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In Search of a New Admin for the Hearth 01/17/2012
The Hearth isn't just flickering - the fire is out. As much as it pains me, I have to admit that I just don't have the time to run the Hearth, and it is time to pass the flint and tinder to someone else.
What Would You Have to Do?
We've already made some great strides in moving the Carnival to a blog with a feed and reconfiguring the posting schedule. But we need someone to take up the day-to-day administrative duties. If you're interested, please send an email to comments [at]anthropologyinpractice.com and answer the following questions:
Please submit applications by January 31, 2012.
Four Stone Hearth 119: Refiring the Hearth 10/01/2011
Krystal D'Costa hosts the hearth's refiring at Anthropology in Practice:
Four Stone Hearth is the anthropology blog carnival. It owes its origin to Martin Rundkvist of Aardvarchaeology, who administered the site for four years before passing the torch to Afarensis. The Hominin requested a temporary host a few months ago while he dealt with some health problems, and I volunteered—and the job sort of stuck.
But the carnival has sort of languished recently. Interest has been low despite a few recent rallying attempts, and after polling the anthropology community, some changes were made to make the carnival a bit more media friendly:
In the meantime, here is a look at new and recent discussions in anthropology around the web [Read more]
To volunteer for hosting duties, please contact us.
The refiring of the hearth will happen this Saturday, Oct. 1 at Anthropology in Practice.
Please send interesting anthropology posts to this address. Feel free to submit both your own work as well as that of others.
Hope to see you around the hearth soon ... we'll have marshmallows.
Can We Refire the Hearth? 09/23/2011
Unfortunately, the Hearth has gone out. But perhaps there is still a chance to rekindle the fire. I'd like to rally the community to see if we can relaunch Four Stone Hearth, but it will be necessary to institute some changes -- not many, but hopefully enough to breathe some life into this venture:
I'd also like to consider rebranding, which means a new banner. If someone would like to offer their services, please contact us.
Sam Wise of Sorting Out Science is hosting the 120th edition of the anthropology blog carnival. Why not take your morning coffee/tea/whiskey over there for a quick perusal?
Thanks for hosting, Sam! We're in need of future hosts, so contact us if you're interested.
FSH 120 to be hosted by Sorting Out Science 06/20/2011
The next edition of the carnival will be hosted by Sam Wise at Sorting Out Science on June 22nd.
Please send him your submissions!
And We Are Live! 06/19/2011
Welcome to the new home of the Four Stone Hearth!
As the web hosting for the existing site was set to expire, it seemed like the right time to move the carnival to a blog setting, where we'll be able to easily implement some of the features you requested in our call for suggestions, such as an RSS Feed.
Afarensis and Krystal D'Costa will be co-administrating the carnival going forward. Please bear with us while we get the house in order, but feel free to make yourself at home. We'd love to hear your suggestions as well.
The Four Stone Hearth


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Sunday, December 02, 2012
Daniel Harvey Adler of Weston, a physician who delivered thousands of babies over four decades serving Westport and Weston, died Dec. 2 of natural causes at his Weston home, his wife Susan Adler said. He was 92.
A pioneer in his field, Adlerr was an early practitioner of the use of midwives in deliveries and in-office procedures like laparoscopy.
An outspoken advocate of women's reproductive rights, he provided pro bono care to indigent patients in Norwalk while operating a private OBGYN practice in Westport, from 1954 until 1985.
He was named the first chairman of the OBGYN department at Norwalk Hospital in 1980, a post he held until 1985.
During that time, he helped establish an exchange between Norwalk Hospital and Yale University, and through that served as an assistant clinical professor at Yale.
He later worked in an administrative role at Norwalk Hospital and for the OBGYN department at St. Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport until retiring in 2000 at the age of 80.
Adler was remarkably well read on all manner of current events, politics and academic subjects, and he was known for having a razor-sharp wit and sense of humor, his family said.
His interest in national and global affairs led to friendships with journalists Harry Reasoner and Gordon Manning, as well as others in film, science and other non-medical fields.
He was a passionate supporter of the Democratic Party and served on the Weston Democratic Town Committee.
He hosted presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy in his home and met with Democratic presidential hopefuls George McGovern and Sargent Shriver when they visited Westport. At 92, he reveled in the recent victory of President Obama.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Aug. 3 1920, he attended the University of Arizona, where he won a letter running varsity track, and he earned a Bachelor's degree at New York University and his MD at NYU College of Medicine.
He served as a captain in the U.S. Army in the Medical Corps from 1943 to 1948 and was posted at the 97th General Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany.
He did his internship and residency at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital and went into private practice in Brooklyn with his father, also an OBGYN, in 1950, before starting his own practice in Connecticut in 1954.
He is survived by his wife, Susan Buckley Adler, whom he married in 1964, sons from a previous marriage Andrew Adler and Roger Adler of Hartford, adopted son William Adler of Westport, and three grandchildren, Reid, Zachary and Amanda Adler. An adopted daughter, Felicity Adler, died in 1989.
Final arrangements will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his honor to Planned Parenthood or the Weston Volunteer Ambulance.
Posted 12/02/12 at 10:11 PM
I was saddened Sunday to learn of the death of Dr. Daniel Adler of Weston formerly of Westport. The community has lost another irreplaceable asset. Danny was the first obstetrician-gynegologist to open a practice in Westport. He was one of the first physicians to occupy the old Colonial Green Medical Office Building when it first opened in 1954 and was directly across the Post Road from the Congregational Church. His office was directly across the hall and opened at exactly the same time that I opened my office with my late wife Dr. Jean Beasley.
Danny Adler soon became one of the outstanding practitioners of his specialty. His office became the first, and the principal OB-Gyn group practice in Westport. After his retirement, those that he brought into practice continued the group which has now developed into the Avery Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology. He became the First Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Norwalk Hospital, and was a member of the Faculty of the Yale University School of Medicine. Danny was also responsible for developing the affiliation of Norwalk Hospitals Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with the Department at Yale.
In addition to his medical attributes, he has been over the years active and supportive of many of the social and political issues so important in the development and improvement of our society and our nation.
He will be missed by many of us, and we will forever be grateful for what he has offered to the medical profession, our community and the quality of our lives.
Thank you Dan, I shall always remember
My sympathy and thoughts to his wife Sue and his family.
Al Beasley
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Out Youth Austin today announced that the organization for LGBT youth has received a $25,000 grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation for Out Youth's K.Y.S.S. (Knowing Your Status is Smart) program for HIV prevention, testing and counseling for young people, ages 12-19, in Central Texas.
The group received a $25,000 grant for the same program in March from the London-based Red Hot Organization. The Elton John AIDS Foundation is based in New York.
Out Youth Austin Executive Director Candice Towe called the latest grant "a tremendous Christmas present" for the organization.
Monrovia Van Hoose, Out Youth's clinical director who oversees K.Y.S.S., said, "It's critical that GLBTQ youth have regular access to confidential HIV testing and counseling. Staff, clinical interns and volunteers have received intensive training to provide testing and counseling for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections."
According to a 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control, 48 percent of Americans ages 13-24 who are infected with HIV are unaware of their HIV status. In 2008, CDC noted that American youth are at "persistent risk" of HIV infection, and that many are "not concerned" about the risks of infection.


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Whilst the majority of people are still only discussing Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal as the three best Open source Content Management Systems, more and more commercial Open source Content Mangement Systems are launched. These systems will be reviewed through first hand experience. But, we will add to the equation, a Commercial Open Source CMS system and analyze the major differences between the three open source system and then group those open source system and compare them with a Commercial Open source system.
Only within the last year has Wordpress actually begun to step up as a true CMS. However the other two, Drupal and Joomla, have seemingly always been fighting for that top spot in the community. Both are open source, and both are widely developed with thousands of members in their community helping to develop and extend the possibilities of use for each. While Wordpress is considered the underdog in the CMS war, it is most definitely the king of blogging software (something that Joomla and Drupal struggle to do efficiently).


