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Urbano Café Travels the Globe
In a boisterous dining room on a Thursday night at Urbano Café, a sea of crystal marks a large table of diners working their way through a variety of wines, while across the room a woman celebrates her 40th with the girls. The celebrants have even more wine, and every sip seems to turn up the volume a little bit more. Two Doors Down, the auxiliary dining room added to this neighborhood café two years ago, is all brick walls and cement floors. Every cackle and laugh, every clanking plate and broken glass, ricochets around the room like a million bees in a Ball jar. It's absolutely deafening. And it's fun.
Urbano Café opened four years ago on Fitzhugh Avenue, just down from Jimmy's Food Store, moving from McKinney Avenue in Uptown. The new dining room was a real postage stamp — just a handful of tables enclosed in bright yellow walls. The extra space at Two Doors Down effectively doubled the real estate, but not without some quirks. The two rooms share the same landlord but not a single wall. Order the mussels at Two Doors Down and your server has to dash out the door and back to the original restaurant where the main kitchen for both rooms is located. Inclement weather only complicates the trip. "I never thought it rained in Texas, until I took a job here," a waitress said while working the lunch shift.
Somehow, the odd setup suits the two-face space, and the dining rooms offer more than the sum of their disparate parts. Two Doors Down is dimly lit and energetic with a small bar and a failing piano; Urbano Café is the place to bring Mom.
Urbano Cafe
Urbano Caf
1410 North Fitzhugh Ave., 214-823-8550, urbanodallas.com. Open 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, $$$
Hawaiian ceviche $9
Wagyu meatballs $11
1410 Salad $8
Farro crab salad $10
Seared duck breast $24
Veal Bolognese $19
While it may be easy to decide which dining room suits you, getting a bead on the menu is more difficult. Urbano Café could be an Italian restaurant, as evidenced by a Bolognese sauce generously draped over pappardelle pasta. The sauce is considerably more tomato-heavy than its traditional counterparts, which rely more on veal, celery, carrots and other aromatics, but it is no less delicious. Garnished with freshly grated cheese and some finely minced parsley, the plate looks as good as it tastes
A riff on a caprese salad tucked between two pieces of bread mimics a mini grilled cheese sandwich dressed in parsley pesto. But while a tomato jam played a decent enough supporting roll, it wasn't enough to save an insipid tomato slice. Later this summer when tomatoes wake up, it will become apparent why this item has been on the menu since Urbano Café first opened.
Sichuan peppercorns add electricity and pop to a risotto dish with beef tenderloin, sweet cipollini onions and scallions. Ginger and ponzu make appearances too. Suddenly you may find yourself wondering just what kind of restaurant you've stumbled into. It's as if a single mustard seed from the surrounding community gardens blew in on a breeze and sprouted the charismatic flavors of Vietnam and Cambodia.
The quiet nod to the neighborhood, which historically was home to Southeast Asian immigrants, is sometimes obvious, as is the case with pickled mustard greens placed beneath crispy pork belly served on a bed of rice and crowned with a fried egg. Vietnamese honey balances the tartness of the greens but was very sweet. I wish a vinegary dipping sauce with spicy chiles was available to round things out.
Other times it is much more subtle, as in the quiet aromatics tucked into tender and juicy meatballs resting on a bed of parsnip puree with sautéed onions and veal reduction. Sunchokes add texture and visual interest to what is one of the best appetizers on the menu.
"American, with an Italian backbone and Asian influences," another waitress told me when I asked her to try and classify the menu. In that case, why does the menu describe the salad of diced raw salmon and avocado as "ceviche," a dish that typically cooks raw fish in citrus juice? The salad is actually a take on a dish called Hawaiian poke, but whatever it's named here, it's delicious and a welcomed respite from clichéd pan-seared versions of the ubiquitous fish.
All the salads shine here with greens that are fresh and substantial, as if they were plucked from the ground seconds before they were dressed and brought to your table. In some cases they are. Tom Spicer's FM 1410 is sandwiched between Urbano's two dining rooms, and the kitchen takes full advantage of its hyper-local access to fresh greens and supplements them with other bright vegetables. The 1410 Salad dressed in a sunny vinaigrette with candied walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes as sweet as raisins is a good one, and a warm farro and crab salad will ruin veggie burgers for you forever. I'm not sure why grains and nuts pressed into dry crumbly disks and packaged as veggie burgers are so popular, but this simple salad will remind you why they should not be. The light dish of perfectly cooked farro is dressed in lemon and supplemented with crabmeat and tiny marzano tomatoes that pop with flavor.
Duck on an acorn squash puree seems standard, but a hearts of palm slaw cut into long thin strands instead of the coins you're used to keeps the dish fresh. The duck breast arrives in perfectly cooked, ruby-red medallions eclipsed by a crescent moon of white fat. No wonder everyone in both of these dining rooms is wearing a smile.
Urbano Café is BYOB, and if you like to splurge on nice bottles of wine, this is a good place to be. The all-encompassing menu might make pairing a little difficult, but is worth the effort. Despite this restaurant's being open for some time, the dining room is still often mobbed. Weekend diners should make reservations.
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The CONCACAF Champions League's group stage concluded late Thursday with a victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy's junior varsity in El Salvador and a stunning result in Guadalajara that completed the quarterfinal field.
Three MLS clubs — L.A., the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo — have advanced to next year's knockout stage, where matchups have been determined by first-round record rather than a draw for the first time. The Galaxy's 3-2 win at Isidro Metapán, secured with a late goal from 23-year-old midfielder Michael Stephens, ruined the prospect of an L.A.-Seattle quarterfinal and sent both clubs on to meet more forbidding opposition.
The home-and-home quarterfinals don't kick off until early March, right around the start of the 2013 MLS season. There's plenty of time to digest the pairings. The higher seeds will be host for the second legs:
No. 1 Monterrey (Mexico) vs. No. 8 Xelajú (Guatemala)
No. 2 Santos Laguna (Mexico) vs. No. 7 Houston Dynamo (USA)
No. 3 Seattle Sounders (USA) vs. No. 6 UANL Tigres (Mexico)
No. 4 Los Angeles Galaxy (USA) vs. No. 5 CS Herediano (Costa Rica)
Assuming Seattle (4-0-0) doesn't experience a significant roster overhaul, it should have a decent chance to be the first MLS team since 2002 to oust a Mexican club from CONCACAF play. Tigres (2-0-2) aren't as fearsome as Monterrey or Santos and currently sit 11th in the Liga MX standings. The club does employ former U.S. national team and Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein.
L.A. (3-0-1) will meet Costa Rican champ Herediano (3-0-1), which escaped Utah this week with a 0-0 draw that eliminated unlucky Real Salt Lake from the competition. Costa Rican clubs have slipped from their perch behind Mexico's in recent years, and Seattle won at Herediano last year. Herediano is comprised mostly of domestic players, including Costa Rican national team midfielder José Miguel Cubero.
The Dynamo (2-0-2) get the toughest draw — reigning Mexican champion and CCL runner-up Santos Laguna (4-0-0). Los Guerreros feature U.S. forward Herculez Gomez, who has feasted on MLS clubs in recent CONCACAF competitions, and big-name Mexican stars including Olympic hero Oribe Peralta. Houston must win the opener at BBVA Compass Stadium to have a chance.
The fourth quarterfinal pairs two-time defending CCL champion Monterrey (4-0-0) and the Cinderella Guatemalan club Xelajú (2-1-1), which advanced on a tiebreaker after losing at Chivas Guadalajara 2-1 on Thursday. It marked the first time since the CCL expanded in 2008 that a Mexican club was eliminated by non-Mexican opposition. Monterrey scored 15 goals and yielded zero in its four first-round games.
The five MLS entrants (Toronto FC, as Canadian champion, was the other) finished group play with a combined 13-3-4 record. There were no U.S.-Mexico matchups for the first time under a revised format that reduced first-round groups from four teams to three. The three MLS quarterfinalists equals the record set last season, when L.A., Seattle and Toronto each advanced.
The team that wins the CCL finals, scheduled for April 24 and May 1, will play in the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup. The San Jose Earthquakes (as MLS Supporters Shield winners) and Sporting Kansas City (as U.S. Open Cup winners) already have clinched spots in the 2013-14 CCL.

