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Hendersonville senior Hailey Cook will be wrapping up her incredible high school career Friday at North Carolina A&T in the 1-A track and field state championships, and she'll be gunning for her ninth and 10th individual state titles.
The Western Carolina signee swept the shot put and discus the past three years at the 1-A outdoor track finals, and she's won shot put at the 3-A/2-A/1-A indoor track championships twice. She has also won two team titles in volleyball (2012) and track (2011).
Last week, she earned the state's ultimate honor, being named the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's Female Athlete of the Year. It's no surprise that she holds the top seeds today for shot put (41-6.5) and discus (128-5).
For the boys, North Carolina State signee Grant Rivers is seeded in the top three in three events, including his specialty, the high jump. He'll be going after his third straight high jump title today and is seeded third in the event with a mark of 6-4. That's the same height as the top seed, Samuel Allen of West Wilkes. Allen has cleared 6-10 once this season, and Rivers' personal-best mark is 6-8.
Rivers is also seeded second in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.11 seconds and third in the long jump with a distance of 20-9.5. The Bearcats are seeded in the top 10 in three other events: the 3200 relay (sixth), the pole vault (Ethan Nix, eighth) and the 300 hurdles (Ryan Combs, ninth).
The Lady Bearcats have top-10 seeds in two other events: the pole vault (Gabriella Andersen, seventh) and the 3200 run (Elizabeth Lackey, 10th).
On Saturday, area athletes from East Henderson and West Henderson will take to the track to compete in the 3-A state championship meet.
The East boys have two athletes with top seeds: sophomore Tanis Baldwin in the 3200 run (9:45.07) and Western Carolina football signee Steffon Hill in the triple jump (46-3.5).
Hill is also third in the long jump, Baldwin is sixth in the 1600, and Corey Ginley is fifth in the pole vault. The 3200 relay team is seeded sixth, the 1600 relay team is seeded eighth, and Grant Smith is seeded seventh in the 3200, giving the Eagles eight seeds in the top 10.
For the girls, the top-10 seeds are West's Heidi Brickhouse (third in shot put and fifth in discus) and East's Bailey Waldbart (fifth, pole vault).
Cook to wrap up prep career at 1-A meet
Hendersonville senior Hailey Cook will be wrapping up her incredible high school career Friday at North Carolina A&T in the 1-A track and field state championships, and she'll be gunning for her ninth and 10th individual state titles.


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The main difference between the District 5 supervisorial candidates and most candidates for local office is that contenders Dave Potter and Marc Del Piero have very long, very public track records that enable the press and the public to take a hard look at their strengths and weaknesses.
That partly explains why the long profiles of Potter and Del Piero in Sunday's Herald paid considerable attention to their downsides without, in the view of their supporters, doing enough to play up their successes. Both men have been active participants in the rough and tumble of local, regional and state level politics for decades and, not surprisingly, both have stumbled from time to time.
But from where we sit, Del Piero's issues have to do with style — he's a lawyer and aggressive businessman with strong opinions on most things — while Potter's have more to do with substance — he's a politician who doesn't mind cutting corners both in his public and private lives.
Our endorsement, therefore, goes squarely to Del Piero, and it is not about any lesser of two evils. Del Piero, a three-term supervisor attempting a long-delayed comeback, has the knowledge, experience and the personality to provide the county with some real leadership on the critical water issue and in other key areas, including health care, land use and Fort Ord development.
His outspokenness is a strength. He says what he means and means what he says. Potter's position on just about any issue is a mystery — or it is until one looks at his campaign contributions.
In recent years, Potter has become the model of a politician who postures one way and acts another. On development issues within his district, for instance, he'll vote no to mollify his constituents but only after making sure the votes are there for approval, in order to satisfy his political supporters.
Potter would seem to be the leader of county government, and of local government in general. In addition to serving on the Board of Supervisors, he has chaired the Fort Ord Reuse Authority and the water management district while serving on many other government bodies. But if we were asked to identify positive results of that leadership, we'd need some time.
Earlier this year, when the water management district put forth a large fee increase after months of consideration, Potter tried to distance himself from the controversial decision by saying he wasn't at the meeting where the final decision was made. He chaired the meetings before and after but really wasn't up to speed on the district's largest initiative of the year?
Taxpayers wouldn't have to wonder where Del Piero was coming from. By proclaiming himself a friend of the law and transparency, he has put together a remarkable coalition of support that includes key Republicans and the Green Party, farmers and environmentalists.
Some say Del Piero wasn't always the straight-shooting, good government type after joining the Board of Supervisors three decades ago. But those who know him well say he is both smarter and wiser this time around and recognizes that the issues are more complex than they once seemed.
Voters who like what they have seen out of county government, FORA, the water bureaucracies and other local agencies in recent years should go ahead and support Potter. Those who think local government needs a loud wakeup call should vote for Del Piero instead.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(Note: Rules as posted here will be in effect until July 20, 2008. After that date, New Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging will go into effect and this post will be replaced.)
These are the rules I've decided upon:
5. (added 7-30-07) To make it manageable for the hosts, each participant is limited to one entry per week.
NEW, starting October 2006, you can check Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging to see who the host will be a month in advance.
Thanks to all the great herb bloggers around the world for your continued support of the event. I'm looking forward to learning more and more about new plants from many of you for a long time to come.


text: |This exhibit, created originally as a talk for the Treasures of Wheaton program focuses on the life and ministry of Kenneth Perry Landon. Though significant in his own realm of endeavors, Kenneth was much less known popularly than his wife Margaret, of whom he was very proud. Margaret was the author of Anna and the King of Siam, which was later adapted by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein as the King and I. The Landon Papers measure nearly 200 feet of material, including 94 hours of oral history interviews with Kenneth and Margaret. The Special Collections thanks the Landon family for their generosity and continued support.


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Getting into bike racing can be an intimidating thing….speed, crashes, that waiver they make you sign that says "I understand that bike racing is an inherently dangerous sport..", skinny racers with expensive stuff. But it's also really fun, social, great for staying in shape and exciting when you approach it the right way.
If there was Emily Post guide to race day etiquette it would encourage you to keep it fun and competitive while observing these common sense rules for a fantastic race day for everybody:
DO: Read the race bible or technical guide before you show up. Plan accordingly. If the flyer says registration closes for your race one hour before your scheduled start time – they mean it. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the race, park, find registration. Your race day will go much more smoothly if you can be relaxed about these preliminaries.
DON'T: Yell at officials, registration staff, volunteers, race promoters etc. if you didn't do the above. They publish that flyer and schedule for a reason. It's your job to know it. Yelling is never nice, but I see it a lot at races. Something about the stress of competition can bring out the worst in people. If you show up ten minutes before race time and the registration volunteers tell you that the race closed 30 minutes ago chalk it up to lessons learned and read the fine print next time.
DO: Thank the volunteers, police, promoters. Likely those volunteers have been standing in a corner keeping you safe for hours all for the glory of a bottle of water and maybe a race t-shirt. But they made your day possible. Make sure you let them know you appreciate it.
DO: Before your first race, get experienced riding in groups. Check out the teams in your area, look for local training races and group rides. Getting used to riding in tight quarters before trying to do it at speed is really important and will make you much more comfortable when you are in an actual race. Plus, you'll make friends to go to the race with -making it WAY more fun and social.
DON'T: Ride erratically. Sudden "line" changes. Swerving. Braking in turns. All of these things will get you branded as squirrelly or worse. It will get you yelled at. Nobody in a race wants to get injured or lose a race because somebody decided to abruptly sit up in a turn – and when tension is high and people are in "race" mode they aren't going to point out your mistakes diplomatically. In other words, pay attention to your surroundings. Every swerve, stop or sudden movement impacts those around you. Ride with this awareness and you'll be great.
DO: Know the rules for bike racing and the type of race you've signed up for – there are differences. You'll have a choice between criteriums, road or circuit races and time trials. For example: Criteriums have a "free lap" rule. Road racing does not. This particular piece of knowledge can come in very handy if you flat or crash! Crit racing also has rules about lapped riders working with race leaders etc. It's your job to know the rules before you come out to play.
DON'T: Show up on a bike covered and dust and rust that hasn't left the garage since 1985.
DO: Make sure your equipment is race-ready before you line up. I once lined up at the start of a race with a girl who knew that her front tire "had been going flat, but it will be okay…." Sure enough two laps later and well established in the break her front tire blew while we were going through a chicane – taking all of us out. Equipment failure happens so do your very best to make sure your gear is in the best shape possible before you stress it in a race. You'll race faster and have more fun too!
Finally, be a good sport. When you win or have a great day, be gracious. When you lose be gracious and live to race another day. Recognize the good team work, team tactics and performance of both those who beat you and your own teammates too


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University of Colorado Boulder faculty member Ivan Smalyukh is among 61 scientists to receive a 2013 Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Smalyukh, an assistant professor of physics and a founding fellow of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, or RASEI, has been awarded $750,000 over five years. RASEI is a joint venture between CU-Boulder and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Smalyukh will use the funding to study the self-assembly of nano-sized particles into colloidal composites, work that may enable cheaper and more efficient renewable energy technologies as well as more energy-efficient displays on consumer devices such as laptops and smart phones.
The DOE's Early Career Research Program is in its fourth year. This year's award winners were selected from a pool of about 770 applicants.
"The Early Career Research Program reflects the Administration's strong commitment to creating jobs and new industries through scientific innovation," said Acting Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. "Strong support of scientists early in their careers is crucial to sustaining America's scientific workforce and assuring U.S. leadership in discovery and innovation for many years to come."
Smalyukh has been honored with two other early career awards. In 2009, Smalyukh was also chosen for the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, award, the agency's most prestigious award to junior faculty members. And in 2010, Smalyukh was awarded the coveted Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE.


