text: Tax credit story disputed By Phil Kabler December 12, 2012 Story Share CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette on Wednesday disputed a recent New York Times article that claimed that West Virginia gives more than $1 billion of tax credits and incentives each year to recruit and retain businesses."That article was poorly researched and comparisons poorly made," Burdette said at a joint meeting of legislative interim committees on finance and economic development.Burdette said the article cited $1.2 billion of sales tax exemptions in the past budget year, but failed to note that the vast majority of that amount was in federal tax credits to utility companies to upgrade power plants under the Clean Power Plant and Modernization Act.In reality, he said the total value of all tax credits and exemptions given by the state in the budget year was $32 million, and $10 million of that was from the state Film Industry Investment Act.By comparison, he noted, Pennsylvania has offered a $1.2 billion package of tax incentives to Shell Energy to attract a cracker plant.Burdette also said that in eight years, the state has authorized four forgivable loans totaling $9.5 million to attract businesses, but said those loans paid off in $270 million in private investment, and the creation of more than 1,500 full-time jobs with benefits."The facts are, for our size and resources ... we're managing to compete relatively well," he told legislators.Burdette said the portfolio of tax incentives the state Development Office can offer to attract new businesses are not particularly unique or unusual from those available in other states. The reality, he said, is that the most desirable business developments, such as the Macy's distribution center, have multiple site options in multiple states."Every day we compete against these other states for every opportunity," Burdette said.He said all of West Virginia's business incentives are performance-based, and credits apply to economic production after the fact.Burdette conceded that in one of his first legislative meetings after becoming secretary in September 2010, he was asked to provide a list of all financial assistance and tax credits offered through the Development Office."To be honest, I was embarrassed to discover we didn't have such a list. It didn't exist," said Burdette, who said the complete list is now available in print copies and on the office's website.The Development Office also has a four-page brochure outlining development assistance options. However, Delegate Barbara Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, chided the Development Office for insufficient transparency when it comes to economic incentives to attract business investment. "Legislators have been asking for transparency since the Underwood administration," she said. "It's not that I think all business tax subsidies are wrong, but we need that data."Reach Phil Kabler at firstname.lastname@example.com or 304-348-1220. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Charleston restaurant 2 Innerviews: Dual-identity surgeon riding high in horse racing world 3 New company planning $73M synthetic fuel plant in Greenbrier County 4 Rod Run and Doo Wop brings classic cars, music to Boulevard for 12th year 5 Gazette editorial: On the frontier of knowledge W.Va. investigators lauded for role in HSBC case Previous Story Outgoing sheriff to be named chief deputy Next Story


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text:
Last Updated on 19 Jan. 2005, Company: DTM soft
DTM DB Stress is a utility for stress testing the server parts of information systems and applications, as well as DBMSs and servers themselves. This tool allows you to create and configure a continuous set of requests to the server of the OLAP (query execution) and OLTP (adding, modifying and deleting data in the database) types. At the same time, the user can flexibly change both the number and the priority of this or that type of requests to a database or an application.


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Many people frequently ask me: "Should I go to Belize or Costa Rica, and what is the difference"? Well, the two countries, though not separated by a tremendous number of miles, are as different as night and day. One of the major differences, are the presence of volcanoes in Costa Rica along the central spine of mountains running northwest to southeast from Nicaragua to Panama.
Throughout the highland areas are numerous volcanoes, some which have been dormant for eons while others are still quite active, providing an opportunity for visitors to observe volcanoes that still have smoldering cones, some of which can be viewed from their rims. Some of the more accessible volcanoes include: Arenal Volcano in the Tilaran Mountains and closer to San José are Poas Volcano and Irazu Volcano. There are, of course, many other volcanoes, especially in the Northern Guanacaste Cordillera but those require long and very difficult hikes.
One of the best volcanoes, with close proximity to San José is Poas Volcano. A very good paved road allows visitors the comfort of driving "almost" to the rim of the active volcano. On past trips, I have seen resplendent quetzals along the roadside and once near the top birder's should watch for the endemic volcano hummingbird. In addition, as one gains elevation along the route, a very large leaf plant becomes very apparent, locally called "poor man's umbrella." The leaves are indeed large enough for a person to shelter under during a rain event. Once at the top, a very short walk takes you to the rim of the volcano. Depending upon the direction of the wind, visitors may immediately smell the aroma of sulfur. To many people the smell resembles rotting eggs but I don't believe too many people have actually smelled rotting eggs so that description may or may not be too valid. Anyway, the aroma or stench of sulfur can be quite significant if the winds are blowing across the volcano towards the parking area. Once arriving at the rim, visitors look down into an almost moon like landscape. The gray color of lava and ash, the orange and reds of sulfur and iron and a steaming hole, not in the center of the volcano but offset and it has formed its own secondary mini cone. If the weather is good, the views of this volcano can be quite magnificent. There is also a trail that allows visitors to walk amongst vegetation that only grows in the acidic zones of active volcanoes and again if one is lucky, a volcano hummingbird may put in an appearance.
Further north is the famed Arenal Volcano. For decades, Arenal was quite active and has actually had major eruptions in the recent past. In fact during my employment with IE, Arenal blew out one side of its cone. This eruption required evacuation from many of the lodges built on the sides of the volcano. For the past year, Arenal has been dormant, but still of interest to many visitors is the lava field, which shows what lava can do to change a landscape in the matter of hours.
The third accessible volcano is Irazu. This volcano is quite famous — its last eruption occurred the day of President John F. Kennedy's visit to Costa Rica. Today, although the volcano is still active, there is much human activity around its base and even up the sides of the volcano. The fertile landscapes allow for agriculture as well as dairy farms. A paved road allows access and morning visits are advised as from the top of Irazu, both the Pacific and Caribbean can be seen...obviously in opposite directions. Irazu, due to its elevation, often gets shrouded in clouds by early afternoon, limiting the view to misty cloud cover. So, on your next Costa Rica tour with International Expeditions, visit one of the active volcanoes. There are not many places in the world where this type of observation is possible!


text: The Nike 1000 Spiral-Tech Juniors' Football delivers consistent flight and accuracy on the playing field. The composite leather cover provides all-weather performance and durability, and the high-tack finish helps enhance your grip on the ball. The full nylon-wound butyl body and bladder maintain their shapes and offer excellent air retention. For ages 9 - 12 years.


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Terry West has created a number of freeware VST plugins: Channel, Combo/Combo Pro, CompEq, CompEq-V, EasyVox, MidiMix/MiniMix, MidiRack, Silver, Steady, Steady Pro Bundle, Take1 and VocEqPro, listed below in alphabetical order. (This page will have the lastest version of all plugins)
Update: Terry now has a website up with all his plug-ins, so check that for to be sure to have the latest versions. I will leave this page up as a mirror.
Channel is a freeware versatile channel tool.
- Pan: individual panning controls, bypass and inverse
- Eq: High, HiMid, LowMid, Low
- Filter: Cutoff & Resonance
- Pitch doubler
- Vu-meters with zoom buttons
Download Channel v0.9 2.1 MB (9776 downloads)
Combo/Combo Pro
Combo is a professional MultiChannel wavefile player.
- 5 slots for wavefiles
- 2-bands Eq with on/off
- Level, Pan, Pitch controls
- Preview, Solo, Mute and Boost
- Reverse, Start and End adjust
- Enable Fileloop
- Internal Reverb engine
- Stereo Widener effect
- Attack, Release controls
- Midi active leds
The Pro version has more advanced EQ controls.
Download Combo v0.7 1.2 MB (2847 downloads)
Download Combo Pro v0.8 1.2 MB (4478 downloads)
CompEq is a smooth compressor and equalizer.
- Compressor
- InputGain, Attack, Release, Ratio, Threshold and OutputGain controls
- Input/output/reduction meters
- Bypass, Meters on/off, Auto Makeup
- Equalizer
- Low, LowMid, HiMid, High and Air controls with reset buttons
- Eq on/off, Preboost full/low, Finetune controls
- Many presets included
Download CompEq v0.6 2.2 MB (11724 downloads)
CompEQ-V is a vocal compressor and equalizer.
- Compressor
- InputGain, Attack, Release, Ratio, Threshold and OutputGain controls.
- Bypass, EQ on/off, Meters on/off.
- Input/output/reduction meters.
- Autolinked Ratio/Threshold.
- Numeric Peak indicators.
- Saturation control.
- Semi Autogain by Threshold.
- Auto input limiter.
- Equalizer
- Low, LowMid, HighMid, High controls.
- Hicut, Lowcut, Midkill, Fine on/off.
- 4 resonance controls.
- 3 Equalizer models with attunate controls (sibilance).
Download CompEQ-V v1.54 1.2 MB (5339 downloads)
EasyVox is an effect plug-in for vocal processing.
- Dynamic mono vocal compressor/limiter.
- Three bands equalizer.
- Autogain and Pre-Limiter.
- Three EQ models.
- Independed Low-Mid-Hicut filters.
- Vocal Doubler effect.
- Pre in/Post out gain.
- In/out/reduction meters.
Download EasyVox v1.7 (updated 2008.08.23) 1.1 MB (4631 downloads)
MidiMix is a MIDI controller instrument featuring 16 channels.
- 16 channel midi controller
- Sends and receives Midicc commands
- Hold, Bender, Modulation, Chorus, Volume and Pan controls
- One user definable command
- Reset buttons for pan and volume
- Panic button
- Automation
Minimix is a 1 channel version of MidiMix.
Download MidiMix/MiniMix v0.5 1.9 MB (3563 downloads)
MidiRack is a MIDI messages visualisation plugin.
- 16 midi channels and major CC controllers in one view: Vol, Pan, Mod, Bend, Hold, AT, Expr., and Prog
- Led signals and realtime controller view
MidiRack Small is a version with the same information in a smaller GUI.
Download MidiRack v0.3 1.3 MB (2977 downloads)
Download MidiRack Small v0.3 1.2 MB (2286 downloads)
Silver is a freeware parametric equalizer.
- Highpass filter
- Three flexible paremetric bands (Lowmid, Highmid, High-1, High-2)
- All bands has selectable frequencies
- Frequencies range from 35 kHz ~ 8 K
- Resonant filter per band
- Solo and Boost per band
- Bypass per band and global bypass
- Main volume out
- Stereo (mono insert) and mono versions
Download Silver v0.8 1.8 MB (3921 downloads)
Download Silver v0.5 1.8 MB (1860 downloads)
Steady is a freeware auto leveler VST effect plugin (think expander/limiter with some special EQ enhancing).
- Three selectable level-models
- Bypass function
- Gain slider
- Mono and stereo versions included
Download Steady v0.6 1.4 MB (10163 downloads)
Steady Pro Bundle
Steady Pro Bundle is a collection of freeware auto leveler VST effect plugins (think expander/limiter with some special EQ enhancing).
- Four selectable Steady-models (Heavy, High, Normal, Soft)
- 4-bands Eq with on/off
- Output gain control
- Global Bypass
- LowCut function
- Att & Rel controls (except Heavy)
- Parabolic Saturation control with on/off
- Model dividers
- All major controls has a reset button
- I/O meters
- Mono, stereo and lite versions
Download Steady Pro Bundle v1.3 2.7 MB (6213 downloads)
A mono only version with some VocEqPro features is available here too: Steady Pro V v1.3 0.9 MB (2128 downloads)
Take1 is a simple SoundFont Player.
- Playback of sf2 Soundfont files
- Preview keyboard
- Midi receive channel selectable
- Level, pan
- Solo and mute
- Octave up/down
- Semitone up/down
- Volume boost
- ADSR controls
- Three band equalizer
- Double effect for widing the signal
- P.Pan function. (pitch as pan)
- V.Filter function. (vel. controlled filter)
- Midi automation
- Can load huge sf2 files (more than 200 mb)
Download Take1 v1.4 1.3 MB (27099 downloads) (v1.3c is still available here)
VocEqPro is a special vocal equalizer. VocEqPro comes in two versions, VOCEQPRO and VOCEQPRO-C, which includes a compressor effect.
- 4 bands mono Vocal equalizer
- 65Hz ~ 7K (15K)
- Gender presets for male – female – default (- off VocEqPro-C only)
- 8 patch presets
- Boost modes: Pre-Mid-Air
- Gender attenuation controls
- Auto-limiter on main output with limit-led (VocEqPro-C only)
- Smooth compressor with Attack-Release-Ratio-Threshold and on/off controls (VocEqPro-C only)
- Vu-meters with zoom buttons
- For use on mono vocal tracks
Download VocEqPro v1.6 1.8 MB (20086 downloads)


