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By the University of Colorado Student Government
We live in an age of acronyms that inundate our day-to-day world with a thick buzzing of white noise, so it is certainly understandable that many students feel overwhelmed with the barrage of CU-official personalities that cover the campus.
Despite the high concentration of CU-logoed "traffic" that we encounter here in Boulder, it actually is worth your time and effort as a student to pay special attention to the University of Colorado Student Government (CUSG).
To begin with, CUSG is your student government, your organized and elected officials, by the students, and for the students. Twice a year candidates from every corner of the political spectrum vie for your vote around campus and online. It truly is imperative that these elections are held every fall and spring to keep your representatives accountable to you and to the best interests of the 25,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students they represent here in Boulder.
What CUSG does affects every student on a daily basis. CUSG's primary responsibility is managing approximately $20 million in student fees every year and voting on its allocation and implementation throughout "Cost Centers" and various student resources. These include the GLBTQRC, the Rec Center, the Women's Resource Center, Student Legal Services, the Environmental Center, the Volunteer Resource Center, and the Cultural Events Board just to name a few. CUSG helps student groups get funding through SGFB (which just passed a same year funding bill) for events and programming and engages in student outreach through SORCE.
Additionally, CUSG lobbies on behalf of students for tuition assistance and cost mitigation at the Colorado capitol, speaks at Boulder City Council meetings, fosters a dialogue between the student body and the Chancellor, and makes sure that students have a direct channel to make their thoughts and opinions magnified throughout the administration.
This semester, CUSG has been engaging in a concentrated effort to listen to the student body's ideas and questions, and working to address concerns. Some highlights of our work:
- As part of a harm reduction program, CUSG has been on the Hill this past month handing out free food to students to lessen the negative impact of weekend partying on individuals' bodies.
- CUSG also spoke out against the implementation of a strict 500-foot rule which could limit alcohol sales on the Hill at a City Council Meeting last Tuesday.
- CUSG task forces have been assessing the accessibility of bathrooms on campus for ADA compliance and gender inclusivity, as well as fighting to make student group funding easier to navigate.
- Safety forums have been held on a regular basis to try to identify and address apparent as well as less-visible concerns on the emotional, mental and physical safety of our students.
CUSG really is fighting for the students every day because we love Boulder, the college experience, and most importantly, serving our peers. We are an active force of highly motivated, driven student leaders fighting for your best interests all throughout your college experience. This is not your high school student government. CUSG has the power to affect real change through legislation, task forces and initiatives.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with everything your elected officials are doing for you.


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Stewart feels 'really good' after Minors scrimmage
MESA, Ariz. -- It was only a Minor League game, and Ian Stewart didn't play in the field, but he couldn't believe how good he felt at the plate. That could be great news for the Cubs.
Stewart got his first in-game at-bats since Feb. 21 when he led off every inning Thursday for both teams in a Minor League game at Fitch Park.
"By my count, I was 2-for-5, maybe 1-for-5," he said. "I maybe gave myself one [hit]."
That didn't matter. What did was that Stewart's wrist passed all tests. He was limited to 55 games last season before undergoing surgery on his left wrist. He spent the offseason rehabbing and hitting with Hall of Famer Rod Carew, and this spring, Stewart doubled in his first at-bat in an intrasquad game on Feb. 21. But he felt tightness in his left quad as he ran to first, and had not played since.
If he's healthy and can provide the Cubs with the offense he put together in 2009 with the Rockies, they could have a 20-plus home run hitter who can drive in 70 RBIs.
"I still think I will be [that guy], and I think I will be this year," Stewart said. "It's just been such a relief for me knowing that the surgery that I had worked and I have no lingering issues in my wrist, and my bat speed feels back.
"The toughest part for me last year was I could hit [batting practice] all day because they were throwing it down the middle and you could control everything," he said. "Once the game came, and pitches were moving and breaking, and I just couldn't adjust because the wrist was holding me back. Now there's none of that.
"My confidence is really sky high right now, as far as my hitting and everything goes. I was really surprised at how I was able to feel in the box [Thursday] and tracking pitches and some swings I put on the baseball."
Stewart felt some soreness in his leg on Friday, and the next step will be another Minor League game. He still hasn't run full speed.
"I had a couple ground-ball outs and I wanted to make sure I didn't have a setback or reinjure it," he said. "I took my time to get down the line. I've been saying the running part is the last hurdle for me."
The Cubs signed Stewart to a $2 million non-guaranteed contract, but the only other option at third base is Luis Valbuena, who batted .219 last season. Valbuena did bat .306 in Venezuela in winter ball. Stewart said he feels he has enough time to prepare for the regular season.
"There's 17, 16 days until Opening Day," he said. "Typically, that's not what you want, but I think you can make the most of it by being able to go down to the Minor League games and get eight at-bats. It definitely helps just to see actual live pitching, to see some break on some balls and some spin and some speed of the pitches as well. It's very useful, and I'm just going to have to do that if I want to be ready for the season."
The best news for Stewart and the Cubs is how good he felt in the batter's box.
"I was a little nervous, actually, going down there," Stewart said. "My timing felt great, I felt like I was taking good pitches that were close, laying off some breaking balls and some changeups that were in the dirt, and it just felt really good. It was nice to square a couple balls up knowing I hadn't faced any live pitching since that scrimmage."
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Izturis staking claim to second-base job
NEW YORK -- Maicer Izturis seems to have the early edge on the starting job at second base.
Izturis went to Spring Training competing for the job with utility man Emilio Bonifacio. Both were pressed into full-time duty when Brett Lawrie missed the start of the season with an oblique injury, but now that Toronto has its third baseman back, the competition has returned.
The Blue Jays haven't officially declared that Izturis is their everyday guy, but he has received the bulk of the work since April 16.
"Izzy has been more steady there," manager John Gibbons said. "We'll look at what they've done on the matchup against a pitcher on a given night. If somebody needs a day off, we can use Boni in the outfield or the infield."
Izturis was forced to miss Monday's game against Baltimore with a minor hamstring issue, but other than that he has started every game since Lawrie's return. Bonifacio, meanwhile, has started just five of those nine games, as the Blue Jays seem to be moving him into more of a super-utility role.
That could change, but for now Gibbons appears to like Izturis at second and feels as though he has started adjusting to his new surroundings after a rough start to the year.
"You see it all the time. Think back over the years of baseball, free-agent guys, even trades, sometimes it takes a little while to settle in," Gibbons said of Izturis, who signed a three-year deal this offseason. "You want to make everything look right, look good, make it a great trade. I think the tendency is [to] try a little too hard, press a little bit.
"The great players and just the good players, they all do it. We've had a few of those guys that are new faces in town, and I think that has affected a few of them."
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Assault weapons ban announced in US Congress; faces uphill battle
WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - A top Democratic lawmaker tried on Thursday to revive a U.S. assault-weapons ban, riding a wave of support for gun control after the killing of 20 children and six adults at a school in Connecticut last month.
Senator Dianne Feinstein and several other Democrats said they were introducing a bill to ban semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. It faces stiff opposition in Congress as well as from the National Rifle Association, the main U.S. lobby for gun manufacturers, and from many Americans.
"Getting this bill signed into law will be an uphill battle, and I recognize that - but it is a battle worth having," Feinstein said at a news conference to announce the bill.
The legislation mirrors some of the proposals that President Barack Obama offered last week as he vowed to make gun control a top priority in his second term.
Banning assault weapons is seen as the most unlikely part of Obama's gun control package to pass Congress. A previous ban expired in 2004 after 10 years.
With 310 million guns in civilian hands and 11,000 homicides with firearms last year, the United States is one of the world's most heavily armed and violent countries.
Feinstein's bill would ban the purchase of semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine clip and prohibit high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
(Reporting By Thomas Ferraro, Editing by Alistair Bell)
2013-01-24 17:10:39+00:00 GMT+00:00 (Reuters)


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Are you ready for an amazingly creamy milk with a natural sweetness made fresh daily?
A brilliant snow-white milk, as opposed to the stuff at the store that has a rather grey tint color
Freshly made soymilk is an excellent way for you and your family to truly benefit from the goodness of soy. Research has shown that diets low in saturated fats and cholesterol that also include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Or if soy really isn't your thing, other milks made from nuts, almonds, oats, grains or even other legumes are equally nutritious and delicious!


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The former general manager of the Adams Produce Inc. distribution center must serve seven months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the government by overcharging for fresh produce for schools and the military.
Michael O'Brien could have been sentenced to five years under federal law. Federal Judge Sharon Blackburn imposed three years supervised release following O'Brien's prison time. She also ordered him to pay $481,000 "jointly and severally with the coconspirators," according to court records.
O'Brien is the fourth official from the defunct Birmingham, Ala., produce company to be sentenced to serve prison time for federal criminal charges related to a 2011 double-billing scheme. The U.S. Justice Department requested a sentence of one year and one day. He requested probation, saying he didn't benefit from the scheme and, in fact, lost money because of it.
From August to December 2011, O'Brien and other managers at the company conducted 82 fraudulent transactions with the U.S. government, according to the Justice Department. As general manager of the company's distribution center in Pensacola, Fla., O'Brien helped hatch the scheme and suggested names for a fake company set up to hide the deal, according to court documents.
O'Brien worked with the company's chief executive officer Scott Grinstead, who is sentenced to 16 months in prison, and purchasing director David Kirkland, who is sentenced to serve one year and one day. O'Brien and Kirkland "were the primary actors in the day to day operation of the scheme and both stood to benefit personally from it through the opportunity for performance-based bonuses," according to the Justice Department.
His attorney painted a very different picture in O'Brien's request for leniency.
"In some ways he was a victim in this whole Adams event as he suffered a financial loss of nearly $150,000 for not being reimbursed for loss of a lease O'Brien was obligated for that Adams had agreed to pay and payment to vendors by O'Brien out of his own pocket when Adams Produce lost its credit with them," according to O'Brien's sentence request.
O'Brien, Kirkland, Grinstead and two other former Adams Produce employees all pleaded guilty and negotiated plea agreements with the government. The investigation into the scheme is ongoing, according to the Justice Department.
The others who have pleaded guilty:
Christopher Pfahl, a purchasing program specialist, is set to be sentenced April 22; and
Stanley Butler, a purchasing agent, is sentenced to serve three and a half months in prison followed by three years' supervised release.


