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Results 441 to 460 of 7933
Maybe that's kind of the problem. PS2 also often gives me the impression that it tries to be a wild mix of everything, to appeal to everybody, and by that actually puts itself into a niche instead of standing out. If those "modern military shooters" players don't enjoy the game I don't know where SOE is planning on taking new players from one or two years down the line.
Yeah, don't make them that moveable. And I really do belive that bursters need at least a 25% nerf - if a burster gets eyes on with one ESF at the exact same time as the ESF gets eyes on the burster, the burster is VERY likely to win. It does more DPS in that time then for example pods (well maybe not the TRs OP super ROF pods but hey it's TR so that's what they do) and the ESF will likely die.
Add even one more burster in that equation and it's quite unlikely you even get away if they rendered in.
It sounds like you think a ESF and a burster should be equal to each other. I like that a burster is better than an ESF (lets ignore rendering distance and assume it's the same for everyone). The burster counters the ESF who in turn counters the majority of ground.
Do you think one on one an ESF should be able to beat a dedicated AA, assuming equal skill on both players?
If the ESF outmaneuvers some of the burster/skyguard fire - hell yes. A burster is 90 infantry resources. An ESF is 200 air. Of course it should be able to take a burster head on or at least survive an encounter with a few and get away. I think AAs role should primarily be as deterrent, not like now when effective killzones for air are very, very easily established - quite cheap as well. If you have like 4-5 bursters you have created a zone where no aircraft can enter without dying. To counter it you need infantry or way, way more then for example 4-5 ESFs. More like 3+ libs and 5+ ESFs so that the bursters have to many targets to take out.
And I think render distance needs to be nerfed for infantry vs air if they can't fix it the other way around. If I can get shot at I should be able to shoot it - that is not the case today. You can fly at 800m with a lib and see the burster shooting you - that is hitting you - and shoot at it without hitting anything. They made burster rendering better, but they didn't fix it.
Air is so weak regardless (tank drivers that die to one round of rockets in the butt are just bad and should pay more attention, pods are not OP) and AA is so strong and cheap right now. AA should be detering air so they can never camp ground, and air should be able to make short, effective, bombing runs and escape with their life, having to repair and here creating downtime. For actually killing air - well this should be the ESFs main role. It is not today.
I don't like using how much something costs in resource points as a judgement for it's effectiveness. Otherwise you might as well start saying the MBTs cost the most and thus should be best. ground < MAX < ESF < MBT.
A burster max isn't very useful against MBTs or Lightnings or foot soliders. The game isn't about one on one fights, but the whole point of a burster max is indeed as you said to create a kill zone or at least a deterrent against ESFs coming in and ripping ground apart. A good ESF pilot can still dart in to do some damage and get out again without being taken down by a burster.
Against ONE burster - yes. Against several - no. They will render in too late and when you realize you are being shot at, it's too late if it's 3+. There's no way to get out - with composite armor 3 you might do it I guess.
Lightnings should be the main AA vehicle since it's single purpose, can't switch weapons, is expensive, costs ground resources and needs support of other tanks to survive in a battle. They also require a tank spawn. Skyguards should be quite deadly - like a burster now - and bursters should be deterrents but deadly in groups of 3-4-5, where an ESF still should be able to see the bursters and be able to get out.
Bursters are now main AA and that's just a bit dumb.
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- Jan 2013
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- 890
While I'd say that AA is slightly too strong atm, pure deterrence is not the solution. First of all, bursters should lose 10-15% dmg. For skyguards, i'd like to see a tighter COF ... that's all, really. The problem with deterrence (pre-gu1) as you describe it is that using ESF to kill air as a means to protect ground ops just doesn't work. This isn't because our pilots are bad, but because of the mechanics. ESF always have to chase other stuff to actually kill it. Depending on the number of friendly/hostile esf and skill this can take anywhere from 1s to a minute or so. While our pilots are chasing and killing hostiles, the ground forces are pretty much unprotected. Only way to get around that is to pull even more AA on the ground, or bring 1-2 squads of ESF. And with this, we're back to ground forces having to spend an unreasonable amount of effort to protect their ops.
So .. yes, 5 bursters or skyguards absolutely should create a no-fly bubble for anything but an equal or greater amount of air.
I agree that Skyguards should be king of mobile AA, but I don't think that calls for a Burster nerf, rather just skyguard buff.
And of course they need to fix rendering or put in some other fix, like massive projectile drop off for bursters once the projectile goes a set distance.
Some excellent statistics about Planetside 2:
The second to last spreadsheet is alarming. And it shows that the terrible roll out of GU2 really hurt the game.
Well Jesus, then we just disagree. More AA is the worst possible development (just buffing Skyguard) right now and would create even less situations where air is effective.
Regarding the stats I don't know if it's that worrying. The VS activity is though..
Planetside offers a different experience for me, but I would still say the BF games are more fun/varied over all and certainly easier to pick up and play. PS2 requires you to stick it out, but also to play with larger groups, because otherwise there is little fun to be had. For most standard fps gamers, I think the things that stick out as being different (often too different) is the fact that scenery is so duplicated, and that upgrades take a longtime/expensive (due to the nature of the free to play microtransaction model that comes with mmos).
From a design perspective, I do see that the PS2 devs are catering to gamers who probably mostly know what they like and what they are getting into. They probably havent catered for casual gamers as much as other games might. That said, its your friends loss for not doing some research in order to understand how more enjoyment could be gleaned from the game.
And even if I still wonder why people do not have the interest to actually do the research? In EVE I can see why players do, it's more suitable with a subscription based game where you already have an investment (money) and you want it to pay off. In PS2 you play the game for free for a few hours, it doesn't grab you and you deinstall and never come back. Of course that's my personal little theory but I think that it's actually the f2p model which, in it's current state, hurts the game the most. It relies on a steady new player input but also drives them off by requiring too much of a personal investment when it is way easier to just stop playing and play something else instead.
And I think the new API stats seem also to indicate into that direction. The amount of people who still play the game seem to be pretty high (for a f2p game), about 50% of the initial player base after three months. (Although those are active characters and not unique users)
But the dropping in character creation seems to indicate that the game might have problems getting new players into the game. Of course nobody expects those to be around the nov/dec values but the constant drop seems a bit troubling. Even GU2 didn't seem to bring a noticeable amount of players in or back. It only seemed to have stopped a decline in active characters.
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No idea what effect this might have on pop balance, just something I can relate to.
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What PS2 needs more of is unique mechanics for weapons. Our magrider is unique in that it can strafe but our guns and rockets work exactly like normal bullets. The old lasher was a perfect "unique" weapon with a constant beam. More stuff like that to actually make our weapons hightech instead of just shiny bullets.
The look of Vanu infantry surely doesn't help to get people interested. Especially Medic and LA don't look much like soldiers. More like... space pirates in spandex. I can at least see why people might be turned off by this and turn over to the faction with more badass looking avatars.
They looked waaay cooler when they released the first class info. But then all the cool looking stuff for Vanu become vanity items.
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The Vanu aesthetic is really appealing to me. I like hexes and unconventional armies, so they've got that, but they don't feel quite as solid as NC, or as unified as the TR. With the Composite armour on, they look much like default troops. The MAX being the exception, going from space crab to space samurai crab. They've got the whole hexagonal/fractal thing going on. I'd love to see additional Armour or weapons taking on those shapes. The Lasher really deserve a unique skin, as well!
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I agree with Jimmy. TR and NC just look... well, like normal soldier goons. Vanu soldiers have, in my opinion, a bit more individuality to them. It feels like it goes well with the Vanu mentality as well. We're fighting for the good of all, by promoting technology. We're not "Loyal until Death", since unquestioned loyalty is, to put it frankly, stupid. We don't fight for some vaguely defined ideal about freedom. We fight for the benefit of all, through logical reasoning. And I think and hope that most of us joined Vanu since these are ideals we believe in, and not because "Purple is awesome" (it is, but that's besides the point).
So I guess that what I'm trying to say with my somewhat ramling analysis of the cores of the factions is that people should choose faction based on what they believe in. And if we lose people because they don't like the look of our brothers and sisters, well, I for one won't really miss them.


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Glade file as:
- Code: Select all
and other examples that use:
- Code: Select all
self.gladefile ="filename.glade"
I am finding this as a little confusing as to which is the correct method or if both are correct or
is it an version issue?
Also, in defining the init function (from a tutorial) I see:
- Code: Select all
def __init__(self):
self.gladefile = "filename.glade"
self.builder = gtk.Builder()
self.window = self.builder.get_object("window1")
self.aboutdialog = self.builder.get_object("aboutdialog1")
self.statusbar = self.builder.get_object("statusbar1")
I think I can understand how the class gets instantiated , I am thinking that the "builder" statements
are just a part of the Glade process and is only used within a Glade type python file(?).
Can someone point me to a thorough tutorial that can explain all or most of the mechanics used to implement
a GUI built using Glade as the GUI portion of the code and the associated python coding?
A lot of the on line tutorials seem to be dated and I see, as mentioned above, different approaches used.
I have searched for days now to see if there are any publications printed or PDF's that apply directly and
specifically to using Glade and Python. (I do see several that seem to use C++).
I have found a rather in depth PDF on using pyGTK but not much mentioned about using Glade.
I considered QT but is it not a package that is for sale, not sure? Not sure how much pf the pyGTK code examples, if any, are applicable in using Glade.
I have not used python very much and will have to learn on my own as I live in a very rural area where there is not much interest in Python or computers in general.
I am using Ubuntu 12.04, Phython 2.7.5 and I have Glade 3.8.0 , so if there is any help I will greatly appreciate that help.
Best Regards.