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Festival gives downtown Los Altos the ultimate exposure
There are many who believe the downtown Los Altos Arts and Wine festival is one of the top family festivals on the peninsula. The festival includes children's programs, music and entertainment that other art and wine festivals don't begin to utilize.
When there are 500 hard working volunteers promoting a friendly family atmosphere, it's easy to understand why an estimated 100,000 people will visit the booths of 385 artists in the downtown area for the two-day festival.
Sixteen years ago, Marion Jackston, known by some as the matriarch of downtown Los Altos, convinced the downtown Los Altos Village Association (LAVA) to start a festival type "garage sale." After seeing how successful the Festival of Lights Parade became in 1977, she suggested the association sponsor the downtown Los Altos Arts and Wine Festival in the South Parking Plaza.
The festival wasn't heartily received by some merchants, but Jackston addressed concerns by talking to opponents individually. As she envisioned, the Los Altos Arts and Wine Festival, which began in 1980, turned out to be the greatest fund-raiser imaginable for the association.
The festival provides the "seed money" for other events. LAVA organizers use festival proceeds to fund and promote the annual Festival of Lights Parade, a Halloween window painting contest, concerts in the Community Plaza, a downtown Easter Egg Hunt, high school scholarships and other activities.
Jane Reed, former executive director of LAVA, said the festival began as a fund-raiser for other events and has met the goal each year.
"The festival has progressed into a family get-together where you see people you haven't seen for a long time. We tried to bill this as a greeting place for families."
At the same time, the festival is also a great fund-raiser for service clubs and non-profit organizations that operate festival booths.
Sandy Grisedale, executive director of LAVA, also touts the benefits of the Arts and Wine Festival.
"It's prestige for Los Altos," she said. "Visitors see what we have to offer in downtown Los Altos and they come back time and time again to shop. Each year we have co-sponsors who want to be associated with the festival. These organizations are so supportive of the festival that they want to come back each year."
LAVA president Kent Nelson said the festival is the envy of other communities. "Because of our Arts and Wine Festival, LAVA is looked upon in the Bay Area as the premium example of a downtown merchant and professional organization," he said. "Everyone wishes they could emulate our vision, vitality and merchant dedication. The physical attributes from the lamp posts to the hanging banners are examples of benefits from the festival."
Norm Chu, owner of Baskin-Robbins on State Street, said not all merchants are happy with the festival because it takes away some of their Saturday business and it takes up all the parking places.
"I'm on the board of directors of LAVA and a lot of merchants don't understand that the festival covers all the expenses for the year," he said. "I'm for it 110 percent, because its a great opportunity to showcase downtown as well as the services other towns don't have."
Ron Shanholtz, owner of Mac's Tea Room on Main Street, has mixed feelings over the benefits of the festival.
"The biggest negative is the festival closes down Main and State Streets for two days," he said. "Most of the people come from out of town and regular customers don't shop because of a lack of parking spaces. But I do a good day's business without my regular customers. The bar does great and the restaurant does well for the two days."
"The festival generates more walk-in traffic than any other event," said William Puccetti, owner of Design and Interiors on State Street. "We are open both days and we make good sales each day. I have talked to other merchants explaining how important it is to stay open on Sunday just to get the exposure."
Dennis Ronberg, owner of Linden Tree Children's Records and Books on State Street, first organized a children's stage for the festival, an element that keeps expanding with each passing year.
"The benefits of the Arts and Wine festival have helped Los Altos become a unique city by developing the atmosphere of a family community," Ronberg said. "Having the children's stage adds another dimension that other festivals don't have. The children's program is a quality event other festivals don't try to follow. It brings in a lot of families from out of town.
"My business on the days of the festival are not that great, but the festival allows parents to discover our store and they return later to browse and purchase."
Service clubs also benefit from the festival, as the Sertoma, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs will attest.
Sandy Pakaski, president of Sertoma Club, will work in a barbecue food booth as Sertoma participates in its fifth year at the festival. Sertoma profits will support the Olde Town Band, the Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC), the Community Services Agency (CSA) and School for the Deaf.
The festival is the second biggest fund-raiser for the Kiwanis Club. Kiwanis president Elizabeth Cleary said their profits help provide projects to senior groups in Los Altos, scholarships and contributions to CSA.
Noreen Sorg of the Los Altos Police Department cited only one arrest at the festival the past two years, indicating crowds attending recent festivals have been well-behaved.
"I want to stress that we've never had a problem," Grisedale said. "We've been lucky in that we've had great crowds." She said three police officers will be patrolling festival grounds each day.
Festival clean-up, in the hands of Los Altos Garbage Company employees, also has been handled well, organizers say.
"Street trash cans will be emptied before, during and after the weekend," Nelson said. "City crews have been planting additional flowers and plants and tidying up. They will sweep and clean up Monday morning (July 10) by 6 a.m." He said 20 rest rooms and four handicapped facilities will be provided during the festival.
"By the time they're done (maintenance crews), it's like the festival didn't even happen," Grisedale said.