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ABIDJAN (AFP) - About 50 inmates Friday staged a jailbreak from Ivory Coast's main prison but about 20 were apprehended, an informed source said.
Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko deplored the "regrettable" incident, which he blamed on a surveillance breach but added no details of the raid. Locals however reported hearing sustained gunfire in the morning near the prison.
Police set up roadblocks near the high-walled complex on the fringes of the country's commercial capital Abidjan to carry out checks on passing vehicles.
Ivory Coast was plunged into crisis when former president Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down in November 2010 after losing elections to Alassane Ouattara.
An ensuing standoff that claimed some 3,000 lives ended only in April 2011 when pro-Ouattara ex-rebels, aided by UN troops and French forces stationed in the former colony, arrested Gbagbo.
On March 31 last year, the day Ouattara's forces stormed into Abidjan, all the inmates of the same prison broke out.
The prison, built in 1980 to house 1,500 inmates currently houses about 2,200. It once accommodated about 5,300.


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SuckerPunch 9/10
Tripped my mind hard.
Was good, entertaining, and the main girl was lovely!
Great movie though. Ordered the Bluray of it about 5mins after I finished watching it.
SuckerPunch 9/10
Tripped my mind hard.
Was good, entertaining, and the main girl was lovely!
Great movie though. Ordered the Bluray of it about 5mins after I finished watching it.
We stopped searching for monsters under our beds when we realized that they were inside us.
Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?
Wrek it ralph. 8/10, classic Disney story telling combined with video games, cant really go wrong there. what i really liked about it was it was able to give me what i wanted or at least was expecting but didn't go overboard with any of it. do i see famous video game characters? yes. but only as cameos which is really all they should be. and as a John c. Reilly fan i was half expecting to see/hear lots of....dale but instead i get a fully realized character of Ralph that i care about or at least see myself liking. the other characters are great and it has the, dare i say stereotypical happy disney ending(not that it's a bad thing by any means).
that really a spoiler? no...
The Amazing Spider-man.
Was actually a pretty good reboot, and stuck much closer to the Comic version of Spiderman than the Tobey Maguire Trilogy (Webshooters/Flash/Gwen Stacy etc.).
Was a good solid Comic movie.
Bow down before our new furry overlords!
Stand by Me
My new favorite movie (and my new avatar ). Seriously, this is a must watch, I don't know how I only recently saw it for the first time. I could watch it over and over and over again. So sad too
Prometheous: 7/10
The set-up was amazing and really had my attention going. Without giving too much away as I'm lazy, I was dissappointed with the second half of the movie, instead of making what could have been something awesome and original they made it a super-predictable crapfest that has been done hundreds of times already. It was a nice looking film with good effects and decent acting, but nothing all that special because of the turn they took with it. Could have been so much more.
Also, I'm glad to see some good Skyfall reviews. Haven't gotten around to seeing it yet but will make sure I do.
Skyfall: 7/10. A decent action movie and one of the better Bond movies but nothing great. I think that after the disaster that was Quantum of Solace people are over hyping this one.
Dodgeball: 8/10 Awesome movie! The coach is insanly funny
mainly asian films..
all are not bad
Don't know, it had some funny moments or references, especially the massive overacting with the shit on the ground. Acting wasn't to bad, but a bit predictable and not hilariously funny. Good if you're bored imo.
The Sweeney
I'd give it 8/10
It's quite heavy in action but very un-realstic in how the law would act but if you can put that Aside you'll love this film
Wrong turn 5
This movie is the worst of its kind. I somehow kind of enjoyed the first 4 movies, as in, they were amusing in a way :P But the fifth movie is just soo bad.. :<
Nimryas - EU-Kazzak ~ My youtube channel
Total Remake( recall )
I have no idea what I just watched? I think it was a fan made trailer splicing Minority report, I-Robot onto what a modern Total recall remake would look like.
Would have given it 3/10 if they had added some more lens flare, every 5 seconds just wasn't enough imo
Skyfall, 6/10. My hopes were too high after all that hype so I was a bit disappointed.
'The Master'
Absolutely top shelf cinematography and stellar acting (Phoenix should get an award for this one), tied to a story that just doesn't seem to go anywhere. While I get that that's sort of the point, it still isn't nearly as solid as some of this directors other flicks. 6.5/10.
'The Anniversary Party'
A rather interesting cast IMO, but I felt that this would be better served as a play. Not amazing, but not bad. I didn't care about any of the characters. 5/10
Shop Girl
Meh. 4/10
We Need to Talk About Kevin
One of the best pro-abortion movies ever made, even if that isn't the intent. Great acting, easy to follow time skipping, though the fathers actions and some of the mothers choices actually make the story quite unrealistic. 6/10
And it's squeezing all the air out of this goddamn cave I live in.
Skyfall: 8.75/10. lots of hype, and it generally lived up to the hype, but Bond movies aren't really 9 or 10 material. Was a solid film with a decent ending.
Serenity: 7/10. Firefly series was AMAZING before it was cancelled and this movie is a must-see for a true fan; good story but Joss Whedon has no idea how to do war scenes, they're cheesy in a bad way. Movie would be a solid 8-9/10 with some editing and better production value.
Wreck It Ralph
Overall 10
Minus 1 for M. Bison's voice being fucking awful.
Minus 1 for making Zangief a bad guy, he isn't.
Final score