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The south west RSPB wildlife enquiries team says it is expecting lots of calls from well-meaning people about the cute, helpless baby birds they have discovered on the ground.
But Morwenna Griffiths, speaking for the RSPB South West, said: "It's vital that people resist the urge to intervene – this is a natural part of the bird's development, so keep your distance and step away.
"Just before baby birds are ready to tentatively extend a wing, wiggle a tail feather and take flight for the first time, they leave their nest, or fledge as it's called. Fledglings then spend a couple of days on the ground developing their final flight feathers.
"The fledglings will appear fully feathered and spend these days hopping around your garden in broad daylight – hence why so many members of the public are convinced they need rescuing.
"Another common fear is that the fledgling has been deserted by its parents.
"However, fledglings are extremely unlikely to be abandoned. They are probably off gathering food or more likely hiding nearby with a beady eye on their young, waiting for you to back away. Parents know best and are more than capable of looking after their own.
"Removing a fledgling from the wild significantly reduces its chances of long-term survival – so please don't 'kidnap' the baby bird.
"There are only a couple of situations when the public should lend a friendly helping hand:
Immediate danger - If the baby bird is found on a busy road or path, it would then be advised to pick the bird up and move it a short distance to a safer place - this must be within hearing distance of where the fledgling was found.
Similarly, if you discover your cat or dog eyeing up a fledgling in your garden we recommend that you endeavour to keep your domestic pet indoors for a couple of days – or at least around dawn and dusk..
Injury - If an injured fledgling is discovered this should be reported immediately to the RSPCA on: 0300 1234 999 Sometimes local vets treat wild birds for free, but check with them first.
Nestlings - If a baby bird is discovered on the ground that is either unfeathered or covered only in its fluffy nestling down, it has likely fallen out of its cosy nest ahead of schedule. Very occasionally it is possible to put these babies back in their nest, but only if you are 100 per cent positive of the nest it has fallen from and it's safe to do so.
Ms Griffiths said: "It is also important to remember that sometimes a parent bird will intentionally eject a chick from the nest if they sense it has an underlying health problem or is dying.
"It's a harsh truth to stomach, as humans we want to fix things, but sometimes we need to allow the law of nature to run its full circle."
And Adam Grogan, senior scientific officer for the RSPCA says: "Our wildlife centres care for more than a thousand alleged 'orphaned' fledglings each year, picked up by well-meaning people.
"Most of these birds are not orphans and would have had a better life in the wild.
"Unless a baby bird is clearly a nestling, or is a fledgling that is injured or in immediate danger it is best to leave them alone."


text:
Submit News
Google's Larry Page Talks Smack About Facebook, Apple
Tiffany Kaiser
January 18, 2013 12:00 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Google's Larry Page
In short, he said their products could be better
It's not uncommon for rivals to bash one another, so Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page took a couple of
jabs at Facebook and Apple
in a recent interview.
In an interview with
, Page discussed how he wants Google to come up with some "moon shots," or far-out ideas such as the company's self-driving vehicles that recently achieved 30,000 accident-free miles.
However, Page also took the opportunity to throw a few insults at rivals Facebook and Apple. Google's social network, Google+, has been working to gain the amount of users that Facebook has while Google's Android operating system
competes with Apple's iOS
While Page recognizes that Facebook is a heavyweight in the social arena, he said, "They're also doing a really bad job on their products … we're actually doing something different [from Facebook]. I think it's outrageous to say that there's only space for one company in these areas."
Page may be a little sore that Google, which launched in 2011, hasn't quite lived up to the hype of it potentially being a Facebook rival. There are currently 500 million registered users on Google+ and only about 125 million are active monthly (compared to Facebook's one billion monthly active users as of October 2012).
Rather than become a Facebook rival, though, it looks more like Google+ has become a product incorporated into Google's search.
In November of last year, Google's Vice President of Product Bradley Horowitz spoke with
Business Insider
about Google+, also
taking a jab at Facebook
. Specifically, he targeted the social network's use of advertisements, where they're forced into people's news feeds. He even went as far as comparing Facebook ads to a guy with a sandwich board popping in between a father and his daughter during an important conversation.
"We don't have to make next week's payroll by jamming ads at users," said Horowitz.
In the recent
interview, Page also had something to say about Apple's product practices. While Apple is another huge player in the mobile space, Page thinks its products are limited.
"You know, we always have these debates: we have all this money, we have all these people, why aren't we doing more stuff?" said Page. "You may say that Apple only does a very, very small number of things, and that's working pretty well for them. But I find that unsatisfying."
Earlier this week, it was reported that Google's Nexus 7 tablet market share was greater in Japan than Apple's iPad. Market research firm BCN conducted a survey in Japan last December, and out of 2,400 consumer electronics stores in Japan, the iPad had 40.1 percent of the market while
Google's Nexus 7
claimed 44.4 percent.
"We are going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet. A lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." -- RIM co-CEO Michael Lazaridis
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text:
Why would I want every photo I take to upload to Facebook every time? Yeah there's some photos worth sharing and there's just some photos that aren't.. I have about 800 photos on my phone and I havnt even uploaded more then 10 photos from my album... So this is a dumb feature if you ask me cause not everyone wants to upload every photo they take onto the web!!
If they are using the facebook app on your phone don't they have access to your camera roll anyways
I don't think this a good idea for most ppl. What if you mistakenly sync a photo. Bout time u realize it, friends, family and co-workers will see what u do I your spare time. Good or bad.
I'm not syncing mine. It's bad enough iCloud does it and give you the option to public view or what ever its called.
I considered doing it then I remembered how wishy washy Facebook is on privacy. One week the album would be private and no one else can see the pics the next week they change their privacy settings and now u have to choose to make it private without telling you that before they change it. NO THANKS. Not getting screwed with my camera roll lol


text:
When producing a song I can spend a good 20-30 minutes working on creating a single ear tingling transition. Usually I make transitions when the song is almost finished. The reason I wait until the near end of the song's creation is two fold. First, I like to hear the entire song from beginning to end and as I do so my brain tells me, "This is the spot where something is needed!". Second, I use the audio of the full song's mix to create the effect. You can here the kind of transition I am talking about at :06 seconds right before the vocal starts:
Here's how it was done using Ableton Live:
- I rendered one bar of the full song exactly where the transition is going to be placed.
- I created a new Audio Track.
- I delete the audio on all the channels where the new transition will be (cut a hole).
- I drag my rendered clip into the arrangement on the newly created audio track and place it horizontally where I created the hole.
- Now I play back the song. It should sound just like you have not done anything yet.
- I experiment by loading different effect plug-ins on the new audio channel where the rendered clip sits. I try and find some heavy mangling plug-ins to really make the transition stand out.
- I re-render the clip with effects on it. I will usually do 4 different variations.
- I delete the plug-ins and the original plain rendered clip leaving a blank channel again.
- I drag in each of my rendered variations one by one replacing them with each other and listening to figure out which one is the most interesting fit.
- I also reverse each variation (in the Clip View) and listen to how that sounds.
Usually by this point I have a wicked sounding transition. In the audio sample I above I also cut and repeated the last 4 sixteenth notes and automated Ableton's built in high pass filter to sweep down.
This process may seem like overkill but its the minor sweet effects that are the icing on a good song.


text:
Family of gamers, huh?
BTW last thing I played was UNO on Xbox Live with naturallystoned.
'); var yuipath = 'clientscript/yui'; var yuicombopath = ''; var remoteyui = false; } else // Load Rest of YUI remotely (where possible) { var yuipath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/2.9.0/build'; var yuicombopath = 'http://yui.yahooapis.com/combo'; var remoteyui = true; if (!yuicombopath) { document.write('
Family of gamers, huh?
BTW last thing I played was UNO on Xbox Live with naturallystoned.
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
FYI, you finished at about +176 on mini-golf at about 4am on Sunday..........
Super Bowl XLI Champions
2000 Eastern Conference Champions
I just bought a Playstation 3 along with "Oblivion" two days ago and this whole thing is fascinating!
Can't put the Controller away..
Oblivion is a great game. The expansion for it the Shivering Isles is also a hell of a lot of fun.
I enjoy left turns.
I have been going back between NCAA 08 and Rainbow Six Las Vegas on my ps3 i bought two weeks ago.
Just found a first video of Nba 2k8
Seems like there will be a Slam Dunk Contest! Man I'm looking forward to play this game, the 2k-series have always been far better than EA's NBA Live!
Mario Strikers Charged for Wii. Really really fun. Though I seem to suck online...
...online play is quite good in this game. 0-3 though! Not going to bed until I win one...
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
Call of Duty 3. Long-*** Capture the Flag match. I lead our team with a score of 115.
Hey Great One, how do I edit a post? I seems only mods know how or can!
|Bears 3-5 - Bulls 0-4|Aren't we just on a roll?
So I ended up going to bed without winning....0-9...
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
There's magic in the software of this forum. Allows us to change our words and minds at the click of the EDIT button to the bottom right of our post.
Eh, I know but it only lets me edit the post, not the poll!
|Bears 3-5 - Bulls 0-4|Aren't we just on a roll?
I played the demo for all pro football 2k8. I thought it stunk. The game play was really bad and I didn't like the classic players gimick.
Been playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on my new PC that I just built a little while ago. I've been wanting to get back on live, but my 360 is in the shop and I won't get my PS3 for about a week; so no PSN either.
Mario Party 6 for Gamecube. A Very good game. All of the mario parties are amazing
Solitaire and Curveball.
Minigolf as well.
I liked it as well. My g/f overheard me talking about it, and bought it for me! I like it, but then again I like the NFL 2k5 over the Madden series as well
08 and Beyond
Everquest 2, level 68 necromancer =D
Excitebike Nintendo NES
I also ordered these off Ebay
T&C Surf Designs
R.C Pro AM
I'm in these bands
The Humans
Dr. Goldfoot
The Bar Brawlers


