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Note: This section discusses both melatonin in the body and melatonin from other sources, and the effects of other agents on melatonin and when taken with melatonin. Many drugs may lower natural melatonin levels in the body. These include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, including ibuprofen [Motrin®, Advil®] or naproxen [Naprosyn®, Aleve®]), beta-blocker blood pressure medications (including propranolol [Inderal®], atenolol [Tenormin®], and metoprolol [Lopressor®, Toprol®]), and agents that lower levels of vitamin B6 in the body (including birth control, hormone replacement therapy, loop diuretics, hydralazine, and theophylline). Other agents that may affect melatonin levels include caffeine, diazepam, estradiol, somatostatin, temazepam, verapamil, and vitamin B12.
Melatonin may affect the risk of clotting. Caution is advised in people with bleeding or clotting disorders and those taking drugs that may affect bleeding or clotting. Dosing adjustments may be necessary.
Melatonin may affect blood sugar levels. Caution is advised when using medications that may also affect blood sugar. People taking drugs for diabetes by mouth or insulin should be monitored closely by a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist. Medication adjustments may be necessary.
Melatonin may affect blood pressure. Caution is advised in people taking drugs that affect blood pressure.
Melatonin may interfere with the way the body processes certain drugs using the liver's cytochrome P450 enzyme system. As a result, the levels of these drugs may be altered in the blood and may cause altered effects or potentially serious adverse reactions. People using any medications should check the package insert and speak with a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist, about possible interactions.
Melatonin may increase the amount of drowsiness caused by some drugs. Examples include benzodiazepines such as lorazepam (Ativan®) or diazepam (Valium®), barbiturates such as phenobarbital, narcotics such as codeine, some antidepressants, and alcohol. Caution is advised while driving or operating machinery.
Melatonin may also interact with ACE inhibitors, agents passed by the kidneys, agents that affect blood vessel width, agents that affect GABA, agents that affect the immune system, agents that affect the nervous system, agents that harm the liver, agents that increase seizure risk, agents that increase urine flow, agents that protect against radiation, agents that regulate body temperature, agents that treat Parkinson's disease, agents that treat seizures, alcohol, Alzheimer's agents, anesthetics, antiaging agents, antiarthritis agents, antiasthma agents, anticancer agents, anti-inflammatory agents, antiparasite agents, antipsychotic agents, antiulcer agents, antivirals, anxiety agents, birth control, caffeine, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering agents, cognitive agents, dental agents, dextromethorphan, ear agents, epithalamin, estrogens, exercise performance agents, eye agents, fertility agents, flumazenil, genital and urinary disorder agents, glaucoma agents, headache agents, heart agents, heart rate-regulating agents, hormonal agents, isoniazid, lithium, lung agents, magnetic fields, methamphetamines, methoxamine, musculoskeletal agents, neuromuscular blockers, opioids, osteoporosis agents, pain relievers, remifentanil, sevoflurane, skin agents, stomach agents, tacrine, thyroid hormones, vaccines, valproic acid, and weight loss agents.
Melatonin may affect the risk of clotting. Caution is advised in people with bleeding or clotting disorders and those taking herbs and supplements that may affect bleeding or clotting. Dosing adjustments may be necessary.
Melatonin may affect blood sugar levels. Caution is advised when using herbs or supplements that may also affect blood sugar. Blood glucose levels may require monitoring, and doses may need adjustment.
Melatonin may affect blood pressure. Caution is advised in people taking herbs or supplements that affect blood pressure.
Melatonin may interfere with the way the body processes certain herbs or supplements using the liver's cytochrome P450 enzyme system. As a result, the levels of other herbs or supplements may alter in the blood. It may also alter the effects that other herbs or supplements possibly have on the cytochrome P450 system.
Melatonin may increase the amount of drowsiness caused by some herbs or supplements.
Melatonin may also interact with 5-HTP, ACE inhibitors, Alzheimer's herbs and supplements, anesthetics, antiaging herbs and supplements, antiarthritis herbs and supplements, antiasthma herbs and supplements, anticancer herbs and supplements, antidepressants, anti-inflammatory herbs and supplements, antioxidants, antiparasite herbs and supplements, antipsychotic herbs and supplements, antiulcer herbs and supplements, antivirals, anxiety herbs and supplements, birth control, caffeine-containing herbs and supplements, chasteberry, cholesterol-lowering herbs and supplements, cognitive herbs and supplements, dental herbs and supplements, DHEA, ear herbs and supplements, echinacea, exercise performance herbs and supplements, eye herbs and supplements, fertility herbs and supplements, folate, GABA, genital and urinary disorder herbs and supplements, glaucoma herbs and supplements, headache herbs and supplements, heart herbs and supplements, heart rate-regulating herbs and supplements, herbs and supplements passed by the kidneys, herbs and supplements that affect blood vessel width, herbs and supplements that affect GABA, herbs and supplements that affect the immune system, herbs and supplements that affect the nervous system, herbs and supplements that increase seizure risk, herbs and supplements that increase urine flow, herbs and supplements that protect against radiation, herbs and supplements that regulate body temperature, herbs and supplements that treat Parkinson's disease, herbs and supplements that treat seizures, hormonal herbs and supplements, light therapy, lithium, liver herbs and supplements, lung herbs and supplements, magnetic fields, meditation, musculoskeletal herbs and supplements, music therapy, neuromuscular blockers, osteoporosis herbs and supplements, pain relievers, phytoestrogens, skin herbs and supplements, stomach herbs and supplements, thyroid hormones, and weight loss herbs and supplements.
Portions of this document last updated: Nov. 01, 2013
This evidence-based monograph was prepared by The Natural Standard Research Collaboration
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Health care costs have never been considered economical in rural communities, but the divide between rural and urban costs have only been exacerbated by the Affordable Care Act.
"We've gone from letting the insurance companies use a pre-existing medical condition to jack up rates to having a pre-existing zip code being the reason health insurance is unaffordable," Colorado rancher Bill Fales told the Associated Press. "It's just wrong."
Like others living in rural areas, Fales has seen his monthly premiums skyrocket by 50 percent to nearly $1,800 per month.
Insurance officials argue that geography is just one of the three determinants used by insurance companies under the federal health care law to set premiums. Other insurance price zones on the most-expensive list include rural areas in Georgia, Nevada, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman with America's Health Insurance Plans, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group, explains that the cost differences between densely and sparsely populated areas shouldn't be considered a shock: it is simply more expensive to deliver health care in rural communities were fewer doctors, specialists and hospitals are stretched thin by the aging rural population and the inherent dangers surrounding farming.
According to USDA data, there were 42,000 work-related injuries reported in 2009. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in 2010, 476 farmers and farm workers died as a result of a work-related injury, incurring a fatality rate of 26.1 deaths for 100,000 workers.
And when it comes to saving lives, proximity to health care can mean the difference between living and dying, and in rural areas, that isn't always possible.
"In rural areas, it's common that you are seeing transport times of over half hour to an hour to a trauma center," Dr. Sage Myers, a pediatrician and researcher at the University of Pennsylvania said, noting that in South Dakota, there are just one or two trauma centers covering the whole state.
Read, "Is city life safer than rural life?"
Some states do have an option to reduce the premium divide between urban and rural areas. They can set a single statewide rating zone, reducing premiums to rural regions by shifting costs onto more-populated areas in the state. Just six states – Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont – chose a single rating zone.
There's always been geographic variance in insurance," said Craig Garthwaite, an economist at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management who has studied the economic consequences of the new health care law.
The difference now, he said, is insurers have fewer levers to adjust premium pricing. Garthwaite also said the health care law makes it easier for rural health insurance shoppers to see what city residents are paying.
"That's forcing them to confront the market, which is a new thing," he said.
Click here to read "Rural residents confront higher health care costs."