subset: commoncrawl


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Within the past month or so, a couple of friends were telling me about the racism and sexism they continue to experience in social justice spaces. Yesterday, another friend was telling me about her experience with abusive "activists" who refuse to take any responsibility for their racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism. I know I have addressed this before on my blog, but what does it say about the power of white supremacist capitalist heteropatriarchy when we constantly face the internalization and reproduction of these oppressive forces within our own communities where we are supposed to be safe?
It is disturbing how misogynist men in particular can carry on with their celebrity "activist" status after being called out on their sexism. It is as if making the choice to march in the street, chant a slogan, and organize rallies and meetings suddenly purifies an individual of their racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. The practice of self-labeling as "liberal," "activist," "progressive," or "radical," especially in this day and age of social media, has come to mean that anyone who takes a stance on a social justice issue is devoid of responsibility and accountability. Making unwanted advances at women and objectifying them is "ok" just as long as the heterosexual male activist was arrested by the police in the past and, at the end of the day, "does important work."
There isn't much I can add because there is already an important article written about this: "Why Misogynists Make Great Informants: How Gender Violence on the Left Enables State Violence in Radical Movements." The author highlights on the frightening reality of informants who infiltrate activist movements for the purpose of destabilizing them. She stresses that misogynists make the perfect informants, and whether or not these misogynists are working for the state, they effectively weaken movement building and perpetuate gender violence that only makes marginalized communities even more vulnerable to the state that wants to destroy them. Here's an excerpt:
To save our movements, we need to come to terms with the connections between gender violence, male privilege, and the strategies that informants (and people who just act like them) use to destabilize radical movements. Time and again heterosexual men in radical movements have been allowed to assert their privilege and subordinate others. Despite all that we say to the contrary, the fact is that radical social movements and organizations in the United States have refused to seriously address gender violence as a threat to the survival of our struggles. We've treated misogyny, homophobia, and heterosexism as lesser evils—secondary issues—that will eventually take care of themselves or fade into the background once the "real" issues—racism, the police, class inequality, U.S. wars of aggression—are resolved. There are serious consequences for choosing ignorance. Misogyny and homophobia are central to the reproduction of violence in radical activist communities. Scratch a misogynist and you'll find a homophobe. Scratch a little deeper and you might find the makings of a future informant (or someone who just destabilizes movements like informants do).
Also, this:
We have a right to be angry when the communities we build that are supposed to be the model for a better, more just world harbor the same kinds of antiqueer, antiwoman, racist violence that pervades society. As radical organizers we must hold each other accountable and not enable misogynists to assert so much power in these spaces. Not allow them to be the faces, voices, and leaders of these movements. Not allow them to rape a compañera and then be on the fucking five o' clock news. In Brandon Darby's case, even if no one suspected he was an informant, his domineering and macho behavior should have been all that was needed to call his leadership into question. By not allowing misogyny to take root in our communities and movements, we not only protect ourselves from the efforts of the state to destroy our work but also create stronger movements that cannot be destroyed from within.
I believe these points must be stressed over and over again. I remember a friend reminding me that our communities cannot survive if our politics don't confront gender violence, misogyny, and heteropatriarchy. As the author writes, "Dismantling misogyny cannot be work that only women do." This is not a call for men to think of themselves as "saviors" of social justice movements, but rather to look at their own complicity. How have we raised our voices over women and refused to let them speak? How have we interjected ourselves into discussions where we should have shut up and listened? How have we stood silent when a fellow male activist, whom we respect and admire, got away with sexual objectification, misogyny, disgusting sexist jokes, and sexual assault? How have we participated in this abuse without holding ourselves accountable? These questions are important because it is dangerous how misogynist male activists use their power to deflect attention away from their abuses. It is dangerous because these individuals do not think of themselves as sexist or misogynistic, but rather as people who do "important work" that apparently "no one else can do" and therefore must be excused.
I've been thinking about all of this with relation to the Muslim community. I was exchanging messages with another Muslim friend and we were talking about a popular article that was being re-posted a lot on Facebook: "Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques in Attempt to Reform American Islam." I'm not sure if I'll get into a full critique of it in this post, but my issue with the article didn't have anything to do with launching gay-friendly or women-led mosques. I support women-led prayers, ending gender segregation in mosques, welcoming LGBT Muslims, and eliminating sexist oppression in our communities. I didn't take issue with any of that because I believe Islam advocates respect and rights for every person, irrespective of race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, and so on. All of us have to make our spaces respectful, accepting, and appreciative. Muslim unity means that we acknowledge the vast diversity in our Ummah, and instead of making everyone conform to a singular and narrow interpretation of Islam, we need to learn how to show respect and appreciation for each other. Faith is personal and it is not something that should be policed by any person or by any government.
What I found problematic about the article was how it's framed in a good Muslim/bad Muslim dichotomy. A few years ago, I wrote a couple of posts on my blog that got quite popular – one was about ending gender segregation and the other was entitled "Stop Telling Muslim Women How to Dress." Both posts were critical of Muslim communities, but what bothered me was how many white liberal non-Muslims would link to those posts and make comments like, "Looks like someone is being critical of his culture, good job!" or use my posts to pit me against the rest of the Muslim community. As if I am the "good Muslim" and everyone else is "bad." What this reinforces in a society that calls itself a "melting pot" (where people are supposed to assimilate into one identity as opposed to having multiple identities) is an "us versus them" mentality. We don't need to look any further than the Orientalist wars to see how this plays out: "Good Muslims" are state-friendly, whereas the "bad Muslim" is anyone who isn't and therefore must be categorized as a potential threat to western civilization as we know it.
I felt the article about progressive Muslims played into that dichotomy and it became apparent when the author would mention a progressive Muslim and then talk about the death threats that particular person received. As if being a "good Muslim" in the eyes of white liberal Americans means you have to pit yourself against your community and be threatened by your fellow Muslims. If Muslims don't fit this narrow definition of a "progressive" Muslim, then they are either issuing death threats or they are "regressive" and practicing "draconian ways of Islam." I don't deny that death threats are a problem or that it doesn't happen; what I'm critiquing here is the way this is presented in simplistic ways and within an American-centric, pro-secular narrative. Such framing runs consistent with the logic of white supremacy because the construction of "American Islam" becomes the "superior Islam," i.e. "superior" to the way the rest of the world practices the faith. Also, secularism is left unchecked, as if secular states are not violent. Secularism doesn't mean everyone lives in peace; the majority of wars have been secular, and homophobia doesn't come solely from conservative religious people, it's part of heteropatriarchal white supremacy. I believe we need to decolonize and build societies that we actually want to live in – based on interrelatedness and mutual reciprocity.
Another thing that stood out to me in the article was how it mentioned Asra Nomani with no criticism at all of how she recently came out in defense of the NYPD-CIA spying on Muslim students. In the past, she has advocated for the United States to "adopt" the "Israeli model" of profiling, and she also supported Peter King's hearing on the "radicalization of Muslims." If to be a progressive Muslim means we should advocate gay-friendly and women-led mosques, shouldn't we also challenge the way Islamophobia has become embedded in state policies, law enforcement, educational institutions, media, etc.? How will our communities survive if we defend such oppressive practices and laws?
What I've noticed for a while now is that Muslims who confront oppressive forces within our community and Muslims who confront Islamophobia and racism often work in isolation from one another. Just wanted to stress here that this is only based my personal experiences, so I don't want to discredit or ignore those who do confront interpersonal and state oppression simultaneously, but for those who don't, sometimes it feels as though it is either we talk about one or the other. The challenge then becomes about reconceptualizing how we organize our struggles. How, for instance, can we work together and eliminate oppression within our communities without relying or depending upon the state to help us? A couple of friends recommended the Incite! anthology "Color of Violence" (cover pictured above) to me and I've just begun to read it. Perhaps understanding the following strategy developed by "Incite! Women of Color Against Violence" can help us think about connecting our struggles in more effective ways:
There are many organizations that address violence directed at communities (e.g. police brutality, racism, economic exploitation, colonialism, and so on). There are also many organizations that address violence within communities (e.g. sexual/domestic violence). But there are very few organizations that address violence on both fronts simultaneously. The challenge women of color face in combating both personal and state violence is to develop strategies for ending violence that do assure safety for survivors of sexual/domestic violence and do not strengthen our oppressive criminal justice apparatus. Our approaches must always challenge the violence perpetrated through multinational capitalism and the state.
With this in mind, white supremacy impacts marginalized communities in different ways, so the point here isn't to organize around "shared oppression," but rather understanding that our struggles are interrelated. We need to fight sexism, misogyny, and homophobia within Muslim communities, and we need to fight racism and Islamophobia directed at us. Our responses to Islamophobia should address the interlocking systems of oppression and how our own internal struggles (i.e. oppressing women, threatening to kill LGBT Muslims, discriminating against Muslims based upon race, gender, class, etc.) make us weaker, enables state violence against us, and threatens our survival. Informants, like ex-FBI informant Craig Montielh, have used misogynistic tactics, such as pursuing sexual relations with Muslim women, for the sake of obtaining information and reporting to higher authorities. Misogyny not only makes great informants, it is also makes our community more vulnerable to this violence.
The question we have to ask ourselves is when are we going to wake up on sexism and gender violence in our community and how it is so strongly connected to our fight against Islamophobia and racism that targets both women and men? So many times, I've heard and seen racist non-Muslims interject themselves into conversations among progressive Muslims and then vilify anyone who dares to even acknowledge institutionalized oppression against gendered, racialized, and queer bodies (and yes, this includes the non-Muslims who have used my blog posts for racist purposes). This defense of state oppression is used by misogynists, racists, and homophobes alike who not only want to neatly categorize marginalized communities, but also infiltrate and divide them.