text:
The National Archives and Record Center website recommends the following steps to prepare for the the April 2, 2012 release of the 1940 Census:
The National Archives and Record Center website allows you to view the blank census form and includes all of the questions asked in this enumeration. The website also includes some very interesting information about the 1940 census; mentioning a digital release, but nothing at all about microfilm. This could be the first census that must be viewed online.
Along with the usual census questions, the 1940 census form includes a question asking for the place of residence on 1 April 1935 as well as 1 April 1940. This will help to locate ancestors who moved mid-census or those who married between 1930 and 1940.
Contact your local Springfield-Greene County Library for help with your census research.
Find this article at


text:
Bath room exhaust fan under tounge and groove floored attic. The attic floor cavities were insulated with cellulose and as a result the bath fan was plugged causing mildew to form in the bath room.
Views: 256
prep is important -- just finished an attic blow -- no ceiling installed fans involved.
© 2017 Created by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Powered by


text:
Skip to Content
Dozens of activities await new students at the University of Colorado Boulder starting Aug. 23, including a welcome convocation and a "Global Jam" international food and music fest.
The free events give new students a chance to get acquainted with each other, the campus and surrounding community before classes start on Aug. 27. The activities are scheduled in addition to orientation sessions that cover the details of class registration, policies and student services at each college.
New students will attend the mandatory convocation on Aug. 24 at 11 a.m. in the Coors Events Center. Students will hear from Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano, faculty, staff and student leaders, and will learn about the meaning and responsibilities of becoming CU-Boulder students.
Immediately following the convocation, attendees will make their way to Global Jam on Farrand Field for international food and live music from noon to 2 p.m. Food choices will include chicken tikka masala from India, potato and onion pierogis from Eastern Europe and Cape Maly koeksisters from South Africa.
Global Jam is included in the student meal plan and is available for faculty, staff and Buff OneCard holders. Other CU-Boulder community members can purchase meal wristbands for $6.50 each at the guest relations tent.
Some other highlights include:
--Thursday, Aug. 23, from 8 p.m. to midnight, the CU Student Recreation Center and Residence Hall Association jointly host "Ice and Dice" at the Recreation Center where students are invited for indoor ice skating, rock climbing, live music and a fake money casino, including poker and craps with a chance to win real prizes.
--Thursday, Aug. 23, from 9 to 11 p.m., transfer students are invited to the UMC Connection for free bowling, pool and food, and to learn about resources CU-Boulder has to offer.
--Friday, Aug. 24, from 8 p.m. to midnight, students are invited to the "UMC Welcome Fest" featuring laser tag, a Friday night film, henna tattoos, crafts, live music, food and giveaways.
--Saturday, Aug. 25, 6 p.m., CU Program Council will present the featured bands Ghostland Observatory, Minnesota, Hoodie Allen and Sunsquabi in concert at Farrand Field for CU-Boulder students only. A Buff OneCard is required to get an admission wristband and there is no re-entry to the concert.
For a complete schedule of CU-Boulder new student welcome activities visit http://www.colorado.edu/inthemix.
John Henderson, 303-492-5425


text:
Spirit Airlines is dropping some fares down to a penny. Beyond that penny, all the customer has to pay is the $52 fuel fee, and $45 dollars to travel with luggage, and a $40-per-year membership fee. Oh, and $19 in taxes, too.
MPR's Cathy Wurzer spoke with Minnesota Public Radio News' blogger Bob Collins who's been been writing about a number of fees in various industries on the Newscut blog.


text:
President Obama needed a prop last week to show how "unfair" our economic system is and instead of Warren Buffet's secretary, he should have trotted out Wes Welker.
You want unfairness?
Welker makes $2.5 million a year. That's a great haul until you consider what a worker bee like Welker would make in a baseball uniform.
There always has been a crazy salary disparity between America's pastime (baseball) and America's obsession (pro football). But it has become so insane that Indianapolis police should be on alert this week.
NFL players need to buy drums, stop showering and pitch tents outside Lucas Oil Stadium. It's time to Occupy the Super Bowl. The can't-miss slogan:
"We Are the 100 Percent That Makes Less Than Vernon Wells!"
I'm not against Wells making $26 million. I wish every American could make $26 million for batting .218. But it's simply not fair that guys like Welker blow out their knees, get their brains rattled and end up creaky middle-aged men.
And they do it for half the pay as their colleagues in baseball, where the biggest injury risk is a hip dysplasia from sitting on a fat wallet for nine innings a day for 12 years.
That's why Welker should have sat next to Michelle Obama during the State of the Union speech. The president is pushing The Buffet Rule, where millionaires would pay at least as much taxes as their secretaries.
If Obama really wanted to score populist points, he should have pointed to little old Wes and cited disturbing economic trends.
Baseball has doled out 14 $100 million-plus contracts in the past two years. That's as many as there were from 2001 to 2009.
You know how many $100 million deals NFL players have signed since the beginning of time?
You know how many actually got $100 million?
None so far, since NFL contracts are not guaranteed. Football players are lucky to pocket 75 percent of the supposed value of their contracts.
Baseball pays every penny, even if the player turns into Adam Dunn. The ex-slugger will make $44 million over the next three years even if he continues to bat .159.
The average baseball salary is $3.3 million. The average NFL player makes $1.9 million. Like Occupy Wall Street, there are legitimate business reasons behind the income disparity.
Baseball has 650 players compared with 1,696 in the NFL. Since NFL teams share so much revenue, owners can get fat off 4-12 teams.
Winning drives baseball's economic engine. With no salary cap and wild disparities in local income, the Yankees can spend like drunken congressmen.
The Tigers' giving Prince Fielder a $214 million deal last week was just capitalism at work. If you don't like it, move to Cuba, where every baseball player makes $13 a year regardless of how good they are.
In other words, all is fair in love, war and sports finance. It's just, well, Carlos Marmol?
He went 2-6 on the mound for the Cubs last year. Welker ran through NFL minefields and caught 122 passes for the Patriots.
Welker made $33,000 less than Marmol.
For becoming the world's greatest tight end, Rob Gronkowski made $450,000. That's what Alex Rodriguez gets every 2.6 games.
Baseball had eight $20 million-a-year players last season. Football had one, Peyton Manning ($23 million). And he doesn't count since he didn't even play while collecting paychecks. Scott Boras must have negotiated that contract.
Seventeen baseball players made more than Tom Brady. That includes Carlos Zambrano, last spotted cleaning out his locker after giving up five home runs to the Braves.
It's not just the top-end guys. C.J. Wilson is a nice pitcher with a 43-35 career record. He's also the sixth pitcher in baseball history to go eight postseason starts without a win.
All that made him worth $77.5 million over five years to the Angels, who considered it chump change after signing Albert Pujols for $254 million earlier that day.
At least Pujols had a great year. Almost as great as Aaron Rodgers. The difference is Rodgers made $7.5 million last season. He's signed through 2014, when he'll pull down $10.5 million.
That's $5 million less than John Lackey got last year for giving up 114 earned runs and eating fried chicken during Red Sox games.
To be—pardon the phrase—fair, the NFL has some dodo bird contracts. DeAngelo Williams got $43 million for five years, but only $21 million was guaranteed. That's a rounding error to the Yankees.
It's not just players who are getting jobbed. Roger Goodell was given a seven-year extension last week. Terms were not disclosed, but let's assume he got a $2 million bump on his $10 million salary. Bud Selig would still confuse Goodell for a parking valet.
Baseball just gave him a two-year extension, and he was already making $22 million a year. Selig has obviously done a good job with baseball revenue.
But is he worth twice what the commissioner of the NF-Freakin'-L makes?
If a tent city does spring up in downtown Indianapolis, Goodell should man a bullhorn with the other victims of the system.
Since Indiana's a swing state, Obama should pop by for a photo op. Forget all that capital gains mumbo jumbo, he should announce a simple proposal every American could get behind.
The new Buffet Rule:
The Welkers of the world should never make one-fifth what the Lackeys take home.


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OLD Hill CC has adopted a policy of promoting new players from within the club for the new season.
A host of players have now been fast-tracked into the first team from the club's second string as they look to improve on last year's mid-table finish in the Birmingham and District League Division One.
Captain Dan Cox said: "A lot of club talk about promoting people through the ranks rather than taking on new signings each summer, but we have actually gone through with it.
"There are obvious risks that come with such a policy because you have to identify the right players and bring them in at the right time.
"It has been difficult turning potential new players away but we are determined to stick to our policy. All the players at the club know that they could have a chance of making it to the first team and everyone seems to have been lifted by that. I think it will really benefit the club in the long term."
Players including Jared Daniels, Nathan Howell, Joe Thorn and Winston Lewis will all see more first team action for the 2014 season.
A number of familiar faces are also set to return to the club. Bowler Daud Islam and seamer Johnny Baig have once again been taken on. They will be joined by off-spinner Lee Rogers, who comes from Barnt Green, and all-rounders Billy Cox, Jamal Ahmed and Waqar Ahmed.
Off the pitch, Old Hill now has a new chairman and secretary and a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to stabilise the club financially.
Cox added: "Our main aim this season is to improve on how we did last year. If we could get a strong top half finish that would be fantastic. However, with our new policy of using our second and third teams, the big thing is that we show progression."
The club will start their league season away to Shifnal tomorrow (noon start).


