's how you can download the Fart Sound app free for Android devices.
1. Go to the Google Play page for the free app Fart Sound.
2. Tap the Install button.
Here's a description of Fart Sound:
"Funny Fart: This is an application to create funny jokes and hilarious situations. With this application you will be able to joke farts ringing your phone. Only select an option from the combo and wave your mobile device.
History of Farts:
Farts are thought to have originated in the time before mass evolution when every life form was a small microbe. Farts were used a boost application to escape predators, which then evolved into a natural repellent. Then, a few young males needing something to occupy their time while hunting later pioneered its evolution just because they found it entertaining, and passed the art down to every generation of boys since by anal tradition.
Farting was even a rite of passage for many in the ancient world, a boy might have to prove himself by out-farting the older males of his tribe. Aristotle was the first to insist that "fart logic" is the only logic undeniably true, and indeed: "He who denied it, supplied it." Later, Descartes based his fundamental ontology on the phrase: "I fart, therefore I am."
Along side it's historical use as weaponry at war, Fartium also was an early free form anaesthetic well known to the Continental European Tribes although considered uncivilized by the Greeks and Romans who preferred to just throw the sick to the lions. Then for the longest time it was considered vulgar."
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Research Goal C: Improve our understanding of Alzheimer's disease, other dementias of aging, and the aging brain. Develop drug and behavioral interventions for treating these diseases, preventing their onset and progression, and maintaining health.
A better understanding of how the brain ages will provide important information on which to base strategies for maintaining and enhancing cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor function through biological and behavioral interventions. For example, studies have shown that new neurons form in certain regions of the brain even in adulthood. This phenomenon, known as neurogenesis, suggests that medical and behavioral approaches could be found to stimulate the formation of new neurons to compensate for the loss and functional decline of neurons with aging, disease, or traumatic injury. NIA will support research to harness functional imaging and other advanced technologies that view activity in specific regions of the brain to identify age-related neural changes and mechanisms the older brain uses to maintain optimal learning, memory, and other cognitive functions. We will also work to clarify the interactions between the brain and the peripheral nervous, endocrine, hematopoietic, cardiovascular, and immune systems. We will also support the development of preventive and therapeutic approaches to maintaining health in cognition, emotion, sleep function, sensory processes, and motor function. Research on the function of the normal brain and peripheral nervous system will help us understand the ways in which non-dementia-related health outcomes arise.
C-1 Understand the mechanisms involved in normal brain aging; the role of cognition in everyday functioning; protective factors for sensory, motor, emotional, and cognitive function; and the pathogenesis of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders of aging.
NIA will continue research to:
- Improve our understanding of nervous system and behavioral changes that occur with normal aging and how brain function is maintained and enhanced. Changes in brain structure and function, some of which may compensate for age-related decrements, may continue throughout life. For example, research shows that the hippocampus, a region of the brain important for acquiring and processing information, is capable of generating new nerve cells. Furthermore, research in mice demonstrates that increased physical and mental activity started in middle age can increase hippocampal neurogenesis and decrease signs of neuronal aging. This suggests that neurogenesis may be one factor underlying the beneficial effects of an active lifestyle on brain integrity and behavioral function in humans. We will continue to explore the role of physical and mental exercise in promoting healthy cognitive, emotional, and motor functioning and in activating the cellular machineries that protect the brain from damage and promote its repair. This research will help form the basis for future investigation of more subtle neural changes that occur with age, including selective neuronal loss or dysfunction that impacts memory and other functions, impaired neuronal connections, early brain atrophy, and changes in the responses of glial cells involved in neuron survival and brain plasticity and possibly inflammation.
Determine how genetic, molecular, cellular, and environmental factors interact for optimal brain health and functioning, including in the oldest old. The overall integrity of brain structure and many neural systems are largely preserved in normal aging, while in age-related diseases, specific brain cell types and their connections are damaged or lost. Evidence suggests that achieving the full potential of the central and peripheral nervous systems depends on developing the brain optimally in early life, continuing activity to maintain function in midlife, and stimulating the brain to compensate for cell death and injury in older age. We will work to gain a greater understanding of the many factors that interact to maintain brain function, including compensatory mechanisms and adaptive or dynamic changes. This research will enhance our understanding of, and potentially our ability to prevent, brain function decline in aging and disease.
For example, we will:
- Continue to pursue a greater understanding of the interaction among genetic factors that underlie normal cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor function as well as abnormal decline and the interactions between genetics and the environment.
- Investigate epigenetic changes, which can significantly influence the structure and function of genes within the cell.
- Support research to better understand the neurological and behavioral effects of environmental factors, both early and later in life.
In addition, we will continue to investigate the changes in brain function that take place in the oldest old, people 85 or older. In the absence of disease, many of these individuals continue to lead healthy and productive lives even into unusually old age. Others, however, suffer from health conditions that can contribute to cognitive decline and dementia, emotional dysfunction, motor instability, and/or sensory deficits. We will work to identify and address the conditions that most affect brain health in this group in order to find ways to maintain function as long as possible.
- Understand the role of cognition in everyday functioning, including work environments, decision making, and interaction with technology. NIA will support research to examine the influence of contexts—behavioral, social, cultural, and technological—on the cognitive functioning of older adults; investigate the effects of age-related changes in cognition on activities of daily living, social relationships, and health status; and develop strategies for improving everyday functioning through various interventions such as cognitive training.