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Group 11 Rotary Damper
Drives & Actuators
Beck drives and rotary actuators are a benchmark in industrial control damper and valve actuation.
Group 11 Rotary DamperDrives & Actuators
» Product Features & Specifications
» Data Sheets, Drawings, & Manuals
» Model 11-150
» Model 11-200 / 11-300
» Model 11-400
» Model 11-430
Group 11 Rotary DamperDrives & Actuators
» Product Features & Specifications
» Data Sheets, Drawings, & Manuals
» Model 11-150
» Model 11-200 / 11-300
» Model 11-400
» Model 11-430
Group 22 RotaryDamper Drives
Our damper drives offer excellent performance in a maintainance-free design.
Group 22 Rotary Damper Drives
» Product Features & Specifications
» Data Sheets, Drawings, & Manuals
» Model 22-309
» Model 22-409
» Model 22-809
Group 22 Rotary Damper Drives
» Model 22-309
» Model 22-409
» Model 22-809
Group 75 CompactRotary Actuators
Check out our compact design!
» Watchthe Group 75 video
Group 31 CompactRotary Actuators
A compact design for valves and dampers.
» Product Features &Specifications
» Data Sheets, Drawings,& Manuals
Group 31 CompactRotary Actuators
A compact design for valves and dampers.
» Product Features &Specifications
» Data Sheets, Drawings,& Manuals
Quarter Turn Rotary Valve Actuators
Group 11 Quarter-Turn Rotary Actuators
» Model 11-160
» Model 11-260 / 11-360
» Model 11-460
» Fulcrum-Lever Mounting
Group 31 Compact Valve Actuators
» Group 31
Group 42 Linear Actuators
A versatile, compact design, advanced electronics, and Beck reliability all highlight the new Group 42 linear actuator.
Group 42 Linear Actuators
» Product Features & Specifications
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» Model 42-109
» Model 42-107, 42-105, 42-103
» Model 42-109
» Model 42-107, 42-105, 42-103
Beck electric actuators are designed for unparalleled performance and reliablility in modulating or open / close applications.
Engineered to the high performance standards of today's sophisticated control instrumentation, Beck;s electric actuators maximize final control element performance, providing responsive, repeatable actuation.
Group 14 Linear Valve Actuators
Group 14 linear valve actuators combine the benefits of precise, responsive modulation and tight shutoff for exceptional performance in globe valve applications.
Group 14 Linear Valve Actuators
» Product Features & Specifications
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» Model 14-100
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Group 29 Linear Valve Actuators
A versatile, compact design, advanced HART®-capable electronics, hazardous location ratings, and Beck reliability all highlight the new Group 29 linear valve actuator.
Group 29 Linear Valve Actuators
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» Model 29-100
» Model 29-250
» Model 29-600
» Model 29-100
» Model 29-250
» Model 29-600
Backup Power Unit (BPU)
Fail-to-position actuator
response in a maintenance-free,
reliable package
Valve Mounting Hardware
Bracket &Linkage
Linkage Kits
Linkage kits are available for the mechanical connection from the actuator crank arm to the load lever arm. Beck's linkage kits help improve your control by eliminating slop in your linkage connection.
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All customers are welcome to contact the Corporate Headquarters and Factory in Newtown, Pennsylvania for prompt, expert assistance. Sales and service within the U.S. are factory-direct from the Newtown headquarters. On-site support in the U.S. is provided by factory-based Sales Engineers.
International customers receive local support from Beck's global network of representatives. Please refer to the Contact section of this website for global representatives, or contact the factory for more information.
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Beck Factory Sales Engineers can demonstrate virtually any drive feature by bringing a drive to your location »
The Beck Advantage
Beck damper drives and valve actuators have a well-earned reputation for superior control, high reliability, and outstanding »
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Beck drives can be specified and installed to match the performance of your control system at any level of automation »
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Foundation Fieldbus
Beck is pleased to announce the successful completion of Foundation Fieldbus Interoperability testing of the Digital Control Module (DCM). As a resu... Read more...
Beck Actuators Qualify for the ARRA
All Beck Electric actuators and damper drives for industrial process control valves and dampers qualify for the American Recovery and Reinvestment ... Read more...
Drop-in Replacement for 3-Phase Actuators
Group 11 control valve actuators and damper drives are now offered with an integral transformer for 208, 380, 415, 480, or 575 VAC power.B... Read more...
DCM-2 (Digital Control Module)
The DCM-2 is Beck's second generation Digital Control Module. As with the original DCM, it provides onboard, precision, modulating control of ... Read more...
Beck Enters Nuclear Industry Alliance With AZZ
Harold Beck and Sons Inc is pleased to announce its alliance with AZZ | NLI. This agreement makes Beck electric actuators available to all areas of n... Read more...
Group 75 Compact Rotary Actuators
Beck's new compact rotary actuator is an evolutionary design that combines the performance, reliability and control advantages of Beck actuators wit... Read more...
Ethanol Blending Optimization
The ethanol blending process is a critical part of petrol terminal operation and has a significant impact on product quality, meeting environmental re... Read more...
Unique Actuator and Fulcrum Lever Design
Extracting oil from the Canadian oil sands is a challenge. This is especially true in areas where the oil sand is layered underground preventing the u... Read more...
Beck Plant Expansion
July 2012Harold Beck & Sons Inc., manufacturer of Beck electric actuators for industrial control valves and dampers, recently completed a... Read more...
Ethanol Producer Magazine
Using electric actuators on critical applications improves control and reliability. A quality feed coproduct is vital to the success of an ethanol pla... Read more...
Power Insider Magazine
Actuator Performance Significantly Impacts Boiler Control & Plant Performance.Harold Beck & Sons, Incorporated has been manufacturing elec... Read more...
Profibus PA
Beck is pleased to announce the certification of its Profibus PA Digital Control Module (DCM), and associated EDD and GSD files. The most popular fie... Read more...
Beck Receives Supplier Award from B&W
The B&W Power Generation Group has again presented Harold Beck and Sons, Incorporate... Read more...
Serial number Lookup
Beck actuators are uniquely designed to deliver continuous and precise control.
Burner Tilts
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Process Control
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What is an Actuator


text: Keep in mind, that for Lance to defend the 1 better than Hill, he'd basically have to become one of the two best point defenders in the league. While probably half the board doesn't appreciate Hill's defense because they don't understand how to defend the PnR, realize the rest of the NBA accurately recognizes Hill as one of the best point defenders in the NBA. (on top of that unlike fellow defensive stalwart Mike Conley, Hill can defend the 2, allowing PG to harass the 1).


text: Doctor of Management (DM) in Executive Leadership Back Title: Doctor of Management (DM) in Executive Leadership Date: 10/26/2012 9:15:00 AM Add to Calendar Time: 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM Address: Webinar - VirtualWebinar - VirtualAnytown, MI 48026 Map & Directions Contact Name: Brenda Meller Contact Email: email@example.com If you believe a Doctor of Management would benefit you as a business leader, consultant, or business educator, we encourage you to join the webinar to learn more. Webinar Content: DM program overview: Course rollout, DM faculty, and program content On campus residency weekends and online course delivery Applying to Walsh College: Admissions requirements, application process and academic calendar Q&A with webinar attendees For more information on the DM program, visit: Doctor of Management. Seating is limited, register here: www.walshcollege.edu/webinars


text:
FMLA: 20 Years of Building Bonds Between Babies and Parents, Time Now For Paid Leave!
February 13, 2013
By Emily Firgens
Last week marked the twentieth anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which has offered millions of workers access to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. More than 100 million workers have accessed this leave to take care of newborns, family members and themselves. As we celebrate FMLA 20 years later, we are also reminded of how far the U.S. still has to go in offering paid leave and fully supporting the needs of children and families.
While the FMLA has set an important precedent for parental leave, the U.S. remains the only industrialized nation without a national paid family leave program that helps support workers when they need time off to care for a new baby, sick family member, or themselves. A lack of a paid family leave policy has left workers struggling to meet the needs and expectations of both work and family. Low-income people in particular often work in jobs that provide few family-support benefits, making the demands of family and job even more challenging to meet.
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) zeroes in on the effects of maternal employment and parental leave policies on "child health, child cognitive and emotional development, maternal health, and the health of parental relationships." NCCP's brief highlights research findings showing that mothers who take paid family leave are more likely to breastfeed for longer and at higher rates, which leads to positive health outcomes for both child and mother. Additionally, paid family leave policies are associated with lower infant and child mortality rates, higher birth weight, more well-baby doctors' visits, and complete immunizations. More parental time with babies also has positive social and cognitive benefits for children including higher cognitive scores, better bonding with parents, and increased parental responsiveness to child's cues. Moms who receive paid family leave show lower rates of depression, and more complete physical recovery from childbirth.
A recent event sponsored by the American Institutes for Research and ZERO TO THREE to recognize the anniversary of the Act, emphasized the importance of paid leave for infants and parents. During the event, experts outlined how a federally initiated paid leave program could build off of the existing FMLA to offer parents 14 weeks -or 16 weeks if both parents opt to take time off-of job-protected paid leave in addition to the 12 weeks of unpaid leaved FMLA provides. While the prospects of Congress passing such a proposal anytime soon do not seem promising, paid leave is policy that both parties should be able to support.
While the federal government has yet to pass legislation guaranteeing paid time off, states are acting on this important issue. New Jersey and California both offer paid leave policies. New Jersey and California's family leave insurance programs are funded entirely by very small employee contributions of less than one-half of one percent of wages. These states recognize that the benefits to babies and parents are overwhelming and long-lasting. It's now time that we start supporting paid leave, including parental leave, at the national level.


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Professors: Bangura, Boyer Lewis, Brock, Carroll, Frost, Haus, Lewis (Chair)
Historical narrative occupies a central position in a liberal arts education. Such education equips individuals to understand and appreciate the world and to meet its challenges. The study of History contributes much to these ends, maintaining that people and societies are, in important respects, the products of their past; therefore, the story of the past provides insight helpful to both personal and social development.
History stands at the core of a liberal arts education, moreover, since one aim of that education is to integrate the various disciplines. Taking as its subject a narrative of individuals and society in the past, History draws upon all disciplines to discuss that past. It provides a narrative framework for the study of other disciplines and helps the advanced student integrate various academic perspectives.
With department approval, one unit (AP/IB, Study Abroad, transfer, etc.) may be applied to the major or minor but cannot be used to fulfill the one-course requirement for any of the four fields. See department for specific information.
Number of Units
At least nine units are required, not including the SIP.
Required Courses
Majors must complete at least one course at Kalamazoo College in each of the four fields of the department:
Majors must complete at least three courses in their major field and at least two courses in their minor field.
Required Seminars
HIST 299 Historical Methods
HIST 490 History Senior Seminar
Plus one of the following:
HIST 391 Seminar in United States History
HIST 393 Seminar in Early European History
HIST 394 Seminar in Modern European History
HIST 397 Seminar in East Asian History
All majors are required to present their SIP at and participate in the department's SIP colloquium and to pass a comprehensive exam.
Number of Units and Required Courses


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London Fashion Week Fall 2013 Street Style
Board Meeting. This was the season of the modern powersuit: sleek and minimalist. A tailored blazer and black pants are just enough to make a powerful statement.
Sitting at the Computer. Staring at a screen all day? It may be boring, but you don't have to look it. Pair a bold-print top with a blazer and some funky trousers to make your outfit pop.
Behind the Scenes at New York Fashion Week


