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Boy finds bear cub inside city limits
MYRTLE CREEK, Ore. -- A boy found a black bear cub inside the city limits Monday night and told his parents.
Officers said the boy found the black bear at around 8:30 p.m. Monday in the woods off Morrison Avenue. The boy's family turned the cub in to the police.
Myrtle Creek officials ask the public to leave cubs alone if they spot bears in the wild.
It is better to report the sighting to law enforcement, as biologists say black bear mothers return to their young after leaving them for short periods of time.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife picked the cub up Tuesday morning and tried to reunite it with the mother, to no avail.
According to Tim Walters out of the Roseburg office of ODFW, the female black bear cub was still at awildlife health lab outside Corvallis undergoing evaluations as of Thursday. They are leaning towards putting her in a zoo.


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"Looks good & good quality"
Reviewed By Eliud R (CROMWELL, IN) Reviewed for a 1999 Toyota 4Runner —9/21/2013 5:56 PM
I bought this exhaust tip for my 99 4runner and looks nice, little expensive but good quality.
Reviewed By Mike D (Houston, TX) Reviewed for a 2016 Ford Transit Connect —1/21/2017 7:08 AM
Within 5 minutes of opening the box with the Borla tip, it was installed and ready to hit the road! It slipped into the exhaust just like it was engineered, clamped, grubby fingerprints cleaned and Voila!! The stainless steel is highly polished and looks like chrome and should last longer than the exhaust system.

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Give
The School of Visual and Performing Arts invites individuals, corporations and foundations to support what is recognized as one of the finest schools of its kind in the Northeast.
Your gift will make an important impact on the next generation of artists, theatrical performers, musicians and music educators and support the mission of the WCSU School of Visual and Performing Arts. While our area of greatest need remains funding for scholarships, we welcome gifts of any kind that will help support the academic and artistic vision of the school. Other areas of need include funding to support visiting guest artists, student travel, theatrical production costs, the Annual WCSU Jazz Festival, and the Gallery at Higgins Hall.
Gifts may be unrestricted, directed toward a specific endowment or project and are tax-deductible. Additionally, The Office of Institutional Advancement will be glad to assist you with any questions regarding naming opportunities for the Visual and Performing Arts Center, scheduled for completion in 2014. For more information, please contact Lynne LeBarron, Director of Development at 203-837-8419 (email@example.com)


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Jultagi Tank Tops are an Idakoos specialtiy! Idakoos has many things to offer. Whether you want to get a Jultagi Vest Top for a special occasion, give a Jultagi Singlet as a present or need to represent with a funny Jultagi Tank Top during Holidays or Family and Friends get-togethers, Idakoos is sure to have the right Jultagi Vest Top for you! Even if it turns out you can't find the right Jultagi Tank Top with the perfect design for your mother, father or children (or friends!); Idakoos offers all of its men's women's and children's Jultagi Tank Tops as Custom Jultagi Tank Tops. Personalize any Jultagi Singlet the way you want to ensure the perfect gift.
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This documentary film describes in detail the daily life in the international forest monastery, Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand. In this story, the viewer comes to know about the Vipassanā meditation practice and the philosophy and customs of the beggar monks through the eyes of a European monk, the actor in the film.
Besides the main Buddhistic philosophy (Theravada) and the monasterial life, this film also shows Thailand's social structures very impressively. In addition, one accompanies the forest monks to a smaller monastery in a national park on the Mekong river, the border river to Laos.
One of the highlights of the film, is the monks' jungle retreat in the far west of the country, very near to the border with Burma (Myanmar). This malaria infested national park, is home to the famous river Kwai, which flows through it. Here the audience becomes a witness, to how the head of the monastery, a Canadian and environment activist, is engaged in the fight to stop the last jungles of Thailand being cut down and cleared by fire.
The main monastery of the forest monks, the Wat Pah Nanachat, was founded in 1975 by the well known Buddhist master of meditation, Ajahn Chah, for the increasing number of his western disciples. Under his guidance, more than 100 monasteries have been established, some of them in western countries such as England, Australia, New Sealand, Switzerland, Italy and the USA. In England, there are already 4 monasteries in this tradition!
The first head of the forest monastery, Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand, was an American, Ajahn Sumedho. He was the spiritual head of the international Forest Saṇgha and the corresponding Buddhist Center in England, the Amaravati.
P.S. For those who are interested in this documentary, I can share this through dropbox or someone got another idea to share.


text: Raised on the West Side of Buffalo, YoungNok Da Loudmouf always knew he was going to be a part of the entertainment business in some kind of way. Starting in elementary school (P.S. #18), he joined the band, playing instruments like the trumpet, trombone and drums. Throughout his teenage years, no matter what type of struggle he had to endure, he always found peace in music.


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Your first appointment is an opportunity to meet your doctor, discuss your medical history, and talk about the types of information and tests that will help with a diagnosis.
Our physicians are board-certified and have advanced fellowship training in female pelvic floor disorders, including incontinence and prolapse. They perform hundreds of major operations each year and their clinical and research interests include urodynamics, voicing dysfunction, prolapse, accidental bowel leakage, and other pelvic floor disorders.
An accurate diagnosis is very important, because treatment based on an incorrect diagnosis may not help your incontinence and could even make it worse.
From left: Drs. Charles Nager, Marianna Alperin,
Michael Albo and Emily Lukacz, Cindy Furey, PT
To diagnose the cause of your urinary incontinence, our specialists will ask about your medical history and conduct a physical examination, including a pelvic exam. You may also be asked to cough while you are standing to check for stress incontinence. In addition, a urinalysis and urine culture may be done to see if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Symptom Check: You will also be asked to explain your symptoms and habits; for example, how often you need to urinate, when you leak urine, how much fluid and what kinds of fluids you drink, and whether you have any other symptoms along with incontinence. Your answers will provide clues about the cause of your incontinence.
Voiding History: Your initial exam will be most productive if you can bring a 3- to 4-day diary of what and how much you drink, and how often and how much you urinate and leak. The pattern of your urine leakage may point to the type of incontinence.
Urodynamic tests for urinary incontinence are measurements taken to evaluate your bladder's function and efficiency. The actual tests done vary from person to person, but may include:
By thoroughly understanding the type of incontinence present in each patient, our physicians can recommend the appropriate therapy for you.
Make a financial gift to the Women's Pelvic Medicine Center.
Give Now


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A lengthy panel discussion on the topic of genetic engineering aired Sunday (April 28) on MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry show. The segment, titled, "You Are What You Eat," focused on the issue of genetically engineered foods, the question of food product labeling and of course, the idea that there remain "serious questions" about the safety of GMOs.
Surprisingly—or maybe not—the ensuing debate was loaded with misconceptions and outright misinformation, not to mention that several guests just couldn't help bull-rushing Monsanto as the culprit liable for perceived flaws with the entire process of genetic engineering.
Interestingly, Monsanto tweeted a response to the criticism in real time:
"Our primary focus is on enabling both small-holder and large –scale farmers to produce more from their land, while conserving more of the world's natural resources, such as water, and energy," its statement read.
Pretty innocuous (and not all that effective, honestly), but enough to set off one of the panelists, Ricardo Salvador of the anti-GMO Union of Concerned Scientists.
"Boosting productivity, making plants more drought-tolerant—in every case, they don't bear up to scrutiny," Salvador said. "GMO [varieties] have only proven to be resistant to mild drought, which does not solve the problem, because what we have to deal with is severe drought."
With that the group was off and running on an industry- bashing agenda focused on three key problems with GMOs:
› Profits. They're an abomination, of course, for many critics opposed to modern food production. Melissa Harris-Perry, the host, stated it bluntly: "The profit-driven aspect of [biotechnology] and the kinds of profits Monsanto is earning from GMOs, make me nervous right away that this is not some 'feed the world' project."
Tom Colicchio, owner of Craft Restaurants and a prominent chef and author, noted that "society puts profits ahead of public health." He cited the example of a UC-Davis plant geneticist who developed a blight-resistant rice variety that—despite widespread devastation of the world's rice crops—has not been deployed. "There's no profit in it," he explained.
True enough, and a valid criticism of public-sector priorities, one with which I happen to agree: We should be investing more in research to address food productivity, and the world would be better served if that research were publicly funded and thus available to all who might benefit from it.
But that cannot be used as a criticism of Monsanto's earnings or its business strategy. General Motors, for example, isn't expected to solve the challenges related our domestic gasoline supply; that's not what they do. If the company profits from manufacturing a fuel-efficient car, well, that's a win-win. Even in that case, though, it would still be unfair to complain about its profitability or insist that GM should be doing even more to solve the world's energy problems.
Likewise, it isn't Monsanto's "mission" to eliminate world hunger. Nor can the company be legitimately faulted for pursuing product developments that make them money, rather than ones that address food security or environmental protection.
The bottom line is that neither drought resistance nor increased productivity are likely to be to priorities for the Monsantos or Syngentas of the world. To be profitable, such varieties must be targeted to highly productive farming regions, not places with marginal farm productivity and high poverty rates.
› Golden rice. But to be sure, one genetically engineered crop—golden rice—was developed to deliver health and environmental benefits. As the Golden Rice Institute recently noted about its project to infuse vitamin A into rice grains, "The absence of a beta-carotene in rice grains manifests itself in a marked incidence of blindness, susceptibility to disease and even premature death among small children."
The institute's research estimates that as many as 2.5 million children could be saved each year if biofortified rice containing vitamin A, essential for proper functioning of the immune system, was widely available.
At this point, the delay in introducing a commercial variety of golden rice lies more with the labyrinth of governmental regulations (mostly aimed at ensuring safety) that add years of time and multi-millions in costs to the approval process.
But Marion Nestle, professor of food and nutrition at New York University, slammed golden rice as "a poster child for public relations for the GMO industry," complaining that fruits and vegetables that are easily grown in the tropical areas would provide plenty of beta carotene (the precursor to vitamin A), not to mention that an adequate diet is necessary for converting beta carotene into vitamin A for absorption by the body.
What she didn't say, however, is that no matter how many fruits and vegetables might be "available" to the billions of people across tropical Africa, and Asia, those populations will continue to eat rice as a dietary staple, much as North and South Americans include wheat and corn as a staple, despite the availability of a host of alternatives.
Man may not live on bread alone, but he sure as heck doesn't live on fruits and vegetables alone.
More importantly, golden rice is a project undertaken by academic researchers, not scientists employed by industry. The goal isn't to rake in big bucks, but to advance a humanitarian objective: better health for millions of the world's poorest children. Plus, the research is being shared publicly, so for Nestle to label golden rice as a PR stunt is disingenuous, to say the least.
› Herbicides. When the discussion moved on to herbicide use, one panelist went off the rails. Ricardo Salvador, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, stated that industry's claims (read, "Monsanto's claims") about reducing herbicide use "don't stand up to scrutiny," even though a number of studies, including one from USDA, confirm that herbicide use has been reduced.
Even worse, Colicchio chimed in that widespread cultivation of GM soybeans and corn in the United States has led to "an increase in the use of pesticides, which destroys everything in the soil."
Wow. Wrong on all three counts. Biotech crops are engineered to resist herbicides, not pesticides, which are arguably harsher, more concentrated and potentially more toxic. In fact, Round-up is probably the least problematic herbicide in current use, and without such a relatively benign, wide-spectrum herbicide, no-till planting—an ecological superior alternative to plowing—would be less effective and less likely to be utilized.
After half hour of back-and-forth among the MSNBC panelists, the bottom line was pretty clear: Merely empanelling a bunch of so-called experts is no guarantee that the discussion will produce a whole lot of enlightenment.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dan Murphy, a veteran food-industry journalist and commentator.