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Off-Road Group Riding
You're out in the hills with half a dozen friends, pausing for breath at the top of a climb while taking in the view. As you get ready to set off, someone says: 'Hang on a minute. Where's Jon?' Maybe he's walking up the hill with a flat he can't mend? Maybe he got fed up and went home? Perhaps he thought everyone turned left halfway up? Or maybe he's fallen off and is lying in a ditch…
Group riding turns mountain biking into a social experience. It's fun. But unless you pay attention, it's not hard for the group to split apart.
To read the full magazine article, please click on the PDF below.
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The Trouble With Background Noise
Everyday background noise, whether it is a neighbor's television or passing aircraft, can have a disruptive effect on people's cognitive learning and unconscious physiological processes, says a study in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. The health hazards of loud noise are well studied, but low-intensity background noise has received less attention, researchers said.
The study tested the computer learning abilities of 59 Austrians in their mid-20s in a room with varying background noise. Each was required to study three computer texts for 15 minutes and then were tested on their knowledge.
One group of 20 was exposed to low-level noise of 36 decibels during the tests. (Normal conversation is 50 to 60 decibels.)
A second group of 20 was exposed to 45 decibels of garbled noise from a comedy CD played backward in an adjacent room.
A third group, with 19 subjects, was exposed to the simulated noise—about 46 decibels—of a distant aircraft approaching an airport at a rate of one per minute. Heart rate and galvanic skin responses, both autonomic indicators of stress, were measured throughout the learning period for the three tests.
Memory scores were higher in the control group than in both the aircraft- and neighborhood-noise groups. In one test, it was significantly higher than the three aircraft-noise tests. Skin conductance rates in the aircraft-noise group were significantly higher than in control subjects throughout most of the study, and higher than the neighborhood-noise group in the final five minutes of text learning.
Heart rates in the aircraft group also increased significantly in these last five minutes. Aircraft noise may place a higher demand on attention and sympathetic physiological responses such as heart rate and perspiration than other types of noise, researchers said.
Caveat: The aircraft noise had a broader spectrum compared with the other noise sources and may have been perceived as louder, triggering psychological effects, such as thoughts of an attack from above, researchers said. Some people are more sensitive to background noise than others, they said.
Title: Effects of low Intensity noise from aircraft or from neighbourhood on cognitive learning and electrophysiological stress responses
Medication errors: A study in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care found that 25% of parents were unable to correctly measure a dose of children's cough syrup, but the wording of the instructions had little effect on accuracy. Research has shown that dosing errors are common with liquid medications, often because of ambiguous instructions and the type of measuring device used.
The study involved 193 U.S. women in their late 20s. About a third were college educated and 80% had children. Health literacy, the capacity to understand medical-related information, was adequate in 99, marginal in 58 and inadequate in 36, tests showed.
The subjects received identical medication bottles with instructions to shake well before measuring 6 milliliters of the liquid. In 96 cases, the instructions were implicit, or indicated the medication should be given every 12 hours. For 97 subjects, the instructions explicitly stated the medication be given at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. A 10-milliliter needleless syringe was used by 86% of subjects, a 5-milllimeter syringe by 8.3% and a kitchen teaspoon by 5.7%.
Women with children were three times more likely to measure the medicine correctly than women without children, results showed. Dosing accuracy was higher in better-educated subjects and those with higher health literacy. Instruction type had no effect. Dosages were most accurate when the 10-milliliter syringe was used. Use of a kitchen teaspoon, which isn't an equivalent measure, could have serious health ramifications related to dosing errors, researchers said. They recommended pharmacies provide standard measuring devices with pediatric medications.
Caveat: Subjects were recruited from a medical clinic and some may have been stressed due to impending appointments, researchers said. The study didn't assess how parents would administer medication over a standard course of treatment involving several days.
Title: Women's Understanding of Different Dosing Instructions for a Liquid Pediatric Medication
Chronic cough: Taking daily iron supplements dramatically improved chronic dry, tickly cough in healthy, nonsmoking women with below-normal iron levels—a condition that affects nearly 20% of child-bearing women—compared with treatments targeting only cough symptoms, according to a small study in the International Journal of Clinical Practice. Cough is more frequent and severe in women than men, and often starts after puberty, researchers said.
Iron deficiency may affect areas of the brain involved in the neurological control of cough, they said.
The study involved 22 women in their late 30s from northern Italy. All had low iron levels and coughs lasting approximately 12.8 months. Their cough severity was rated 3.9 on a scale from 0 (no cough) to 5 (worst cough). Tests showed the subjects had normal lung function and none had asthma. Histamine challenge tests, which measure airway response to allergens, found all 22 had easily irritated, or hyper-responsive, airways.
The study involved two 60-day treatments separated by a month of no treatment. In one, subjects received 10 milligrams of antihistamine once a day and 20 milligrams of proton-pump inhibitor twice a day.
In the other, they received two 330-milligram iron sulphate tablets daily.
Iron supplementation significantly improved cough and histamine hyper-responsiveness compared with antihistamine and proton-pump inhibitor treatment, results showed. Iron levels returned to normal in all but two patients, who were found to have a genetic blood disorder, researchers said.
Caveat: More than 1,000 men were screened for the study but none had chronic cough and low iron, researchers said. The study lacked a control group because administering iron to patients with no iron deficiency would be unethical, they said.
Helpful bacteria: A common bacterium linked to the appearance of peptic ulcers and other stomach disorders may have beneficial properties that help to prevent complications from acid-reflux disease, says a report in Digestive Diseases and Sciences. Helicobacter pylori are found in about half the world's population, often with no discernible symptoms. Higher rates of H. pylori and lower rates of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are reported in African Americans, compared with white populations, but the association between H. pylori and GERD isn't clear, researchers said.
The study involved 2,020 African Americans, 1,219 women and 801 men, who underwent upper endoscopy, a diagnostic procedure, at a Washington, D.C., hospital from 2004 and 2007. Results showed that 77.1% had gastritis, an inflamed stomach lining, and 2.9% had esophagitis, inflammation caused by stomach acid leaking into the esophagus. Both conditions were found in 18% of subjects, while 2% had normal results and served as controls. Stomach biopsies showed 38% of subjects had H. pylori.
H. pylori were present in 3.8% of patients with esophagitis and 34.4% of controls, but the bacterium didn't result in significant differences between controls and subjects with gastritis or gastritis and esophagitis, the study found. H. pylori may reduce stomach-acid secretions by suppressing ghrelin, a hormone linked to obesity, which is a risk factor for GERD, researchers said. Aggressive efforts to eradicate H. pylori in the general population may explain why African Americans are experiencing a dramatic increase in esophageal cancers, they said.
Caveat: The prevalence of H. pylori infection was found in African American patients treated in a hospital and may not be the same in the general population, researchers said. The control group was small.
Title: Helicobacter pylori Protection Against Reflux Esophagitis
Denial and delay: Up to one-third of women diagnosed with inoperable breast cancer initially put off seeing a doctor, often for several months, despite noticeable breast changes, says a report in Acta Oncologica. Public-awareness campaigns stress the importance of mammography screening and early diagnosis to a favorable breast-cancer prognosis. Despite this public focus, cancers are well advanced in many women because of delays contacting the medical system.
To understand those delays, researchers reviewed data from 157 Danish women diagnosed with inoperable or metastatic breast tumors from 2006 to 2011. The data showed 12.1% had waited three to six months after the first symptoms appeared before contacting a doctor, while a wait of six to 12 months was reported by 3.8%. Longer waits of more than one or two years were reported by 18%. A third of subjects had abnormal breast symptoms, including ulcerated tumors and skin changes.
Other health problems, such as depression and anxiety, were reported in 14.6% of subjects and may have overshadowed breast-tumor symptoms, researchers said. About 12% lived in nursing homes and 7.6% had dementia. But 42% of subjects had none of these factors and more than half had neglected obvious symptoms, researchers said. Denial must play a role in their behavior, though improving early detection efforts may not succeed in reaching these women, they said.
Caveat: The study was small and the findings may not apply to women in other countries.
Title: Women with inoperable or locally advanced breast cancer—what characterizes them? A retrospective review of 157 cases.
Seeking an Alternative Treatment for Age-Related Eye Conditions
A new compound developed from a fetal-growth protein may provide an alternative to two common treatments for age-related macular degeneration and other eye conditions, and have fewer side effects, researchers said.
Drugs that target angiogenesis, the abnormal growth of blood vessels inside the eye, are the mainstay of therapies for a growing number of eye conditions. The latest issue of Acta Ophthalmologica reports on the study, conducted in China, which involved experiments with a human placenta growth factor molecule called ZY1 that plays a role in gestation. The growth factor is part of a family of such factors that includes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that stimulates angiogenesis.
Bevacizumab (Avastin) and ranibizumab (Lucentis), the drugs most commonly used to treat angiogenesis, target VEGF, but adverse side effects have been reported with both, researchers said.
Experiments showed that ZY1 significantly inhibited VEGF-induced angiogenesis and the formation of vessel-like tubular structures in cell cultures. Higher concentrations have a greater effect.
A control compound, ZY1-S, didn't demonstrate any inhibitory properties.
ZY1 also suppressed blood-vessel formation by 50% to 80% in mice with corneas implanted with micropellets loaded with VEGF and ZY1, compared with micropellets containing either a placebo or only VEGF.
Eye injections of ZY1 resulted in no adverse effects in mice compared with a placebo.
Placental growth factor doesn't affect healthy organs, suggesting it could be used in developing safe antiangiogenic drugs for vision loss, the researchers said.
Caveat: The compound hasn't been tested on human eyes.
Title: Inhibition of ocular neovascularization by a novel peptide derived from human placenta growth factor-1
—Ann Lukits


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SingeR-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones impressed his audience at Devizes Town Hall last Wednesday with his skilled guitar playing and beautiful songs as well as his passion for social justice.
He sang songs he had written about the If campaign last year as well as some old favourites such as The Black Velvet Band. He also gave a slide show about the plight of olive farmers in Palestine and performed a moving song about a butterfly trapped in an underground carriage, which was a metaphor for all those trapped in poverty.
Taysir Arbasi, director of the Fairtrade company Zaytoun, was at the concert and people were able to buy Zaytoun products from the stall as well as Traidcraft food and crafts.
Gareth encouraged everyone to sign a petition to the Secretary of State for Business to 'Make Bananas Fair'.
Petitioners are asking the Government to intervene in the supermarkets' banana price wars as the price of non-Fairtrade bananas has been falling while the costs of production have rise, hitting banana farmers hard.


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Event Detail Page
Foundations and Frontiers of Physics Education Research: Bar Harbor
Jun 12, 2011 - Jun 18, 2011 in Bar Harbor, Maine
We have opened registration for this year's Foundations and Frontiers of Physics Education Research meeting, to be held June 12 to 18 in Bar Harbor, Maine.
The conference is a venue for specialists who are active researchers in the field of physics education. This intensive week-long residential meeting will provide a forum for examining and articulating the current state of the field, exploring future directions, and discussing ways to pursue the most promising avenues for future research.
The conference features a series of plenary lectures given by established and emerging leaders in PER. Each will address the theme of Foundations and Frontiers by synthesizing major accomplishments in the field and/or speculating on the directions they consider especially important and promising. Afternoons will be devoted to unscheduled time for informal discussions. Evening sessions will include working groups on subjects of community-wide interest, topical groups for specific research issues, and a contributed poster session. The goal of the conference is to foster the type of direct and intense discussion possible in a small residential meeting of specialists.
FFPER Organizer