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Discussion in 'Former Pro Player Talk' started by 5555, Jul 20, 2012.
I thought this was Federer.?
Just for new born Christians.
Yes. Christian Quidet in "the wonderful tennis history", and Patrice Dominguez in several books he wrote. And a lot of websites specialized about tennis. In fact, almost everyone interested in tennis think Vilas is the n°1. Because he won more Grand Slams, more tournaments and more matches than Borg.
How can an issue still be open after so long?
I think there are richer years in terms of who was nº 1, like 1970 or 1971, maybe 1976, 1989, 1990 with more slam winners ( and WCT finals and Masters, too).
Is there anybody willing to discuss those years?
1970 was clearly Laver. 1971 is tougher to judge, but I go with Newcombe. 1976 is Connors. 1989 is Becker, and 1990 is Edberg.
Thanks, Mustard¡¡
My point is , and I go by records, not by peak play:
1970:Rosewall (Laver for peak play)
1971:Smith (Newk for peak play)
1976:Borg (Connors for peak play)
1989: Becker (Becker for peak play but very close with Lendl and Edberg)
1990:Edberg (Possibly Edberg for peak play, although the way Sampras took the Open just let me stunned)
The way some talk about him you would think they do.
"But even though World Tennis magazine declared Vilas No. 1 for the year, most other authorities disagreed and bestowed that mythical honor on Borg."
The Bud Collins History of Tennis An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book
Can you give exact quotes from their books?
Considering that jean pierre has not responded, it can be concluded that he lost the argument.
It's generally agreed that Borg was the real No. 1 ni 1977.
Have you looked at Vilas' and Borg's results yet?
I think it's clear that Vilas had the better year in 1977.
What if it was Connors?
"But even though World Tennis magazine declared Vilas No. 1 for the year, most other authorities disagreed and bestowed that mythical honor on Borg."
source: The Bud Collins History of Tennis An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book
I think Bud collins thought that Boud Collins was "the most other authorities" ! Because most authorities (Livre d'or du Tennis, Tennis de France, Eugene L. Scoot, Christian Quidet, Patrice Dominguez, Fracis Haedens, World tennis ...) declared Vilas n°1. "Experts were agree to consider Vilas as the real n°1 in 1977" (Chron'open, specialized web site). "ATP was contradicted by experts ; placed n°1 by specialized newspapers..." (Sportvox, web site).
Do you have a mind of your own at all?
The real no. 1 is always the player with the best accomplishments over that particular year. Of course sometimes that can still be highly subjective, for instance with 2003 when many people disagree over whether Roddick, Federer or Ferrero had the best year.
However with 1977 it was clearly Vilas.
While I still think that Connors was the third best player that year behind Vilas and Borg, I still think he had an excellent year given that he won 2 titles and reached 2 more finals at the 4 biggest tournaments he entered.
He had a much better year than similarly questionable year end no.1 players Mac in 1982 or Sampras in 1998 (despite winning Wimbledon) I would say.
I would say the real #1 was indeed Borg, but Connors also has a decent case. Vilas was not, the 3 biggest events this year by far were Wimbledon, U.S Open, and the Masters, given the laughable fields of both Australia and Paris. Borg won one and lost the finals of another. Vilas was one, and didnt make the finals of the other two, and was owned by Borg all year long. Connors made the finals of all three, and won one. In the end Borg won Player of the Year and Connors was computer year end #1. A split of the fortunes between the two best, and just about right.
Are you joking? Vilas, Panatta, Gottfried, Ramirez, Solomon, Nastase, Kodes, Smith and Dibbs is not a "laughable field" for the 1977 French Open. As for Borg not being there, that was his choice. How the hell do you expect Borg to win the tournament if he has ruled himself out of it?
The facts remain. Vilas won 2 majors in 1977, won 72 out of his 73 matches of the year, and won 16 tournaments in all. Borg and Connors don't have the results in 1977 to match this.
Connors's 1977 has got to be one of the best seasons in the open era that a player has had without winning a major. I think it comfortably tops his own 1975, as WCT final and Masters titles easily outweigh a runner-up appearance at an Australian Open that 18 out of the top 20 players skipped. Plus from his matches during both years that I've seen, I think that his overall 1977 level was higher than his 1975 one.
Lendl's 1982 was excellent with 15 official titles (plus 2 more unofficial ones) including the WCT finals and Masters, a US Open final appearance, and an unbeaten record against McEnroe.
Laver was banned from defending his Australian Open and RG titles in 1970 of course and had disappointing results at Wimbledon and the US Open, but won so many big titles that year, such as Philadelphia, Sydney, Johannesburg, Toronto, Los Angeles PSW and Wembley. Many people, me included, considered that to be his 7th consecutive year as the best player in the world.
Roche was a US Open finalist in 1969 and reached the semis of the other 3 majors that year, in addition to winning very big titles at Sydney (beating Laver in the final) and the German Open. Plus he must have won a decent total of unofficial titles that year but I cannot find a definitive list.
Vilas had a fantastic year in 1977 and you also have to take into account Vilas did beat Connors in the finals of the US Open and in the Masters. I can't see Connors as number one for 1977.
I just wanted to throw in a different angle when I posted Connors to be the overall most regular player at majors.I do not think he deserved nº 1 based on major records that year but he owned the very very strong WCT tour ( which only Borg,Vilas,Gottfried skipped among the best players).
Do you know my feeling? it may seem absurd but I think that very hot year was decided by a single double fault.That of Connors at the fifth set, tenth game of the Wimbly final.I am sure that, had not he committed that DF, he would have beaten Borg at the very final edge, after one of the greatest come back in modern history..and with Wimbledon,Masters and Dallas he would have been the nº 1.It may look a bit exagerated but...it could have been very real.
I can see your logic but the fact remains that Borg did win the Wimbledon final. Maybe Connors would won if he didn't double fault but to be honest, since he was playing Borg I'm not so sure about that. Borg did say that he thought Connors would win if not for the double fault but Borg does say a lot of things. I think Ashe made a comment once (I think it was when Borg in 1974 won another close match) that Borg would always say he was so lucky to win. Ashe wrote something to the effect that everyone knew he was NOT lucky to win these close matches.
And you also have to take into account Connors didn't have the best of years for him. He won 8 of 21 tournaments. A sub par Connors year in those days.
But you are comparing Connors many more wins at Riordan´s tour, which had much weaker fields than 77 WCT.if you look at the WCT tour players, it is an impressive colection of talent, with Nastase,Laver ( quite old, true) and Rosewall ( the same), Stockton ( on his finest year),Dibbs,Ramirez,Solly,Okker,Gerulatis,Fibak,Panatta ( a year after his great 76), Orantes,Cox,Drysdale,Alexander...I mean, really excelent field with terrific first round opponents.Only Borg and Vilas, and maybe Gottfried missed it, although Borg and Vilas did play the Montecarlo event.
As for Borg not being lucky, that is so true.He had been too lucky on too many times to believe in fairy tales.He was a cloutch winner, and that was his pattented trademark.But, the only time I felt he could have really lost a five setter, it was against Connors at that W final.I never had that feeling against Orantes in the 74 FO final, Lendl at the 1981,Tanner at the 1979 W final...and, after the match had reached a fifth set, I even thought he had the edge against Mac at the terrific 1980 Wimbledon final.
On the eother hand, I also think he never had the edge agaisnt Mac at the 1980 USO final, which was very clsoe at the score...call it feelings.
Seriously? Whenever I watch the match, I feel that Tanner is in control for most of it, particularly once he went 2 sets to 1 in front. Borg was also very edgy for most of the fifth set as Tanner tried to break back after going 0-2 down in that set.
Obviously the facts and others disagree with you as the computer (which you always normally defend even in ridiculous cases like Wozniacki in 2011) ranked Connors at #1 for every single week of the year, while the ATP named Borg its Player of the Year. So Vilas is the only one of the three who was neither officially ranked #1 nor the ATP's Player of Year choice, hmmm wonder why that is. Why did even the ATP not name Vilas their #1 if it was so obvious he was the real #1 even though the computer never once ranked him there, as you claim.
Your insistence on grading Vilas's French Open win as some proof of red clay superiority to Borg that year even though Borg didnt play, and as the same value as if Borg had been there, is on par with the delusions of a Barker or Ruzica fan saying their French Open wins made them the best on red clay that year, over Chris Evert, and for the record Vilas's chances of ever beating Borg in a major red clay event around then are about on par of what Sue Barker beating Chris Evert in one would be, LOL!
Lastly his record on the year was 130-14, including an 0-3 record vs Bjorn Borg. Do not try to deceive people with your 72 of 73 matches stat, which is not a reflection of his overall year in its entirety.
You trust the 1970s ATP computer? I'm a human being, not a machine. As for why Vilas wasn't number 1 on the ATP computer in 1977, why don't you ask the ATP? Vilas never getting to official number 1 is one of the biggest mysteries in tennis. Vilas had the best record in the majors, won 16 tournaments in the year (including 2 majors), and had ridiculous winning streaks in the second half of the year. Borg and Connors are not near this for the year in question.
Will you stop putting words in my mouth! Vilas played and won the biggest tournament on red clay (1977 French Open), while Borg played WTT instead. I did not say that Vilas had "red clay superiority", neither did I say anything about Evert. That's your rhetoric. The point is that you have to be in the tournament in order to win it, and Borg ruled himself out by choosing WTT. Borg doesn't get any bonus points of "oh, he would have won had he played", for that. Vilas did play, and won it in dominant fashion.
Vilas' achievements for the year surpass Borg's. Borg had a fanastic record for 1977, but it doesn't match up to the sheer activity of Vilas. I don't know what else I can tell you.
Continue shouting that all you want, but it doesnt look like you are having any luck convincing hardly anyone. As usual you are mostly on your own island on this one. :grin:
I am not on my own at all.
I do think that 1977 is one of those years in which the player that had the best achievements and the player had produced the highest standard of tennis were different.
To me there's no doubt that Vilas had the best record, and so he was the player of the year and the real no. 1. However I think Borg produced the highest standard of tennis that year during his period of winning big titles on carpet, grass and clay. Borg's best tennis in 1977 was better than Vilas's best tennis in 1977.
Similarly in 1999, Agassi clearly had the best achievements and thus was the deserved year end no. 1 and player of the year. However the level of tennis that Sampras produced during his 24 match winning run over the summer when he straight setted Agassi 3 times, and during the YEC, was beyond anything that Agassi produced that year. Sampras's best tennis in 1999 was better than Agassi's best tennis in 1999.
1989 was a funny year because I do think that Becker had the best achievements and produced the best standard of tennis. He out-performed Lendl at 4 out of the 5 biggest tournaments (Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and the Masters) and was the player of the year. However Lendl actually had a pretty healthy lead over Becker in the year end rankings. In fact some posters on this forum have shown that even under the ranking systems used in the 90s and 00s, Lendl would still have had a pretty clear lead over Becker points-wise, due to his excellent day-in day-out consistency that year.
On your own island ?? There was a poll on this forum, and 76% said that Vilas is n°1. And theres is no doubt about that.
Tanner could have won but Borg was always in control
Whereas in 77 Borg was just 1-2 points away from losing the tempo and a confident Connors...
Becker dominance in 89 far surpasses Vilas one in 77 since both won 2 biggies but Becker thumped Lendl twice there and Lendl was ATP 1
Yes TW tennis polls are a real reflection of reality and how the real World thinks. According to Planet TW Federer is the 3rd best clay courter of all time behind only Nadal and Borg after all, LOL!
1. Can you prove that Chron'open and Sportvox are reputable sources?
2. Can you give links to the original text?
Yes, I do.
Despite how good Borg's record was in 1977, Vilas won more majors, more overall tournaments, had ridiculous win streaks and more sheer activity.
But even though Bud Collins declared Borg N°1 for the year, most other authorities disagreed and bestowed that mythical honor on Vilas.
This is true. Even if the poll results are something with which I agree, I would be very skeptical.
It's true, he never did seem in control of the 80USO final. Odd thing, though, was that he should have been, in a way. He served twice for that first set. If he held either of those times the match would have unfolded very differently. But even with two chances he couldn't close out the set (got broken at love the second time), which kind of does show that he wasn't in control. Even with a technical lead he couldn't consolidate.
1. Can you prove that Chron'open and Sportvox are reputable sources?
2. Can you give links to the original text?
1. I don't know what is a reputable source. I only know that except Bud Collins and Tennis Magazine, the big majority of experts consider that Vilas was N°1. It was written by Patrice Dominguez and Christian Quidet, but I don't have their books at home. It was written by Eugene L. Scott (is he a reputable source ?) in "Tennis Experience" : "considered as the best player of the world in 1977, Vilas ...".
...while all of you are fixed upon Borg and Vilas, nobody gives credit to miss Wade for her great Wimbledon win, it took Murray, 35 yrs later to see a brit win another GS title...
"But even though World Tennis magazine declared Vilas No. 1 for the year, most other authorities disagreed and bestowed that mythical honor on Borg."
source: The Bud Collins History of Tennis An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book
Bud Collins is a tennis historian unlike your sources. In other words: he is an authority on this subject unliike your sources.
Resurrected for timely pertinence.
No. Just no. Find another player who won over 16 titles and racked up 100 wins in a season, while having the longest winning streak in the open era. No. No. No.
I find it quite curious that many posters try to evaluate former years-end rankings (like 77, 78, 82, 89 ) under, more or less, the current ranking system.
Until 1989, it was "nº of points obtained in sanctioned tournaments" divided by "nº of those tournaments played". In short, it was the AVERAGE of points obtained per tournament played.
Obviously it is quite different from the "total sum" (more or less, under different variations) used since 1990.
Why don't you all try to re-evaluate every post 1990 year-end-ranking using the AVERAGE (total points divided by nº of tournaments) system? Maybe that way we would have a different Year-End-Nº1 in some years like 99, 92, 00, 02...(I have not done the maths, but probably some of those years).
Separate names with a comma.