subset: commoncrawl


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=1/3. "In the vastness of the cosmos two huge entities are battling for control. They suck the life force from entire galaxies to use in the ultimate struggle against their nemesis..." Features Novel steering Targeting shots Multishots, combining single shots into formidable globules of destruction Black holes that warps shot trajectories Soundtrack from renowned composer Simon Wilkinson
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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An agreement by Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and related companies looks to end six years of litigation related to price-fixing allegations in the southeastern U.S.
"We make no admission of wrongdoing. It was a business decision (among other things, to avoid going to trial)….. We will pay $140 million to the plaintiff class," DFA President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Smith told the news media on Tuesday.
The $140 million will be broken out as follows:
- DFA, the nation's largest dairy cooperative, will pay $70 million
- DFA's finance subsidiary, Mid-Am Capital LLC, will pay $20 million
- National Dairy Holdings LP, which DFA sold to a Mexican dairy processor in 2009, will pay $50 million.
Thousands of dairy farmers are eligilble for the payouts.
Recipients include those farmers who sold milk to one or more of the defendants in the lawsuit and produce milk in federal orders 5 and 7, which cover all or parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana and Virginia and West Virginia.
An additional $18.6 million will be put in a fund over the next two years to guarantee a stronger Class I utilization rate in federal orders 5 and 7.
The payment of money will not affect DFA's day-to-day operations or its ability to market members' milk, Smith said. "The cooperative remains healthy and we look forward to getting this behind us."
"We have the cash on hand" to send to a fund established on behalf of the plaintiffs, Smith said.
With the money already in hand, DFA will not ask members directly for contributions, nor will member milk checks be affected.
Smith said many of the actions alleged in the lawsuit occurred 10 to 15 years ago and no longer reflect the way things are handled by the co-op or current market conditions.
The lawsuit, brought in 2007, claimed that DFA and Dean Foods conspired to fix raw milk prices in the Southeast by closing a number of bottling plants. Trial for the suit was scheduled to begin this month.
In 2011, Dean Foods reached a separate settlement for $140 million. According to this report, Dean Foods will begin making payments to approximately 6,000 farmers.
In fact, distribution of funds from the Dean Foods settlement reportedly has begun.
However, it may take a while for the DFA funds to reach farmers, since there is at least one more court hearing ― a Fairness Hearing on April 3. That will give the court time to read the comments of anyone who objects to the settlement.
For more information on what's next, go to the Southeast Milk Antitrust Litigation Website.


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Cold War Kids is a renowned American indie rock bands from Long Beach, California that has been active since 2004 and has gained a massive following since then, with their albums and songs released by the likes of Downtown Records, V2 Records, Monarchy Music and Co-Op Records. The band's members today are vocalist, pianist and guitarist Nathan Willett, Dann Gallucci, bassist Matt Maust and drummer Matt Aveiro. Together, they form a group best heard live with Cold War Kids tickets.
Cold War Kids began in 2004 in Fullerton, moving to Whittier, California soon after and releasing an EP in 2005, labeled Mulberry Street EP. In 2006, they went on tour and release two more EPs, titled Up in Rags and With Our Wallets Full. They were signed onto Downtown Records that year and released their first LP, labeled Robbers & Cowards. For the next two years, the band toured many venues of the US and eventually moved to Long Beach, California where they began work on their next album.
Cold War Kids released their next album soon after, dubbing it Loyalty to Loyalty. It was praised by many a magazine, including Blackbox Magazine. It was filled with philosophical and political references, with its title a saying of renowned philosopher Josiah Royce. After the release of this album, they continued touring, spending much of 2008 and 2009 on the road. In 2010, they began work on a new album with producer Jaquire King, who produced albums for Modest Mouse, Norah Jones, Kings of Leon and Tom Waits.
Cold War Kids have continued performing concerts while working on their next album, slated for a 2013 release. A single from the album, labeled Miracle Mile, has already been released, much to the joy of fans of the band all over the world. This is no surprise since their second album ranked sixth on the Billboard charts and third on the US Independent Albums chart. it also charted in Belgium, France, Australia and the UK. Their third album ranked fifth on the Billboard charts and ninth on the Australian ARIA Charts.
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Photo gallery:
2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
Volkswagen's Touareg Hybrid shows up with jaw-dropping technology under the hood, and an impressive cabin tech suite as well. The full model name, the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Supercharged Hybrid, includes a few terms not usually found together. Yes, this Touareg not only gets gas-electric hybrid propulsion, but also a supercharger on the engine.
Throwing every power-train technology at Volkswagen's disposal into this car results in the most powerful Touareg in the company's lineup, although not necessarily the most fuel-efficient. Current Touareg models include the supercharged hybrid, a 3-liter TDI V-6, and a 3.6-liter gasoline V-6. The hybrid gets an EPA rating of 20 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, and the TDI brackets those numbers with 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. The mundane gas-only Touareg comes up short with 16 mpg city and 23 mpg highway.
But it does not seem as if Volkswagen's engineers had fuel economy foremost in their thoughts when they designed the Touareg Hybrid, as this vehicle boasts an astounding total system output of 380 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. Even the TDI Touareg can't match that torque number.
With the transmission in Sport mode and a lead foot on the gas pedal, every bit of that power is felt as the Touareg rockets forward. The engine in the Touareg Hybrid is essentially the same as used in the Audi S4, a supercharged direct-injection 3-liter V-6, which by itself generates 333 horsepower. The hybrid system includes a 34-kilowatt electric motor integrated between engine and transmission, and a 1.7-kilowatt-hour nickel metal hydride battery pack situated near the rear wheels.
The heart of the Touareg Hybrid is a supercharged direct-injection 3-liter V-6 like that used in the Audi S4.
The battery pack is about the only power-train tech in the Touareg Hybrid that lags slightly behind the competition, as the latest hybrids are coming out with lithium ion battery packs.
Uneven acceleration
Despite the car's breathtaking Sport acceleration, putting the transmission in normal Drive mode results in a very different driving experience. The gas pedal feels detuned, and acceleration is more difficult to modulate. Merely letting off the brake lets the Touareg creep forward under electric power. Moderate pressure on the gas pedal tends to make the Touareg lunge, and it becomes difficult to control at low speeds or in stop-and-go traffic.
Along with letting the engine shut off at traffic stops and while coasting at speeds of up to 99 mph, the hybrid system can also propel the car using just electric power. But the Touareg Hybrid is heavy, making it very difficult to feather the pedal lightly enough to actually make the car go forward without having the engine come on.
To prove this can be a short-distance electric vehicle, Volkwagen placed an E-mode button on the console. Press it, and the Touareg Hybrid refrains from burning any gas, at least up to about 32 mph, or until the battery becomes so discharged that the engine must take over.
A dial for on- and off-road settings sits next to the E-mode button on the console.
The console also holds a dial with on- and off-road settings. The Touareg Hybrid comes standard with four-wheel drive, a completely automatic system that defaults to a 40 percent front-60 percent rear torque split. But switching it to off-road mode merely adjusts the traction control and drivetrain programs; the Touareg Hybrid's conventional suspension sits at a fixed height.
Going over rough country roads, the car felt very capable, absorbing big bumps easily without too much cabin rocking. Volkswagen says the Touareg Hybrid has a ground clearance of 7.9 inches and can ford water to a depth of 19.7 inches. Driving through some sections of flooded roads created by recent California storms, the Touareg Hybrid plowed through, sending water spraying off to the sides.
An electrohydraulic power steering mechanism keeps the steering wheel movable even when the engine shuts down. Although the four-wheel-drive system helps in cornering, the Touareg Hybrid shows typical SUV handling. It understeers in turns, and its large body, raised up on its suspension, leads to body roll that is partially counteracted by antisway equipment.
With eight gears, this automatic transmission gives the Touareg Hybrid's power train an easy time finding its optimal range.
Sport mode with the eight-speed automatic transmission helps keep the power on, and there is also a manual shift mode. In keeping with the vehicle's character, Sport mode is not all that aggressive, and manual gear changes are typically sluggish for an automatic. Those eight gears really come into play cruising at 65 or 70 mph, when the engine, when it is actually on, can keep its speed around 2,000rpm, helping save gas.
Volkswagen's new look
Although the new Touareg Hybrid weighs in at over 5,000 pounds, Volkswagen took some steps to lighten the load, such as using some aluminum in the suspension. The overall look of the vehicle is less SUV and more modern crossover. The strong lateral lines of the grille, which blend into the headlight apertures, are part of Volkswagen's new design language. Also part of this language are the clean lines of the body. Rather than creases, the Touareg Hybrid features impressions of lines, just a smooth pinch in the sides.
Volkswagen's new design language incorporates simple lines, along with this grille that blends into the headlight apertures.