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PAUL Wood says it is time for Wolves to make a mark at The Halliwell Jones Stadium again.
Tony Smith's side have lost only once on their travels this year, but have won just once at home.
And the performances on their own patch against St Helens, Hull FC and Wigan Warriors have been underwhelming.
Now prop forward Wood, who made his Wolves comeback from knee surgery at the weekend, feels the team can take a leaf out of the Challenge Cup win at Hull KR as they welcome the Robins for a repeat dose in Super League tomorrow night, Friday.
"I think teams know when they come to our ground that they do have to pick their game up and play extremely well to beat us, and to add to that we've been off the boil a bit," said the 32-year-old ahead of his first Super League game of the year.
"We need to get back to the way we were really dominating games from the start, especially at our place.
"You need to win the majority of your home games and if you do that you generally finish at the top end of the table."
Wolves have amassed 28, 33, 28 and 44 points in their last four away fixtures, but yet scored only six tries in total at The Halliwell Jones Stadium this season.
Nevertheless, Smith's men have won five of their last six matches and longest serving player Wood – now in his 15th season – wants a platform to be laid for more.
"Because we've been successful and had some really big scorelines in past seasons, I think we're expecting ourselves to get them again and we're probably playing just a bit too hard to get to the 30-40 point mark," he said.
"I think we need to step away from that a bit, be nice and steady and keep building week to week.
"I'd like us to just grind out a few wins. Winning ugly, as we did at Hull KR, is not a bad thing. It can show a lot of character in a team.
"Even just by scoring 12 to 18 points and working well in our defence, that'll put us in good stead.
"In the Challenge Cup, it's knockout rugby and sometimes you just have to grind out a win.
"Whether you win looking like a super team or whether you win looking a bit average, it doesn't really matter as long as you get the wins.
"We just need to keep building on that."
He added: "We feel we are a quality side that can make a big impression in both competitions this season.
"We've had a few defeats at home so we need to make sure we get back to winning ways and make the Halliwell Jones Stadium a hard place to get beat.
"We'll be putting a lot of effort into this game because we need to get back up towards the top of the table."


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Isnt It Romantic
QRS Cat #801229D
Isn't it Romantic
Glenn Miller Medley
Moonlight Serenade(pt of Glen Miller Medley)
This Love Of Mine(pt of Glen Miller Medley)
At Last(pt of Glen Miller Medley)
Moonlight Serenade(reprise, pt of Glen Miller Medl
Blue Moon
I'll Get By
Our Day Will Come
You Stepped Out Of A Dream
I Don't Know Why( I Just Do)
Call Me Irresponsible
Theme from Schindlers List
Little Girl Blue
Little Boy Lost
The Music Of The Night
Mona Lisa
Stella By Starlight
Theme from The Godfather
Love Letters
Falling In Love Again
Show Boat Medley
Make Believe(pt of Show Boat Medley)
Why Do I Love You(pt of Show Boat Medley)
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man(pt of Show Boat Medley)
Bill(pt of Show Boat Medley)
Ol' Man River(pt of Show Boat Medley)
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
Played by: Russell Messina
Pianomation just got better. With Version .80 and higher you can play the mp3 files on your piano either directly from your PC or by downloading the files to a flash card or MP3 player. The first 30 seconds of each song will play. If you like an album call us to purchase a release key or purchase online.
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Isnt It Romantic


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When a fire destroyed the calf barn at Hanke Farms four years ago, they did not hesitate to rebuild and install the same positive-pressure ventilation system in the new calf barn.
"I knew I wanted to put the positive-pressure tubes back in — that was a no-brainer for me because we had such good results in our previous barn," says Heidi Hanke, herdsperson at the 700-cow dairy in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. "You are giving the calves fresh air without creating a draft on the calves," she says.
This is one of the hallmarks of positive-pressure systems that have spurred their increased use in nursery and grower barns within the last five years or so, particularly in cooler regions of the country.
But, as with any ventilation system, they are not without their share of challenges, as Hanke knows.
"We didn't have enough cables suspending (the ventilation tubes) from the rafters," she says.
When the wind came from a certain direction or the barn was wide open, the tubes tended to bounce around a lot, especially on windy days. The tubes broke, and consequently, did not perform like they should.
"We added a few more cables, and now it doesn't blow around as much on windy days," Hanke says.
Fixing the problem has helped maintain good respiratory health among the calves. Here is some design and installation advice to help you head off problems with tube ventilation that can jeopardize calf health.
Focus on fan capacity, not diameter
Essentially, there are three primary components in a positive-pressure ventilation system: a fan, a tube and cables that suspend the tube from the rafters.
During the design phase, it is important to account for three key physical properties within the tube: static pressure, aperture ratio and discharge coefficient. Without going into a lot of detail, just remember that if the system is not designed with these factors in mind, you can end up with a poor match between the fan and the tube. Ultimately, this can result in insufficient air flow through the tube and uneven air distribution at calf level.
"We don't fix the problem that we set out to fix (i.e., poor air quality at calf level) without accounting for those properties," says Becky Brotzman, veterinarian and associate outreach specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.
To ensure proper air quality, base the diameter of the tube on the fan's air-throwing capacity, not its size, says Brotzman, who works with fellow veterinarian Ken Nordlund and UW-Madison agricultural engineering colleagues to provide farms with design specifications for supplemental positive-pressure ventilation systems.
One farm they worked with did not follow the design specs they were given. They ended up with the tube being the same diameter as the fan.
"So if the fan was a 12-inch fan, they put a 12-inch tube in (which wasn't) designed to meet the air produced by that fan," Brotzman recalls. "Although another 12-inch fan may have worked, that one was producing more air than what should have gone through that type of tube."
Bottom line: When you're going over the blueprints with the builder or ordering fans yourself, focus on the cubic feet per minute of airflow provided by the fan, not its diameter in inches.
"We certainly recommend that they go to someone who's been through one of our training programs or come to our group (at the vet school) to have a system designed," Brotzman says.
Find out more at: www.thedairylandinitiative.vetmed.wisc.edu
Tube talk
The tubes used in a positive-pressure ventilation system have holes in them. Making sure these holes are properly sized and spaced is important for good air distribution along the entire length of the tube.
Again, this goes back to making sure that you account for static pressure, aperture ratio and discharge coefficient during the design process.
"The holes need to be designed so that we have a balanced discharge speed throughout the whole length of the tube and so the air coming from the tube goes a certain distance," Brotzman says.
The material that the tube is made of is an important consideration, too.
Tubes can be made of hard-walled material, like a PVC duct or a smooth-interior drain tile duct, or a flexible plastic or cloth-like material. However, when the wind is whipping around, the tubes — particularly those made of flexible material — tend to sway more and thus become more prone to breaking or developing tears.
Hasel Farms in Lake Mills, Wis., headed off this problem by hanging an extra chain in the center of each tube, says Heather Schuld, calf manager at the farm. This has helped keep the tube from swaying so much.
"We ordered the two-cable tube and added a chain at the center of each tube which went from each cable to the rafters to help (stabilize) the tube," Schuld says. "If the tube is swinging in the wind," Schuld says, "it's not going to be doing 100 percent of the job."
Installation tweaks to consider
The connection between the fan and the tube is one of the first areas where you may encounter wear-and-tear with the system.
Schuld says they double-folded some extra tubing (it was part of the packaging material) and placed this at the connection of the fan to make it stronger. They put the tubing over the top of that and fastened it with a strap.
Where and how the fans are mounted is also important. If the fans aren't mounted onto the exterior wall, they end up re-circulating air rather than drawing in fresh air, Brotzman says. Be mindful of this during installation.
Nate Elzinga of Daybreak Dairy in Zeeland, Mich., learned the hard way just how important installation is.
"We didn't know a lot about it when we did it, and we did it wrong," he says. "We ended up not being able to run it when it was cold."
They have since built a new barn with group housing and an automatic feeder, and despite the not-so-good results the first time around, they still included positive-pressure tubes in this barn.
"We put them in the new barn right from the get-go because we knew it was important," Elzinga says. A few tweaks may be needed, but overall, he is pleased with the system's performance.
"It does us a good service, especially through the winter."


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Topic: The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen
Hi All,
I highly recommend checking out this book, "The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen", by Rebecca Katz. She has recipes for specific side effects of cancer treatments i.e. for those who are having trouble with a sore mouth or difficulty swallowing, anemia, weight loss.... I am currently tasting my way through chapter 3, Nourishing Soups and Broths. She even has a chapter called, Dollops of Yum!. She also offers menu planning for treatment days of chemotherapy and how to enhance flavors and dealing with taste changes.


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Food safety continues to be at the forefront of the minds of Mexican watermelon importers.
Jimmy Henderson, owner of Warren Produce LLC, McAllen, Texas, said that while watermelons may not have the stains on their food safety records that other fresh produce commodities do, watermelon importers still have to step up to the plate.
"Food safety is a trend you have to recognize," he said. "Even with a low-risk fruit like watermelon, the concern is there."
Third-party certification and other food safety measures have become par for the course for the imported watermelon industry, just like for any other produce industry, Henderson said.
Even with a relatively low-risk commodity, he said, you have to be vigilant. What holds for other commodities holds, by association, for watermelons.
"Everybody needs to do what they can," Henderson said. "It filters down to us. Good practices are good practices," regardless of the commodity.
Food safety also has become a higher priority for Edinburg, Texas-based Bagley Produce Co., said Jeff Fawcett, sales manager — Global Food Safety Initiative verification in particular.
"Our focus this year has been on getting our GSFI's" done, he said Jan. 17. "Mexico was rough. We finished two weeks ago."
Before Bagley began the GSFI certification process, Fawcett admits that he was skeptical.
"On the outside looking in, a lot of it just doesn't make sense," he said. "One inspector would pass you, and the next one wouldn't."
Having gone through it, though, Bagley sees the benefits.
"It tightens things up, helps with your organizing," he said. "The fields are cleaner, and people are more conscious of what to focus on. And once you get it done, it's just maintenance."