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Transfer Profile: Tess Haadsma, '15
Hometown: Battle Creek, Mich.
Major: English - creative writing emphasis
Activities: Co-captain of the swim team, editor on The Pleiad, tour guide, First Year Experience mentor.
What made you pick Albion College?
I had looked into attending Albion right out of high school, but ultimately chose to attend a larger, public university because of a scholarship opportunity I had there. Right off the bat, I wasn't exactly happy there, and for the duration of my two years there, I just felt like it wasn't where I was supposed to be. When I finally talked with my parents and made the decision to transfer, Albion was without a doubt my first choice. I was instantly attracted to the liberal arts education approach Albion emphasizes.
I know it probably seems cheesy, but as soon as I stepped foot on Albion's campus, I knew it was where I belonged. I had always heard people talk about visiting a campus and just knowing that it was where they were meant to be, but I never really believed that people actually experienced that feeling until I felt it for myself at Albion College.
So far, how is Albion different from your previous school?
First, I noticed that Albion's campus has a cozier feel to it. Not only in terms of the size of campus, but in the way people interact with one another. Professors actually remember your name, students smile and say hello in passing.
And classes are much smaller and more discussion based. I'm taking an "Intro to Psychology" class this semester, and it's a class of 25 students. At my old school, all the intro psych classes were huge lectures with 150-plus students. Albion makes it so much less intimidating to ask questions and actually participate in class.
What are you studying? What are you involved in?
I'm majoring in Communication Studies with an emphasis on professional communication and production. The specific communication track I chose is really neat, because it requires classes from the both the English and communication departments, giving my communication studies degree a bit more of a concentration on writing, which is something that I found incredibly appealing.
As soon as I made the decision to become a student here at Albion, I knew instantly that I wanted to join the swim team. Swimming is a sport I've always loved, and one thing that's really exciting to me about transferring to a school like Albion is having the opportunity to be part of a team again, and represent my school by doing something I absolutely adore. I'm also planning to write for Albion's newspaper, The Pleiad.
What are your plans after graduating from Albion?
While my post-graduation plans are still up in the air, I hope to attend graduate school to earn my masters degree in either library/information science or journalism/mass communication. No matter whether I decide to attend graduate school right away or take a break from school to get some "real life" experience first, I know that my Albion College degree will give me the experience and ability necessary to succeed in whatever I choose to do.
What's been the most pleasantly surprising thing you've seen at Albion?
How friendly everyone is! I know it probably sounds so ridiculous, but having come from a larger institution, it genuinely surprised me how friendly and connected everyone is here. The advisers and professors at Albion are so much more willing to sit down and talk with you, and work out an academic plan that's tailored specifically for you. On move-in day, a handful of students stopped by my room to introduce themselves, which was something I was definitely not expecting, but I was so happy that they did!
What was the transfer process like for you?
The process of transferring to Albion was a lot smoother of a process than I had been expecting! Before even submitting an application, I made contact with the transfer admissions counselor, Karen. She responded almost instantly, and really identified with my situation and understood where I was coming from, which made me feel so much more at ease. Since I had previously applied and been admitted to Albion right out of high school, all I had to do was reactivate my application from high school, which was really nice.
As a transfer student, the actual process of credit transferring from one institution to another can be nerve-wracking, but the way they did it here at Albion was fairly painless. I set up a meeting time with the registrar, and he sat down and explained to me how credits work at Albion, what the requirements for graduation are, and which of my credits from my previous institution had direct equivalencies here at Albion College.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - From now on, drivers who you run a red light at two intersections on the Southside will trigger a ticket in the mail.
The grace period for red light cameras ended Friday for the southbound approach on Southside Boulevard at Touchton Road and the east and west approaches of Baymeadows Road at Southside Boulevard, known as one of the busiest intersections in Jacksonville.
The grace period will end at other intersections in the upcoming weeks and months. In all, there will be 25 cameras that will be used to catch red light runners at 18 intersections in the River City.
During the 30-day grace period at the two intersections, more than 475 drivers were caught on camera running the red. Some think the cameras will make drivers obey the law.
"I think it's a good thing because there have been too many accidents," driver Deborah Metzig said. "I don't think they should be running red lights."
Others say they wish the cameras were never installed.
"I think they're a scam," driver Matt Meadows said. "They set up at lights that are short on purpose, and I think they are looking for money."
The owner of the car, no matter who is driving, will be responsible for paying the $158 ticket. If the fine goes unpaid for 30 days or more, it becomes a citation, or an official ticket with a $274 fine and points on the driver's license. The fines can be fought in court.
Sheriff John Rutherford is hoping to see drivers change their behavior on the road.
"We're certainly going to be looking for that, and we'll be tracking, doing a full analysis of that, probably 30, 60, 90 days out," Rutherford said.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Book by: TheAncient
Chapter 1 (v.1) - The Not So Great Escape
[18:50] Micah looked up to see who it was and sighed "What do you want Uncle Leon?" The man nodded to the knight and the knight left. Leon turned to the boy and sighs. "Why do you get yourself into these messes?"
[18:52] Jill looks over but says nothing, and sits back down on the bad. "I'm sorry uncle, I dont mean to, these guards, I swear, they follow me and then when something happens they jump to blame me." he frowns and Leon frowns as well
[18:54] "I doubt that, but none the less, don't try anything dumb." his Uncle grins at him with a knowing smile. "Just remember even if your last name is changed, doesn't mean it does not reflect on your family. And though the king is your Grandfather, and he loves you, does not mean he won't punish you for screwing up."
[18:58] Micah sighs and looks down "Yes Uncle." Leon reaches through the bar and pats his shoulder, smiling at him. Micah feels something fall down his shirt but makes no move then his uncle starts to walk away. "Love ya kid, try not to hurt anybody" then he slams the door shut.
[18:58] Some guards were shoving a girl forward. She appeared to be about 19 or 20 years old, she had blue-ish, black hair that fell just to the center of her chest. Irons were bound around her wrists and she wore an orange and white vest with tan pants. Grime, dust, and mud were on her face. She snaps when a guard jabbed her in the back with a pike,"Aye! Watch where ya point that thing, eh?"
[19:02] Micah steps away from the bars as the guards drag the female in. Jill looks over and giggles to herself "oooooh busted" and Micah fishes in his shirt and pulls out a brass key, The key that went to the doors of the cells.
[19:04] She fell onto her face, the irons dragging her to the ground as she muffled an 'Umph' sound. The girl rolls over and spits dirt from her mouth, wiping her arms over her face and glaring at the guards. "Bloody pests. Wish they would die in a hole surrounded by lava."
[19:06] Micah quickly hides the key, as Jill skips over to the bars separating the female from them. "Hiya I'm Jill." she smiles "And that grumpy guy over there is Micah" Micah looks up from hearing his name "huh?"
[19:08] "Name is Guinevere. Guinevere Caspian." She shoved herself to her feet, blinking her stormy green, almost, grey eyes at the other female.
[19:10] Micah walks over his face still a little confused and he mumbles to himself. "Guinevere...." Jill giggles "That's a pretty name, so why are you in here?"
[19:12] "That would be my name lad, I would appreciate if you not wear it out, aye?" She blinks looking at Jill and throwing her arms up as they thudded in front of her again," Gah! This mud bowl? Same as usual, attempted assassination of sorts that I get caught. Life of a bounty hunter if you ask me, do not ask numbers, for remembering would be a bloody pain."
[19:17] Micah's head finally clears. "An assassin huh? what stuck up lord hired you?" he smirks then shakes his head. Then Jill turns to Micah and whispers not so quietly in his ear "I like her, she should join us in the quest thingy." and Micah sighs
[19:20] "Not an assassin, lad. Bounty hunter. A rogue one at that...no bloody lord hired me." She leans against a wall, looking around for something to try and remove the irons with.
[19:23] MIcah thinks for a moment then shrugs "Why not?" and Jill Giggles again "Yaaaay!" Micah turns to look at the bounty hunter "So Ms Caspian, do you like adventures, say with monsters and money?"
[19:26] "Aye." She said this boredly, still scoping around the room to find some sharp object to lockpick the irons from her wrists as she swung the chain, back and forth.
[19:37] He watches the woman look around the room, "Well my friend wants you to join us on our quest. Would you perhaps like to join us?" he looks over at Jill and she smiles excitedly
[19:38] Guin facepalms a moment, repeating only in their dialect,"Aye. Meaning yes." She then let's her hands slip from her face, she began to pat herself to find some sort of dagger or knife.
[19:42] Micah pulls out a small knife and tosses it to her. "Before we go barging out, we should probably think of an escape plan" Jill just looks at him with a blank stare. "You mean we're going to do something besides kill anything in our way and just walk out?" she keeps on her innocent smile
[19:44] The bounty hunter easily caught the dagger, flashing a grateful smile to Micah before lifting it towards her mouth and holding it, she twists her hands a moment so the locks on the irons face her and she slips the point into them.
[19:48] Micah watches the Bounty Hunter un cuff herself, then sighs again. "How far do you think we would get in the kings castle, with all of his army stationed here, by killing everyone who tries to stop us?" Jill sits back down on the bed "Hmmmmmm?" thinking really hard
[19:50] She began grumbling to herself, after she managably got the first iron off she took the dagger in her freed hand and began to pick the lock on the other.
[19:52] "What about you Gwenn? Any ideas on how to get out?" he sits down and leans against the bars between them.
[19:54] "Eh? Hm...," she let the irons fall to the floor with a clunk as she rubbed her wrists.
[19:58] Jill finally looks up "Why don't we just sneak out?" and looks over to Micah smiling that she finally thought of something
[19:59] "Would not work. Guards posted at every corner, lass." The bounty hunter folds her arms over her chest. "One way, secret passage."
[20:02] Micah raises an eyebrow and pull out the Key to his cell and unlocks it "Oh a secret passage?" and he walks over to her cell, as Jill hops up and bounces out the door "Whheeeeeee! were gonna go on an adventure"
[20:03] "Lass, I would be a wee bit quieter." She jabbed a thumb towards some guards sleeping nearby.
[20:19] Micah shakes his head. "Trying to get her to be quiet is a losing battle" he unlocks Gwenn's cell and Jill Hmphs. Just then the guard drops his mug and it shatters on the floor, and he wakes with a start "Huh...?" he looks over and sees the three standing outside their cells "escaping, THE PRISONERS ARE ESCAPING!" he stands up and rushes to het the other guards
[20:29] "Oh...this was all for naught. Fan-bloody-tastic."
[20:32] Micah grabs both of them by the arm "Well no use standing around!" he starts pulling them up the stairs Jill frowns "Does this mean we have to kill people now?"
[20:35] Guinevere bolts up the stairs with them, looking around for some rope or more irons as a way to get out of the prison..she blinks and looks at Jill, raising an eyebrow she shakes her head. "Ssh."She gestured for them to follow her down a dark corridor.
[20:38] They turn down the corridor, and couple lights appear down at the end. Micah stops and turns around and runs the other way "That's not a good idea! Follow me." he starts running and turning corners.
[20:40] Guinevere sighs, stopping in her tracks and raising an eyebrow,"Lad...safety be in numbers. Trust one whose been here more than a single time."
[20:43] He looks back "I've been here all my life. I think I know the place pretty well." he keeps pulling Jill and she grins "The King is Micah's grand dad" then she looks confused for a second "Or should I not have said that?" Micah sighs "Too late now Jill"
[20:46] "What makes you an enemy of your grandfather?" Guin tilts her head, walking down the corridor.
[20:48] He sighs as he ducks down another corridor. "My grandfather is not the one who is making my life difficult, That would be my father." he scowls as he says this.
[20:49] Guin turned the corridor as well, stopping at some loosely cut slabs and beginning to push against them. "Oooooh. That is a wee shame, lad."
[20:52] "Yeah ......." he stops and Jill looks at Gwenn very confused "What are you doing silly? shouldn't we be running?" as she says this the sounds of shouting Knights got louder.
[20:53] "The secret passage be behind this wall." She continued to push, now slamming all her weight into the wall and watching the bricks eerily groan back.
[20:57] Micah also slams his shoulder the wall moving in further until it finally swings open. "Come on this should lead us right outside" Jill sighs "Ughhh I've been inside forever"
[20:58] Guinevere kept close to the walls, ushering Micah and Jill into the the passage.
[21:01] Micah runs down the passage quickly, and Jill follows close behind him, holding on to his shoulders. He turns a corner and sees the wall ahead of him. "Were almost out." the sound of the guards behind them getting louder. Jill frowns "Did I forget to close the door?"
[21:02] Guinevere was already on the task of shoving the stone door shut. Grunting.
[21:06] The door shuts on them and the voice of the guards are muffled "They are headed outside!" Micah quickly pushes open the door on the other end of the passage, light flooding into the corridor.
[21:07] The bounty hunter dashes down the corridor, beginning to huff and pant as her breathing got heavier while she ran.
[21:09] Micah pushes it all the way open, and Jill runs out "Yaaay free again!" and she spots some horses "Oh look horsies" she smiles and walks over to them
[21:11] "We have to cross the brig." She rolls her shoulders, striding over to the barn and beginning to unleash the horses.
[21:15] Jill hops onto one and Micah climbs on another. As they start to ride away archers appear on the top of the castle and start to fire arrows at them, though none seem to hit there mark.
[21:17] Guin crawled onto one of her own, although she leaned onto the side instead of direct on its back so the archers couldn't hit her as easily.
[21:19] They ride out of the castle courtyard and slowly travel down the dirt path heading for the village. "We should ride past the village and keep going."
[21:20] "Aye. Suppose we find a rest stop though?"
[21:20] -There was a sound of a whistling from far above that quickly turned into a shout- "Look out beloooooooooooooow!" -A small, light green creature with a pink tail, the tips of its hair were also pink. A small satchel was tied to its back as it crashed down into Jill's back, clutching a leaf far larger than it's body- "Oof!"
[21:22] Jill gets hit in the back and almost falls off the horse "Oh no I'm hit Im gonna die!" she starts flailing. Micah looks over "Calm down it's not an arrow it's a chimdow." Jill stops freaking out "a what?"[21:23] "What the bloody heck is a chimdow?" She pulls on the reins.
[21:25] -The small, light green creature situated itself as it rubbed its face- "Oi! You don't know what a Chimdow is!? What are you, five years old?" -The Chimdow dusted itself off as it ruffled its fur a bit-
[21:26] "Well pardon me."
[21:30] Jill tries to look behind her to see it "I can't see you, where did you go?" Micah looks over at the Chimdow "Something we can help you with?"
[21:31] -The small creature jumped up and hoisted itself onto Jill's shoulder- "I'm right here ya' bat. Yeesh." -The Chimdow looks over at Micah and shrugged- "Well I dunno, can you?"
[21:33] Jill looks at her shoulder "You are so cute! and fluffy" she grabs the creature and snuggles it. Micah groans "Don't mind her, and I believe I could help you, it would depend on what you want."
[21:33] "That thing sure isn't a wisp, that much I can say of it." The bounty hunter spurred the horse forward gently, tugging the reins again when it was near Jill.
[21:36] "Hey! Hey! I'm not cute, fluffy maybe! But not cute! Put me down you truffle sniffer!" -The Chimdow struggled againsts Jill's grip, flailing its arms- "Well what I want, or need I should say is a home tree! Some sour berry decided to cut down my last home to put up some sort of building!..." -The small creature looks over at Guinevere and glared and shook its head- "Chimdow, I'm a Chimdow!"
[21:37] "Wee feisty thing it is too..."
[21:41] Jill lightens her grip but still holds it to her chest "Well I think you are cute" Micah looks over "I dont know if I can get you a tree, but I can try."
[21:43] "Stop. Hugging. ME!" -The Chimdow squeezed out a small staff with two orbs on either end of it and bonked Jill lightly on the nogging, though was not aiming to hurt her-
[21:45] "Wisps never told tale that there would be a talking bush..."
[21:47] "Ow! dont be a meenie" she pouts and she takes the Chimdow and puts it on her head. then she smiles "So what's your name? Or do you have names?"
[21:48] "Cintal's my name!~" -Cintal spun her staff as a proud smile appeared on her face- "Druidic plays are my game!~" -She ceased spinning her staff to look at Guinevere- "And I'm NOT A BUSH!"[21:51] "Well...now that your name has been given, you aren't a talking leaf pile anymore."
[21:54] The horses continue at a steady pace, a large forest comes in to view. Micah looks at Cintal on top of Jill's head "So what say you? will you join on our quest." Jill smiles "Yaaaaaay quest thing"
[21:55] "A quest? Wow, you guys really are truffle sniffers huh? Sure I guess, beats the heck out of wanding around looking for a home." -Cintal shrugged and folded her arms across her chest before rolling her eyes at Guinevere- "I'll show you a leaf pile..."
[21:56] "Eh...leaf piles don't squeak around the forest like a grove of mice."
[21:58] Jill frowns a little "Are you gonna ride with me? Cause if so will you stay on my shoulder so I can look around?" Micah looks ahead and sees the forest. "We're almost there"[
21:59] "I eat mice actually, and I don't squeak!" -Cintal jumped down onto Jill's shoulder and shook her head- "It may sound like I do, but it's not actually squeaking!"
[22:01] "There be a tavern ahead...and the horses appear to be gettin tired, what say we stop for the night?"
[22:04] Jill smiles again "Yaaaaay, I'm Jill by the way. and Mr Hero over their is Micah"
[22:05] "Well, nice to meet you two I guess. [Can't say the same with your sour berry over here.]"
[22:06] "Guinevere Caspian at your service."
[22:11] Micah spots the small tavern and they get closer to it and the name reads 'The Advent Inn' he sighs and rides up to the tiny stable on the side. "Let's see if they can house us"
[22:12] "Sooooounds like a plant. [Heh. Get it? Because I'm a Druid...? ...Nevermind it's a bad joke...]" -The Chimdow coughed nervously as she looked to the side- "And I can sleep in a tree nearby if necessary."
[22:13] "Aye, I will see about tabs for the night...least that can be done."
[22:14] Jill giggles and ties up the horses in the stable, while Micah goes inside and barters for a couple rooms.
[22:15] -The Chimdow twirled her staff a moment before latching it back onto her satchel-
[22:17] Jill walks into the tavern as well and follows Micah into his room. "I'm sharing with you" Micah rolls his eyes and flops on the bed "Dandy" she looks to the chimdow and walks to the window, a tree right outside.
[22:17] The bounty hunter entered the tavern, tying her horse to a post away from the others as she tugged at a small bag of gold she had. Dreariness dragged at her every moved and she yawns a moment, covering her mouth.
[22:18] "Hup hup." -Cintal jumped out the window and onto a tree branch-
[22:19] She went to her own room, tumbling over onto the bed before kicking her boots off. She blew the candle out beside her then fell asleep.
[22:22] Jill lays down beside Micah and smiles closing her eyes. Micah is about to say something then just shakes his head, closing his eyes as well falling asleep.
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36 KeysRiddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
The following riddle is attributed to Aristides A. Messinesi and was originally printed in the January 1904 edition of "A Posy of Puzzles".
My first is in mouse, but not in rat;
My second is in bonnet, but not in hat;
My third is in store, and also in rock;
My fourth is in hen, but not in cock;
My fifth is in rye, but not in rice;
My whole is a wood for furniture.
The title refers to the number of black keys on a modern piano.
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text:
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.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Children's Health
Fever, chest/abdominal pain, nosebleed
My 4 year old son came down with a cold or the flu 5 days ago and it seemed to clear up fine within 3 days. Today when I went to pick up his room, I found a stain on his pillow that looked like watery blood. He has been listless and not hungry. I picked him up from school and he has a 101.4 underarm temp and complains that his chest hurts (I asked if it hurt when he breathes and he said yes). His nose was crusted around the right nostril with dried blood although his teacher did not mention a nosebleed. He is really sensitive and cried when I picked him up and is moving very stiffly. Should I just give him Motrin and keep an eye on him or do these symptoms sound serious and he needs to see his physician ASAP? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
The flu is an upper respiratory illness characterized by sudden onset of high fever (102-106 degrees F), headache, chills, cough, sore throat, extremity and back pain. In very young children vomiting, diarrhea, and croup may occur. Nose bleeds (epitaxis) is very common with influenza, and often seen with the common cold. By the history you give, I am suspicious that all of your son's symptoms are related to the the flu, however, your pediatric health care provider can perform (or order) a simple outpatient test to confirm. A follow-up visit with this care provider may put your mind at ease.
Sarah Sauntry, RN, MS, CPNP-PC
Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing
College of Nursing
University of Cincinnati