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So Many Days
There is always another day,
Faith in this falsehood tests one's fate.
What if I were to pass away tomorrow?
With something always left for the morrow;
would the next life be one of sorrow?
Perhaps my compassion surpasses my hate,
but when passion calls, I take the bait.
If death came upon me this day,
ever so dearly should I pay,
for so many years selfish play.
Ignorant, deluded, a sorry state,
the moment of death does not come late.
Should my last breath be this hour,
too long have I lived so sweet, so sour,
undoubtedly, I would do naught but cower,
A moment, a snap, over and done,
it all ends, this worldly fun.
There is an escape from this dangerous lure,
for each defilement, I must practice its cure,
so that I might end my days pure.


text:
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Interstate paved way for county's growth
By Tom Lappas, Citizen Editor 08/25/11
One of the most significant advancements in the history of Henrico County barely registered in the mind of Henrico's top executive at the time, was little more than an afterthought to most county residents and came about thanks in part to one of Virginia's most storied collegiate rivalries.
Without it, many of the elements that have defined Henrico County for decades – and some that have county officials excited about the future – would not exist.
Today, it is a routine part of daily life for more than 100,000 commuters – an access point that in many ways serves as the lifeblood of a county.
It is Interstate 64, a highway whose alignment through western Henrico was far from a certainty more than 50 years ago, when state officials began considering where to locate it. Their decision to send it through the county ranks No. 9 on the Henrico Citizen's list of the most significant moments in Henrico's 400-year history.
Taking a position
Bill LaVecchia had just arrived in Henrico County as a planner in 1959, bringing with him a year of experience as an engineer and assistant manager of Athens, Tenn., and four years of service as the town manager of Blacksburg, Va., where he had attended college at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
Among the last major endeavors he undertook in Blacksburg was to urge the Virginia State Highway Commission to choose an alignment for the planned Interstate 81 that would bring it closer to Blacksburg, instead of through nearby Christiansburg. The commission was charged with designing routes for the interstates being built in Virginia as part of the Federal Highway Act of 1956, which authorized the construction of more than 40,000 miles of interstate highways in the nation.
LaVecchia's argument – perhaps hindered by the lukewarm support for it offered by then-VPI president Walter Newman – wasn't enough to sway the commission, which chose to send I-81 through Christiansburg instead.
Little did LaVecchia realize at the time that the case would prove to be an important learning experience.
When he arrived in Henrico, the same commission was charged with selecting a path for the next leg of Interstate 64. (Portions of the highway already had been constructed east of Richmond, and a stretch that cut through eastern Henrico to Laburnum Avenue recently had been completed.) The commission was considering whether to build the next phase along a southern path – through Chesterfield County, Lynchburg and Roanoke – or a northern one, through western Henrico and Charlottesville.
Although the original plans for the interstate showed it crossing through Henrico, there was a late push by some who favored the southern path. LaVecchia, fresh off the Blacksburg battle, found himself squarely in the midst of a similar one in his new home.
"Lo and behold, it looked like we're going through the same argument," LaVecchia recalled. "I went to our county manager, Ed Beck, and asked him what was our position. He said, 'Well, we don't have a position.' I said, 'You don't have a position on where an interstate highway is going?'"
Beck theorized that were the interstate to cut a path through Henrico, it would serve as the local version of the Great Wall of China – a divisive, intrusive road that would sever neighborhood streets and choke off familiar travel patterns. He was not alone in his assumption. The interstate system still was very new, and many Americans hadn't traveled on an interstate yet. Fewer still had the foresight to comprehend how the roads might forever change a region in the decades to come.
"It just didn't mean much to anybody," LaVecchia recalled, "because that was mostly country. The interstate didn't mean much to the average person in Henrico County. I think maybe a lot like Mr. Beck, they just thought it was this great big road that was going to cut through and block their streets."
But LaVecchia ultimately convinced Beck that I-64 would be an important addition for the county, and for the second time in several years, he went before the commission to argue for his favored path for an interstate. When he finished his comments, one board member looked at him quizzically and said, "You seem awfully familiar to me – have you appeared here on this subject before?"
"What you are recalling is the I-81 case," LaVecchia told the commissioner, who replied, "Oh – did you win or lose?"
'It could go either way'
From LaVecchia's standpoint, the commission did not have a solid opinion one way or the other. "It was sort of like, well, it could go either way as far as they were concerned," he recalled.
But Chesterfield County didn't push for the interstate to be routed through its borders. The county, still a fledgling from a governmental standpoint, had very little in the way of planning or public works departments at the time.
On a larger scale, there was a battle underway in the General Assembly between members with ties to Charlottesville – and the University of Virginia – and those with ties to Roanoke and Blacksburg – and Virginia Tech. The former group favored a northern path through Charlottesville; the latter supported a southern path through Chesterfield.
Though the southern route seemed to make the most sense generally, the fact that more politicians had UVA connections ultimately may have helped sway the commission's decision in favor of the northern route, according to University of Richmond economics professor George Hoffer, a Henrico resident since 1950.
"Interstate 64 is the unheralded hero of Henrico's growth in the latter third of the past century," Hoffer said. "Logically, the highway should have taken the southern route through Chesterfield, Route 460, Lynchburg and Roanoke. But it didn't because the UVA crowd won out.
"Henricoans have got to thank the long-gone politicians who were UVA-centric in the late '50s. We clearly were the winners as the result of that decision."
Henrico is one of two Virginia counties that maintain their own roads, and officials wisely used that power to construct roads such as Glenside Drive, Parham Road and Laburnum Avenue that ultimately would shuttle commuters in the county to and from the new interstate, Hoffer said.