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Study of Human Central Nervous System Stem Cells (HuCNS-SC) in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
- Full Text View
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- How to Read a Study Record
|Age Related Macular Degeneration Macular Degeneration AMD
|Drug: HuCNS-SC cells
|Phase 1 Phase 2
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Phase I/II Study of the Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of Human Central Nervous System Stem Cells (HuCNS-SC) Subretinal Transplantation in Subjects With Geographic Atrophy of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Number of subjects with adverse events [ Time Frame: One year following transplant surgery ]Descriptive analysis of frequency and types of adverse events experienced by each subject during the study period.
- Assessment of visual function changes from baseline [ Time Frame: At frequent intervals for one year following transplantation ]Assessments will include BCVA by the E-ETDRS acuity test, fluorescein angiography and fundus photography, spectral domain ocular coherence tomography (OCT), microperimetry, multifocal electroretinography, contrast sensitivity, and a standardized questionnaire of visual function.
|Study Start Date:
|June 2012
|Study Completion Date:
|June 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|June 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: HuCNS-SC
HuCNS-SC cells
Drug: HuCNS-SC cells
HuCNS-SC cells transplantation directly into the subretinal space of one eye (Study eye) in a single transplant procedure.
Other Name: Human Central Nervous System Stem Cells
Detailed Description:
This study is an open-label dose-escalation investigation of the safety and preliminary efficacy of unilateral subretinal transplantation of HuCNS-SC cells in subjects with Geographic Atrophy secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Subjects will be enrolled based on specific inclusion/exclusion criteria and evaluated at regular post transplant intervals. The investigation will be divided into two sequential cohorts. Subjects will be enrolled into each cohort based on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) visual acuity as determined by the Electronic Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (E-ETDRS) acuity test. BCVA of less than or equal to 20/400 in the Study Eye will be enrolled in Cohort I. Subjects with BCVA of 20/320 to 20/100 in the Study Eye will be enrolled in Cohort II. Cohort I will consist of four subjects who will undergo transplant with 200,000 cells followed by four subjects who will undergo transplant with 1 million cells. Cohort II will consist of 7 subjects who will undergo transplant with 1 million cells. An independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) will review accruing safety data for all subjects.
HuCNS-SC cells will be transplanted by a board-certified vitreoretinal surgeon. The transplantation will be conducted in the eye with the inferior best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (i.e., the Study Eye). Only the Study Eye will undergo transplantation. The HuCNS-SC cells will be administered into the subretinal space through a standard surgical approach.
Immunosuppressive agents will be administered orally to all subjects for a period of three months after surgery.
Subjects will be monitored frequently for a total of one year after HuCNS-SC cell transplantation. An additional four years of monitoring will be conducted in a separate follow-up study that will commence with the termination visit of the Phase I/II investigation. The follow-up study will be conducted as a separate investigation.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|50 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration with geographic atrophy (GA)
- Only patients with a specific degree and extent of GA will be eligible
- Subjects with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of less than or equal to 20/400 in the Study Eye will be enrolled in Cohort I. Subjects with BCVA of 20/320 to 20/100 in the Study Eye will be enrolled in Cohort II
- No prior or current choroidal neovascularization in either eye
- Must have adequate care-giver support and access to medical care in the local community
- Able to provide written informed consent prior to any study related procedures
- Agree to comply in good faith with all conditions of the study and to attend all required study visits
Exclusion Criteria:
- Prior vitreal or retinal surgery
- Glaucoma
- Atrophic macular disease of any other cause
- Diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema in either eye
- Previous organ, tissue or bone marrow transplantation
- Previous participation in a gene transfer or a cell transplant trial
- Autoimmune disease
- Allergy to tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), scopolamine, Cyclogyl, Moxifloxacin, or Gatifloxacin
- Current or prior malignancy (or is on chemotherapy)
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01632527
|United States, California
|Retina-Vitreaous Associates Medical Group
|Los Angeles, California, United States, 90211
|Byers Eye Institute at Stanford, Stanford Hospital and Clinics
|Palo Alto, California, United States, 94303
|United States, New York
|New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
|New York, New York, United States, 10003
|United States, Texas
|Retina Research Institute of Texas
|Abilene, Texas, United States, 79606
|Retina Foundation of the Southwest
|Dallas, Texas, United States, 75231
|Study Director:
|Stephen Huhn, M.D.
|StemCells, Inc.
|Responsible Party:
|StemCells, Inc.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01632527 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
StemCells CL-N01-AMD
|Study First Received:
|June 21, 2012
|Last Updated:
|September 10, 2015
Keywords provided by StemCells, Inc.:
Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Geographic Atrophy of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Macular Degeneration
dry age-related macular degeneration
Dry AMD with GA
Stem Cell Transplantation
Stem Cell transplant
Stem cells for AMD
Human neural stem cells
multipotent stem cells
Dry AMD
Human central nervous system stemcells
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Macular Degeneration
Geographic Atrophy
Retinal Degeneration
Retinal Diseases
Eye Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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I should have been working tonight.
I had cows to milk, this commentary to write, laundry to do, animals that desperately needed practice before the upcoming fair, and many, many more chores on my to-do list for today – all of which seemed to be of extraordinary importance as I tried to speed through the day and cross items off that stupid list.
But I didn't do any of them, at least until now at nearly midnight as I sit at the keyboard.
I took the night off and went to see a movie with two dear, dear friends. Summer is half over, and yet, it was the first time in weeks and weeks and weeks that we slowed down enough to spend two hours in a dim small town, mom-and-pop theater, munching on salty, buttery popcorn, drinking ice-cold sodas and laughing until we almost cried. Okay, I did cry funny tears, but not at the movie; at my friends and the rest of the audience laughing at us laughing at each other.
Then we sat on my deck, swatting mosquitoes, visiting and catching up on each other's lives a little bit. It felt so good. So freeing. So needed. There may have been a bottle of wine involved, I cannot confirm or deny. But more importantly, my friends were there. And that's really all that was required. That and distance from the important tasks and daily minutiae that gobble up our time and attention.
It seems as though a ton of weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
Yes, the chores are still there. The problems are still there. The work is still there. But none of it feels insurmountable anymore, like it did earlier today.
Why do we wait to do things like this? Life is too short. As the evening ended, my friends and I promised we wouldn't wait this long to get together again. I hope we don't.
And I hope you don't wait to recharge your batteries either. It's all too easy to forget why we're here on this earth. It's not to work ourselves to death. It's to prop each other up. To do good wherever possible. And laugh whenever we can.


text:
What's your toddler's personality type?
Knowing this could impact your parenting style more than you realise. more
Most mums remember those nights when their child wandered into their bedroom soaked head to toe in their own urine. The good news is that bedwetting, also known as nocturnal enuresis, is very common and it almost always comes to an end. 20% of preschool aged children still wet the bed, and 5% of school aged children under the age of ten are bedwetters. Some teenagers and adults continue to wet the bed.
Most cases of bedwetting are simply caused by an immature bladder. The bladder muscles relax when your child is asleep and the brain and the bladder have not yet learned to work together to signal the child that he needs to wake and urinate. Bedwetting is not a sign of a lazy or disobedient child. In rare cases, bedwetting can be caused by stress or illness; especially if the child has already had control over his bladder for some time - this condition is called secondary nocturnal enuresis.
Bedwetting can be frustrating for you and embarrassing for your child but is never considered serious. Children who wet the bed, especially school age children, may avoid social events due to embarrassment. Assure your child he will stop wetting the bed when his body is ready to do so.
As the bladder matures, and the brain and bladder learn to communicate properly, bedwetting should stop. In the meantime, there are methods you can employ to help your child manage his bedwetting.
It's important to remain calm and relaxed during your child's bedwetting. Try using plastic sheets to protect the mattress and get used to changing sheets in the middle of the night (your child can help you change them). Don't scold your child; don't punish or yell. And, avoid embarrassing him by discussing his bedwetting with others. Avoid tactics such as waking your child in the middle of the night to use the toilet or restricting fluid intake. But, do praise your child when he wakes up dry.
Behavioral methods such as the pad and bell method, where a bell rings to wake your child once the bed pad is wet, can help your child gain control of his bladder. Additionally, in some cases, prescription medications can be taken if your doctor thinks it will help your child.
Until your child is school-ages, it is unlikely that your doctor would advice anything beyond patience in dealing with bedwetting. After this age, though, your doctor may be able to advice you on bedwetting strategies that may help your child stay dry at night.
Written by Rebecca Stigall for Kidspot, Australia's parenting resource for family health. Sources include Better Health Channel, NSW Health and Health Insite.
Last revised: Wednesday, 20 January 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.


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I'm a basketball fan first, Pacer fan second. I watch whenever I get a chance... DWade, Kobe, the Nuggets and the young guys like Jennings and Evans... I try not to miss many of their games.
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I'm a basketball fan first, Pacer fan second. I watch whenever I get a chance... DWade, Kobe, the Nuggets and the young guys like Jennings and Evans... I try not to miss many of their games.
I will watch a couple of games a month but I don't watch them in full. I will flip back and forth during commercials and then I'll watch the final minutes of the 4th if its close. I do usually watch the post game shows in TNT though, just cause they are hilarious.
Its truly amazing when someone really goes off. For example, Allen drops 51 on the Bulls in the playoffs, and the Bulls still won. Or Battier/Artest vs. Kobe, that series was great.This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
"I keep wondering the same thing. Last week they had the 4th worst record in the league, had an 11.9 percent chance of winning the lottery and were in line to land a franchise type player like Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins. This week? They have a 1.7 percent chance of winning the lottery, have the 8th worst record and are in line to draft Cole Aldrich or Greg Monroe. Way to go Jim O'Brien. Rest Danny Granger the rest of the season (if it isn't too late) and give Josh McRoberts lots of minutes. That ought to do it." - Chad Ford on winning meaningless games
Way to go Jim, you may have just put our franchise back another 4+ years.
Thanks to League Pass now showing games on repeat later in the evening, it's not uncommon for me to hit 4 full games/night.
Taking out Pacers games, probably in the range of 200-400 extra games a season, easily. I love NBA basketball.
My favorite teams (outside of the Pacers) this year to follow are: OKC, Lakers, Denver, Portland, Milwaukee, Memphis, Golden State, Sacramento, and Toronto. I even watch the Nets.
Last edited by imawhat; 12-10-2009 at 03:27 AM.
Were I single with no children, I'd be able to click the last box.
In my current state (married with an 8 month old and a 2 year old), I'm lucky just to find enough time to watch the Pacers and Purdue, and I almost never get to watch them live.
"A man with no belly has no appetite for life."
- Salman Rushdie


