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>Racing>6 days until 5k PR attempt...do I taper?
Follower of Forrest
I think the title says it all. I just came off a week of 50 miles (high for me) and I want to make sure I am 100% for this 5k. My current plan is to make this a cutback week and take the day off before the race. I have this sneaking suspicion that more rest would be better for me than more running. Thoughts?
6/21 - Manitou's Revenge 54mi
A man may never run the same trail twice for it is not the same trail and he is not the same man
Know thyself ... but I would pretty much never take the day off before a 5k. If it's a 5k I care about I would make the 3 days before very easy days, with some strides.
Runners run.
Know thyself ...
Last year I took the 2 weeks prior to the race completely off (burnout). The result was a PR.
I think my main issue is that I have conflicting goals of maintaining higher weekly mileage and trying to PR this race.
Thanks for those wise words. Simple as they are, they have given me a broader perspective
I agree with Mikey, the day before the day before could be an off day if you need one. I had a 5k pr a couple weeks back on a Monday (Memorial Day). The week prior I reduced mileage by 20-25% and everything I did was super slow and easy other than scheduled speed work Wednesday and Thursday. Took Saturday off, Sunday ran easy 3 or so with some strides. The next day was the race and my legs felt great.
I think my main issue is that I have conflicting goals of maintaining higher weekly mileage and trying to PR this race.
That's the thing. Decide which is more important. If you really want to nail the 5k then a pretty light few days leading up to it are probably best. If you're not that bothered about the 5k, then train on through and just see how it goes on the day.
I think my main issue is that I have conflicting goals of maintaining higher weekly mileage and trying to PR this race.
this is always my issue as well, trying to find the right balance. normally it seems to work out best for me that whenever I've had a harder effort day whether race/longer run day/track w/o etc I usually make sure that I do an easier/shorter run the day before & the day after. my day off would be the 2nd day before or after. Snce you are coming off your highest week ever (great job by the way on the 50 mile week!) then most definitely take it easy the week before as MikeyMike & Jaybar advised. then depending on how you recover take a few days for easy running/recovery & right back into 40 + mile week & then ramp up again.
since you are trying to maintain higher weekly mileage you must have something else down the road that you are training for`??
Options,Account, Forums
Also, I'd suggest that it's difficult to deduce a rule from just one or two cases -- because so many other variables may be at play (your overall conditioning, your speed, your endurance, your level of rest, the level of competition, the course, the heat, the humidity).
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
You may find yourself 'flat' if you take the day before completely off. No matter what, you should go easy and short the day before but you don't need to taper in the marathon sense. Weekly mileage doesn't really need to be dropped much, just need to sharpen up some and take it easy for a day or two, if it's a goal race.
General 5K stuff: I never try to put all my eggs into one 5K basket ... you can race these things all the time. I have a suspicion that most of us recreational racers would do better to not focus and peak for one specific 5K race but rather race a bunch of them and get faster as you go along. Your own experience in 2012 might highlight this ... you ran several races leading to your current PR. It kind of 'callouses' your body and mind to 5K pace.
Jay - 25% decrease in mileage sounds good. I will put special emphasis on running slow this week.
pr100 - You are right. I want to nail this 5k...I need to prioritize being ready for it over other training goals.
Skyedog - thanks for the input. I have a half marathon at the beggining of Sept. and a 50k at the end. Really I'm just building up the miles to improve my base at this point.
amoresperros- I don't have any "hard" rules regardless...I'm flexible
Kencamet - I'm with you on that. I think it's unlikely that I will be able to PR this race, as I haven't focused on 5k's or that kind of speed in a long time. A few weeks on the 5k circuit I'm sure would net me a better time even if I didn't change anything else. This one is going to have to be run on "guts" alone. 5k is not my focus this year...except for this 1 race because it is the first race I ever ran back in 2011.
Kencamet - I'm with you on that. I think it's unlikely that I will be able to PR this race, as I haven't focused on 5k's or that kind of speed in a long time.
I wouldn't rule it out. My times started dropping when I increased my mileage and started thinking of the 5k as a short duration, high intensity endurance race. And a good hard-run 5k is good for your distance goals as well. Best of luck, looking forward to hearing about your result.
E.J.Greater Lowell Road RunnersCry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.
Feeling the growl again
I think it's unlikely that I will be able to PR this race, as I haven't focused on 5k's or that kind of speed in a long time.
I ran my 5K PR off straight marathon training. YMMV.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
I'm not counting out the PR...I'm going for it!
Anyways...last PR came off of doing a lot of speedwork, not much base building...but I was fast and familiar with the necessary pace. Now I'm the opposite...lots of endurance but unfamiliar with pushing that hard. I think the thing to do is to actually race this race...there's historically been a group in the 18:30 range. I'm strongly considering leaving the watch at home and just running for placement. If I know me, it will either be a huge success or huge blow up. I'll be sure to update this thread afterwards for all interested parties.
I ran a terribly managed race...but got the PR anyways.
Also set a 1 mile PR (never a good sign at mile 1)
Thanks everyone for the advice. I ended up not doing a whole lot of running this week and just taking it easy. I'm convinced rest is what I need before a race.
only in my dreams could I pull off a "terribly managed" 19:06 great job!
5:35, then 13:31 for the last 2.1 = OUCH!
But, still, way to go - congrats on the PR! This is where more racing comes into play ... better pace control in that first mile will get you a faster PR.