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Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly hotel with 3 restaurants and nightclub
Popular property highlights
This family-friendly Tunis hotel is located near the airport, within a 15-minute walk of Carrefour Market and Tunis Zoo. Palais Khereddine and Dar Lasram are also within 1 mi (2 km).
Hotel Features
Along with 3 restaurants, this hotel has a nightclub and a beach bar. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, a poolside bar, a coffee shop/café, and a snack bar/deli are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 344 rooms offer free WiFi and free wired Internet, plus balconies or patios and LCD TVs with satellite channels. Guests will also find 24-hour room service, minibars, and separate bathtubs and showers.
Guest Highlights
- Helpful staff
- Clean guestrooms
Golden Tulip El Mechtel
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Dining is available at one of the hotel's 3 restaurants and guests can grab coffee at the coffee shop/café. The property also has a snack bar/deli. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the hotel's bars, which include a beach bar and a poolside bar. Business amenities at this 4-star property consist of a 24-hour business center, limo/town car service, and meeting rooms.
Public areas are equipped with complimentary wired and wireless Internet access. Event facilities measuring 20451 square feet (1900 square meters) include a conference center. This family-friendly hotel also offers a seasonal outdoor pool, a nightclub, and multilingual staff. For a surcharge, a roundtrip airport shuttle (available 24 hours) is offered to guests. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
Golden Tulip El Mechtel has designated areas for smoking.
- Conference space
- Number of meeting rooms - 10
- Free WiFi
- Meeting rooms
- Coffee shop or café
- Multilingual staff
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 344
- Number of floors - 9
- Hair salon
- ATM/banking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Television in common areas
- Elevator/lift
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Wedding services
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Free wired Internet
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Garden
- Poolside bar
- Beach bar
- Luggage storage
- Conference space size (meters) - 1900
- Free self parking
- Conference center
- Snack bar/deli
- Year Built 1980
- Number of restaurants - 3
- 24-hour business center
- Conference space size (feet) - 20451
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Airport transportation (surcharge)
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Designated smoking areas
- Laundry facilities
- Nightclub
- Porter/bellhop
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Outdoor seasonal pool
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Snack bar/deli
- Laundry facilities
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Balcony or patio
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Room service (24 hours)
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Minibar
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- In-room safe
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Free WiFi
- Free wired Internet
- Separate bathtub and shower
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Satellite TV service
Where to Eat
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge and are served each morning.
Peppino - This restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine.
Afandi - This restaurant specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine.
La Flore - Overlooking the pool, this buffet restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Cappuccino Lounge - This café serves light fare only.
Churchills Pub - This pub serves light fare only.
24-hour room service is available.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include a seasonal outdoor pool.
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! One child 4 years old or younger stays free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for EUR 37.00 per night.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation.
- Deposit: EUR 50.00 per day
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 12 for adults and EUR 8 for children (approximately)
- Airport shuttle fee: EUR 14 per person (roundtrip)
- Airport shuttle fee per child: EUR 9.00 (one-way)
- Early check-in fee: EUR 23
- Late check-out fee: EUR 23
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 37.00 per night
Hotel Name
- Golden Tulip El Mechtel
- Golden Tulip El Mechtel Hotel
- Golden Tulip El Mechtel Hotel Tunis
- Golden Tulip El Mechtel Tunis
- Golden Tulip Mechtel
- Mechtel
- Golden Tulip El Mechtel Tunis, Tunisia, Africa
- Mercure Hotel El Mechtel
- Mercure Hotel Tunis
We should mention
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. One child 4 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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BB King Blues Club at Times Square
237 W 42nd StNew York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 255-4223
Type: New Year's Eve Parties
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill is an intimate yet spacious Times Square supper club. Music enthusiasts and New Year's Eve revelers alike will enjoy saxophone-shaped beer taps, great sound and sight lines, a refreshing no-attitude ambience, and table-service food. Past headliners here have included classic rockers like Peter Frampton and Blue Oyster Cult and R&B legends like Chic and George Clinton. Rock out like a star this NYE at B.B. Blues Club & Grill.


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This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Play 4 on 4 Dodgeball with your own avatar, or as captain of an avatar team. Perform flaming cartwheel throws, mid-air spikes and spinning backhands while dodging and catching your opponent's attacks. Challenge friends online in traditional Elimination or Deathmatch, or compete against 8 computer teams in the single player or coop Tournament mode.
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


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We traded Erin Phillips!!!
Someone needs to evaluate this trade for me!
http://www.wnba.com/fever/news/fever...e_phoenix.htmlFever Lands Additional First Round Pick and Post Player In Trade with Phoenix
Indiana Owns No. 5 and No. 9 Selections in Upcoming WNBA Draft
Official Release | March 11, 2014
INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana Fever has acquired a first-round draft pick and power forward Lynetta Kizer from the Phoenix Mercury in a trade announced today that sends combo guard Erin Phillips to Phoenix along with Indianas second-round pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft.
The Fever adds the No. 9 pick in the draft to go with the No. 5 choice it already owns, marking only the second time in franchise history the club will own two first-round selections. The Fevers No. 5 pick is its highest since 2005. Phoenix receives the 17th overall pick with its second-round pick from Indiana.
I want to thank Erin for all she did for our franchise, said President and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. She is a tremendous professional both on and off the court. She played an integral role in helping us win a WNBA Championship in 2012. I wish her nothing but continued success.
Krauskopf continued, Erin is going into the final year of her contract and this trade allows us to bring in another young player through the draft, as well as add a young post player with Lynetta Kizer. Lynetta is a 64 post player who can score inside and out. She gives us significant help with interior scoring and rebounding.
A power forward who starred at the University of Maryland, Kizer begins her third WNBA season in 2014. She is an athletic, dominant rebounder who averaged 9.9 minutes per game in 27 games with the Mercury last summer. She split her rookie campaign between Tulsa and Phoenix after a third-round draft selection in 2012. Kizer currently plays for European power Good Angels Kosice in Slovakia. Since joining the club in the past month, she averages 8.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the Middle European League, and 12.5 points with 7.5 boards in EuroLeague competition.
We are excited to welcome Lynetta Kizer, a young physical post player who can play the 4 or 5 spot for us, said Fever coach Lin Dunn who is scheduled for induction in the Womens Basketball Hall of Fame in June. Echoing Krauskopfs sentiment, Dunn added, We appreciate all that Erin did for our franchise and we wish all the best in Phoenix.
Phillips enters her seventh WNBA season which included a starring role on the Fevers 2012 WNBA championship team. She played three seasons in Indiana, but missed much of the 2013 season with knee problems.
After opening training camp April 27, the Fever hosts a preseason game with the Washington Mystics on Monday, May 5 (12:00 p.m.). The Fever opens the regular season at Chicago on May 16 before hosting its home opener against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, May 17 (7:00 p.m.)


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North Carolina State has hired Dave Doeren of Northern Illinois, the Raleigh News & Observer first reported Saturday. A 4 p.m. press conference is scheduled for Sunday.
NC State athletic director interviewed Doeren on Saturday, one day after Doeren led the NIU Huskies to the MAC championship with a win over Kent State.
"I am honored and excited to join the Wolfpack," Doeren said in a statement. "NC State has world-class facilities and fans that are second to none. My family and I can't wait to get to Raleigh to become Wolfpackers."
MORE: Fired Division I coaches
Doeren compiled a 23-4 record in two seasons at NIU. That brief stretch includes two MAC titles. Incoming recruits have been told that Huskies' offensive line coach Rod Carey will replace Doeren, Sporting News has learned.
Doeren replaces Tom O'Brien, who was fired last week. In addition to Doeren, NC State also interviewed Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes and Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Kent State coach Darrell Hazell was also a target.
Yow said that she wants the new coach to land Nick Saban-like recruits.
"Coach Doeren is a highly motivated overachiever who shares our goals to pursue aggressively a high level of achievement in the classroom and on the field of competition," Yow said.
Doeren's head coaching experience is successful, however limited. He was an assistant coach at Kansas and Wisconsin before getting the NIU job in December 2010.
He is paid $420,000 annually at NIU and can expect a significant jump at NC State. However, his buyout for the Huskies is $750,000, the News & Observer reports.