text:
Note: This item is more than 12 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
Sept. 27, 2004
Licensed Hunters Have Shots at Free Bighorn Sheep Hunts
AUSTIN, Texas — Without the support of Texas sportsmen through their purchase of hunting licenses, one of the state's premier wildlife restoration efforts could not have happened. As a way of saying, "thanks for helping" the recovery of the desert bighorn sheep, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is giving away two prized guided permit hunts in a drawing among hunters who purchase their license on or before Oct. 17.
"By purchasing hunting licenses, the hunters of Texas have stepped up to the plate over the years to help pay for conservation programs like desert bighorn sheep restoration," said Robert L. Cook, TPWD Executive Director. "Without their support, this initiative would never have happened. Now that we've surpassed our goal of returning the bighorn sheep to historic levels, it's time to give something back to the hunters."
Anyone who buys a resident hunting type license (excluding TPWD employees) by midnight on Oct. 17 will automatically be entered into a drawing for one of two Texas bighorn sheep hunting permits. If you already have purchased your resident license, you are already entered in the drawing. A random drawing among license holders will be held in mid-October, with winners notified immediately following the drawing. One non-hunting companion may accompany each winner on the hunt and meals and lodging during the hunt are included in the package. The guided hunts will take place by the end of the year.
Because the hunts are physically demanding, TPWD has included a provision whereby the winners may transfer, but not sell, with permission, the permit to an immediate family member or youth 8 to 16 years of age. Hunters must be able to negotiate rugged terrain at high elevations and in extreme temperatures.
Additional information, including complete rules and restrictions, can be found on the TPWD Web site (http://tpwd.texas.gov/) or by calling the TPWD Wildlife Information Hotline at (512) 389-4505 or toll free (800) 792-1112.
Cook said the decision to offer the hunts was based on evidence of additional surplus bighorn sheep observed during recent aerial census surveys. By conducting annual helicopter survey counts, TPWD biologists can ascertain not only how many animals are present, but also if there are surplus bighorn rams. This year's survey documented 104 more sheep than last year, a 22 percent increase.
More than a century ago, wildlife biologists estimated there were about 500 desert bighorn sheep in Texas. About fifty years later, there were none. Today there are nearly 700 of these majestic animals in the state.
Coincidentally, one of the guided permit hunts will take place on the Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area (WMA), where the last sighting of a native Texas bighorn sheep occurred in 1958 and where restoration efforts began. The other hunt will be held on the Black Gap WMA, where a major transplanting effort in 2001 brought in 43 bighorns from the Elephant Mountain WMA; that population of sheep has nearly doubled in size.
Since 1988, when TPWD reinstated hunting for desert bighorns on an extremely conservative basis, 53 permits have been issued. More than half of the rams harvested in Texas have qualified for the Boone and Crockett Club's big game record book, including the new state record taken earlier this year by Glenn Thurman of Mesquite.
Bighorn sheep program director Clay Brewer points to the impressive increase in population as well as the record-book quality of Texas' bighorns as indicators of the success the restoration effort is having.
In addition to the permits being offered in the drawing among Texas hunting license buyers, TPWD offers the chance to hunt a bighorn through the Big Time Texas Hunts Grand Slam hunting package. For a $10 fee, hunters can enter in a drawing for the opportunity to hunt all four of Texas prized big game animals: the desert bighorn, white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. Permit applications are available wherever hunting licenses are sold. Permits may also be purchased using a major credit card through the TPWD Web site or by calling (800) 895-4248.
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(5.4.16 i)


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Good Ice Hunting
Who says global warming is putting the kibosh on ice climbing? Certainly not a small but active crew of climbers in Virginia. In the past couple of years Chad Heddleston and Jesse Von Fange have been plying that Southern state's back roads, searching for undiscovered ice. And found it. In this photo, Heddleston makes the first ascent of Sweet Jesus (WI 5), at the Unicorn crag. Located just one and a half hours from D.C., the Unicorn is 500-feet wide, 100-feet high and overhangs 20 to 40 feet. The fact that there is a place like this in the South is sick, says Fange, who'd prefer to keep the crag's exact location a bit of a mystery. This area is an easy drive for a HUGE population group, he says, so anything too specific could really become a headache fast. He will say that it won't be too hard to find, and that there are crazy spots everywhere, you just have to look. We've found several great ones in the past five years, all near home -- and that really goes for anyone's back yard, especially in a recession like this. Cut back on the road trips and flights, get out a topo and start hunting!


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Heading to Catalpa this weekend, Electric Zoo in late August, or Coachella in April? Music festivals are taking over almost every state! Our approach to festival style is comfort first. Have fun in the sun with these must-haves!
Let's start at the feet and work our way up. Closed-toe shoes are a must to avoid being stepped on in the crowds. TOMS come in every color and pattern you can imagine so there's a shoe for everyone!
TOMS Freetown Natural Women's Classics, $54
Comfort and function are key when you're spending the entire day outdoors. Shorts are a great way to show off those toned legs. Plus, you can sit down on a blanket or rock out in the crowd without worrying about flashing!
Delia's Tribal Peek-A-Boo Pocket Short, $29.50
Chances are, it's going to be hot outside. Choose a lightweight striped top like this one from Madewell. Be sure to liberally apply the SPF, too–burnt shoulders are a bummer.
Madewell Striped Tagalong Tank, $24.99
A crossbody bag is also a no-brainer. It allows your hands to be free, so you can do whatever you please! Instagram, tweet…maybe even fist pump.
Steve Madden Fringed Suede Crossbody Bag, $48
Related Links:
For daily health tips follow SELF on Facebook and Twitter.
Get SELF on your iPad and Kindle Fire!


text:
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In the world of business, the only constant is change. As your needs evolve and grow, so should your Microsoft Dynamics solution.
Whether you are growing and need to add users, or you need to add on to your solution to address new business problems, or you want to take advantage of system functionality that you already own but haven't "turned on" yet, your business will benefit from a review of your current needs.
Your partner can help assess your needs and determine if it would be cost-effective to expand your system or take advantage of new functionality by upgrading to the current version.
One of the most valuable benefits of your Business Ready Enhancement Plan is the ability to take advantage of periodic system upgrades and updates for your solution. Microsoft invests heavily in research and development, so keeping your business on the latest version available means benefiting from new features and capabilities and staying on the leading edge of technology.
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Learn how your partner can help you plan for your future success with a Business Capabilities Assessment. Your business needs will evolve and change over time, and so should your Microsoft Dynamics solution.
Your partner can help you create and update a Business Solutions Roadmap so you can build a plan for ongoing success. The planning process is simple and straightforward and can help your organization at any time.
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BRL offers a wide array of functionality that can help you extend and increase the capabilities of your solution. Contact your partner for help with deciding whether transitioning to BRL is right for you.
+ More on License Model Transitions
Prior to July 2006, customers purchased their Microsoft Dynamics solutions using Module Based Licensing (MBL). MBL places value primarily in functionality (modules or granules). BRL places value primarily in number of users.
Under MBL, customers build a customized ERP solution for their business by buying individually priced functionality components (called modules in Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, and AX and granules in Microsoft Dynamics NAV) and user licenses.
MBL is offered in the:
Small Business edition, Professional edition, or Enterprise edition for Microsoft Dynamics AX.
Standard or Professional edition for Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, and NAV.
The Standard edition offers limited functionality and is intended for customers with fewer complex business requirements.
Standard edition solutions typically have a 10-user limit, although functionality and user limits may vary in certain regions and geographies.
The Professional edition (and Enterprise edition for Microsoft Dynamics AX) solutions offer:
More scalable user counts.
Affordable, scalable functionality targeted to midmarket, upper midmarket, and corporate account customers.
With the launch of BRL in July 2006, MBL was discontinued for new customers.
As your business functionality needs change, so do your licensing needs. Microsoft allows a transition that recognizes your previous Microsoft Dynamics investment and delivers the Business Ready Licensing (BRL) edition (either Advanced Management or Business Essentials) that offers additional capabilities.
Transitioning to BRL can offer value by helping you:
Extend your current Microsoft Dynamics solution. You can automate new areas of your business to help increase efficiency and drive overall cost reduction. The wide array of functionality includes financials, distribution, manufacturing, field service, project accounting, business intelligence, collaboration, and customer relationship management.
Increase the capabilities of your current solution. This may mean enhancing financial management through better compliance, improved reporting capabilities, or increased exposure internally to key data needed to drive decisions.
The benefits of a license model transition include:
Customer choice. You can choose when and if you want to transition. You can choose to stay on the current license model and continue to license users and modules in it.
Investment credit. You can license Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics GP, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and Microsoft Dynamics SL with confidence. If and when it makes sense to transition, you will receive credit toward your new solution.
You may not find a transition advantageous, however. For help with making a decision about whether BRL is right for you, contact your partner and ask them to guide you through a Business Capabilities Assessment.
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Ibanez benefits from getting limited at-bats
SEATTLE -- For Raul Ibanez, it seems like less has been more when it comes to having success at the plate this season.
When injuries to Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders left the Mariners low on outfielders, Ibanez was needed for a much larger role than initially expected and the results weren't pretty. He was in a 1-for-23 slump and hitting .148 when Saunders finally returned and gave manager Eric Wedge more options.
Since then, Ibanez has hit .400 in limited duty, with a double, triple and home run in 10 at-bats, including a critical three-run blast in Friday's 6-3 win over the A's.
Thus, Wedge had the 40-year-old back in the lineup Saturday against another right-hander in Jarrod Parker, but will bring Jason Bay back on Sunday against southpaw Tommy Milone.
"We were forced to play everybody just a little bit too much early on there and I think that worked against us a little bit," Wedge said prior to Saturday's game. "But we were able to get Jason going a little bit and I feel like he's in a pretty good place, and I'd like to do the same thing with Raul.
"We'll get Jason back in there tomorrow. Just trying to run that balance. But obviously Raul had a big hit for us last night and has been swinging the bat better in BP, and the double the other night. This was a good chance to get him back in there."
Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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First of all, the injury to Catch looked really bad...career altering bad. I'm really worried about it. Kravtiz says:
"The latest medical word was this: a possible torn Achilles tendon. The worst news of all. She may not be back for a very long time. Even the 2008 Beijing Olympics are very much up in the air."
Second, apparently Catchings, DeForge, Sam, Tamika Whitmore and Tammy Sutton-Brown are unrestricted free agents now. Ack!
Does anyone have any idea if Catch and company have any particular leanings? I'm sure there are multiple teams that would love to take her off our hands, provided she heals up well.
Man. It really feels like this was the year.