text:
Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
RustyP wrote:I think i saw Chimay mentioned somewhere in this thread...
Eric O wrote:For across the water stuff that you don't have to go too far out of your way to pick up, most of the brews from Chimay are tough to beat.
the_lung wrote:I lost all respect when you recommended Shiner Bock. Blecch.
dgdave wrote:its good to see some good beer tastes on here. I was surprised saturday when I went to play a round at my local couse and about every 3 or 4 holes there was either a chimay bottle in the trash or cap on the ground. I bet that was one of the classiest dg'ers around.
alerik wrote:I like good beer.....
plastic_fondler wrote: Behold beer heaven in San Francisco. Not to be missed if your in town.
Blue Moon with an orange slice (trust me)
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It's Official: Action Alerts PLUS beats the S&P 500 with Dividends Reinvested! Jim Cramer and Stephanie Link were up 16.72% in 2012. Were you? See what they are trading for 14-days FREEOf the 5 technology companies mentioned, Cramer was also bullish on SAP AG (SAP): Analysis and Discussion 1. Amazon.com Inc. ( AMZN): Operates as an online retailer in North America and internationally. Market cap at $125.04B, most recent closing price at $276.04. AMZN shares are trading at an astronomically high P/E of 4,057 (based on a closing price of $283.99). Its forward P/E is 163. Investors completely ignored reasonable valuation, choosing instead to anticipate a strong future. Amazon shares were supported by strong earnings from eBay ( EBAY) and Google ( GOOG). Amazon's CEO said in a recent interview that higher margins should be less a focus than free cash flow. Investors are in agreement with this view even though free cash flow tells only partially describes the health of a business. Analysts expect the company to generate an operating cash flow of $10.68 per share, up 65% in 2013. Amazon reports earnings on Tuesday, January 29 after the market closes.
During the week of January 21, 2013, Jim Cramer made reference to 42 companies. Just 21% of the calls were bearish. In that same time frame, the S&P 500 index rose 1.52% and is up 5.5% for the year. In the technology space, Cramer was favorable on a number of richly-valued companies that includes salesforce.com (CRM) and Amazon.com (AMZN). For the week, the Nasdaq was flat, but is up around 2.9%. It is worth nothing that the technology-heavy index was weighed down by weakness in Apple, Inc. (AAPL) .