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Manufacturing Sponsored by
When you think of your very favorite beauty product, what hits you first? The feel of it on your fingers? How it looks on your skin? Maybe its scent?
Ask consumers this question, and many would likely respond with a description of the beauty product's packaging—the shape, the color, the height, the dispenser, the heft and so on. Vision is the dominant human sense, and as such, the visual details of a product are paramount to its success. However, the consumer's idea of the visual details of a beauty product typically aren't of the product formulation itself—they are of the packaging. Therefore, in the development of brand loyalty across SKUs and even different beauty categories, a cohesive package design strategy is a must.
"As we think about package design and the role that it is already playing between brands and consumers, we feel that there's just an inordinate amount of untapped potential in those spaces," says Tracy Scott Doherty, director of design, MWV. "So we're really focused on trying to figure out how to improve and enhance the consumer experience, both functionally and emotionally, in those areas."
That includes figuring out how to link products in the same line and from the same beauty brand. Nathalie Nowak, director of marketing and innovation, Rexam Personal Care, expands, "Rexam's role is to work in partnership with our customers to develop visual, tactile and auditory packaging cues that extend across each SKU. Color, shape, style and decoration elements should ideally harmonize so that, as seen by the consumer in the retail set, the overall impact communicates the brand essence."
And developing that brand essence is essential for each individual SKU because it's rare for any beauty product to exist solely on its own, apart from a line. "Retailers are no longer satisfied with dedicating space to a singular-item product line, [and] long gone are the days where marketers gain measurable success or shelf space with an individual item. They must create and build a brand, an image, even a lifestyle conveyed through their product line, which will be offered to a consumer. In addition to the formulation, at the core of a brand or product line is the packaging; the packaging is what makes all the difference and sets brands apart from one another," says Benny Calderone Jr., sales and marketing director, YonWoo International/PKG Group.
Creating a cohesively packaged beauty lineup isn't as simple as just choosing a packaging family and being done. There are many considerations, especially when you take into the account the importance of the package, as Scott Doherty notes. "Consumers interact with your package—they touch it, they feel it, they look at it," she says. "There needs to be something there to connect it."
Calderone explains, "When developing the packaging you must first define the parameters of what the brand requires in terms of size, image, aesthetics, function and, of course, cost of goods. Often times the most viable method will be through the use of existing stock designs, or custom adaptations utilizing an existing platform from stock designs. Both of these methods allow marketers and brand managers a fast, versatile—and most often an economical—method when compared to the creation of a fully developed custom component. Once this first phase has been completed, you can then organize all other design elements for the packaging, inclusive of color and secondary decoration features, which need to be capable of following suit across all materials, shapes and sizes involved."
Carrying those design features through is a key to cohesive packaging strategy, but it's also about determining which features should be more prominent on a specific product package. "A commonality of some, if not all, elements helps to deliver the brand message," notes Nowak. "Then, once these core design elements are decided upon, brand owners can use custom decorative elements to set each new product within a range apart. In the case of Lolita Lempicka's Si Lolita fragrance, the initial product used the XD11 fragrance pump and cap, and later editions have a custom twist, such as a different color scarf for each collar. Elements ideally work together for the greater good of the brand, much like notes within a musical scale. This heightens the total sensory impact."
Scott Doherty continues this thread, explaining, "We really believe that packaging is an extension of the brand, so if the brand stands for simplicity, the packaging should be simple—it should look simple, it should be simple to open, and it should be simple to use and dispose of or recycle. If a brand stands for undiscovered surprises, the package should be surprising, or it should look like the kind of package that would hold something that's surprising or offers an unexpected experience. For us, brand is really about emotion, and you think about the non-conscious priming that a package can convey, that can deliver that emotional charge and that brand message."


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I'm very pleased to learn from Hiram Crespo that Epicureanism, which I still also like, is experiencing some surge of interest. The International Society of Friends of Epicurus has been formed, in his words, "to ignite a much-needed full revival of the ancient philosophical school." We learn too that there are Gardens in Athens and Thessaloniki which attract hundreds at annual events, and one in Sydney that is rather smaller.
I suppose I will have to remain a fellow traveller. If I were to establish a Garden of my own here, it would likely have a similar vibe, but I would want to hypnotise people occasionally too. :)
Since Epicureanism has so often been used in modernity to dismiss the nonphysical (Locke, Jefferson), and always had strong materialist leanings, why use it as a spiritual person?
I was always looking for something that didn't have a spiritual element, so it would be more neutral and allow me to discover spirituality without reference to a particular dogma.
The main difference between a spiritual and a non-spiritual philosophy overtly is the basing of one's actions and identity in the non-physical. One finds the soul, and it must be the basis and guide.
When I look at what I actually took from Epicurus, it emphatically does help with this.
— the contentment with the simple, the ability to distinguish natural and unnatural desires, an excellent idea not least since we know simplicity and maturity helps to ignite spirit (more on that in the upcoming series);
— the ability to come to terms with death and pain, not to fear them — the example of Epicurus being someone who was cheerful under any pain; you need some way to interfere with its power to affect the thought and disposition;
— the enjoyment of the state that results.
Epicurus himself maintains that with these you are no longer a "mere mortal animal". These particular emphases are useful in a society that constantly projects violence and pain and hypes appetite. Yes these profoundly interfere with the workings of the soul. When I am in contact with my soul, I don't necessarily need words. But I think the value of a simple philosophy like this is that it can give the conscious mind somewhere useful and positive to focus. The thought of Epicurus (and Democritus too actually) is fresh and friendly. It has no hierarchicalism. So it suits me.
But of course I focus on plenty of other things that many Epicureans wouldn't like, especially not now…


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We've travelled to the Twillingate area on several occasions to see icebergs, go whale watching and explore with our sea kayaks.
But recently we got a phone call from Fred Bridger, who has been helping to develop hiking trails in the Twillingate area for the past few years.
"If you like coastal hiking you can't do much better than these trails," he said over the phone.
"The trails pass by sea stacks, sea cliffs and we even have some osprey and eagles that nest in the area. At this time of year you won't see any icebergs but you can nibble on blueberries if you like, since the trails go through some fine berry patches."
This was all we needed and Fred offered to act as our guide for a couple of days.
So earlier this month we set off from our home in Corner Brook to check out Twillingate's trails. We checked into the Cabins by the Sea, and shortly after we arrived Fred popped in for a visit to discuss the plans for the next couple of days.
"Its been a banner year for tourism," he said. "If you were here last month or in July you might not have found a place to stay. We are now up to 40,000 visitors, which is way up from a few years ago. In fact, our Paradise Bed and Breakfast has pretty much been full so far this September, which bodes well since we are trying to develop our fall tourism product, and hiking could be a big part of that."
The next day we set off for neighbouring Durrell and two trails that run back to back in that area. We followed the main road right to the end and parked in a small parking lot where we set off on the French Beach—Spiller's Cove Trail.
"These trails were created by local fishermen to hunt birds or check for sea or ice conditions off the coast," Fred explained.
"All we did was connect them so that they would form loops. We prefer to hike on a loop since you don't see the same scenery twice, so that has been our aim wherever possible."
The trails are generally well marked and Fred said they planned to install $8,000 worth of new signs this fall. But be warned, these trails are rocky — like a roller coaster in places. Even though the high points may only be 60-80 metres above sea level, there is a considerable amount of climbing and descending, so bring good hiking shoes. On a hot day, you should also carry extra water, a snack and a wind breaker.
This trail is about five km and the highlights include good views back to Durrell and a very rugged shoreline punctuated with sea stacks and steep cliffs.
Fred has an imaginative eye for rock formations and pointed out the shapes of a cobra, camel and an aboriginal person.
Allow yourself about two hours to do the trail (working in time for taking photos and snacking on blueberries). The trailhead is at 49 40.129 N and 54 43.600 W.
Since it was still mid-morning we decided to do the Spiller's Cove to Codjack's Cove trail. You can do these trail individually or if you are a serious hiker you can combine them. Just remember that if you combine them, you will have to retrace your steps to your car or use two cars, since this trail ends at a different trailhead. The new trailhead is at 49 39.670 N and 54. 43.855 W.
The first part of the trail follows a road and then branches off to Spiller's Cove. Like the previous hike the trail is rocky and winds up and down but has some fantastic views of sea stacks and a rugged, cleaved shoreline. It is also further away from town so there's a wild feel to it. We saw an osprey circling and although her nest appeared to be empty Fred said that on earlier visits this summer you could easily see the chicks. The trail is just over seven km and you should allow three hours to complete it.
The next day we hiked to the Top of Twillingate Trail which is a local highpoint that offers four lookout platforms and a tall tower at the top. The summit is about 110 metres high and gives good views in all directions.
It's a popular trail — the guest book listed 1,200 entries for this year alone — and just three km, so it is accessible to many hikers. The trailhead is at 49 37.157 N 54 45.240 W.
After that, we headed to the Long Point Lighthouse to walk to Lower Cove and back.
The Long Point Lighthouse is getting a facelift this summer and is a fine place to go to watch the sunset or get an impressive view of Notre Dame Bay. The parking lot is around 100 metres in elevation and the viewing platform has telescopes for watching whales and icebergs. The trailhead is at 49 41.285 N and 54.48.097 W.
The trail does a figure eight loop and immediately descends to more level terrain where it heads north to the cliff edge before winding toward Sleepy Cove and Lower Cove. It passes by old machinery used in a copper mine which operated from 1910-20 and then goes inland toward Lower Cove. Then the trail winds back along the coast, providing spectacular vistas of the community of Crow Head and the Gunn Islands. This loop is about five km and, again, due to the amount of up and down you should allow at least two hours.
There were still more trails to do but we had only scheduled two days to sample them and we were very impressed.
"Can't wait to come back to check out the new signage and hike those remaining trails," we told Fred.
Keith and Heather Nicol are avid hikers and sea kayakers based in Corner Brook. Write to Keith at firstname.lastname@example.com