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There is nothing like a dame – as the song goes – and North Bradley amateur actor Pete Grant knows that more than most.
Pete, 66, has been treading the boards with local drama groups for decades and perfecting the role of the panto dame.
An accounting clerk with Wincanton Transport, he joined North Bradley Players when he came to Trowbridge from Yeovil. Since then he has starred in parts with Trowbridge Operatic and Trowbridge Players and always a dame at panto time.
Next week he steps out again as Widow Twankey in the latest Trowbridge Players pantomime Aladdin at the Arc Theatre, and he said: "I just love playing the role of the Dame. It's a part unlike one in a straight play – you are allowed a wandering role where you can work with the audience and have fun."
The production is directed by Sylvia Seaman and written by Angela Giddings.
Angela, a member of Trowbridge Players for many years, said: "It's fantastic to break down the 'fourth wall' of theatre and interact with the audience, especially the children who take the whole thing very seriously.
"Not only do the children take it seriously but we do too – the audience won't laugh at you if you're trying to be funny, the humour has to come from the characters and how they interact with each other.
"Also, this is quite often the first visit to the theatre for many children and we aim to make it as much fun as possible."
Aladdin opens at the Arc Theatre next Thursday – January 10 – with a production at 6.30pm, Friday at 7.30pm, Saturday, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Sunday at 2.30pm; the following week's performances begin on Thursday, January 17, at 6.30pm, Friday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 2.30pm and Sunday at 2.30pm. Ticketsare available online at www.arctheatre.org.uk or the box office on 01225 766241.


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A SCHOOL which was closed to pupils after a pipe burst will partially re-open tomorrow.
Uplands School, in Tadpole Lane, will be open to Year 10 to Year 14 pupils but will remain closed to Year 7, 8 and 9.
The electricity and hot water supply are still out of action and it is up to parents whether they want their children to attend.
The school was closed to all 114 pupils today.


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Three-hundred conservatives, ranging from pastors to farmers, will descend on Capitol Hill later this month to press Congress for an immigration overhaul.
USA Today reports that the 300 conservatives are staging a "fly-in" as they make their way from across the nation to converge in Washington on Oct. 28. The group plans to meet with Republican lawmakers and make a pitch for a new immigration law.
One of the farmers ready to head to Washington is 70-year-old rancher Terry Jones, who will make the trip from Emmett, Idaho. Jones said that the nation's immigration system made it impossible for him to find enough legal workers to staff his Rim Fire Ranch.
He sold his 700-head dairy herd after getting tired of looking for legal workers.
"I was getting too old to fuss with finding the labor," Jones said. "We're not here wanting to break the laws. Heavens to Betsy, we've got stewardship of the land and our animals, employees we want to treat right and pay a fair wage to. But the government is just interested in ... who's going to get the credit, who's going to get the votes."
The "fly-in" won't be your typical rally, such as one seen last week that resulted in 200 arrests, including several lawmakers. Instead, people like Lanae Erickson Hatalsky of the Third Way, a think-tank that supports an immigration overhaul that includes citizenship for undocumented immigrants, believe that it may be more productive in getting their message across.
"The kinds of rallies that get the progressive community together are really aimed at just keeping this conversation in the limelight and giving people something to do," Hatalsky said. "Those more conservative people and their unusual suspects are aimed at a different goal — actually persuading conservative members of Congress that this is something they need to do and providing them the political cover they need."
Among the lawmakers the groups will meet is Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah.
"Having more pastors, more business people, more farmers come and talk about their problems — I'm going to applaud that," Chaffetz said.
He has embraced many aspects of immigration overhaul and sponsored a bill, passed by the House in 2011, that expanded visas for high-tech workers. More recently, Chaffetz expressed his support for a pathway to citizenship for the country's undocument immigrants.
Read, "Conservative 'fly-in' aims to sell House GOP on immigration."