"The county had the foresight of building major arterials to access 64," Hoffer said. "Virtually all the differential growth between Henrico and Chesterfield is due to I-64."
The 64 question
At its busiest section in Henrico County – a two-mile stretch near Glenside Drive and West Broad Street – I-64 served an average of 109,000 cars a day in 2009, the most recent year for which VDOT data is available. Daily traffic for the other Henrico portions of I-64 west of I-95 ranged between 54,000 to 96,000, according to VDOT.
"I don't think you can overemphasize the impact that it's had on Henrico over time and also going forward," said Gary McLaren, the executive director of the Henrico County Economic Development Authority. "There's an old saying in real estate, that it's location, location, location, and that really means access, access, access."
Henrico prides itself on its residential-to-commercial property ratio of roughly 70 percent to 30 percent. (By comparison, Chesterfield is closer to 80 percent residential and 20 percent commercial.) The larger corporate tax base provides a solid base of revenue that helps fund the governmental services required by residents and businesses and also helps keep residential taxes low.
The existence of I-64 "absolutely" has contributed to that ratio in the half-century since the interstate began to take shape, McLaren said. I-64 opened the West End to residents of Richmond and Hanover as well, Hoffer said, and set in motion the retail bonanza in the county that today accounts for more than 40 percent of all retail sales in the metro Richmond region. It also set the stage for the Innsbrook Corporate Center and rapid hotel growth in the West End.
So how would the county look today had I-64 been built through Chesterfield instead?
"I think it would look much different," McLaren said. "It would tend to be much more residential and have less of a business base. We wouldn't be able to enjoy the lower tax rate we enjoy today."
Without an interstate to carry traffic through western Henrico, Hoffer theorized that West Broad Street would have taken on a major arterial look (expanded to serve more traffic, but perhaps hopelessly gridlocked anyway). Lacking I-64, the county might have had to fund and construct a lesser road to serve the same purpose, LaVecchia said – though it may not have been able to afford such a luxury.
Though Henrico has benefitted substantially from the presence of I-64, Lynchburg lost out on an opportunity it may have deserved, Hoffer said. The northern alignment not only isolated Lynchburg, which today is one of the largest cities in the nation without interstate access, but it also robbed Virginia of more federally funded interstate mileage, Hoffer said. That's because I-64, as constructed, runs with I-81 for some 30 miles or so, whereas the two highways would have been separate had I-64 taken the southern route.
"I've thought that for 20, 25 years that the major difference between Henrico and Chesterfield is that the UVA legislators won," Hoffer said. "Virginia as a commonwealth was a loser, but Henrico became the real winner."
State trooper shot in Henrico cul-de-sac
Citizen Staff Reports 09/20/2017 General NewsPublic SafetyCrime Report
SEPT. 20, 11:30 A.M. – A North Carolina woman who Virginia State Police say shot a state trooper in Henrico last night has been charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The woman, Karisa Shyanne Daniels, 23, of Durham, N.C., allegedly fired at Senior Trooper C. A. Putnam on Lakeway Court, a Henrico cul-de-sac near September Drive shortly before midnight, following a chase. > Read more.
C-SPAN bus to visit UR Sept. 27
Citizen Staff Reports 09/20/2017 EducationGeneral News
The University of Richmond will host a multi-media C-SPAN bus Sept. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. The "50 Capitals Tour" – open to the public on – is designed to engage students and community members through interactive demonstrations of C-SPAN's multi-platform public service resources.
The 45-foot customized motor coach will be placed on the University Forum. > Read more.
Free flu shots available at MedExpress, opening Sept. 20
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 BusinessGeneral NewsHealth
MedExpress Urgent Care will open a new neighborhood medical center in Henrico Sept. 20 at 8040 W. Broad St. To help Richmond-area residents prepare for the upcoming flu season, the new center will offer free flu shots to patients ages four and up starting the day the center opens and while supplies last.
An open house celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held prior to opening day, Sept. 19 from noon to 2 p.m. > Read more.
Crime Stoppers' Crime of the Week: Sept. 18, 2017
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 General NewsPublic SafetyCrime of the Week
Crime Stoppers is seeking information about a shooting in Richmond that resulted in an injured child and the murder of an adult.
At approximately 10:21 p.m., Sept. 9, Richmond Police were called to the 3200 block of 5th Avenue for a report of a person shot. They quickly located two victims suffering from gunshot wounds, a 57-year-old male and a 9-year-old female. > Read more.
Business in brief
Citizen Staff Reports 09/18/2017 BusinessBusiness in BriefGeneral News
Commonwealth Senior Living at the West End, located at 2400 Gaskins Rd., will hold their grand opening on Oct. 3 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The community recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation which included the addition of a new memory care neighborhood, new resident suites, an expanded dining room, and brand-new courtyards and additional outdoor spaces. Commonwealth Senior Living associates will be on site to provide tours of the newly renovated community. > Read more.
Business in brief
Wegmans to sponsor Turkey Trot 10K
Publix to open at Virginia Center Marketplace Oct. 11
Statewide tax amnesty period underway
Henrico Master Gardener training program accepting applications through Oct. 27
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Print Edition
Sep. 21, 2017Current edition | Archive
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Willow Lawn to host 'Doggie & Me' event Sept. 23
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Margaret B. "Peggy" Catlett
Obituary – Patricia Wells Melton
Obituary - Dorothy M. Wade
- More Obituaries
Lewis Ginter to host Fall PlantFest Sept. 15-16
Henrico nonprofits sought
Free legal services for seniors, disabled available Sept. 14
- More Community
Growing a grown-up: Part II
How to grow an adult
Make 'em take the pledge: no more snuff boxes!
- More Opinions
SunTrust to sponsor raceways's military appreciation program
Code Lacrosse joins Richmond Strikers
5 Henrico student-athletes win scholarships at awards dinner
- More Sports
|September 2017
Place an Ad | More Classifieds
CalendarRichmond Comicon will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Old Dominion Building at Richmond Raceway. General admission starts at $9.95. Children 12 and under are free. Early Bird admission starts at 10 a.m. For details, visit http://www.vacomicon.com. Full text