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Top congressional bargainers announce deal to renew payroll tax cut, jobless benefits
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Relieved congressional bargainers say they've reached agreement on compromise legislation extending payroll tax cuts and benefits for the long-term unemployed through 2012, edging a white-hot political battle a major step closer to finally being resolved.
Rep. David Camp, R-Mich., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the two top negotiators, strode from a conference room minutes after midnight Thursday to say that only technical issues and the drafting of legislative language remained. The bill would assure a continued tax cut for 160 million workers and jobless benefits for several million others, delivering top election-year priorities for President Barack Obama.
"It's a very good deal for the country," said Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee.
There were disconcerting hints that last-minute problems might still crop up. Neither Baucus nor Camp would predict whether Congress would approve the legislation by Friday, the original goal. And aides did not distribute summaries of the bill to reporters, which is usually routine when major accords are reached.
Even so, Baucus and Camp -- and a handful of other lawmakers who helped craft the package -- expressed confidence that their work on the roughly $150 billion measure was virtually complete.
AP EXCLUSIVE: Honduras gov't report says most inmates in deadly prison fire were not convicted
COMAYAGUA, Honduras (AP) -- The prisoners whose scorched bodies were carried out piece by piece Thursday morning from a charred Honduran prison had been locked inside an overcrowded penitentiary where most inmates had never been charged, let alone convicted, according to an internal Honduran government report obtained by The Associated Press.
More than half of the 856 inmates of the Comayagua farm prison north of the Central American country's capital were either awaiting trial or being held as suspected gang members, according to a report sent by the Honduran government this month to the United Nations.
A fire started by an inmate tore through the prison Tuesday night, burning and suffocating screaming men in their locked cells as rescuers desperately searched for keys. Officials confirmed 358 dead, making it the world's deadliest prison fire in a century.
Survivors told horrific tales of climbing walls to break the sheet metal roofing and escape, only to see prisoners in other cell blocks being burned alive. Inmates were found stuck to the roofing, their bodies fused to the metal.
From the time firefighters received a call at 10:59 p.m. local time, the rescue was marred by human error and conditions that made the prison ripe for catastrophe.
White working class a weak spot for Romney, even as rising challenger Santorum targets them
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican Mitt Romney is faltering with white working-class voters crucial to his party's drive to capture the White House, even as he tries to fend off a rising GOP challenger, Rick Santorum, who wields strong blue-collar appeal.
The wealthy former Bain Capital chief has led his rivals by comfortable margins among white college graduates, according to combined polls of voters in the first five states that held presidential nominating contests. But the exit and entry surveys showed only a modest Romney advantage among whites who lack college degrees, the yardstick analysts typically use to define the working class.
The imbalance was most pronounced among less-educated white men, with whom his lead disappeared.
More recent polling bears out the same problem for Romney. According to a national poll of Republicans released this week by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, the former Massachusetts governor has a slender lead over Santorum among whites with degrees but trails him among working-class whites, 36 percent to 23 percent.
Romney's lukewarm performance with less-educated whites could haunt him in the Feb. 28 Michigan primary. Though it's Romney's native state, Santorum is using his upbringing in the western Pennsylvania manufacturing town of Butler, his rougher-edged style and his "Made in America" proposals for boosting U.S. manufacturing to woo Michigan's many blue-collar voters.
Chinese vice president shows personal side during Iowa leg of US trip, described as 'genuine'
MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) -- China's vice president remembered the popcorn he'd received as a parting gift -- and the strong Chinese liquor he left behind. He recalled one young girl asking whether he'd seen American movies, and being shocked when he told her he'd watched "The Godfather." And he often flashed that warm smile.
Twenty-seven years after Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met a group of Iowa farmers and business leaders during a diplomatic exchange to this Mississippi River town, the likely future leader of the world's most populous country returned Wednesday for a brief reunion to reminisce with the first Americans he ever met.
"My impression of the country came from you. For me, you are America," Xi told a group of about 16 people he referred to as "old friends."
The relaxed gathering in front of a fireplace in Roger and Sarah Lande's living room in Muscatine was a stark contrast to the more subdued, party-line approach Xi had while meeting with U.S. leaders in Washington earlier this week. During talks with President Barack Obama, members of Congress and others, Xi, 58, said little new -- and did little to narrow the differences that exist between the U.S. and China on issues such as human rights.
But in Iowa, Xi had the opportunity to show a more personal side away from the tough questions on policy, trade and international relations. Those who attended the 45-minute reunion in the two-story Victorian home said Xi enthusiastically introduced Chinese government leaders traveling with him, shook everyone's hand and even made a couple light remarks. They were struck by his charm, described him as genuine and hoped his friendly approach to Midwesterners is a positive sign for the future of U.S.-China relations.
Interracial marriages on the rise as US becomes more diverse, blurring nation's color lines
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Interracial marriages in the U.S. have climbed to 4.8 million -- a record 1 in 12 -- as a steady flow of new Asian and Hispanic immigrants expands the pool of prospective spouses. Blacks are now substantially more likely than before to marry whites.
A Pew Research Center study, released Thursday, details a diversifying America where interracial unions and the mixed-race children they produce are challenging typical notions of race.
"The rise in interracial marriage indicates that race relations have improved over the past quarter century," said Daniel Lichter, a sociology professor at Cornell University. "Mixed-race children have blurred America's color line. They often interact with others on either side of the racial divide and frequently serve as brokers between friends and family members of different racial backgrounds," he said. "But America still has a long way to go."
The figures come from previous censuses as well as the 2008-2010 American Community Survey, which surveys 3 million households annually. The figures for "white" refer to those whites who are not of Hispanic ethnicity. For purposes of defining interracial marriages, Hispanic is counted as a race by many in the demographic field.
The study finds that 8.4 percent of all current U.S. marriages are interracial, up from 3.2 percent in 1980. While Hispanics and Asians remained the most likely, as in previous decades, to marry someone of a different race, the biggest jump in share since 2008 occurred among blacks, who historically have been the most segregated.
APNewsBreak: Obama's budget axes USDA program that tests for deadly bacteria in fresh produce
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- President Barack Obama's proposed budget would eliminate the nation's only program that regularly tests fruits and vegetables for deadly pathogens, leaving public health officials without a crucial tool used to investigate deadly foodborne illness outbreaks.
The budget plan the president sent to Congress Monday would ax the Agriculture Department's tiny Microbiological Data Program, which extensively screens high-risk fresh produce throughout the year for bacteria including salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
If samples are positive, they can trigger nationwide recalls, and keep tainted produce from reaching consumers or grocery store shelves.
Food safety advocates and a top-ranking U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said the information also can help pinpoint foods tied to illness outbreaks, and would not easily be replaced by companies' internal tests or more modest federal sampling programs.
"It's the radar gun that keeps the industry honest and if that's eliminated, we don't have a program that will keep the industry in check," said Mike Doyle, director of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety, which works with the produce industry to improve safety measures on farms and in packinghouses. "This is really important because you and I eat that food and we don't want to get sick."
Thai police say Iranian bomb suspects in Bangkok planned to target Israeli diplomats
BANGKOK (AP) -- Three Iranians detained after accidentally setting off explosives in Bangkok were planning to attack Israeli diplomats, Thailand's top policemantype:bold,italic; said Thursday in the first confirmation by local officials that the group was plotting attacks in Thailand.
The allegation came after days of strong accusations by Israel that Iran was behind the botched plot as well as two others in India and the former Soviet republic of Georgia this week. Iran has denied the charges.
Citing the similarity of bombs used in New Delhi and Tbilisi, national police chief Gen. Prewpan Dhamapong said that Thai authorities now "know for certain that (the target) was Israeli diplomats."
"This issue was about individuals and the targets were specific," he said. "This was something personal."
Israel has accused Iran of waging a covert campaign of state terror and has threatened military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has blamed the Jewish state for the recent killings of Iranian atomic scientists and has denied responsibility for all three bomb plots, including an explosion Monday in New Delhi that tore through an Israeli diplomatic vehicle, wounding the driver and a diplomat's wife, and a foiled attempt the same day in Georgia.
Microsoft's MSN hooking up with hipper sidekick to tune into the latest buzz on the Internet
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Microsoft is hooking up MSN.com with a hipper sidekick to broaden its appeal and stay on top of the Internet's hottest topics.
The trend-tracking service, called "msnNOW," tunes into the buzz by sifting through millions of Internet searches and links circulating among the hordes on Facebook and Twitter. The chatter is then distilled into the equivalent of a digital water cooler -- a place where people can go to keep in touch without taking up a lot of their time.
After months of development, the new feature debuts Thursday at http://now.msn.com.
The service is primarily aimed at college-age teenagers and young adults who are increasingly relying on smartphones and other mobile devices to remain plugged into what everyone is talking about from one hour to the next. It's an "information-snacking" addiction that msnNOW is looking to feed with a smorgasbord of morsels served up a team of about 20 editors who will write 100-word summaries of the stories driving online conversations, said Bob Visse, MSN's general manager.
Although it's tailor made for people on the go, msnNOW isn't offering an app for smartphones or computer tablets. It can be reached on all mobile Web browsers. The service alsol includes tools to make it easy to share on Facebook, Twitter and email.
Internet will allow Whitney Houston's fans to share her invitation-only funeral on Saturday
NEW YORK (AP) -- They won't be there in person, but singer Whitney Houston's millions of fans worldwide will be able to share in her homecoming service Saturday as they watch her private funeral on the Internet.
It will provide a much-needed connection for fans who have lacked a formal place to eulogize Houston, one of the world's best-selling artists who died in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday at the age of 48.
Some have gathered and placed flowers outside the Newark, N.J., church where the funeral will be held by invitation-only at the request of Houston's family, who wish to maintain some privacy. Others have stopped by the funeral home. But many have longed to share more fully in commemorating the superstar's life, and have shown their grief in one of the few ways available to them -- by buying her music.
Houston's funeral will be at New Hope Baptist Church, where she sang as a child. Her eulogy will be given by gospel singer Marvin Winans, a Grammy Award winner and longtime family friend. Afterward, Houston will be buried in Fair View Cemetery in Westfield, N.J., according to her death certificate. Her father, John Russell Houston Jr., was buried there in 2003.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, investigators for the coroner's office have subpoenaed records from the singer's doctors and pharmacies who dispensed medication found in the hotel room where she died.
Bursting with pride, Taiwan claims Knicks' emerging star Jeremy Lin as its own
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- With only a handful of foreign embassies, and a political leadership forced into international invisibility, it's not surprising that the 23 million people of Taiwan feel their island home doesn't always get the respect it deserves.
Perhaps that's why they're now embracing emerging New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin as one of their own, reveling in his basketball exploits with a passion rare for a place better known for its flat screen TVs and computer chips.
Lin was born and raised in the United States, and his maternal grandmother comes from China, but his parents spent their formative years in Taiwan, and that's enough for people here to see him as a true-blue son of the island.
The Harvard graduate's remarkably rapid rise from NBA obscurity to stardom appeals to the Taiwanese as embodying the virtues they say propelled their island from agricultural backwater to high-tech powerhouse: hard work, devotion to family and modesty.
"Jeremy Lin may not consider himself a Taiwanese, and his success has had nothing to do with Taiwan, but Taiwanese regard him as one of their own," said political scientist Liu Bi-rong of Taipei's Soochow University. "Now he has taken the world by storm, and they are proud and enthralled by what he has done."

subset: commoncrawl


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First of all, thanks to Josh last night and Jake tonight for taking over the blog. Yours truly hasn't been feeling well lately and spent the good part of the day with the doc . I will shut it down until the Yankee series. I will, however, keep posting and monitoring the blog.
If nothing else, I hope that gives you an idea how much I care about this.
That leads me to the next issue, which was pointed out to me in an email from a long-time poster. This blog is getting more and more confrontational and it irritates me. And, "Fists of Fury," Bob isn't the only one. He's just the one I'm most active in banning right now.
<img src="http://mets.lohudblogs.com/files/2008/04/images.jpeg" align="right" heighwidth="133″ /
Here's the deal. I like the blog and want it to keep growing. However, it can't, and won't, go on like this.
My concept of the blog is like a group of friends hanging out watching the games together and shooting the breeze.
Let me ask you, if you're with your friends and somebody didn't like what you said and called you stupid, or ignorant, or arrogant, or any number of things I have read here, would you stand for it?
What if somebody was obnoxious and threatened you? What would you do?
Chances are you wouldn't hang with that group anymore.
Can you see my point? I want this to be a pleasant place to exchange ideas. That's it. I don't care if you agree with me or not. Just discuss it like adults.
Yes, I know, the Internet is like the Wild West where most everything goes.
But, this is my blog and I don't like the vulgarity. I don't like the threats. I don't like the name calling. I don't like somebody using three or four identities and hijacking the blog.
When somebody writes me and tells me this isn't as fun as it used to be in makes me angry.
I will be more aggressive in deleting comments. I will be more aggressive in telling people to leave. I will be more aggressive in banning people.
I like dealing with most of you and find the give-and-take and exchange of ideas refreshing. I also don't mind getting tweaked.
I just don't like it when it gets mean-spirited. So, let's share the sandbox and play nice.
Thanks, JD