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Top Dog: Charles M. Schulz
Charles Schulz's ubiquitous beagle, is the world's preeminent pooch
(continued from page 2)
"The Salvadoran boy, age 7, was new to this country and newly adopted, just off the plane and looking a little bewildered by all the English and good intentions with which he was suddenly surrounded," recalled an editorial writer in The Washington Post last December. "Then his eye fell on a familiar face, and his smile got a little easier as he drew a toy floppy-eared beagle to him and pronounced its name: 'Ess-noopy!'"
As the editorialist observed, "That's neither Spanish nor English, but something out of a universal language created by Charles Schulz over the span of nearly 50 years during which he has drawn the comic strip 'Peanuts.'" And there has been nothing equal to it in the comics.
There have been many memorable dogs in the century-plus history of comic strips. In the 1890s' "Yellow Kid," the first regular comic, dogs were almost always part of the mayhem taking place in the Kid's ramshackle Hogan's Alley neighborhood. The best-known comics pooch of the day was Buster Brown's dog Tige (short for Tiger). A precocious, talking boxer, Tige was the constant companion of the mischievous, mop-haired Buster; after 95 years, they can still be found together inside children's shoes.
Offissa Pupp held an unrequited love for Krazy Kat. In "Blondie," Daisy and her multitudinous offspring regularly run down the hapless Dagwood. Snuffy Smith has his Bullet; Dennis the Menace has his Ruff; Little Orphan Annie has her Sandy; "Beetle Bailey's" Sgt. Snorkle has his Otto, appropriately uniformed; Luann has her Puddles; Dilbert has his Dogbert (or is it the other way around?). The Pattersons in Lynn Johnston's "For Better or Worse" had the heroic Farley, who died (died!) after rescuing little April from a rushing stream. Some dogs even have been the titled stars of strips, including Grimm, from Mike Peters' "Mother Goose & Grimm"; "Fred Basset"; "Marmaduke"; and "Howard Huge," to name but a few.
All of them pale by comparison with Snoopy, who is far and away the most popular character in "Peanuts," the most popular comic strip in history. When Charles M. Schulz retired in December, "Peanuts" was appearing in an unprecedented 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries, entertaining an estimated 355 million readers a day in 21 languages.
According to Mary Anne Grimes, a spokeswoman for "Peanuts" distributor United Feature Syndicate, even before Schulz's death on February 12--the eve of the publication of his last original strip--more than 90 percent of the papers had decided to continue running vintage "Peanuts" comics. They are beginning with strips from 1974, and thus keeping the strip--and Snoopy--going strong.
With Snoopy playing a key part, "Peanuts" was turned into dozens of animated specials, including the Emmy-winning show "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a network classic for 35 years; "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"; and the Peabody Award-winning "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown?"
The "Peanuts" characters starred in four feature films and a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. Three "Camp Snoopy" theme parks were opened; "Peanuts" books have sold more than 300 million copies; and merchandise, beginning with a 6-inch-tall plastic Snoopy in 1958, brings in an estimated $1 billion annually.
Beginning in 1968, Snoopy made five appearances as a multistory floating balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, most recently last November as a 47-foot-tall, 28.5-foot-wide and 64-foot-long "Millennium Snoopy," filled with 15,650 cubic feet of helium. When Lucy (of all people) hugged Snoopy and proclaimed "Happiness is a warm puppy" in 1960, the expression entered the language (and Bartlett's Familiar Quotations), as well as inspired the hit song "Happiness Is...," in the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." And when Snoopy first assumed the persona of the World War I Flying Ace and did battle with the legendary Baron Manfred von Richthofen in 1965, the fantasy led to the 1966 hit record "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" by the Royal Guardsmen.
"I'm going to miss Snoopy more than Charlie Brown," says cartoonist Mort Walker, creator of "Beetle Bailey," reflecting on the end of original "Peanuts" strips. "Cartoonists are in the business of making friends for people--and there are some characters in that strip who became special friends. I won't miss some of the characters. Lucy, for example, is sort of a pain in the ass. But Snoopy is special."
Snoopy clearly was a pivotal inspiration for Schulz, whose first published drawing was of Snoopy's real-life model, Spike, a black-and-white mixed breed given to Schulz when he was 13. Spike "had a vocabulary of understanding approximately 50 words" and "would eat almost anything," Schulz recalled in his book, Peanuts: A Golden Celebration, published last year.
"One day I was playing with a paddle and ball in the backyard and the rubber band broke, and Spike chased down the ball, grabbed it, and swallowed it. That night, after eating too much spaghetti, he threw it up," Schulz wrote. Soon thereafter, captivated by Spike's shenanigans, Schulz sent a drawing of him to Robert Ripley, creator of the popular feature "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" Ripley printed the drawing, identifying Spike as "a hunting dog who eats pins, tacks and razor blades."
The byline on that first-published Schulz drawing was "Sparky," the enduring nickname that Schulz's uncle gave to him two days after his birth in Minneapolis, on November 26, 1922. Schulz's was a comicsloving family: "Sparky" was short for "Spark Plug," the name of the blanket-clad racehorse in the "Barney Google and Snuffy Smith" strip.
As the origin of Snoopy indicates, "Peanuts" was considerably autobiographical. (Even Spike's name survives, given years later to Snoopy's desert-dwelling brother.) Schulz's father was a barber--as is Charlie Brown's. As a child, Schulz's penchant for disappointments and failure shaped his personality and created his comic vision. Once he went to a movie theater that promised candy bars to the first 100 children admitted to the movie. Schulz was the 101st kid on line. Recognizing his love of cartooning, one of his teachers at St. Paul's Central High School suggested he submit drawings to the yearbook. Not one of them was accepted.
Throughout his life, Schulz would remain chronically insecure and prone to depression, despite his immense success. "I worry about almost all there is in life to worry about," he once wrote, "and because I worry, Charlie Brown has to worry."
"Rejection is his specialty, losing his area of expertise," observed Schulz's authorized biographer, Rheta Grimsley Johnson, in her 1989 book, Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz. As James Thurber, another Midwest-born chronicler of comic catastrophe, noted in his 1933 classic, My Life and Hard Times, the best work of humorists does not spring from a sense of frivolity or fun, but from darker, sadder impulses. "The little wheels of their invention are set in motion by the damp hand of melancholy," wrote Thurber. The greatest humor, he said, "lies closest to the familiar, distressing, even tragic."
Melancholy--familiar and distressing--is the essence of "Peanuts." As Johnson observed, in Schulz's world, "Love remains aloof. The football is never kicked. The Great Pumpkin never comes. The winning run is never scored."
Perhaps Thurber's most famous cartoon creations were his mopey dogs, whose simple, angular profiles, floppy ears and button noses prefigure the smoother, rounder appearance of Snoopy. Yet melancholy is not part of Snoopy's makeup. He counterbalances Charlie Brown's gloom with his effervescence; he embodies the element of fantasy and imagination synonymous with Thurber's greatest character, Walter Mitty. Only Mitty could have matched Snoopy's skill for casting himself in heroic roles. As with Mitty, Snoopy's daydreaming is a powerful antidote to life's often-dispiriting realities.
During Schulz's senior year in high school, his mother suggested that he sign up for a correspondence course in art being offered by Federal Schools--which later became famous as the Art Instruction Schools, with its ubiquitous "Draw Me" advertisements found in matchbooks, showing profiles of dogs, girls and other figures. Although it was located in Minneapolis, Schulz never had enough confidence in his work to deliver his drawings in person; instead, he mailed them. He got only a C-plus in the drawing children category.
After completing the course, Schulz tried peddling single-panel gag cartoons to magazines, without success. His attempts at becoming a cartoonist were interrupted when he was drafted in 1943. Schulz spent three years in the Army, learning "all I needed to know about loneliness," he wrote decades later. He was shipped to Europe and became a staff sergeant and leader of a machine-gun squad, but saw little combat.
Back in the States by war's end, he considered taking a job lettering tombstones, but instead accepted a position at the Art Instruction Schools, his artistic alma mater, critiquing drawings mailed in by other would-be cartoonists. He also cracked the national magazine market, selling his first cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post in 1948--a cute drawing of a tiny boy, teetering on the edge of an easy chair so he can prop his feet up on an ottoman.
At the Art Instruction Schools, Schulz made close friends who unwittingly would have a profound impact on his later career--including one buddy who was named Charlie Brown; another named Linus Maurer; and red-headed Donna Johnson--who rejected Schulz's marriage proposal and became the model for "the little red-haired girl" for whom Charlie Brown pines. In fact, many of the characters who later showed up in "Peanuts" were named for real people. Schulz recalled that when the real Charlie Brown saw the round-headed kid who bore his name, he professed disappointment, saying, "I thought I was going to look more like Milton Caniff's Steve Canyon."
Urged by Frank Wing, a colleague at the school, to "draw more of those little kids," Schulz managed to sell a weekly one-panel feature that he called "L'il Folks" to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. In 1950, he sent a collection of these cartoons to United Feature Syndicate in New York, which responded positively. Schulz transformed the single-panel idea into a comic strip, which United Feature bought and renamed "Peanuts," much to Schulz's dismay.
"It was undignified, inappropriate and confusing... no one ever referred to young children as 'peanuts,'" he would grouse (forgetting, perhaps, that in 1948, the first major TV show designed for children, "Puppet Playhouse"--which later became "Howdy Doody"--put its pint-sized audience in a stand of seats called "The Peanut Gallery").
"Peanuts" made its debut on October 2, 1950--and Snoopy showed up two days later. A little puppy, he was carrying a flower and happened by a window box of flowers being watered by Patty, who mistakenly watered Snoopy and his flower, too.
It was a surprisingly tepid introduction for one of the most wildly imaginative characters in the comics. Initially, Snoopy was exactly what he appeared to be: a cute little dog that the kids treat like a person. They set up tiny stands to sell lemonade or flowers; Snoopy has a stand to sell bones. They present Snoopy with a birthday cake; instead of a candle, it is adorned with a wiener.
Gradually, Snoopy lost his realistically depicted appearance. He changed so much that Schulz had to recopyright him. "I never dreamed that he would become the character that he is now," Schulz wrote in Peanuts: A Golden Celebration. "Every time I draw Snoopy, he probably changes a little bit, and when I look back on some of the early drawings, I am appalled that I drew him then as I did.
"Snoopy was the slowest to develop, and it was his eventually walking around on two feet that turned him into a lead character," Schulz wrote. "It has certainly been difficult to keep him from taking over the feature." Snoopy began that evolution in 1958, when he first got up on his hind legs and began to dance--then to play the violin in accompaniment to Schroeder's piano; then to voice his opinions in thought balloons. (He has never actually said anything other than "Woof!" or "Arf!")
Lives there a dog devotee who hasn't proudly proclaimed his or her furry friend "almost human"?
Snoopy came to exemplify that belief. His development "really grew out of the business of people actually talking to their dogs--even answering for them in a form of baby talk," Schulz wrote. "I put in Snoopy's mind the thoughts we sometimes think the dog might be thinking."
Soon Snoopy's thoughts became flights of fantasy. He imagined himself the World War I Flying Ace; a Foreign Legionnaire; the World Famous GI, storming Omaha Beach on D-Day; the World Famous Attorney; the Revolutionary War Patriot; the Literary Ace, with his typewriter; Joe Cool in his sunglasses; the World Famous Astronaut. NASA even adopted Snoopy as a promotional figure. The lunar module for the 1969 Apollo 10 mission was named "Snoopy." (The command ship of the mission was called "Charlie Brown.")
"The best thing I ever thought of was Snoopy using his own imagination," Schulz wrote. And yet even as Snoopy became less mutt and more mensch (with his faithful friend and "secretary," Woodstock the bird), he remained at heart a dog. He sometimes wishes the human characters were canines, too, as he did in one of Schulz's last original Sunday strips. Snoopy frolics in the snow with Rerun, who asks: "How could it ever get better than this?"
"If you were a golden retriever," Snoopy thinks.
Like all dogs, Snoopy hates getting rabies shots; despises "that stupid cat next door"; goes wild over the arrival of his supper dish; and grimaces when he hears the words "You stay home now, and be a good dog." He grouses: "The only time a dog gets complimented is when he doesn't do anything."
Schulz insisted that Charlie Brown remained the star of the strip--which in its Sunday version sometimes carried the title "Peanuts, featuring 'Good ol' Charlie Brown.'" But he somewhat reluctantly acknowledged that Snoopy "rivals and sometimes surpasses Charlie Brown in popularity."
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New images of the fearless Joe leader...
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Sideshow Collectibles has released new images of their upcoming 12-inch GI Joe General Hawk action figure. Hawk will be available for pre-order through Sideshow on Thursday, March 17th
The Exclusive General Hawk 12-inch Figure will include an additional detailed and hand-painted General Hawk switch-out portrait with overseas cap. It will be priced at $134.99 and have an Edition Size of 500 pieces. Additionally, a regular version without the switch-out portrait will be available for pre-order and priced at $134.99. Both versions will be sold on a first come, first served basis, and will have the FLEXPay option available as a payment choice.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Research Center
Distinguishing Between Probable and Definitive Myasthenia Gravis
I went three years without my MG diagnosis (ocular and generalized). I finally got diagnosed in February via a Tensilon test and clinical exam by a national MG expert. Mestinon has helped, but I am getting worse lately, especially with the onset of asthma. I went to the Mayo Clinic to discuss new treatments and they are refusing to call me anything but "probable" MG because I haven`t tested positive to an EMG (I am seronegative too). Either I have MG or I don`t (and it is obvious I do have it). What is the point of using these kind of semantics when it is obvious a patient has MG? I reacted strongly and immediately to the first small dose of Tensilon (evidenced by ptosis and upper body strength improvement). Is there some kind of national guideline that says a Tensilon test isn`t enough for an MG diagnosis? Thank you for any input you can give me. I`m quite frustrated!
There are not national guidelines established by any body, but many experts have categorized patients by certain criteria using the terms "definite" and "probable". These are important for research studies of myasthenia gravis. One needs to be absolutely sure before entering a patient into a research study that the patient has MG and therefore objective tests like antibody tests and EMG are critical in defining patients. In my opinion the more important issue for patients is the diagnosis of the treating neurologist and how it impacts on your care. If your neurologist feels they have made a diagnosis of MG based on your examination and response to Tensilon, then I presume they would proceed to optimizing treatment based on their diagnosis. Physicians and patients do at times need to deal with diagnostic uncertainty.
Henry J Kaminski, MD
Formerly, Professor of Neurology
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University