subset: commoncrawl


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DETROIT - When you fill your tank this summer, you might not be getting all the gas you pay for because of the heat. However, American drivers are fighting
back, and some gas chains are giving in.
We've watched gas prices go up. We've watched them go down. Drivers are held hostage by the ever-changing cost of something most of us can't live without.
Even worse, consumer advocates say sometimes you're not even getting the gas you pay for.
"It's a huge rip-off of American drivers," according to consumer watchdog Judy Dugan.
How heat and gas mix
Here's the issue: when gas gets hot it loses energy, meaning your car gets fewer miles per gallon. For example-- fill your tank on a 60 degree
day and the average car can go 500 miles. However, when you gas up, and it's 90 degrees- you get ten miles less from that same tank of gas,
but you're paying the same price.
Dugan said, "There's technology on that market that would fix it today."
That technology involves special mirrors on the pumps that adjust for temperature, so you get the correct amount of gas every time. Those pumps
are in use at 90 percent of the gas stations in Canada, but not here in the U.S.
Stations fight the change
In fact-- station owners have been fighting the switch to high tech pumps. They say customers benefit in cold weather, and the change would be too expensive.
"Put 2.4 billion dollars cost on gas station owners would only transfer that 2.4 billion dollars to the consumer." said Dan Gilligan of the Petroleum
Marketers Association of America.
Twenty one states, most in the south, have filed class action suits trying to force stations to change their pumps.
While some stations are still fighting, others are looking to settle, Costco has agreed to install the new pumps at its gas stations in warm weather
states. BP, Shell and ConocoPhillips say they're looking to settle as well, which could save you some money.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Make change to the shopify theme
Budsjett $12-30 SGD
I have a website build on Shopify but I would like to make some minor change to the template so that I can have these features :
- Have different description to each variant
- Install some popup to either collect email or discount
- Cosmetic changes to make it looks more clean.
Dear Sir. I had read your descriptions about project. Kindly give me a chance, i would like to discuss more about project and sure everything clear. Please drop me messages when you have free time. Any your queries and Mer
25 frilansere byr i snitt $39 for denne jobben
Hello There, My name is DS, New Zealand based freelance designer/developer here. With more than 12 years of experience i worked for various clients across Australia, New Zealand and UK. Worked on projects ranging fro Mer
Hi there, here you have mention you need to customization existing shopify template, yes can you please start chat and give me your store link. Thank you
Hello I am Rajneesh, an experienced Web Designer and Shopify expert. After reading over your job description this looks like a perfect fit for my skill sets. I have built a large number of corporate websites, spec Mer
We're Shopify design & development experts (https://experts.shopify.com/bluetech) and would be happy to do mentioned 3 customisation on your store. Please check given below referral links to get assured about our ski Mer
I just saw your description carefully. Your project is very easy for me. Although i am a new freelancer , I have accumulate full experiences on app developing. If you trust me , I can do it perfectly for you in a sh Mer
I am a web developer for 6 years. I have the necessary skills and experience with Shopify. I can help you and will finish as soon as possible! I'll be glad to work with you!
Greetings!! It's a pleasure to discuss with you regarding the project. I've gone thru your job regarding Shopify changes and understand what you want exactly. I've also checked your requirements. I'm able to help Mer
Hello sir, I am very expert on web design and development. If you came to chat, we can discuss about your job in details. My desire to satisfy my clients. Thanks.
Hello I am a shopify decveloper. I can change your template as your needs. I have many experiences with shopify. If you want see my shopify , I can show. Thanks
Dear Client, Thanks for providing us opportunity to place bid over the project and communicate with you.We mainly deal in web development, SEO, Android App, software testing and graphic design. Our vision is to b Mer
Hello ! I read your requirements and I can do this job quickly. Contact me to discuss further details. Best regards!
Hello, Client. I am good at shopify expert. I have many good experience in shopify site build. i want to help your site build. I ensure you that you will be 100% satisfied with our work. I am very confident about Mer
Hi! I was working with shopify full last year and will be glad to help you with building your stores. I can make any customizations you want , implement any features. It will be great to work with you, thanks!


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The Valley's original celebrity chef, Eddie Matney, would like to invite you to his house for dinner. Well, it's not his actual house, but at Eddie's House, Matney's newest Valley restaurant, it's like eating home cooking as only this chef can make it.
It's been a couple of years since Matney had an eatery in town that bears his moniker, but the wait was well worth it. Eddie's House in Old Town Scottsdale combines all the things Matney is famous for, plus some new and comforting elements.
Overall, the decor strives for a stylish, but inviting and casual vibe. Those who sit at the head of the table get to relax in large, comfortable armchairs upholstered in a mix of leather and green and purple striped fabric.
But you don't go to Eddie's House for decorating tips. You go there for the food, and once again, Matney doesn't disappoint. His food has always lived in a region where America meets the Mediterranean.
The appetizers reflect all of these influences. Matney's flatbread and tartar starters change daily. The day my party went, the flatbread was topped with smoked salmon and roasted garlic, while the tartar selection was a tuna blend that had my dining companions raving.
We followed that with the soup and salad portion of the dinner. I jumped at what the menu dubbed the "serious" lobster bisque cappuccino. Unlike other bisques that tend to have a cream base, this lobster bisque appeared to be made primarily of a lobster stock that allowed the sweet, rich taste of the lobster meat chunks inside to really shine.
On to the entrees, where Matney kept to his tradition of hearty portions. The special that night was a pork chop dish, which quickly became a favorite at the table. The chops were tender and tasty, with everyone claiming more than one bite. Another favorite was the bacon-infused meatloaf. Oh Eddie, you had me at bacon. Add to that Yukon gold mashed potatoes and onion strings and we all forgot our diets that night.
Earning special notice was the EHC or Eddie's House Chicken. The chicken was cooked to perfection, but what captured everyone's attention wasthe presentation. While the breast was served on a dish, the legs and thighs were placed in a small, whimsical ceramic "basket" painted to look like a bucket of chicken from that famous colonel.
Although I thought I couldn't eat another bite, dessert is de rigueur for me. The dessert that earned the most "ooos" and "ahhhs" was the crème brûlée, so rich and sweet and surprisingly light. While the crème brûlée was very good, my personal favorite was the baked chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream. It was almost like a mousse. I became even fonder of the dessert after Matney told the story behind it; he was inspired by his memories of his mother making a similar dish while he was growing up. How appropriate for a restaurant named Eddie's House.


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I'm so excited... I want the new iPhone so bad, Verizon's 3G is nice and face and all, but LTE will be soooo much better
I hope jailbreak news comes out right after.
Want to get your opinion since Sept 10 is approaching quickly!
Moderator input would be highly appreciated, as well!


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Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's Christmas message to the Christian world was broadcast on Britain's Channel 4.
In his message, which began with the "in the name of God the most glorious", the Iranian president said:
"Upon the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, Son of Mary, the Word of God, the Messenger of mercy, I would like to congratulate the followers of Abrahamic faiths... All Prophets called for the worship of God, for love and brotherhood, for the establishment of justice and for love in human society. ... All the problems that have bedeviled humanity throughout the ages came about because humanity followed an evil path and disregarded the message of the Prophets. ... The crises in society, the family, morality, politics, security and the economy which have made life hard for humanity and continue to put great pressure on all nations have come about because the Prophets have been forgotten... If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would stand with the people in opposition to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers."
Ahmadinejad stated that greed and desire for power, self-interest and selfishness lay at the heart of the present crisis.
Toward the end of his address, Ahmadinejad told the Christian world of the return to Earth of the Prophet Jesus in the End Times in which we are living and said that he and Hazrat Mahdi (as) would bring peace to the world.
"We believe Jesus Christ will return, together with one of the children of the revered Messenger of Islam [the Mahdi] and will lead the world to love, brotherhood and justice.
The responsibility of all followers of Christ and Abrahamic faiths is to prepare the way for the fulfillment of this Divine promise and the arrival of that joyful, shining and wonderful age.
I hope that the collective will of nations will unite in the not too distant future and with the grace of the Almighty Lord, that shining age will come to rule the earth."
As mentioned in Ahmadinejad's address, it is most important for all believers to make preparations to welcome the Prophet Jesus and Hazrat Mahdi (as). To that end, Muslims must wage an intellectual struggle against all godless systems that oppose the moral values of the Qur'an and lead to corruption on earth. The more that satanic deceptions that set people at one another's throats and regard and portray slaughter as justified are exposed, then by Allah's leave this ideological framework of the system of the Dajjal will collapse.
The Golden Age foretold in the verses of the Qur'an and the hadith of our Prophet (saas) is rapidly approaching. Aware of this, Mahmud Ahmadinejad has told people of this opportunity to usher in this historic new period.
Hürriyet, 26 December 20082008-12-25 00:00:00