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Palindromic TimeMath brain teasers require computations to solve.
On a 12-hour digital clock, what is the smallest interval between two times that are palindromic (can be read forwards and backwards as the same number)?
HintIt's shorter than 10 minutes!
AnswerThe interval is two minutes, between the times of 9:59 and 10:01.
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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BWW Interviews: Dixie Longate, Charasmatic Star of DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY
MM: Cheers! Honey, it was a wonderful show. I loved it so much. It's just so fun.
DL: Thank you.
MM: But you do not need any recognition – it's your third time here. And I'm sure you'll be back time and time again. I love this show – it's immensely popular.
DL: I've gotta say, I love Denver audiences. Because everybody here is fun, they have a good time. They really know how to let their hair down when they come in the theatre. They really play. You go to some theatres around the country and the audiences don't understand it as much; they're a little quieter. They're a little moodier. But everybody across the board in Denver always makes it happen happen.
MM: Well good. Do you find that ths is a good region for sales?
DL: You know, I do think it's a good region for sales, as well. I also find that because the holidays are coming up, people are thinking, "Oh my gosh, it's Black Friday – African American Friday comin' up. I wanna make sure that I get stuff for all my friends for the holidays." All that stuff. And that's always good. The holidays are always nice. But I love when people come to the party and they're like "I've never thought much about Tupperware before, but it's the greatest thing on the planet." They see it in the show, and they go "I need that. I never knew how amazing this stuff was, and I need that." And so that always makes me happy when people leave with Tupperware brand product.
MM: Well, I'm testimony to that.
DL: No, you're a Tuppermonial for that.
MM: So what did the organization think of you – I mean, you're putting on a show, but it's actually a real Tupperware party. I call it an event.
DL: Well I started selling Tupperware about 11 years ago and I started just doing regular Tupperware parties. It wasn't even a thought of doing it as a show. But I did it for a couple years and I became one of their top sellers. And when I went to the Jubilee, I had so much fun, and everyone's so neighborly, they just treat me so well, and I said "Well, I have this opportunity to maybe put this together and do it as a show, we should try it." And because I had been with Tupperware long enough that my money was where my mouth was.
MM: You know your stuff. I'm amazed at that.
DL: Oh, hooker, I know my crap. It's the best crap on the planet. So when I started, they were happy. They said "take it with our good graces," and they said "just talk kindly about that product," and I do. I mean, I love Tupperware so much. I always talk real kindly and neighborly about all the product. But it started as a little show in New York as part of a theatre festival, and then people got interested in it and I moved it off Broadway, and then I started the tour.
MM: And how long were you off Broadway?
DL: It was only supposed to be two months, and it ended up being three, and the only reason we didn't go longer, which we could've, was that we had to close because the theatre I was in had another show comin' in after it. So I had to close there, but they said "well, someday we'll get you back in New York." But then that started the tour, and after that, I've been on the road. I'm in my fifth year, which is crazy.
MM: That's awesome.
DL: I know – I don't even like people anymore. I just hate everybody. No – it's fun. I love it, and every show's different. We're about to celebrate the 600th show this weekend – isn't that crazy? – and, for me, I never get bored with it. I never get tired because every night is different. Every audience is different. There are always gonna be different people playing games, different questions to answer, different energy of the room. So that's what I love about it. There's always gonna be something that keeps me excited.
MM: Well, good. So what is your favorite piece of Tupperware to sell?
DL: I love the can opener, because that thing is amazing. I've never seen nothin' like the can opener in my whole life. It just makes my jaw open like a junior prom date. I do love the wine bottle opener, because at a stop light, I can reach back, get my stash of wine, put it in my crotch, take the wine bottle, and open it before the light turns green.
MM: And everyone loves crotch wine.
DL: Oh my God, it's a true story. It's true. I love it. You know, it's a great stocking stuffer. So at the holidays, when you need something for like a 5 year old, put a bottle of wine taped to a wine opener. It's amazing. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Cause if they learn that young, you know they're gonna do it responsibly.
MM: So what's your biggest seller?
DL: Well, when I do the Tupperware parties, regular parties, I wanna say the grater, which is on the table but I didn't talk about it in the show. The grater is my biggest seller. People go nuts for the grater. Cuz the little housing on it, when you grate, all of the things fall into the housing, and it's got metric and American measurements on it. So you grate and you measure when you're doing it. That's why they call it the Grate and Measure, it's so smart. But at the show, my rimmin bowls are what everyone wants. So I sell tons of my rimmin bowls, and my two boobs in a box. Because you can't live without that.
MM: No, absolutely not.
DL: No, not at all. Because you know when you cut somethin' in half live a tomato and you're like, I've got half of something, what am I gonna do with it, and you don't wanna put it in your mouth right then, then you put it in the box.
MM: Exactly. And I love that it had a hook to hang it up, too.
DL: I know! It's so smart, and people always call me and they say, I can't do it because I have a glass shelf refrigerator and it won't hang on there, and I'm like, you damn fool. Put it on the side. There's a little space on the side – the glass shelf actually gets suspended from the back, so there's a little side space on both of them. Just shove it in. I know people are stupid. I've gotta learn it all.
MM: So what piece of Tupperware do you think every person should get for Christmas?
DL: Oh my Lord, that's a hard one. The wine bottle opener is one of the very best things because then everybody's happier when they drink. That Quick Shake – the little shaker bottle, did I show you that? The little Quick Shake container, when you put your food in there, it blends it real smooth.
MM: No!
DL: Oh my God, you do it like this – give it a quick shake, and you can blend your things, so that when you put them in your mouth, you won't *gagging noise*. If I'm making that noise, I better not be having something in my mouth like a quick shake. I'd better be having something else. So that one I love, and it's reAl Small and compact so you can make your drinks in it, your marinade for your big old platter of meats, you can put dressings in there. Anything you want to make. Your non-lumpy gravy, like your Grandmama did. Which was when she was hittin' the hooch.
MM: A lot of hooch in that sauce.
DL: Amen, which is why they call it sauce. Exactly.
MM: So some say that Tupperware is dated and so are these parties. Do you think you have
revolutionized or revitalized the concept in a fabulous way?
DL: That's so sweet. You know, I like to think that I had a little bit to do with it. You know, Tupperware's been around and never stopped being sold. But for a while it felt outdated and tired. And I think, my hope with the parties is to just remind people that it's a party, and come have a good time and drink a little bit, and see the best crap on the planet. So I think – I don't want to take all the credit for revitalizing it, but I think I played a little bit of a role in getting people back to knowing about it and being informed about it. And, like you have a bunch of people who come to the show who have never been to a Tupperware party, so that's what I love. I love when people come in, like a husband and wife. Well, the husband never would've gone. A date night, or a young group that didn't even know what Tupperware was, and they're like oh my God, this is the best crap. That's what I like about it. So I've been giving a new demographic of people an opportunity to come see the best crap on the planet.
MM: That's wonderful. I have to say, I am a virgin to the Tupperware party. I've used Tupperware, but I've never been to one of the parties.
DL: And now what you do is you create a Tupperware party with somebody. Get all your friends together and call a local host – I've got some good hosts I can hook you up with – and they do a party, and then you get all this free crap. As the host, you get butt loads of free crap for hosting the party. And then everybody comes to have a good time, and they buy and they drink, and everybody wins.
MM: Are there any Tuppermonials or success stories that you'd like to share with the world?
DL: You know, me personally, my biggest thing is…it's funny – I got completely out of debt with
Tupperware. I was in deep and I got completely out of debt selling Tupperware. And the day that I
wrote that last check to that last credit card company was the most freeing day of my life. Cause I
started and I was like, "Oh, I'm just gonna do a couple parties. I need new tires for my car" because my tires were so worn down. So I said, "How much is it gonna cost me to get a new set of tires?" So I calculated that out, and then how many parties would it take to do that. And I did it, and I got the goal real fast, and I was like well, you know, I could use some other things. And I just kept selling and selling and setting goals. But the best was the year when I was #1 in the entire United States – there's nothing like that. They had the top 30 people in sales up on that stage, and I counted down. It was like a beauty pageant. And I'm counting down and they're getting to the top 5, and there's just 5 of us, and we're all nervous and looking at each other. And they don't tell you – you know what your sales are but you don't know what they are compared to other people. And it was down to me and the #2 lady, we were sitting next to each other, and they said that she was #2, and I came apart. I started crying. They came up and put a little crown on me, a little tiara, a little sash, and give me some flowers, and then they handed me the microphone, and it was so fun to just look at these thousands of people that were just sitting there. And I remember being at my first Jubilee, and being in the very last row, and saying "Oh my Lord, wouldn't it be great to get up there someday?" That was exactly what I said. I'm gonna be here someday. And someday someone now in the very last row is gonna be up here, too. It's a great thing to say thank you for being so supportive and so neighborly. And it was just a great feeling to have so many thousands of people cheering and congratulating me for what I'd done. That's my favorite moment at Tupperware.
MM: And I put in my review, actually, "Fall in love with Tupperware all over again."
DL: I love that! That is so sweet.
MM: So what do you think is the secret for your success?
DL: I think for me, it's about the party. It's never been about a Tupperware party, it's been about a
Tupperware party. The party's the thing that – if I'm having a good party, and everyone's having fun, the Tupperware's just sitting here. It sells itself. And people will get it or they won't get it, but I think the success of what I do is I try to make people happy and have a good time. When you come to the show, you have a good time and you leave with a smile on your face. Everyone is chuckling through it the whole time. And you're gonna learn something, too, but I love the part about the fact that everyone's just having a good time because you're at a party. And that's my secret to success. If you're having fun, you're always gonna love what you do. And if you're having fun, you're always gonna love what you do. And, if you're having fun, other people are having fun, too.
MM: And I actually have a couple of questions from our readers. What did you have to do to become #1?
DL: Sell ass loads of crap. I did. My top year, I sold $219,000.00 worth of Tupperware. Isn't that crazy? I know. So I just said, I'm gonna hit my goal, I'm gonna be #1, I'm gonna do everything I can, and I dated as many parties as I could. At every party, I just said, I'm gonna have as much fun as I can, and make enough people happy that they're just gonna fly on. So, I think that's…I mean, that's what it is.
MM: And do you have a special noise for the burping sound that the Tupperware makes when you seal it?
DL: I call it passing wind. Because burping is fun, and around the 80's, they started calling it "the
whisper, because they wanted to rebrand it, and all the tupperware ladies were like "Fuck you, it's the burp." Because, you know, that's their territory. Don't screw with the Tupperware ladies. And so I call it passing wind, because it sounds like a little fart. Between you and Jesus, that's what it sounds like.
MM: So, if you were not selling Tupperware, what do you think you'd be doing, in a parallel universe?
DL: Oh, probably stripping. But I'd get one of those coin changer money belts because sometimes
when people throw quarters, it hurts. And sometimes you gotta give them change. Sometimes they're like "I'm tipping, here's 5," and you're like "What a great tip," and they're like, "No, I just need change for the parking meter. You keep a dollar and give me the rest in quarters." People are sweet. My friend's a stripper, and she takes checks. She does. She gets a papercut you do not want to squeeze a lemon on. It's gonna sting. Puts 'em right in her g-string. She does. She's a whore, but…
MM: Hopefully she gets a valid ID first.
DL: She can take a q-tip and bleach and write anything on it she wants.
MM: So will we be seeing you on the small screen anytime soon?
DL: I hope so. Every time I go to every market, I do all the interviews and stuff on TV. I'm hoping to do television, though. I wanna make my own program. And someday, we hope, I'm writing some
stuff, got some irons in the fire, made some calls and some meetings, and you never know. You know, everybody's trying to get a phone to you, but I think I'm so TV friendly. I mean, people look at me and they're like "You're beautiful." And I saw, you know, I know. But I think I'd be so good.
MM: So do you think – I know you love the party – but do you think you'll ever do an infomercial?
DL: I don't know – that'd be fun. I never did one before. I'm gonna be nice and do that thing with my hand. "Loooook at that," and just do that rounding thing that they do. And they take stuff and put it over their hand, and they're like "Isn't this amazing?" It's a chain or a ring or a ladder. You can use this in the car. Whatever.
MM: And then everyone could see your ring.
DL: Yeah, and I'm so good at it. I've been workin' on it for so many years. I'm practically an expert,
remember. I could write a book on rimming, with pictures and everything, and it would sell like a bunch of copies.
MM: Have you ever thought about a book?
DL: You know, I'm actually working on writing a little bit now. I'm writing a little bit all the time. But I want to write it about all these fun advertures and everything I've had, but also about the empowering thing, about doing stuff for yourself, and making your dreams come true. Because I think people always forget – there are so many books out right now about vampires and werewolves and having sex when you're 50 and grey or whatever. But I want to do one about get off your damn ass, you fool, and have something more fun than that.
MM: It'd be fun to combine it with some of that. I mean, you've been doing this on tour for 5 years. It'd be cool to have all these Tuppermonials from all these different areas in America.
DL: Oh my God, and I have some of the funniest Tuppermonials. I had a Tuppermonial one day – there was a lady told me a Tuppermonial that her daddy works as a heart specialist and a brain specialist, and they would take stuff out and they have these measurement containers from Tupperware, and they would put organs in them while people would be on the operating table. They would have to remove them while somebody would be doing work, and they would put them in dry ice in Tupperware, and I'm like, that is not a common use.
MM: Well, it does have a lifetime guarantee.
DL: I know, but I might void that guarantee if you're sticking somebody's brain in it, though. Oh, and there was one lady who was a legacy person at Tupperware, she'd been in for 50 years. She died, and they did a real sweet memorial to her at one of the Jubilees two years ago, and her husband came up,and it was real sweet, and said "She had a great life in Tupperware. She's really enjoyed Tupperware. She's been in the company for so many years – one of the originators. So when she died, she requested to be cremated and put in some Tupperware." And so, yeah. It's a little sweet.
MM: Oh, sweet.
DL: Yeah, totally creepy, but sweet. He actually brought the little container with her ashes in it to the Jubilee.
MM: Again, creepy, but sweet.
DL: Yeah, we're like "Oh! Oh….oh….no…"
MM: Don't drop it.
DL: Yeah, don't drop it, but it won't crack, chip, or peel. So that's nice. And, if it did, you have the
lifetime warranty and we'll replace it. You might not get the ashes with it, but you'll get a new one.
MM: So what is next for you after Denver?
DL: Well, after Denver, I'm gonna go to Tampa for a week to do programs, and I do Waterbury, CT,
and the New England area. And we do a bunch of shows in Buffalo, NY, and Scanechtete. And up in
that area. So I'm gonna be up in that area for quite a while. And then, so excited, then we go back to Melbourne, Australia. And then we do the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for our second year, and I'm so excited. We did it last year – well, this year – March and April, and I had the best time. Everybody in Australia – it was hard to understand because they're foreign – what I could make out, it seemed like they had a great time. They laughed a lot. Like retarded people. No, but they were so sweet, so they said "Y'all come back" and I said "Mmm, okay, I will."
MM: It's Australia. How can you say no to that?
DL: I know. And we're hoping to go back with the show and do some of the other cities. Because
Melbourne is amazing, but there are other cities, not just Melbourne. So we're talking to somebody
about doing a little tour there, as well. So I'm gonna be all over the world.
MM: That's fabulous! So again, thank you again for speaking with me and Broadway World. You're absolutely wonderful. It was a blast. I had such a blast at the Tupperware party. It was so unexpected and such a joy, because I was so happy there, that I just absolutely loved it. And my partner was so excited that we had to buy $150 worth of product, so, ya know, it was all good.
DL: My favorite thing about my show is that when I come into work, I'm smiling, and when I leave, everybody else is smiling. That what I would say. Because I love that. I love making people happy. It's just fun. Because it's so easy for people to be moody and think about bad things and everything, and I'm like, "Just spend an hour and a half with me and just smile." It's better for ya. You know? I love that. I love making people laugh. I just see people sort of light up around me. That's the best feeling in the world!
DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY is delighting audiences now through December 30th at the Garner Galleria Theatre at the Denver Center. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at 303-8930-4100 or online at www.denvercenter.org. Don't forget to bring your pocketbook and enjoy the party!
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Diabetes self-management classes begin Wednesday, Jan, 16, 5-7 p.m., at the Bullitt County Health Department Annex building.
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Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2013 - 6:00 pm
Duration: 2 Hours
Days of our Lives is thrilled to announce the release of their latest book "Days of our Lives Better Living: Cast Secrets for a Healthier Balanced Life."
Days of our Lives will be celebrating this exciting release by launching a multi city press tour the week of September 23rd with some of your favorite cast members!
Book signing at Barnes & Noble Mall of America 6 pm.
Cast members participating on the tour include:
Kristian Alfonso, Deidre Hall, Lauren Koslow, James Scott, Greg Vaughan, Galen Gering, Kate Mansi, Camila Banus, Freddie Smith, Bryan Dattilo, Shawn Christian, Ari Zucker, Blake Berris, Bill and Susan Hayes, Melissa Reeves, and Suzanne Rogers.
Please Note: As there are simultaneous booksignings in several cities, we do not know which stars will be at which book signing at this time.
|Inside the Bubble ~ My Date with Oprah in New York City
|More than just daytime drama
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CND Creative Nail Design Almond MIlk Bath
- 1 reviews See the Breakdown
- Product Info | Add Your Review
CND Creative Nail Design Almond MIlk Bath Reviews
Love this to soften cuticlesI love when a company reformulates a product & it actually becomes better - much, much better. Creative Nail Design has done just that with the former Solar Scrub. I always found the grains of salt to be way too large and the separation of the salt and oil to be extremely messy. Then, one day recently I was at one of the supply showrooms and they had a testing unit out for all of Creative's ne...read morew hand products. I saw how brilliantly they worked the scrub over, and it's now named Almond Moisture Scrub. It's white and whipped, almost like when you cream butter and sugar together. This time the salt and sugar are very fine, and the oils (almond, jojoba, Vitamin E and Shea Butter) are blended right in - absolutely no mess what so ever. I bought one for myself, as well as 2 more for stocking stuffers for mom & Shivaughn. Oh and I'm also very into the Almond Milk Bath - a fantastic oil based milky soak, it makes pushing your cuticles back so easy. Love the new items! — 8 years, 3 months agomikaela | 92 reviews
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My Reasons for Reporting This