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I've been throwing with the fork grip for about 1.5 years now....I just never noticed that the disc pivot wasn't clean. I mean I've had people comment that I have little bit of disc flutter but I was always associating it with off-axis torque.
I have another question with regards to the Rip point. I've just noticed that I can't maintain the same wrist down orientation from the curled position through to fully opened. I can maintain the same orientation upto the point where the wrist is in-line with the forearm....after that...opening the wrist any further will cause the outer edge of the disc to raise. I was always under the impression that the wrist should open up....is this correct?


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Robert and Rhonda Matheny sometimes drive by their old home -- the home in which they spent 37 years raising a family -- just to look at it.
Robert and Rhonda Matheny sometimes drive by their old Jonesville-area home — the home in which they spent 37 years raising a family — just to look at it.
The can see the house, but they can't see the mammoth hole in the ground that chased them from the home. The backyard sinkhole, about 80 feet long and 40 feet wide, is now locked behind a wooden privacy fence at the home at 11958 SW Fifth Ave.
But something surprised the Mathenys on a recent drive by the home — they saw that people were living there.
"The geologist, the day it happened, looked at us very, very sternly and said, 'I would not close my eyes in that house.' So we didn't, and we just can't imagine anybody living in it," Rhonda Matheny said. "Oh sure, we miss the house. It makes me sad sometimes, but we feel like we are blessed because we simplified our lives."
The Matheny sinkhole opened a little more than a year ago. It did not damage the house or the pool.
Much of western Alachua County is prone to sinkholes because of the geology. There isn't much of an earthen buffer, such as clay, separating the surface from the limestone underneath.
Sinkholes tend to form in such terrain, especially when the groundwater table is low and heavy rains occur. The weight causes the limestone to collapse at weak points.
Data from the Suwannee River Water Management District show that groundwater levels are low in southwestern Alachua County along with sections of Levy and Dixie counties.
Bricky Way, a geologist with Geohazards Inc. of Gainesville, said sinkholes are difficult to predict regardless of the conditions.
"I know some people have said we have sinkhole seasons, but I don't know that it is really possible to make predictions," Way said. "As far as being able to predict whether this will be a bad year or not, it's not easy to do. It's dependent on the (groundwater) level, which fluctuates."
Some sinkholes are obvious by their size and location. Others are not, particularly if they are small and under a home. Cracked walls or buckled floors in a home could be signs of a sinkhole, or these problems could be from settling or other issues.
Way said geologists use equipment such as ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistance imaging in an initial investigation of potential sinkhole activity.
Then test borings are put down to look for physical evidence of loose zones or cavities indicating sinkholes.
Insurance companies operating in Florida are required to provide coverage for "catastrophic ground collapse."
Criteria include the abrupt collapse of the ground, a depression clearly visible to the naked eye, structural damage to the building including the foundation, and condemnation of the building by a government agency.
Property owners have the option of purchasing sinkhole coverage. If a home is damaged by sinkhole activity but does not meet the criteria for catastrophic collapse, sinkhole insurance will pay for any damage.
The cost of sinkhole coverage varies depending on size of the home, the year the home was built and other factors.
Bryan Williams of McGriff-Williams Insurance in Gainesville said few companies are selling sinkhole coverage to new homebuyers.
"If somebody moves to town and is purchasing a new house, buying sinkhole coverage is getting to be pretty hard. There are not many companies left that even offer that coverage," Williams said. "I would say that 90 percent of the people buying new insurance are not buying it because it's not offered. It's a different story if you have a policy."
Companies that do offer it to current policyholders may require inspections or charge high deductibles, Williams said.
The Mathenys are now living in a condo near their old home. Rhonda Matheny said insurance paid them for expenses incurred when the sinkhole opened, but they still owned the house and the liability.
They sold the house in an unqualified sale to a company that buys homes with sinkholes, according to the Alachua County Property Appraiser's Office website. Sales are unqualified if the sale price does not reflect market value, involves multiple properties or if the sale is between family members.
The house sold for $5,000 while the market value is $44,100. The buyer was listed as 11958 SW 5th Ave LLC of Port Richey, sharing an address with the firm that leases the home, Trinity Management Group. Attempts to reach someone there were unsuccessful.
Several Florida companies advertise on the Internet as buying sinkhole homes. The Sun was able to reach one, but he hung up or the call was dropped and never returned. None of the others returned messages.
Meanwhile, the current renter would not talk with The Sun about living in the house.
Alachua County Building Official Phil Dunnington said no permits were filed to do any work on the Matheny home.


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At there are a collection of articles on the recent Bhikkhuni ordination controversy. They will be published in the summer 2010 buddhadharma: the practitioner's quarterly magazine.
The Time Has Come
The traditional "eight heavy rules" institutionalize women's second-class status in Buddhist monasteries—women must submit to male leadership,senior nuns must take their place
behind junior monks—and in most Buddhist lineages women are denied full ordination. Former nuns Thanissara, Jitindriya, and Elizabeth Day look at new controversies that are focusing attention on this long-standing injustice and call on Buddhist leaders to engage in a genuine dialogue for change.
That Was Then, This Is Now
The eight heavy rules are the result of historical and social circumstances, explains Buddhist scholar Janet Gyatso—and times have changed. Equal status is critical, not only for those directly affected but also for the future of Buddhism in the West.
The Five Points
The following five-point agreement was drafted by Ajahn Sumedho and his senior monks last August and presented to the nuns at Amaravati and Cittaviveka monasteries in Britain. Agreement on the five points was a condition for future ordinations of women in the Forest Sangha community.
"I will do it"
Llundup Damcho reports on the Seventeenth Karmapa's vow to reinstate full ordination for women in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition