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WARMINSTER Area Board approved more than £17,000 of grants during its meeting at the Civic Centre, including £3,000 for the Deverills Festival of the Performing Arts.
The event, from May 2 to 5 in all of the Deverill villages, will have more than 20 music, drama and dance attractions.
Last Thursday's board meeting also approved £5,000 for the Tynings Allotments and Leisure Gardens Asso-ciation, for irrigation work including sinking a borehole to supply the allotment plots with water.
Wessex Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre's request for £3,000 – to provide cover and shade over a patio in its new therapy garden – was approved, while Warminster Town FC got £3,000 for new soakaways.
A grant of £1,500 was given to Upton Lovell Youth Group for a South Wales Adventure in the Brecon Beacons and Warminster Cycle Group got £1,000 for the 6th Warminster Wobble festival of cycling.
Grants were also awarded to Maiden Bradley, for an IT project, and Corsley Reading Room, for a hearing loop.


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Shine on Harvest Moon
Posted: Oct 30, 2008 4:17pm ET
Two bottles of moonshine just landed on my desk.
Well, not technically moonshine, but it's labeled as such. The 'shine in question is Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon and Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine, and it does have the seal of approval from Mr. Johnson, himself a certified and convicted moonshiner, as well as a legendary NASCAR driver.
Johnson was a frequent winner on the driving circuit from 1955 to 1965. You may know him from a Tom Wolfe magazine story published in Esquire or the movie The Last American Hero, both of which championed his exploits as a runner of the illegal alcohol his father made in copper stills in the hills of North Carolina. You needed a fast car and steel nerve to outrun the federal agents. Johnson had both in spades. He souped up his car to outrun the revenuers and then developed a slew of maneuvers to outfox them. The power slide was his, as well as the bootleg turn, a 180-degree about-face when confronted with a roadblock. Never caught behind the wheel, Junior finally did time when captured tending his daddy's still. After paying his debt to society, he figured it would be more lucrative to put his driving skills to use on the burgeoning stock car circuit, where he became an instant success and folk hero. In 1986, Ronald Reagan pardoned him, restoring his right to vote. (A Democrat, Johnson recently endorsed Barack Obama.)
Anyway, he joined forces with Piedmont Distillers in Madison, N.C. to market Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon, which he describes as, "Smoother than vodka. Better than whiskey. Best shine ever."
I would agree that the product is quite vodka-like and very smooth. I would, however, take exception to the middle statement, but anyone who knows my affinity for whiskey could figure that out. The last pronouncement I would agree with, except that this is not really "shine" as it isn't illegal and it's triple-distilled in column stills, which would entail a high-profile operation that few savvy moonshiners would attempt.
I've had moonshine, and it's nowhere near as smooth as this product. The late Max Allen, who was bartender emeritus at Louisville's Seelbach Hotel, once invited me to his home to sample the wares of some of the local moonshining practitioners. Although they were invited, none of them showed. As I've said it is not a high-profile profession. Max and I sat down to breakfast and tasted six different moonshines, all in Mason jars. They weren't terrible, but the taste of fusel oil lingered on each. It's hard enough to distill alcohol under perfect conditions, but when you have to remain under cover, using homemade contraptions and without the luxury of multiple distillations to remove impurities, you're really playing catch up ball.
The guys who made the moonshine I tasted, Max explained, were doing it mostly as a hobby to keep alive a family tradition that had been passed down through the years. There's not much money in moonshine any more, but Max recalled a time in the Great Depression when running a still could keep a family going through hard times.
And it was pretty serious business. In particular, Max told the story of a couple federal agents who approached a hillbilly kid and asked him to take them to some illegal stills up in the mountains for the fee of $5. The kid asked to be paid before they went up, and the agents told him they'd pay him when they came down. The kid said, "If I take you up there, you ain't comin' back down."
P.S.— While I liked the Midnight Moon, I will not vouch for Piedmont Distillers' other product: Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine. It tastes like Bazooka bubble gum.
Comments2 comment(s)
Alex Benes California October 31, 2008 1:14pm ET
I know the historical ties of NASCAR to moonshining, but for Junior Johnson to put his name on a bottle while still driving is a little irresponsible. Unless he's smoking a good cigar with it and is going to promise to send me some.AB
Jack Bettridge October 31, 2008 3:00pm ET
He isn't driving anymore. At least on the racing track. And if that isn't line of demarcation, who of us could put our name on the bottle?
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The company employs Columbus State Hospitality grads at all levels, says David Miller, executive vice president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. Miller himself graduated from Columbus State in the late 1980s.
"At that time, in Columbus, Ohio, if you were going to hospitality school, your option was simple. It was Columbus State," Miller says.
"Some of the best culinarians that we have in our restaurant company to this day all went to Columbus State."
Columbus State provided a practical education, Miller says, and he was able to continue working through school. These days, Columbus State's Hospitality program includes Restaurant Management, Hotel & Tourism, Baking and its prestigious Culinary Apprentice program.
Miller now oversees daily company operations and reports directly to company President Cameron Mitchell. Along the way he's co-chaired the Columbus Food & Wine Affair, chaired the Ohio State Hospitality Management Advisory Board and been named Business First's "40 Under Forty" list of young business leaders.
Columbus State not only helped his personal success, but it provides a pipeline of talent to Cameron Mitchell. It's also helped fuel an "explosion" in exciting restaurants in Central Ohio.
"We rely a lot on Columbus State," Miller says, "Some of the best culinarians that we have in our restaurant company to this day all went to Columbus State."


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Government to use ex-Army men in anti-Naxal operatives
By Express News Service | Published: 12th August 2013 07:55 AM |
Last Updated: 12th August 2013 01:53 PM | A+A A- |
In a bid to strengthen operational capabilities of forces involved in anti-Naxal offensive, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has cleared a proposal to recruit over 2,000 ex-Army men with expertise in jungle warfare to impart training to such CRPF personnel.
The paramilitary force deployed in Maoist-affected areas already has training academies, including the Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorist (CIAT) schools and Central Training Colleges (CTCs), where various in-service courses are conducted for officers and jawans.
The CRPF has advertised 2,037 positions for retired Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Non-commissioned Officers (NCOs) of the Army. These retired Army men would be drawn from Army regiments and Corps like infantry, armoured, artillery, bomb disposal and engineering Corps.
"The retired Army men will train the young CRPF officers in countering IED operations, jungle warfare tactic and guerrilla operations in difficult terrains. Anti-Naxal operations is very different from conventional operation and requires specialised training," a CRPF official said.
The CRPF would pay them salary and perks at par with any other forces to attract best talents. A JCO would be paid Rs 55,000, while NCOs would get Rs 35,000 per month. They would be hired on contract for a period ranging between three to five years and required to serve in Naxal-hit areas.
In another move, the Centre has made mandatory rotational training of each and every personnel of a battalion. Earlier, training nodes were established at various locations, where rotational training was imparted by trained instructors of CRPF as well as ex-Army men.
Five Naxals Held
Meanwhile, five naxals were arrested on Saturday during a joint search operation in the Maoist-hit Bijapur district of southern Chhattisgarh, the police said. The cadres were nabbed on Saturday evening from the forests of Gorla village under Madded police station, located over 400 kms from Raipur, said a PTI report.