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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
JohnnyB wrote:I've looked into them.
They run on a cartridge system. You're limited to what cartridges they have available.
hippiediscdude wrote:You can pick one of these up for a lil more than the price of the cricut. I know you can import images and all that stuff. Would be a great start if you got the extra cash.
http://www.uscutter.com/USCutter-MH-Vin ... _p_25.html
Jerry R wrote:As you were with Dave's testicles.
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OAKLAND — A 17-year-old Skyline High School senior was arrested Friday on suspicion of armed robbery in connection with thefts from two women outside two East Oakland elementary schools Thursday morning, police said.
The teen's name was not released by police because of his age. A second suspect remains at large.
Police said the Alameda County District Attorney's office's will decide next week if he will be prosecuted as an adult.
Police said the teen admitted his involvement in the two robberies, saying he needed money for his 9-month-old daughter. He was arrested about 9 a.m. Thursday in the 2500 block of 41st Avenue by Officer Iram Padilla.
Police recovered a pellet gun, believed to be used in the robberies, in the car he was driving. Police said he admitted being the gunman who robbed a woman at 8:30 a.m. Thursday outside Manzanita Elementary School at 2407 E. 27th St. Her purse, including her iPhone, cash and credit cards, was snatched. He also admitted to Officers Doug Keely and Jennifer Farrell that he was present when an accomplice robbed a special education teacher of her purse a gunpoint at 9:05 a.m. Thursday outside Franklin Elementary School at 950 Foothill Blvd., police said.
It was during that robbery that a witness took down a partial license plate on a Lexus the suspects were driving and a description of both of the suspects. The teen is headed to Alameda County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of two counts of armed robbery.


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And, of course, the fine print:
Get free shipping on your next order when you spend over $100. The discount will be automatically applied to your purchase; no promo code required. The subtotal of your purchase must be $100.01 or greater after any promotional discounts have been applied. Additional fees such as tax or shipping and handling do not apply toward your minimum subtotal requirement of $100.01. Offer applies to standard shipping only. Certain items that require additional shipping and handling are excluded from this promotion and do not apply towards your $100.01 subtotal minimum. Offer subject to change.
These sprightly painted linen coasters are dual-purpose. First of all, they keep your tabletop protected from coffee mugs, beer mugs and whatever other sorts of mugs you might set down. And secondly, each of the fabric coasters lends an air of whimsy to your tabletop. Each coaster is carefully painted by hand with blue stripes.
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The Marin Energy Authority board Thursday night unanimously approved a five-year contract with Shell Energy North America, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, to supply it with the electricity it will need to compete with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. as a retailer of electricity in Marin.
The joint powers authority consists of the county of Marin and seven of Marin's 11 municipalities: San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, San Anselmo, Fairfax and Belvedere.
Authority managers said that under the Shell contract they will be able to offer customers the opportunity to purchase electricity generated from 25 percent renewable sources for the same price that PG&E is charging.
"Which means Shell's rates are significantly below PG&E's," said Mill Valley Councilwoman Shawn Marshall, an authority board member.
For an additional cost of $3 to $6 a month, residential customers will be able to buy electricity generated from 100 percent renewable sources, said John Dalessi, an authority consultant with Navigant Consulting. According to the California Public Utilities Commission, about 12 percent of the energy that PG&E delivered to customers in 2009 came from renewable sources. The utility has said it will fail to meet a state mandate to derive 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2010.
The signing of the contract clears the way for the authority to begin sending out notices to some Marin customers of PG&E next week, said Dawn Weisz, the authority's interim director. The notices will inform customers that if they want to remain a customer of the investor-owned utility they must either phone or e-mail PG&E to "opt out." Customers will receive a total of four notices and have about 120 days to make their decision. Customers will also be given the option of "opting-up" to pay extra for 100 percent renewable energy.
Celebrating the key contract's approval, Sausalito Councilman Jonathan Leone said, "This shows that the grassroots can rise up, take a life of their own and solve problems. That is what this authority has done here."
But Belvedere Councilman Tom Cromwell said it is too early to declare mission accomplished. "We still have a long way to go," Cromwell said.
PG&E is continuing to do everything it can to scuttle the effort. The threat of a lawsuit by PG&E caused the Marin Municipal Water District board to cancel plans to discuss co-signing a $1.7 million loan that the authority needs to cover expenses until it begins collecting from ratepayers.
Four Marin residents have agreed to loan the authority a total of $750,000 in return for an unsecured promissory note and interest of 5.75 percent per year.
The authority is in the process of finalizing a loan for another $950,000, which it will access after it has exhausted the $750,000. On Tuesday, Marin County supervisors voted 3-2 to co-sign that loan.
Authority managers identified the people providing the loan for the first time Thursday night: Harvey "Skip" Berg, a Sausalito developer and the former owner of Sears Point Raceway, and his wife Brenda Berg; Gwendolyn Grace of Tiburon; and Effie Westervelt of Mill Valley.
Also Thursday, authority managers announced a new provision in the contract with Shell Energy that is designed to respond to another PG&E challenge. Last month, PG&E's chief counsel, Christopher Warner, sent a letter to the Marin Energy Authority's board notifying it that PG&E believes the authority is legally obliged to conduct a study of the environmental implications of its Clean Energy initiative.
PG&E maintains the effort will result in higher greenhouse gas emissions because PG&E gets energy from nuclear plants and large hydroelectric projects that, while they don't qualify as renewable, don't contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
In response, the authority has negotiated a six-month commitment from Shell to provide it with 53 percent carbon neutral energy, matching PG&E's current carbon neutral energy production. For the remainder of its five-year contract, Shell has pledged to provide energy with a carbon content equal to or less than the carbon content of energy supplied by PG&E. The provision requires the authority to bear the additional cost of supplying the extra carbon neutral energy.
Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan, who heads the authority's board, said the provision was added to blunt any possible legal challenge by PG&E, not because the authority buys the argument.
"When you mine, process and ship uranium and then store it for perhaps half a million years, the notion that nuclear power is carbon free is patently absurd," McGlashan said. "But that is the game that PG&E is trying to trap us with."
Contact Richard Halstead via e-mail at email@example.com


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Christ Our Redeemer A.M.E. Church co-hosts the 3rd Annual Dancer In Me Worship Arts & Music Training Conference on March 21-24, at UC Irvine, said Pastor Mark Whitlock and Rev. Stephanie Adams, co-host. The event features 25 professional facilitators and ministers of dance, music, drama, and the Word. Also, vendor booths are available. For details or registration, call (562) 293-1700.
New Vision C.M.E. Church celebrates its Church Anniversary on March 24 at 3:30 p.m., at 8368 Beech Avenue in Fontana, said Pastor E. Earl Hamer. Local choirs and praise dancers are invited to participate. Call (714) 998-3918 for information.
KRST Unity Center of Afrakan Spiritual Science features Bro. Ashra Kwesi speaking on 'African Spirituality: The Origin of the Bible' on March 24 at 6 p.m., at 7825 South Western Avenue in Los Angeles. The donation is $10. For information, call (323) 759-7567.
First Lutheran Church hosts Community Bible Study on 'Spiritual Warfare 101 Basic Training' on March 26 at 7 p.m., at 600 West Queen Street in Inglewood. Apostle Charlezetta Nixon is the instructor. Visit blessedministries.com for information.
Daughters of Zion holds its 'Diamonds & Pearls Women's Conference' on March 29 at 7 p.m., at the Embassy Suites, 1440 East Imperial Avenue in Los Angeles, said Pastor Nicole Rowles. Prophetess Sarah Morgan is the guest speaker. Call (323) 836-2837 for details.
Top Ladies of Distinction Ladera Heights Chapter honors 'Women in the Ministry' at its 16th Annual Prayer Breakfast on March 30 at 9 a.m., at the Torrance Marriott. The honorees are Minister Jewel Diamond Taylor, the Rev. Elizabeth Gregory, the Reverend Hermia Shegog-Whitlock, and the Rev. Alicia Pigee. Tickets are $40. Call (213) 248-5671 for details.
Trinity Baptist Church presents a Grand Easter Celebration on March 31 at 10 a.m., at 2040 West Jefferson Boulevard in Los Angeles, said Pastor Alvin Tunstill, Jr. The theme is 'Believe it: Easter Is Real' based on Galatians 3:13-14. Deacon Steven and Sister Norma Roberts are the chairpersons. For information, call (323) 735-0044.
Second A.M.E. Zion Church presents 'The Annual Western Jamboree' on April 6 at 1 p.m., at 3612 West 64th Street in Inglewood. The Missionary Society sponsors the event featuring barbeque, line dancing, Zumba, music, and prizes for a $15 donation. For information, call (310) 412-1674.
Windsor Hills Christian Book Center holds its Book Club meetings each Saturday at 2 p.m., at 4438 West Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles. The free event is open the public. Refreshments are served. For details, call (323) 290-3079.


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Designed by DiskWars creators Tom Jolly and Christian T. Petersen, Vortex is a game of fantasy battles, magic, and resource management using a unique hexagonal tile game field that grows as players add allies, land, and relics to fill the void that surrounds the Vortex. Game play is fast and furious, as players seek to gain mastery over the battlefield, shaping the very foundation of the Vortex with each strategically placed tile. Only one can rule the void. Will you?


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Event: Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan was snapped at the opening ceremony of hi life exhibition.
Guest List: Soha Ali Khan
Bollywood celebs Varun Dhawan, Taapsee Pannu and Jacqueline Fernandez were snapped grooving on 'Tan Tana Tan' on the sets of Dance Plus Season 3 while promoting their upcoming film JUDWAA 2
Bollywood celebs Varun Dhawan, Taapsee Pannu, Jacqueline Fernandez promoted their upcoming film JUDWAA 2 on the sets of Dance Plus Season 3.
Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan was snapped at Bandra.
Bollywood celebs Kalki Koechlin, Sudhir Mishra, Hansal Mehta, Aditi Rao Hydari, Pankaj Tripathi, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao among others were snapped at the special screening of NEWTON.
Bollywood actress Malaika Arora Khan was snapped at saloon.


