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SANTA CRUZ -- The Santa Cruz County Planning Commission on Wednesday sought to make it tougher to build massive homes, a move that comes on the heels of a proposed palatial Bonny Doon home by a top Apple executive.
The 5-0 vote seeks to lower the threshold for a public hearing on residential construction to 5,000 square feet, giving neighbors a chance to influence the size and design of homes fit for royalty and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs alike. Proponents said the vote is aimed at preserving the character of the county.
"There are places in this county that are places of extraordinary beauty, and the whole character could be altered if (a) prominent home were built in the wrong spot," said Bonny Doon artist Ray Gwyn Smith.
Smith and a handful of Bonny Doon residents at Wednesday's meeting said the tougher rules -- lowering the threshold from the current 7,000 square foot -- are being driven by development pressures from both UC Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley.
What pushed the issue to the forefront were two large homes neighbors call "boarding houses" for UCSC students, as well as an estate-style home for Apple executive Bob Mansfield and his family, which is planned for an undeveloped Bonny Doon knoll.
The Mansfield project is not affected by Wednesday's vote -- the county already has committed to a public hearing before those plans go forward. But the commission did say projects already in the development pipeline could be subject to the new rules.
Sending big projects through a public review can add thousands to a homeowner's cost since the county charges applicants for its own staff's expense. Those costs can go up exponentially if a project is appealed all the way up to the county Board of Supervisors.
Commissioner Larry Perlin balked at the proposed rules before they were amended to exempt projects that have been through some form a review and are awaiting a building permit. Last year, the county approved 35 single-family homes, including five of more than 5,000 square feet.
"I just think it's inherently unfair to enact an ordinance in midstream that would capture the process and send it through a different process," Perlin said.
But Planning Commission alternate Denise Holbert said what the county was doing is nothing new.
"I think this is not really changing the rules at all. This is consistent with a practice we've had at the county," Holbert said. "You're really not able to say there's not another thing that you need to do until your application is complete."
In other business, the Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend a new landscaping ordinance aimed at saving water.
Meant to supplant state rules in place since 2010, the new law is tailored to closely match similar ordinances already in place in urban areas served by the Soquel Creek and city of Santa Cruz water districts. It's impact would be greatest in rural areas.
Aimed at commercial, public and large residential projects, the rules establish irrigations standards, limits turf and invasive species, requires circulated water for fountains and pools and more. It also includes exemptions for edible plants.
"It improves the general configuration of landscapes in the county, to get rid of turf-intensive landscapes, and provides incentives for landscapes adapted to our environment," county policy planner Jerry Busch said.
Follow Sentinel reporter Jason Hoppin on Twitter at Twitter.com/scnewsdude


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Soccernet Needs You: Correspondent Wanted
Soccernet's Correspondents pages have provided opinionated football fans with the chance to publish articles to a massive global audience since the year 2000 and although that tradition continues unabated our Soccernet FC section continues to evolve.
During the 2010/11 season we are expanding our exisiting fan-driven coverage of the Premier League to include some of Europe's biggest clubs and we are looking to recruit enthusiastic new talent to help fill all our pages with fresh ideas.
Soccernet is always interested in hearing from energetic writers and we are looking for motivated people to boost the ranks of our team of Correspondents.
If you have an obsession for your club and want to share your passion and knowledge with million's of readers on your very own page on Soccernet then apply to be a Correspondent on the world's site for the world game.
Available now: (please read full post before applying)
• Click here to apply for Inter Milan.
As part of Soccernet FC you will have your work published online on one of the world's leading football websites and gain experience in the field of football journalism - with a written reference available on request.
You must be able to write in English, to a good level, and convey your ideas and arguments in a cohesive way to fans from all over the globe.
So, if you want to volunteer to represent your club, or just make a name for yourself, click on the relevent link above and tell us what makes you a prime candidate for Soccernet FC - include your writing experience and methods used to gather information - and send us a 250-word (maximum, please) sample of your writing. It could be a match report, or, if your team aren't playing, a news story or opinion piece based on the latest news or your fantasy scoop.