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Over the weekend, we made our annual winter trip through the Washington, D.C., area. This year, we mixed in a quick visit to Philadelphia as well. As usual, there was plenty to digest. Here's a look at what we learned.
Providence stole one
After getting another look at Providence-bound Brandon Austin, we can't give enough credit to Ed Cooley and his staff for getting into Philadelphia and locking up the 6-foot-6 do-it-all wing from Imhotep High.
Let's make it clear that Austin is not some finished product who is going to single-handedly change the direction of the Friars program. He has to get much stronger, he has to expand his midrange game and he has to get a little bit tighter with his ball handling.
However, Austin is a high-level talent who is currently under-ranked at No. 74 nationally, and he should have been recruited much more heavily by some of the nation's power programs. He can play point guard, he's very quick off the dribble, has athleticism to finish in traffic and is dangerous as a jump shooter. He's going to be a very dangerous and versatile weapon as a college player and, alongside guys like Kris Dunn and Ricardo Ledo, could be instrumental in steadying the Providence program.
Wiggins the best, but expectations getting out of hand
Andrew Wiggins is the best high school basketball player in the country. On this point, there's not much debate. However, the 6-foot-7 senior wing at Huntington (W.Va.) Prep isn't a flawless prospect, and some of the expectations and hype that are starting to build around him may be unfair to the 17-year-old.
Because of his ridiculous athletic tools, great bloodlines and demonstrated dominance, it's understandable that there are going to be high expectations for the Canadian-born high school superstar. There should be high expectations. It seems, though, that Wiggins is being built into an almost mythical prospect and it's almost like he'll be considered a bust if he doesn't make seven to 10 all-star games before his NBA career is over.
For all we know, Wiggins could end up achieving that type of success. However, it isn't fair to a high schooler to think about him in those terms. Let's focus on the fact that he's the best player in the country and has the tools to one day be great, but it won't come without hard work. Frankly, Wiggins looks to be a bit bored at times and can go through stretches where he floats a little. His ball handling needs work, and his jump shooting -- while much improved -- remains a work in progress. Of course, his athleticism is virtually unmatched, he's an incredible defensive player, he has an inside/out game and he's a winner.
Bottom line, Wiggins is the best in the country and there isn't much disputing that. But let's give him time to be a teenager, and let's be more reasonable about the expectations and hype that we shower on him.
Derrickson belongs among early 2015 four-stars
As a freshman and during the summer before his sophomore year, Marcus Derrickson built a big reputation in the D.C. area. However, when Rivals.com had opportunities to watch the 6-foot-7 power forward from Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI, he didn't play at the level of his billing.
That being said, the sophomore forward wasn't a stiff, either. He showed a feel for scoring, some strength, touch from the outside and upside. However, he seemed content to hunt 3-pointers, was a bit inconsistent and seemed a bit out of shape. So, when time came to designate a first group of sophomores for either five- or four-star status, Derrickson missed the cut.
After watching Derrickson again over the weekend, he has made the cut and has been elevated to early four-star status. Playing against national power Oak Hill, Derrickson was the big man on the low block, the most physical player on the floor and showed a willingness to compete. The 3-point shot is still a part of his game, but it looks like he's learned how to balance his power and finesse games better.
Georgetown, Indiana, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Rutgers, N.C. State, Virginia and many others are giving early chase.
Click Here to view this Link.


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Ok, so maybe I'll give a quick rundown of what worked yesterday for me.
Played a 2 round tournament in Jefferson City and shot 2 estimated 1000 rated rounds (using DGCR SSA estimator - shot a 52 and 53), with the hottest round of the day as well as the lowest overall score of the day, out of the advanced am division (beat all the open players too)
Super simple setup. If there was one thing that I really felt like I needed, it was a niche disc for sidearm approaches, like a champion gator or something of that vein. When I needed a stronger finish than a sidearm putter could give me, I was kind of forced to throw a kc pro roc, which went waaaaay past where I wanted it to each time. Could have saved 2 strokes for sure if I had something in that specific slot.
Still had fast(ish) drivers in the bag but didn't even throw them once. Same setup as I listed just above, but with the two opto flows in the bag.
172 Opto Flow, new
170 Opto Flow, used
175 Star Teebird, wearing in
171 Star Teebird
175 DX Teebird, worn. hyzer flip to straight or bomb turnovers.
175 DX Teebird, new.
171 Z Predator, super beef
174 Z Predator, workhorse
174 Z Predator, domey, workable. has some high speed turn when thrown flat.
175 C-TD, workable turning driver
176 KC Pro Roc, overstable
180 Glow DX Roc, new
175 DX Roc, wearing in.
17x DX Roc, super beat
175 protege clutch, throwing only. turnovers and straight off the tee and approaches
174 cryztal challenger, hyzer approaches and stable tee shots
174 D Challenger x2, putting only
So pretty much what I listed above. Going to check out a very overstable, low glide midrange. But not a drone. I really don't like those. Something with less glide than a pain, too, which is where I feel like a champ or champ glow gator would come in handy. Any other molds that I might be forgetting?


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This continues to be a rough offseason for former Bears coach Lovie Smith.
The Bears went 10-6, but they missed the playoffs and Smith was fired. He interviewed for the Bills job Saturday, but Buffalo hired Doug Marrone on Sunday morning.
Smith reportedly is on the Chargers' radar, but they're also looking for a general manager. Once the Chargers hire a GM, it may open the door for Smith to get a look in San Diego.
Smith was knocked in Chicago for the team's offensive problems, but his defenses usually were excellent. He consistently had the respect of his players. Smith's overall record with the Bears was 81-63 over nine seasons, including a Super Bowl appearance with Rex Grossman at quarterback.


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The Lakers will honor late owner Dr. Jerry Buss with a private memorial at 3 p.m. Thursday at Nokia Theatre with an extensive list of expected speakers.
CBS2 s Jim Hill with be the emcee. Scheduled speakers are Anschutz Entertainment Group President and CEO Timothy Leiweke; son Johnny Buss; longtime business partner Frank Mariani; NBA Commissioner David Stern; former Lakers legend and executive Jerry West; former Lakers greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson; former Lakers head coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson; and current Lakers Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, who will speak only in Spanish.
The memorial will also have musical performances from acclaimed singer-songwriter Randy Newman, Broadway star Davis Gaines and the USC band.
The event is closed to the public, but will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable SportsNet.
firstname.lastname@example.com, Twitter.com/MedinaLakersNBA


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Established in 1989, the Electronic Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) is the largest organization in the United States dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles to reduce energy inefficiencies and foreign energy dependency.
This year, from June 10 to June 12, 2013 the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. will host the annual EDTA conference and meeting. This event creates an opportunity for key stakeholders to expand their knowledge of issues and obstacles relevant to their organizations. In addition, participants will have a chance to test drive the latest electric vehicles and gadgets.
As you prepare to attend this event, please consider our Washington D.C accommodations located in the DuPont Circle neighborhood. Guests are our Washington DC bed and breakfast can choose to walk or use Metro bus to attend this important conference – see map below for directions.
We look forward to your stay!
Bernardo, Innkeeper
American Guest House in Washington DC
View Directions to the Wardman Park Marriott in a larger map


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Peck just posted his best score of the year, a 270.7
Not only that but has had the highest total the past 2 weeks as well as being over 240 for 3 weeks in a row.
There are now 7 teams within 2 games of each other, fighting for the last three playoff spots in the East. This is gonna be fun to watch.
I just hope I'm high up enough that they all can't catch me.