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January 10 – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
(Written by Aubree Pack, photos by James Hearsum, video by Aubree Pack)
Say THAT five times really fast!
(Seeds at the local market we visited)
After arriving in India from Dubai (and surviving the airport – more on that in a second), we headed right to our hotel. It was about 6am before we got there. We had left Dubai around 10pm and had a 4 hour flight, plus we had the time change between the UAE and India. When we arrived at the airport, our plane hadn't even stopped moving before people had their bags and were cramming towards the doors. The poor flight attendants kept trying to get them to sit down, but to no avail. We found out later that typically flights from Dubai to India have a lot of Indians that have been working in Dubai for a few years and they haven't seen their families since leaving to work. So it's certainly more understandable that they were in a rush. I can't imagine being away from my family for 6 or so years at a time… We also spent well over an hour waiting for our luggage. The airport was small, packed, and really humid. So we were all a bit exhausted when we finally emerged.
(Some locals enjoying the flower show)
Once at the hotel, we decided that those of us who were interested would sleep until 10am (4 hours from when we arrived), have breakfast, and head out to see a local market and the town of Thiruvananthapuram. We walked quiet a ways to try and find a bank that would exchange money for us, but then we were all sorted. We took some tuk tuk's (rickshaws) to a local market, where we say lots of locally grown food, fish, and meat. They also had clothes and other household items.
Video Link – A Tuk Tuk Ride
(Submissions at the flower show for the Hanging Basket category)
After having lunch at an amazing seafood restaurant, we headed out into the town with our driver. We wanted to see the local temple, but it didn't open until 5pm, we asked our driver to take us to a park or garden. He didn't understand us, so Ashby and I said 'flowers'. Much to our excitement, we ended up at an annual city flower show! What luck, huh? We spent about two hours walking around and enjoying the different plants on display. It was very much like a flower show you would see in the states, but on a much larger scale and with more of the local southern India flora.
Video Link – Crazy Ferris Wheel at the Flower Show
We also had fun with the 'festival' side of the show, where there were rides (see video above!) and games. Some of us had henna done (one cost 30 rupees, or 75 cents!), while others tasted some of the local sweets from venders.
(Ashby and Pandora have their hands done with henna)
(some of us didn't get the traditional henna… because, well, the snake was super cool!)
For dinner, we had our bus driver take us down to the beach, which was a wild ride. We've had some of those already, but it was in the dark, so it was all the more exciting. Lanes and speed requirements – optional! There we enjoyed more local southern India seafood. Some of us spent time walking on the beach, which was lovely. My favorite part was seeing all the little crabs skirting about along the sand. Then it was back to the hotel to try and get some good sleep before our early start the next day to the Tropical Botanic Garden Research Institute!


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Human Rights Commission Receives Two Awards
June 30, 2009
News Highlights
More Information
Victor Dunbar, chairperson, Fairfax County Human Rights Commission, and Annie Carroll, director of the Human Rights Division, Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs, were presented awards by the Virginia Association for Human Rights (VAHR) at its annual conference on June 20.
Dunbar received the 2009 Commissioner of the Year Award. He is the chairperson of the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission and has served as a member for the past 18 years. In addition, Dunbar regularly volunteers his time at numerous other community functions pertaining to human rights and social justice issues.
Carroll received the 2009 Staff Person of the Year Award. Carroll has worked for the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs for more than 27 years. She has played a key role in all aspects of the complaint process, and in conducting and managing various aspects of the work performed by the organization. She is an avid proponent of education and outreach activities for the agency.
"I would like to commend both Annie Carroll and Victor Dunbar for being honored by VAHR," said Kenneth Saunders, executive director, Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs. "Their commitment and years of service in the area of human and civil rights make it a pleasure to work alongside them."
The Virginia Association for Human Rights was initiated by the Prince William County Human Rights Commission in 1995. It provides a medium for exchange of ideas and information among various statutory commissions, councils and agencies on issues of importance in the field of human rights.
For more information about the awards, contact the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs, Human Rights Division at 703-324-2953, TTY 703-324-2900.
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director, Office of Public Affairs
703-324-3189, TTY 711, Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711


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POLICE are appealing for help to track down a Worcester man who breached his licence conditions after being released from prison.
Craig Thomas Ivers was sentenced to two years in jail for inflicting grievous bodily harm in September 2012 but and was later released on licence.
The 30-year-old is described as white, about six feet tall and of "stocky" build.
Anyone with any information can call police on 101 quoting incident number 0755-s-240512.
Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.


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Rivers Cuomo Guitar String Pendant
Pendants are handcrafted in the USA from a stainless steel and glass locket and the recycled strings of your chosen artist. Upon ordering, the Wear Your Music team selects the strings and custom crafts your pendant to your specifications. The pendant measures one inch and hangs from 27" stainless steel ball chain. Simply clip the chain to shorten if desired. The name of your chosen artist is engraved on a 1/2 inch disk within the sealed pendant. Your necklace, packaged with a certificate of authenticity, will ship approximately three weeks from the date of purchase. Please note that the color, metal, quantity and thickness of the strings varies by artists. Images shown are samples only.


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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"My fiancée actually picked this design for our save the dates! I wasn't sold on it at first, but it was his favorite, and after we personalized it and made it look exactly how we wanted it to, I started to love it. Once they arrived in the mail, I was so impressed with the quality and how cute they turned out! I'm definitely glad we chose this design, and that we were able to do some things to make it our own. We will absolutely be returning to personalize and purchase formal invitations!"
"I loved having the ability to choose up to 4 photos since we took so many for our engagement shoot, yet they were organized in a way they still made it look simple and tasteful! Being able to choose colors that matched was great, as well as writing a detailed message on the back! Also, saving on postcard postage was definitely a huge plus!!!"
"My fiancé and I love this product. We had to swap out a photo, and the communication with WPD was easy! There were other places that would print our save-the-date postcards at a lower cost, but we were so pleased with the quality of the cards that it was worth the little bit of extra funding!"
"I absolutely LOVED my postcard save the date! I got so many compliments on it. The paper and photo quality is outstanding. My fiancé and I were so happy with it. I personalized the card by making more room for wording on the back, and taking off the www.weddingpaperdivas.com logo line. Wedding Paper Divas was so great to work with, and were very prompt with the edits. The card is completely customizable. I am very happy with it, and cannot wait to order my wedding invitations. Thank you Wedding Paper Divas!"
"Loved the design for the save the dates for my beach destination wedding! The quality was great and I was surprised how great the post card came out. Also, the designer/artist was able to accommodate my request to add a line of text which I appreciated! Thank you - love my save the dates! Highly recommend!"


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Nick Cannon Celebrates 32nd Birthday With Mariah Carey: The Couple's Cutest Family Moments (GALLERY)
The American Idol diva and her hubby were all smiles as the two celebrated Cannon's 32nd birthday at Playhouse Nightclub in Hollywood Sunday night, one day in advance of Cannon's actual b-day. Carey, 42, tweeted, "On to the party! Happy birthday
@nickcannon! instagr.am/p/Qgs_AOLeMZ/." Apparently, the late-night festivities even included party hats.
In honor of the America's Got Talent host's big day, Celebuzz is looking back on Cannon and Carey's cutest family moments with their adorable twins Monroe and Moroccan.
Click through the gallery above for some serious "dem babies" cuteness.
After the weekend birthday festivities, it's back to work for Carey, who is currently shooting American Idol auditions across the country. However, the singer probably appreciated the down time.
Reports of her behind-the-scenes feud with rapper Minaj erupted after things reportedly got so heated on the Idol set, Minaj lashed out at Carey, shouting, "I told them I'm not f***ing putting up with her f***ing highness over there."
Since the verbal altercation — which was caught on video camera and posted on TMZ shortly after — Carey has beefed up her onset security team. She was even spotted with a police escort in Baton Rouge, La.
However, some believe that the Idol feud is nothing but a publicity stunt to boost falling ratings. Voice mentor Cee Lo Green told TMZ, "This is Hollywood, California. Hardly anything's legit."
Meanwhile, former Idol judge Steven Tyler told TMZ that the whole thing is too good to be true. "Of course, are you kidding?" Tyler said in Los Angeles.


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Thompson steals derby win for VictoryMichael Lynch
Published: December 23 2012 - 3:00AM
MELBOURNE Victory striker Archie Thompson handed his side victory in Saturday night's Melbourne derby by adding another chapter to his outstanding A-League career.
Thompson, best known for a five-goal burst in a grand final win over Adelaide, won the match in stoppage time with an audacious chip.
Thompson's winning goal will serve as Australia's contribution to the global debate about the need for goal-line technology. His clever chip shot which lofted over Clint Bolton in the second minute of stoppage time clipped the bar and bounced, spinning, down on the line. Aziz Behich got back to clear with a flailing boot as it bounced again, but referee Alan Milliner gave the goal. Cue pandemonium in the blue part of the stadium, angst and despair in the red.
This was a game that Heart had dominated for most of the 90 minutes and looked to have secured the least of what they deserved in the 82nd minute when Fred, nowadays their captain but in a former life a Victory skipper, headed home what appeared to be an equaliser, cancelling out Marco Rojas 67th minute strike which had come against the run of play.
It was hard luck on the home side, who had made all the running, taken the game to their better fancied opponents and, but for their inability to convert their chances and turn their possession into goals, would have won this game. But that's not the first time Heart has been guilty on that score.
Victory will breathe a sigh of relief, and acknowledge that they got what they probably didn't deserve. Victory will themselves play better and not get a reward. That's how it works in this most capricious of games.
This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/a-league/thompson-steals-derby-win-for-victory-20121222-2bt4d.html