As a Correspondent you will be required to tell Soccernet's readers what you made of each result, plus club rumours as well as keeping us up to date with team news, speculation and looking ahead to forthcoming fixtures.
These positions are unpaid, but the Correspondents pages provide all you zealots with the opportunity to write about your club's journey through the season. Our readers can follow your rollercoaster ride of emotions through post-match euphoria and dejection, then debate all the bias that comes with football.

subset: commoncrawl


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Christ followers who need some good news should take this to heart. read more
Remember, God Has Your Back Through Life's Changes
Where do you run when life throws you an unexpected curve? read more
Where do you run when life throws you an unexpected curve? read more
Christ followers who need some good news should take this to heart. read more
The war on terrorism—a dark unseen force—is driving Christians to either succumb to fear or to call out to the only one who can defeat this ancient foe. read more
What he's discovered is astounding. read more
Beware of losing this treasure because you're distracted by the artificial conversation on social media. read more
If you liked these entries, you'll love Jennifer LeClaire's book Mornings With the Holy Spirit.
Click here to get her book FREE with your subscription to Charisma.
Jesus realized that, without the Holy Spirit, His followers—including us—would not be able to fulfill God's call on their lives. So He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper, Teacher, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby, Revealer of truth and the One who empowers us. He does so much for us!
Developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit is crucial for those who desire to discover and fulfill God's will for their lives. Yet the truth is that many Christians are on fire for God and love Jesus with all their hearts, minds souls and strength, but they remain less familiar with the Holy Spirit. Some long to fellowship with the Spirit of God and hear His still, small voice but don't know how or don't believe they can.
The above is a 21-day devotional guide to start you on a journey to knowing the Holy Spirit more intimately.
Click here to subscribe to Jennifer LeClaire's podcast, "Walking in the Spirit." Receive reflections and revelations from her, and go deeper in your faith and ignite your walk with the Holy Spirit.
Click here to sign up for Jennifer's free newsletters, The Plumb Line and Watchman on the Wall, and receive prophetic insights, spiritual warfare tools and practical advice for everyday Christian living. read more
Prayerlessness and withdrawal from God during adversity only intensify your problems. Do these six things instead. read more
The megachurch pastor is painting a vivid picture of a supernatural war many don't even realize is underway. read more
"Encounters with Jesus are coming into the White House as the people of God pray. It is not over yet. Not all is lost." read more
Violent crime and danger surround us in today's culture, which has drifted from Judeo-Christian standards. Thank God for His angels. read more
"God was at work in this before we had any idea. He is good that way." read more
As a pastor, you've probably heard these before, but doesn't it still sting when you hear them? read more
The persecuted really are blessed. You've got to see this. read more
Elmer Towns' new book reveals the trends and movements that have most impacted the church in the last 100 years. read more
Here are some ideals and actions that the church should embrace this year. What others can you think of? read more
Pentecostals are certainly not nominal in their thinking. Here are some reasons the movement is getting bigger. read more
A recent study revealed 77 percent of those young people who are self-identify as unchurched think that believing in Jesus makes a positive difference in a person's life, yet they seem to be staying away from church. Why? read more
Crouch, who was hospitalized since Jan. 3, has had some positive response to the medical attention that has been given to him. But don't stop praying. read more
"We ask for your continued prayer that Andrae' will respond positively to the medical attention ... ." read more
One of the most dramatic and inspiring movies of the year has an incredible, real-life, faith-based twist. Find out why you should care, and how to approach this new film. read more
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MODIS/Aqua Snow Cover 8-Day L3 Global 500m Grid (MYD10A2) contains data fields for maximum snow cover extent over an eight-day compositing period and a chronology of snow occurrence observations in HDF-EOS format, along with corresponding metadata. MYD10A2 consists of 1200 km by 1200 km tiles of 500 m resolution data gridded in a sinusoidal map projection. Data extend from 04 July 2002 to 03 January 2007. MODIS snow cover data are based on a snow mapping algorithm that employs a Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) and other criteria tests. The only data available for Version 4 (V004) is the Golden Month, which is a sample of V004 data covering the time period 29 August 2002 (day of year 241) through 7 October 2002 (day of year 280). The Golden Month is only available by special request by contacting NSIDC User Services.