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Testimony of Dr. Mindy Connolly, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee
July 26, 2011
Good morning, Chairwoman McCaskill, Ranking Member Portman, and members of
the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight. It is a pleasure for me to be here today to testify
for the first time as Chief Acquisition Officer of the General Services Administration (GSA).
Today I will share GSA's perspective on small business contracting, which conforms
to the findings of the Presidential Interagency Taskforce on Federal Contracting Opportunities
for Small Business, as well as the results of our work with colleagues at the Small Business
Administration (SBA) to implement its recommendations. The Presidential Task Force
identified three key priority objectives with actionable recommendations: (1) Providing
federal contractors with stronger rules; (2) Developing a better equipped, better informed, and
more accountable workforce; and (3) Improving outreach and making better use of data.
It is critical that these improvements be examined at the intersection of policy,
regulations, and systems. Policy drives the regulations around which systems are managed.
Greater harmonization of policy, regulations, and systems is needed to ensure that small
businesses are the beneficiaries of contracting policy.
GSA has a record of exceeding our small business goals. We recently received a grade
of "A" from the SBA for our FY10 small business performance. We're very proud of the
workforce across GSA that led to that success. Our Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) helps
other agencies accomplish their mission through our multiple award schedule (MAS)
contracts, and government wide acquisition contracts. Across the MAS contracts, over 1/3 of
the order awards go to small businesses, helping other agencies meet or exceed their small
business goals.
Understanding NAICS Codes
Going forward, it is critical to understand the role the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) codes play in determining business size when awarding
contracts to small businesses. The NAICS codes are developed by the Department of
Commerce to identify specific goods or services. SBA then develops size standards for each
NAICS code, based on either the number of employees a company has or its annual revenue.
A company can offer various goods and services that correspond to multiple NAICS codes.
Therefore, an individual company may be classified as either "small" or "other than small,"
based on the procurement and the contracting officer's (CO's) determination of the
appropriate predominant NAICS code at the time of solicitation.
It is, therefore, possible that a single company may be "small" for one procurement
and "other than small" for another at the same time depending on the nature of the work for
the government. There are two reasons for that possibility: first, because different NAICS
codes have different size standards, SBA may apply different size standards to different
contracts; and, second, businesses may naturally grow over the life of the contract.
Sometimes both of those scenarios occur simultaneously.
When seeking federal contracts, businesses list the NAICS codes with which they are
associated in CCR (Central Contractor Registration). They also represent their business size
either in Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) or through written
certifications submitted to a CO. Contracting officers accept each offeror's business-size
representation unless that representation is challenged by another offeror or interested party,
or the CO has a reason to question the representation. When a representation is questioned or
challenged, SBA will make a determination as to business size. Business size representations
("small" or "other than small") are recorded at the time of contract award and endure until a
re-representation occurs.
Business Size Determination in Multiple Award Contracts
In the context of multiple award contracts, including GSA's schedule contracts, the
NAICS poses an additional challenge in reconciling the NAICS code on the prime contract
with the NAICS code, usually more granular, for the task or delivery order, with the codes
chosen by the vendors for marketing to the government. At present, the item that accounts
for the greatest percentage of the total contract value will determine the NAICS code used to
establish the size status of the offeror. This is referred to as the predominant NAICS code.
As a consequence, when task and delivery orders are placed against an offeror's
multiple award contract, the predominant NAICS code – and its business size determination --
will apply to all subsequent task or delivery orders, regardless of the individual content and
associated NAICS codes for those orders.
The Task Force identified that rules need to be strengthened, and going forward we
will work with SBA and our FAR Council stakeholders to ensure that the circumstances in
multiple award contracts just described are appropriately addressed, taking into consideration
the workload impact on COs and costs related to changes in the multiple Federal wide and
agency systems supporting acquisition.
Strengthening rules
As the Task Force identified, the first priority is to strengthen rules and policies in
order to promote contracting opportunities for small businesses. As one of three signatories
to the FAR, GSA collaborates with other agencies represented on the FAR Council.
Some recent steps toward strengthening the rules are set forth in the Small Business
Jobs Act of 2010, Public Law 111-240, which, among many changes, promotes the increased contract awards to small businesses through key changes to federal procurement policies.
While SBA has programmatic lead in small business issues, GSA is pleased to collaborate and
provide consultation and support to SBA.
Once SBA issues its final rules implementing the policy changes mandated by the Jobs
Act, the FAR Council will open a FAR case to address the revised SBA regulation. One
regulatory issue for attention is the snapshot in time when a size determination should be
made to classify a business as "small," thus eligible for policies benefitting small
Policy and rules establish criteria for awarding federal contracts to both small and
large businesses. When acquisition criteria change, acquisition systems must follow suit.
After the SBA and FAR regulations are amended, GSA will work to align the affected
systems of the Integrated Acquisition Environment (IAE) or its successor, the System for
Award Management (SAM) so they reflect new policy.
Implementing stronger rules as recommended by the Presidential Task Force that are
at the intersection of policy, systems, workforce, and the economic engine of our small
business has many interdependencies. However, I would emphasize that GSA is working
closely with our SBA colleagues to ensure informed and timely regulatory implementation
and systems development.
Aiding the Acquisition Workforce
The acquisition workforce is thousands strong across every federal agency and,
collectively, they execute the policies and rules that flow from legislation. As we move
forward to strengthen rules, the entire Acquisition workforce will be key to ensuring
regulatory implementation achieves intended objectives. For that reason, comprehensive
training is essential.
To assist in meeting this challenge, GSA's Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) offers
training for the acquisition workforce. Small business contracting is one area of training
offered, and to address the need, FAI is currently developing the Small Business Programs
online continuous learning module, due to launch in mid-September 2011. This module
provides Government contracting professionals and program officials with an overview of the
current small business types and programs. The course helps members of the acquisition
workforce understand the tools, processes, and resources available to facilitate awards to
small business. Upon completion of the course, our acquisition professionals will be better
equipped to meet specific Federal acquisition requirements related to small business programs
and to achieve agency small business goals, while supporting increased contracting and
subcontracting opportunities for small businesses.
These small businesses work in partnership with the acquisition workforce in
providing goods and services for the federal government. To facilitate that engagement, FAI
also educates industry partners who seek procurement opportunities. For example, FAI
recently launched an online-continuous learning module to instruct vendors on how to obtain
a Certificate of Competency (COC) from SBA. The COC program allows a small business to
appeal a contracting officer's determination that it is unable to fulfill the requirements of a
specific government contract on which it is the apparent low bidder. The COC program helps ensure that small businesses, especially those which are newly entering the federal
procurement arena, are given a fair opportunity to compete for and receive government
contracts. FAI's course identifies the various entities involved in the COC process, and it
explains their roles and responsibilities.
Improved Outreach and Better Use of Technology and Data
Outreach efforts to small business community
GSA is actively reaching out to small businesses. GSA Office of Small Business
Utilization (OSBU) leads the effort through several outreach initiatives. First and foremost,
from January 2011 to present, GSA has hosted and participated in 225 outreach events for
small businesses throughout the United States. The following are some examples of events
where GSA met with small business groups and small business principals:
Reverse 8(a) and HUBZone Matchmaker
Women and Minority Business Forum
Veterans Business Resource Summit
Asian American Small Business Forum
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Matchmaking
Native American RES 2011Conference
Minority Supplier Development Council Orientation Meetings
Getting Back to Business GSA Procurement Summit
National Center for Veteran Institute Procurement Conference
GSA is committed to increasing opportunities for small businesses, especially those for
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses,
Women-Owned Small Businesses, and HUBZone small businesses. GSA has a healthy
practice of conducting pre-bid/pre-solicitation conferences and vendor meetings, and we are
encouraging more, as well as greater involvement of GSA's OSBU in these events. The
Public Buildings Service now hosts vendor days for its buying portfolios, including a recent
one in Washington, DC, that was a success and extremely beneficial to our industry partners.
As part of the Annual GSA Training Conference and Expo, OSBU sponsored its inaugural
Small Business Symposium in May of this year. This event provided 400 small businesses an
opportunity to engage directly with GSA and other Government agency buyers, to ask
questions, and to learn about specific procurements.
We continue to actively post our outreach events on www.gsa.gov/events and are working
to increase posting on www.FedBizOpps.gov.
To further enhance our outreach efforts, GSA will soon provide additional information to
vendors on how to search and make use of the GSA Forecast of Contracting Opportunities.
Also, GSA will increase and standardize use of continuous learning points as incentive for
members of the acquisition workforce to participate in outreach events and to interface with
the vendor community.
Together, these activities form GSA's concerted effort to enhance our contacts with the
vendor community, including small businesses. We are committed to not only meeting but
exceeding small business goals set for GSA. The small business goaling report attached to
my testimony demonstrates GSA's ongoing commitment and success to this important effort.
GSA received an overall "A" rating from SBA on its FY 2010 goaling report. Except for one
category, we far exceeded established goals. GSA's Administrator has challenged the agency
to close the gap in this one category in FY 2011.
Enhanced Use of Technology in Contracting
Communities involved in federal contracting use automated tools to capture and report
contracting information. As policies and technology evolve, so must the tools and systems to
implement them. Ideally, such tools and systems will reduce burden on contracting officers
and vendors. Acquisition systems should capture acquisition data in an integrated and user-
friendly environment. These data enable users to develop meaningful reports, conduct trend
analysis, and make informed acquisition or policy decisions.
Coordinating with the Chief Acquisition Officers Council Acquisition Committee for
Electronic Government (ACE), GSA serves as the managing partner of the Integrated
Acquisition Environment (IAE). The IAE is a set of eight government-wide systems used
regularly by the federal community and those who seek to do business with the government.
To better serve stakeholders, GSA is developing a new System for Award Management
(SAM) that will replace multiple current systems, including the current FPDS – NG system.
If fully funded, SAM will integrate the eight independent acquisition systems of the
IAE and simplify the use of them – for both contracting officers and vendors. For example,
instead of entering business identifiers in multiple systems, vendors will be able to make such
entries only once in SAM. They will also use SAM to describe their businesses and to
complete representations and certifications once as they now must do twice in Central
Contractor Registration system (CCR) and Online Representations and Certifications
Application (ORCA) respectively. In addition, SAM will also provide vendors with a list of
all NAICS codes (North American Industrial Classification System). And, it will provide
SBA size determination tables for businesses, regardless of whether a vendor has indicated
specific NAICS as part of their usual business activities.
Once implemented, SAM will provide a single user-friendly interface that will reduce
burden and errors among contracting officers and vendors alike. Reduced user error improves
data quality. In turn, improved data quality creates more accurate reports and fosters
improved decision making.
Commitment to Acquisition Excellence
Pursuant to my responsibilities as Chief Acquisition Officer (CAO), I monitor the
performance of acquisition activities and acquisition programs of GSA. Anomaly reports,
such as those provided by the SBA, are an opportunity to provide quality data and ensure that
GSA meets its obligation to small business. When SBA provides GSA with their anomaly
report, we research and explain the reasons behind all identified anomalies. When possible,
we take corrective actions and ensure that we are using rational contracting processes in awarding contracts to small businesses. Going forward, we will begin trend analysis of our
findings. We anticipate that our findings will identify opportunities to (1) rectify any
systemic issues, in either policy or technology (2) develop pertinent training for the
acquisition workforce, and (3) improve acquisition practices through internal changes. Such
changes may include updating the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR), issuing
acquisition alerts, conducting program management reviews of contracting activities, and
ensuring resolution of identified issues.
In sum, as CAO, I am committed to ensuring that GSA maintains excellence in its
acquisition activities, including small business outreach contracting and reporting. I am
confident that these efforts will provide best value to our customer agencies in their important
Like many of our taxpayers, and our country, GSA is challenged in a time of diminishing resources to keep up with calls for change. Funding for initiatives such as
transitioning the Integrated Acquisition Environment (IAE) to the System for Award
Management (SAM) is essential to move forward.
Madame Chair, Ranking Member Portman, there is a lot of work before us to do and
we will move forward with our partners to assure its achievement. Thank you for the
opportunity to share some of our GSA efforts. I will be glad to answer any questions of the