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FOREST GREEN were dumped out of the FA Trophy after an uninspiring display against Blue Square North side Gainsborough Trinity, writes Richard Joyce.
Experienced striker Darryn Stamp bagged a brace to earn his side a place in the third round of the competition and an impressive extension to their recent form which has seen them suffer defeat just once in their last twelve games.
A second successive goal from Chris Stokes had given Rovers a foothold back in the game but despite a splurge of late pressure, the Lincolnshire side held on.
Manager Dave Hockaday said: "I'm really disappointed at the fact we lost the game. The intensity wasn't there in the first half.
"In the second half I can't fault the effort. I thought we were super, created lots of chances but it just wouldn't go in for us.
"It wasn't like it was a poor performance. It wasn't like we were rubbish and they were all over us because (goalkeeper) Sam Russell hasn't had a great deal to do, again, but we can't keep on chasing games.
"We have to say all efforts on the league. We've got no distractions and we've got no excuses."
Jamie Collins' return from injury saw him handed the captain's armband as Reece Styche replaced Matty Taylor at the forefront of Rovers' front line.
And it was Styche early on who was making his impact known as Rovers dominated.
Gainsborough had produced very little but when offered the chance to enforce themselves on the game, they grasped it, and Stamp before put the away side in front. The former Northwich Victoria front man took control of a long ball forward and produced a well-executed lob over Sam Russell to silence the home crowd.
Stephen Brogan's curling free kick was driven against the woodwork as he came close to levelling for Rovers.
The first of many goal line clearances for the visitors then saw Collins' header blocked away following Brogan's corner.
Hockaday introduced two new faces at the break with James Norwood and Matty Taylor unleashing a new degree of pace up front, and it was Norwood who almost headed in from Brogan's neat cross a few minutes in.
The visitors defended excellently throughout the afternoon, and it was their qualities at the back that kept Rovers at bay during a second half.
Eddie Oshodi's header straight at Jan Budtz from a whisked in Brogan free kick kicked off a flurry of chances and the goalkeeper was on call to make a fine double save moments later.
Omar Koroma's dash at goal saw his deflected strike blocked away by Budtz and Taylor's attempt at a follow up was again foiled while Brogan's final contribution was to drag a shot well wide.
Stamp was giving the Rovers defence plenty to think about whenever the visitors could push the ball towards him, and he settled the tie with an instinctive strikers finish.
A rare Gainsborough corner fell to Stamp and he pounced ahead of anyone else to double his side's lead.
Taylor's never say die attitude contributed heavily to the goal that would see Forest Green get back in the game when the half time substitute chased down a loose ball and crossed for Stokes, who headed in.
With an eye on a replay, Forest Green surged forward and Yan Klukowski blasted over after Taylor had teed him up.
Another Stokes header was frantically headed away off the line by Josh Wilde but it was too late for Rovers as the dream of a return to Wembley faded away.
Forest Green: Russell; Turley, Racine, Oshodi, Stokes; Collins, Bangura, Brogan (Klukowski 66); Vieira (Norwood 46), Styche (Taylor 46), Koroma; Subs not used: Hodgkiss, Jarvis.


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31 U.S. Code § 1116 - Agency performance reporting
§ 1116.
Agency performance reporting
The head of each agency shall make available on a public website of the agency and to the Office of Management and Budget an update on agency performance.
Each update shall compare actual performance achieved with the performance goals established in the agency performance plan under section 1115(b) and shall occur no less than 150 days after the end of each fiscal year, with more frequent updates of actual performance on indicators that provide data of significant value to the Government, Congress, or program partners at a reasonable level of administrative burden.
(c) Each update shall—
review the success of achieving the performance goals and include actual results for the 5 preceding fiscal years;
evaluate the performance plan for the current fiscal year relative to the performance achieved toward the performance goals during the period covered by the update;
(3) explain and describe where a performance goal has not been met (including when a program activity's performance is determined not to have met the criteria of a successful program activity under section 1115(c)(1)(A)(ii) or a corresponding level of achievement if another alternative form is used)—
describe the use and assess the effectiveness in achieving performance goals of any waiver under section 9703 of this title;
include a review of the performance goals and evaluation of the performance plan relative to the agency's strategic human capital management;
(6) describe how the agency ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data used to measure progress towards its performance goals, including an identification of—
If an agency performance update includes any program activity or information that is specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive Order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy and is properly classified pursuant to such Executive Order, the head of the agency shall make such information available in the classified appendix provided under section 1115(e).
The functions and activities of this section shall be considered to be inherently governmental functions. The drafting of agency performance updates under this section shall be performed only by Federal employees.
(f) Each fiscal year, the Office of Management and Budget shall determine whether the agency programs or activities meet performance goals and objectives outlined in the agency performance plans and submit a report on unmet goals to—
If an agency's programs or activities have not met performance goals as determined by the Office of Management and Budget for 1 fiscal year, the head of the agency shall submit a performance improvement plan to the Office of Management and Budget to increase program effectiveness for each unmet goal with measurable milestones. The agency shall designate a senior official who shall oversee the performance improvement strategies for each unmet goal.
(1) If the Office of Management and Budget determines that agency programs or activities have unmet performance goals for 2 consecutive fiscal years, the head of the agency shall—
submit to Congress a description of the actions the Administration will take to improve performance, including proposed statutory changes or planned executive actions; and
In providing additional funding described under paragraph (1)(B), the head of the agency shall use any reprogramming or transfer authority available to the agency. If after exercising such authority additional funding is necessary to achieve the level determined appropriate by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of the agency shall submit a request to Congress for additional reprogramming or transfer authority.
(i) If an agency's programs or activities have not met performance goals as determined by the Office of Management and Budget for 3 consecutive fiscal years, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit recommendations to Congress on actions to improve performance not later than 60 days after that determination, including—
proposed statutory changes necessary for the program activities to achieve the proposed level of performance on each performance goal; and
(Added Pub. L. 111–352, § 4, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3871.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 1116, added Pub. L. 103–62, § 4(b), Aug. 3, 1993, 107 Stat. 288; amended Pub. L. 106–531, § 5(a)(1), (b), Nov. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 2539; Pub. L. 107–296, title XIII, § 1311(b), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2290, related to program performance reports, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 111–352, § 4, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3871.
Merit Systems Protection Board
Pub. L. 112–199, title I, § 116(b), Nov. 27, 2012, 126 Stat. 1474, provided that:
"(1)In general.—Each report submitted annually by the Merit Systems Protection Board under section 1116 of title 31, United States Code, shall, with respect to the period covered by such report, include as an addendum the following:
Information relating to the outcome of cases decided by the Merit Systems Protection Board during the period covered by such report in which violations of section 2302(b)(8) or (9)(A)(i), (B)(i), (C), or (D) of title 5, United States Code, were alleged.
The number of such cases filed in the regional and field offices, and the number of petitions for review filed in such cases, during the period covered by such report, and the outcomes of any such cases or petitions for review (irrespective of when filed) decided during such period.
"(2)First report.—
The first report described under paragraph (1) submitted after the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 27, 2012] shall include an addendum required under that paragraph that covers the period beginning on the effective date of this Act [see Effective Date of 2012 Amendment note set out under section 1204 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees] and ending at the end of the fiscal year in which such effective date occurs."
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Astros can't hold lead in ninth in loss to A's
Qualls allows five runs after Feldman holds Oakland to one run in seven
HOUSTON -- The Astros were an out away from locking down a series win over the team boasting baseball's best record, but the bullpen could not put away an A's club that came roaring from behind in the ninth. The result was a 7-4 defeat to Oakland on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park that marked Houston's sixth loss in seven games.
The bullpen has been a glaring source of the Astros' struggles for much of the season, but the bulk of the damage done in this game came from an unlikely candidate -- closer Chad Qualls, who hadn't blown a save in six weeks.
Tuesday's unraveling was a doozy, highlighted by the A's having perfect, and somewhat lucky, placement with their rally-inducing hits.
With Qualls in to protect a 4-1 lead in the ninth, Derek Norris reached on a one-out infield single and moved to third on a double by Josh Reddick. Both scored on a base hit by pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo, and following a walk to Jed Lowrie, Yoenis Cespedes dumped a flare into shallow right, tying the game at 4.
"They make contact," Qualls said. "They take a lot of pitches. Two of the hits they got tonight weren't hit really hard -- Norris' to start everything off was just a little nubber to third, and then Cespedes that tied it was just a jam shot they got to the outfield. They found some holes when they needed to and hit the ball on the screws when they needed to. I just didn't get it done."
Qualls had a 2.00 ERA over 40 games heading into this appearance, although this homestand hasn't been his best. In his prior outing on Saturday versus the Marlins, he allowed two runs (one earned). But the overall body of work has been impressive -- 31 scoreless outings over the past 35.
"They battled back and they beat our best guys," said Astros manager Bo Porter. "You look at the ground ball to [third baseman Matt] Dominguez, the hit by Cespedes is a blooper to the right fielder. It's all part of the game. Chad Qualls has been outstanding all year and has been our best reliever. And just tonight we just didn't get it done."
Meanwhile, the A's, who added two insurance runs with Jose Veras on the mound, nailed down their sixth win when trailing heading into the ninth.
"That's amazing," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "For a late-inning at-bat, that's as good as I've ever seen in a team. The 27th out -- we don't give that away. It's an attribute. That's the way this team is."
Up until the ninth, it looked like the Astros were in firm control against the team leading their American League West division. A homestand that started with a dismal offensive showing against the Marlins seemed to take a positive turn, first with a homer-laden win in the opener with the A's. Tuesday's game featured the Astros' bats doing just enough against Jeff Samardzija, who in his prior outing on July 24 limited Houston to one run over eight frames.
Six hits and four runs in Tuesday's game wasn't exactly a barrage, but for a while, it looked like it was going to be enough. Until the 'pen took over in earnest.
The blown save erased one of Scott Feldman's best outings of the season. He yielded one run -- a Josh Reddick leadoff homer in the fifth -- over a 95-pitch, seven-inning outing. This was his 24th career appearance against Oakland and would have been his sixth win, his most against any single opponent.
"That lineup over there was giving me a tough time my whole career, pretty much," Feldman said. "Even when they weren't that good of a team. I was happy that I threw the ball better and as far as what happened at the end there, Quallsie's been great all year. I think that everybody has games like that."
Marwin Gonzalez's solo homer off Samardzija in the first inning would stand as Houston's only run until the fifth, when Enrique Hernandez knocked in a run with a triple to left-center, which was followed by Jose Altuve's RBI single to left.
Hernandez tacked on a second RBI with a double off Samardzija in the seventh, giving the Astros a three-run cushion. The six-run A's ninth negated all of that effort.
"Any time you lose games in the eighth, ninth inning, those are tough games to lose," Porter said. "But I tell you, I'm proud of these guys. They played hard, we were in position to win the ballgame and just were not able to close it out."
Alyson Footer is a national correspondent for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @alysonfooter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Attanasio on hand for Brewers' loss to Dodgers
Owner unhappy with defeat, tough start as Milwaukee drops series
MILWAUKEE -- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio had business in Indiana on Wednesday night, so he happened to be in attendance for the team's afternoon game at Miller Park. He did not like what he saw. Rickie Weeks flat-out missed one grounder in the Dodgers' five-run second inning and shortstop Jean Segura bobbled another. The team's top young pitcher, Wily Peralta, issued two bases-loaded walks before that long inning was over. Later, in the sixth, a pop fly fell between Weeks, Segura and center fielder Carlos Gomez.
Attanasio saw the Brewers lose, 9-2, to the Dodgers, who took two of three games in the series despite entering the week with even bigger issues of their own.
The Brewers fell to 4-16 in May and 18-27 overall, guaranteeing they'd spend Thursday's off-day at least tied with the Cubs for last place in the National League Central.
"First of all, it's a team-wide problem," Attanasio said during Wednesday's game. "It's not any one handful of players, and it's not any one discipline, although I will say the relief pitching has been good. The hitting has been good, but not situationally. And the starting pitching hasn't been good. ... Our starting pitching has put us in too big a hole, too many times. Too many big innings.
"But you know, we had this record last year [after 44 games]. That doesn't make it better, but we had exactly this record and we did come within a game and a half of a playoff spot [with 10 games to go]."
Milwaukee's owner cited reasons that a similar turnaround is not out of the question for 2013. First baseman Corey Hart has yet to return from the disabled list. Third baseman Aramis Ramirez is still gaining strength after a knee injury. Second baseman Weeks and catcher Jonathan Lucroy should revert to their career norms. Every member of the starting rotation is pitching below their norms as well.
"So there's some reason for optimism," Attanasio said. "But I want to be honest with our fans -- I don't like what I'm seeing right now."
On Wednesday, he saw trouble from the start. The Dodgers scored once off Peralta in the first inning and knocked him out of the game before the end of a second inning that began with three consecutive singles, the third having struck Peralta.
The right-hander struck out opposing pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu for the first out of the inning before Dodgers leadoff hitter Carl Crawford hit a ground ball to Weeks' left. Weeks appeared to twist his body too early, anticipating a throw to second, and simply missed the ball. Official scorer Tim O'Driscoll gave the play a number of looks via instant replay, but because the player never got to the baseball, stuck with his original ruling: Two-run single.
Mark Ellis followed with another single to re-load the bases before Adrian Gonzalez hit a bouncer to Segura, who tried a backhanded stop and bobbled the ball. Gonzalez was credited with an RBI fielder's choice and the Dodgers owned a 4-0 lead.
Peralta struck out Matt Kemp, but, with his pitch count climbing, walked Scott Van Slyke and Nick Punto in succession to make it 6-0. Brewers reliever Alfredo Figaro took over for Peralta and escaped further damage in the second inning before surrendering a leadoff homer in the third that made it 7-0.
"If we make those plays, [Peralta] is out of the inning and given up two or three runs there," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who did not believe either grounder would have produced a double play. "He should pitch better than that, I know. But we could help him out a lot, too."
On the other hand, Roenicke defended the Brewers' defenders, saying, "They're not easy plays. Those aren't balls that I would say, 'Hey, we have to make those plays.' Even the ball that was blooped into center field where there was a little bit of communication problem with who's got it and the ball falls in, that's not an easy play, either. So I don't think that was just a terrible defensive day today."
The Brewers did not score against Ryu until the sixth, when Ryan Braun hit his ninth home run of the season to make it 7-1. Jonathan Lucroy drove in the Brewers' other run in the eighth.
Was it the Brewers' worst game of the year?
"There's been a lot of 'worst' games this year," Braun said. "It hasn't been good. We're just barely even competitive. It's been horrendous. Terrible.
"We have to do everything better. Coming into the year, we expected to be able to compete for a postseason spot, to have an opportunity to win our division, and we're not doing anything well enough to even belong in that conversation. We've been terrible. Horrible. Without many signs of doing anything better. It just hasn't been good."
Ryu was good for the Dodgers, scattering six hits and two walks in 7 1/3 innings. Five different Dodgers had two hits including Crawford, who scored two runs and drove in two more.
Those performances came amid rumors swirling around the future of Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who came to Milwaukee on the hot seat. His team returned to Los Angeles with a 19-26 record.
"Do I feel worried [about his job]? No, not really. Should I be?" Mattingly said. "I'm not worried. Maybe I should be, but I'm not worried."
In the other clubhouse, everyone appeared safe. Attanasio gave no indication he was considering changes.
Because of his business meeting in Indiana, Attanasio was previously scheduled to attend this series, his first at home since Opening Day, and to join the team's television and radio broadcasts. A Brewers official called on Wednesday morning and asked whether, in light of the team's recent losing ways, Attanasio wanted to back out.
To the contrary, Attanasio answered.
"I wasn't going to duck it because we're losing 6-0 or 7-0, or because we're having a tough month," Attanasio said. "In fact, I think it's more important to face things when we're having a tough time."
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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ACA Update: New Implementation Tools Added
ACA Update: New Implementation Tools Added
Friday, April 26, 2013
TARGET Center
A batch of tools has been added to assist Ryan White providers and consumers with Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation activities. Items include:
- NASTAD: Billing and Reimbursement Resources.
- Health Care Reform and YOU! FAQs for PLWH Who Receive Care Through Ryan White and the Spanish language version La Reforma del Cuidado de Salud y TU, by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
- HIV Service Organizations: Planning Considerations for the ACA Transition, by the San Francisco Department of Public Health
- 4 Steps to Contracting with Health Insurers & Provider Networks. *
- 6 Ways to Prepare - Consumers. *
- 6 Ways to Prepare - Providers. *
Items with a * were prepared in March 2013 as part of the ACA & Ryan White TA and training web pages and are now available as downloadable PDF files.
Keep pace with ACA implementation on the TARGET Center's Health Care Reform topic page, including ACA & Ryan White Learning Modules.
Upload your ACA implementation tools for sharing with the Ryan White Community.