text: A native of Griffin, Ga, Dee attended the University of Georgia where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and Belle Corp. She relocated from Atlanta to St. Simons Island in 1972. " The minute I arrived, I knew this island would be home to me from then on. It is the most unique place I have ever been and no matter how much I travel to other locations, I realize how drawn to this island I am and what a good feeling it is to cross the causeway and realize this is home." Starting a real estate career in 1979, she has become one of the top listing and selling agents on the island. She established her own company in 1995 and served as broker. Dee just recently joined the firm of DeLoach Sotheby's International Realty as associate broker. She has been the recipient of the Oglethorpe Award and has been a member of the Circle of Excellence for 31 years. She is a member of the Golden Isles Association of Realtors, the Georgia Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors. She is a graduate of the Georgia Realtors Institute (GRI) and is an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR). "The highlight of being a real estate agent for me has been the opportunity of working with customers who have become lifelong friends. It is very satisfying to help someone create a living environment that they truly love. I am available for my buyers and sellers whenever they need me and strive to provide them with the best possible real estate service and experience" says Dee. Dee has children and grandchildren in California and South Carolina who love to return to the Island for visits. When she is not working in real estate, she has found the Golden Isles to be very inspirational for her oil paintings, and she and her husband, Tom, enjoy walking the beach and gardening.


text:
Spinal Cord Stimulation Efficacy Measures
The recruitment status of this study is unknown. The completion date has passed and the status has not been verified in more than two years.
Verified June 2006 by New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC
Information provided by:
New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: July 11, 2006
Last updated: NA
Last verified: June 2006
History: No changes posted
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
The purpose of the study is to measure the efficacy of varying spinal cord stimulation frequencies and pulse-width settings on chronic pain management. The spinal cord stimulator settings that are most effective in chronic pain management hope to be revealed for the purposes of this study. In this double-blind study, both the patient and the staff will not be aware of the spinal cord stimulator settings for each patient each week. The representative that will set the settings each week will be blinded to the identity of each patient and will set the spinal cord stimulator from another room. While there are few papers that show the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation in treating chronic pain, there has yet to be a study performed that measures the role of stimulation frequency and pulse-widths. This study hopes to be the first.
|Chronic Pain in the Trunk and Limbs
|Device: Medtronic Manufactured Spinal Cord Stimulators
|Phase 1
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|The Efficacy of Spinal Cord Stimulation at Varying Stimulation Frequencies and Pulse-Widths
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Chronic PainU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Percent pain relief obtained during the one-month follow-up compared to baseline
- The magnitude of change in other indexes of function, such as MPI, during the one-month follow-up period
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|May 2006
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|August 2006
For a total of 9 weeks, patients will be randomized to 9 stimulation frequency and pulse-width setting combinations. The patient will stay with these settings for a week at a time. Prior to the patient's first office visit, he/she will be asked to take a chest x-ray. The patient will also repeat this chest x-ray at the end of the study. Each patient will be asked to provide daily information regarding pain medication usage, spinal cord stimulation usage, amplitude settings, and pain ratings. Additionally, patients will fill out the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) every Monday when they come to the office, before he/she is randomized to the new settings for the week. The patient will also receive a call from the research assistant to see how he/she is doing that week and the patient will be provided with all the pertinent contact information to call at any time to ask questions. The patient can withdraw from the study completely at any point or drop out of the settings for the week. The patient will have a follow-up visit a month from the study's end date to discuss how the patient has been managing his/her pain at his/her spinal cord stimulator settings. Each patient will be compensated for completing the study. Efficacy will be measured based on the patient's answers to the pain probes, device usage, and medication usage.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- The patient must have SCS implanted for at least 2 months before study start date
- The patient must be at least 18 years old
- The patient must currently be receiving pain relief from SCS usage
- The patient must be willing to participate in a 9-week study
- The patient must have at least 20% of battery life remaining in his/her spinal cord stimulator
- The patient must be able to tolerate Vicodin-Extra Strength as well as Tylenol, but can also take their own pain medication if it is not one of the two mentioned
Exclusion Criteria:
- The patient is pregnant or intends to become pregnant during the course of the study.
- The patient by report, and/or by physician assessment, exhibits any or all of the following, which might bias reporting of treatment outcome:
A strong untreated dependency on prescription medication such as benzodiazepines and narcotic analgesics.
A strong potential for secondary gain issues.
A significant, untreated psychiatric comorbidity.
- The patient possesses a coexisting clinically relevant or disabling chronic pain problem not treated by SCS
- The patient has been diagnosed with unstable angina
- The patient receives a Karnofsky's performance score of <60
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00351208
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00351208
|Contact: Chandra M Singh, B.S.
|(718) 240-8177
|Contact: Ronit Frenkel, RPA
|(516) 255-0350
|United States, New York
|The Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center
|Brooklyn, New York, United States, 11212
|Contact: Chandra M Singh, B.S. 718-240-8177 email@example.com
|Contact: Ronit Frenkel, RPA (516) 255-0350 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Louis G Cornacchia, MD
|New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC
|Rockville Center, New York, United States, 11570
|Contact: Ronit Frenkel, RPA 516-255-0350 email@example.com
|Contact: Chandra M Singh, B.S. (718) 240-8177 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Louis G Cornacchia, MD
Sponsors and Collaborators
New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC
|Principal Investigator:
|Louis G Cornacchia, MD
|New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC
More Information
Keywords provided by New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 19, 2017
Mailis-Gagnon A, Furlan AD, Sandoval JA, Taylor R. Spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD003783. Review. Update in: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;11:CD003783.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00351208 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|July 11, 2006
|Last Updated:
|July 11, 2006
Keywords provided by New York Neurosurgery & Neuroscience Associates, PLLC:
Spinal cord stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation efficacy
Spinal cord stimulators
Stimulation frequencies
Stimulation pulse-widths
Varying settings
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Chronic Pain
Neurologic Manifestations
Nervous System Diseases
Signs and Symptoms
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 19, 2017