text:
If not Wilhelmsen then who could be the M's closer?
By Gary Hill
Tom Wilhelmsen only recorded one out Wednesday night as the Astros exploded for six runs in the ninth inning to hand the Mariners a 6-1 loss.
The blissful April and May Wilhelmsen enjoyed has given way to a June nightmare. His ERA sat at 0.75 on the last day of May, but has ballooned to 3.77 in just a handful of June outings. He only yielded two earned runs in the entire first two months of the season. Opponents have scored 10 runs off of him since.
Here is how the rest of his numbers in April and May compare to the month of June:
Wilhelmsen has not pitched a single clean inning in the month of June and whispers regarding his job security have arose thanks to his recent struggles.
What are the options for the Mariners at closer?
Danny Farquhar. He has done some good things in the Mariners' pen in his short stay. He has fanned 18 in nearly 11 innings of work. He also has not been scored on in his first inning of work in any outing. He has been touched up for 10 runs, which has elevated his season ERA to 8.44.
Carter Capps. Closing games may be in his future, but the numbers suggest he is not ready yet. He has overwhelmed right-handed hitters this season. He has fanned 27 of them while walking just two. He has also just yielded four extra-base hits in 74 plate appearances. The problem has been with lefties. They are hitting .308 against him with seven extra-base hits in just 45 plate apearances. The most telling stat is that he has only struck out seven lefties on the season while walking five. Manager Eric Wedge has spotted him for matchups in six of his last nine appearances. He would obviously need to figure it out versus left-handed hitters to close effectively.
Yoervis Medina. He has flashed serious potential and he has steadily increased his role as the season has progressed. Neither righties (.208) nor lefties (.194) have hit him particularly well. The issue has been bases on balls. He has walked 13 hitters in just 21 2/3 innings. He has also only appeared in 21 big league games.
Charlie Furbush. The lefty can get hitters out from both sides of the plate. He is (.171) against lefties on the year and (.111) against righties. He has fanned 34 hitters in 25 innings, which is good, but he has also walked 15. He has allowed three homers this season, which matches his total from last year, but he has only given up one double.
Oliver Perez. If a change were to be made at the back end of the bullpen then Perez probably provides the most appealing option. He has only allowed three runs this season and two of them were thanks to solo homers. The last run he yielded was on May 18 in Cleveland. He has fanned 32 hitters in 23 1/3 innings this year. Wedge has been spotting him against left-handed hitters for many of his outings the past few weeks, but he is capable of retiring hitters from both sides.
Wilhelmsen. The best-case scenario is for Wilhelmsen to disavow the June version of himself and dial in the April and May version instead. He was solid in the role last year and flourished to start the year. The current bullpen is not brimming with perfect solutions to fill the role. Wilhelmsen at the top provides the best balance for the bullpen as a unit.
In the meantime, the closer situation will be watched very closely this weekend in Oakland.