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By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
What I wrote before:
Daelyn was bullied for being overweight. After a failed suicide attempt, she plans on trying again, but new friends might change her mind. Although a slightly depressing story, there is hope for the main character. The ending can be read in different ways, so it is a good novel to debate with your friends.
- nb


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The Bergamot is something that isn't in all the other hair product. leave your hair managable and soft looking.
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Well, Twilight's Robert Pattinson who plays vampire Edward Cullen, has made it safetly to Australia, he is here to promote The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. Here is the Australian Channel Nine networks news report on it.
Did you know he was in Australia?
Breaking Dawn - Part 2 inside scoop
(click picture to go to Entertainment Wiki)
(If you want you can just go there an edit there. But you have to be wary on what you edit there. So just hop on over there and see all the latest entertainment news)


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|Prev Close
|Day Low/High
|133.18 / 136.26
|52 Wk Low/High
|81.84 / 134.93
|Avg Volume
|Prev Close
|Day Low/High
|133.18 / 136.26
|52 Wk Low/High
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|1.75 (1.40%)
Anthem (WLP) is buying Cigna (CI) for $54.2 billion in a cash and stock deal.
Cigna (CI) shares moved higher in Thursday's trading session on reports the health insurer is in advanced talks to be acquired by Anthem Healthcare (WLP).
Even though no medical or credit card information was stolen, what was taken could be even more valuable, security experts said.
Reams of stocks make sense on a pullback. And what looks bad? Anything even remotely connected to oil and gas.
WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) has changed its corporate name to Anthem, Inc.
A look at the sectors and top stocks in each
TheStreet highlights 3 stocks pushing the health services industry higher today.
Offering integrated healthcare benefits plans — connecting dental, vision, life, disability and pharmacy benefits to a health plan — is a growing trend in the insurance industry.
WellPoint, Inc. announced today that it received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT...
Catch up on Jim Cramer's thinking over the last week about PPG's Mexico deal and the market's amazing run.
WellPoint, Inc., (NYSE: WLP) one of the nation's largest health benefits companies, today announced it has worked with Critical Measures, a national firm supporting cross-cultural health care, to offer an educational...
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (BIPI), WellPoint and HealthCore, announced today that the companies are commencing a research project to identify and address unmet medical needs across populations of mutual...
WellPoint announced today that it has earned the 2015 Military Friendly® Employer and Military Spouse Friendly Employer designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.
It's been a great year for health insurers thanks to the Affordable Care Act and Healthcare.gov and growth will likely exceed 20 percent in 2015, but is this priced-in.
WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) announced today that senior management is scheduled to present at the 2014 Credit Suisse Healthcare Conference on November 11, 2014 at 8:30 a.
Trade-Ideas LLC identified WellPoint (WLP) as a new lifetime high candidate
WellPoint is letting health care consolidate itself, taking advantage of the market changes by signing narrow network contracts that let it share profits from wellness.
WellPoint, Inc., (NYSE:WLP) one of the nation's largest health benefits companies, today announced it has worked with the American Lung Association to develop an informative learning series to help address childhood...
The health insurer increased its forecasts for profit and membership of its medical plans as earnings beat estimates.
WellPoint, Inc. (NYSE: WLP) today announced that third quarter 2014 net income was $630.
TheStreet highlights 3 stocks pushing the health services industry lower today.
Halloween is just around the corner, and many people are shopping for unique outfits to wear on this special night.
Earnings will take center stage and Cramer will be watching Merck, Twitter and Facebook, among many others.
SilverSneakers ® Fitness program will continue to be available to most members of WellPoint, Inc.
TheStreet highlights 3 stocks pushing the health services industry lower today.
WellPoint's affiliated Medicare offerings for the 2014 enrollment season will include new plans, new provider collaborations, enhanced benefits and online doctor visits.
Two new free mobile apps help people facing cancer to better manage the disease by learning how to deal with certain symptoms, and coordinate their care after cancer treatment has ended.
While 'cheap' stocks have been harder to find lately, they're still out there. Here are five stock bargains to consider.