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Moderator: mikenz66
The Blessed One saw Ven. Pindola Bharadvaja sitting not far away, his legs crossed, his body held erect — a forest dweller, an alms-goer, a rag-robe wearer, an owner of only one set of three robes, modest, content, solitary, unentangled, his persistence aroused, an advocate of the ascetic practices, devoted to the heightened mind.
"... I myself, good Bhaaradvaaja, whenever I enter the inner parts of my palace[3] with body, speech and mind unguarded, with mindfulness unestablished, with sense-faculties uncontrolled, am at such times overcome with lustful thoughts. But when I do so with body, speech and mind guarded, with mindfulness established, with faculties controlled, then lustful thoughts do not overcome me."
mikenz66 wrote:Hi Kevin,
I understood new monks are generally encouraged to do that asubha meditation. Was that the case for you? I remember some Dhamma talk (probably from Ajahn Brahm) where he said he felt sorry for the Catholic monks he met who were expected to be celibate without the tools (such as in this Sutta) that he and other Buddhist monks had at their disposal.
mikenz66 wrote:"Great King, this was said by the Blessed One ...
"Come Bhikkhus, towards women old enough to be your mother set up the idea that they are your mother; towards those of an age to be your sisters set up the idea that they are your sisters; towards those young enough to be your daughters set up the idea that they are your daughters."
BB: Literally, "Set up a mother-mind towards those of a mother-measure", etc.
Spk says that one's mother, sisters, and daughters are the three "respected objects" (garukarammana) who are not to be transgressed against.
Interestingly, this saying, though ascribed to the Buddha as if it were a common piece of advice, is not found elsewhere in the Nikayas.
The latter is an interesting observation, since this is certainly a technique that I've heard mentioned by monastic teachers. I don't have daughters, but it's natural, and I think useful, to view my students as if they were daughters (or sons!).
23. Then the Venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One: "How, Lord, should we conduct ourselves towards women?"
"Do not see them, Ananda."
"But, Lord, if we do see them?"
"Do not speak, Ananda."
"But, Lord, if they should speak to us?"
"Then, Ananda, you should establish mindfulness."
On seeing a form with the eye, do not grasp at any theme or variations by which — if you were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail you.
Ven. Maha Moggallana said, "And how is one soggy? There is the case where a monk, when seeing a form via the eye, is, in the case of pleasing forms, committed to forms and, in the case of displeasing forms, afflicted by forms. He remains with body-mindfulness not present, and with limited awareness. And he does not discern, as it actually is present, the awareness-release & discernment-release where those evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen cease without trace.
paul wrote: The Buddha's suggestion regarding seeing women like mothers and daughters draws the mind away from the conventional ego-centered reality to the path of expansive ultimate reality. That understanding must be gradually learnt as the Dhammapada says, like refining the dross from silver.
On seeing a form with the eye, do not grasp at any theme or variations by which — if you were to dwell without restraint over the faculty of the eye — evil, unskillful qualities such as greed or distress might assail you.
daverupa wrote:I fundamentally agree that seeing the attractive gender in a 'bio-relational' way is helpful in this respect.
I would like to use this opportunity to emphasize that the Dhamma is a pro-active process of applying wholesome feeling (the four immeasurables, ultimately) to the Path; when this done, Dhamma practice greatly benefits.
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Observational Study of HIV Infection in Participants of Seroconvert During Dapivirine Vaginal Ring Trials
This study has been completed.
International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: June 8, 2012
Last updated: August 25, 2016
Last verified: August 2012
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The purpose of this trial is to determine if exposure to ARV-containing investigational products in IPM clinical trials will impact the natural history of HIV infection as measured by the virologic, immunologic and clinical outcomes of participants who become HIV-positive during the IPM 027 trial.
|HIV Infections
|Drug: No Investigational Product
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case Control
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|A Long-Term Observational Cohort Study of HIV Infection in Participants Who Seroconvert After Enrolment in Dapivirine Vaginal Ring Trials
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: HIV/AIDSU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- To identify HIV drug resistant mutations following recent seroconversion in plasma and vaginal secretions and change in resistant mutations over time in participants previously exposed to an ARV-based microbicide or a placebo. [ Time Frame: 12 months ]The primary outcome will be assessed by viral genotype assay at baseline and at exit from the protocol, to assess the occurrence and frequency of acquiring a drug resistant HIV virus during follow-up.
|Study Start Date:
|June 2012
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
ARV-Treated Participants
Those participants who received dapivirine during HIV seroconversion
Drug: No Investigational Product
This study is observational in nature and no investigational product will be used.
Groups: ARV-Treated Participants, ARV-Naive Participants
ARV-Naive Participants
Those participants who received placebo during HIV seroconversion
Drug: No Investigational Product
This study is observational in nature and no investigational product will be used.
Groups: ARV-Treated Participants, ARV-Naive Participants
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 45 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Study Population
Both microbicide and placebo recipients in IPM 027 who have become HIV infected (HIV-1 or HIV-2) while participating in IPM 027 will be offered enrolment in IPM 007 at the exit visit of IPM 027, i.e. approximately 6 weeks after identification of HIV seroconversion.
This study includes all active IPM clinical research centres that enrol participants for IPM microbicide trials.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Recent HIV seroconversion during participation in IPM 027, according to the HIV testing algorithm of that trial
- Ability and willingness to provide informed consent
- Willingness to give the research centre permission to share information with the primary health care provider (PHCP), and willingness to sign approved site-specific documentation to facilitate such sharing.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would preclude provision of informed consent, make participation in the study unsafe, complicate interpretation of study outcome data, or otherwise interfere with achieving the study objectives.
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: NCT01618058
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01618058
|Project Ubuzima
|Kiyivu, Kigali, Rwanda
|South Africa
|Qhakaza Mbokodo
|Ladysmith, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
|Prevention for HIV and AIDS Project (PHIVA)
|Pinetown, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
|Madibeng Centre for Research (MCR)
|Brits, South Africa, 0250
|Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health (MatCH)
|Plessislaer, South Africa, 3216
Sponsors and Collaborators