Please note that NSIDC now has a complete series of Version 5 data, which is the highest version number now available and represents the best quality of data.
As a condition of using these data, you must cite the use of this data set using the following citation. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.
The following example shows how to cite the use of this data set in a publication. List the principal investigators, year of data set release (2003), data set title and version, date of the version you used, publishers (NSIDC), and digital media.
Hall, D.K., G.A. Riggs, and V.V. Salomonson. 2003, updated weekly. MODIS/Aqua Snow Cover 8-Day L3 Global 500m Grid V004, January to March 2003. Boulder, CO, USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. Digital media.
|Data format
|Spatial coverage and resolution
Coverage is global, but only land tiles are produced. Gridded resolution is 500 m.
|Temporal coverage and resolution
Version 4 (V004) data extend from 04 July 2002 to 03 January 2007. Temporal resolution is eight days.
|Tools for accessing data
MODIS Reprojection Tool (MRT)
|Data range
Pixel values for the Maximum Snow Extent data field are as follows:
0: Missing
See Summary of MOD10A2/MYD10A2 Bit Values for an interpretation of bit values and resulting integer values for the Eight Day Snow Cover field.
|Grid type and size
Data are gridded in equal-area tiles in a sinusoidal projection. Each tile consists of a 1200 km by 1200 km data array, which corresponds to 2400 pixels by 2400 pixels at 500 m resolution.
|File naming convention
Example: MYD10A2.A2003138.h03v06.004.2003143062148.hdf
|File size
Data files are 11.3 MB each.
The snow mapping algorithm classifies pixels as snow, snow-covered lake ice, cloud, water, land, or other. Snow extent is the primary variable of interest in this data set.
|Procedures for obtaining data
Contact NSIDC User Services to order data.
1. Contacts and Acknowledgments
2. Detailed Data Description
3. Data Access and Tools
4. Data Acquisition and Processing
5. References and Related Publications
6. Document Information
Dorothy K. Hall
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Mailstop 974.0
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Vincent V. Salomonson
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Mailstop 974.0
Greenbelt, MD 20771
George A. Riggs
Science Systems and Applications, Inc. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Mailstop 974.1
Greenbelt, MD 20771
NSIDC User Services
National Snow and Ice Data Center
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0449 USA
phone: +1 303.492.6199
fax: +1 303.492.2468
form: Contact NSIDC User Services
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Algorithms that generate snow cover products are continually being improved, as limitations become apparent in early versions of data. As a new algorithm becomes available, a new version of data is released. Users are encouraged to work with the latest version available, which is the highest version number. Please visit the following sites for more information about known data problems, production schedule, and future plans:
MODIS snow products are archived in HDF-EOS format, which employs point, swath, and grid structures to geolocate parameters to geographic coordinates. Various software packages, including public domain, support the HDF-EOS data format. See the Software section for more information.
MYD10A2 consists of 2400 x 2400 cells of tiled data, gridded in a sinusoidal projection. Each data granule contains the following HDF-EOS fields:
A summary of MOD10A2/MYD10A2 bit values provides an interpretation of bit values and resulting integer values for the 8-day Snow Cover field.
A separate ASCII text file containing metadata with a .met file extension accompanies the HDF-EOS file. The metadata file contains some of the same metadata as in the product file, but also includes other information regarding archiving, user support, and post production quality assurance (QA) relative to the granule ordered. The post-production QA metadata may or may not be present depending on whether or not the data granule has been investigated for quality assurance. The metadata file should be examined to determine if post-production QA has been applied to the granule (Riggs, Hall, and Salomonson 2003).
Example: MYD10A2.A2003138.h03v06.004.2003143062148.hdf
MYD = MODIS/Aqua
2003 = Year of data acquisition
138 = Julian date of data acquisition (day 138). For MYD10A2, this date represents the first day of the eight-day period.
h03 = horizontal tile number (3)
v06 = vertical tile number (6)
004 = version number
2003 = Year of production (2003)
143 = Julian date of production (day 143)
062148 = Hour/minute/second of production in GMT (06:21:48)
Data files are 11.3 MB each.