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WASHINGTON Republicans are opposed to President Obama's deal with the Iranians whatever it is.
A couple of minutes after 9 p.m. on Saturday, word crossed the news wires that negotiators in Geneva had reached an agreement on Iran's nuclear program. Then, at 9:08 p.m. before any details of the pact were known Ari Fleischer delivered his opinion on the agreement, via Twitter.
"The Iran deal and our allies: You can't spell abandonment without OBAMA," he wrote.


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Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Promoting Pollution Prevention Through Information Exchange
GLRPPR Contacts: Sharon Mastenbrook
Note: If you are Sharon Mastenbrook, click to here request a change in your information.
Sharon Mastenbrook M.A., M.S., R.S.
GLRPPR is a member of the Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange, a national network of regional information centers: NEWMOA (Northeast), WRRC (Southeast), GLRPPR (Great Lakes), ZeroWasteNet (Southwest), P2RIC (Plains), Peaks to Prairies (Mountain), WSPPN (Pacific Southwest), PPRC (Northwest).
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Would the Clips do this they move a big contract for 2 smaller ones with guys that can help balance their rotations with Blake Griffion on the way.
And they would know better than anyone wher Mike is on his rehab and how bad he is. Tinsley I think will do pretty well when he gets a chance with a new team. Randolph would help our PF problems and we could help our wing issues in the draft or through FA
I might have my Pacer goggles on though.


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Hi Vaibhav,
your code has some issues:
The OpenG toolkit has a function called 'Current VIs parent directory' which can take in a relative path (myconfig.ini) and is throughly tested on many platforms.
TCPlomp wrote:
Hi Vaibhav,
your code has some issues:
- It might not work for LabVIEW 2009 code where VIs can be in subpaths of the executable (myexe.exe\source\vi.vi)
- It will create a myconfig.ini
- You don't need to open the application to get it's type
The OpenG toolkit has a function called 'Current VIs parent directory' which can take in a relative path (myconfig.ini) and is throughly tested on many platforms.
Thanks a lot Ton for your suggestions,
I would surely like to mark your reply as a "Solution no.2" (once again a situation supporting the discussion).
I have installed OpenG libraries and VIPM but didn't yet use any of them so far. And this "Current VIs parent directory" is exactly what I needed, it takes care of things more than I had.
Thanks again.
So now the code would be just
instead of the following complete thing
Because actually, the OpenG function does this operation, but with a better algorithm.
And about your 3 points -
1. I still do not have LabVIEW 2009, so didn't know. So thanks for pointing this one out, as it would have created unexpected problems after upgradation.
2. Yes, I do want to create the config file, when the application runs for the first time, and also, whenever it doesn't find that config file in future (someone got mischevious to delete/corrupt that file.
3. You mean like this... ...?
Kudos for everything,
and Thanks a ton to all!
Here is a screen shot of a vi I made to build a base path for all my data and config files.
Thanks for your contribution.
But that App.Dir would give path of the LabVIEW's application directory path. So this will store the data and configuration files in your development environment path (not necessary for the environment, but the path refers to the location that you will have access to when you're with the development work). And in the run time, it stores in the application (.exe) path.
That's similar to the one I posted in the 10th comment above.
And Ton listed the problems with that approach, as well as the more robust solution.
I would suggest you also consider those points (with screenshots in my response above), to make your code more robust. If you want to maintain the Application directory variable's value, then it's fine, but still there is a "warning" against upgradation into LabVIEW 2009.
Vaibhav wrote:
Hi Vaibhav,
To get the Application's [EXE] Path, you dont need to use the Strip Path function twice like above.
Just use the Application Directory property available next (down) to the Application Kind property in the same node.
Only for the Devp System case, you need to use the Strip Path function or in some other way (like keeping a global variable in the name of Current Application Path or Current Working Directory that already holds your Project Directory path from the beginning of your top-level VI).
09-10-2009 07:33 AM - edited 09-10-2009 07:38 AM
Hi Partha,
Thanks for the message.
That method, I just used briefly after I got tips, and in the response I have mentined that screenshot as "old method" ("instead of this....")
Now, I am using OpenG's Current VI's Parent Directory function. And that function does similar process internally (not two times stripping, but from application).
I am getting contradictory responses which confuse me a bit.
Do you think using the App. Dir will work in LabVIEW 2009 without problem (like Ton said above)? In that case I would need two times stripping. So just using a function that won't require changes in the code after I upgrade to new system (if I put my source in that source directory someday and "forget" to make changes in the code).
I am opening the configuration file in the beginning of my application, and I just read the configuration parameters, and that's it. So after I "find" the path of the application (my application, not NI's LabVIEW), I just store it in a local variable and in the next case of execution, I use that path and that's it. I do not need it further more (AFAIK, I won't need that in future also).
The nice thing about the OpenG VI is that it doesn't check wheter you are in an application, it just checks which part of the current VI path returns a valid folder path.
For LabVIEW 2009 the number of ' stripping' can be numerous.
Thanks Ton,
yes, I am also implementing the same after your suggestion, because it takes care of the directory structure, internally.
App.Dir property has no problem in my case. It can also be considered as a solution. But I don't know about its behaviour in LV2009.
I think it should work in the same way in LV 2009 also, like it was earlier.
I m not sure of what Ton means exactly...
In LabVIEW 2009, the internal file structure of an Exe has changed and there can be a path inside the executable:


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Hello Pali friends,
First the suttas. The term "nimitta", which means "representation", is discussed in the relevant thread.
Mahaparinibbana sutta
Ahaṃ kho panānanda, etarahi jiṇṇo vuddho mahallako addhagato vayo anuppatto. Āsītiko me vayo vattati. Seyyathāpi ānanda, jajjarasakaṭaṃ vekkhamissakena yāpeti, evameva kho ānanda vekkhamissakena maññe tathāgatassa kāyo yāpeti. Yasmiṃ ānanda, samaye tathāgato sabbanimittānaṃ amanasikārā ekaccānaṃ vedanānaṃ nirodhā animittaṃ cetosamādhiṃ upasampajja viharati, phāsutaro ānanda, tasmiṃ samaye tathāgatassa kāyo hoti.
"Now I am frail, Ananda, old, aged, far gone in years. This is my eightieth year, and my life is spent. Even as an old cart, Ananda, is held together with much difficulty, so the body of the Tathagata is kept going only with supports. It is, Ananda, only when the Tathagata, disregarding representations, with the cessation of certain feelings, attains to and abides in the representation-less concentration of mind, that his body is more comfortable.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .vaji.html
Culasuññata sutta
182. ''Puna caparaṃ, ānanda, bhikkhu amanasikaritvā ākiñcaññāyatanasaññaṃ, amanasikaritvā nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññaṃ, animittaṃ cetosamādhiṃ paṭicca manasi karoti ekattaṃ. Tassa animitte cetosamādhimhi cittaṃ pakkhandati pasīdati santiṭṭhati adhimuccati. So evaṃ pajānāti – 'ye assu darathā ākiñcaññāyatanasaññaṃ paṭicca tedha na santi, ye assu darathā nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññaṃ paṭicca tedha na santi, atthi cevāyaṃ darathamattā yadidaṃ – imameva kāyaṃ paṭicca saḷāyatanikaṃ jīvitapaccayā'ti. So 'suññamidaṃ saññāgataṃ ākiñcaññāyatanasaññāyā'ti pajānāti, 'suññamidaṃ saññāgataṃ nevasaññānāsaññāyatanasaññāyā'ti pajānāti, 'atthi cevidaṃ asuññataṃ yadidaṃ – imameva kāyaṃ paṭicca saḷāyatanikaṃ jīvitapaccayā'ti. Iti yañhi kho tattha na hoti tena taṃ suññaṃ samanupassati, yaṃ pana tattha avasiṭṭhaṃ hoti taṃ 'santamidaṃ atthī'ti pajānāti. Evampissa esā, ānanda, yathābhuccā avipallatthā parisuddhā suññatāvakkanti bhavati.
"Further, Ananda, the monk — not attending to the perception of the dimension of nothingness, not attending to the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception — attends to the singleness based on the representation-less concentration of awareness. His mind takes pleasure, finds satisfaction, settles, & indulges in its representation-less concentration of awareness.
"He discerns that 'Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the perception of the dimension of nothingness are not present. Whatever disturbances that would exist based on the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception, are not present. And there is only this modicum of disturbance: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.' He discerns that 'This mode of perception is empty of the perception of the dimension of nothingness. This mode of perception is empty of the perception of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. There is only this non-emptiness: that connected with the six sensory spheres, dependent on this very body with life as its condition.' Thus he regards it as empty of whatever is not there. Whatever remains, he discerns as present: 'There is this.' And so this, his entry into emptiness, accords with actuality, is undistorted in meaning, & pure.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html