- Explore possible additional risk and protective factors for brain health and function, cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and AD through epidemiological and other population studies. Community-based studies of aging and AD are becoming progressively more sophisticated. Traditional interviews, clinical evaluations, and routine laboratory tests are increasingly complemented by advanced imaging and other technologies to identify risk factors and protective factors and to relate them to specific biological mechanisms. NIA will place a special emphasis on community-based studies, including studies in racial and ethnic minority populations, capable of linking early life or midlife factors with late life cognitive decline or impairment. We will include studies of the ways that multiple factors such as lifestyle, genetics, comorbid diseases, or sensory or motor dysfunction interact to cause disease or contribute to cognitive decline.
- Refine our knowledge of molecular, cellular, cognitive, and other behavioral changes that cause or accompany development of AD and other dementias of aging. We will investigate the multiple pathological changes associated with the development of AD, including accumulation of abnormal proteins, loss of synapses, and death of neurons. We will promote further characterization of these pathological changes in tissue culture, animal models, and humans. Our research will also address the behavioral and psychological changes associated with the development of AD as well as psychiatric conditions such as clinical depression. This research will enhance our basic knowledge of altered neural, cognitive, and behavioral function in older adults and will aid in the development of appropriate treatments.
Investigate the relationship between systemic metabolism and brain function during normal aging and in AD. Epidemiological research has shown that the presence of metabolic and vascular risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease during midlife as well as current smoking are associated with accelerated age-related cognitive decline and with increased risk for AD. This association is even more pronounced in individuals with three or more vascular risk factors. Given the prevalence of obesity and other components of metabolic syndrome in the U.S. population, we will stimulate research to examine the mechanisms by which disrupted systemic metabolism may influence the transition between normal brain aging and AD. This effort will provide not only a better understanding of the etiology of AD, but may also benefit the search for biomarkers of cognitive aging and AD. Ultimately we are interested in exploring whether the negative impact of metabolic and vascular risk factors on brain aging can be counteracted through behavioral and lifestyle changes and the relevant mechanisms.
We will also continue to support research that examines the reciprocity of brain-body interactions in healthy aging and in the course of AD, especially interactions mediated by stress and other hormones. For example, short sleep—less than an average of 6 hours per night—has been associated with hormonal and metabolic changes that may lead to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, increased cardiovascular disease, or cognitive decline.
C-2 Develop better ways of distinguishing people with normal brain aging from those who will develop mild cognitive impairment, AD, and related conditions.
Successfully distinguishing people who are aging normally from those who will develop MCI—often a precursor to AD—and AD itself is critical to promoting healthy aging behaviors and the prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Identification of biomarkers of the transition from normal function to different levels of cognitive impairment is facilitating our efforts.
NIA will work to:
- Identify neuroimaging and other biological markers for early detection of cognitive decline, MCI, and AD and for understanding the progression from normal cognitive aging to MCI to early AD. Biomarkers may be helpful in earlier and more accurate diagnosis of disease and in tracking disease progression and treatment response in clinical trials, which can decrease the time and cost of trials.
- Improve neuropsychological assessment of cognitive function. Despite remarkable advances in neuroimaging, neuropsychological assessment of cognitive function continues to be the gold standard by which AD is diagnosed. We will continue to support development of better tools for assessing cognitive function in the clinic, in the primary care setting, and in the home environment. In one project, NIA helped establish the Uniform Data Set (UDS), comprising both clinical and neuropsychological tests, across all Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) in the United States. The UDS will promote uniformity in collection of cognitive function data and will allow researchers to pool large sets of data across ADRCs. We will also participate in plans outlined by the recently funded NIH Neuroscience Blueprint Toolbox project to develop a measurement tool that includes a module for assessing cognitive, sensory, motor, and emotional function in adults. A standardized assessment tool of this type will help researchers track and compare behavioral change over time in longitudinal and epidemiological studies, in clinical trials, and eventually in primary care and other non-research settings.
- Improve methods of assessing changes in sensory and motor systems as markers of age-related change and AD. Age-related changes in sensory systems occur in both normal individuals and those with AD. We will continue to examine how the use of sensory testing to predict early neurodegeneration could assist in clinical diagnoses. We will also continue research to explore possible correlations between changes in sensory perception and AD. For example, we will investigate how changes in a person's ability to navigate visually through the environment or changes in a person's sense of smell may predict the development of AD.
C-3 Translate discoveries about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cognitive, emotional, sensory, and motor function with age and the mechanisms of AD pathogenesis into diagnostic, treatment, and/or prevention strategies.
NIA-supported studies have combined both cognitive training and standard drug treatments such as donepezil to improve memory in patients with dementia. Other NIA-supported trials focus on slowing the progression of cognitive symptoms in dementia and on strategies to manage the behavioral symptoms. Still others focus on preventing the early stages of cognitive decline. NIA-supported translational studies apply the findings of basic science on brain mechanisms in healthy aging and in disease to the identification and preclinical testing of new prevention and treatment strategies as a precursor to testing in human clinical trials. A number of NIA-supported trials focus on slowing the progression of cognitive symptoms in dementia and on strategies to manage the behavioral symptoms of dementia, while others focus on preventing the early stages of cognitive decline. Still others combine intervention strategies such as cognitive training and standard drug treatments e.g., donepezil) to improve cognition in patients with dementia.