Coverage is global, but only land tiles are produced for MYD10A2. The following resources can help you select and work with MYD10A2 tiles:
Gridded resolution is 500 m.
MYD10A2 Version 4 (V004) data are georeferenced to an equal-area sinusoidal projection. The change in projection from the ISIN projection used in Version 3 data caused very little change in the snow maps. Differences between the sinusoidal and integerized sinusoidal projections are minimal. For a more complete comparison, please visit MODIS Frequently Asked Questions. Many software packages support the sinusoidal projection, while few supported the integerized sinusoidal map projection. The MODIS Science Team implemented the change in response to user feedback and in an effort to make the data more accessible with existing software applications. The following software tools either read data in a sinusoidal projection or convert sinusoidal to other projections:
In the sinusoidal and integerized sinusoidal projections, areas on the data grids are proportional to same areas on the Earth, and distances are correct along all parallels and the central meridian(s). Shapes are increasingly distorted away from the central meridian(s) and near the poles. Finally, the data are not conformal, perspective, or equidistant (USGS 2000).
Meridians are represented by sinusoidal curves (except for the central meridian), and parallels are represented by straight lines. The central meridian and parallels are straight lines of true scale (Pearson 1990). Specific parameters follow:
Level-3 eight-day data are gridded in equal-area tiles. Each tile consists of a 1200 km by 1200 km data array, which corresponds to 2400 x 2400 cells at 500 m resolution. The following image shows tile locations for MYD10A2 Version 4 data in a sinusoidal projection. Click on the thumbnail to view a larger image.
The MODLAND Tile Calculator converts between MODIS tile numbers and latitude/longitude coordinates.
Version 4 (V004) data extend from 04 July 2002 to 03 January 2007. For MYD10A2, eight-day periods begin on the first day of the year and extend into the next year. In some cases, there may not be eight days of input. You should check the HDF global attributes Number of input days, Days input, and Eight day period to find out what days are covered. The data file name indicates the first day in the eight-day period.
Temporal resolution is eight days for MYD10A2.
The snow mapping algorithm classifies pixels as snow, snow-covered lake ice, cloud, water, land, or other. Snow extent is the primary variable of interest in this data set.
Pixel values for the Maximum Snow Extent data field are as follows:
0: Missing
1: No decision
3: Scan angle limit exceeded
4: Erroneous data
11: Night
25: Snow-free land
37: Lake or inland water
39: Open water (ocean)
50: Cloud obscured
100: Snow-covered lake ice
200: Snow
See Summary of MYD10A2/MYD10A2 Bit Values for an interpretation of bit values and resulting integer values for the Eight Day Snow Cover field.
Errors may exist in the reflectance calculations due to the anisotropy of snow and ice. Snow is not a Lambertian reflector and reflects more in a forward direction, particularly with aged snow. Thus, as snow ages, its anisotropy increases. The increase in forward scattering with snow age is greater in the near infrared wavelengths, relative to the visible wavelengths. Such errors will likely be greater at larger angles (30° or more) off nadir as the amount of reflected solar irradiance varies with view angle. Additionally, errors in precise reflectance value due to anisotropy related to topographic variability will be inherent in the data (Hall et al. 2001a).
Errors with the snow mapping algorithm are lowest in tundra and prairie regions. The maximum expected errors are 15 percent for forests, 10 percent for mixed agriculture and forest, and 5 percent for other land covers. Estimating snow cover is difficult in forests because trees partially or completely conceal underlying snow. These errors were used to estimate the expected maximum monthly and annual errors in Northern Hemisphere snow-mapping methods from the algorithm. The maximum monthly errors are expected to range from 5 percent to 9 percent for North America, and from 5 percent to 10 percent for Eurasia. The maximum aggregated Northern Hemisphere snow mapping error is estimated to be 7.5 percent. The error is highest, around 9 percent to 10 percent, when snow covers the Boreal Forest roughly between November and April (Hall et al. 2001b).