International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.
|Study Chair:
|Linda-Gail Bekker
|Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation
More Information
Keywords provided by International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01618058 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|June 8, 2012
|Last Updated:
|August 25, 2016
Keywords provided by International Partnership for Microbicides, Inc.:
HIV Infections
Anti-HIV Agents
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Communicable Diseases
HIV Infections
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Slow Virus Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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Directing penalties to affected areas
The RESTORE Act (Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunity and Revived Economics of the Gulf States Act of 2011) will invest 80 percent of fines by BP and other parties directly in areas affects by the disaster.
The legislation is supported by a number of organizations including NWF, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy and Oxfam America.
Brian Moore, legislative director of the National Audubon Society, said the RESTORE Act is critical because it will invest funds from the fines in the damaged areas. He said unless the legislation is passed, there is nothing stating that the investments have to be directed to the Gulf Coast.
Moore said that based on how much oil was spilled and based on what kind of degree of negligence is found in the courts, Clean Water Act fines could range from $5 billion to $21 billion. Without the RESTORE Act, all funds will be directed into the Federal Treasury where it's highly likely that they'll be used for non-disaster related things like deficit reduction.
"We need this legislation to take 80 percent of what will come into the treasury and send it down to these areas for restoration. It could be the largest amount for restoration ever," said Moore.
The act creates a framework to manage and finance the recovery and will invest 80 percent of the penalty moneys directly to the coast. Sixty percent of those funds will be allocated to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council. Half of those funds will be used to implement the Council's comprehensive federal environmental plan; the other half will be distributed to the five affected Gulf states for their own plans. Other investments will be directed to science and monitoring of Gulf Coast ecosystem and fisheries.
Moore said a major benefit of the act is that it can help fund desperately-needed projects and Gulf Coast restoration, without taxpayers footing the bill.
"It would be a win for the environment—not at the cost of the taxpayers, but at the cost of the parties who damaged it. This is a clear example of how Clean Water penalties should be used," Moore said.
Environmental restoration is economic restoration
A healthy Gulf ecosystem is not just critical to wildlife but to the entire nation's economy. Roughly a third of all domestic oil comes from the Gulf and the ports and infrastructure supported by the environment are essential in keeping the industry running. Approximately 40 percent of all the seafood consumed in the United States comes from the Gulf and it is home to10-15 of the country's largest ports by tonnage. And from the swamps of Louisiana to the pristine beaches of Florida, the Gulf's natural wonders support a $34-billion tourism industry.
Proponents of the RESTORE Act say the funds are needed to help restore the coast not just for environmental reasons, but also because the environment is so critical to the regional economy. David Muth, Louisiana state director for NWF's Mississippi River Delta Restoration campaign, said the damage to the state's natural resources have had a ripple effect throughout the entire economy.
"It's appropriate that funds come from the offender so we can have system-wide restoration that will help not just the ecosystem but the residents that benefit from it," said Muth.
Commercial fishing was one such industry that was hit hard during the summer of 2010 when fishing grounds were shut down and populations dwindled. Charter fishing also essentially ground to a halt in southeast Louisiana. According to the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, the industry was responsible for almost 26,000 jobs and $2.2 billion in Louisiana alone before the disaster. Although fish populations have rebounded, some parts of the coast's reputation have not. Compounded with a poor national economy, it means that many captains still aren't back to their pre-disaster numbers.
Some left the business altogether. After 18 years as a fishing guide, Captain Pat Holliday of Cocodrie Charters left the business in March 2011 to take a job with an oilfield services firm. Bookings were down 40 percent after the disaster and like many in the industry, Holliday had to look elsewhere for the income and security he needed.
"It was the uncertainty. I got lucky enough to get another opportunity and took it. The fishing is great, but it just damaged the reputation of the coast. We don't know how long it's going to be before people forget about it," said Holliday.
Holliday said he may run the occasional charter on the weekends, but his days as a full time guide are likely over. Like many tourism departments, the fishing industry is relying on money from BP to help rebuild that damaged reputation. Terrebonne Parish, which refers to itself as the "Saltwater Fishing Capital of the World" is currently embarking on an ad and branding campaign with a $2 million contribution from BP.
Funneling investments into restoration
Advocates of the RESTORE Act say it is critical to invest the funds directly on the Gulf Coast for projects that help rebuild the ecosystem and economy. While other laws could come into play down the line, the Clean Water Act is the primary vehicle through which the federal government can hold BP accountable.
Originally enacted in 1948 as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Water Act originally established the basic infrastructure for regulating discharges of pollutants into waterways of the United States. It was reorganized and expanded in 1972 and then last amended in 1977. After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, the law was strengthened to include civil and criminal penalties. In 1991, Exxon plead guilty to violating the act and agreed to pay $100 million.
Chris Macaluso, coastal outreach coordinator for the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, said while the RESTORE Act will direct funds to all five impacted Gulf states, it is especially critical for Louisiana. The state not only saw the majority of oil but its coastline is rapidly eroding—a problem that was exacerbated by the oil disaster.
Macaluso believes that funding for Louisiana should first be put to projects that have the highest priority with the state and coastal plans such as major barrier island restoration projects in the Barataria, Terrebonne and Timbalier basins. The state recently received $102 million in federal grants for three projects to restore deteriorating wetlands but leaders say it's only a trickle of what is needed to provide more long-term solutions.
Muth has long advocated for using the forces and sediment of the Mississippi River to help restore Louisiana's coastal wetlands. He said once Louisiana's new Coastal Master Plan 2012 is completed in the spring it could provide a backbone for what he calls "system changing" projects such as diversions and barrier island restoration.
"I really think Clean Water Act penalties for Louisiana should go to implement recommendations of the master plan. Many projects are financially out of reach and this is a way to do it," he said.