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Preston was a local government district coterminate with the town of Preston in Lancashire, northwest England from 1836 to 1974.
Preston was one of only a few industrial towns in Lancashire to have a functioning corporation in 1835, its charter dating to 1685, and was reformed as a municipal borough by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835.
The Local Government Act 1888 created elected county councils throughout England and Wales. However, any municipal borough with a population of 50,000 or more at the census of 1881 was to be independent of the administration of the county council, with the new status of county borough. Preston, with an 1881 population of 96,532 duly became a county borough on 1 April 1889, outside the jurisdiction of Lancashire County Council.
The county borough was abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 and its territory transferred to Lancashire to be combined with Fulwood Urban District and part of Preston Rural District, becoming the new non-metropolitan district of the Borough of Preston.
Preston Registration District, circa 1870
A Vision of Britain through Time provides the following description of Preston Registration District from John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales of 1870-72. A registration district was responsible for collecting and registering births, marriages and deaths, and also for supervising the census every ten years. The boundaries of an individual registration district were normally the same as those for a local Poor Law Union. [The data has been put into paragraphs for easier reading.]
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Remember the 2010 film, "The Way," starring Martin Sheen? Produced by his son, Emilio Estevez, the movie followed the encounters of strangers along the popular pilgrimage trail of St. James, the "Camino de Santiago," across Spain and France.
A Tierrasanta couple, both Qualcomm retirees, are starting the final leg of their 1,000-mile trek along that route next week.
More than a decade before "The Way" was filmed, Krishna, now 68, and Bonnie Arora, 63, started planning their journey. After walking and driving part of the route in 2002, they returned in 2005 to hike the first 500 miles between Roncesvalles in northern Spain and Santiago de Compostela in western Spain. It took them 35 days.
In 2011, and again in 2012, they went back to hike 325 more miles west from Le Puy en Velay, France. On April 20, they'll tackle their missing link — a 175-mile stretch over the Pyrenees.
"The journey was a life-changing experience," said Bonnie. It instilled a new appreciation of life and its "little miracles." In 2005 they were inspired by Rosemary Zir, a Massachusetts woman. Zir's daughter had long dreamed of taking the trek, but a car accident had cut the young woman's life short, so Zir was carrying her ashes.
Krishna, a Hindu, and Bonnie, a Catholic, vowed long ago to make both a Catholic and a Hindu pilgrimage to better understand their roots. In between, though, they built a foot bridge for the remote Q'eros tribe in Peru, helped install a water filtration plant in Pakistan and worked on a sanitation project in India for a school for the blind.
This trek will raise funds for their Golden Triangle Rotary's humanitarian projects, including a school in Afghanistan, clean water in Indonesia and assistance to Somalian refugees.
"The problem with being retired is that you never get a day off," says Bonnie.
On the move: After nearly two years as president and publisher of the San Diego Business Journal, Randy Frisch is turning to academia. Frisch, who was formerly CFO of The San Diego Union-Tribune, has been named vice chancellor of business and administration for the National University System, effective April 22. Meanwhile, Armon Mills, who left the Business Journal to work with an economic firm, has reassumed his former role there of president and publisher.
Around town: San Diego architect Clifton Sprague, 36, was a contestant on last week's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," with Meredith Vieira. After racking up more than $38,000, Sprague gambled and lost all but $1,000 on a question about ancient Rome. Had he won big, he had planned to start his own architectural firm.
It all turned out for the best, concludes Sprague. Since the show was videotaped last October, he was promoted to director of operations at InDev, his current firm. "I have no regrets," he adds.


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Zebra Sheet Set
No longer available
- Overview
Zebra stripes get a punch of color for a touch of prep on ultrasoft 200-thread count cotton percale.
- 100% printed cotton percale.
- 200-thread count.
- Set includes flat sheet, fitted sheet and two standard pillowcases (one with twin XL).
- Twin XL sheeting has a longer fitted sheet to accommodate both standard twin and twin XL dorm mattresses.
- Extra pillowcases are available in sets of 2.
- Pillow insert sold separately.
- Personalization is available for an additional $8.50.
- Click here to Preview Font Colors.
- Machine wash.
- Personalization on the pillowcase is centered on the side cuff; personalization on the sheet set is centered on the top cuff and placed so it will be visible when the sheet is folded over as part of a made bed.
- Imported.
Mix + match our bedding to create your own unique look with our Design Your Own Bed Tool.
- Dimensions + Care
Twin XL
- Fitted Sheet: 39 x 80"; fits mattresses up to 12" deep
- Flat Sheet: 66 x 96"
- Standard Pillowcase: 30" wide x 20" high
- Fitted Sheet: 54 x 75"; fits mattresses up to 16" deep
- Flat Sheet: 90 x 96"
- Standard Pillowcase (2): 30" wide x 20" high
- Fitted Sheet: 60 x 80"; fits mattresses up to 16" deep
- Flat Sheet: 96 x 104"
- Standard Pillowcase (2): 30" wide x 20" high
- 95% conventional cotton and 5% organic cotton percale.
- Fitted sheet has universal elastic (elastic around the entire edge) for a snug, secure fit.
- Wash before first use.
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only nonchlorine bleach, if needed.
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- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping Info
This item will arrive in 3-5 business days. Please proceed to the Payment & Review page of Checkout for a precise delivery estimate.
- Final Sale
Final-sale items, identified by a price ending in $0.99, cannot be returned. Once placed, your order for any final sale items cannot be canceled.