Quality indicators for MODIS snow data are represented by AutomaticQualityFlag and ScienceQualityFlag metadata objects and their corresponding explanations, AutomaticQualityFlagExplanation and ScienceQualityFlagExplanation, in the CoreMetadata.0 global attribute and also in the Snow Spatial QA data field. These are generated during production or in post-product scientific and quality checks of the data product.
The AutomaticQualityFlag is automatically set according to conditions for meeting data criteria in the snow mapping algorithm. In most cases, the flag is set to either Passed or Suspect, and in rare instances it may be set to Failed. Suspect means that a significant percentage of the data were anomalous and that further analysis should be done to determine the source of anomalies. The AutomaticQualityFlagExplanation contains a brief message explaining the reason for the setting of the AutomaticQualityFlag. The ScienceQualityFlag and ScienceQualityFlagExplanation are set after production, either after an automated QA program is run or after the data product is inspected by a qualified snow scientist. Content and explanation of this flag are dynamic so it should always be examined if present.
The MODIS Land Quality Assurance Web site provides updated quality information for each product.
Contact NSIDC User Services to order data.
The following sites can help you select appropriate MODIS data for your study:
The Land Processes (LP) DAAC developed and distributes the MODIS Reprojection Tool (MRT), which reprojects MODIS data that are in the sinusoidal projection to other projections.
HDF-EOS to GeoTIFF converter (HEG): This free tool converts many HDF-EOS files to GeoTIFF, native binary, or HDF-EOS Grid. It also has reprojection, resampling, subsetting, stitching (mosaicing), and metadata creation capabilities.
Hierarchical Data Format - Earth Observing System (HDF-EOS): NSIDC provides more information about the HDF-EOS format, tools for extracting binary and ASCII objects from HDF, and a list of other HDF-EOS resources.
See MODIS Data Summaries for other MODIS snow and sea ice products available from NSIDC.
Satellites are well suited to the measurement of snow cover because the high albedo of snow presents a good contrast with most other natural surfaces except clouds. Spectral reflectivity of snow depends on grain size and shape, impurity content, liquid water content, depth, surface roughness, and solar elevation angle (Hall and Martinec 1985). Reflectance of fresh snow is very high in the visible wavelengths, but decreases in the near-infrared wavelengths, especially as grain size increases. Because of natural aging and other factors such as soot or volcanic ash deposition, reflectance of snow decreases over time. Fresh snow can have a reflectance up to about 80 percent but its reflectance may decrease to below 40 percent after snow crystals metamorphose (Hall et al. 1998).
Snow and Cloud Discrimination
Snow and cloud discrimination techniques are based on differences between cloud and snow/ice reflectance and emittance properties (Figure 1). Clouds typically have high reflectance in visible and near-infrared wavelengths, while reflectance of snow decreases in shortwave infrared wavelengths (Hall et al. 1998).
Special Considerations for Dense Forests
The mapping of snow cover becomes limited in areas where snow cover is obscured by dense forest canopies. A forested landscape is never completely snow-covered because tree branches, trunks, and canopies may not be covered with snow. Often, in boreal forests, snow that falls on the coniferous tree canopy will not stay on the canopy for the entire winter because of sublimation. Thus, even in a continuously snow-covered area, much of the forested landscape will not be snow-covered. Furthermore, snow that falls onto the ground through the canopy may not be visible from above.
A canopy reflectance model (GeoSAIL) for discontinuous canopies is the basis for determining the fraction of sunlit crown, sunlit background, crown reflectance, canopy transmittance, shadowed crown, and shadowed background within a forest stand. Reflectances for the sunlit snow are calculated using the Wiscombe and Warren (1980) model, while reflectances from other components were measured from direct observations. A significant difference exists between the high reflectance of snow and the low reflectance of soil, leaves, and bark. Depending on the vegetation type, snow may also cause a decrease in the mid-infrared reflectance of the forest stand. In addition, reflectance in the visible spectrum often increases with respect to the near-infrared reflectance. This lowers the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a complement to the NDSI (Figure 2).