NIA will continue to:
- Stimulate translational research. We will continue to stimulate translational research aimed at discovery and preclinical development of new candidate drugs and biologics. By supporting the early steps of the drug discovery and development process, we can play a critical role in facilitating the very long, difficult, and enormously expensive process of translating the wealth of basic science discoveries into successful AD therapeutics. We will also support research to identify behavioral interventions aimed at maintaining brain and behavioral health and function during aging. We will apply what we are learning about the interplay among biological, behavioral, and social factors to develop more targeted and effective interventions.
- Support clinical trials for drug and behavioral interventions to prevent, treat, and delay the onset and progression of cognitive decline, MCI, AD, and other dementias. We will continue to support research to test promising new drug, behavioral, or combination interventions in clinical trials with the intention of moving them rapidly into clinical practice.
C-4 Conduct research to better understand and develop interventions to address the special caregiving needs of patients with AD and other dementias.
A number of recent studies have demonstrated that the chronic stresses of caring for a family member with dementia can cause lasting psychological and even physical consequences. These effects are multi-fold. For example, sleep-wake patterns are altered in AD patients, often leading to chronic sleep deprivation in the patients and their caregivers. Research has shown that caregivers of AD patients have an increased risk of depression, elevated stress hormones, increased vulnerability to influenza, and poor wound healing (in the older caregivers).
NIA will continue to:
- Conduct research on the family and economic burdens of AD and other dementias. Formal and informal care for older persons with dementia is a major cost for families, private insurers, and the public sector. We will support research at several levels, including studies on the mechanisms through which the stress of caregiving affects health. We will work with others to develop new types of interventions for alleviating stress. Other studies will help us quantify and understand the economic burdens to inform health policy decisions.
- Develop better strategies for the care of patients with MCI and AD and for alleviating caregiver burden. NIA-supported investigators have developed a multifaceted, personalized intervention that can significantly improve the quality of life for caregivers of people with dementia. We will continue to develop and test other interventions of this type. In addition, we will research the needs of long-term spousal caregivers following the death of their spouses and support development of post-bereavement interventions aimed at providing social support and working through the persistent traumatic and stressful thoughts of the prior years of caregiving.


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Merlo Station
2032 SW Merlo Court Beaverton Oregon 97006
Are you the property manager?
Located one block from a MAX light rail station in Beaverton, Oregon, Merlo Station Apartments is a commuter's dream! Shopping is easy with Costco less than 2 blocks away, and Fred Meyer just a short trip away. We are conveniently located near Hwy 26 and 217. Our 3 and 4 bedroom apartment homes come with lots of storage space, stackable washer and dryer, dishwasher, disposal and private patio or deck. Our community is close to Beaverton schools and has numerous recreational outlets including an onsite playground, landscaped courtyards and close proximity to Tualatin Hills Nature Park. Merlo Station has a little something for everyone. Income restrictions apply. Stop by for a tour!
Other Apartments Nearby
Cooper Mountain - Aloha North
|$1225 - $1505
|1 unit available now
|1 Bed
|From $1235
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|2 Beds
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|3 Beds
|From $2440
|1 unit available now
Zip Codes Near Beaverton, OR
Neighborhoods Near Beaverton, OR
Colleges Near Beaverton, OR
- Art Institute of Portland, OR
- Pacific Northwest College of Art, OR
- Portland State University, OR
- Concordia University, OR
- National College of Natural Medicine, OR
- Oregon Health and Science University, OR
- University of Portland, OR
- American College of Healthcare Sciences, OR
- Lewis and Clark College, OR
- Northwest Nannies Institute, OR
- Reed College, OR
- Sumner College, OR
- Western Seminary, OR
- George Fox Evangelical Seminary, OR
- Marylhurst University, OR
- Pacific International Academy, OR


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What's new with Apache POI
- Nick Burch
- Fri, 27 March 2009 14:30
- No Materials Available
Apache POI is a long standing project to provide pure Java access to Microsoft Office file formats. However, it's not a static project, and over the last 18 months its features have once again grown dramatically. The session will start with a whistle-stop tour of the older features, then dive into what's new. One such topic will be reading and writing old style and new xml based (ooxml) Excel files with the same code. Another will be the advanced text extraction for an ever growing list of file formats (9 and counting). We'll see how to render powerpoint files to images, and build a powerpoint file from Java. We'll cover reading excel files in a memory efficient manner, and see how the new Office Open XML file formats have and haven't changed everything.


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Bentham Project
- Home
- Who was Jeremy Bentham?
- Bentham and UCL
- Auto-Icon
- Panopticon
- Representations
- Old Radical
- Additions and Corrections to The Old Radical
- Wood-engraving by William James Linton (1812–98)
- Bentham's Life or Death Mask
- Engraving of Ford Abbey, Dorset
- Bust by Peter Turnerelli
- Chalk Portrait by Robert Mathew Sully
- Engraving by George Washington Appleton after Robert Matthew Sully
- Engraving for Westminster Review
- Mourning Rings
- Old Radical
- About
- News and Events
- Publications
- Journals
- Bentham Texts Online
- Transcribe Bentham
- Research Tools
Bentham's Life or Death Mask
A mask of Bentham, now in the possession of the William Ramsay Henderson Trust and kept at the Department of Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh, was originally acquired by the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh in the 1830s. The Society was founded in February 1820, and published a journal of its proceedings which first appeared in 1824. Until 1886 the Society displayed the masks they owned in their Museum, the final location of which was in Chambers Street, Edinburgh. A note by George Combe (1788-1858), one of the founders of the Society, in the Phrenological Journal, and Magazine of Moral Science for 1838 records that Bentham's mask was by then in the Society's collection: 'We have a cast of Bentham's head, in which the knowing organs are large, and the reflecting organs only full. Love of Approbation is enormous, and concentrativeness only full.'