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Five minors arrested for underage drinking | Kirkland Police Blotter
The blotter feature is both a description of a small selection of police incidents and a statistical round-up of all calls to the Kirkland Police Department that are dispatched to on-duty police officers. The Kirkland Reporter police blotter is not intended to be representative of all police calls originating in Kirkland, which average about 1,000 per week.
Between Jan. 18-24 the Kirkland Police Department reported 585 traffic violations (six DUIs), 33 school zone traffic violations, 31 alarm calls, 13 noise complaints, seven calls of disturbance, 16 thefts, 14 car prowls, five car thefts, 28 acts of traffic abandonment, two animal calls, 15 calls of civil disturbance, 12 reported burglaries, eight domestic violence calls, nine malicious mischief reports, one robbery, eight calls for harassment, three reports of illegal drugs, seven acts of fraud, three alleged assaults, one sex offense and four reported suicides. At least 34 people were arrested.
Jan. 22
Burglary: 8:54 p.m., 9600 block of Slater Ave. N.E. A transient 47-year-old man was taken into custody after he was detained by the homeowner inside his residence. Eleven dollars was stolen from the property. A clear glass smoking device, a head lamp, a black pair of gloves, a backpack with tools and a mountain bike were kept as evidence. The man was cited for two counts of theft in the third degree, possession of illegal drug paraphernalia and residential burglary.
Warrant: 8:25 a.m., 13200 block of Juanita Dr. N.E. A 31-year-old woman was transported to Renton after Kirkland police stopped her on a traffic stop. The woman faced a misdemeanor warrant and a driving while license suspension. A counterfeit $100 note and crushed suborn, a drug, was taken as evidence.
Jan. 21
Warrant: 4:40 p.m., 12600 block of N.E. 107th Pl. A 28-year-old man was arrested on DUI and driving while license suspended warrants after police responded to reports of broken glass. The man was found passed out on his father's couch after breaking a window with a brick to get in.
Jan. 20
Warrant: 4:35 p.m., 13200 block of Old Redmond Rd. A 57-year-old man was arrested for his outstanding criminal trespass warrant when he was contacted for his behavior in the park.
Minor, liquor violation: 1 a.m., 11100 block of 105th Ave. N.E. Two 20-year-old men, one 18-year-old man, one 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy were arrested for minor in consumption after a person reported a noise complaint. Once one of the 20-year-old men was handcuffed for possession of marijuana, several of his friends approached police. As the officer told them to back off, the 20-year-old fled on foot. He was shortly apprehended after.
Jan. 19
Disorderly conduct: 12:34 a.m., 200 block of Central Way. A 22-year-old man was arrested for yelling at Time Out patrons and throwing punches at people on the sidewalk outside of the bar. When police arrived, he was agitated and aggressive.
Jan. 18
Assault: 3 p.m., 12000 block of N.E. 128th St. A 46-year-old woman was taken into custody after she assaulted a nurse at EvergreenHealth hospital.


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Baby Back Ribs Recipe
4.5 5 7
Slow-cook the ribs during the day and they will be ready to finish on the grill when you get home. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Featured In: Top 10 Recipes for Grilling Ribs
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
- 2-1/2 pounds pork baby back ribs, cut into eight pieces
- 5 cups water
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, cut in half
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup plum sauce
- Dash hot pepper sauce
- Place the ribs in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the water, onion, celery, 1 teaspoon garlic and peppercorns. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until meat is tender.
- In a small saucepan, combine the barbecue sauce, plum sauce, hot pepper sauce and remaining garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove ribs. Discard cooking juices and vegetables.
- Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Brush ribs with sauce. Grill, covered, over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until browned, turning and basting occasionally with remaining sauce. Yield: 4 servings.
Originally published as Baby Back Ribs in Weeknight Cooking Made Easy Annual 2005, p183
Reviews forBaby Back Ribs
My Review
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Reviewed Jul. 26, 2013
"Simple and tasty!"
Reviewed Nov. 18, 2012
"My husband usually does the ribs so I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is to make these. The flavor was wonderful too."
Reviewed Oct. 17, 2012
"Yes, I would make this recipe again. It was so easy and so good!!"
Reviewed Dec. 7, 2011
"Yes, I have used this recipe before and it is great. Sometimes I change and put it on the grill first to brown and get the BBQ flavor, then put it in the slow cooker."
Reviewed Nov. 14, 2009
"So easy and the end result is meat so tender it falls off of the bone."


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>Technical Support>A teeny tiny peculiarity
I'm not whining; just mentioning that the streak widget has the header "Run streak" when I'm logged in, but "Unknown streak" when I'm not.
Well at least someone here is making relevance to the subject. - S.J.
When I saw "a teeny tiny peculiarity", I thought it would be about our beloved Mississippi. Disappointed.
E.J.Greater Lowell Road RunnersCry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.
I thought it was about well hung mosquitos.
Oral is their forte.
This is indeed peculiar. I'll take a look when I get a chance. It must be something to do with the different user contexts.
I really don't recognize eric now he is a rabbit.
"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
Mrs. eric insists that I resurrect this little bugger.
I fixed the problem and it'll be available in the next update.
I like Mrs Eric The bunny is pretty likeable too.
I haven't met her, but it makes her sound lovable.
The Crap Whisperer
I like Mrs. Eric and Mississippi And Mr. Eric and Mistersippi too.
Being the best tiny spec that I can be!


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The stiff racquet structure at the top of the frame allows the head to bend in a very controlled way and hold shuttles on the string bed for longer. The thin frame sides then allow the frame to flex more and transfer more energy to the shuttle. This combination allows you to smash with instant power.
In VOLTRIC, the weight is balanced on the top of the frame and at the joint area which allows good handling while also maintaining power. The thin sides of the frame and at the top of the head reduce air resistance and improve the handling even further. Players can now make a full swing even during short range rallies as VOLTRIC responds instantly to even subtle movements.
|NEW Built-in T-Joint
|'NEW' Built-in T-Joint is manufactured from a special lightweight plastic combined with epoxy resin and foaming agent that enhances quality and performance by increasing the stability of the shuttle on the string bed and through the air.
|Control Supprt Cap
|The control support cap provides an 88% wider flat surface compared with an ordinary racquet for easier gripping, fast follow-through and the sharpest maneuverability.
|Ultra Slim Long Shaft
|Inserting NANOPREME into the racquet shaft ensures greater stability compared to conventional racquets. When bending and releasing two racquets under the same force, the Ultra Slim Long Shaft rebounds almost twice as far as a conventional racquet does in the same length of time (0.018 seconds). This equates to 10% greater stability compared with conventional racquets.
|New Grommet System
|The single-pass grommet hole construction provides more grommet holes for a more high-performance stringing pattern.
|NANOPREME™ is a new level in 'Nano-technology', operating on a scale of less than one billionth of a metre by using an epoxy resin to bind graphite fibres together. NANOPREME™ overcomes the limited qualities of carbon technology to provide stiffness, high resilience and high repulsion from a single racquet material for the very first time.
|Sound Filter
|Sound Filter uses new materials at the two and ten o'clock positions to reduce only high pitched and dull soundwaves. This produces a louder and sharper sound on impact to unsettle opponents, and provides a more aggressive tone to your game for a relentlessly attacking style of play. Sound Filter also reduces uncomfortable sensation from the racquet by rapidly eliminating 31% of vibrations.
|Solid Feel Core
|The built-in solid feel core cuts harmful miscellaneous vibration at impact. Solid feel core is carried in all racquets manufactured in Japan.
|Aero+Box Frame
|Combines solid hitting feel and quick swing.
|Racket Specifications
|H.M. Graphite, Sound Filter, EX-HMG, Tungsten
|H.M. Graphite, NANOPREME
|Extra Stiff
|83g +/- 2 (4U-G5)
|Max Tension
|Balance Point
|295mm+/- 3
|Black / White / Bright Green
|Special Features
|NANOPREME; Isomectric head frame; Tri-Voltage System; Ultra Slim Long Shaft; Sound Filter; New Built-in T-Joint; New Grommet Pattern; Control Support Cap; Solid Feel Core; Aero+Box Frame;


text:
THE Winchester Millennium Egg has been awarded to Charles Barter of The Watercress Company.
The egg is Winchester's equivalent to the Lifetime Achievement Oscar for the local economy.
It is awarded every year to local people and organisations who have made a significant and sustained business contribution.
Robert Humby, the city council leader, said: "We are delighted this year to be giving the prestigious Millennium Egg to Charles Barter, a director of The Watercress Company.
"He has been integral to making the annual watercress festival in Alresford the success it is today, and in promoting locally-grown watercress as a superfood. This reinforces the importance of our rural economy to Winchester."
Mr Barter has been involved with Hampshire-based watercress farms since the 1970s, including the development of equipment to make harvesting and production more efficient.
He is part of the team who bring the Watercress Festival to Alresford each year, this year attracting 15,000 visitors.
Mr Barter said: "Being awarded this prestigious egg in recognition of my contribution to the local economy is a great honour. I have a strong belief in the work we do, and by promoting watercress with its unique properties we will continue to help enrich the local economy of Alresford, and of Hampshire and Dorset more widely."
The egg was crafted by Jeremy France Jewellers in 2000, who then donated it to the city council for use as an annual award.
Previous award winners have included the late Graham Jameson of the Wykeham Arms, Barbara Bryant who headed up the North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry for many years, Hampshire Farmers' Market, Hat Fair, Winchester Cathedral, Mohamed Bakhaty, Chris Turner of the Winchester Business Improvement District, Jim Sawyer of London and Clancy, Richard Steel of Richard Steel and Partners and last year to Tim Jackson, principal at Sparsholt College.
It is displayed throughout the year with a collection of civic silver at the Guildhall.
The egg was presented at the Winchester Business Excellence Awards 2014 held at the Guildhall.
Get the latest local news straight to your inbox every day
THE Winchester Millennium Egg has been awarded to Charles Barter of The Watercress Company.