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To say that Washington, D.C.'s dessert scene has been subject to the encroaching influences of alternative dessert fads, like froyo or cupcakes, is an understatement. Luckily, that said, ice cream will never be dethroned as the reigning summer treat of choice and DC has no shortage of spots to grab a scoop, sandwich, or sundae.
Ranging from small neighborhood shops to upscale parlors, check out the slideshow to see 7 of our favorite places to get your ice cream fix in the District.
About the author: Brian Oh is a Washington, DC based international development professional, food lover, and photographer. In his free time, you can usually find him chasing down a good burger or slice. Follow him on Twitter @brianoh11


text: Despite the weak economy, consumers continue to indulge in candy. By Joe Bush, Contributing Editor. The confectionery retail market has grown across all trade channels, but convenience stores have outpaced the overall retail market. Iconic brands (Hershey, Nestlé, Mars) prowl the chocolate landscape and provide consumers an affordable indulgence in a bitter economy. According to


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PH270 Single Detached House in Pasig City Area for sale at 21M
3 Bedrooms
2 Toilet & Bath
2 Car Garage
2 Storey
Lot Area = 375 sqm
Floor Area = 300 sqm
This property is very near Sandoval Avenue. It is near major road networks in Pasig like Ortigas Avenue Extension, Sandoval, and Mercedes Avenue.
Its conveniently located in a peaceful community where the main Shopping centers Megamall, Podium and Robonsons Galleria is about 30 minutes away. Major Hospitals like Medical City are near as well. For your grocery needs, you may want to go to nearby Puregold grocery.
For Transportation needs, Jeeps and FX are regularly plying the main roads Sandoval, Mercedes and C Raymundo avenue. You may also want to go to Edsa which is where MRT station is located.
You may also opt to go there to ride a bus. Jeeps and FX can be taken to go to EDSA. It is also near South Expressway that can be accessed thru C5 Avenue.
Schools like Montessori Professional College, Pasig Catholic College and St Paul College is also near.
Entertainment centers like SPA, Beauty Salons, Food and Restaurant Shops can be found at C Raymundo, C5, The Grove by Rockwell and Eastwood Center. Banks are also numerous at the area.
Utility Offices and Payment centers are also near the area
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|Property Value:
|Php 0.00
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|Php 0.00%
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|Term / Period:
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|Php 0.00
|Total Interest:
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|Selling Price
|₱ 21,000,000
|Floor Area
|300 Sqm
|Lot Area
|375 Sqm
|Parking Slots
|With Balcony
|No. of Floors
|Date Listed
|May 17, 2017
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Ethnicity Data in HIV Positive Men Who Have Sex With Men
Recruitment status was: Not yet recruiting
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|HIV Infections
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Retrospective
|Official Title:
|Accuracy of Ethnicity Recording in MSM Patients With HIV of Non-White Ethnicity in London
- Proportion of misclassification of ethnicity for non-White MSM with HIV living in London [ Time Frame: end of study (2 months) ]
- • Prevalence of individual non-White self-identified ethnicity groups in MSM with HIV in London [ Time Frame: End of study (2 months) ]
- Description of current clinic practice for ethnicity data recording [ Time Frame: End of study (2 months) ]
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|June 2011
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|July 2011
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|July 2011 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Non white HIV positive men who have sex with men
Detailed Description:
HIV Doctors will be identified at each of the London HIV treatment centres and details of the project will be communicated to them via email.
These doctors will then be sent paper copies of the patient information sheets (PIS), patient questionnaires and clinician questionnaires.
Eligible patients (i.e. men having sex with men with HIV from non-white ethnic groups) will be identified by their doctors and will be asked to read the PIS and complete the questionnaire. This will be a single questionnaire and no follow up for the patient will be required. No personal information (e.g. date of birth, hospital number) will be recorded. Eligible patients will be all those coming to clinic for HIV care between 1st June and 31st of July 2011. Based on estimates from 2009 data held by the HPA, each doctor will on average be asked to recruit 30 patients over the two month period.
The questionnaire will ask questions regarding self description of ethnicity, sexuality, parents' ethnicity, country of birth and other countries of residency (if relevant). It is anticipated that to read the PIS and complete the questionnaire should take no longer than 15 minutes.
The doctor will then return the paper questionnaire (in an addressed envelope supplied) to Dr Williams. Dr Williams will then bring together and analyse the data from the questionnaires and write up her findings for publication and presentation at a national conference.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients diagnosed with HIV
- Male patients who have ever had sex with other men (bi- or homosexual to both be included)
- Patients of non-white ethnicity (patients described as being of "mixed" or "other" ethnicity are to be included)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Female patients
- Male patients who have only ever had sex with women
- Patients whose ethnicity is described as "White"
- Patients unable to read or understand the written questionnaire
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01277458
|Contact: Helen Williams, MBBS
|United Kingdom
|Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
|Not yet recruiting
|London, United Kingdom, SE1 7EH
|Responsible Party:
|Dr Helen Williams, HPA / BASHH Scholarship Fellow, Health Protection Agency
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01277458 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|January 14, 2011
|Last Updated:
|January 14, 2011
Keywords provided by Public Health England:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 25, 2017


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The Fayette County School System is developing a pilot program designed to create a career pathway in digital media. The March 4 announcement was made at Sandy Creek High School as representatives from Canadian animation software company Toon Boom gave teachers from two of the county's high schools and two middle schools a hands-on look at the technology.
"As Georgia's film industry continues to boom with the opening of movie production companies, such as Pinewood Atlanta in Fayette, there is going to be a demand for a skilled workforce in digital media. That's why the Fayette County School System is leading the way to prepare students for careers in the field, specifically in animation, by developing what is hoped will become the first Digital Media Career Pathway for the state," said school system spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach.
Berry-Dreisbach said Fayette, in partnership with Clayton State University, the Atlanta Regional Commission, and Toon Boom, an animation software company out Montreal, Canada whose software is used to produce 70 percent of the world's cartoons, is working to create a career pathway that will be piloted next school year at Sandy Creek and Whitewater high schools, as well as Rising Starr Middle School and Whitewater Middle School.
The announcement came on March 4 at Sandy Creek High, the same day that teachers from the pilot schools were receiving training on the Toon Boom software. Toon Boom CEO Joan Vogelesang was present for the announcement and commended the school system on taking the initiative to offer students the opportunity to develop skills and earn certifications that can land them jobs straight out of high school, Berry-Dreisbach said.
"We are honored to be here today and are delighted to be partners with you on this journey. Thank you for thinking outside of the box and thank you for taking this on," said Vogelesang.
Berry-Dreisbach said students who successfully complete the pathway will earn certification from Toon Boom, enabling them to immediately seek employment with an animation production company, or if they choose to continue their education in the field, a portfolio for entrance into a college or university program and possible scholarship opportunities.
Commenting on the digital media pathway pilot program, school system CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) Coordinator Lisa Collins said the Digital Media Pathway is more than art and creativity because it will also incorporate main subjects such as science and math.
"For example, in order to accurately animate a person, students will need to know human anatomy and how all the body parts work together so that the animation is realistic," she explained.
Additionally, animation involves collaboration and problem solving, skills that are needed in all career fields. So whether or not students decide to pursue a digital media career after taking the courses, they will have gained skills that can be utilized in any job field, Berry-Dreisbach said.
Curriculum writing for the pathway will take place over the next several months and will be submitted to the Georgia Dept. of Education in October for state approval. If approved, high schools throughout Georgia could offer the pathway to their students.


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The Rule 5 Draft coming up in a couple of weeks probably won't have results as exciting as last year's, mostly due to the fact that clubs can go without protecting players on their 40-man for an extra year. (This BA blog entry has some names that were added just in time.)
Here's a free Baseball America piece that explains it in detail.
There have also been/will be a few Baseball Prospectus pieces about the draft, but they're subscriber only. One by Bryan Smith talks about AFL players that will be exposed come draft day. A few of those names:
Sung Ki Jung, RHR, Braves
Mark Rosen, LHR, Diamondbacks
Raul Padron, C, Athletics
Dusty Hughes, LHS, Royals
Lincoln Holdzkom, RHR, Red Sox
Fernando Hernandez, RHR, White Sox
Steven Jackson, RHR, Yankees
Jarrett Grube, RHR, Rockies
Smith promises more pieces as well, so I'll link those when they come up. Carlos Guevara is the only Reds player mentioned as a real Rule 5 possibility so far.


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Corlink HUAWEI TO SONICWALL SFP+ DAC 1M (SFC2-HUSW-1M-COR)Item#: 13983982 | Model#: SFC2-HUSW-1M-COR
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Originally published on March 13, 2013 4:44 pm
The Los Angeles Archdiocese has agreed to pay $10 million to settle a priest sex abuse case. The settlement is the first since documents detailing the involvement of high-ranking church officials — including Cardinal Roger Mahony — in moving and protecting abusive priests. Mahony was at the Vatican where he was one of the 115 cardinals who gathered to select the new pope.