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You are here: Kidspot Activity Corner Party games Going on a trip - memory game for kids
Going on a trip - memory game for kids
Test your memory and dream away by adding extra things to the list of items being packed into your suitcase. Let the kids go crazy and giggle at what they feel they need to pack when they head off on holidays.
Number of players:
What you need:
- A great memory
"I am going on a trip and I am going to pack ..." is a fun memory game where each person adds to the previous person/s response/s.
The first person says, "I'm taking a trip and I am going to pack ... " and then fills in the rest of the sentence.
It could be a piece of clothing or a toy or a person or whatever they choose.
Each person then repeats what the last person said, and adds their own selection to the end and so on.
Find more printables and fun:
Find more kids' craft ideas:
- Chore and reward charts
- Colouring pages
- Easy mazes
- Medium level mazes
- Hard level mazes
- Medium dot-to-dots
- Hard dot-to-dots
Colour by numbers
- Easy kids craft ideas
- 30 fun activities and crafts to do with kids
- How to make puppets
- Colour by numbers printables
- Crafty painting ideas to do with kids
- Handmade crafts for the home
- Make a tooth fairy box
- Crafts to make for babies
- Crafts to make with toddlers
- Crafts for 3-4 year olds
- Crafts for 4-6 year olds
- Crafts for 7-9 year olds
- Crafts for 10-12 year olds
- Play dough games for kids
- Melted crayon canvas art
- Christmas crafts for kids
- Easter crafts for kids
- Christmas crafts for the home
- Make finger puppets
- Make animal masks


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Francisco passes back-to-back test at Class A
NEW YORK -- The Mets may be closer to getting one of their prized relief arms back in the fold. Erstwhile closer Frank Francisco, sidelined by offseason surgery to remove a bone chip from his pitching elbow, has passed a big test by being able to pitch in back-to-back games.
Francisco has made four scoreless appearances for Class A St. Lucie, and he served notice over the last two days by throwing scoreless innings in consecutive games. Francisco blanked Daytona on both Sunday and Monday, giving the Mets something to think about.
"I know we want to see how he bounces back," said manager Terry Collins. "The reports are that his velocity's been good. His command's been pretty good. I haven't talked to [general manager] Sandy [Alderson] to see what they want to do as far as when they want to move him. Obviously, going back-to-back days, it's probably going to be a couple days break before he has to pitch again."
Francisco, 33 years old, pitched to a 1-3 record with 23 saves and a 5.53 ERA last season, but Collins said he'll have to earn the ninth inning all over again. Current closer Bobby Parnell has posted a 1.38 ERA in his first 13 appearances, and he's finished 10 of the 13 games he's pitched.
Collins isn't sure when Francisco will be back with the Mets, but he looks forward to having more depth in his bullpen. Everything else, said Collins, will take care of itself in time.
"Frankie's got to show us that he can pitch back-to-back days up here," he said of Francisco's ability to seize the closer's role. "We're talking three days in a row. Can he do that? The one thing I don't think we're ready to do is start to juggle our bullpen at this particular moment. Bobby's doing such a good job. We'll wait until Frankie gets here and then we'll make those determinations."
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Padres' offense stagnant in sweep by Giants
SAN FRANCISCO -- All of the momentum the Padres brokered last week with their three-game sweep of the Dodgers essentially evaporated on a lost weekend at AT&T Park.
Like air being let out of a beach ball, the Padres' offense hissed quietly during a sweep by the Giants, the latest setback a 5-0 loss before a sold-out crowd.
After scoring 22 runs in three victories over the Dodgers, the Padres scored two runs in three losses this weekend -- and didn't score a single run over the final 21 innings of the series.
"You didn't think it was coming after our at-bats in Los Angeles," Padres manager Bud Black said. "... No reason for it other than [the Giants] made pitches."
The Padres (5-13), who head home to start a series against the Brewers on Monday, have been swept in three of the six series they've played in this young season.
Following a cue by fellow starters Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum earlier, Giants pitcher Barry Zito (3-1) tossed seven scoreless innings, getting nine fly-balls out, striking out four and allowing five hits.
Bumgarner, Lincecum and Zito combined to allow two earned runs in 19 2/3 innings in the series.
The Padres did square up a few balls Sunday, as Jesus Guzman flied out deeply to left field twice. Rookie Jedd Gyorko, facing Zito for the first time, hit a ball on the screws in the fourth inning, lining out to second base.
"I thought we just missed a couple. There were some deep flies that were caught. But that's sort of what Barry does. He works well at the top of the zone," Black said.
The Giants got all the runs they would need in the third inning off Padres starting pitcher Eric Stults. Andres Torres doubled and moved to third base on Brandon Crawford's single.
After a Zito bunt put runners at second and third base, Angel Pagan knocked in two runs with a double. Later in the inning, it was Pablo Sandoval who rolled a ball up the middle for a 3-0 lead.
Two innings later, Buster Posey hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot off Stults, for a 5-0 lead. The way this series went for the Padres, a five-run deficit felt a whole lot larger.
"They bunched some hits together in the third," Black said. "Posey hit a cutter in and got it in the air. They really didn't hit [Stults] hard with the exception of Posey."
Stults allowed five runs on eight hits over seven innings. He struck out two and didn't walk a batter. The five runs he allowed were a season high.
"Stults has been throwing the ball well," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "... Changing speeds, a nice, slow curveball to go with his other pitches. He throws his soft stuff a lot. Buster did a great job of staying back [on the home run]."
The Padres had six hits in the game, two each by Everth Cabrera and Nick Hundley. For Hundley, it was already his sixth multi-hit game of the season. He already has more hits in April (16) than he had a year ago (15) with eight games left in the month.
"[With Zito], all of his stuff is in the similar speed range so it's important to be aggressive with him," Hundley said. "I've seen guys either try to do too much or force a ball to a certain spot of the field."
The Padres got a big scare in the sixth inning when left fielder Kyle Blanks made a nice running catch of a ball hit by Joaquin Arias before running headlong into the padded wall. Blanks laid on the ground for a minute, dazed. He eventually left after suffering a cut to his left eyelid -- his sunglasses were the culprit -- that needed four stitches.
"I'm just sore," Blanks proclaimed afterward. "I was happy I hung onto it."
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Sam's Town Presents AMERICA'S GREATEST GAME SHOWS LIVE ON STAGE!, 3/30
In an exclusive event for B Connected members, Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall will host a high-energy, interactive game show event - "America's Greatest Game Shows Live on Stage!" - at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30.
Legendary game show host Bob Eubanks will guide the audience and selected participants through versions of familiar games from America's most successful and well-recognized game shows, including "Let's Make a Deal," "Card Sharks," "Name That Tune," "The Gong Show," and several others.
Forty-four participants from each show, randomly selected from the audience, will participate on stage in one of nine exciting games. Players have the chance to win a cash prize ranging from $20 up to $100,000, depending on which game they are playing.
Following each show, Mr. Eubanks will host a meet and greet with audience members and sign photographs in the lobby of Sam's Town Live!.
From March 1-29, B Connected members have four ways to win tickets to "America's Greatest Game Shows Live on Stage!":
- Swipe and Win: After earning a minimum of 10 points on slots or video poker machines at Sam's Town, swipe your card once a day for a chance to win either instant tickets or ticket vouchers (collect 10 and win one ticket to the show).
- Win Tickets at "Variety Toast of the Town": Every Thursday afternoon in March during the "Variety Toast of the Town" show in Sam's Town Live!, four pairs of tickets will be awarded at random to audience members.
- "Hot Seat" Tickets: Mondays and Thursdays in March, B Connected members playing slots or video poker with their cards at Sam's Town can win tickets via "hot seats" every 15 minutes from 3-8 p.m.
- Bingo Mondays: B Connected members playing bingo at Sam's Town during the 1 p.m. session on Mondays in March have the chance to win one of four pairs of tickets.
Complete rules and details are available at the B Connected Club desk. Tickets are limited and will only be distributed in the ways described above. General admission tickets will not be sold to this event.


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THE suspension of births at the Cotswold Maternity Unit at Chipping Norton's War Memorial Hospital will be discussed by the county's health watchdog tomorrow.
The Oxfordshire joint health overview and scrutiny committee will hear from Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust director of planning and information Andrew Stevens and head of midwifery Jane Hervé at a meeting at County Hall, in New Road, Oxford.
The trust has halted births for three months to review concerns about "working practices" and transfers from the midwife-led unit to hospitals.
The meeting, which starts at 10am, is open to the public.