The NDSI and NDVI are used together to discriminate between snow-free and snow- covered forests (Figure 2). Forested pixels have higher NDVI values compared with non-forested pixels. Thus, by using the NDSI and NDVI in combination, it is possible to lower the NDSI threshold in forested areas without compromising the algorithm performance in other land covers (Hall et al. 1998).
The MODIS instrument provides 12-bit radiometric sensitivity in 36 spectral bands, ranging in wavelength from 0.4 µm to 14.4 µm. Two bands are imaged at a nominal resolution of 250 m at nadir, five bands at 500 m, and the remaining bands at 1000 m. A ±55° scanning pattern at 705 km achieves a 2330 km swath, with global coverage every one to two days.
The scan mirror assembly uses a continuously rotating double-sided scan mirror to scan ±55°, driven by a motor encoder built to operate 100 percent of the time throughout the six year instrument design life. The optical system consists of a two-mirror off-axis afocal telescope which directs energy to four refractive objective assemblies: one each for the visible, near-infrared, shortwave-infrared, and longwave-infrared spectral regions (MODIS Web 2003).
|705 km, 1:30 p.m. ascending node (Aqua), sun-synchronous, near-polar, circular
|Scan Rate
|20.3 rmp, cross track
|Swath Dimensions
|2330 km (cross track) by 10 km (along track at nadir)
|17.78 cm diameter off-axis, afocal (collimated) with intermediate field stop
|1.0 x 1.6 x 1.0 m
|228.7 kg
|162.5 W (single orbit average)
|Data Rate
|10.6 Mbps (peak daytime); 6.1 Mbps (orbital average)
|12 bits
|Spatial Resolution
|250 m (bands 1-2)
500 m (bands 3-7)
1000 m (bands 8-36)
|Design Life
|Six years
|Primary Use
|Spectral Radiance
|620-670 nm
|841-876 nm
|459-479 nm
|545-565 nm
|1230-1250 nm
|1628-1652 nm
|2105-2155 nm
|Ocean Color
|405-420 nm
|438-448 nm
|483-493 nm
|526-536 nm
|546-556 nm
|662-672 nm
|673-683 nm
|743-753 nm
|862-877 nm
|Atmospheric Water Vapor
|890-920 nm
|931-941 nm
|915-965 nm
|Surface/Cloud Temperature
|3.660-3.840 µm
|3.929-3.989 µm
|3.929-3.989 µm
|4.020-4.080 µm
|Atmospheric Temperature
|4.433-4.498 µm
|4.482-4.549 µm
|Cirrus Clouds
Water Vapor
|1.360-1.390 µm
|6.535-6.895 µm
|7.175-7.475 µm
|Cloud Properties
|8.400-8.700 µm
|9.580-9.880 µm
|Surface/Cloud Temperature
|10.780-11.280 µm
|11.770-12.270 µm
|Cloud Top Attitude
|13.185-13.485 µm
|13.485-13.785 µm
|13.785-14.085 µm
|14.085-14.385 µm
The MODIS scan mirror assembly uses a continuously rotating double-sided scan mirror to scan ±55°, with a 20.3 rpm cross track. The viewing swath is 10 km along track at nadir, and 2330 km cross track at ±55°.
MODIS instruments were built to NASA specifications by Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, a division of Raytheon Electronics Systems.
MODIS has a series of on-board calibrators that provide radiometric, spectral, and spatial calibration of the MODIS instrument. The blackbody calibrator is the primary calibration source for thermal bands between 3.5 µm and 14.4 µm, while the Solar Diffuser (SD) provides a diffuse, solar-illuminated calibration source for visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared bands. The Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor (SDSM) tracks changes in the reflectance of the SD with reference to the sun so that potential instrument changes are not incorrectly attributed to changes in this calibration source. The Spectroradiometric Calibration Assembly (SRCA) provides additional spectral, radiometric, and spatial calibration.
MODIS uses the moon as an additional calibration technique and for tracking degradation of the SD, by referencing the illumination of the moon since the moon's brightness is approximately the same as that of the Earth. Finally, MODIS deep space views provide a photon input signal of zero, which is used as a point of reference for calibration (MODIS Web 2003).