Until recently it was presumed that the mask was made after Bentham's death, sometime between the lecture over Bentham's body on 8 June 1832 and its dissection on 11 June 1832 at the Webb Street School of Anatomy and Medicine, London. But a question mark has remained over why Thomas Southwood Smith (1788-1861) did not refer to the death mask when creating a head for Bentham's auto-icon. Following the dissection, Bentham's body was sent to Southwood Smith for auto-iconization, and he tried to preserve Bentham's head by placing it under an air pump over sulphuric acid, but the experiment failed. He then asked Jacques Talrich, a French artist who made models for medical schools and anatomical museums, to model a wax head of Bentham, with the help of the bust of Bentham by David and the portrait by Pickersgill both in the possession of John Bowring, and his own copy of one of Bentham's mourning rings. It seems very likely that had a death mask of Bentham been made at the Webb Street School of Anatomy Southwood Smith would have also made this available to Talrich.
|© William Ramsay Henderson Trust
It is now thought likely that the mask was in fact made in Bentham's lifetime. John Flowerdew Colls, Bentham's amanuensis, records in his journal for 12 September 1823: 'Mr Alcock and nephew to dinner—took a mask of JB in plaster of paris.' Thomas Alcock (1784-1833) a surgeon, who from 1813 to 1828 was surgeon to St James's Workhouse in London, had visited Bentham earlier in August of the same year, when he had left some of his medical pamphlets for Bentham to read. Notes from Bentham's memorandum book and Colls's journal indicate that Bentham's interest in Alcock centred about the subject of his head, and their mutual interest in education. To make this life mask Bentham would have had to submit to a rather unpleasant process, which involved moistening the hair and face with a sweet oil, inserting quills in the nostrils, and reclining at an angle of 35°, while the face was covered with plaster, and the back of the head was then pressed into a flat dish also containing plaster. In this state the subject rested until the plaster was set.
No further evidence of the existence of this mask has yet been found, so it is therefore not possible at present to confirm beyond doubt whether the mask in Edinburgh is the one made by Thomas Alcock. Another life mask was made of Bentham's head by the sculptor, Turnerelli, as a record and aid to his work on Bentham's bust in 1808, but it is unlikely that a mask made as part of an artistic project would have survived.
The mask belonging to the William Ramsay Henderson Trust was exhibited in Death Masks and Life Masks of the Famous and Infamous in Edinburgh in 1988, and was recently seen in London in Spectacular Bodies: The Art and Science of the Human Body from Leonardo to Now, an exhibition organized by the Hayward Gallery, October 2000–January 2001.
The International Society for Utilitarian Studies (ISUS), administered from UCL, has recently purchased a copy of a second-generation casting of the mask from the Hutton Collection in America. This Collection was started in the 1860s by the American scholar and author, Laurence Hutton (1843–1904), who some time in the 1890s acquired a copy of Bentham's mask. The Collection was later bequeathed to the University of Princeton, New Jersey, where it remains today. The mask is at present displayed in the Student Common Room, Laws Department, Bentham House, UCL.
Second Generation Casting of Bentham's Life or Death Mask


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AS a child Sue Martin gathered her teddies round her toy blackboard and dreamed of one day being a teacher with her very own school.
That dream has just become a reality for Sue as she takes on the role of headteacher at St Martin's School in Bournemouth.
"As far back as I can remember, from about the age of four, I wanted to teach," said Sue.
"As an adult I've only ever taught and I still get a huge kick out of seeing children learn new things."
Her awards include the National Teaching Awards Primary Teacher of the Year and the Primary Science Teaching Trust Science Teacher of the Year. Sue is relishing the opportunity to bring her brand of teaching to St Martin's, a tiny independent school in Stokewood Road which currently sees nine out of 10 of its pupils offered grammar school places.
Both Sue's grown-up daughters attended the school and now her three nieces are pupils there.
"St Martin's is known as 'the happy family school' and it has certainly been an important part of our family life," added Sue.
"It is so exciting for me to be involved because I know it already has this established record for traditional, high quality education.
"I want to preserve this strong foundation, whilst enhancing it and leading it forward into the future."


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Molly O'Keefe
Can't Buy Me Love
Loveswept / June 26, 2012 / $7.99 print and digital
A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she'll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to do is play the part of a gold-digging fiancée to lure Lyle's estranged children home. The mission is soon accomplished.
Now Lyle's gone—and his ridiculously handsome son, Luc, an ice hockey superstar sidelined by injuries, is the new owner of Crooked Creek ranch. He's also Tara Jean's boss. But being so close to sinfully sweet Tara Jean does crazy things to Luc's priorities, like make him want to pry her deepest secrets from those irresistible lips. But when Tara Jean's past demands a dirty showdown, will Luc stay and fight?
One frequent observation—and, just as likely, complaint—made by readers of a certain class of contemporary romance novel is that their protagonists are just so damned perfect. Not only physically (which is pretty much a given, genre-wide), nor merely, and especially in the case of our hero, anatomically. The problem, very often, is that they are just too…too.
Too witty. Too worthy. Too clever. Too compassionate. Too successful and talented and articulate and generally, improbably awesome. Idealized paragons of all the virtues whose only, almost universal, flaw is the inability to recognize their predestined soul mates before the last three pages of the story.