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Wet weather is forecast to return to the Inland Empire, perhaps heavy enough at times to put a damper on some local outdoor holiday events.
The Redlands Christmas Parade, scheduled for Saturday evening, has more than 100 floats signed up to kick off the city's holiday season.
"By 2 p.m. we should know if we need to postpone the parade," said city spokesman Carl Baker. "If rain does come and doesn't seem like it's going to stop we'll push the event forward to Dec. 8."
Upland's parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, will go on, rain or shine, according to parade coordinator Meagan McLees.
"We are very optimistic that the weather will be on its best behavior for the parade," she said.
Local mountain resorts haven't been greatly affected by the weather this season, but operators are hopeful that will change this weekend.
Brent Randall, 25, of San Bernardino said he spends most of his days off at the mountain resorts in the winter.
"I'm still waiting to try out my new snowboard," said Randall. "I'm like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to snow."
Randall added that he was keeping his fingers crossed for lots of snow to fall at all of the resorts.
Snow Summit in Big Bear Lake is temporarily closed until further notice, according to its website, because of the lack of white powder on the slopes.
But Bear Mountain, also in Big Bear Lake, remained open with full services including snowsports lessons, equipment rentals, food services and the Beach Bar, according to its website.
Chairlift 1, which accesses the Expressway, The Gulch and Lower Park runs, is open, and Chairlift 7 is open for beginners.
Snow coverage is good and the depth averages 18 inches.
"There's been some drizzling and dense fog, one Bear Mountain resort employee said Thursday.
Mountain High is Wrightwood is temporarily closed because of the lack of winter weather.
Rainfall in the Inland Empire measured an average of only five-tenths of an inch overnight Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, but forecasters expect that to change over the weekend.
Strong, constant rainfall is expected to strike the Inland Empire over the weekend, according to the weather service.
The NWS predicts gusty southwest winds along with areas of rain and dense fog.
The combination of gusty winds, wet roads and limited visibility from fog may make travel difficult in the higher elevations at times.
The CHP advises motorists to reduce their speed in inclement weather.
"When the roads are wet and visibility is low, drivers need to slow down," said CHP Inland Division spokesman Mario Lopez. "The rain brings up oil and debris that have been set in the roads, making them slicker to drive on."
When driving on slick surfaces the braking time is longer and accidents happen, Lopez added.
909-386-3925, @crimeshutterbug


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From The Linux Foundation
Open A11y Conference Call: Agenda for 2009/02/10
Announcing the 10 February 2009 meeting of the Open Accessibility (A11y) Workgroup. The meeting begins promptly at 1900h UTC; you can find your time zone using the Fixed Time Clock. Please RSVP, as it will help us start the meeting without unnecessary delay. Information about meeting logistics, including dial-in and IRC information, follows the agenda.
- Welcome and Agenda Review
- Review of: minutes from the 3 February 2009 Open A11y call
- Review of: minutes from the 13 January 2009 Open A11y call
- Review of: minutes from the 6 January 2009 Open A11y call
- Old Business
- IPR Update (conditional)
- Open A11y Projects: Progress and Issues
- SIG Updates (conditional)
- Website Updates (conditional)
- New Business
- Identify items for the 17 February 2009 teleconference
- Adjourn
Meeting Logistics
- Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 19:00 UTC
- find your time zone using the Fixed Time Clock
- Vo/IP Using SIP or IAX: firstname.lastname@example.com
For more information about PSTN numbers, please consult the list of expanded international call-in numbers, archived in the accessibility list's archives.
Please send email if you need a reminder of the pass code for our call.
IRC: Our a11y channel will be open on irc.a11y.org channel #a11y during the teleconference.