The objective of the mission is to develop and implement algorithms that map snow and ice on a daily basis, and provide statistics of the extent and persistence of snow and ice over eight-day periods. Data at 500 m resolution enables sub-pixel snow mapping for use in regional and global climate models. A study of subgrid-scale snow-cover variability is expected to improve features of a model that simulates Earth radiation balance and land-surface hydrology.
A ±55° scanning pattern at 705 km achieves a 2330 km swath, with global coverage every one to two days.
The MODIS sensor contains a system whereby visible light from the earth passes through a scan aperture and into a scan cavity to a scan mirror. The double-sided scan mirror reflects incoming light onto an internal telescope, which in turn focuses the light onto four different detector assemblies. Before the light reaches the detector assemblies, it passes through beam splitters and spectral filters that divide the light into four broad wavelength ranges. Each time a photon strikes a detector assembly, an electron is created. Electrons are collected in a capacitor where they are eventually transferred into the preamplifier. Electrons are converted from an analog signal to digital data, and downlinked to ground receiving stations (MODIS Web 2003).
The EOS Ground System (EGS) consists of facilities, networks, and systems which archive, process, and distribute EOS and other NASA earth science data to the science and user community. The EOS Data and Operations System (EDOS) performs forward-link processing of data and return-link of science data from EOS spacecraft and instruments, processes telemetry to generate Level-0 products, and maintains a backup archive of Level-0 products.
EOSDIS ground stations are a component of EDOS, providing space to ground communication. EOSDIS ground stations comprise the Radio Frequency (RF) ground terminal, EDOS ground station interface, and the EOSDIS Backbone Network (EBnet) telecommunication system. The RF ground terminal provides space to ground link communication channels for receipt of science data, receipt of spacecraft telemetry data and transmission of spacecraft commands for two EOS spacecraft simultaneously, including X-band and S-band capabilities. The EDOS ground station interface monitors and captures the high-rate science data and transfers data to the EDOS Level-0 processing facility at the Goddard Space Flight Center (ESDIS 1996).
GSFC processes Level-1A data from Level-0 instrument packet data, then processes a Level-1B Calibrated Radiance product (MOD02) and Geolocation Fields (MOD03). The MODIS SIPS team creates a Level-2 product for snow cover (MOD10_L2 and MYD10_L2), which is then used as input to create Level-3 gridded products for daily and eight-day snow cover (MOD10A1 and MOD10A2, respectively). The team bins the MOD10A1 and MOD10A2 data into corresponding cells of a 0.05° CMG to create daily and eight-day CMG products, respectively. These data are archived at the NSIDC DAAC and distributed to EOS investigators and other users via external networks and interfaces (MODIS Web 2003). Data are available to the public through the Warehouse Inventory Search Tool (WIST).
The local equatorial crossing time of the Aqua satellite is approximately 1:30 p.m. in an ascending node with a sun-synchronous, near-polar, circular orbit.
The MODIS Science Investigator-led Processing System (SIPS) is responsible for algorithm development, product generation, and transfer of products to NSIDC.
A snow-mapping algorithm generates global daily and eight-day snow cover products from MODIS data. The algorithm identifies the presence of snow by reflectance or emittance properties in each 500 m pixel for each orbit. The snow mapping algorithm is based on the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI). The NDSI is a measure of the difference between the infrared reflectance of snow in visible and shortwave wavelengths. The NDSI is adaptable for a number of illumination conditions, it does not depend on reflectance for a specific band, and it is partially normalized for atmospheric effects. The algorithm uses MODIS bands 4 (0.55 µm) and 6 (1.6 µm) from MOD02HKM to calculate the NDSI (Hall et al. 1998).