If this is one of your bugbears—and, to be fair, it is one that has become less of a problem in recent years—then do not fret. Molly O'Keefe has created two…no, make that four…thoroughly imperfect lead characters, along with a slew of equally challenged bit-parters, in her latest release, Can't Buy Me Love. Characters so imperfect, and indeed so unlikeable, that for a not inconsiderable number of chapters you can't help but wonder why the hell you are at all concerned about their eventual happiness. Until, that is, you realize that somewhere along the way they stopped being total douches and have somehow captured your heart, even as they embark upon uncertain adventures with their own.
Canadian ice hockey star Luc Baker is thirty-seven years old. Beset by injury and nearing retirement, he hopes for just one final season in the league. His sister Victoria, left homeless and broke after her scamming husband was found to owe bilked investors millions, now lives with him, alongside her young son, and with the off-season upon him, Luc has no plans other than to defy doctors' orders and get into the best shape of his life so that he can go out on a career high, bringing the Stanley Cup back home to Toronto.
This sensible notion is put on hold, however, when the siblings receive an invitation to their elderly father's forthcoming wedding to the beautiful, buxom and, most damningly, young Tara Jean Sweet. Lyle Baker, a wealthy Texan landholder, is worth millions, and while Luc has no need of the money, Victoria longs to return the leisurely life to which she had once been so accustomed, and is determined to thwart the best efforts of "Bimbo Barbie" to make off with her rightful inheritance.
Arriving at Crooked Creek Ranch—a place that holds only horror and misery in their memories, neither one having found approval in their brutal father's eyes —Luc and Victoria find in Tara Jean every inch the scheming Anna Nicole-esque gold digger they had anticipated:
Bimbo Barbie wore red silk that ran, slick and smooth like a crimson oil spill, over a whole host of impressive curves and valleys. There was a big pile of blond hair on top of her head, with long curls sweeping her cheeks and the tops of her shoulders.
He gritted his teeth, anger popping in his head like popcorn.
He knew this woman. Never met her, but knew exactly who she was, down to her barefeet. She might lie about her name, change it a thousand times, but she couldn't change who she was.
A glorified puck bunny.
The kind of woman who hung out in the arenas, throwing herself at the guys just so she could say she'd screwed a professional hockey player.
A mercenary. A whore. That's all she was.
A mercenary and a whore that he wants bad on sight, even while as yet unaware that her engagement is but a ruse designed by his calculating father, desperate to see his estranged children one more time before he dies. He's a prince, is Luc, and he treats his proposed step-mother abominably. See? Douche. And yet…
Tara Jean is no angel, but she's no mercenary whore, either. She doesn't want anything more from Lyle than the forty percent stake in the leather company he owns, and that she has spent the past four years saving from bankruptcy. The arrival of the irresistible, impossible Luc, bringing with him a temptation she had thought she'd long left behind, is a complication, especially after he comes to the realization that she never was engaged his father:
She could feel his gaze on her, as if it were his large, hot hands. And she wanted to scream because she was smarter than this. Savvy to the wayward temptation of a handsome man's grin. What she was a sucker for, though, was his quiet and startling interest in her. If kissing him was a mistake, then liking him was a disaster.
The mistakes (and disasters) don't end at kissing and liking, of course, and amidst will readings and road trips and health scares and bonding over similarly dysfunctional childhoods—which have really done a number on both of their psyches; Tara Jean, for example, may well be just a little bit insane—this brash asshole of a hockey player and somewhat contemptible ex-conwoman (and current scaredy-cat) become protagonists to root for, their romance viscerally compelling. It is character redemption at its most impressive, especially as it happens within the space of less than a hundred pages or so and yet feels completely unforced: evolution through true love.
The beta couple of the story, Victoria and ranch hand/rightful heir Eli, will be seen again in next month's Can't Hurry Love, and another redemption of the highest order is going to be needed to make this entitled, deposed princess and her petulant childhood playmate at all sympathetic. Something, assuredly, to look forward to. Especially as Victoria's son, Jacob, is completely adorable—he, at least, can stay exactly as he is.
Rachel Hyland is Editor in Chief of Geek Speak Magazine.


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Swimmer Nick Meyer, 16, received a special gift on his June birthday last year — a personalized autograph from his idol, Olympic legend Michael Phelps.
A competitive swimmer for Texas Gold swim team in Georgetown and the Harker Heights High School swim team, Nick aspires to be like Phelps. And though he appears to be headed in the right direction to reach that dream now, just a year ago he was forced to stop swimming when he dove into a life-threatening battle with Crohn's disease.
Nick began swimming competitively when he was 11. He took lessons at the Boys & Girls Club in Killeen and exhibited natural speed and ability in the water. When he was younger, he played soccer for five years but was looking for another sport to get into, his mom, Robbin Meyer, said.
"He's obviously not the right size for football," she said, referring to his slight frame.
First signs
Nick joined the Boys & Girls Club summer swim league and the Fort Hood Dolphins swim team in 2008. Later, he became a member of the exclusive Texas Gold swim team in Georgetown, and in 2011, his first year at Harker Heights High School, he landed a spot on the school team.
When Nick first became ill in September 2011, he thought nothing of it. His symptoms resembled those of a stomach flu, so he waited for it to run its natural course. But as the days, weeks and months passed, the symptoms lingered.
A typical teenager, Nick didn't tell his parents about his frequent trips to the bathroom until sometime in October, Robbin Meyer said. When they finally learned he was sick. Nick was running a low-grade fever and had started losing weight. At just 92 pounds, he couldn't afford the weight loss.