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Two new additions coming to select retailers this October...
For a great selection of sports action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, Urban-Collector.com, ClarkToys.com, BriansToys.com, and SuperheroToys.com.
For a great selection of film, TV and pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
This month, McFarlane Toys is bringing the newest member of the Minnesota Vikings to a store near you: Brett Favre.
With Favre's move to Minnesota this season, McFarlane Toys thought it was the obvious choice to include a new figure featuring Favre in his new Minnesota Vikings uniform. Due to the timing, McFarlane were unfortunately unable to incorporate this figure directly into their current lineups, so they decided to release it on its own, to select retailers.
Heading to a retailer near you this month, the new Brett Favre figures inlcude:
* BRETT FAVRE - Minnesota Vikings "home" (purple) jersey (Toys 'R' Us and Specialty Stores)
* BRETT FAVRE - Minnesota Vikings "away" (white) jersey (BigBoyzToyz.com Exclusive)


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Located in the Lara district in the center of the modern city, the Dedeman Park Antalya is only 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Antalya Airport and almost adjacent to the Dedeman Antalya Resort. Kaleici, Antalya's Old City, just a 3-kilometer (2 mile) cab ride away, is filled with wonders from the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman eras. After a day spent admiring historic treasures framed by vistas of distant mountains meeting the sea, visitors will understand why the ancients built here and why Antalya, the eighth-largest city in Turkey has become the third-most-visited city in the world. For guests attending a convention at the Dedeman Antalya Congress Center, adjoining the Park Antalya, or the Sabanci Congress Center, just 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the hotel, the setting could not be more appealing. Internationally-renowned restaurants, hip bars, superior convention and meeting facilities, and the best shopping on the Mediterranean coast are all right at Park Antalya's doorstep.
Park Antalya's prime location, in the heart of this vibrant city and less than 300 meters from the gentle surf of the Mediterranean, is ideal for all our guests, whether they have come to do business, to enjoy a relaxing getaway or to experience the city's unforgettable nightlife and attractions; they will not have to choose any activity over another. From Side to Aspendos and from Termessos to Sillyon, the Antalya region's historic treasures, relics of beauty preserved for thousands of years, await your discovery. The stones of the Theater at Aspendos have born witness to the finest performers of the antique age and today welcome some of the finest orchestras in Europe, performing under the stars in a setting of almost indescribable beauty and exoticism. But Antalya is not only about history, because it features some of the Mediterranean's finest beaches and its most exclusive shopping, not to mention a non-stop nightlife scene that offers something for everyone, whether your tastes run to clubbing or refined gourmet dining.


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New York State Police confirmed Monday that two people were arrested last week when an illegal poker game was raided in Saratoga Springs.
The raid was the result of a two-month-long investigation, police said, and resulted in two misdemeanor charges.
Joseph F. McTiernan, 44, of St. Johns Drive in Gansevoort, and Arthur S. Wexler Jr., 27, of Tanager Way in South Glens Falls were both charged with second-degree promoting gambling, a misdemeanor.
According to police, Texas Hold'em games were held Monday and Thursday evenings in the old School No. 2 building at 77 Van Dam St.
Police say they seized $3,000 in cash as well as poker chips, playing cards and poker tables.
Both McTiernan and Wexler were released with appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in Saratoga Springs City Court next week.
-- By Emily Donohue


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Face and Jaw Surgery
Jaw Surgery
Would like some information on having jaw surgery on both top and bottom.Only found people that have had bottom jaw done.
It is pretty common for people who need orthognathic, or jaw repositioning surgery, to have surgery on both the upper and lower jaws. These surgeries are used to correct conditions where the jaws are not aligned well with each other or where there is a significant difference in size. In these cases, patients may have problems with teeth not meeting or working against each other properly, or even obvious facial deformities. The surgery is usually done along with orthodontic treatment to align the teeth properly in each jaw first. Your orthodontist and/or oral and maxillofacial surgeon can evaluate your "facial skeleton" and explain why, in your case, surgery on both jaws might provide the best result. Hope this helps.
Gregory M Ness, DDS
Clinical Professor of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University