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Everyone likes an exciting finish and this year's wild card battle is sure to please. Denny Hamlin's victory last Sunday night in Atlanta left six drivers competing for the final two Chase positions next week in Richmond.
Casey Kahne has the most secure position heading into Richmond by way of his two wins and 11th place standing in the point battle. Marcos Ambrose, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards all need a win to lock themselves into the Chase.
Busch currently holds the second wild card berth as a result of his 12th place standing in the points. However, if any of his rivals win in Richmond, Busch is out.
"It's definitely stressful," said Busch of his position. "We miss the Chase and we're just going to be another race car out there on the race track, running around in circles for the rest of the year."
Busch seems to have the upper hand when it comes to Richmond. He has won at least one race on the D-shaped short track in each of the last three seasons. A win this season would lock him safely into the field.
Newman, Ambrose, and Logano have only one shot at making the postseason and that comes by way of a win. Any other scenario and they are out of the Chase. Judging from their past record at Richmond, they will need a miracle to pull that off.
Carl Edwards has an outside chance at moving up to that last wild card spot in Richmond. He has one win in the last year there and has consistently run up front. He is 26 points out of 12th place in the standings and barring an early exit by Busch and Gordon, he will need another win to make the Chase.
"We're either going to be in or out," said Edwards in looking ahead to Richmond."That made my heart rate go up just a little bit, to realize we've got to make this happen."
Gordon nearly locked himself into the postseason last Sunday when he fell one position short of winning at Atlanta. A win there would have moved him into the final point standing position and with two wins, he would be virtually set. However, that didn't happen and now the former champion needs a win.
"That's been the most frustrating thing about this season is that we have a team that's capable of being in the Top 10," said Gordon. "That's been the frustrating part, not getting results when you're capable of doing better."
With six drivers needing a win to make the playoffs, Richmond will certainly be exciting. You can look for the gloves to come off as the laps wind down. This should be great.
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.


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HOUSTON - Singing and acting star Jenni Rivera was loved as much for her troubled love life as she was for her singing and acting.
Two of Houston's most prominent Latin radio DJs, who've followed Rivera's career since the beginning, told Local 2 that despite all her accomplishments and accolades, the 43-year-old will always be remembered as "a woman who spoke for other women."
"She was already big. Whoa, she's going to be bigger now," said Beto Najera, morning co-host of Mega 101 KLOL radio station.
"It's like, 'Oh, my God, is this really happening? Is she really gone?' And it's just shocking," said Eli Escobar, morning co-host of Mega 101 KLOL radio station.
As news of Rivera's death played almost continuously on many Spanish language news broadcasts, Najera and Escobar talked about a woman who pulled no punches and always spoke her mind.
"She's always talked about how hard her life has been, her love life and we all know about her life," said Escobar.
"This is really big, this loss because I can say maybe half of the city listened to her music," said Najera.
Najera and Escobar said Rivera's popularity was only growing and she was on the verge of crossing over into American mainstream television with a planned sitcom. Already a major singing star, Rivera was recently awarded Billboard Mexican Music Female Artist of the Year and Banda Album of the Year. Rivera was also a star of reality shows like "I Love Jenni" and a judge on "The Mexican Voice."
Najera recalled asking Rivera during an interview if she wanted to be like the Kardashians in her show "I Love Jenni."
"And she said, 'Yes,'" he said. "I mean, she was really straight always in her interviews."
However, more than her talent on stage, Najera and Escobar said it was Rivera's openness about the troubles in her own love life that brought her a loyal following. Escobar said Rivera never held back.
"That's why they could relate to her. They saw her [and thought], 'That's me. She's going through the same thing. She's an everyday person. She's just like me and that's why I love her,' said Escobar. "Because of how they connected with her on a personal level, as a fan, everything in between. Jenni was everything for them."
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Delicious International Soups with Laura B. Russell!
Thursday, October 20, 2011 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Take a trip around the world with cookbook author and columnist Laura Russell as she incorporates whole grains and beans into hearty, satisfying soups and accompaniments. We'll start in Africa with a Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup followed by a layover in India for Creamy Curried Millet and Vegetable Soup. Two stops in South America bring us an addictive tapioca-based Brazilian Cheese Bread and Peruvian Quinoa Chowder. Back home in the U.S., we'll dig into wedges of Cornbread and a chunky Wild Rice Soup with Smoked Sausage. Please join us in welcoming Laura Russell to our cooking school while enjoying some of her wonderful dishes!
Note: In addition to this menu being gluten-free, both breads are vegetarian, one soup is vegan, and one soup has a vegan option.
Supplies to bring: enjoy the sampling! Class Fee: $40.00
Cozy Italian Dishes with Ivy Manning!
Thursday, October 27, 2011 5:00 -7:00 p.m.
As the cold winds begin to blow, we all begin to crave wholesome comfort foods to warm our bellies. Join cookbook author and Oregonian columnist Chef Ivy Manning for an evening full of the perfect Italian-inspired recipes that you'll use all season long. We'll start with a warm Insalata di Farro & Roasted Peppers, hearty Winter Squash & Pearl Barley Soup, tuck into a delicious vegetarian entree of Creamy Mascarpone Polenta with Wild Mushroom Sauce, and finish the meal with Torta Maria, a decadently rich chocolate-almond cake that can ward off even the deepest winter chill.
Supplies to bring: enjoy the sampling! Class Fee: $40.00


text: Panasonic has just revealed the smallest of its Lumix G camera along with its new GF3 interchangeable lens. The camera has a 12.1MP Live MOS sensor and runs on a Venus Engine VII HD images processor. The GF3 earns the title for capturing DSLR-like image quality in its small and compact design.


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A mother and daughter are campaigning to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance almost six months after their car plunged into the Chelker Reservoir in an horrific accident.
Denise Hirst struggled to keep her then 88-year-old mother's head above water when their Land Rover left the A65, smashed through a drystone wall and ended up on its side in several feet of water. Trudy Murgatroyd suffered serious head injuries in the terrifying accident on May 15.
Emergency staff took the swift decision to scramble the air ambulance helicopter and fly her to Leeds General Infirmary for urgent treatment.
Now the mother and daughter, of Draughton, near Addingham, are planning a fundraising sale to help keep the life-saving service in the air.
She said: "It was an horrific accident. "We want to thank the air ambulance for the life-saving help they gave to us. It makes us feel we'd like to give something back."
The charity-funded helicopter costs more than £7,000 to operate every day.
The sale, in aid of the air ambulance charity and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charitable Fund, will take place at Draughton Village Hall from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on December 1.
It will include stalls selling cashmere wear and accessories, plants, preserves, CDs and other goods, together with a fundraising silent auction. Mrs Hirst is also inviting local businesses to make donations for the auction.
Mrs Hirst, 55, was herself taken to Airedale General Hospital for treatment after the accident.
As a driver who had used the road for 30 years without incident, she is supporting a push by Draughton Parish Council for better safety measures on the A65 alongside the reservoir.
Councillors will study road accident figures for the A65 at its next meeting on Wednesday.
Both Mrs Hirst and Mrs Murgatroyd, now 89, are recovering from their ordeal.
"We're very grateful to be alive, that's what we're trying to focus on," said Mrs Hirst.
E-mail her at denishirst@-yahoo.co.uk to make a donation to the charity auction.


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- Capacity: 13 oz
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- Made in Japan