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Crain shut down after developing bursitis
HOUSTON -- With the Astros' bullpen only getting thinner on veteran arms, it could use a presence like that of Jesse Crain.
Unfortunately for Houston, Crain may not arrive as soon as hoped, as he has developed bursitis unrelated to the biceps injury from which he was already recovering.
According to general manager Jeff Luhnow, Crain will not be with the big league club as soon as originally expected.
"The early-May timetable is no longer early May," Luhnow said. "I won't give another timetable at this point because I don't know. I assume in about a week's time, maybe 10 days, we'll know more and have a better idea when he'll return."
Luhnow said Crain was not throwing off the mound because of the complications, stunting his progress from the biceps issue that caused him to miss the end of last season with the Rays and all of this year's Spring Training.
"We feel like he's made a good comeback from his surgery in the offseason, but the bursitis is affecting him, so we had to get him off the mound," Luhnow said. "He is on some anti-inflammatories. He's responding well to them, and we expect he can be throwing again soon."
Crain received a one-year, $3.25 million contract from the Astros in the offseason, presumably to be in the mix for the closer role in Houston.
The righty was an All-Star for the White Sox last season, setting down 46 hitters via strikeout and posting a 0.74 ERA in 38 games, not to mention a 29-inning scoreless streak.
It's unclear how much, if any, Minor League rehab Crain will need before returning to the club once he can pitch again.
Chris Abshire is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Breaching a non-compete clause has consequences
I regularly give continuing-education lectures about non-competition covenants. I write about non-competes, draft and interpret them all the time. Despite of all of that, I still often hear this statement from veterinarians:
"Dr. Allen, I've heard that non-competes are unenforceable, that they aren't worth the paper they're written on."
All I can wonder is, if non-competes are meaningless, why are so many people writing, reading, interpreting, questioning, litigating and listening to lectures about them? The answer is that there is much more to a contractual obligation than merely its enforceability.First, let me preface my comments by explaining that I believe in non-competition agreements (or non-compete terms, contracts, covenants, clauses, commandments, whatever you want to call them). They serve a specific legal and social purpose; when a fair one is executed, it should be honored.
Businesses hire employees with the express purpose of exchanging labor for money. The employee is compensated for doing work, including professional work, with the mutual anticipation that the employee eventually will leave that employer with the business in the same or similar condition as when the employee arrived.
A veterinarian who violates a fair, negotiated non-competition clause violates this principle. He receives and cashes his paychecks (in an amount to which there was mutual agreement at the outset), and the promised veterinary work is performed.
Doctors who violate their non-competes, (who "take away clients" by subsequently working within a non-compete radius) are taking something from their employers which was neither bargained for nor agreed to. The breaching veterinarian (and "breach" is really the correct term where a non-compete is ignored) is siphoning off a capital interest in the prior employer's enterprise without paying for it.
While most veterinarians would never, ever consider stealing supplies or backing their pickup truck up to the clinic and loading up their boss' ultrasound machine, many have no problem with the idea of signing a non-competition agreement with the full intent of violating it in the future because they do not believe it to be enforceable.
In doing so, the doctor is plotting to take that which he agreed not to take; he is planning to plunder some of the employer's business good will, which is more valuable than an armload of supplies and more difficult to replace than any diagnostic machine.
The upshot is that, in my opinion, a fair and reasonable non-competition agreement between employer and employee makes sense. I further believe that when such an agreement is made it should be honored. The time to consider its fairness is prior to signing — not afterward. A fair and appropriate non-compete (if one is actually necessary, which is not always the case) can be attained through negotiation before the work relationship starts. If the non-compete issue cannot be resolved, then the job, and possibly the boss, may not be a good fit for the job seeker.
That said, let us examine the reality of just how significant the issue of enforceability really is. To do so, imagine that you have signed an employment agreement containing a non-compete term and that you intend to breach it later by working within the proscribed region. Where do you stand, knowing only that you are fairly certain the non-competition term (for whatever reason) is most likely not enforceable?
How much will you bet?
Given these facts, you have two options: You can either go about setting up your own practice within the non-compete area or take a job or partnership offer in that area.
Let's say you consider starting your own hospital. The lease on the new practice space is for five years, and the internal leasehold improvements are going to cost about $50,000. Because you need a staff and are looking to hire, you probably can't keep your deal a secret from your present boss. Therefore, your paychecks stop as soon as he learns of your intended breach.
Add the upfront costs with the contingent lease expenses and you have put quite a few chips on the table. Better hope you are dead right about that enforceability thing.
Perhaps you are shopping for a small-business loan. In today's market, do you think there might be a question on the loan application asking whether your intended use of the funds would violate or abrogate, in whole or in part, existing contractual obligations? OK, so you decide to lie; no biggie.
What happens when you are sued? Do you think you might have any trouble sleeping as the thoughts run through your head regarding your lack of current income and the mounting debt you are accumulating in anticipation of a good outcome at trial?
Oh, yes — you might also toss and turn dreaming about that clause in your loan contract which accelerates payment of the loan balance in the event of a provable material misstatement in the application. (I guess that was a biggie after all.)


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His fans include Will Smith, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin and even the Prince of Wales, who've all been mesmerised by his mind-boggling sleight of hand and illusions. Steven Frayne, better known as street magician Dynamo - whose autobiography Nothing Is Impossible is available now - tells Hannah Stephenson how magic helped him escape the notorious Bradford council estate he grew up on, the bullies he encountered and his jailbird father.
By Hannah Stephenson
When Steven Frayne stops people in the street, there is little to suggest the encounter will leave them gaping in disbelief and utterly blown away.
Often dressed in jeans, trainers and a hooded jacket, in the nicest possible sense Frayne looks totally unremarkable - you could easily assume he's just about to ask you the time.
But you only need to watch a few minutes of his TV show, Dynamo: Magician Impossible, to realise that he is, indeed, staggeringly remarkable.
Dynamo (as Frayne is better known) has swallowed jewellery then pulled it out of his stomach, transformed snow into diamonds, walked - seemingly unaided - down the side of the 20-storey LA Times building and, most famously, taken a stroll on water across the River Thames. How he pulled it off is a mystery.
His street magic acts have included turning a total strangers un-opened bottle of cola into fizzy orange and fusing metal coins together between his fingertips.
Earlier this year he was awarded the magic world's highest accolade - associate membership of the secret inner sanctum of the Magic Circle. The gentle, softly-spoken 30-year-old confesses he doesn't really know what that means, but he's honoured all the same.
Nowadays, he can command five-figure sums to perform at celebrity parties, yet Dynamo himself remains as "unshowbiz" as it's possible to be, both on screen and off.
But his sleight of hand and amazing illusions - some magicians make coins disappear, he can make himself disappear - have earned him a massive fan base, with 1.2 million followers on Twitter, and the first series of Dynamo: Magician Impossible attracted two million viewers on Watch, the highest viewing figures in the channel's history.
His passion for magic stems from childhood, when he'd spend hours practising in his bedroom, too scared to venture out onto the estate for fear of being bullied or attacked.
Dynamo was slight - even now, he's barely 5ft 8in, weighing around eight stone - a side-effect of the debilitating Crohn's, an inflammatory bowel disease he's battled since he was 13, which made him a target for playground bullies who'd throw him into stinking dustbins and roll him down the hill.
Complications from the disease nearly killed him when he was 18, and he had an abscess removed from his bowel, but it's now under control.
In many ways, it was magic that saved him. "I was quite geeky and magic was an obsession. It was something that didn't require anything or anybody else for me to work on. It used to occupy myself and take my mind off the bullying," he explains in his autobiography.
Ask him about author Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000-hour rule (which states you need 10,000 hours of practice to be an expert in any field) and he says that he took that long just perfecting his trademark card shuffle, let alone anything else.
"I'm still learning. I can always pick something apart in my material. There's no such thing as perfection," he says. "I come into the office sometimes seven days a week and I might be in here 16 hours, rehearsing and coming up with new ideas."
He began performing street magic as young teenager, dressed in a hoodie and trainers (today his garb of choice is Louis Vuitton and Givenchy).
Word spread and he found himself being asked to perform at birthday parties around the estate, later blagging his way into nightclubs in Bradford, Sheffield and, eventually, all over the north of England.
His magic endeared him to bouncers, and anyone else who might otherwise have refused him entry to the haunts frequented by the rich and famous, who were equally amazed at his talents. With the help of a loan from The Prince's Trust, he carved himself a career.
Over the years, Dynamo has levitated Lindsay Lohan, turned paper butterflies into real ones for Natalie Imbruglia, and wowed the likes of Sir Richard Branson, Will Smith, Snoop Dog and Kim Kardashian.
Chris Martin and his wife Gwyneth Paltrow became fans after Dynamo blagged his way backstage at a Coldplay concert and impressed Martin's mum with card tricks.
Yet, unlike other Houdinis of their time - David Copperfield, Paul Daniels and Derren Brown - Dynamo is not a natural showman.
"I'm just a kid from Bradford, making my living doing what I love the most," he says simply.
He was raised by his mother, a hairdresser, who was 17 when she had him. His dad spent long periods in prison for various crimes. Since he's come out, Dynamo has only seen him once.
"I don't have any animosity towards him. There are no bad vibes, I just don't really consider myself to have a father. My grandfather was the closest to my male role model."
He's referring to his great grandfather, Kenneth Walsh, who he lovingly refers to as Gramps and who taught the young Dynamo magic, including a technique which literally takes away someone's strength. That soon got rid of the bullies...
"It gave me the belief that I could overcome the things that were happening to me," Dynamo recalls.
His success has inevitably made him famous, but he struggles with celebrity. "I've lost a lot of my privacy," he says. "It can get a bit overbearing at times because I never really wanted to be famous. I just wanted to do magic. Fame and stuff comes with it, but I'm quite shy and reserved."
He lives in London with his girlfriend and has an Alsatian - which is soft as putty but looks menacing and puts people off approaching him, he says.
"When I'm driving my car, people wind their windows down and shout, 'Do some magic!' But I'm, like, driving."
His girlfriend, whom he met at a music festival, prefers to keep out of the limelight. Dynamo does, however, practise his magic on her.
"She's the hardest person for me to impress," he reveals. "Maybe she's the only person I get nervous performing for. I genuinely care about her opinion because she's the one I love.
"She's very supportive because my work takes over my life for a lot of the time, so she has to share me with the magic."
He's currently filming the third series of Dynamo: Magician Impossible for Watch and is aware that TV eats up much of his material. With the first series he could draw on 12 years' worth, but with the second and the forthcoming series, he had just six months to create new illusions.
Throughout his shows, he's never been afraid to venture into rougher areas, whether it's the favelas in Rio or the streets of Harlem in New York. In the next series, he ventures into townships in South Africa.
"I'm from the wrong side of the tracks and have always wanted to be a working class hero for my generation.
"I want to demonstrate that even though people live in completely different worlds, magic can still elicit the same response."
The new series of four one-hour shows is scheduled for April, while the DVD of series one and two is out now.
Dynamo doesn't return to Bradford much, although he remains close to his mother and grandmother. Gramps Kenneth died this year, and for a while his prodigy hid away.
"I miss him every single day. I had to disappear for a little while, to make time for my family and re-evaluate my life," Dynamo reflects.
"Over time, the magic turned from being the reminder of my grandpa to being the thing which will leave his legacy. Now it's not about me, it's about keeping his legacy alive."
There's talk of a fourth TV series and a stage show. For now, he has separated his Dynamo persona from his real one - Steven.
"Dynamo hangs out in the coolest clubs and bars all over the world, but Steven likes to stay in with his mates and watch a movie."
:: Nothing Is Impossible: The Real-life Adventures Of A Street Magician by Dynamo, is published by Ebury, priced £16.99. Available now


text: Everything about Canada is big: the Niagara Falls, the CN Tower, the surf swells, the famous moose and infamous grizzly bears. You could go big on luxury in two of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. Or you could head off-the-beaten track to scenic Nova Scotia where the forests are huge, but your boutique hotel is small and perfectly formed.