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Making automation pay enterprise-wide
From the plant floor to the front office, the means often justify the ends, so if the level of credibility does not exist in your company that allows new automation to get approved, then you have some work to do.
hats the second thing you ask when you see a new piece of automation hardware or software? The first thing you probably ask is What does it do? Or, if you already know something about what it does, you might ask How does it work? Then the second thing usually is: How much does it cost? Its just human nature to ask the price.
When the buying decision is subjective as it is in personal purchases like a new digital camera or a new car, its priceis the right thing to focus on. But purchases of new technology for automation applications should only be for objectively estimated benefits. That means that for automation the better question is Will it deliver net benefits that exceed my companys hurdle rate? If so, it should be installed whether it costs $5,000 or $500,000; if not, then dont buy it.
We often ask the cost question to make a quick analysis of whether we will be able to get it approved. If a level of credibility does not exist in your company that allows new automation with good benefits to get approved, then you have some work to do. Of course there are some companies that will not spend any money on anything regardless of the benefit, but that is hopefully a temporary situation and at any rate that is a different story.
A Short History of Automation
Distributed control systems (DCSs) began to be installed in the late 1970s with most of the installations done in the 1980s. This was a Good Thing. Digital gave much better control than analog and the DCSs gave the operators much better tools to run the plant. This was such an obvious Good Thing that companies often did not require a specific, well-defined justification for their approval.
In many cases, the intent of replacement projects was to just duplicate the analog control functionality so as to not give the plant too much change too fast, but to allow improvements in the future. Most of these systems did deliver benefits that justified their cost, but they often delivered only a fraction of the benefits they could have. And those future improvements often never happened.
In the 1990s many companies realized they were not getting full value from their control systems. Monsanto did a key benchmarking study that showed fewer benefits from DCSs than did other leaders in the industry. The study resulted in more than 120 automation professionals working part time for several years to identify and achieve more than $60 million of new benefits annually with minimal capital.
"Automation projects can yield significant dividends enterprise wide. But returns should not be counted only in dollars and cents terms."
Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s there was a focus on integrating data among the various control systems. We were trying to achieve Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), though we were never sure just what that was, and trying to avoid islands of automation. This was obviously a Good Thing and many companies spent a lot of money trying to achieve it with only a very hazy understanding of the specific objectives they were after. Some companies focused on manpower reduction and, while the thousands of jobs that were eliminated by these approaches justified their installation, much more could have been done if there had been better defined objectives.
Now most companies are replacing their older control systems. This is a Good Thing. The new systems have much better advanced control capability, better integration capability with less programming, are easier to program and use, and are cheaper to maintain. The benefits seem so obvious that companies often do not require a specific, defined justification for their installation. This often means that there is no stretching to identify and install functionality that will deliver new benefits, so less than the best result often results.
In recent years manufacturing IT applications have often eclipsed automation benefits. These IT applications typically have a different type of justification that can be more subjective and does not stretch to identify quantified benefits. Particularly in the U.S., we often tend to just do it when it comes to IT applications. This approach is credited with the impressive productivity increases the U.S. has enjoyed in recent years. However, in the manufacturing area where we have the capability to be more objective, we could have gotten even more from the IT applications if we had searched for maximum benefits.
Now the pendulum is swinging back to automation systems with more emphasis and benefits from using manufacturing data in all types of systems to improve manufacturing. This increasing emphasis on real time manufacturing data means that we need skills of automation professionals who understand real time sensors and data management and plant floor integration. This availability of real time information is very seductive so much so that we are tempted to install these capabilities without a defined justification. Thus we are in danger of falling into the same trap we have several times before not getting maximum benefits because we are not looking hard enough for them.
The following are five things we need to do to start making automation pay.
First, Do Something!
You may well think you are doing something, but the question is whether you are doing all you can to develop new benefitsnot just doing what is needed to keep the plant running smoothly. There is a whole hierarchy of things we can do and we need to constantly move up on that hierarchy.
At the level of maintaining the value from the control system, there are a series of things we can do. At the lowest level, we install the controls needed to run the plant in the initial plant design. After startup, we at least fix those things that are broken so badly that the plant will not run. It is even better if we diagnose equipment periodically and fix those things that are not meeting specifications or retune loops that are not performing well. Even better yet is to practice predictive maintenance so that even small changes in performance are automatically identified and corrected before they affect operations. Smart instrumentation and continuous loop performance monitoring is very good at doing these predictive functions; but for a company to really keep track of their equipment performance they also need a good asset management focus and system as well as a computerized maintenance management system.
Virtually every manufacturing operation has opportunities for new benefits from automation and there are several types of activities that can focus on these new benefits. There is a long list of good things to do to improve operations. Often these are called best practices, since some companies that have done them have found that they improve operations (see Sidebar).
While these types of best Practices have proven beneficial in some operations, there is no guarantee that they will deliver benefits in your operation and the justification case needs to be fully developed. To ensure that benefit, it is better to start with the benefit in mind. A good approach is to calculate and monitor key values so that it will be easier for automation professionals to determine how to identify ways to improve those key values (possibly using some of the best practices). This approach is known as Dynamic Performance Measure. Another good way to start with benefits is Opportunity Identification and Sizing. This approach identifies and sizes the gaps between current performance and best practical performance. The location and size of these gaps guide automation professionals to develop controls that can close the gaps.
For example, if we are operating a unit at 95% conversion but know from occasional experience or laboratory studies that it is possible to operate at 97% conversion, the gap is that 2% of additional conversion and we can put a value on that. Or if we are sold out and know from occasional experience that it is possible to operate at 10% greater throughput than the average throughput we are achieving, then the gap is that 10% and we can put a value on that. Or if we have a 97% on-stream time limited by product changeovers or unplanned shutdowns, then what would be the additional value of operating at 100% on-stream time? If there are no real gaps, there is no reason to add new automation or even to have automation professionals working in the unit since there are no benefits possiblebut it is the rare operating unit that does not have a gap. In applying this approach to more than 100 operating plants, I have only seen one unit where we did not find a gap large enough to justify effort to try to close.
With the value of the gaps identified, the automation professionals know where to focus efforts on improving controls. To close the gap you might need additional functionality in existing systems or you might need new systems upgrade of control system but you should always know where the opportunity is and how much.
Note the difference between the Best Practices approach and the Opportunity Identification approach. Best practices starts with a solution and looks for a way to justify ita hammer looking for something to hit. Opportunity Identification identifies the opportunity and looks for a method to solve it. Ultimately, the two approaches may converge, but the opportunity identification approach is more efficient and effective.
Second, Projectize Activities
Put activities into projects to get all the good management things that projects bring: prioritize against other projects for approval to ensure that the greatest benefits are being pursued; define objectives to maximize the focus of the work; develop measurement methods to ensure that you get what you are shooting for; have a good project definition before detail design is started so that the needs of all stakeholders are dealt with; phase the project so that things get done in the right sequence to minimize changes; rework staffing planning and emphasis to keep the project moving; track cost/schedule control to make sure that you stay on budget and get the project done in a reasonable time; plan for and deal with all the strange things that can and do happen.
Third, Financially Justify All Projects
Financially justifying all projects is one of the best ways to ensure that the project is really focused on delivering new benefits. While virtually every operation has opportunities from new automation benefits, if you are doing things without a defined justification, you may be doing the wrong things and you may not be doing enough.
Some automation professionals complain that their management does not understand automation benefits and will not approve any benefits until they are proven. That is a problem, because it is nearly impossible to prove something until it is installed. However, the methodologies for estimating benefits are well developed enough that good estimates can be made. Of course, every time that an automation professional fails to deliver on promises it fuels the distrust. Still, if only proven benefits can be approved, then the unit will miss out on big savings.
Accounting personnel may also not understand automation benefits and often dont trust real-time data. Good real-time data will likely be more accurate than counting the number of trucks, so again, there may be some work to be done. Also marketing personnel may say that they want higher quality but are unwilling to commit to charging a higher price for it. So if there is no expected value from the higher quality then there will be no new benefits.
Fourth, Partner
The surprising thing is not that partnering is so seldom done well, but rather that it is ever done at all. Partnering is very beneficial, but it is hard; and benefits usually take some time to appearmore time than management may be willing to wait. If partnering is not working for you, you need to ask if you have done what you should to support the partnering effort.
Have there been discussions between the end-user company automation management and the supplier management to set objectives and expectations for the partnership? Have each of the partners assigned a person to manage the partnership and given them appropriate amount of time to do so? Do all of the participants in each company understand the objectives of the partnership and who in their company to go to for assistance with the partnership? Are surveys done on a regular basis to determine levels of satisfaction? Are the partnership managers really resolving issues, and are there regular meetings between the partnership managers?
Fifth, Develop Professional Staff
Creating a viable cost-efficient automation system design is challenging. Not only is the scope of automation technology available extremely broad, but the technology is changing and advancing rapidly as well. In addition to the technical nature and ever-changing scope of the control technology landscape, automation professionals must often take responsibility for communicating with individual stakeholders and for the overall performance of the project.
Few automation professionals (engineers) learn these technical skills in schoolin fact, professionals in automation have a more varied educational backgrounds than most any other technical discipline. Furthermore, because the automation and process control profession attracts people who are interested in becoming immersed in its complex technology, even fewer are prepared for the communication and leadership roles they must take on to manage automation projects successfully.
In the past, most automation personnel learned their trade by working on the job in a junior role for some number of years and continuing their education by taking courses or training sponsored by the company and from technical societies, vendors and other providers. Today, as in most industries, cost pressures on both end users and suppliers have virtually eliminated on-the-job training; and far fewer courses are taken by individuals, except those specifically required to know how to operate or program a specific system.
Benefits Even Harder
Delivering new benefits from an automation standpoint is even more challenging since it requires knowledge of identifying and estimating them and developing justificationsreally taking charge of the projectand a possessing a broad enough knowledge of automation to conceptualize the best technology to use.
Certification is a way to help deal with these issues. While the basic role of certification is to ensure that people practicing the topic are qualified to do so, a major benefit is to motivate applicants to learn more.
Certifications are everywhere today. Even the most obscure specialty in the medical fieldfor doctors, nurses and techniciansseems to have a certification program, and many of these are required by law or required by the hospital or by the insurance company to operate that equipment or to practice in that specialty.
Some companies require that project managers hold the Project Manager Professional (PMP) certification. Worldwide, more than 80,000 project managers are PMPs. Outside the engineering and medical areas there are even more certifications. In contrast, designing mission-critical automation systems and designing safety systems to protect the environment and personnel rarely requires any certification or even any specific education. Many states have the Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration but in automation that is required only for some types of electrical design. To date, only a small fraction of automation professionals in the U.S. have a P.E. Some other countries have similar certifications but in most countries even fewer are certified than in the U.S. Regardless, a shift to use the P.E. as the certification for all types of automation work is not always practical. There are serious geographical and technical scope limitations with the P.E. relative to automation; and, because of the engineering educational requirement for the P.E., only a fraction of the people working as automation professionals today could qualify).
A new certification developed by ISA, Certified Automation Professional (CAP), has the right scope to deal with these needs. It focuses not just on the broad technology of automation but also on the identification of benefits, justification and execution of the project.
The best of best automation practices
1. Replace control systems when they are obsolete (The term obsolete should really be retired because as long as a system will do the task it was installed to do it is not really obsolete; and systems can be maintained almost indefinitely at some cost to do that task. The real best practice is to replace control systems when there is a defined benefit to do so.)
2. Install smart sensors and valves in critical areas.
3. Fix the control valves (Studies of control valve performance often indicate an average of more than one problem per control valve).
4. Tune your controllers and get them operating at the highest design level.
5. Put advanced process controls such as model reference controls on unit processes that are difficult to control. (The book, Advanced Control Unleashed, is loaded with good things to do with advanced process control.)
6. Install an asset management system.
7. Install a scheduling system to optimize product runs and make changeovers faster.
8. Make data more widely and easily accessible. Install and integrate plant data with MES systems.
9. Integrate plant inventory and production information with business systems. For supply chain scheduling, make to order vs. make to stock.
10. Install a work-in-progress inventory system using live data to give accurate real time cost accounting information. Improve ability to determine delivery dates. Install functionality to do equipment performance monitoring.
11. Standardize hardware, software, and communications across the company.
Vernon L. Trevathan, P. E., PMP, has worked in process automation and project management for more than 40 years, mostly with Monsanto Co. in engineering and manufacturing management positions. He is an ISA Fellow. He currently consults and teaches in project management for automation; and he may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
The Division of Hematology/Oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center has faculty engaged in patient care and research. Clinicians participate in patient care in hematology including:
Division members lead multidisciplinary teams at the Ireland Cancer Center. These professional teams from medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and radiology join with specialized oncology nurses, dieticians, social workers, and music and art therapists to formulate individualized patient care plans. Each patient care team focuses on a major body system affected by cancer, or on a specific procedure, to ensure that therapies are designed by experts in multiple disciplines. A single physician coordinates care with input from the patient's team.
The Division is closely aligned with the NCI-designated CASE Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals of Cleveland. As the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in northern Ohio (one of an elite group of 43 in the country) it is committed to pioneering new cancer treatments through innovative investigation, groundbreaking clinical research and patient-centered programs.
Current NetWellness experts from the Division of Hematology/Oncology include:
This article is a NetWellness exclusive.
Last Reviewed: Nov 05, 2012


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SAN FRANCISCO -- PG&E residential customers can expect a 5.8 percent increase in their gas and electricity bills starting in September after approval by state regulators Thursday of the utility's request for rate hikes.
The decision by the state Public Utilities Commission was the first general rate increase for PG&E since the 2010 natural gas explosion in San Bruno that killed eight people and wrecked a quiet residential neighborhood.
"We have given PG&E the resources that it needs," PUC Commissioner Michael Florio said in reference to the 5-0 vote. "It is PG&E's duty to use its resources effectively to ensure its system is operated in a manner that provides safe, reliable and affordable service to its customers."
Overall monthly bills for an average residential customer will increase $7.50 from the rate hikes, up from the current average bill of $129 a month, according to an estimate provided Thursday by PG&E. The current electricity bill of $80 will rise $3 a month, or 3.8 percent, while the average gas bill of $49 a month will rise $4.50, or 9.2 percent.
Higher gas bills are expected to begin in September, and the higher electricity bills will go into effect in October, PG&E spokesman Jonathan Marshall said.
San Francisco-based PG&E says the increased revenues will finance an array of projects and activities, including a new gas control center in San Ramon, new technologies to detect natural gas leaks and an improved smart grid program to upgrade the reliability of the electricity system.
The rate-hike approval comes amid a pending fine of up to $2.25 billion against PG&E by the PUC for the San Bruno blast, as well as a federal criminal case against the utility that could result in fines of up to $1.13 billion. None of the revenue from the rate case approved Thursday will be used for payments of any of the potential fines, Marshall said.
PUC officials said their approval of the rate hikes was based in part on whether the increased revenue would improve safety and reliability for PG&E's gas and electricity system.
Consumer groups lambasted the decision.
"We keep paying more and more and we are not getting what we paid for," said Mindy Spatt, a spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group. "This is business as usual for PG&E."
The PUC ruling authorized an increase of $460 million in revenue for the utility. PG&E's initial request in late 2012 was for a revenue increase of $1.16 billion.
"Although the decision represents a significant cut in our request for additional resources to modernize our system for the 21st century, we will continue to make safety our top priority," Pacific Gas & Electric President Christopher Johns said in a prepared release.
The higher bills on their way to customers will more than offset a proposed 1 percent cut -- averaging about 55 cents a month -- in natural gas bills. The potential reduction, which has yet to receive PUC approval, is due to lower expenses for PG&E's pipeline safety upgrade program.
"Our residential bills will remain well below the national averages for gas and electric service," Johns said.
In an odd aside to the proceedings, PUC President Michael Peevey for the first time acknowledged, indirectly, a new controversy that has engulfed PG&E and the PUC after San Bruno officials disclosed email exchanges that suggest a cozy relationship between the utility and its regulator.
In some of the emails, Peevey offered public relations advice to PG&E on handling revelations of the utility's criminal indictment. In another email, PG&E regulatory executive Laura Doll wrote to the chief of staff of Commissioner Peevey, expressing enthusiastic gratitude for advice that the staffer, Carol Brown, provided to PG&E. "Love you. Thanks," Doll wrote.
During Thursday's meeting, some utility customers demanded that Peevey resign. Another customer sarcastically gave Peevey a verbal love note.
"I think we've heard the phrase 'love you' somewhere recently," Peevey told the audience. "I'd better not say, 'Love you.'"
Contact George Avalos at 408-859-5167. Follow him at Twitter.com/georgeavalos.