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Repower —By Capt. Ken Kreisler — January 2002
Engine Insight
|Part 2: Repower continued
"The boat was originally set up for diesels, as they were offered as an option," says Dunn, "so the tanks had return lines and the raw-water intakes were large enough. I also lucked out on the running gear. According to Yanmar, I needed inch and a half shafts, and that's what I had." He says that getting the new engines to fit the existing beds is one of the major problems with a repower job. "It's not just a matter of cut here and take some off there until you've got a fit," he points out. "If your guy second-guesses, not only are you wasting time, but you could be opening yourself up to a lot of trouble later on." Not only did Westberg modify the Ocean's stringer system to accept the Yanmars, but he even customized a gutter system around the new engine boxes so that any water accumulating there would run out.
Dunn says actual installation time amounted to about two weeks, although Moonshadow was tied up for most of the winter because Westberg was busy with other work, the weather didn't always cooperate, and Dunn was in no hurry to get it done. All told, Dunn says fiberglass work amounted to 53 hours, removal of the old engine boxes and fabrication of the new ones took 14 hours, and 18 hours were required to install the new engines, including connecting the new gauges. "The yard bill came to $8,028.43 just as we hit the starter button," he says.
Were the results worth it? Dunn reports he was averaging about 26 gph with the gasoline engines at a cruise speed of about 20 mph at 3200 rpm. At that rate he had a 145-NM range based on his 210-gallon fuel capacity. With the Yanmars he says he's burning less than 20 gph at a cruise speed of almost 30 mph at 3350 rpm, a speed I confirmed with our Stalker radar gun and a GPS when Dunn took me for a ride. That works out to a nautical-mile range of 247. When he bumped the rpm to 3600, Yanmar's recommended cruise speed, I clocked a speed of 32.4 mph. "In addition, I've got about a 300-mile range on the boat, where before [with the gasoline engines] I doubt I had half that," he laughs as he admits to once running out of gasoline in the C&D Canal on a trip from Annapolis to New Jersey.
A key concern in the success of this installation was the choice of props. Dunn wasn't sure the original props–three-bladed, lightly cupped 20x24s–would do the job, but felt that at the very least he could use them as spares. (A dinged prop can result in expensive down time for a charter boat.) Besides, he wanted to make sure he had the right props for the new installation. "Given all the work I put into this project," he says, "the last thing I needed was the wrong props."
Dunn ended up purchasing a set of 19x22 ISO Class I (high-accuracy), four-bladed Austral props, also slightly cupped, for $1,600, from Steve King at Black Dog Props of Stevensville, Maryland. "I heard a lot of good things about Prop Scan, and Black Dog had been involved in several repower jobs with Yanmars and had all the power curves for the engines," he explains. "When they ran the numbers through the computer program, it came up four-blade."
I asked Dunn if we could compare the three-bladed props with the four-blade ones, and he agreed (see charts above). Our average of four runs for the original wheels was 29.2 mph at 3350 rpm, his usual cruising speed. When we pushed the engines to 3600 rpm, Yanmar's recommended cruise speed, the average increased to 32.4 mph. With the Australs installed, I measured almost the same speed at 3350–29.7 mph–but our top-end average was 33.9 mph, a solid mile and a half faster. More important, however, was the overall increased smoothness out of the hole as well as during cruising speeds.
Dunn figures he's invested a total of $113,379.43 in the Ocean, which he guesses now has a value of around $125,000. (He says he found a similarly equipped Ocean 29 with an asking price of $129,000 on the Internet.) Little wonder that while admitting that repowering is not for everyone, Dunn sums up his project this way: "As far as performance, economy, range, and safety are concerned, I'm 100 percent satisfied."
If you rack up a lot of hours annually, repowering may make sense. If you're considering taking on such a job, follow Dunn's advice and do a lot of research. Understand your boat's limitations and what is practical for your needs, rely on a mechanic with a solid track record in repowering, and settle on a firm work schedule before you sign a contract. The more you know beforehand, the less you'll worry about come launch day.
Moonshadow Charters Phone: (609) 709-4026 or 492-8659.
Penna's Marina Phone: (609) 492-0191. Fax: (609) 492-1954.
Prop Scan USA Phone: (877) 767-7226. Fax: (757) 485-7839. www.propscanusa.com.
Yanmar Phone: (847) 808-2213. Fax: (847) 541-2161. www.yanmar.com.
Next page > Repower Specs > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
This article originally appeared in the January 2003 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.


text:
Morse homers in Minors game, feels 'awesome'
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Aside from Marco Scutaro's persistent back problems, some of the Giants' health-related developments Thursday were encouraging.
Left fielder Michael Morse, who hadn't played since March 12 while nursing a troublesome right calf, played six innings in a Minor League exhibition against a Rockies affiliate and homered once in four at-bats.
"Today I felt great. Awesome," Morse said. "I didn't feel anything [in the calf]."
Center fielder Angel Pagan, who has been sidelined more often than not with an ailing lower back, played in the same game and, according to Morse, looked fit as he ran down two drives. Morse dutifully reported that Pagan did not record a hit but put pitches in play and worked counts, as a leadoff batter should.
Morse, who has played in eight of San Francisco's 22 Cactus League exhibitions, insisted that he'll play Friday against the Oakland A's. He believes that his careful approach this spring will sustain him once games start counting.
"At this point, I think it's better to be cautious," Morse said. "I would hate to have something linger at the start of the season."
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Haft-Baked Ideas, and follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Kelly Osbourne has launched a new campaign to help people get in shape.
The TV personality achieved a body transformation, dropping five dress sizes after her time on Dancing With The Stars, and is now sharing her tips with viewers of ITV1's Lorraine.
The 28-year-old's Kelly Osbourne Hollywood Diet will help people beat the bulge with food and fitness tips, and advice from experts in Los Angeles.
Earlier this month, Kelly took three Daybreak viewers to LA to spend a week with her diet and fitness team. Their results will be seen on Daybreak and Lorraine in January.
Kelly said: "Working with the Lorraine show is so exciting for me because I know that communicating healthy living in a language that's easy to understand can be the key to changing someone's life. That's all it took for me."
She added: "Healthy living has transformed my life and I'm so excited to be able to help anyone else who is motivated and ready to transform their own life in the same way."
The three dieters include a 38-year-old from Derbyshire who wants to lose three stone, a 62-year-old grandmother who also wants to shift three stone and a 27-year-old who will only set a wedding date with her partner once she has lost seven stone.
:: Kelly Osbourne's Hollywood Diet launches on ITV1 Daybreak and Lorraine from Wednesday January 2 and runs until January 11