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Unique Jewellery. Unique Experience.
EverettBrookes not only offer Adelaide's finest quality custom jewellery, handmade, but a truly unique jewellery experience. Conveniently located in the heart of Adelaide, South Australia we are manufacturing jewellers creating beautiful jewellery with expertise and passion.
Private after hours consultations, complimentary beer, wine and champagne, satisfaction guarantee and lifetime warranty are just some of things we do differently. Watch our latest commercial.
One of our most popular experiences is hand making your own ring! Spend an hour with one of our experienced jewellers and saw, roll, file and hammer your gold into a ring shape. We photograph this process and present you a DVD to share with family and friends. Imagine the sentimentality as your ring is passed down to future generations. These short videos provide a great insight into this unique experience.
Custom made diamond and gemstone Engagement Rings, Wedding Rings, Fitted Wedding Rings, Eternity Rings and Dress Rings or Pendants, Earrings, Bangles and stunning watches from Bomberg, SevenFriday, March La.B, and Danish Design are just some of the things we have on offer. We can remodel your existing jewellery or you may be interested in our unique men's jewellery which incorporate wood and concrete in the design. As well as our own creations, we also offer carefully selected pieces from Australia and Europe such as Coeur De Lion.
Everything made at EverettBrookes has a quality guarantee and can be created to suit most budgets and you'll be made to feel welcome in our comfortable and inviting workshop.
We were humbled to be awarded Australia and New Zealand's "Best Jewellery Retailer" at the inaugural Jewellery Industry Awards.
View some of our testimonials to discover the difference for yourself.
Opening Times
Monday – Thursday 9.30am – 5.00pm
Friday 9.30am – 7.30pm
Saturday 10.00am – 2.00pm
After hours by appointment
Telephone 08 8232 8333


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Game Of Thrones Eddard Stark Gambeson$110.00 – Buy Now
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Game of Thrones Pop! Television Arya Stark Figurine$9.99 – Buy Now
Game Of Thrones Eddard Stark Shirt$55.00 – Buy Now
Winter is Coming... The Starks reigned as Kings in the North for thousands of years, from the time when Bran the Builder built The Wall and formed the Night's Watch. Like the generations before him, Lord of Winterfell Eddard "Ned" Stark taught his children the importance of fairness in rule and bravery in battle traits that have been easily seen in his children, Robb Stark, Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Bran, Arya and Rickon. Pledge your allegiance to the true Wardens of the North with House Stark merchandise, featuring the fierce direwolf sigil, House Stark banners, T-shirts, hoodies and other products that will serve you well once winter arrives. Celebrate the return of Benjen, honor the Old Gods of the Forest with Sansa and create your own reunion between Arya and Nymeria with Pop! vinyl figurines. The road to King's Landing goes through Winterfell, so when the white walkers march south, Westeros will be relieved to have the Direwolves on the front lines.


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Despite being an oncology nurse, volunteer and mother of two, my mom was also the primary cook in our household. My dad traveled a lot for work, so it was often just my mom, brother and I around the dinner table. I don't know how she juggled it all—when Dave works late I struggle to heat up a bowl of soup.
Looking back I realize she relied on easy standards in the kitchen that would cook quickly and still taste great, like pasta with veggies and stir fry. But on the occasion that not much was in the fridge and she had two hungry kids staring her down, we were treated to breakfast for dinner.
French toast became one of my ultimate comfort foods. Because we noshed on it rarely as a treat, it still brings back those vacation-y, snow day sort of feelings for me. Normally I make it as my mom did: eggs, milk, and a few spices. But around the holidays I like to give it a festive feel by adding eggnog to the batter.
The type of bread you use will really determine the flavor of the French toast. Sandwich breads and Texas toast (pictured) will yield softer, more tender slices, as well as retain more of the flavor of the batter. Harder breads (crusty loaves of French and sourdough) will not soak up as much batter and you'll often taste more of the bread than the batter. But it's all a matter of preference.
What I like most about French toast, and what my mom knew early on, is that it's a quick, comforting meal. In a matter of minutes you can have a satisfying breakfast (or dinner) on the table for the whole family. This recipe in particular is great for holiday crowds and is a fast way to feed the hungry masses Christmas morning.
A little butter and syrup on top is all I require, but to give kids a little extra protein you can top with a smear of peanut butter or a dollop of vanilla yogurt. For the adults you could even spike the batter with a little bourbon or rum for an extra special treat.
Try it this weekend for breakfast, dinner, or anytime in between. Your hungry (and impatient) family will thank you.
Eggnog French Toast
If you soak your bread quickly, you may be able to eek out a few more slices from the batter. For maximum eggnog flavor, allow bread to soak slightly longer. Serves 2-4.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup eggnog
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- butter, for frying
Beat together the eggs, eggnog, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract in a medium-sized shallow bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan just above medium heat. Quickly soak both sides of each slice of bread in the egg mixture and place in the frying pan (don't crowd the pan—cook in batches if need be, adding more butter in between). Cook for a few minutes on each side, until lightly golden brown. Serve immediately topped with butter and maple syrup if desired.


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openly gay
The Boy Scouts of America announced Tuesday it had reaffirmed its ban on openly gay youth and adults becoming scouts and leaders. Jeffrey Brown and the Los Angeles Times' Molly Hennessy-Fiske discuss why this decision is as much a business concern as it is one of values. Continue reading


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Maple Grove Days' "Showcase" silent auction offers one more way to join the community festival. The auction offers an inexpensive and relatively simple way for a business to support Maple Grove Days as well as promoting the business.
Donors and items will be listed on the "Showcase" page of the website as well as at the Maple Grove Community Center prior to the festival. Auction booth will be available for bids Saturday, July 13. To become a donor of the auction or for more information contact Todd at [email protected]
Auction and other events will be promoted in the Maple Grove Days guide (30,000 copies distributed) as well as all other publications promoting the festival, encouraging patrons to visit the website at maplegrovedays.org for more information.