"We thought it was this protein shake he was on that had creatine in it, and we thought it would just go away, so we took him off of that," his mother said. "But the symptoms continued and the diarrhea progressively got worse."
Throughout the onset of his illness, Nick continued to swim despite having to leave the pool for bathroom breaks. Ultimately, the diarrhea and weight loss took its toll. He stopped eating, lost his strength, and it showed in his swimming form.
"I literally had to crawl out of the pool," Nick said.
In the meantime, doctors couldn't find the source of Nick's ailment and told him to stop swimming.
"We did lab tests and ran just about every kind of test you can imagine, and everything came up negative, like E. coli," Robbin Meyer said. "His white blood cell count was high, and every time we did a search on the Internet (the results) came up cancer, so we just stopped looking."
Sick as a dog
Nick's condition worsened. His chronic diarrhea caused an abscess to form in the rectum, leaving Nick in such severe pain that he couldn't walk upright or sit normally.
On Dec. 6, the abscess started to rupture. Nick was admitted to McLane Children's Hospital Scott & White in Temple and surgery was scheduled.
The first time Dr. Jonathan Ramprasad, a pediatrician, saw Nick, he said the 15-year-old weighed about 70 pounds and was literally "sick as a dog."
"He looked like a child; he was sick, malnourished. He looked like a concentration camp victim. He had the most disfiguring and severe case of perianal disease I have ever seen. I don't know how he dealt with the pain."
Sometimes, he didn't want to deal with it. Nick said he often wanted to "just give up," but his parents wouldn't let him.
A diagnosis
On Christmas Eve, Nick was sent home to recover. But the next day, complications arose and his parents took him back to the emergency room at McLane. It was there that doctors told them they had found the cause of Nick's illness.
Crohn's Disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that belongs to a group of conditions knows as inflammatory bowel diseases. Named for Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who first described the disease in 1932, Crohn's is thought to affect as many as 700,000 men and women in the United States, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.
The disease can occur at any age, but it's more prevalent among young adults ages 15 to 35. Crohn's is often hereditary, as it was in Nick's case. As it turns out, one of his grandfathers also suffered from Crohn's Disease, as does an aunt.
Once doctors made Nick's diagnosis, they immediately began treating it. Nick had another surgery on Jan. 2 and started IV therapy with the medication Remicade. A week later, he was back in school, and in February, doctors cleared him to swim again.
Now, almost a year later, Nick's disease is under control with diet, exercise and IV therapy every two months. He has gained 40 pounds, grown a few inches, and rebounded in the competitive swimming world. His doctors are proud of the progress he has made and believe his recovery is a reflection of their own success.
"He's a fascinating kid," Ramprasad said. "After we treated him both medically and surgically, Nick has done incredibly well with control of his (Crohn's Disease). In a calendar year, he went from looking like a sick, malnourished kid to this athlete who was able to start swimming again and climb the ranks."
Although Crohn's is something Nick will live with the rest of his life, he's not letting it define him. Through it, he has become stronger, both mentally and physically, he said, and he hopes his story will encourage others who are dealing with the disease to just keep swimming.
"Never give up," he said.


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Walmart Antioch expansion OKd on appeal
Updated 10:26 pm, Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A state appeals court has given Walmart the go-ahead to expand its Antioch store into a "supercenter" by adding a grocery section, rejecting a judge's decision that the city should have studied environmental impacts before approving the project.
The retail giant has operated the store at the Williamson Ranch shopping center since 2000 and first proposed adding a grocery section in 2005. The City Council rejected several versions of the plan before approving a scaled-down addition in September 2010 that would expand the 141,000-square-foot complex by almost one-fourth.
It was challenged in court by an environmental and labor coalition called California Healthy Communities Network, which said Antioch should have first conducted an environmental study of the project's potential effects - on traffic, climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions, and urban blight caused by the departure of locally owned businesses.
A Contra Costa County judge agreed and ordered an environmental review in October 2011. Antioch did not appeal, but Walmart did, and on Tuesday the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco ruled that no study was needed.
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The city conducted a full environmental review in 1998 when it approved a shopping center of up to 245,000 square feet, which was larger than the expanded center Walmart now plans, said Justice Henry Needham in the 3-0 decision.
He said the grocery addition was approved in 2010 by Antioch's Design Review Board, which is authorized by city ordinances to consider only issues of "design and aesthetics" and not environmental impacts.
Delia Garcia, a spokeswoman at Walmart headquarters in Arkansas, said Wednesday the ruling was "a win for local customers" and would also lead to more jobs and to more business for local suppliers.
The environmental group and its lawyer were unavailable for comment. They could appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court.
The ruling can be viewed at bit.ly/TrO58Y.
Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: email@example.com


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INTERVIEW: Idina Menzel On Queer Crushes, Hubby's Gay Tendency and Her 'Nice' Feet
By Chris Azzopardi
Originally printed 3/1/2012 (Issue 2009 - Between The Lines News)
Idina Menzel doesn't do anything halfway - even when she's deciding on her gay faves. "It's so silly," says the homo-hearted theater queen, surfing Google for "hot gay male celebrities." Her assistant even gets involved. "This is very important stuff," Menzel giggles, fully immersed in her search to name her current gay crush.
Neil Patrick Harris? Too typical. George Michael? Maybe 20 years ago.
"Oh, I could do a woman" she realizes, before catching the unintentional humor in that: "I mean, not do a woman."