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Department of Ecology issues notice to 520 contractor for sediment disturbance in Kenmore | UPDATED
Signs on the shore of Log Boom Park last summer notified residents of dioxins testing in the waters of Lake Washington near the park. The results of those tests are expected to be made public this month, according to Kenmore city officials. It is not the first time the waters have been tested for dangerous chemicals. In 1996 testing was conducted in relation to proposed dredging of the Kenmore Navigation Channel. Dioxins were found at Harbour Village Marina in 2011 as a part of a dredging application. But regardless of the results of the current tests, the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) reminds residents that dioxins adhere to sediment particles and do not affect the water column.
The DOE issued a Notice of Violation for sediment disturbance to Kiewit/General/Manson (KGM) tugboats on Dec. 28. The notice is the state's first acknowledgement that the contractor building anchors for the new 520 bridge is stirring up sediment. If tests reveal that the sediment is contaminated there could be adverse effects for those who recreate on Kenmore's shoreline.
The notice gives KGM the opportunity to correct the violation and "prevent future sediment disturbances." It acknowledges that the company is in violation of water pollution control laws.
"This particular case is unusual because the water movement stems from vessel operations," said DOE spokesman Larry Altose.
Turbidity can be natural, such as when storms cause larger waves, currents or stream flows. State water quality standards take background turbidity into account. It is uncommon for tugboats' or barges' turbidity to cause environmental issues, said Altose.
KGM is using a portion of Kenmore Yard, at 6423 N.E. 175th St., as a supplemental construction site for preparation and maintenance, component construction and barge transportation to the 520 bridge.
"Kiewit/General/Manson, a joint venture is dedicated to maintaining the highest environmental compliance standards," said Kiewit spokesman Tom Janssen in an email to the Reporter. "In Kenmore, to minimize the disturbance of sediment, we operate in designated areas and use the shallowest-draft tug available that can safely maneuver the barge/vessel being towed/pushed."
KGM is now required to file a report within 30 days telling the DOE what steps they have done and will take to control such waste or pollution. The DOE will then inform KGM of the next steps.
"We are carefully reviewing the recent notification from the Department of Ecology and examining our operations in Kenmore," said Janssen. "We will respond to the Department of Ecology as they have directed."
If the DOE has to take further action it could result in a maximum of a $10,000 fine for each confirmed violation.
"But in this case we first must review KGM's response," said Altose. "Steps after that can range from no action needed to a range of possible actions, including an informal directive, an order or a penalty."
The notice also states that the DOE has documented two occasions when KGM tugboats have caused visible sediment disturbances in the Kenmore Navigation Channel.
"On March 21, 2012, the Manson tugboat Nancy M., while moving a barge strayed outside the navigation channel, caused visible sediment disturbance in front of Kenmore Air and Northlake Marina," the notice states. "In August of 2012 the Manson tugboat Harry M., while moving a barge towards the entrance of the channel, caused visible sediment disturbance."
It continues, outlining a third possible disturbance of sediment in November near Kenmore Air.
Prior to the start of the 520 bridge project, an Environmental Impact Study projected that KGM's work will result in an average of approximately one barge trip per day and that the use of Kenmore Yard site would not result in significant effects on the ecosystem.
Officials with the City of Kenmore began discussions with the Washington State Department of Transportation, KGM and local businesses on the issue of the tugboat and barge traffic in the navigation channel in April. During that time, city officials sent a letter to the project director for the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and Landings Project with the Washington State Department of Transportation expressing their concerns. In the letter, sent in July, the city cites concerns on behalf of water dependent businesses and trips from unspecified sources amounting to more than one trip per day. On one occasion in April, there were seven trips recorded in one day.
The city did not confirm whether that issue was resolved.
The EIS also stated that the depths of the Kenmore Navigation Channel are sufficient.
The city and the DOE have spent $130,000 for the current study.
Residents use the water at Log Boom Park and the surrounding Kenmore portion of Lake Washington for everything from swimming to fishing.
The Kenmore Industrial Park, where Kenmore Yard is located, was once the site of the 45 acre Bayside Disposal Dump and landfill. Tests have confirmed that there are no polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, a toxic environmental contaminant) at the site, according to officials. But test samples were recently taken from lake and river sediments on all three sides of the Kenmore Industrial Park. Those test results are expected back this month.
The DOE rated it among the highest contaminated sites in the state 11 years ago.
Kenmore resident Janet Hays has noticed and documented KGM moving its barges through the channel at night. Many think it is to make it more difficult for people to see the water being churned up.
She has documented the turbidity and posted videos of the barges moving through the channel on YouTube through an account named "crazyhazedaze."
"Since they (KGM) have been having issues with the turbidity now they have started doing the barging at night," said Hays during the Dec. 13 KAN meeting. "… You'll see a light at midnight shining in your bedroom window, so you'll get up and it is a tug trying to find its way in."
But Janssen said the company has not changed any of its scheduling.
"Kiewit/General/Manson's navigation schedule within the Kenmore Channel has not been altered. We are operating in accordance with Coast Guard rules and regulations," said Janssen. "As with other businesses in the channel, work occurs both day and night to achieve our project schedule. Because the winter months have fewer daylight hours, we operate additional hours in darkness. However, the majority of our vessel movements occur during daylight hours."
The issues with the turbidity predate the 520 project. Hays has 59 videos on YouTube, with 10 of them being posted since the 520 bridge construction began. Some of the oldest videos date back as far as four years ago. The bridge construction is expected to continue in Kenmore through 2014.
Hays points out that there has been no water testing results from the turbidity but that tests were taken in still water.
But the issue with the turbidity is not just with the tugboats and barges coming through the channel. The sediment disturbance also has to do with illegal maneuvers, such as turning around in the channel, she said.
The Kenmore Action Network, a citizen watchdog group, hired environmental scientist and consultant Greg Wingard to aid in their investigation of the contamination. Wingard, along with other KAN officials, plan to meet with the DOE to discuss the test results on Jan. 22.
The KAN meeting, originally scheduled for Jan. 16, was moved to 7 p.m., Jan. 24 at Kenmore City Hall so KAN officials can inform Kenmore residents of the results of the tests and the meeting with the DOE. The public is invited to attend the KAN meeting.
Kenmore Mayor David Baker told KAN members during its December meeting that the state's $1 billion shortfall and resulting budget cuts could severely impact cleanup efforts in the area.
"If something is found it is going to have to be cleaned up," said Baker. "The state Legislature is looking at robbing the State Model Toxics Control Act fund, which would directly affect any cleanup here."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Seattle District Dredged Materials Management Office implements the interagency Dredged Material Management Program in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington state departments of Ecology and Natural Resources. These four agencies collaboratively work to manage and regulate disposal of dredged material from dredging projects in Washington state.


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Could be interesting tonight. I forgot that Village People Gillies is back from his perpetual suspension. Maybe he goes back out after his meeting with NHL HQ tomorrow. But Haley, the mini-brawler, is in the lineup, and Avery already had pleasantries with Konopka during warmups. Then there's Matt Martin, who's had a couple of tussles with Mike Sauer.
Anway, Lundqvist starts his 22nd in a row, Wolski and Gilroy are prucha'd, Zuccarello is back in. No Grabner for the Islanders, as he awaits the birth of his child.
I'm going to be a guest on the radio during the first intermission. So give it a listen … if you're out of range of the radio signal, you can listen via the game info box on the Rangers web site.