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A few weeks back, after falling down the rabbit hole of the fluoride issue and discovering a giant pile of science showing that there's really no debate over whether it's safe to put in the water in small amounts, I decided to ask my friends what else they were worried or confused about. "I'm doing a story with the working title 'I Saw This Thing on the Internet, Fact or Fiction?'" I told them, promising to research important issues they didn't have the time to dig into.
They responded with a list of questions, mostly about health and the environment, that are addressed here briefly but with direction for further research.
One of the great things about the internet is that it puts so much information at our fingertips—and on our Facebook timelines. But processing so much information can be exhausting. The tidbits are conflicting (Diet sodas help you lose weight! Or make you gain weight!) and they may be thinly veiled ads (This one weird trick…) or put out by those with vested interests (Global warming is a hoax!). It takes time to follow up, evaluate the source, look at the research and formulate an opinion. And we have less time than ever.
Some basic guidelines for your own sleuthing: If a story doesn't make it easy for you to find the original source of the information (i.e. a published study or report), then be skeptical. The more emphatic the author is that something will kill you/prevent cancer, the more evidence you should see. The more the story seems to be selling the idea, the more scrutiny you should give the evidence.
So, for some of the most common Facebook link baits that have raised your eyebrows, here's the 411 from the research department at SFR.
Chemtrails…Who's doing it, why are they doing it and how can you tell it's being done?
But there is an enormous amount of speculation scattered across the internet that questions why some trails seem to disappear immediately and others last for hours. (You'll note that scientists don't use the word "chemtrail.")
Although it's certainly possible that forces of evil (usually the government) are spraying us with chemicals, it's incredibly difficult to find any actual evidence that the trails we see in the sky are actually chemicals from planes (the vast majority of which are commercial airliners).
But it's very easy to find an explanation for those white streaks in the sky. Just ask the weatherman.
"It's just like when you go out on a cold day and you can see your breath. You're seeing, in effect, a cloud. Your warm breath is going out into the cold air, and the air coming out of your mouth condenses into something you can see. So that's what planes do. They have hot exhaust hitting the colder air surrounding the plane, creating a contrail," says Joe Diaz, chief meteorologist for KOAT-TV.
How long a contrail stays in the air depends on the temperature, the altitude and the humidity of the air the plane flies through.
The Environmental Protection Agency has an excellent "Aircraft Contrails Factsheet," developed with scientists from the EPA, the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Is growing pot really bad for the environment?
Sounds like you may have seen somebody sharing a story published by The Nation last fall, "Is Pot-Growing Bad for the Environment?" in which author Seth Zuckerman made the case that the federal prohibition on marijuana prevents growers from becoming more efficient, regulated and environmentally sound.
He noted that some irresponsible outdoor pot growers in rural California harm the environment in several ways. Clearing hilltops for farmland clogs streams while diverting water for irrigation can lower water levels needed to sustain spawning fish. Pesticides and poisons used to fend off mites and rats (Rats love weed. Who knew?) can kill predators who eat rodents such as owls and fishers (cute furry critters in the weasel family). Fertilizer washes into creeks and causes algae blooms that can kill dogs that romp in algae-coated water. But getting pot growers to improve their methods is difficult; most government-funded agricultural agencies that help chile growers and cotton farmers improve irrigation aren't allowed give any advice to cannabis growers.
Growing indoors has problems too. A 2011 study, "Energy up in Smoke:
The Carbon Footprint of Indoor Cannabis," showed that growing pot under lights indoors uses as much energy as 2 million average US homes and contributes as much greenhouse gas pollution as 3 million cars. Put another way, the amount of energy required to make one joint could produce 18 pints of beer. The study's author, a climate scientist, also suggested that the semi-underground nature of the industry prevents widespread innovation in energy efficiency.
This is not much of an issue in New Mexico—so far as we know. Sean Waite, a Drug Enforcement Agency special agent in charge based in Albuquerque, says his agents only occasionally come across outdoor grows, but he acknowledges there could be pot farms they aren't finding because they're hidden in remote areas. (One widely publicized grow was discovered three years ago within the boundaries of Bandelier National Monument, but only because of aircraft surveillance related to firefighting.) The DEA in New Mexico primarily targets cocaine, meth and heroin, Waite says, and since medical marijuana is legal on the state level, traipsing around in the woods looking for pot plants is "not necessarily a resource priority."
Are BPA-free plastics really safe?
With a headline engineered for link bait, Mother Jones recently published a story about chemicals in sippy cups and plastic water bottles, "The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics," that quickly made the rounds on Facebook.
Bisphenol A is a chemical used to coat the interior of food cans and to make shatterproof plastic food and drink containers. Several animal studies have shown that BPA, a kind of synthetic estrogen, can contribute to a long list of health problems if it leaches from those containers into food and drink. That news came out back in 2008 and all of a sudden, plastic food containers were labeled "BPA-free!" But the Mother Jones story highlighted some research showing those plastics also leached synthetic estrogen.
The problem this presents is clear: What the hell are you supposed to give your kids, glass baby bottles? How are you supposed to take that leftover lasagna to work, in a cardboard box? We've become accustomed to the safety and convenience of plastic. But is it really safe?
The FDA says yes. After the Mother Jones story came out, government researchers published a paper they say shows BPA only causes negative effects in rats at very high levels, meaning your sippy cups are safe.
In an update to the story, MJ countered that some experts say the study might have been flawed and that we need more research to demonstrate exactly how much exposure to BPA (if any) is safe for humans.
Bottom line: We really do need more research. Meanwhile, we just don't know for super total sure that plastic bottles, containers and can linings are 100 percent safe. So be practical and minimize plastic when and where you can. And don't use it in the microwave.
What is the true impact of electromagnetic fields?
Electromagnetic fields are types of energy that radiate from electronic gadgets, power lines, lightning strikes and electric eels. If you're anxious about getting too many X-rays or living under high-voltage power lines, this is what you're talking about.
There are also people who are more than slightly concerned about extremely low frequency radio waves—and you can find them on the Internet by searching for "EMFs." One of them was Aaron Alexis, the guy who killed a dozen people at the Washington Navy Yard. Remember him? He told police officers that people were following him, talking to him through ceilings and using "some sort of microwave machine" to prevent him from sleeping. After searching through his electronic files, the FBI said they found this explanation for the killings: "Ultra-low frequency attack is what I've been subject to for the last three months and to be perfectly honest, that is what has driven me to this."
Most folks aren't too worried about low-frequency radiation because it comes from things like lights, microwave ovens, Wi-Fi networks, cell phones and power lines, and it's not generally thought to be harmful. (Don't get me started on why in 2007 Santa Fe opted against a plan to provide free wireless internet in the downtown area. Suffice to say that it involved people wearing gas masks and silver hats.)
Ionizing radiation, at the higher frequencies, comes from X-rays, radon gas, ultraviolet light and gamma rays (think the kind of nuclear radiation that turned Bruce Banner into The Hulk). We don't need much more research to know this is the bad kind. If you see the radiation symbol, make a hasty retreat.
You may have heard that carrying a cell phone in your pocket (or in your bra if you're this author) can give you tumors, but according to the National Cancer Institute, "studies thus far have not shown a consistent link between cell phone use and cancers of the brain, nerves or other tissues of the head or neck." We need more research, but right now that's what we know. Carrying a phone in your pocket: maybe not a huge problem. Driving a truck at WIPP: bigger problem.
If you're seriously worried about high-power lines, check with your electric service provider for an on-site reading. PNM spokeswoman Ryan Baca says that in her 10 years with the company she's never heard anyone ask for a measurement, but that the company will do it for customers. Call 241-2700 for a reading.
Does diet soda really make you fat?
Short answer: Quit drinking sweet stuff.
There have been many studies on diet sodas and other food made with what are known as "non-nutritive sweeteners," but we still don't know for sure whether diet drinks help folks lose weight by cutting calories—or make you hungrier and more likely to reward yourself with food later.
There are five non-nutritive sweeteners the FDA calls safe: aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal), acesulfame-K (Sweet One), neotame, saccharin (Sweet 'N Low) and sucralose (Splenda). (The FDA hasn't weighed in on Stevia.)
One 2013 review in the journal Nutrition found, "Although the FDA and most published (especially industry-funded) studies endorse the safety of these additives, there is a lack of conclusive evidence-based research to discourage or to encourage their use on a regular basis."
A 2013 study published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that people who are overweight or obese drink more diet soda than people at a healthy weight. But they also consume more calories. They concluded that overweight people need to cut calories from food, not just drinks, if they want to lose weight.
The American Heart and Diabetes associations recently put out a pretty common-sense statement on the issue, saying they "don't know for sure if using NNSs [non-nutritive sweeteners] in food and drinks makes people actually eat or drink fewer calories every day. But reducing the amount of added sugar in your diet? That we know for sure is a good thing. …Choose foods and beverages that are high in nutrients and low in saturated and trans fats and added sugars. Keep in mind that just because a product is "sugar free," it doesn't always mean that it's healthy."
Do I need to be eating chia seeds?
Just when you thought you could forget about Chia Pets, they make one in the shape of the guy from Duck Dynasty. Oh, and people start actually eating the seeds. But are they really good for you? We have 30 years of hard experiential evidence on growing chia seeds on variously shaped terra cotta pots, but much less information about their other properties.
The seeds are high in essential fatty acids, protein, fiber, minerals and antioxidants, but there have only been a handful of studies on the potential health benefits.
There's slightly more evidence for the benefits of flax seeds, which have fewer carbs, more minerals and more polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also, they're cheaper. And you won't be tempted to mix them with water and choke down the resulting ectoplasmic goo.
Is there any reputable evidence that global warming is actually just a natural occurrence?
Let's put it this way: You can rest assured that the great magnificent bulk of scientific research confirms that recent climate change is our fault.
In February, the US National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society (the UK equivalent) released a report on the issue, "Climate Change: Evidence and Causes." The authors very clearly and very simply spell it out: "Scientists know that recent climate change is largely caused by human activities from an understanding of basic physics, comparing observations with models and fingerprinting the detailed patterns of climate change caused by different human and natural influences."
"It's basic physics!"
Like how they got that "It's basic physics!" dig in there?
Produced by a team of scientists from Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other institutions, the report is written in nice plain English and answers 20 common questions about climate change.
Is it better to drive 15 miles round trip to buy something at a locally-owned store or drive a few blocks to buy the thing at a big box store?
Let's assume this question is aimed at the environmental as well as economic impacts of the decision.
For perspective, shopping online can reduce environmental impact by 35 percent over traditional retail shopping—because getting goods to retail stores involves a lot more energy spent on transport, according to a 2009 Carnegie Mellon study. A disproportionate amount of that energy comes from "the last mile," or the distance you drive to the store in your car, which is not nearly as efficient as the fully-loaded UPS truck dropping off packages all over your neighborhood.
Of course, if you take the bus or walk to shop, you can cut down or eliminate that fossil-fuel guilt.
Buying local has benefits for the environment, advocates say. Many local stores are located in walkable areas (like downtown) that allow you to park once and run several errands.
"Yes, it's the driving around that causes pollution that's bad for the environment. But it's also hugely bad for the environment to build any kind of big-box store with enough parking for Christmas Day," says Clifton Chadwick of Keep It Querque, the Albuquerque independent business group.
The Sierra Club opposes big-box stores for several reasons, including the stores' enormous parking lots, which collect water contaminated by oil and other chemicals leaked from cars, causing pollution of local drainage systems.
"These guys are winning simply by getting us into the frame of mind where price is the only issue," Chadwick says.
Should I buy organic or local?
Energy involved in transportation is also part of the decision between locally or organically grown food.
Even though most people who buy organic say they do because it's healthier, there's really not much evidence that organic foods are much more nutritious than conventionally grown foods, according to a 2012 review of 17 studies in humans and 223 studies of foods, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The authors did acknowledge that buying organic might reduce your exposure to pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
And as Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, has pointed out, the nutrition issue is a distraction. "The whole point of organic food is that it's more environmentally sustainable," Pollan told NPR affiliate KQED in 2012.
In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan criticized what he called the "industrial-organic complex," pointing out that one pound of organic lettuce may cost 4,600 calories of fossil fuel to ship across the country. This is a problem particularly relevant to New Mexico, where so much of our food is trucked in from afar.
So, channeling Michael Pollan: Try first for food that's local and organic. If you can't do that, buy local, especially if the food is more likely to have been picked recently and ripe (as with peaches and tomatoes). If it's something known for particular issues with pesticides or antibiotics (strawberries, milk, chicken), try to choose organic over local.
What exactly do they mean when they say 'cage-free' chickens? Are they free-roaming or crammed in a building somewhere but not technically in a cage?
Cage-free does mean they're, well, not in cages, but it could also mean there are 18,000 of them free-roaming inside one building, with no access to the outside.
From a chicken's perspective, we might expect that not being in a cage is a pretty high priority. But anyone who's ever raised chickens will tell you: Chickens can be real jerks to each other. So being in a cage might be really lame, but being cage-free could be like being trapped in a middle school gym with 18,000 eighth-grade girls. Meaning: Studies have shown that chickens die twice as often when they're cage-free.
Also, cage-free systems result in chicken houses that are dustier, colder and poopier.
One thing chickens probably appreciate about being cage-free is being able to roll around and take dust baths. The problem is fairly obvious: They roll around in their own poop and lay random eggs on the ground instead of in their nesting boxes, spreading salmonella and other diseases much more quickly.
Bottom line: Don't waste time trying to figure out the differences between the labels because many of the terms aren't backed up by rules or inspections. Look for certified organic eggs. Organic rules say the chickens can't be raised in cages and must have some access to outdoors. Or find someone you can trust who sells at the Farmers Market.