text:
A con man tricked a blind 81-year-old into handing over cash for roof repairs he did not need.
The fraudster charged the victim £160 to supposedly fix a leaking roof on his house in Beddington Lane, Beddington, on Tuesday.
He had called the man's house at 3.15pm offering to fix loose tiles for £40.
After inspecting the roof from inside the loft of the house the conman produced a damp cloth and told the 81-year-old the roof was leaking.
He said repairing the leak would cost £160, which the victim paid from his emergency cash supply.
The con man then left.
The victim called the police and officers checked the loft but could find no leaks.
Due to his blindness the 81-year-old was unable to describe the conman other than noting he had a local accent and had introduced himself as Gavin from "the plough".
A blind male resident, aged 81, was tricked into handing over £160 to a doorstep caller offering to make a repair to his roof.
Police are investigating the fraud and have also warned people to be wary of cold-calling traders and to check on companies before agreeing to have work carried out.
Anyone with information can contact police on 101 quoting ref no: 4005729/14 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


text:
The burning questions of: 1) whether Anna Wintour's new big job at Conde Nast will mean she steps down her maybe-possibly-political ambitions and involvement; and 2) to whom she will lend her formidable bundling skills to now President Obama is in his second term have both been resoundingly put to rest – by Ms Wintour herself. Finally! we can sleep at night.
© The Financial Times Ltd 2016 FT and 'Financial Times' are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.


text:
PHILADELPHIA - A historic week for the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team was capped on Monday with the announcement of junior Katy Allen as Co-Ivy League Player of the Week and freshman Sydney Stipanovich as the Ivy League Rookie of the Week.
This is the second Ivy honor of Allen's career as she was the Ivy League Rookie of the Week on Feb. 13, 2012. Stipanovich has now won the league's weekly rookie award in three of the past four weeks and was also Player of the Week on Dec. 23.
Allen scored a career-high 18 points, including the game-winning basket with 5.6 seconds left to give the Quakers their first-ever victory over an ACC opponent, 67-66 at Miami on Wednesday. It was also the Ivy League's first road win over an ACC opponent since 2006. Penn trailed by one when Allen sliced past her defender for one of the biggest wins in program history. She was just two rebounds shy of a double-double and also added three assists and a steal. She was an impressive 7-of-10 (70.0%) from the floor against the Hurricanes, including a perfect 3-for-3 with two threes in the second half.
Allen then helped the Quakers to a dominating 79-49 victory over Norfolk State on Sunday as Penn tied a school record with its seventh straight non-conference win. With the lopsided score, Allen was needed for just 19 minutes and finished with five points and three rebounds. For the week, the Waukesha, Wisc., native averaged 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds and was 9-of-12 from the field (69.2%), and 3-of-7 (42.9%) from three.
Meanwhile, Stipanovich averaged 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks. The St. Louis, Mo., native shot 41.2% from the field and 90.9% from the charity stripe. In the dramatic win at Miami, Stipanovich had nine points, six rebounds and four blocks off the bench, including three key rejections in the second half. In just 18 minutes off the bench against Norfolk State, Stipanovich filled the box score with 15 points, eight rebounds, six blocks and two assists. Her six blocks were the third-most in a game in school history and Penn's 11 blocks as a team tied a school record.
Allen, Stipanovich and the Quakers travel to Morgan State for a 5 p.m. tip off in Baltimore on Wednesday. Three days after that, the Quakers open Ivy play against Princeton at The Palestra (3 p.m.)—the first game of a doubleheader with the men's teams.


text:
I just don't know where to start. They are all the SAME school, but all the fields can change, but I still want them all to beable to pulled up in a HISTORY query
 YEAR TEAM MASCOT SPORT CONFERENCE CITY STATE COACH
---- ------------------- -------------------- ----------------- ------------ --------------- ----------- -------------
2012 Oak Ridge Wildcats Senior Football 4A Lexington Kentucky Alan Smith (2012-01-01 | 2012-12-31)
2011 Oak Ridge Central Charging Wildcats Senior Football 5A Central New Lexington Kentucky John Williams (2011-03-01 | 2011-09-24) Alan Smith (2011-09-25 | 2011-12-31)
2007 Oak Ridge Charging Wildcats Senior Football 3A East Lexington Kentucky John Williams (2007-01-01 | 2007-10-16)
2006 Oak Ridge Wildcats Senior Football 4A Lexington Kentucky John Williams (2006-01-01 | 2006-12-31)
2005 Oak Ridge Wildcats Senior Football 4A Lexington Kentucky Alan Smith (2005-05-07 | 2005-11-21)
Below is as far as I have gotten:
SportID 1
SportName Senior Football
StateID 1
StateABRV KY
StateName Kentucky
Would the above be a good many to many relational database? As you can see, most of these things that I changed
normally wouldn't happen as often as they do, but just for the sake of it happening, I added them.
The year 2005, everything is normal until the end of the season then the Coach retires.
A new year, 2006, goes by with only the new Coach taking them through the season.
The year 2007 comes along and the school board changed the mascot. The team is also dropped to a lower conference. The team
doesn't get to finish the season, a wave of tornado's destroying Lexington.
Four years later, the school is back but renamed Oak Ridge Central. They are also placed in a larger conference due to enrollment. They had
gotten their 2005 Coach back but he can't finish the season, so mid-way, they hire a new coach who finishes out the season.
In 2012, the board once more renames the School and Mascot. The team drops into another conference and the city drops the New, reverting back to Lexington once more.
Is it possible to make a Relational Database handle all of this, or am I just Daydreaming?
Thanks for any hint on where I should start in advance. I just don't see how I can make it into a relational database andmaking a history query work on the supplied data.
Just to give you an idea, you'd probably start from teams:
and then
to finally get to
The STATES, CITIES, SPORTS, CONFERENCES, COACHES, MASCOTS tables are simple enough to devise, I believe.
Thank you for replying.
Am I going to have to have a record for EVERY team? I have been looking all over the internet for creative ideas on how to FORM the tables and am still lost even after your post.
The TEAMS table would hold just one record per team.
The TEAM_DETAILS table however will have the TEAM_ID as FK from TEAMS and would host as many records for one team as needed.
You should notice that what all these *_DETAILS tables have in common is the YEAR field which is the one allowing you to have an historic and keep track of changes in names, coaches, conferences.
I'm not saying it's the best solution, I've devised this in 15 minutes, but it's a starting point.
You should have this clear:
Try to find a book on normalizing a database. itmitica did a great job on determining the classes that are in your data and breaking them down so that they can relate to each other.
The key is to identify the major themes in your data and then thinking about their attributes. For instance, you have a number of 'coaches' in your data. This would be a flag that Coaches or Faculty will be a Entity Class. You would then think of the attributes that go with a coach. Teams he coaches, sport he specializes in (could be another table, different sporting classes)......
The point is, what you wish to do is identify each piece of data, discover where it belongs, and store it in one place, and only in one place.
This reduces or nearly eliminates data update and deletion errors.
Tables Dummy Data within Tables
StateID (int)(PK) 7
StateAbbr (varchar 2) KY
StateName (varchar 50) Kentucky
ID (int)(PK) 1 27 2
SchoolID (int) 1 1 2
SchoolName (varchar 50) Oak Ridge Oak Ridge Central Ridgeview
SchoolCity (varchar 50) Lexington Lexington Lexington
StateID (int)(FK to SP_STATES:StateID) 7 7 7
StartDate (date) 01-01-1950 01-01-2013 01-01-1950
EndDate (date) 12-31-2012 12-31-2013 12-31-2013

TeamID (int)(PK) 1 27 2
SchoolID (int)(FK to SP_SCHOOLS:SchoolID) 1 1 2
StartDate (date) 01-01-2012 01-01-2013 01-01-2013
EndDate (date) 12-31-2012 12-31-2013 12-31-2013
SportID (int) 1 1 1