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With most of its industry in shambles as a result of the 23-month-conflict, Syria is now increasingly dependent on Lebanese-manufactured exports [2] to meet its immediate needs, officials and industrialists told The Daily Star Monday.
However, they warned new markets were still needed as industrial exports in general had plunged in value.
"We do not at all like to say that about our neighbors but as they say 'one man's misery is another man's fortune,'" Industry Minister Vreij Sabounjian said, adding that demand for construction materials and foodstuffs had been increasing in the neighboring market.
"Many plants in Syria have unfortunately been destroyed or abandoned by owners as the conflict [3] raged. This led to some of the demand shifting to foreign products and Lebanese industrialists and traders are covering some of it," he said.
News media have reported that hundreds of industrial plants in Aleppo, Idlib and Damascus' suburbs were either razed to the ground by combatant groups or looted.
But Sabounjian and other industrialists do not see Syria as a viable market in the near future, adding that demand in the war-engulfed nation is inconsistent and restricted to bare necessities, particularly as the Syrian pound continues to slide.
The country's currency hit a record low of 105 pounds to the dollar last year on the black market, before recovering slightly.
Jacques Sarraf, chairman of Malia Group [4], a leading Lebanese industrial firm, told The Daily Star that the increase in exports to Syria was primarily for the reason that the Lebanese border is the only "politically open" border.
Syrian and Lebanese traders, he said, were meeting the remaining local demand through Lebanon.
"This applies to both Lebanese-made and imported products [5]. This year Lebanon imported the highest volume of goods in its history," he said, arguing that official export figures did not reflect all the trade happening between the two countries.
"A big portion of the trade between the two countries is happening through nontransparent methods," he said.
Official figures show Lebanon's industrial exports declined by nearly 12 percent in the first 11 months of 2012, according to an Industry Ministry report released Monday.
Total industrial exports reached $2.688 billion; $352 million lower than during the same period in 2011. Compared to 2010, the decline stands at 8 percent, the report said.
But Syria received nearly 12 percent of industrial exports in November, outpacing Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, Lebanon's traditional top export markets.
In the same month, exports fell 13.9 percent, signaling that exports were declining at a faster rate toward the end of the year in spite of the increase to Syria.
But Sabounjian continues to see hope in spite of the figures.
He said most of the decline was accounted for by the precious stones and metals sector, which are highly volatile markets easily affected by the economic slowdown in Europe and some regional countries.
The minister said his ministry was striving to open up export markets outside of the Arab world and Europe, where, he said, demand for Lebanese products had stagnated.
Both experts, however, agree that the conflict in Syria has no overall positive impact on the Lebanese economy.
"The conflict in Syria is by far more devastating on the Lebanese economy than most people think," said Sarraf, a businessman who made investments there before the conflict broke out.
[1] http://www.syndigate.info
[2] http://www.albawaba.com/business/imf-lebanon-economy--451065
[3] http://www.albawaba.com/business/syria-economy-459372
[4] http://www.maliagroup.com
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Lebanon
[6] http://www.dailystar.com.lb/


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That is so ABSOLUTELY the team you want to play. If SD doesn't play so sloppy they win by 3 TD's.
Now I have to decide if I want to buy tix - maybe I could find some nice Boston people who want to visit Indy next weekend and make some money!
J/K - wouldn't do that - and it will be a fun game to be at.


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The Springfield-Greene County Library District will host book discussions this fall in support of Missouri State University's Common Reader program. This year's Common Reader selection is "Start Something That Matters" by Blake Mycoskie. It tells Blake's incredible story as the man behind TOMS Shoes and One for One, the revolutionary business model that marries fun, profit and social good.
The public is invited to attend discussions at the following times and Library locations:
The purpose of the Common Reader program is to provide a common academic experience for first-year students and create a greater sense of community among students, faculty, staff and the public. For more information about Common Reader visit www.missouristate.edu/commonreader/.
Find this article at


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ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - A former St. Johns County substitute teacher has been sentenced on five felony battery chargers for having sex with a teenager.
Stacey Slamka, 49, was arrested in March. She was sentenced to five years of probation and 300 days in jail.
Slamka was credited with one day served. She has to give up her teaching certificate and is not allowed to trespass on any St. Johns County school grounds She is also not allowed to have any isolated contact with minors, but is allowed to attend her child's school functions unless the victim is present.
Slamka must continue with counseling.
Investigators said that between December 2011 and January 2012, she had sex with a 16-year-old boy six times.
Deputies said the two met, then started communicating over the phone and on Facebook. They said she picked him up and took him to Hastings, where they had sex.
School officials said they started investigating Slamka in March 2012 for sending inappropriate text messages to a student, and she was then fired.
She was a substitute teacher at Gamble Rogers Middle School, Pedro Menendez High School, St. Augustine High School, St. Johns Technical High School, Murray Middle School, and Gaines Alternative and Transition Schools.
Slamka had no prior disciplinary issues before the inappropriate texts to a student.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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I just happened to have caught an article in USA Today news, about prescription free birth control pills debate. The article goes on to state that some leading obstetrician's and gynecologists has recommended that oral contraceptives be sold over the counter, well my first thought was too all the 2012 Obama campaigner's hoopla over "free birth-control" or Mitt's gonna take away my contraceptives.
First of all it was established that yes planned parenthood will provided free birth control IF, only if they prove you qualify. Planned Parenthood states this quiet plainly on their website, and if you should have to pay something for your oral contraceptives it's as comparative to the price you can get from Target, Kroger, and Walmart. Oh yes those large companies will give you generic brands of oral contraceptives at around the same price as Planned Parenthood, $9 you just have to ask.
I can only imagine that the lobbyist and advocates of Planned Parenthood are not happy with the idea of prescription free over the counter contraceptives, because after all, contraceptives is tied in percentage of service needs with testing and treating STD's, which makes those two, the largest services offered through Planned Parenthood. No it's not mammograms as Pres. Obama tried to imply this campaign. County clinics can offer and make the same referrals for STD treatments and testing as well as mammograms. Medicaid and States are funding these centers and particularly the ones that provide abortions. Planned Parenthood affiliates receives $75 million through congress and millions more federally subsidized funds for sex education and then more through Medicaid. Now according to the law of Title X, planned parenthood cannot use federal funds for abortions. Medicaid funding is restricted by the Hyde Amendment to only abortion cases involving rape, incest or endangerment to the life of the mother.
Well with those laws being followed, I guess liberals had no need to wring their hands and lament on and on about how Mitt was going to take away their abortions! Gov. Romney was talking about cutting funding to Planned Parenthood because there are better and other resources out there for this, hell I'm all for having a law that lowers the cost of these pharmaceuticals if it keeps down the number of unwanted pregnancies and eliminates abortions. That's what the liberals should have lamented and wailed about! Costs! We all know that the true cost of prescriptions are inflated, make that over inflated in most cases. So I wonder if the need for a doctor's prescription is removed and the costs factors are lowered on the drug, does Planned Parenthood still require so much funding?
It will be interesting to see what 2013 brings about contraceptives being made available over the counter, and where congress will go with funding either related to this possibility or in general since the republican majority house in 2011 has been on the democrat-ruled senate to cut the fat with Planned Parenthood federal funding.
Milton Friedman video on the ramifications of socialized medicine and government involvement.


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I shifted from the Gelug school in the Tibetan tradition to the Theravada for many reason not least being the wearisome bickering going on. Least said the better I guess......
However, I don't agree particularly with everything I read in the Abbhidhamma. My philosophical view is still that of the Prasangikas.
Do you perceive this as a problem if I am to pursue the Theravadin path?