text:
Mariners lose marathon battle despite stellar relief
Bullpen puts up eight shutout innings, including four from Wilhelmsen
ANAHEIM -- Manager Lloyd McClendon said the Mariners' bullpen has been great all year, and Friday night/Saturday morning was no exception.
Except that, the Angels bullpen was just a tad better in a 16-inning, 3-2 victory at Angel Stadium, as pinch-hitter Efren Navarro ended the marathon at five hours, 14 minutes with a two-out RBI off Dominic Leone (2-2), the Mariners' seventh reliever.
Seattle's bullpen pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings before Navarro delivered the winner. Former closer Tom Wilhelmsen went a career-high four innings, allowing just one hit from the 12th through the 15th.
"He did an outstanding job," McClendon said. "I was going to take him out after three, but he said he had another inning. So he saved us."
For an inning, anyway.
Wilhelmsen said he couldn't remember when he'd last pitched four innings at any level, except that "it's been a long time."
"We all are doing everything we can to win," he said. "Everybody is. I told him [McClendon] I had another inning in me. ... It was a tough one [to lose]."
The Mariners bullpen came in with a Major League-best 2.39 ERA.
"Our bullpen has been great all year," McClendon said. "Tonight was no different. It was a tough challenge against a team like that.
"We certainly had opportunities. So did they. That's the way it goes. "
Asked if it was extra-tough to lose such a long game -- the fifth game of at least 14 innings in Angels-Mariners history -- McClendon said: "It's not good, but we'll survive."
Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma, although he said he felt out of sorts all night because of the All-Star break, worked seven strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out three while not walking a batter.
He's walked just eight in 15 starts, and threw 56 strikes in 77 pitches against the Angels.
Iwakuma said his exit, despite such a low pitch count, did not have anything to do with his career-high, 8 2/3-inning outing in his last start, July 12 against the A's, when the threw 104 pitches.
"To be honest, I felt I was able to do my part and pitch seven innings," he said. "It was the first day of the second half, and it was difficult to pitch after four days off.
"The feel of pitching is just not the same after four days off. It's just different. Totally different. I was worried about my command going into the game, but as the game went along I was able to have some command."
It was a weird night beyond the length of the game. Mariners All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano extended his hitting streak to eight games with four hits in his 38th multihit game. But Cano lost a double leading off the 10th to an umpire review that determined his popup slide took him off the bag when Angels shortstop John McDonald tagged him. So the hit reverted to a single, and the Mariners lost a scoring chance as well.
"It was a popup slide, and he came off the bag," McClendon said. "The challenge for the players [with replay review] is to play the game a little different than they used to play."
There was also an umpire review in the 16th, when Mike Trout -- who scored the winner on Navarro's hit -- doubled with one out, and McClendon thought Trout missed first base. But the review determined he just nicked the inside corner, so the double was confirmed.
Earl Bloom is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Afghan leaders have wrapped up their latest grand assembly, known as a loya jirga, where delegates from all over Afghanistan discussed topics key to the country's future. Among the issues they discussed was the level of U.S. involvement after the 2014 drawdown. Host Audie Cornish talks with Alissa Rubin of The New York Times for more.
U.S. Drawdown Doesn't Satisfy Some Afghans
By editor • Nov 20, 2011


text: I just received my Kent Wang sample shirt that I purchased from the man himself. This is the size M shirt. First thought - I am very impressed with the fit. I am a 38-40R and this shirt fits perfectly. When I try on typical shirts with S, M, L-type sizing, I find that the body on a Medium is too baggy, and the sleeves of a Small are too short - this KW shirt does not suffer from either problem. For the record, I am 5'11 and 175 lbs. The fabric is really nice. I think this is quite a versatile stripe that looks good with dark ties that have a subtle woven pattern. The buttons are thick MOP and feel substantial. I really like the collar and cuff shape as well. I look forward to seeing what other fabrics Kent will offer, because I will certainly purchase from him again. Construction, fabric, and detailing are superior to similarly-priced shirts. I would say this is on par with shirts in the $200-$250 range (Robert Talbott, Zegna). At $105 this shirt represents an excellent value, and I am satisfied with my purchase. Here is Kent's original thread with the specifics of the shirts.


text: OverviewBack to top Crunchies - Freeze Dried Fruit Snack Blueberry - 1.5 oz. Item# :109865UPC# :734020310169 Brand:Crunchies Size/Form:1.50 oz. Ship Weight:0.08 Servings:7 Dosage:6 Gram(s) Flavor:Blueberry Crunchies Freeze Dried Fruit Snack Blueberry - 1.5 oz. (42g) Crunchies Freeze Dried Fruit Snack Blueberry are 100 percent real, great-tasting blueberries. The only thing taken out of the berries through Crunchies' patented freeze-drying process is water. No additives, no preservatives. That means no added sugar, no oil, no sulphur. They're wheat-free, gluten-free, and GMO-free, but rich in fiber and nutrients. Less water equals more flavor and a satisfying crunch that both kids and adults love. All this and only 100 calories per 3/4 cup! It's truly nature's ultimate snack food, and comes in a convenient resealable bag that's great for kids lunches, hiking, school, work, or any in-between meal snack on-the-go. You can also add them to pancakes, cereal, yogurt, or ice cream. So.. What Are Crunchies? Crunchies are a healthy, convenient preservative-free snack food. Fruits can be eaten as a snack, or put in hot or cold cereal, yogurt, or pancake and waffle batter. Veggies can be eaten as a snack or sprinkled over your salads for added vitamins and nutrients! Fresh fruits and veggies are harvested and frozen within 24 hours, and then through a refrigerated, cooling process, are freeze dried at the packing facilities. 97% of the moisture is removed, while maintaining 94% of the nutrient and enzyme level of the whole fruit. Only about 44% of the water is removed from dried fruit, and the heat process destroys the nutrients and enzymes. They only use Grade A fruit, all grown in America. All their competitors import their fruit from Foreign Countries. In a taste testing you will immediately notice the difference! Pineapples and Mangoes are grown in South America, all other fruits and vegetables are grown in United States. Everything is processed and packed in the U.S. (Illinois). Crunchies have an 18 month shelf life + re-sealable bags (which is very important, as air will re-hydrate and soften the fruit) What are Crunchies?Crunchies are freeze-dried fruits and vegetables. There is nothing added to these products – no added sugar, sulphur, fat or preservatives. How are Crunchies made? Crunchies are created by placing frozen fruits or vegetables in a refrigerated vacuum chamber which removes up to 97% of the moisture. What's left is a product that retains virtually all of its nutrients and enzymes (unlike heat-drying), while maintaining its shape, intensifying its flavor and making it crispy & crunchy. Are they wheat & gluten free? Are they considered a raw food? These products are wheat and gluten free. And while all of fruits are considered raw, all frozen vegetables are flash-blanched within a few hours after picking. This stops the deterioration of the enzymes and nutrients (and it preserves color) so they are not considered raw. Unless fruits and vegetables are eaten shortly after picking, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables are typically more nutritious than fresh produce. How do most people use Crunchies? Most people eat them as a snack–like popcorn (kids love them!).Crunchies are a great way to get your daily recommended allowance of fruits and veggies. The Veggies can also be added to salads, baked potatoes, soups, breads/muffins, omelettes, ground turkey and pastas. Fruit Crunchies can be added to your favorite pancakes/waffles, muffins, cookies, scones, cereals, compotes, yogurt and ice cream. Why eat Crunchies? Most people love the purity, flavor and texture of the products. And those with special dietary requirements (low fat or low sodium especially), health conscious consumers or gourmets appreciate the convenience and taste. Kids love the texture and flavor and they are a great way to get your 3 to 5 recommended servings a day of fruits and veggies. Are they Organic? Kosher? Genetically modified? Crunchies Food Company carries a comprehensive line of 100% organic items and we are always searching for and adding more organic items to our product line. All their items are Kosher certified. And all of their products are certified Non-GMO (not genetically modified). Why choose Crunchies? QualityThey carry only the best quality products. They work intimately with the farmers that supply us with their products and have ongoing relationships with these farmers. Innovation They are a progressive company and most of their products are custom made for us. They LOVE to eat and we're experimenting with new products all the time, always trying to create something unique and tasty. Corporate BackgroundCrunchies Food Company, LLC was established in response to the rapid and overwhelming demand for good-tasting and truly healthy natural snacks on the market. The Company sought to develop a line of pure foods that would blend the tasty fun of potato chips, but but still be completely free of the preservatives, added sugars, trans fats and excessive sodium that are so prevalent among many snack food products. The result was an innovative breakthrough in blending great taste with important nutrition: Crunchies™ – freeze-dried fruits and vegetables which have proven hugely appealing to everyone from school children to seniors and from health-concious parents to busy executives. Available today in a wide variety of deliciously nutritious flavors, Crunchies™ are produced by placing individually frozen fruits and veggies in a refrigerated vacuum chamber that removes up to 97% of the moisture. This assures consumers of a uniquely crunchy treat that retains virtually all of its nutrients and enzymes – unlike conventional heat drying methods – while still maintaining its shape and intensifying its flavor. To fully realize the growth of the natural snack trend, Crunchies Food Company, LLC is now led by Jim Lacey, a 24 year veteran of the packaged goods industry, who serves as the company's President and CEO. Formerly an executive with Weider Nutrition, Power Bar-Nestle Food, and Smith Klein Beecham, Lacey is applying his considerable management and international distribution expertise to help lead the company through its most significant period of expansion to date. This included the early 2007 launch of several distinct new items all reflecting the trademark blend of innovation and product excellence of Crunchies Food Company, LLC. Already favorably covered in some 40 national magazines and hundreds of regional newspapers, Crunchies Food company, LLC is poised to continue growing over the years without losing its core emphasis on customer satisfaction, quality ingredients, superior packaging and supporting worthy environmental causes. As James Lacey puts it, "You can't improve on nature, but you can freshly package what nature has given us and make it readily accessible to people wherever they may be. They're heartened to see how enthusiastically their products have been embraced around the country and look forward to staying true to our mission of creating great-tasting, innovative, healthy snacks for many years to come." They're Customer, Too!The Crunchies crew is constantly experimenting with new ingredients and ways to make our foods more interesting and taste better. They were the first company to develop and market fire-roasted freeze-dried products and the first to carry freeze-dried Edamame (sweet soybeans). And they were also the first company to come out with a comprehensive organic freeze-dried line (and more on the way). In fact, they developed the first organic puff-dried carrot in the world. They like to create innovative foods because they like to eat, just like everybody else. And like everyone else they are consumers, so they know what they like to look for in a product. When they were designing their packaging they wanted to make sure that it was not only practical and aesthetically pleasing but also showed off their product, so they left a clear window on the bags, which are decorated by a colorful pastoral scene (painted for us by a friend of the hills just north of Santa Barbara, California). They included a 'best by' date instead of a code, so consumers would know that the product was fresh. Also, all of their products are certified to be made from non-genetically modified ingredients (non-GMO's). And their organic certifier was accepted in the first round of certifiers accredited by the USDA for the new national organic standards. They choose their suppliers very carefully, because as every good chef will tell you, good food starts from the source. So they like to get to know the growers and try to source their foods locally in the US. You won't find any additives, chemicals, preservatives or unhealthy ingredients in any of their foods. That is a guarantee, because they only sell what they themselves like to eat—and they're pretty picky!


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