text:
THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
The read-uncommitted isolation level is the least restrictive isolation level within SQL Server, which is also what makes it popular for developers when looking to reduce blocking. Blocking is "typically" not an issue when using this isolation level because the query will not request shared (S) locks on the tables that it is reading. In addition to this, other processes are still allowed to read and modify data within any table that your query may be accessing under this isolation level. I say this is "typically" not an issue because there are some locks that are still generated and can cause certain types of blocking. A schema-stability (Sch-S) lock will be placed on the table(s) being accessed and a shared (S) lock will be placed on the database. The (Sch-S) lock on the table will only prevent DDL actions from occurring on the accessed tables such as dropping columns within the table or dropping the actual table itself. The (S) lock on the database is put in place to prevent the database from being dropped while it is being accessed. When an isolation level is used, the isolation level is in effect for everything running under that current connection.
The syntax for using this isolation level is below:
The nolock table hint behind the scenes performs the exact same action as running under the read-uncommitted isolation level. The only difference between the two is that the read-uncommitted isolation level determines the locking mechanism for the entire connection and the nolock table hint determines the locking mechanism for the table that you give the hint to. For example, if you have a stored procedure that will read data from 20 tables, the read-uncommitted isolation level would cause every table to be accessed without requesting shared (S) locks. If you only need a subset of those 20 tables to not acquire shared (S) locks, but have other tables that you need to only read committed data, then you would want to use the nolock hint instead.
The syntax for using a nolock hint is below:
SELECT * FROM DatabaseName.dbo.TableName WITH (NOLOCK)
As stated in the above sections, the primary benefit of using the read-uncommitted isolation level or the nolock table hint is that this reduces blocking. Users are able to use these two options and not run the risk of being blocked by readers and writers within the database. In addition to this, users do not have to worry about running the risk of blocking other readers and writers within the database tables.
There are many risks that you run when using the read-uncommitted isolation level or nolock table hints. The first risk that could occur is "Dirty Reads". A dirty read occurs when your query reads a data page that is different in memory than the page on disk. Any data that has been changed, but not yet committed, is considered to be "dirty". For some applications this may be ok, but for many applications, this can cause a major problem for the users that rely on the system.
A typical example that is used throughout the SQL Server community to illustrate this issue is: Suppose you need to get some repairs done on your wife's car and you pull up to an ATM machine to withdraw the money needed. Your account currently has $300 in it. You put your debit card into the machine, enter your pin, and tell the machine you want to withdraw $200. Your wife then calls you and tells you that the car is working fine now and you don't have to worry about getting repairs. You immediately cancel your transaction and drive off. Little did you know, the weekly balance report that you requested from your bank began processing after you entered your withdrawal amount but before you cancelled your transaction. The report is then emailed to you saying you have a balance of $100. Immediately you are now concerned and wondering what happened to your other $200. The issue is that the bank report read 'dirty' data that had not yet been committed and then passed along that 'dirty' information to you. This is a primary example of when reading 'dirty' data is not a good idea.
Non repeatable reads becomes an issue when your application has code that executes which requires for data to be read multiple times and return the same consistent data upon each read. When using the read-uncommitted isolation level or nolock table hints shared (S) locks are not requested on the tables you are reading. As a result writers are able to access those tables and modify the data within them during the middle of your read operations. This can drastically skew your expected results.
To help illustrate this issue: Suppose I go to the bank to deposit some money into my account. I currently have a Checking account with a $100 balance and a Savings account with a $100 balance. I plan to deposit $300 into my checking account. Meanwhile, my wife is at home on her mobile application checking our account balance. The mobile application runs a stored procedure which reads the AccountBalance table one time for each account that you own, and then reads the table one final time to give you the sum of all your accounts. The application shows my wife we have $100 in the Checking account, $100 in the Savings account, and our two accounts have a total value of $500. Based on this information my wife received, she is completely confused by this inaccurate data.
What happened is the stored procedure read the table multiple times expecting the data would be the same in each read. However, an outside transaction (the deposit) was able to modify the data in between the multiple reads that the stored procedure issued. The developer of the stored procedure never anticipated this but he used a nolock hint on the table so that the application would not run into any blocking and results would return quicker. The developer did indeed prevent blocking, but at the expense of creating the risk of the application returning inaccurate data.
There are rare occasions when the same data can be read twice when using the read-uncommitted isolation level or nolock hint. To illustrate this issue we have to give a little background first. Clustered Indexes are created on SQL Server tables to physically order the data within the table based on the Cluster Key. The leaf pages of the index contain the data pages which contains the actual data for the table. Data pages can hold 8K worth of data.
Scenario: You have an ETL process that will Extract all records from a table, perform some type of transformation, and then load that data into another table. There are two types of scans that occur in SQL Server to read data: allocation scans and range scans. Range scans occur when you have a specific filter (where clause) for the data you are reading, and an index can be used to help seek out those specific records. When you do not have a filter, an allocation scan is used to scan all of the data pages that have been allocated to that table. Pending you are not doing any type of sort operations, your data will read the data pages in the order as it finds them on the disk. For simplicity, let's assume there is no fragmentation so your data pages are in order 1-10. So far your process has read pages 1-6. Remember your process is not requesting shared (S) locks so you are not blocking other users. Meanwhile, another process begins which inserts records into your table. This process attempts to insert records onto Page 3, but the page is full and the record will not fit. As a result the page has to be split and half of the records will remain on Page 3 and the other records will be moved to a new page which will be page 11. Your process has already read the data that was on Page 3, but now half of that data has been moved to page 11. As a result, as your process continues it will read Page 11 which contains data that has already been read. If there is no type of checks on the destination table, you will end up with bad duplicate data.
This is an example of how changing the locking mechanism can cause you to read duplicate data into your process and reduce the integrity of the data.
A phantom read occurs when you read data that is there one minute, and gone the next. A phantom read can become problematic when you have a process that performs some type of operation based on the data that it has read. To illustrate this issue, suppose you have stock in CompanyA and CompanyA decides to pay all of its stock holders a dividend. There is a stored procedure that first reads a table with all of the current stock holders and builds a temp table based on that list. Then the stored procedure initiates a dividend payout process for all of the accounts in the temp table. In the middle of this procedure running, a stock-holder sales all of his shares in the company. The sale of the stock did not complete until after the temp table was built, but before the dividend process completed. This will cause an issue with the dividend process because it will not be able to pay the dividend since the person no longer owns the stock.
Using the read uncommitted isolation level or no lock hint allowed the user to sale his stock at the same time the dividend process was running. If this isolation level or hint was not used, the user would have been blocked and unable to sale his stock until after the dividend payout completed.
Sometimes I see developers create code which performs Update or Delete statements and use the nolock table hint. It is important to note that this hint only works for read-only operations. Anytime you are modifying data, such as in an Update or Delete statement, this hint is completely ignored by SQL Server. When performing these types of operations, locks have to be generated to ensure that transactions are atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable.
SQL Server is a very complex enterprise database solution with many options and flags that can be changed to alter the behavior of SQL Server. Although many of these options have a justified use, it is important to understand the risks that are associated with changing these options. The read-uncommitted isolation level and nolock table hint are no exception to this rule. Generally it is best practice to stick with the default isolation level and refrain from using table/query hints unless it is absolutely necessary and the solution has been thoroughly tested. Using read-uncommitted and nolock should be the EXCEPTION and not the RULE.
One catch 22 on the hint Nolock versus Read Uncommitted. You cannot use Read Uncommitted in a function. You can use with (Nolock) hint.
really good


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MAMA D'S OUTRAGEOUS ROMP Returns to Playhouse on Park, 11/24
After shocking and winning over audiences in September, "Mama D's Outrageous Romp" is back. This sexy, nighttime extravaganza is a music, dance, and comedy filled night out for grown-ups that puts a modern twist on the burlesque of yesteryear.
This is one night of entertainment that you won't forget and there are only two chances to catch it: Thanksgiving Weekend; Saturday November 24th at 7:30 and 10:30pm!
This event is BYOB and 18+. Tickets are $10, general admission and can be purchased online at www.PlayhouseOnPark.org, at the box office in person or by phone 860-523-5900 ext. 10. Advanced reservation is recommended as this will sell out.
Playhouse on Park, located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, Conn., is Hartford's most affordable and intimate professional theater, where the parking is free, the actors are right off Broadway and the back row is just four rows from the stage. Please visit the website to learn more about Season Four Main Stage subscriptions and upcoming comedy events.
Pictured: Mama D's Outrageous Romp - a sexy, nighttime extravaganza at Playhouse on Park. Photo Credit: Rich Wagner.


text: Where is the best place to tailgate? No tickets, but beverages will be plentiful. I need the 411 on who has the most abundant food ... and who is willing to share. Beverages in return! Also, where would be the best place to watch the game? I'm guessing most of the places will be packed. I'll be craving BW wings by game time, I'm sure! Thanks for the help!


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Big And Little Sprint Car Tracks—Skagit and Deming
We have seen Sprint Cars here on the western part of the U.S. before now, but the following two tracks go at it in a big way. Our first visit is to Skagit Speedway where the big Sprint Cars rule. There are a lot of good things to say about this one. And the next weekend we visited Deming Speedway, again, where mini and junior Sprint Cars go really fast and have tons of fun for a small sized racetrack.
Both of these tracks are in the upper northwest portion of the, well, upper northwest in Washington State. Racing is indeed alive and well in this relatively remote region. We are well north of Seattle and all of that busyness and things are country feeling.
The San Juan Islands are just offshore from here as is Canada's Vancouver Island, there are oyster farms, Dungeness crabs and halibut galore. And speaking of waterways, we crossed over the north end of Puget Sound on a ferry with the Tour bus towing our Jeep. We saved 150 miles of highways by doing this and about three hours of driving time. Plus, it was way cool.
But I digress. We're here to talk about racing and the story for each of these unique tracks is well worth talking about.
Skagit Speedway
I met the promoter for Skagit, Steve Bietler, in Daytona during Speedweeks this year and he was the guest of ASA's Dennis Huth. We all had dinner, or what could be called a feast, at Demetri's and Steve implored me to visit his ASA Sanctioned dirt track. My planning for this year's Tour was in the early stages, so I decided to put it on my schedule. And I'm very glad I did.
To get to the track, we had to drive the bus with Jeep in tow from Port Angeles, Washington, on the north shore of the Olympic Peninsula, to Skagit, some 205 miles by land away. Or, if we used the ferry across Admiralty Inlet, it was only 90 miles. So, we took the ferry. I told editor Rob about my plans and his reaction was, "Can you do that?" Indeed we could and I got front row seats at the very front of the open ended ferry.
Skagit is very well managed and promoted. This promotion thing is something I look at closely everywhere I go because it determines the level of success a track attains. Here the success is evident in not only the numbers at the back gate, but in the attendance numbers of the fans. It also lies in the dedication of the fans where they keep coming back in years past and years to come.
As we drove around the Skagit area, one thing was evident. The races that weekend were being promoted heavily. There were signs on many street corners and along the main roadways. There was the track pace truck parked in plain sight with a large sign placed in the bed that promoted the races. Everyone in Skagit and the surrounding areas knew there was going to be racing on Friday and Saturday night at the speedway.
The result of all of this promotion was great attendance on both nights. With the big Sprint Car show that was planned, and the Sprints are always a crowd favorite, we saw lots of campers and many of the fans had Skagit t-shirts on. This shows how dedicated they were to this venue.
All during the show, Steve oversaw the whole production from his "owners" box high atop the stands and made sure the program moved along at a good pace. Decisions such as where cars lined up, who should be sent to the rear, and so on were made quickly and fairly. That's important for both the competitors and the fans.
The races were great and everyone got their money's worth on both days. Steve's choice of workers to oversee all of the track functions was right on the money too. Big shows can't be run well if the various official and track workers are not experienced and enthusiastic about their role in the event. All of that worked well here.
Deming Speedway
There is a back story to our getting to Deming. We were supposed to go there the weekend after Skagit, but the night before and the day of the event, it rained. I drove up to the track in my Jeep at about 2 p.m. on the Friday of the event and it was very wet and it had started raining again.
I did that so that I could evaluate whether the show was to be run before I broke down the motorhome from the KOA just 30 minutes down the road. I didn't want to bring our home away from home into a wet clay environment. On the way back to the campground, it started raining again and I made the decision not to go because they surely weren't going to be racing on this night. Wrong.
Well, the show did go on, somewhat. I heard the attendance was low as many others made the same decision I had. I felt bad about that. The weather cleared on Saturday and we traveled south to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington. The next week, I decided to re-arrange my schedule and go back to Deming.
We had the next weekend off, as luck would have it, and were supposed to travel to southern Oregon that week. Instead, I changed my Oregon reservations, extended my current KOA reservations and made it to Deming the next weekend. And I'm so glad I did.
Deming is more of a club track, although they get a decent fan turnout most nights. This small 1/6-mile clay oval is home to the Clay Cup Nationals and is the track where Kasey Kahne got his start. He even sponsors the Junior class here. It is governed by the Northwest Mini-Sprint Association.
Paul Lemley is the tracks promoter and he stays very busy throughout the day. He was very glad we decided to come back too. The event on this night was a benefit for Autism named Autism Speaks Night, so we wanted to support that effort as well.
The smaller Sprint Cars run here and are all powered by motorcycle style engines and the power to weight ratio is impressive. These cars are all fast. There is the 1,200cc top class, the 600cc and 600cc restricted, and the KK Jr.s which run the Briggs World Formula 205cc, 15hp engines. And, the 1,200s and 600s classes all run on alcohol.
Some of the chassis used for the 1,200cc class are very close to being midget chassis and could be converted easily. So, within the current engine rules, these cars can attain speeds that rival the midget classes of Sprint Cars.
All of the race teams except the Juniors pit in the infield and it was crowded. No trailers were allowed, so the people in the stands could see all of the action. And the action was impressive.
We all know how exciting Sprint Car racing can be. Late in the race a car running fifth gets a run and runs down the leader for the win. That's kind of how this night went. The racing was good all through the field as drivers went high and low to make progress.
There are many adults in the fastest classes here that would not choose to move "up" to any other form of circle track racing. This provides all of the excitement and fun anyone who races could expect. And as for a good show to watch, it is a wonderful experience for the fans.
We had kept our commitment to Deming after all and I can say that this small track had all of the ingredients to qualify it for being one of our most memorable stops on the entire U.S. Tour. Thank you to Paul and crew for making us feel welcomed, even though we missed you the first time around.
Next up is our visit to Evergreen Speedway where we'll see very fast fullsized Sprint Cars run the half mile and then on to the south to Douglas County Speedway to meet the Old Time Racers of Oregon. We'll be spending a couple of weeks in Oregon before making our way further south to northern California and Redwood and wine country.
Don't forget to check out the rest of our series on The 2013 AMSOIL Great American CT Tour!
Atomic Motor And Rocky Mountain Raceways
Meridian And Stateline Speedways
Wenatchee and South Sound Speedways
Skagit and Deming Speedways
Evergreen, Douglas County, and Coos Bay
Southern Oregon,
Calistoga, and Silver Dollar Speedways