And on she goes, scouring the web relentlessly. Again, she laughs. "(My assistant) just went onto a gay porn site. That's helpful!"
Ten minutes later, she's got it: Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes and Anderson Cooper, because "that makes me sound really smart." Not that she has to sound anything except beautiful, and that she already does - as demonstrated in her 20 years on stage, from "Rent" to "Wicked" (originating the roles of Maureen and Elphaba, respectively), and as a cradle-robber on "Glee."
Now the ever-sweet Broadway diva has a new live album, "Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony," airing on PBS Saturday, before she hits the road this summer for a series of tour dates (Menzel will perform June 27 at the Detroit Opera House; tickets are on sale Monday, March 5). She caught up with us recently to talk toes, hubby Taye Diggs' gay tendency and learning the real definition of "white party."
"Barefoot at the Symphony" is the name of the new album - do you have nice feet?
They're all right. My toes are pretty in proportion to each other. No weird toes.
Is the second toe longer than the big toe?
No, they're actually nice like that. It's just that - from working out and stuff - my heels are always dry. But the toes are nice!
Will your tour be a lot like this album?
The album is a culmination of a year and a half of touring and playing with these amazing symphonies. So, this summer when I go on tour, I obviously need to retain some of the songs that I know people would shoot me for if I didn't sing them, but I am going to clean the slate and freshen up the show and explore some brand new material.
Do people expect you to fly when you do "Defying Gravity"?
No, I don't think they do. (Laughs) But I'm sure they expect me to hit very high notes, which isn't always an easy thing to do.
How did it go over when you covered "Poker Face" with the symphony?
It's funny: the audience was everyone from theater people to symphony people to just your regular audience coming to see some entertainment for the evening. But "Poker Face" was great. I did it because I knew people would like to see something from "Glee" and I thought the juxtaposition of the song with the orchestra could be really cool, but I didn't realize it would become a comic piece for me. The first couple of times I did it I realized these stories and I stopped the full on symphony in the middle of the song, which you never do, to tell people the story behind it. Then it just started becoming this little creature that I used every night as a way of singing that song but also having fun with the audience and being really spontaneous.
On the album you recall a crush you had on a gay professor during your freshman year in college. What was it about him that you were so into?
Well, first, I didn't realize he was gay until later in life, but he was just so intense and he was the kind of teacher that you know you trusted and respected so much that also could make you cry in a second because he saw right through you and challenged you and expected the most of you. For me, when I got in front of class and felt like I was disappointing a teacher, I would just get so demoralized. That feeling never goes away. Whether you're standing up in front of 10 people in a class or 5,000 people in an audience, the idea of opening your soul and making yourself really vulnerable is quite terrifying and sometimes, if you're not prepared, you get really thrown.
Since you have a history of falling for gay men, did Taye have to pass some kind of test?
No. Please. He went to the high school of the arts in Rochester and majored in theater in Syracuse, and so many of his friends were gay before we even met.
Oh, Idina, these are all red flags.
(Laughs) Yeah, he'll even engage in "runway" at parties at the house if we pull out the carpet and it's late at night, he has a couple of drinks and Taye will even do runway... if you give him enough alcohol.
Who has the bigger gay following?
I think I do! (Laughs)
You know, you take everything from the gays: Taye Diggs. Kissing Puck on "Glee." Waking up with Patrick Dempsey in "Enchanted." What do you have to say for yourself?
That's some good stuff, huh? In my defense, I'm a mom of a 2-year-old and - like, right now I'm in the ugliest outfit, practically PJs, my hair hasn't been washed in two days - and if I didn't have those opportunities I'd never feel like a woman again.
What was your recent gay cruise experience on Atlantis' Allure of the Seas like?
I learned the white party doesn't necessarily mean you wear white suits; it means you wear as little as possible and maybe some white Hanes underwear and angel wings. (Laughs) I learned that I will never go on a cruise ship again unless it's a gay cruise because I am now ruined forever. The creativity and the passion and the fun will be unmatched. The best audiences of my life. It was just a blast. There's a bunch of sides to yourself, but it's nice to just let 'er rip. And sing some duets with some drag queens!
What would you tell your son, Walker, if he came out to you?
Hopefully I wouldn't have to say much by then. Hopefully he'll grow up in an environment where he won't think much of it and it will be very commonplace and yet, if for some reason that discussion did arise, Taye and I would say, if we were to have a son or daughter who were gay, they wouldn't meet any resistance with us. We always take five steps forward and two steps back, but in our house, in our family and with our friends, he already is in the company of - and loved by - all sorts of people.
(Taye and I) have very supportive parents and so it's more the outside world that tends to put some stigma on it, even in this day and age. I think it's just about raising a son that's going to be mixed race and how to tackle that and what that means - even religiously and spirituality, we have a lot of stuff ahead of us. I want to be really clear and defined so that it's not confusing.
Is your character on "Glee," Shelby, done for?
You know, I don't know. They're saying I'm coming back, but you never know. Maybe they'll go with another storyline. But I love being there. I love the energy on set, and I certainly did enjoy being hot for teacher and having the 17-year-old man with the Mohawk to kiss on. But they keep things really close to the vest, so it's hard to tell.
Are you looking at being a part of a musical again?
Yeah, but nothing that I really can speak of yet. I'm trying to give people their space to create and do their thing, but that's my goal and I'm putting my energy toward trying to get back to New York City in an original piece just because that's where I've had the most success and where I feel the most fulfilled. That process of standing at the piano with a composer and a writer as they're creating from scratch and using you as inspiration, there's nothing like that.