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Batman and Superman logos launch new line...
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with Collectibles Insurance. Say figures.com to get 5% off your first term premiums.
To get your figures graded, go to ActionFigureAuthority.com.
To buy action figures, take a look at BigBadToyStore.com, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, MonkeyDepot.com, and Urban-Collector.com.
For statues and sculptures, go to CSMooreStudio.com.
For t-shirts, take a look at 80sTees.com.
After the the hit release of their Star Wars ice trays (see our story HERE), Kotobukiya follows up with another fan favorite license: DC Comics. Your drinks will never be the same with silicon ice trays of Batman and Superman's iconic chest logos.
Durable, heat and cold resistant, and oven and microwave safe, the symbols of the Man of Steel and The Dark Knight make baking or freezing fun. Each tray has molds for six large logos and four small ones, and they come packaged in a vinyl poly bag with unique art.
Look for them both in April 2012.


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Wells often knows about as much as this board on the inside dirt.
Sometimes this board is his inside dirt....
I've been out of the country, and I'm catching up. Will Barbosa be a Pacer or not? I hope so, our bench would be better than our starters were minus Danny Granger during the O'Brien terriny.
Barbosa is not coming back, per Mike Wells.
That is too bad. He had a lot of good moments. Without him I am not sure we would have been able to get the 3 seed.
"Do you think the Pacers will consider signing Barbosa? I think his contribution to last year has been underrated and overlooked." –Brad
*Barbosa was a solid "regular season" contributor for the Pacers after they acquired him from Toronto in the middle of March. His outgoing personality easily made him a great locker room guy. But he was basically non-existent during the playoffs. Barbosa only shot 37 percent from the field, including 15 percent on 3-pointers in the 11 playoff games.
The Pacers feel like they upgraded the sixth man position when they signed Gerald Green to a three-year deal two weeks ago. Green is younger, more athletic and can be a better scorer than Barbosa. The Pacers have to hope that Green is just as mature as Barbosa.
The Pacers also have Lance Stephenson and Orlando Johnson to go with Green off the bench at the wing position.
I think they'll miss Barbosa more than they realize. He's instant offense when he's on and can carry a team in spurts. Ya, he got killed in the Miami series, but he was really very good at the end of the season. No one they got replicates what he brought. I'm not even really a fan of his, but I do see the things he brought. I guess we will see.
I dont understand hate towards barbosa. face the facts the heat were getitng away with muder hacking and whacking every play. you think its easy to play when the refs are cheating for the other team(heat)


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Students attend Model United Nations Conference in Chicago
A group of Muskingum College students recently attended the Model United Nations Conference in Chicago, Illinois, as the culmination of activities for the Model United Nations Club at the college.
The students represented Israel and participated in a broad range of committee meetings, general assembly meetings and conference debates on issues impacting that country and its role in world affairs.
Attending the conference were club president Melanie Hilton, a junior interdisciplinary major from Dehradun, India; Katie Rapp, a sophomore international affairs and political science major from Lower Burrell, PA; club treasurer Meryl Williams, a sophomore journalism major from Caldwell; Brandon Clay, a senior political science and public affairs major from Worthington; Erin Cho, an international exchange student from Seoul, Korea; Kory Christman, a first-year interdisciplinary major from New Concord; Kim Morrison, a senior American studies and sociology major from Cincinnati; Justin Williams, a first-year political science and international affairs major from Newark; and Jeanna Henderson, a first-year art major from Byesville. Williams won the award for best representative for the Sixth Committee. The group is advised by Assistant Professor of Political Science Dr. Michelle Boomgaard.
The American Model United Nations is a non-profit, educational organization founded in 1989 which strives to combine educational quality with highly realistic simulations of the United Nations to give students an unparalleled Model UN learning experience.
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On Film
Family FortunesBy Kate Levin
One recent weekday afternoon, I left my apartment in Los Angeles, walked three blocks, and bought a movie ticket. I was at liberty to see a movie in the middle of the day because I had just left my job, having decided to spend some time not "working," but writing—and I needed to see a movie because the writing was not working. There was no writer's block, per se: words trickled out, they were just terrible in that first-draft-fiction way. Compounding this writerly self-doubt was the uncomfortable feeling that I'd invoked a huge privilege—namely, a class privilege (my household could get by for a time, our dogs' pampered existence intact, without my salary)—to produce a Word document full of tired characters and clichés. Worse still was the suspicion that I was, myself, a tired character and a cliché: too neurotic and guilt stricken to enjoy this temporary luxury and try to do something good with it.
And so, off to the movies. I'd just read about the documentary The Queen of Versailles, said to be the "riches-to-rags" story of a billionaire time-share mogul and his wife forced to cease construction on their new ninety-thousand-square-foot home (the largest in America, once finished) when the economy collapsed. So I chose that one: it was well reviewed, prize winning, and very much of the broader world, a good counterweight to the swimmy interiority of novel drafting. I was also drawn to it because it sounded like the kind of movie I would see with my dad back when I lived in New York; he and I would meet up at the Film Forum after work, usually for some edifying progressive documentary—The Trials of Henry Kissinger or Bush Family Fortunes, say—the significance of which we would then gnaw on over pad Thai afterwards. I liked films like this, and talking to my dad about them, because they helped me make sense of the world, and because they drew clean, reassuring lines in my brain between justice and injustice. Which is to say, walking into The Queen of Versailles, I expected to see a movie about some greedy one-percenters getting their comeuppance and feel good about that.
In a sense, I did. David Siegel, the time-share king, made his billions by seducing people into buying time-shares they can't afford, largely by convincing them that the purchase will help them feel less like a working stiff and more like a rich person. This isn't an interpretation but a matter of record—we see his sales force in action, as director Lauren Greenfield captures them talking strategy, luring people to sign on the dotted line, and, later, trying to extract payments from distressed customers after the housing bubble bursts. At that point, when banks refuse to lend to David and he becomes a "victim" of the system from which he has profited so outrageously, we savor the irony all the more because, well, David is a schmuck. He brags to Greenfield about having helped deliver the 2000 election to George W. Bush through "extra-legal" means (the Siegels live in Florida), but won't elaborate. He channels his philanthropic impulses toward beauty pageants (Jackie Siegel, his wife, is a former beauty queen); a big patron of the Miss America organization, Siegel exudes lecherous entitlement when chatting up the young contestants at a party at his and Jackie's home. When the Siegels fall on what passes for hard times—droppings from their countless white fluffy dogs pile up around the house, their domestic staff having been reduced to one; Jackie starts shopping at Walmart; there is suddenly talk of an "electric bill"—David becomes irritable and withdrawn, generally making life miserable for Jackie and the couple's eight children. Partly because we know that the Siegels will always land on padded feet—even if their absurd imitation-Versailles mansion does slip from their grasp, a question that remains unresolved by the end of the film—it's easy to root against David.
Jackie is a more complicated case. Read More


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The unique collection is inspired by scrapbooks and sketch books, each look allows you to express your creativity, to be experimental with outfits and play with bold colours, vibrant prints and eclectic patterns.
It's not always plain sailing when it comes to choosing the perfect summer outfit, and even when you know what you're looking for, sometimes it's just not available. For our 'Scrapbook' collection we took note of what you were looking for and experimented with new forms to create exciting outfits made for summer!
The Alana tee and Alar mixed print dress both capture our use of contrasting patterns and layered designs.
Alana Tee £ 35.00
Alar Mised Print Dress £55.00
Cluster Leaves Skirt £45.00
Mambo Cardi £39.95
Click here to explore the full 'Scrapbook' collection and start designing your perfect summer outfits.


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The Scorpions Sting: A Magdalena Lasige Novel
The Scorpions Sting: A Magdalena Lasige Novel
With all my degrees and knowledge, how could I have lived with my head in the sand for so long? I'm thinking of nicknaming myself 'Ostrich'… head in the sand, backside flopping around in the air, going around in circles, tripping over my own long legs and awkward feet, never getting anywhere at all. It certainly seems an appropriate label, especially given the latest mess I'm now working my way through. Dr. Magdalena LaSige, a thirty-three-year-old criminal archepsychologist, throws herself headfirst into finding a kidnapped Carmelite nun the sister of her former professor, the handsome and wealthy Dr. Peter Janus. She is given ancient pictures and symbols sent from the kidnappers, clues in an archetypal trail of deceit. The Pyramids
List Price: $ 28.99
Price: $ 0.98
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Did you know that today is the National Day on Writing? You didn't? Well, take a break from whatever you're doing and get to writing to celebrate! Did you also know there are tons of opportunities to write in the area?
And when you've had enough writing, check out this video from This Is Teen with awesome authors Meg Cabot, Libba Bray, and Maggie Stiefvater:
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