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Curved Fruit Pruners
Item# 39-765
This item is currently not available.
Additional Information
Curved Fruit Pruners Makes Harvest Easy
- Compact snips are ideal for harvesting tree fruits
- Handy for harvesting flowers and deadheading
- Lightweight, ergonomic design with non-slip grip
These lightweight pruners have narrow, curved blades for harvesting fruits without damaging other nearby fruits and twigs. Handy for harvesting flowers and deadheading, too.
Product Details
- High carbon steel, PVC-coated handles
- 6" L; blade is 1-1/4" L
- Locking device for safety
Reviewed by 1 customer
- Comfortable Grip
- Easy To Use
- Lightweight
- Long Reach
- Sharp Blade
Best Uses
- Gardening
- Harvesting fruitveggies
Comments about Curved Fruit Pruners:
I like these for use on small areas, especially pruning tomatoes and harveting eggplants and such. Sometimes bigger pruners are harder to use for this.


text: Capital girls lose, but getting closer By Tommy R. Atkinson September 29, 2012 Story Share Chip Ellis Capital's Emilee Henry and Parkersburg's Dani McCay fight for the ball. Capital typically saves its best for last and the Cougars seem to be trending that way this season, too.Freshman midfielder Taylor Hunkele scored a goal off an assist from freshman midfielder Halie Hill early in the opening half and that was all Parkersburg could muster against host Capital for a 1-0 victory Saturday on the Cougars' Senior Day.A crowd of about 70 attended the Class AAA matchup of state-ranked girls high school soccer teams at the Alex Schoenbaum Family Foundation Fields at Capital High School.The Cougars (7-8), who were No. 14 in this week's state coaches association rankings, have held their own against some strong opponents but are still seeking consistency with only a few weeks left before the postseason begins. Capital upset top-ranked George Washington in last year's sectional tournament."I think we have better potential, but we're just not executing,'' said Cougars senior keeper Michelle Newhouse, who turned in four saves to keep her team in the game to the end. "We're getting there. It's just going to take more work. We usually peak during sectionals. It worked out well for us last year beating G-dub.''Cougars coach Riley Gibson said the addition of a couple of injured players in the next week or so should make a difference in close games."We tend to play one good [half] and one bad one,'' said Gibson, who has seen his squad drop three games by 1-0 scores and another 2-1. "We let one get in and . . . it just kills us. We can't lose the 50-50 balls and expect to win. Our girls have to eventually find it in themselves that they want to win. "Right now they're not showing the heart. I've got one of my starters coming back in a week or two and hopefully we can make some adjustments and go at them. We get everybody back [and] we'll see what kind of run we can make.''Hunkele received a pass from Hill and dribbled in on Newhouse and put the ball past the all-state keeper. Newhouse turned in diving stops on two one-on-one situations as the Cougars managed just two shots on goal themselves. Big Reds junior Taylor Beckley stopped both shots."A freshman against an all-state keeper, I thought she placed the ball really well,'' said Parkersburg coach Kristen Schreiber of Hunkele's tally. She put it in the back of the net and that's all we needed to win. The defense bent a little bit, but they didn't break. Overall, we can't be too disappointed with that.''Schreiber was also using Saturday's game as a measuring stick for her young squad. The No. 8 Big Reds (10-3-2) handed No. 3 Winfield its first lost of the year earlier in the week and she was hoping to see the same attitude carry over."I felt like we played a little bit down,'' she said. "We had a high on Tuesday and I don't feel like we had the same intensity, but we're a young team and the inconsistencies have been there all season."That's what we're trying to work towards is being more consistent and doing the little things better. We showed that at times. I think at one point I had six or seven freshmen on the field. We're almost done with this season and freshmen can't be freshmen anymore.''Reach Tommy R. Atkinson at email@example.com or 304-348-4811. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Innerviews: Dual-identity surgeon riding high in horse racing world 2 Huggins, WVU tap South Florida hoops talent 3 WVU seeking improvements during off week 4 Former State Police captain now chief in Winfield 5 Rod Run and Doo Wop brings classic cars, music to Boulevard for 12th year Marshall notebook: Herd defense rediscovers 3-and-out Previous Story Soccer roundup: Hurricane boys remain unbeaten Next Story


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Psychosocial Impact of Early Puberty in Girls Aged 6 to 8 Years (PUPSY)
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- How to Read a Study Record
GnRH agonists are used in the treatment of precocious puberty in order to improve adult height.However,the psychosocial impact of precocious puberty is often used by the clinician at diagnosis to justify treatment, but can not yet be properly assessed. It can not be considered as a rational neither for the indication to treatment, nor to assess its potential efficacy.
The overall objective of this work is to improve the conditions leading to the therapeutic decision and the procedures for monitoring girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty.
|Early Puberty
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Qualitative Assessment of the Psychosocial Impact of Early Puberty in Girls Aged 6 to 8 Years
- Psychosocial characteristics [ Time Frame: 1 day ]
- The thematic content related to the perception of early puberty, the factors motivating the consultation, the concerns of families and children, psychosocial characteristics of the subjects received in consultation.
- The thematic content related to the perception of hormone therapy: identifying the knowledge, concerns and expectations regarding the treatment of precocious puberty.
- Child Behavior Checklist [ Time Frame: 1 day ]Quantitative data on the psychosocial status of patients will be collected as a self-administered questionnaire: the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) that is validated.
- Evolution at 6 months [ Time Frame: 6 months ]Changing views of qualitative and quantitative data will be followed six months after the diagnosis of precocious puberty, with or without treatment.
|Study Start Date:
|October 2012
|Study Completion Date:
|February 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|July 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
During the day hospital, the diagnostic workup for precocious puberty will be performed and include:
- A clinical examination with pubertal stage assessment.
- A GnRH test
- A Pelvic ultrasound
- An MRI will be performed later after the results of GnRH test confirming precocious central puberty.
These reviews are conducted as part of usual care and are required to validate the inclusion criteria of patients.
The CBCL questionnaire will be completed by patient's parents and the first semi-structured interview will be conducted by a sociologist assisted by the psychologist, dedicated to the study.
Patient's follow-up will be planned 6 months after inclusion, including similar investigations (except MRI).
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|6 Years to 8 Years (Child)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
6 to 8 years old girls, with idiopathic central precocious puberty defined as:
- Onset of clinical signs between 6 and 8 years excluded: breast development (Tanner stage S2 or more), possibly with pubic hair or accelerated growth rate.
- The GnRH test: LH peak> 5 IU / l during the test.
- Pelvic ultrasound: uterine length> 34 mm
- The normality of the hypothalamic-pituitary region assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- Parental Informed and written consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Parents and / or children do not speak French
- Other chronic disease
- The child does not benefit of the French social security cover
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01679925
|Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
|Paris, France, 75019
|Principal Investigator:
|Dominique SIMON, MD, PhD
|Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
|Responsible Party:
|Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01679925 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|July 25, 2012
|Last Updated:
|March 25, 2015
Keywords provided by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris:
Early puberty
Psychosocial impact
Qualitative assessment
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Puberty, Precocious
Gonadal Disorders
Endocrine System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017