Any word on a "Wicked" movie?
No. I just always hear that if it came about that Kristin (Chenoweth) and I would probably be too old, which is really annoying considering all the CGI you can do these days. I called them and told them, "What about 'Avatar'?!" You never know, but I kind of don't hold my breath on that one. And I feel lucky enough that I got to do the "Rent" movie 10 years after I actually originated the role. So we'll see about "Wicked."
So much has happened in your career since playing Maureen in "Rent." Is that still a part of you?
Yes, because I put it in my show all the time in some capacity so it actually forces me to get back in touch with that time in my life and what it represented and how I've grown since then.
What about "Wicked"? Do you have nightmares about going green?
Yes! I actually have those recurring theater nightmares. It's not always just "Wicked," it could be "Rent," and they just desperately need me. The girl playing the role at the time can't get in and there's no one around. They call me and I'm like, "Of course I remember how to do it!" and I get on a dark and dreary stage that looks nothing like any set I've ever been on before and I can't remember a single line and I don't know how to put the green makeup on and I start having a meltdown. (Laughs)
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Lake Effect
Hot off Season 7 of the LOGO channel's "Ru Paul's Drag Race" phenomenon, Darienne Lake of Season 6 spoke with Between the Lines about her upcoming hosting gig at Motor City Pride June 6.View More Pride Guide
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The Kid-Friendly Cities report by Population Connection ranked the top 100 cities and metropolitan areas on community, health and education criteria. Factors included percentage of impoverished children, rates of violent crime and number of environmental education programs.
Cleveland and Birmingham, Ala., were rated C-minus, the worst grades on the list. Des Moines and Spokane, Wash., topped the big-city list with an A-plus ranking. Seattle scored an A to lead the metro list.
The group concedes that it's hard to totally judge a city's quality of life because some traits are difficult to capture, but it says it aims to give residents and local officials information to "make their communities better."
Population Connection supports sex education in schools and opposes the Bush administration's abstinence-only policies. Spokesman Tim Cline calls teen pregnancy the "single most important" problem facing children.
The percentage of live births to teenage mothers stands at 19% and 18% respectively for Cleveland and Birmingham, compared with 11% nationally, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The cities also had low scores in community and health categories, which include high rates of violent crimes and low high school graduation rates.
Seattle received high marks in the health and community categories but scored a C on population for having fewer children younger than 18, 15.6%, compared with the national average of 25.7%. Des Moines received A marks across the board.
Cedric Sparks Sr., executive director of Birmingham's youth services division, questions whether the numbers are "reflective of the city's efforts" to combat problems. He says public and non-profit social service organizations do "a great job" addressing teen pregnancy.
Catherine Teare, policy director for child advocacy group Children Now, agrees that health and population rates are important but says citizens also care about more salient kid-friendly items like parks and books.
And state budget cuts to social services, she says, have weakened some cities' abilities to serve children.


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BREAKING NEWS: Pakistan Militants Attack Pentecostal Church; 1 Killed
By Xavier P. William, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Pakistan
PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Suspected Islamic militants attacked a Pentecostal church in northwestern Pakistan killing a security guard and shooting at the building before leaving the scene, local officials and Christians told BosNewsLife Saturday, July 6.
The Assembly of God Church (AoG) in the Swati gate area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pukhtunkhawa province, was reportedly attacked early Friday, July 5, amid heightened tensions over minorities in the region.
Christians said the two attackers tried to enter the building where pastors gathered for a refresher training course, but were stopped by the guard, a policeman, whose name was not immediately revealed.
He apparently died on the scene after the gunmen shot him three times in the neck, chest and near the heart. They also took his gun, fired at the AoG church building and fled the scene, according to police investigators.
Christians said the attack followed threats against the AoG, prompting local authorities to send initially two police officers to the church for security.
Yet, there was only one policeman guarding the church during Friday's attack who "gave up his life in the line of duty," police said, adding that they are investigating the incident.
"We condemn the attack on the AoG Church," said Christian rights group Life for All Pakistan. "The security has been raised in other churches. We praise the guard who intercepted the attackers and saved other lives sacrificing his own," the group added n a statement to BosNewsLife.
The policeman was the latest casualty in what authorities call an ongoing "war against terror" in the province. There have been hundreds of terror attacks in the province, killing over 22000 people in the past five years, according to official estimates.
Friday's attack came amid heightened tensions after the province's Chief Minister Pervez Khattak of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reportely said that that Muslims "cannot be hired as sweepers and cleaners" as these jobs should be done by minorities, including Christians.
Several minority groups expressed their outrage over what they called the leader's "narrow-mindlessness" and demanded his resignation.
Life for All Pakistan said the remarks "that only the minorities are fit for sweepers has hurt the sentiments of the minorities" clearly violates PTI's campaign pledges including "giving equal rights and opportunities to the religious minorities". However, "after coming into power they speak and do otherwise," the group said.
The PTI has also threatened to halt supplies of the NATO military alliance and to shoot down the drones, the unmanned aircraft used by the United States to target militants.
Islamic militants, who rights activists claiom have links to government offcials, often described Christianity as a "Western religion" and accused Christians of having ties to "Western occupiers."
(With editing by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos).
(BosNewsLife, the first truly independent news agency covering persecuted Christians, is 'Breaking the News for Compassionate Professionals' since 2004).
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