SportID (int)(PK) 1
SportName (varchar 50) Senior Football
I have worked hard on this and hope I have went in the right direction.My main question is regarding the SP_TEAMS table. Is it needed? If so, am I using it correctly?Should it just be a connecting table for each team.. and a new one for each team each year?As you can see, I am still REALLY confused about how to work the tables.
In the SP_SCHOOLS table, I put a link called SchoolID to link the same school's if they changed their name. Am I wrong in doing it that way?
Is there anything anyone would do differently that might even make it more understandable than it is?
Which table would I link a mascot table to?
yes, the teams table is needed, but there's a nuance you're missing -- the team name, and the fact that it can change
the school name can also change
any time you want to store data that changes with time, you'd use start and end dates, like you've done, but there would be multiple rows, and they need to be tied to a single "main" table
you're also missing the coaches information
on a very minor note, i would use the 2-char state_id as the PK/FK, not a surrogate integer key
1) I didn't know where to put the Team name to be honest. I thought that would be redundant data to have it in SP_SCHOOLS and SP_TEAMS tables.
2) I thought that was what I was doing for when the school name changed, using the SchoolID field in the SP_SCHOOL table. You notice the 2 for Oak Ridge and Oak Ridge Central, denoting they are the same school but it was just renamed "Oak Ridge Central"
3) I am not sure what you mean by "multiple rows". I thought the fewer.. the better.
4) As for the Coaches information, I have their table made, but wasn't sure which table to link them to because I am still confused over how to make the TEAM table work.
5) I have never heard of a "surrogate" integer key. I have read many sites and just trying what they do. Some tables don't even have an auto-increment field, which makes me scratch my head. They use a mixture of two or more keys it seems. Without an auto-increment field, how would you go about deleting a specific file later?
6) YES!! That is what I need to know, how to link all the teams, schools, mascots, coaches, etc.. to ONE MAIN TABLE. I got excited seeing you type that and hope I can figure it out.
whoa, whoa, hold on there...
a main teams table, not a main table for everything
a main teams table would identify each team uniquely, full stop
a separate table, in a one-to-multiple relationship with the main teams table, would have one row for each contiguous date range having the same attributes
obviously when the team name changes, that generates another row
can you see the multiples now? and why they would all have to relate back toi a single row in the main teams table?
Okay. Instead of having an auto-incrementing field, you would just use "AR", "AZ", "KY", etc.. That I can probably figure out.
On the SP_TEAMS table, would it have an auto-increment field that would point to each team, each year.
For example, there are lots of things that can change about a team from year to year.The school can be renamed, their mascot change, their coach leave and have another and their conference even change.
SP_TEAMS
TeamID (int)(PK)
SchoolID (int)(FK to SP_SCHOOLS:SchoolID)
SportID (int)(FK to SP_SPORTS:SportID)
ConferenceID (int)(FK to SP_CONFERENCE:ConferenceID)
CoachID (int)(FK to SP_COACH:CoachID)
StartDate (date)
EndDate (date)
or would I have linking tables for Coaches, Conferences and Sports like:
SP_TEAMS
TeamID (int)(PK)
TeamName (varchar 50)
StartDate (date)
EndDate (date)

TeamSchoolID (int)(PK)
TeamID (int)(FK to SP_TEAMS:TeamID)
SchoolID (int)(FK to SP_SCHOOLS:SchoolID)

TeamCoachID (int)(PK)
TeamID (int)(FK to SP_TEAMS:TeamID)
CoachID (int)(FK to SP_COACH:CoachID)

TeamConferenceID (int)(PK)
TeamID (int)(FK to SP_TEAMS:TeamID)
ConferenceID (int)(FK to SP_CONFERENCE:ConferenceID)

TeamSportID (int)(PK)
TeamID (int)(FK to SP_TEAMS:TeamID)
SportID (int)(FK to SP_SPORT:SportID)
Here's a better model than the one I provided before (I think ):
Visual guide: http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s490/itmitica/itmitica-teams.png
ER-diagram: http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s490/itmitica/itmitica-teams-er-diagram.png
The SQL for tables creation:
CREATE TABLE States (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
States_PK PRIMARY KEY(id)
CREATE TABLE Cities (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
start_date DATE,
end_date DATE,
old_id INTEGER,
state_id INTEGER,
PRIMARY KEY(id),
FOREIGN KEY(old_id)
REFERENCES Cities(id),
FOREIGN KEY(state_id)
REFERENCES States(id)
CREATE TABLE Sports (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
Sports_PK PRIMARY KEY(id)
CREATE TABLE Conferences (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
season SMALLINT,
sport_id INTEGER,
PRIMARY KEY(id),
FOREIGN KEY(sport_id)
REFERENCES Sports(id)
CREATE TABLE Teams (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
start_date DATE,
end_date DATE,
old_id INTEGER,
city_id INTEGER,
PRIMARY KEY(id),
FOREIGN KEY(old_id)
REFERENCES Teams(id),
FOREIGN KEY(city_id)
REFERENCES Cities(id)
CREATE TABLE Coaches (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
Coaches_PK PRIMARY KEY(id)
CREATE TABLE Mascotes (
id SERIAL,
name VARCHAR,
start_date DATE,
end_date DATE,
team_id INTEGER,
PRIMARY KEY(id),
FOREIGN KEY(team_id)
REFERENCES Teams(id)
CREATE TABLE Coaches_Teams (
coach_id INTEGER,
team_id INTEGER,
start_date DATE,
end_date DATE,
FOREIGN KEY(coach_id)
REFERENCES Coaches(id),
FOREIGN KEY(team_id)
REFERENCES Teams(id)
CREATE TABLE Conferences_Teams (
team_id INTEGER,
conference_id INTEGER,
FOREIGN KEY(team_id)
REFERENCES Teams(id),
FOREIGN KEY(conference_id)
REFERENCES Conferences(id)
@gregs -
How is this different than this thread? It looks to be the same data, the same breakdown....
Sorry about that, DaveMaxwell.It had been a long time since I had visited and this site seems to have changed.I didn't know how to find my old post.
Thanks for all your help, Dave and Itmitica.
Even after all the help you two have given, I still can't understand it and am just going to give up on this personal project.
That's OK.
Good luck with the rest of your projects, and maybe, someday, you'll get back to this and own it.
I have had a couple days to sit around and stew over this and thought of a way I can understand it better.
The way I see it, EACH team is it's own separate entity, so why can't I just forego the STARTDATE and ENDDATE on the SP_TEAMS table and just insert them like so?

TeamID TeamName TeamMascot TeamConference TeamYear TeamState
1 Oak Ridge Lumberjacks 1 2012 4
2 Ridgeview Eagles 1 2012 4
Then the next year just make another entry, the teams being separate entities each season
3 Oak Ridge Lumberjacks 1 2013 4
and over the years, just having it keep adding them like so
4 Oak Ridge Lumberjacks 1 2020 4

Where would the problem be with this? The TeamMascot would be a link, but I just put
it in for easier reading. I also don't foresee this database ever having over a
million files. Just saying.


text:
Top 10 Chic Hotels
TALKIN' `BOUT BAD GIRLS: Kate Christensen, Trouble
ELLE's hands-down favorite novelist, and sometime contributor, Christensen is the real deal: a proven best-seller with In the Drink and winner of literature's prestigious 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for her last novel, The Great Man. But this time out, she's in a wild mood, kicking off her latest with a wickedly spot-on rant about someone who preternaturally resembles Madonna. Soon we're deep into a girlfriends-in-distress yarn about a woman who has just walked away from her marriage holing up in a Mexico City hotel with her longtime best girlfriend, a rock-star who's fleeing tabloid hell. And what they get up to south of the border is nothing but more, you guessed it, trouble. Our July Reader's Prize panel dug it, and you will too.
GOTTA LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING DEPT.: Michael Taeckens, ed., Love Is a Four-Letter Word: True Stories of Breakups, Bad Relationships, and Broken Hearts
Jessica Simpson, sweetie, have I got the book for you! In fact, Tony Romo telling security at his gated community to take you off the "admit" list would have stood proudly with the best of the death-of-romance punch lines in this snappy, crackly, poppin' little paperback. (Go ahead, drop it in the sand—drop it in the water! No big deal. And trust me—you will drop it, laughing and/or crying, probably even before you get to the end of Junot Diaz's opening account of cheating on his girlfriend, fessing up just before taking her to visit his childhood home in the Dominican Republic, and ending up physically attacking a huge tortoise shell in their bedroom.) This week various contributors to the book are posting codas, second thoughts, and random notes on the publisher's website, so you can double your pleasure—or mortification—after you read their grimly hilarious and hilariously grim remembrances. Jessica—listen, baby, everybody plays the...oh, never mind. It's just—you've got plenty of company. Here's proof—and I loved it.
10 Records to Rock the Pool Party


text:
A FUN packed variety night promises plenty of spoken word in a new location.
ConFab Cabaret comes to Olivers in Bellevue Terrace, Malvern, from 8pm to 11pm on Wednesday, March 19 following the recent closure of the nearby Re-con in Church Street.
The entertainment marks the event's first birthday and will feature a cappella quintuplets the Decadent Divas and Men in General along with candles, cake, surprises, comedy, singing, audience poem performances and the silliest raffle.
The next two events take place on Wednesday, May 7 and Wednesday, June 18, with the venues yet to be confirmed.
Entry is by donation.
For more information, go to facebook.com/ConFabCabaret.


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 5/3/2013 (1632 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Canadian Football League has finally put their 2013 schedule in their fans' hands.
And Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans, take note: the new Investors Group Field will first be christened by a preseason game on June 12th vs. the Grey-Cup champion Toronto Argonauts and also play host to the club's first real game of the season -- their home opener June 27th vs. the Montreal Alouettes.
The Bombers will play three of their first five games at home, including consecutive dates with the Argos on July 19th and Calgary Stampeders on July 26th.
"It's a good schedule for the fans," said Bomber head coach Tim Burke. "There's a lot of good dates and we know attendance will be good because it works around the schedule people keep in the summer and fall.
"And from our perspective as a team, it's going to be tough. There are five back-to-back matchups (against the same team) and three are consecutive. We're going to have to ask our team to be mentally tough and separate the two contests from each other from a psychological point of view.
"But they also lessened the number of short weeks we had in the original draft, so that was good."
The schedule features the traditional back-to-back dates with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, with the Labour Day Classic slated for Sept. 1st in Regina and the Banjo Bowl a week later here in Winnipeg. The other four back-to-back meetings include: Montreal on June 27/July 4; Hamilton on Aug 16/24; Edmonton on Sept. 14/20 and Toronto on Oct. 19/24.
As well, there is also a stretch in October where the club plays three games over an 11 day stretch -- Oct. 14th at Montreal and then the back-to-back with the Argos on Oct. 19th and 24th.
"You have to adapt to whatever your schedule is," said Burke. "We're not the only team with challenges. Toronto has a stretch where they play seven away games over an eight-game stretch.
"The one advantage in Winnipeg is our crowd. I definitely think we have a home-field advantage because of our crowd and it will interesting because of the way the new stadium is designed it should be pretty loud – even louder than Canad Inns Stadium was."
The playoffs open on Nov. 10th with the 101st Grey Cup in Regina going on Sunday, Nov. 24th.
Twitter: @WFPEdTait


text:
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Check out screenshots of dashboards and reports within CA UIM.