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For Second Careers, A Leap of Faith
Growing numbers of people see retirement as a chance to "do good" and are turning to divinity schools and a more spiritual life
Call it a midlife epiphany.
After decades of pursuing money, titles and ever more stuff, baby boomers are coming to a big realization: Success and security just aren't enough anymore. They want something more fulfilling out of life, something that feeds their spiritual side and connects them to a bigger purpose.
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More in Encore: The New Retirement
For many, the answer is embracing faith—and devoting their lives to serving others.
Flocks of people in their 50s and 60s are putting aside thoughts of a comfortable retirement and heading to theological school, where they've become the fastest-growing age group in recent years. They're putting in years of study and field work to become chaplains, spiritual counselors, missionaries, and educators and social workers for nonprofits with religious ties. And they're taking that training everywhere from disaster zones to impoverished villages to hospital bedsides.
Boomers are "turning to careers in which meaning and purpose are front and center," says Marc Freedman, founder of Encore.org, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that promotes second acts (no connection to this publication).
Why the change? For many older adults, mortgages are paid (or nearly so), children are on their own and first careers are winding down; as such, there's time and freedom to "do good." Equally important, thoughts about one's mortality begin to surface, along with some tough questions: Have I lived my life well? Have I made a difference?
Read More Leaps of Faith
- Larry Letourneau went from the grocery business to helping a new kind of customer.
- Marion Lev-Cohen says her work as a rabbi makes her part of an extended family.
- Donald Malin says his personal history helps him serve a widely scattered flock.
- Bob Fellows traded a career on the stage for one in a pulpit.
Not that a leap into faith is always paradise. Some people spend up to six years in training, sometimes at great expense and a distance from friends and family. Their sense of mission is "constantly tested, poked and prodded," says Jonathan Englert, author of "The Collar," a book that chronicles a year in the life of a Catholic seminary for second-career priests-in-training.
After graduation, most face stiff competition for jobs that typically demand long hours, sophisticated political skills and the ability to comfort people in their darkest moments.
Still, if the greatest use of a life, as the philosopher William James said, is to spend it for something that will outlast it, few paths seem to offer more rewards than joining the clergy and related fields. Here are three individuals who have taken that path.
It All Began With Katrina
When Mike Watson, a New York lawyer, traveled to New Orleans in 2007 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, his goal was simple: to teach his son, Tristan, then 11 years old, "that there are people in the world who aren't as well off as we are."
But after a weeklong stay in the city's hard-hit Ninth Ward, it was the father who absorbed a life-changing lesson. "I realized how enriching it was to be involved in helping other people," says Mr. Watson, now 61. By the time he and Tristan returned to Katonah, N.Y., he says, "I had decided that's what I needed to be doing with the rest of my life."
Today, Mr. Watson is enrolled at General Theological Seminary in New York City, which was established by the Episcopal Church. After he earns a master's degree in divinity next year, he plans to start a nonprofit to help churches create community-outreach programs similar to the one that took him to New Orleans in 2007.
His path has been anything but predictable. "If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would be doing this, I would have said they were crazy," he says.
Though a regular churchgoer as a child, Mr. Watson says he had drifted from the fold until 2000, when he enrolled his oldest son, Peyton, now 21, in an Episcopal school in the family's former hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. "His first assignment was to draw the inside of a church, so we had to go," says Mr. Watson. Together with his wife, Becky, he says, he "fell in love with the place."
At the same time, Mr. Watson was feeling restless professionally. After almost three decades as a litigator representing plaintiffs in medical-malpractice lawsuits, his career was "starting to wear me down," he says. "I wasn't fulfilled by what I was doing anymore. It just felt like a lot of stress and strain."
His transformation began in earnest on a sweltering day in May 2007, a year and nine months after Hurricane Katrina had stranded thousands of New Orleans residents in temporary shelters. After spending several hours in a drugstore parking lot dispensing plastic bags filled with food to displaced families, Mr. Watson and his team of volunteers ran out of bags. While awaiting replenishments, he volunteered to help a middle-aged woman carry her bags of food home.
"I could see that she wasn't able to use her right hand," he recalls. "The right side of her face was drooping and she was limping."
As the woman led Mr. Watson to the 10-by-30-foot trailer she shared with her sister and their four children, she explained that she had suffered a stroke soon after the hurricane and had been unable to get to a hospital. Too disabled to return to her job as a teacher, she also faced the loss of her ancestral home, which was damaged in the floods.
Despite the woman's woes, "when we got to her trailer," Mr. Watson recalls, "she invited me in and asked, 'Now, what can I do for you?' " Not waiting for an answer, she reached under the counter with her good arm and pulled out a box of garbage bags, telling Mr. Watson to take them to the parking lot to use "to help the others."
"The fact that someone in her condition who was facing an almost impossible life was concerned with helping me so I could help others kind of did me in," he says.
Returning to New York—with that moment front and center—Mr. Watson spent "a couple of years of hard thinking and praying." All of which led him to General Theological Seminary.
He currently commutes 4½ hours round-trip from his home in Katonah to lower Manhattan, leaving home at 5:30 a.m. to attend an 8 a.m. worship service before classes. In the evenings, he does homework alongside Peyton and Tristan.
Two afternoons a week, he works unpaid for a minister 20 years his junior at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Katonah, where he leads a Bible class and helps organize outreach programs. On Sundays, he assists at services and occasionally preaches. While his schedule is just as demanding as it was when he was a lawyer, "this is a lot more invigorating," he says.
Mr. Watson, who is supporting his family and paying for seminary with savings, also spearheads community-service work for Grace Church in Manhattan, under whose auspices he made his trip to New Orleans. With Hurricane Katrina relief work now over, he recruits carpenters, plumbers and parishioners to rebuild flood-damaged homes in a coal-mining region of Appalachia.
Doubts about his chosen path remain. His peers are established veterans in their jobs, while he is very much the rookie. What's more, starting over means a lot of uncertainty. Among his concerns: "I have no idea where I will be living two years from now."
Still, Mr. Watson says he has no regrets. "Spiritually, it is very enriching for people like me, who go through our day and think life can be difficult, to make connections with people who really need to see the love of God.
"I could have continued to practice law and make a lot of money," he adds. "But that didn't interest me. By doing this type of work, I feel a connection to humanity and have become part of a larger community that helps each other."
After Wall Street, a Search for Connections
David Daniel Klipper worked for almost 25 years on Wall Street. But in the wake of 9/11, he began to feel a spiritual hunger that took him in an unexpected direction—to life as a chaplain and rabbinic pastor.
"I love the life I get to lead," says Mr. Klipper, 60, who supervises a training program for chaplains at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut and works with patients himself. "If you tell someone at a party you are a chaplain, they tell you that you are wonderful and run away. Chaplains are not good at small talk. We are good at intimacy. I crave that intimacy and that feeling of connection. That's what makes life worthwhile for me."
No stranger to unlikely career transitions, the Stamford resident says he is "an unconscious creature of the zeitgeist." In the early 1970s, he briefly dropped out of college to try to form a commune with friends. ("It's funny how intelligent people can be stupid when they are 17," he says.) After venturing to California, he returned to New York with an M.B.A. from Stanford University and spent 25 years in the world of leveraged buyouts.
Occasionally, he felt drawn elsewhere. When a friend was diagnosed with brain cancer in the late 1990s, Mr. Klipper visited him regularly—and realized that his presence was a comfort. "I would buy a book now and then about death and dying," he recalls. "I started to think that chaplaincy would be interesting to do if I could ever get around to it."
After 9/11, his business slowed to a crawl. He laid off his employees, sold his office building and worked from his basement. One day, his wife, Barbara, saw an article in the newspaper about a chaplain who was interviewing rescue workers at Ground Zero. "I looked the woman up in the phone book—remember phone books?—and I called her to find out how I could do what she did," Mr. Klipper says.
A few months later, he enrolled in a chaplaincy-training program at Greenwich Hospital and quickly became consumed with his new interest. When banking clients called, "I was finding it harder and harder to strap my shark fins back on," he says. "I was getting tired [of deal-making]. I had worked awfully hard and was now doing something that was fulfilling in a totally different way."
In 2004, at age 50, he formally retired from the buyout business. That same year, he entered seminary. Three years later, he was ordained a rabbinic pastor by Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, which offers the designation for individuals who work in pastoral care. Today, as the supervisor of Stamford Hospital's clinical pastoral-education program, which trains chaplains, he teaches students to "stay present, even when there is great pain," in order to focus on the spiritual needs of their patients.
He remembers fondly a patient he calls Susan. Diagnosed with brain cancer at a relatively young age, she saw Mr. Klipper when she came to the hospital for chemotherapy and other treatments, including a particularly painful procedure in which doctors administered radiation after clamping her head in a vise.
The two had frequent conversations and found themselves trying to answer unsettling questions, including: What purpose is this illness serving? "Every once in a while," Mr. Klipper says, he and Susan would "experience a moment of viewing the world from a slightly different place, where we could see not only the good things that we liked but the things we wished hadn't happened. And we could hold on to them all—like threads that form a tapestry. It was a kind of acceptance. A moment of grace."
These chaplaincy-training programs are "where academic theologies come to die," he says. "It is one thing to read about theology in seminary. It is an entirely different thing to sit with a 45-year-old mother who is dying and asking how God could be doing this to her." It's a job, he adds, that carries "an awesome responsibility."
Riches of a Different Kind
Kathy Dain had it all: a six-figure salary, a Mercedes—even her own Piper Archer airplane. Today, she enjoys "a different kind of wealth" as the interim, associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota, Fla. "If anything, this proves that God has a tremendously good sense of humor," says the 56-year-old minister.
Although active in a Presbyterian church as a teenager, the Rev. Dain, who is single, says that for most of her adult life, she attended church just twice a year. As a TV-studio technician in Syracuse, N.Y., and Detroit, and then as a real-estate broker in Syracuse and Florida, "I worked ridiculously hard," she says. "Being part of a church wasn't something I felt drawn to."
But one day in 2004, while showing houses to a couple, the conversation took an unexpected turn. "As we were driving around, they asked me about my faith," Ms. Dain recalls. "It was right around the time of the tsunami in Indonesia, when thousands of people were just wiped away. It started me thinking about how I missed the faith I had grown up with."
A "transforming" moment occurred a year later when, as a new member of Sarasota's Presbyterian Church of the Palms, she volunteered to spend her vacation teaching at a Bible school in Honduras. Aside from providing religious instruction, the plan was to attract residents of a poverty-stricken village to a mobile eye clinic. There, ophthalmologists dispensed treatments for cataracts and other conditions caused by poor nutrition and unsanitary conditions. "They literally gave sight to the blind," Ms. Dain says.
The first morning of the trip, she awoke to the sound of pouring rain. "It was miserable," she recalls. "I was thinking, 'Who is going to show up?' "
But when the volunteers arrived at the village school where the Bible school was held, a crowd of more than 100 greeted them. Then a pickup truck arrived, driving through the school's flooded playground. "On the back were 30 to 40 kids, holding a yellow tarp over their heads," she recalls. "These kids were the poorest of the poor, some of whom had physical deformities. They were soaked to the skin, but they were dressed in their best outfits and had an absolute sense of joy to be there.
"That was it for me. I knew then that I wanted to do this kind of service work for the rest of my life."
The economy helped push that decision along. Not long after she returned to the U.S., the real-estate market collapsed. She was forced to sell her condo—and, eventually, her airplane and car.
After moving in with friends in upstate New York, Ms. Dain looked for jobs, while interviewing at Presbyterian seminaries. "I said to myself, 'You are 51 years old and broke. You can't do this!' " But when Pittsburgh Theological Seminary extended a full scholarship for the fall of 2008, she accepted without hesitation.
Since graduating in 2011, Ms. Dain has worked for two churches. The first was in Ludington, Mich. "I had this dear, aging congregation. My desire to be out on missions just wasn't going to happen." She recently returned to Sarasota, where she has been appointed an interim associate pastor at a church with an active community-outreach program.
She recently finished a training program that will allow her to serve as a chaplain for disaster-relief organizations. As a trainee, she logged 300 hours this spring in the intensive-care unit at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Fla., where she has offered solace to the sick and dying.
"As a chaplain, I try to find a way to connect with them. I don't have an agenda," she says. "Nor am I a prayer pusher. I am simply there for the person. Just as a doctor takes care of the body, it is my job to provide spiritual care."
Ms. Tergesen is a Wall Street Journal staff reporter in New York. She can be reached at email@example.com.
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The mind-set and habits that work so well when people are building their nest egg can damage their quality of life—and investments—in retirement.
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Love at First Sight: Retiring in Italy
The bureaucracy and four-hour lunch break can be maddening. But the kindnesses, beauty, food—and price—can't be beat.
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When 'Enough' Doesn't Have to Mean 'More'
Essayist Robbie Shell writes about giving up the relentless pursuit for more and finding contentment in retirement.
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New Procedure Looks Promising for Men With Enlarged Prostates
The minimally invasive treatment uses steam to kill cells and shrink the prostate.
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Is There Really a Retirement-Savings Crisis?
Two experts look at the same data—and come to very different conclusions.
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Recommended New Books for Those Who Are Grieving
Sheryl Sandberg and other authors offer strategies on how to move forward after suffering a loss.
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