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Posted 6 years ago
(1 item)
I Got This After My Grandmother Passed Away. She Owned A Party Store In The 70's-early 90's. ive been searching the web to see others like it and how much they are worth..but i cant find anything. does anybody know how much this is worth??


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A WINCHESTER group of pensioners have been busy knitting up a storm all in aid of a good cause.
The Beehive, a group from Weeke for the over 60s that meets up regularly for a coffee and a natter, have been knitting chicks in the build up to Easter to raise money for the Boaz project.
The group has made over 400 so far, each one containing a chocolate egg, to be sold for £1 each in a bid to raise as much money as they can for the charity.
The Boaz project is a Christian organisation that works with adults who have learning difficulties helping them to do gardening, craftwork, woodwork and cooking.
The Beehive group is also available for people from Harestock and Teg Down to meet once a week and get involved with similar projects.
For more information about the group or to donate to the project call the St Barnabas office on 01962 886629.


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Topic: What can I do?
My 71 year old dad has CC - diagnosed 2 weeks ago. We are waiting for an appt with a hepato-billiary surgeon. However, my dad just seems to be getting weaker and weaker from the jaundice? He has no pain but is extremely fatigued, he has also lost his appetite. They have done ultrasounds and blood tests and assure us that there is no other cancer and the CC is localised. He is looking gaunt and so frail. Is this the way the disease runs its course? Is it winning? What can I do? I keep waiting for the phone call from my mom telling me the worst. Please tell me, is the end near based on all this?
What can I do?


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I thought this kind of topic is appropriate to let people know what kind of luck and finds you made where so others can rush in to fight over scraps
I went on my brothers business to www.varuste.net store physically. I found very different discs compared to what i'm used to. I haven't thrown any of the discs yet perhaps tomorrow perhaps later.
When it ain't wet or cold i prefer opaque non sand blasted MVP Ion Soft sub 170s for laser putts. Scored two S 166s. Yay! Left none but they do have two 170s left. Unfortunately they don't know how to store discs so some are warped so ensuring that you get perfect ones requires betting on luck or going there in Helsinki, Finland. One of the Ions had a slight intendation in the flight plate. They had sand blasted ones too but the beads looked normal in size.
In general they had tackier discs than normal but many of the discs had either finger prints or some other stuff on them to mess up the shiny looks. I don't know what is going on with Innova but that store had many taffier than i'm used to discs so i splurged some. A pleasant surprise was the softest and tackiest orange Star Coyote 180 i've seen. Check. The same for a merlot colored 175 QOLS. My first one is so hard that the flight plate only has minimal give under the thumb and is slick. Not this new one So far i've met only rock hard slick Qmegas and Sirius Omegas. The Qmega i got is almost indistinguishable from the Sirius in tackiness and both are tackier than earlier primo plastic Omegas i've held. I didn't buy Omega Super Softs because that blend is too floppy for anything but freezing temperatures. It is way softer plastic than my first putter ever an Omega SS from 8 years back. Yes i played with beach frisbees for the first two years.
I was happy until i got home and realized that the almost completely flat R-Pro Roc was a plus mold. Oddly enough with the great tackiness i didn't notice it holding it at the store. Consider me fooled but maybe not because being so flat and + mold it should be very fast and with the flatness i hope for greater HSS than normal Rocs.
Got Westside Discs small bag because i think it fits in my bike. I hazarded buying a bike earlier thinking i might have healed enough to ride to and from the courses to further speed up my recovery. The Westside bag which lacks an English name and possibly distributor in the US is the smallest one i've seen. Good enough for a mobile bag and minimalistic setup without backups. The Finnish name is at least contemplated but i'm not sure if they've made it official. I haven't been to their page so i can't say for sure so i won't say what name Janne Penttilä of Westside Discs used of it.
Got a dark pink TI 175-176 Buzzz because it was flat topped and the shoulder height and all the rest of the important details looked identical to good Z Buzzzes. I really hope this ain't a flippy Buzzz. I like the rough top in the stamp for added grip. The plastic is surprisingly soft but summer is late and finally getting out of spring temps may be a factor in the better feel than i expected.
I spotted 12x Star Wraiths that looked like they should so prior to Bliz that was the best incarnation of the Wraith I've come across. And i do like Pro Wraiths in light weights a lot.
I don't know how the Avery Jenkins Destroyers should look like or even what the stamp is like. They had a way flatter one than Prisma in Joensuu had yesterday. It looks normal in the stamp except there is the signature of Avery in there with the world champ title too. I am not current with the knowledge on Destros because it's been out of my bag for a couple of years. The one i saw was flatter than my FR Star stamped one by a hair.


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In reaction to picketing of more than 350 teachers, Troy Board President Nancy Philippart said the district is not "manufacturing a financial crisis" as some have said in reaction to proposals during contract negotiations.
Philippart's comments were made at the board meeting following the picketing.�
"Despite suggestions that the board is 'manufacturing a financial crisis' so as not to pay its teachers fairly, this board is trying to make intelligent decisions today to ensure the long term financial sustainability of the school district," Philippart said, before giving a long list of what she called the facts.�
Teachers have taken the position that the district has replenished its fund equity and that the amount saved from 43 higher-paid retirees will cover the cost of step increases for teachers.�
Terri McCormick, a Troy Education Association spokesperson, said in the negotiations for the 2010-2011 contract,"teachers made concessions of almost $11 million, including a pay freeze because district said they were in dire financial straits.
"Since then, they increased the savings fund up to $21 million and they are still claiming dire straits and can't undo the freeze," McCormick said.
"Our members continue to stand up and say please give us our step increases. That's all people are wanting," said TEA Secretary Debbie Rosenman.
Rosenman pointed out that since the union took a pay freeze in 2010, they are now required by the state to pay about 15 percent of the cost of their health insurance, which was once paid entirely by the district; plus, hefty increases for retirement health care and pension that the district once paid. This amounts to a pay cut, she said.
Philippart said, "The board does not want to commit to 'steps' -- automatic, annual, seniority based compensation increases that will tie the district to increased spending each year regardless of cuts in state funding or other financial hardships."��
She pointed out the district lost funding because per-pupil revenue was permanently cut by $720 over the past three years.
To union statements that some teachers are leaving because of pay, the board president maintained that Troy teachers are among the highest paid in the state.
"Our most recent job postings attracted 100-200 applicants per posting, with many experienced teachers from other districts; indicating that others see Troy as a highly desirable place to work."


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They've done it with the Chinook, now they're doing it with the Apache. Boeing expects that the AH-64 production line will still be running in 2040, thanks to a strategy that offers a continuing series of upgrades that can be efficiently incorporated on a single production line that recycles used aircraft as well as producing new ones.
On a visit last month to the home of the Apache in Mesa, Arizona, AIN saw new-build AH-64D Block IIs for the U.S. Army coming down the line, mixed in with remanufactured airframes for the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates. These aircraft are being procured under fixed-price or not-to-exceed contracts. The line moves every three-and-a-half days, and produces six to seven aircraft per month.
Block II production will give way to the Block III in 2011. Development of this latest version has been under way since May 2005, but was accelerated only once the RAH-66 Comanche development was formally ended. Now, the U.S. Army wants to buy 224 of them over six years starting in 2011.
After that, an Extended Block III version would be produced. All of the Block IIIs for the U.S. Army will be remanufactured from AH-64D Block Is, although it is also possible to turn an early AH-64A model into an AH-64D Block III.
According to Brad Rounding, Boeing's manager of Apache programs, although there are airframe improvements in the Block III, most of the changes are sensor-driven. "It looks like the same helicopter, but there are 26 enhancements. About 60 percent of the development is done, and two prototypes are flying," he said. "There have been no major requirement or design changes from our original proposal. A stable configuration keeps the costs down."
The airframe changes include the more powerful GE T700-701D engines that are common to the Army's UH-60 BlackHawks; composite main rotor blades; and a new drive system. There is an open system architecture–the single most important change, according to Rounding.
Connectivity with other assets on the battlefield will be much improved, including unmanned aerial vehicles, which the Apache will be able to control to "Level 4," for example, the pointing of its sensor or its redirection. The range of the helicopter's sensors will be increased, so targets may be identified and attacked as far as the horizon. Data fusion will enhance the crew's situational awareness. Embedded diagnostics will help with maintenance.
International sales kept the Apache line moving in 2006-07. Ten overseas countries have bought the AH-64, and Boeing sees new prospects in the Nordic Countries, Turkey and Korea. The fuselage shells for new Apaches are made in Korea, to offset that country's purchase of F-15K Strike Eagles.