text:
The Army is developing a tool aimed at reducing altitude sickness in deployed soldiers. The tool will supply commanders who are preparing for missions with an altitude-acclimatization model that predicts at what point a soldier might feel the effects of acute mountain sickness (AMS), as well as the potential severity of the symptoms.
The ultimate goal for researchers is to create software that will run on a wristwatch, GPS or smartphone. "We are currently collaborating with MIT's Lincoln Laboratory to get this technology into a smartphone-based application," Beth Beidleman of the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (pictured), said in a written statement. "It is important for us to provide a really basic planning tool that anyone could easily use."
Image credit: David Kamm, U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center
Army Ultra Light Vehicle Prototype: Visual Tour
Army, Marines Get New Battlefield Computers
10 Breakthrough DARPA Technologies
Military Uses Big Data As Spy Tech
U.S. Military Units Share IT, Save $1.2 Billion
Army Makes Cloud Email Migration


text:
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The Original Muck Boot Company™ provides comfortable boots for messy and tough conditions. These Camo Camp Shoes have all the standard MUCK BOOT™ features and more that make them durable and comfortable for outdoor sporting. The stretch-fit topline binding snugs ankles to keep unwanted dirt and pebbles out while the CR flex-foam bootie helps to keep feet dry. A full-perimeter outsole provides maximum protection to toe, arch and heel area and the Trac Trol design enhances traction and stability. These camp shoes will keep you comfortable in almost any condition with a comfort range of sub-freezing conditions to 85ºF.
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Today, the MUCK BOOT™ brand defines a standard of comfort and quality that goes beyond the expectations of customers around the country. Quickly establishing a strong and loyal customer base, the brand has become one of the fastest growing lines in the waterproof footwear market.


text:
TWO teenagers are gearing up for an international fundraising challenge to support blind and visually impaired people.
Students Josh Arnold, 17, and George Gilham, 18, will attempt to cycle from London to Paris in just 24 hours to raise cash for Somerset Sight.
The duo, who both study at Richard Huish College in Taunton, will cycle a gruelling 280 miles in September as part of the Ride24 Action Challenge.
Josh said: "I've fundraised doing physical challenges before; I took part in the Great South Run but have never done anything on this scale.
"George and I have always cycled together. When we were younger we would regularly ride ten miles to visit each other but that's nothing like the 280 miles we are preparing for."
The lads will ride through Kent and Dover, catch an evening ferry across the channel before continuing into France, finishing the following midday near the Eiffel Tower.
In preparation for the ride to the French capital, they will cycle from London to Brighton and back next month.
George said: "We wanted to raise funds for a local cause that makes a real difference in the community, for something where we know we'll have an impact."
Somerset Sight provides help and support to people of all ages with all types of visual impairment and is based on Staplegrove Road.
If you would like to sponsor Josh and George, get in touch with Saskia Pearlstone at the charity on 01823-366147, or visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ride24
You can also show your support on Twitter @LondontoParis24


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Do you know what you can legally burn in Kentucky?
Open burning presents serious health risks.
A free one-hour session, Learn Before You Burn will be offered from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 at the Williamstown City Building.
The program will be an overview of Kentucky s open burning regulations. For more information, call 859-743-0857.
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A Practical Guide To Picking Guys Up At The Airport
I'm no longer a single traveler, but I was, OH I WAS, for most of my 20s. And not to big myself up or anything, but I did well at airports. You're probably asking yourself, What does she mean by well? I mean at least a dozen phone numbers/email addresses, three dates, two hookups (one in-air!), one free ride home, two free tickets to a concert and one (kind of) long distance romance. I won't regale you with the details of these airport meetings — although one guy did almost miss his flight to run back to my terminal and buy me a latte at Starbucks. That was awfully sweet and rom-com-ish of him. What I will share with you are my own tips for working some magic at the terminal.
1. Wear something presentable. None of that traveling in your PJs and UGGs crap. Yes, you have to wake up and 5 a.m. to catch your flight and who wants to put on shoes or, God forbid, mascara at that ungodly hour? I'm not saying get as dressed up as Kim Kardashian does to travel, but at least take a shower and put on something with a zipper. It's good to be comfortable when you'll be sitting in a tiny seat for hours, but keep in mind that there's an off chance you'll see someone attractive. Actually, it's not an off chance. It's highly likely. So take an extra 30 seconds and put on some blush.
2. Get to the airport early. This is a good idea, for starters, because you don't want to miss your flight. But there are other benefits to having an hour to kill at the terminal. You have time to buy overpriced snacks and browse for books you'd never otherwise read! You have time to pee before you're 32,000 feet in the air! You have time for a glass of wine in the airport bar before your flight takes off! Airport bars are great places to meet male people.
3. Gate/ security line/ baggage claim flirting. You don't have any control over who you sit next to on the plane. All you can do is pray that you won't be sitting next to Gassy Gus. But we can only control what's in our sphere of influence and that includes what security line we choose and where we sit while waiting to board and who we stand next to while waiting for our luggage. This is the part where you CHOOSE to sit /stand next to the attractive person that you'd like to strike up conversation with and do so. And nice thing about being at the airport is that there are sooo many things to complain about and complaining is the best way to break the ice. Or at least, I think so.
4. Practice your travel attitude. I have this thing that I do when I go out of town where I choose to leave anything and everything negative or vexing at home when I travel. It's a c'est la vie carpe diem que sera, sera sort of vibe that I like to go for. And I begin practicing it the moment I arrive at the airport. SURPRISE! The opposite sex is more attracted to me when I'm not a stressball. Cray.


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15% Off Metallic Embellished Art
New Canvas Art
Discover the latest and greatest kids wall art from Oopsy Daisy! Our new canvas art collection showcases recent releases that you can't find anywhere else. Discover canvas wall art for kids from new artists as well as your favorite creators of unique canvas art prints.
Questions? 619.640.6649
Shop for the latest Oopsy Daisy canvas art by contemporary artists. Each piece of art is custom made to order just for you. Many kids are canvases can be personalized with your child's name, so go ahead and create a one of a kind supporting environment of your one of a kind little one
- Quality –Each piece of canvas wall art is custom made and is created using the best digital reproduction method currently available achieving great clarity and color resolution in each piece. The canvases are then stretched by hand over a custom built 1½" wood frame
- Make it personal – Personalization with your child's name is available on a wide variety of our stretched art
- Easy to clean - Clean with a soft, dry or slightly damp cloth
- Framing – While not needed for our canvases, solid wood framing in a contemporary shadow box style is available in ten sizes and two color choices
- Made in the USA


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Meatless Monday is a global movement, a way of life. It's not a campaign to turn everyone in the world vegetarian or vegan; in fact, many involved are meat-lovers. Eating less meat has been proven to reduce the risk of disease, curb obesity and has important environmental impacts, too. Will you join us in giving up meat, just for one day a week?
I'm kind of over Eggplant Parmesan. In the 15 or so years since I gave up meat, I've probably eaten it 300 times. It's the default vegetarian option at almost every wedding or banquet I've ever been to. It's often the only meatless meal on restaurant menus, and my family members — those who don't try to convince me that poultry is vegetarian — make it for me at nearly every family event.
But just like chicken isn't the only meat that can get the Parmesan treatment, eggplant isn't the only vegetable that can get Parmesan-ed. Zucchini Parmesan is just as good as, if not better than, Eggplant Parmesan. The hearty vegetable (is it actually a fruit? I think so.) holds up well to the breading, frying and cheese-topping. You can substitute zucchini for eggplant in the traditional casserole, or make Zucchini Parmesan subs, topped with fresh tomato sauce and provolone cheese.
The zucchini are breaded in panko, Japanese breadcrumbs — they're coarser and a bit more crisp than regular breadcrumbs and you can find them in most grocery stores, near the regular breadcrumbs.
Zucchini Parmesan Subs With Tomatoes and Basil
3 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds mixed shapes and sizes tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste
About 12 fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons whole milk
3 large eggs, beaten
Oil, for deep frying (we love a mix of pure olive oil and corn oil)
Four 7 to 8 inch-long hoagie rolls or baguettes, split
20 thin slices provolone cheese (about 11 ounces)
Cut the zucchini in half crosswise and then into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. If the center slice is very seedy, discard it. Arrange the slices on a paper towel-lined pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, turning so you get both sides. Cover with another paper towel and set aside about 1 hour, letting the excess liquid weep from the zucchini.
Meanwhile, dice, halve or chunk the tomatoes, depending on their size and your whim. Put in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Tear the basil into pieces and add to the bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate.
Mix together the panko, Parmesan, thyme and oregano and season with 1 tablespoon salt and some pepper in a broad, flat bowl or pan. Put the flour in a lipped plate or bowl. In a third bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together. (Have a bowl of water for dipping your fingers to keep them clean while breading.)
Blot the zucchini very dry with paper towels. Dredge the zucchini slices in the flour, then dip in the egg and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning as needed to coat completely. Shake off excess breading and transfer to a baking sheet.
Pour about 3/4-inch oil in a medium straight-sided skillet; heat over medium heat until it registers 365 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, fry the zucchini slices, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towels and season with salt. (The zucchini can be fried up to 2 hours before serving.)
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the rolls, split-side up, on a baking sheet and drizzle some of the juice from the tomatoes over the bread. Cover the bottom roll with the zucchini and top with the provolone, then toast under the broiler to melt. Add the tomatoes and cover with the roll tops. Slice and serve.
More Meatless Zucchini Recipes:


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HOUSTON - It's a topic that's gaining national attention and even fueling controversy in what is inarguably one of the fastest growing segments of our population.
In the United States, "Hispanic" is considered an ethnicity, but that could change.
The U.S. census is considering classifying Hispanics as a race and eliminating the Hispanic origin question.
"I think it would be nice to have it, the Hispanic, because I relate more to that than checking white or checking something else that I really don't consider myself," Houstonian Stephanie Munoz said.
But it may not be embraced by everyone. University of Houston sociology Professor Luis Salinas foresees problems if the changes come to pass. He said he believes Latino advocacy groups in particular, who already feel boxed in by the current race categories, may take issue with it.
"The 45 percent of Hispanics who classify themselves as white are going to say, 'What happened to me?' So it is definitely not going to please everybody," Salinas said.
Whether they are for or against it, it is nonetheless telling. The 51 million Hispanics in the United States now make up more than 16 percent of the population, surpassing African-Americans as the largest minority group in the U.S.
"A lot of people are now getting used to us being here and being a race now. They are getting more comfortable," Houstonian Coytano Chavez said.
This would be the first major adjustment to the census since 2000 when people, for the first time, were allowed to check more than one race.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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[Video] HALLS Eater let Japanese idols feed you virtual Candy on iPhone or iPad
First of all, thanks to anyone who sent us this! Now let's talk about this "Japanese" wonder, Halles Eater a free iPhone and iPad app (Also accessible on the US App Store) made to solely to promote "Halls Candy". Only available in Japa[...]


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Capital leasing is a routine way of financing capital equipment. In 1987, the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act (STURAA) started Federal support for capital leasing and it continues today in 49 U.S.C 5301 (a)(1)(F).
How Capital Leasing Works
Grantees may use Federal funds for capital assistance for up to 80 percent the cost of acquiring transit assets by lease. A capital lease can be used to purchase capital equipment such as vehicles or it can be used to purchase a combination of capital and maintenance services such as chassis rebuilding and engine/drive train replacement. Transit agencies use cost-benefit analysis to decide whether to lease or buy.
A capital lease may include financing charges and ancillary costs such as delivery and installation. Also, capital leases can not be longer than the useful life of the asset nor less than 75% of the useful life of the leased asset.
Leasing helps agencies with insufficient revenues meet project requirements; it increases their cash flow to match outlays. It is often used to facilitate fleet replacement or to accelerate capital rehabilitation and replacement policies which can lead to reductions in operating and maintenance costs. Overall, capital leasing helps reduce capital acquisition costs by moving forward purchases of expensive capital assets when capital costs are rising faster than the general level of inflation.
There are some risks associated with leasing. As FTA program funds are subject to annual Congressional appropriations, this is some level of uncertainty for future lease payments. Contractual lease payments may also limit future funding available from FTA grants for the duration of the lease period. In order to acquire the title on the asset, a grantee may need to pay a "bargain purchase option" at the end of lease term. Finally, future tax code changes are uncertain, which may impact the leasing industry.
More information capital lease requirements pertaining to FTA programs can be found in 49 CFR 639 and in Chapter IV(3)(j)(2) of FTA Circular 5010.1D, "Grant Management Requirements."


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"Summer Sizzler Event". Ends 9/3/2017
Status: Available | Condition: New | Edition:Limited Edition | Edition Size: Limited Edition Of 195 | Dim:18 x 45 | Norm Clasen| Item #: NCL006GISNU1845
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Long Herd By Norm Clasen Giclee On Canvas Signed & Numbered by Norm Clasen Norm Clasen.
It s said that one picture is worth a thousand words….this is an apt description for every image shot by famed photographer Norm Clasen. As a free-lance photographer, Clasen has traveled the globe recording man, nature, and the world around us. With a very successful career spanning four decades, the photographer-artist is passionate about his work. Clasen s images have been featured in numerous magazines in this country, as well as in European publications. One the most exciting periods in his career was being chosen as a photographer for the world-famous "Marlboro Man" advertising campaign for twelve years, considered to be one of the most recognizable images of all time. As a result of Clasen working with many ranchers and becoming friends with them while shooting the Marlboro images, the artist began his love affair with the iconic West. The artist s interests began focusing on the magnificent horses that roam the ranches and plains. Marveling at their sheer power, grace, and beauty, Clasen attempts to capture the magic of the animals when in full flight as the dust swirls around them and their manes float through the air. Few landscapes are too challenging for Clasen – filming in dust, rain or snow and pushing light to its limit have resulted in this photographer-artist creating some of his most memorable and dramatic images. Clasen s work usually reflects natural elements as the main focus using 35mm equipment in either film or digital formats. In some cases, he enhances the photographs to create an artistic aura, taking on a painting-like feeling, but maintaining their photographic quality. Always striving to reflect the timeless nature of the West, Clasen produces photographs that are at-once classic, but created with modern technology, and yet evoking softer, grainy images that appear to echo from the past. Clasen refers to this aspect of his work as "artography" and believes it is a new and evolving genre for the art market. Norm and his wife, Laura, reside on a ranch in Colorado with horses and Max the Wonderdog. With a magnificent landscape to call home, the photographer and his wife are forever grateful to be surrounded with the ever-changing beauty of nature. Join Norm Clasen as he records a world that never disappoints and offers a new vista at every turn.


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The development studies minor is made up of courses from several different disciplines, all of which share a focus on the process of change and development of nations in the Global South. The minor includes courses that focus on the concerns of specific regions and courses on the process of development in general.
For more information, contact Brenda Wyss, coordinator.


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1st and 3rd Sundays
Sundays: 10:00 am / $20
Class postponed until October 1st, 2017
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Specializing In Private Classes
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The Why & How of Meditation
One Saturday: 2:00 - 4:00 pm / $50
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Today's Yoga Schedule
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The Yoga Center has Moved — Upstairs!
Check out the photos of the even bigger space.
Astrological Consultations
Astrology reveals our personality patterns which allows us to gain greater control over our lives. Astrology provides insight into our self-chosen experiences for this Life.
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Spiritual Life Counseling
Are you in a difficult cycle? Do you feel stuck? Need some perspective?
Find out more
The Kriya Yoga Center was created to provide a place in the community for people to learn ways to improve their spiritual lives through the practice of Yoga.
Serving Northwest Denver & Wheat Ridge since 1995.
The Kriya Yoga Center is a traditional Yoga Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado offering classes in Asana (posture), Meditation, the classic 8 limbs of Yoga Philosophy and many other spiritual subjects. All are welcome here.
Michael began his studies with his Guru, Goswami Kriyananda, in the early 1970s, focusing on Yoga Philosophy, Meditation, Hatha Yoga, Mysticism and Astrology. He has been teaching ever since.
Kriya Yoga is self-discipline, self-study and attunement to the indwelling Reality. Yoga-Sutras of Patanjali II-I


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Excerpted from Education for a Civil Society: How Guidance Teaches Children Democratic Life Skills (pp. 98–100) | by Dan Gartrell
An important time to have contact talks is when children arrive in the morning. While this is generally a busy time for teachers, the effort to arrive a bit earlier in order to have the room ready enough to greet children individually can make a difference in teachers' relationships with children and in setting the tone for the day. Here is an example of a morning contact talk.
In emotional terms, it might seem like this contact talk took several minutes. But in actuality, it took less than two minutes and only six exchanges. Jason no doubt made Jeb's day less difficult by his willingness to listen to Jeb and to offer support. When later that morning Jeb spilled his glue, Jason was able to take Jeb's perspective and help the boy cope. Otherwise Jeb might have exploded in frustration—and Jason might not have understood why. Contact talks are key in supportive teaching.