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- AM FM Radios
- Antennas
- WiFi & Internet
- Audio
- LED Light
- Emergency Supplies
- Closeouts
Prices shown in currencies other than US Dollars are estimates based on current exchange rates. We will charge your credit card in US Dollars on the day your order is shipped, and the conversion to your local currency will be done at the prevailing rate by your credit card issuer.
C. Crane will not mark your parcel as a "gift", declare a value lower than the actual price paid, or otherwise prepare false customs information.
You may have noticed this new acronym popping up on some of our products. RoHS stands for Restrictions on Hazardous Substances, and it's a directive that could have a huge impact on the production and disposal of consumer electronics. First adopted in Europe in 2006 (and later adopted in California in 2007), RoHS restricts the use of six dangerous substances in lots of common electronics. According to the official RoHS compliance Web site (www.rohs.eu), the RoHS symbol indicates that "new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market does not contain any of the six banned substances: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, poly-brominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), in quantities exceeding maximum concentration values."
While some military and medical equipment is exempt from RoHS compliance, the electronics governed by the standard are among the most common you'll find in your home, from radios to MP3 players to cell phones and (increasingly) computers. In practical terms, the standard protects factory workers at the production level, sharply reducing their exposure to hazardous substances. The standard also has a profound impact on the disposal and recycling of electronics, in that disposed substances will no longer have at least six of the most hazardous chemicals formerly found in electronics, and recycled electronics will not expose workers to toxics as they harvest components.
The World At Your Fingertips
The purpose of the CCRadio-SW was born when an engineer's time went into producing some of the best reception and audio you could find in a portable radio. It has all the necessary tunings and tweakings available for excellent performance under various conditions and offers the best combination of sensitivity, selectivity and audio performance for any radio of this size.
This masterful radio delivers some of the best FM reception and, thanks to the built-in Twin Coil Ferrite® Antenna, the AM is exceptional. It has continuous coverage of the shortwave band with excellent reception right off the whip antenna. The five-inch speaker is accurate, pleasant and probably reproduces deeper bass than any portable of similar size.
The CCRadio-SW is one of the few radios with a mono switch. When activated the radio filters out the stereo FM multiplex signal which can add a hissing noise when listening to a weak station.
|General features:
|General Specifications
|Input Power
|AC Adapter: 9V DC 500mA tip negative
Batteries: (4) AA or D size (not included)
|Audio Output
|2.5 Watt
|5", 8 ohm, 5W
|Frequency Coverage
|AM 520 - 1710 kHz (10KHz Steps)
AM 522 - 1620 kHz (9KHz Steps)
FM 87.0 - 108.0 MHz
SW1 1711 - 10010 kHz
SW2 9990 - 20010 kHz
SW3 19990 - 29999 kHz
|Rotary Tuning Knob Resolution
|AM - 1 kHz, 9 kHz or 10 kHz
FM - 10 kHz or 100 kHz
SW - 1 kHz or 5 kHz
|AM Tuning
|10 kHz or 9 kHz steps
|FM Tuning
|100 kHz steps
|SW Tuning
|5 kHz steps
|AM Antenna
|Internal Ferrite Bar - 10mm x 160mm (6.3") long with Twin Coil Ferrite® technology
|FM, SW Antenna
|Telescopic whip antenna
|AM Dual Conversion
|55.845 MHz 1st IF; 455 kHz 2nd IF
|AM IF Output
|For input into a computer for decoding DRM, SSTV, SSB, CW and more.
|AM Sensitivity
|0.2 mV/m
|FM Sensitivity
|> 5 uV
|SW Sensitivity
|> 20 uV
|Selectivity (Wide)
|Wide > 40 db (100x)
|Selectivity (Narrow)
|> 60 db (1000x)
|External Antenna Terminals
|AM Spring loaded wire terminals
FM/SW PAL Connector
|FM Stereo/Mono Switch
|Earphone Jack
|1/8" (3.5mm) Stereo 32 ohm
|Line Out Jack
|Dual RCA
|50 Total (10 per band)
|Lock Switch
|Sleep Timer
|1-90 minutes
|Yes, dual
|5 minutes
|12/24 Hour Modes
|11.25" W x 7.25" H (9" H with handle) x 3.5" D
|4.2 lbs.
|1 Year Limited Warranty
|Included Accessories
|AC Adapter
(2) PAL Connectors
Note: Specifications are subject to change without notice.
You can set the sleep timer for 90, 60, 45, 30, 15, 10, or 5 minutes or even just 1 minute.
No, the last choice in the sleep timer selection is on. Select 'on' and the radio will continue to play continuously.
A set of AA Alkaline batteries rated at 2500 mAh would provide roughly 30 hours of runtime if the radio is played at a moderate volume level.
A set of D Alkaline batteries rated at 14000 mAh would provide roughly 175 hours of runtime if the radio is played at a moderate volume level.
No. The CCRadio-SW does not have Single Side Band. The CCRadio-SW covers:
SW1: 1711-10010 kHz
SW2: 9990-20010 kHz
SW3: 19990-29999 kHz
No. The CCradio-SW does not have a line-in jack. However, the CCRadio-2E and the Gozo radios do have line-in jacks. If you would like to know about more C. Crane radios with line-in jacks, please Contact Us.
The CCRadio-SW has a frequency range from 1,711 kHz to 29,999 kHz.
Yes, the CCRadio-SW has 1 kHz tuning on both the AM and SW bands.
Yes, the CCRadio-SW can be used with the CCRadio plus Custom Step Down and also the DC Step Down Voltage Converter.
To disable the "BEEP" you hear when you push any of the buttons on your CCRadio-SW, you first have to turn off the radio. With the radio off, press and hold down the SNOOZE button until you hear a short beep. This procedure should disable the beeps. You can enable the beeps again by pressing and holding down the SNOOZE button until you hear the short beep - also with the radio turned off.
No. To activate the charging circuit, first turn the radio off and then press the memory/charge button to activate the charging circuit. The charging cycle will run for 12hrs before shutting off. If you are charging high-capacity D-size NiMH batteries it can take up to 3 to 4 charge-discharge-and-recharging cycles to get them up to full capacity.
When you have no D size batteries in your CCRadio-SW and move it, the springs in the battery compartment can make a slight rattling noise.
Dual Conversion, A dual conversion receiver filters and amplifies the incoming radio signal from the transmitter twice. This double filtering helps the receiver to ignore unwanted signals that are close to the frequency being used. This is not protection against another transmitter sending a signal on the same frequency. Instead, it is protection against other transmitters transmitting on frequencies that are close to the one being used. Dual Conversion typically makes a receiver more selective without reducing sensitivity. This can really help if you have a strong unwanted station nearby the bleeds into the station you want.
Rechargeable batteries will NEVER show a full charge on your radio display. Most of our radios are calibrated to read the charge of your Alkaline batteries - which is 1.5 volts at full charge. Rechargeable batteries, however, are fully charged at just 1.25 Volts, and so your radio will show a partial charge even if the rechargeable batteries have been fully charged.
You can set the alarm on the CCRadio-SW to go off to the buzzer or the radio. If you set the alarm to go off to the radio, you'll get the station and the volume setting that you listened to before turning the radio off.
The alarm instructions in earlier versions of the CCRadio-SW manual are incomplete. The proper directions for setting the alarm are:
With the radio off, press and hold the "Hour Δ" button for approx. 5 seconds. The time displayed will then be in a 24 hour format and confirmed by a double beep. Follow the same procedure to return to a 12 hour clock format.
|Download Time
|CCRadio SW AM/FM Shortwave Radio Instruction Manual
|2.82 Mb
|7:00 @ 56KBps
You must press the "RESET" to activate the change. To press the "RESET", use the end of a paperclip and push it into the hole briefly.
We are sorry, this sometimes happens with a new radio manufacturer. Pull the knob straight off. Make a little ball out of a 1" square piece of paper. Push it in the shaft hole on the knob. Line up the flat edges of the knob and shaft and replace the knob.
Check the Local/DX switch. The switch should be set to DX for the best AM reception. The Local position is used when you are near a transmitting tower and it is distorting a nearby station on the dial.
Make sure the "Battery Size" switch located on the left side of the radio is set to "D."
|What's in the Box


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In a striking symbol of how little the Great Recession taught many officials, The U-T San Diego and California Watch reported that San Diego County's pension fund is sending three board members – including an alternate – to Hawaii for a week to attend an "educational" conference that offers a whopping three days of instruction.
So that officials aren't overworked on Waikiki Beach learning topics such as "Avoiding a Front Page Scandal at Your Pension Fund," organizers thoughtfully scheduled most sessions to end by 2:30 p.m., leaving time for golf, surfing and relaxing beside one of five swimming pools.
In a prepared statement, officials said they budgeted for six days in Hawaii, but hoped board members will save money by staying just five. And they said educating administrators "adds value" for retirees.
We suggest online classes, beginning with the utsandiego.com archives, which detail how elected officials statewide increased pensions by 50 percent a decade ago and then reduced contributions to investment funds.
When stock markets crashed, governments were forced to raise contributions suddenly, sending some into bankruptcy.
The disaster has prompted some reforms. The best is San Diego's Proposition B, which limited all new hires for city jobs (except for police) to 401(k) accounts like most taxpayers, instead of guaranteed pensions. But unions have challenged Prop. B, and won a round recently before a state administrative judge.
Yet the refusal to face reality symbolized by the Hawaii junket goes much deeper.
Elected officials lack the courage to cut public pay in sufficient amounts to prevent massive underfunding. Just as bad, pension officials are betting on incredible investment performance to honor taxpayer promises to retired workers.
Big companies such as Boeing, GM and United Parcel Service recently poured billions into their pension accounts. The reason is familiar to any retiree with a certificate of deposit: Interest rates are at historic lows, so investment income has plummeted. This requires more savings to make up for poor returns.
But governments are not nearly as honest with themselves. CalPERS, the giant state pension system, assumes it will average 7.5 percent a year on its investments, thus reducing required savings. San Diego (which averaged 1.8 percent since 2007) assumes the same 7.5 percent, while San Diego County's system uses 8 percent.
Warren Buffett, one of history's best investors, advises pension managers to assume no higher than 6 percent. And Moody's, the credit ratings firm, is proposing a standard of 5.5 percent for public funds.
Adopting the realistic Moody's standard would double San Diego's unfunded pension liability to $4.1 billion, leaving the system only 53.7 percent funded, according to an analysis for the U-T by Ed Ring, research director of the California Public Policy Center. San Diego County's debt would nearly triple to $6.2 billion, or just 58 percent funded.
Our public pension crisis is far worse than officials are telling us.


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Dare it be said the Colts – the rebuilding Colts – face the new concept of needing to watch for overconfidence this week?
What a difference a month makes. Before the season, the general consensus was the Colts would be lucky to beat last year's 2-14 record and might contend for another No. 1 draft pick. Today, people are projecting them to be a possible playoff contender.
That's what makes this game one of those tricky ones. The Colts have been on the road only once, in the opener against the Bears. And there's no way to really know what to expect from Team Chaos, the Jets.
"That was a big focus in our meeting (earlier this week), how we're going to handle the road business trip – from the travel part of it to the game part of it to the crowd noise part of it," Colts interim coach Bruce Arians said. "We didn't handle it extremely well in the second half against Chicago, although we had very few pre-snap penalties and did a pretty good job with our silent count and our snap count offensively."
The Colts (2-2) are a different team today than that season opener in Chicago. They're without coach Chuck Pagano, of course, still in the hospital. But they've also grown in several ways, with quarterback Andrew Luck gaining confidence and NFL experience and players such as receiver T.Y. Hilton, tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, linebacker Jerrell Freeman and cornerback Cassius Vaughn growing and improving.
Luck's success the past three games has come at home, where the crowd is quiet (except for that rather large contingent of Packers fans) and helpful to offensive flow.
The crowd at MetLife Stadium, restless as it might be with the Jets' 2-3 start, will want to rattle the young quarterback. The fans will want to bring a little chaos of their own.
"Communication-wise, if it's loud, you have to maybe do silent counts," Luck said. "Make sure the wide receivers hear everything if you're in a no-huddle situation. I have enjoyed playing on the road. I think it's great to go into different atmospheres."
The Jets are banged up, most notably with Revis out of the lineup, leaving the job of shutting down opposing No. 1 receivers to Antonio Cromartie. The Colts would ideally like to use the running game to help set up more looks in the passing game, but knee surgery has knocked running back Donald Brown to the sidelines. Whether the Colts can generate a run game with Vick Ballard, Mewelde Moore and Delone Carter remains to be seen.
"Whatever Coach Arians calls, that's what we're going to run," Luck said. "I realize some plays are called out of necessity, situational football. I wish we could rush for 250 yards every game and throw for 300. You realize that's not the case. Whatever it takes to get the win, that's what every guy in this locker room would do."
On the flip side, the Colts would like to put prompt chaos from Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez's plays. It'll be tougher this week with outside linebacker Robert Mathis injured, however.
Sanchez is being pushed – at least in the media's hype machine – by Tebow for the starting quarterback job. Both are likely to play against the Colts, although Sanchez remains the starter.
"I think the biggest gauge of looking at a quarterback's performance is to check the won-lost record," Ryan said. "Again, we've played five games and our record is not what we wanted it to be."
The addition of Tebow has added a new dimension (it's called hyperbole) to the Jets offense.
Ryan said Tebow remains a "tremendous competitor" and "good football player" and they have no plans to shy away from using him in certain situations.
"Timmy has played already and you don't know how much is going to come. You never do," Arians said. "If it's successful, you're going to get a bunch of it. If you shut it down, you back to the other. So you have to be ready for Mark and that passing game and the run game, and you also have to be ready for the Wildcat."
Ryan, meanwhile, is feeling some heat to get the Jets moving in the right direction. After leading them to back-to-back AFC Championship games, it appears the Jets have regressed the last two seasons.
Ryan was asked during a conference call if he's not quite as funny and engaging as he used to be.
"I guess that could be, but it's nothing a win can't fix," he said.
A Colts win, on the other hand, could increase the chaos in New York, and raise the expectations even higher in Indianapolis.
More Information
Colts at New York JetsKickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday in MetLife Stadium
TV: WANE, Ch. 15
Radio: WOWO, 1190-AM
For more on the Colts, follow Reggie Hayes via Twitter at www.twitter.com/reggiehayes1


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Fracking comes at a cost
This letter is in response to the letter entitled "Range cooperates with region" that was in The Almanac on Feb. 13.
While some are benefiting from the drilling, there are many others who are fighting for basic fundamental rights, like clean air and water. Some farmers are regretting their decision to sell their gas rights and others are leaving the area altogether.
I received a very concerning email last week from a farmer who operates an organic farm north of Pittsburgh. A portion of the email is as follows:
"Hello Friends —
The last 10 years have been an exciting journey for me. Serving you has given me the opportunity to learn more about food and health, support local agriculture, and, most importantly, become a farmer myself. But my time in Western PA is coming to an end. Fracking is coming to our farm and the rest of the region in a big way. In the next year or two, a well will be fracked uphill and upstream of our farm. In addition, within a few miles of us they will be building a new gas fired power plant, a cryogenic concentrator station and a very large gas pipeline. The air and water pollution generated by these activities is incompatible with an organic farm, and, most importantly for me, I am unwilling to expose my children to these risks. Sometime later this spring or summer, I will be moving to Oregon with my children to start a new farm in a fracking-free region."
I am saddened to see this farmer leave PA and I wonder if others will follow in the coming months and years.
I read an article recently in a national publication that I receive entitled, "Fractured Land, Fractured Lives." The farmer and family live in a community just north of Pittsburgh. Here are some excerpts from the article:
"I wanted to believe that this could be a good thing for land owners in these tough economic times, but the more I researched this process, the more I have become convinced that this process is not only polluting the air and water, but it is also destroying communities. Neighbor against neighbor, family against family, all in the name of the almighty dollar."
"Other farmers have dead or dying cows, goats, chickens and horses that are unknowingly drinking contaminated water or breathing toxic fumes."
"One dairy farmer has stopped drinking the milk from their own cows. Their water well is contaminated with chemicals associated with the fracking industry and they are now forced to purchase water, which is delivered each week and stored in a water buffalo outside their house. The gas company has denied any responsibility."
Mr. Cannon, is this cooperation with our region? With all due respect, please spare me and all the other wise folks who see beyond the propaganda and all of the public relations tactics. There is no doubt that you are "cooperating" in some ways with the communities but at what expense? The fact is that we are going to reap what we sow. The future for Pennsylvanians was much brighter before the rape and pillage of our land began a few years ago. You came into our state without prior consent and blindsided everyone. It is time to stand united and fight for our families and our farmers!
Melissa Richardson
Peters Township resident
Fracking comes at a cost


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Classic Films of a Bygone Era 9Trivia brain teasers have some element of trivia in them, but they are not just pure trivia questions.
Below are five (5) anagrams of film actors from a classic film from the Silver Screen. Your job is twofold: firstly, try and name these people and secondly, ascertain the classic movie they all featured in. I have included the number of letters of each actor's name in brackets.
Oh! Grumpy breath (8, 6)
Windbags or drone (6, 1, 8)
A nuclear ball (6, 6)
Blearily no more (6, 9)
Clear to river (6, 6)
HintMemorable quote:
"You'd give your left arm to nail me wouldn't you? I could see the headlines now, 'Local Deputy Captures Johnny Rocco'. Your picture'd be in all the papers. You might even get to tell on the newsreels how you pulled if off, yeah. Listen hick, I was too much for any big city police force to handle. It took the United States Government to pin a rap on me. And they won't make it stick. You hick, I'll be back pulling strings to get guys elected mayor and governor before you get a ten buck raise."
AnswerHumphrey Bogart
Edward G. Robinson
Lauren Bacall
Lionel Barrymore
Claire Trevor
The film: Key Largo (1948)
The cast:
Humphrey Bogart - Frank McCloud
Edward G. Robinson - Johnny Rocco
Lauren Bacall - Nora Temple
Lionel Barrymore - James Temple
Claire Trevor - Gaye Dawn
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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Kathleen Pettibone of West Bloomfield Township was honored as The Community House "Volunteer of the Year" at its annual Volunteer Recognition Reception.
Pettibone has been an invaluable resource to The Community House Office Services Department. In her role as a Community House volunteer, Pettibone heads up the coordination of mailings for thousands of direct mail pieces that The Community House distributes to promote events, programs and the annual fund drive. She recruits and organizes other volunteers to assist in the mailings and makes certain all of the direct mail pieces are in proper order for the post office.
"Having a busy life has not stopped (Pettibone) from donating her time and talents. Kathy avails herself to assist and support The Community House when needed and for that she is our Volunteer of the Year," said Carlotta Blue, volunteer coordinator of The Community House.


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WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — This year, students at Tug Valley High School in Williamson took their knowledge and hard work to market — the Williamson farmers' market, where they sold plants they had grown in their agriculture, greenhouse and horticulture classes during the school year.
"Today, it's one of the most important things you can teach a kid: how incredibly easy it can be to grow your own food," TVHS agriculture teacher Angie Fisher said. "It doesn't matter where you live — if it's an apartment with no yard — everywhere you live, you're able to grow something you can eat. Leaf lettuce, onions — things that will grow in an inch of soil."
Fisher said her curriculum reflects part of the mission of Sustainable Williamson, the grassroots organization dedicated to developing hands-on, connected approaches to revitalizing Williamson and the rest of Mingo County.
Those initiatives, developed over the past several years, are paying off. Williamson has been chosen as one of six winners to receive the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 2014 Culture of Health prize. The award, which comes with a no-strings-attached $25,000 prize, recognizes communities that have made strides to improve health outcomes for their residents.
Jenny Hudson, director of the Mingo County Diabetes Association, said members of the Williamson community recognized the need to address the town's own culture of health, and set out to develop a holistic approach that incorporated healthy eating, active lifestyles, economic development and community engagement.
"The town has been actively working on this for four or five years now, and there are a few different entities working together collaboratively. I wouldn't cite any one entity as beginning it," Hudson said. "We work with agencies like the city development authority, the Mingo County Regional Development Authority and nonprofits, like the Williamson Health and Wellness Center, as well as around 60 churches and multiple businesses."
The RWJF chose Williamson and five other communities from a pool of more than 250 applicants. According to Hudson, what makes Williamson's health initiatives unique is their scope — the town has developed running and walking groups, including Tuesday Night Track, a program that allows people of different fitness levels to compete in races for fun, plans to diversify their economy, and healthy eating initiatives, including the 3-year-old farmers' market and plans for a local food hub.
"What we've found is that if you have a very diverse plan and you're able to accomplish one part of it, it's a cause for celebration that the community feels," Hudson said.
One of Hudson's favorite programs, Prescription Vegetables, partners local physicians, farmers and diabetes patients. Doctors participating in the program actually prescribe vegetables to their patients as a treatment for managing their diabetes and give them vegetable vouchers, which can be exchanged for produce at the Williamson farmers' market. The more health goals a patient meets, the more vouchers they earn.
"We've been relying on word of mouth to get programs like this out there, but this year, we're trying to get more signage into the community," she said.
The town has even developed a mobile market as an extension of the farmers' market.
They haven't stopped there, though. According to Bruce Curry, program manager for community and leadership development at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College and a Sustainable Williamson collaborator, the food hub, which is in its early planning stages, would allow Williamson to partner with more growers and eventually set up a distribution hub for locally grown food.
"I hope that Williamson would, in the next couple of years, establish a community-kitchen incubator that offers economic opportunities to local entrepreneurs in the value-added food industry," Curry said. "I'd also hope that we could create a food distribution hub to connect local farmers to a variety of markets, as well as an educational farm to help young people graduating from high school agricultural programs to make the transition to farming as a livelihood."
Curry developed the idea during a grant-writing class offered through SWVCTC, and said he hopes to submit it for funding later this year. For Curry, the food hub has the potential to create jobs, as well as generate access to healthier food options.
"The food hub is important because it establishes the needed infrastructure to support an emerging industry in an area of West Virginia that desperately needs to diversify its economy," he said. "The educational farm would provide farming apprenticeships and high school student internships."
Sustainable Williamson already has identified 22 farmers within a 70-mile radius who are willing to work with the community on its goals, Hudson said.
The high school plans to have an even bigger impact on the agricultural landscape of Williamson next year. The school recently completed work on its high tunnel and has even installed chicken coops, Fisher said.
"I hope that it can instill some pride, and maybe even make the food system seem closer to home," Fisher said. "Often, we have no clue where our food comes from. If they know it's possible to grow the romaine lettuce they find on the salad bar right here in Mingo County, it makes everything seem more possible, especially when everyone works together."
TVHS has received a $7,000 grant to participate in the Farm-to-School program next year. The next step in encouraging healthy eating, for Curry, is to work toward creating a community kitchen that can incubate healthy restaurants and other initiatives.
There are other things in the works, too. Sustainable Williamson has developed plans to stimulate the area's economy, including trying to add diversified energy sector jobs, Hudson said. It also has joined the White House Rural Council, which is geared toward improving economic development and quality of life in rural parts of the country.
"It's really interesting; when you're doing community development, there's a lot of fear, and one thing about this community is that they've taken the lead," Hudson said. "There's much more vibrance here than there was five years ago, and I think it's because we've increased access to opportunities to improving lives."
For more information on Sustainable Williamson, visit www.sustainablewilliamson.org.
Reach Lydia Nuzum at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-5189.