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Color printers hit higher speeds
Vendors rev the engines, but short- and long-term costs remain high
Color printers on the office network can serve important purposes. Your organization's design or publications group probably considers a color printer essential for creating public documents such as Web page layouts, brochures, mailers, and posters. They're handy in finance, marketing, and other departments for producing reports, presentations, and other internal documents.
Some offices might have the volume or graphics-intensive apps necessary for one of the fast, 30-plus-ppm (pages per minute) printers we reviewed recently; for the rest, there's a wide selection of models with midrange engine-speed specs of 20 ppm to 30 ppm for printing in color. This group encompasses both the letter/legal-size printers most businesses use, plus tabloid-size models for more specialized jobs.
New models offer diverse talents
Our roundup compares eight office printers from seven major vendors, all with midrange engine-speed specs of 24 ppm to 30 ppm for color printing. Despite the narrow speed range, the diverse lineup includes six letter/legal-size printers and two tabloid-size, and one that marks the image with LEDs instead of a laser.
We also tested the Xerox Phaser 8550DX, which uses solid ink instead of powdered toner to lay color on the page. Midrange printers that appeared in last year's roundup were not retested, but some are still available. A few vendors were caught between product cycles and couldn't participate.
The three top-rated printers in our roundup -- Ricoh's Aficio CL7200, Hewlett-Packard's Color LaserJet 5550dtn, and Xerox's Phaser 6300DN -- show how far the midrange category has come in the past year and a half. Engine-speed specs continue to rise: Xerox claims the Phaser 6300DN can print monochrome documents as fast as 36 ppm and color ones as fast as 26 ppm. Although our tests showed the usual -- sometimes vast -- difference between the ideal and the real, the Phaser 6300DN was still one of the fastest printers we tested, posting an average speed of 21.7 ppm printing a plain-text file and 13.8 ppm printing various graphics files.
Print quality is also improving: The Ricoh Aficio CL7200 and the HP Color LaserJet 5550dtn were adept both at finely drawn text and realistic, nicely saturated color graphics. Some of the other printers we tested still struggled with these issues but rarely to a distressing degree.
We wish we could say color printer costs have come down, too, but they haven't much. The wide price range among the printers we tested largely reflects differences in the configurations we received. Among the letter/legal-size machines, Lexmark's bare-bones C760n looks cheap at $999; when we priced all the printers with similar configurations, however, the Lexmark joined most of the others in the range from about $2,450 to $2,850. The Kyocera Mita FS-C5030N's $3,700 street price looks high, but its long-life consumables will save you a bundle over time. Our two tabloid-size machines cost more, but they offer wider paper paths that are ideal for producing booklets and posters.
Extra memory is a one-time purchase, but if you buy it from the printer vendor, it can cost a bundle. The good news is that third-party memory costs next to nothing; the bad news is that some vendors don't want you to enjoy such bargains.
Hewlett-Packard Color LaserJet 5550dtn
HP's Color LaserJet 5550dtn is one of two tabloid-size printers we tested. It ranked near the top thanks to strong showings in every scoring category except Value. Although the 5550dtn is a very good printer, Ricoh's tabloid-size CL7200 meets or beats it in most categories and costs considerably less.
The Color LaserJet 5550dtn's tested speeds were very good, and its print quality was outstanding. It produced the best text of the lot -- dark, matte-black, very clean, even at small sizes -- at a good 20.0-ppm clip. Color graphics printed faster than most at 13.2 ppm, with good detail and smooth transitions between shades. Our grayscale photo sample looked clean and detailed but overly dark.
We liked most aspects of the design. The power switch is safely recessed but easily accessible; the integrated toner cartridge/image drum units slip in and out easily; handles and levers inside the printer are color-coded. The control panel makes sense at first glance, with buttons for navigating the menu list, locking in a selection, and backing out. The main paper tray has a single-sheet bypass, so you can quickly print a page on media that's not already loaded.
On the downside, the trays lack paper-size labels. On the rolling floor model we tested, the auxiliary tray sticks out where it's likely to bump some shins. Despite the LCD's warning, impatient users printing in duplex might still try to pull out the page when it emerges partway before turning around to print the other side. The setup documentation is sparse; essential steps such as driver installation and network configuration are relegated to the included CD.
The Color LaserJet 5550dtn is pricey, and not just because it's a tabloid-size printer. Based on our cost-of-consumables calculations, it could cost a whopping $13,317 to maintain for five years, compared with $7,639 for the tabloid-size Ricoh Aficio CL7200. The $4,999 wheeled configuration we tested includes a duplexer, two 500-sheet tabloid-size trays, and a foldout auxiliary tray that can handle 12-inch-by-18-inch paper. A desktop model costs $3,549.
You can equip the Color LaserJet 5550dtn with one or two more 500-sheet trays for $449 each; add a 20GB hard drive for a steep $479; and bump the memory up from the default 288MB to 544MB. HP's branded memory is expensive, too, but the company allows you to install third-party DIMMs without the dire warnings many vendors issue.
Konica Minolta magicolor 5450
The Konica Minolta magicolor 5450's biggest strengths are its zippy printing speed and good graphics quality. The $1,799 basic configuration we tested is inexpensive, too. Problems with its text quality, features, and ease-of-use make it an acceptable, but unremarkable, color printer.
Text printed quickly, averaging 20.4 ppm, but letters looked grayish instead of black, and less crisp than we'd like. Its 12.6-ppm weighted graphics speed was quicker than most, and the output was very good: Grayscale photos were dark, but clean and detailed; color photos had sharp focus and a natural look. Pie charts and presentation slides sometimes struggled with transitions from light to dark shades, but the colors looked pretty good.
The magicolor 5450 has some clumsy design elements. For lifting, it has one steel rod that pokes out of a slot and one indented handgrip; the odd combination makes moving the printer awkward. Plastic pegs inside the paper tray that function as length and width guides are hard to remove and reinsert. Inside the tray, a metal plate on stiff springs pushes paper up to the picker (a rubber roller at the front of the tray), which interferes with adding or removing paper. The tray itself seems delicate. The letter/legal-size MPT (multipurpose tray), which folds down from the right side, is fairly sturdy except for a lightweight extension on the end.
Other design elements are clever. The toner cartridge/drum assemblies slide partway out and then catch on a peg, which helps you avoid dropping them. Directional navigation buttons, plus another button to accept a setting, make menu surfing easy. A PictBridge port on the left side near the front will print directly from digital cameras; on our test unit, that feature was waiting for a flash download to activate it. Unfortunately, the port doesn't read key drives.
Konica Minolta prices its options for the magicolor 5450 competitively. You can add a duplexer for $400, stack the printer on one or two 500-sheet feeders for $299 each, or install a 40GB hard drive for $349. The company charges less than other vendors for additional memory -- especially a 256MB module for $149 -- and explicitly recommends memory from Crucial Technology. Its consumables are expensive, however, especially in the early years: The first year's food bill runs $2,640 by our calculations.
Kyocera Mita FS-C5030N
Kyocera Mita's main claim to printer fame is its ceramic imaging drums, whose long life span cuts down on total cost of ownership. In the case of the FS-C5030N, however, the printer's sluggish performance, uneven color quality, and other shortcomings still make it a hard bargain.
The printer's average text speed of 18.5 ppm and its weighted graphics speed of 9.8 ppm were among the slowest of all the printers tested. Text looked very good, with a slight roughness to the letters that was barely visible to the unaided eye. Color graphics suffered from visible gaps between abutting blocks of solid colors -- even after we ran the printer's manual color-registration routine. In other places, colors that were supposed to blend didn't overlap completely. We noticed streaking on large areas of solid color. Photos looked grainy, and transitions looked abrupt, although detail was sharp.
The FS-C5030N offered a mixed bag of features. Setup documentation was thorough and clear, but the CD didn't have the driver we needed, and the unhelpful file descriptions on Kyocera Mita's Web site made it hard to find. The paper tray's length and width guides are hard to adjust. On the other hand, we liked turning the dial inside the tray to announce the paper size both to the printer and to users. Clearing jams is easy: The paper path slides out on rails. The control panel is easy to read and navigate.
The FS-C5030N is one of the few printers that's cheaper to operate than an SUV. With inexpensive toner and no parts to replace until a 200,000-page maintenance kit, your first 50,000 prints will cost less than half of what many other color lasers consume. The long-term savings will quickly offset the printer's rather high purchase price: The $3,104 configuration we tested came with the optional ($479) hard drive, but only 128MB of memory. Extra 500-page paper trays cost a reasonable $299 each -- you can add up to three of them -- as does a duplexer. Kyocera Mita's memory prices are outrageous, and the company says the use of third-party memory voids the warranty.
Lexmark C760n
The Lexmark C760n's midpack ranking reflects its tricky balance of better and worse attributes. The bare-bones model we tested has the lowest purchase price in the roundup, but upgrade and consumables costs get pricey fast. Both text and graphics speeds are about average for the group, but text quality falls short of the mark. This printer would work best in an office that needs some color printing and retains a monochrome laser for high-volume loads.
The C760n averaged a good 19.9 ppm printing text. Letters looked bold and black, but we noticed choppiness on both straight lines and curves. On thick strokes, we observed tiny white spots. The printer's weighted graphics speed was a good 12.2 ppm. Solid blocks of color came out well, and transitions between shades looked smooth, but registration was slightly off on blended colors. Color photographs had attractive colors and a natural look, although focus seemed a bit soft; grayscale photos were sharp and clean.
The C760n's design is generally convenient. The front door folds up 180 degrees so it doesn't get in your way. The auxiliary tray that folds out from the left side needs to open only a couple of inches, which saves desktop space. The control panel's six buttons also function as numerals to enter PIN codes for secure print jobs, but they don't work for entering an IP address. The printer itself has two handgrips along the bottom, making it easy for one fairly strong person to lift.
Less welcome features included the control panel's LCD, which is not backlit. The output surface on top of the printer is so smooth that printed pages tend to stick to it. The main input tray is sturdy enough but lacks rails or stops to keep it in place; it was too easy to pull out and dump on the floor. The fuser lacks real handles; if a print jams there, you'll have to wait for the fuser to cool before you can clear the jam.
The C760n's pricing structure is no bargain. Upgrading the machine to a similar configuration as the others in this roundup elevates its price to about $2,500. Lexmark charges astounding prices for memory and charges the most for consumables. After five years, you'll have spent $15,200 on supplies, almost $2,000 more than for any other printer reviewed here.
Oki Printing Solutions C7350hdn
The well-equipped, well-priced Oki Printing Solutions' C7350hdn rated well on most factors we evaluated. Its four arrays of fixed LEDs carry a remarkably long five-year warranty -- the rest of the printer has the standard one-year coverage. Who wouldn't want this printer? Someone who wants an alternative to Oki's pricey memory.