MODIS Level-1B Calibrated and Geolocated Radiances (MOD02HKM), available from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), are used as input to calculate reflectance, using the following equation (MCST 2000):
pcos(θ) = reflectance_scalesB(SIB - reflectance_offsetsB)
The reflectance_scales and reflectance_offsets are read from the metadata in each MOD02HKM granule, and they are computed from calibration parameters such that the reflectance product (p) is determined directly from the integer representation (SI) of the digital number. The subscript (B) refers to band. The result of this equation is then multiplied by 1/cos(θ) to give at-satellite reflectance (p):
p = pcos(θ) * 1/cos(θ)
The algorithm first checks that the dates from MOD10A1 input data match those from the intended MYD10A2 time range, and then orders the dates chronologically. Multiple days of observations for a cell are examined. If snow cover is found for any day, then the cell in the Maximum_Snow_Extent field is labeled as snow. If no snow is found, but there is one value that occurs more than once, that value is placed in the cell. For example, if a pixel is classified as water for five days, cloud for one day, land for one day, and night for one day, it would be ultimately labeled as water. If mixed observations occur, for example, land and cloud for more than one day in a given pixel, the algorithm assumes a cloud-free period and labels a pixel with the observed value. This type of logic minimizes cloud-cover extent, such that a cell needs to be cloud-obscured for all days in order to be labeled cloud. If all observations for a cell are analyzed but a classification cannot be determined, then that cell is labeled as no decision. A chronology of snow occurrence is recorded in the Eight_Day_Snow_Cover field. The eight bits within a byte correspond to eight days of data. If snow is found in a bit for a given day, in reading the eight bits, one byte from right to left, that bit is set to a value of one in the Eight_Day_Snow_Cover field (Riggs, Hall, and Salomonson 2003).
Diner, D.J., J.V. Martonchik, C. Borel, S.A.W. Gerstl, H.R. Gordon, Y. Knyazikhin, R. Myneni, B. Pinty, and M.M. Verstraete. 1999. MISR Level-2 surface retrieval Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document. Pasadena, CA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). 1996. EOS Ground System (EGS) systems and operations concept. Greenbelt, MD: Goddard Space Flight Center.
Hall, D.K., J.L. Foster, D.L. Verbyla, A.G. Klein, and C.S. Benson. 1998. Assessment of snow cover mapping accuracy in a variety of vegetation cover densities in central Alaska. Remote Sensing of the Environment 66: 129-137.
Hall, D.K. and J. Martinec. 1985. Remote sensing of ice and snow. London: Chapman and Hall.
Hall, D.K., G.A. Riggs, and V.V. Salomonson. September 2001a. Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) for the MODIS Snow-, Lake Ice- and Sea Ice-Mapping Algorithms. Greenbelt, MD: Goddard Space Flight Center. <http://modis-snow-ice.gsfc.nasa.gov/atbd.html> .
Hall, D.K., J.L. Foster, V.V. Salomonson, A.G. Klein, and J.Y.L. Chien. 2001b. Development of a technique to assess snow-cover mapping accuracy from space. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 39(2): 232-238.
Hapke, B. 1993. Theory of reflectance and emittance spectroscopy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Klein, A. MODIS Snow Albedo Prototype. 2003. <http://geog.tamu.edu/klein/modis_albedo/> Accessed July 2003.
Klein, A.G., and J. Stroeve. 2002. Development and validation of a snow albedo algorithm for the MODIS instrument. Annals of Glaciology 34: 45-52.
Klein, A.G., D.K. Hall, and G.A. Riggs. 1998. Improving snow-cover mapping in forests through the use of a canopy reflectance model. Hydrologic Processes 12(10-11): 1723-1744.
Markham, B.L. and J.L. Barker. 1986. Landsat MSS and TM post-calibration dynamic ranges, exoatmospheric reflectances and at-satellite temperatures. EOSAT Technical Notes 1:3-8.
MODIS Characterization and Support Team (MCST). 2000. MODIS Level-1B product user's guide for Level-1B Version 2.3.x Release 2. MCST Document #MCM-PUG-01-U-DNCN.
MODIS Science and Instrument Team. MODIS Web. July 2003. <http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/> Accessed October 2000.
Pearson II, F. 1990. Map projections: theory and applications. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc.
Riggs, G.A., D.K. Hall, and V.V. Salomonson. January 2003. MODIS snow products user guide for collection 4 data products. <http://modis-snow-ice.gsfc.nasa.gov/sug_main.html> .
United States Geological Survey. "Sinusoidal Equal Area." Map Projections. 2003. <http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/MapProjections/projections.html#sinusoidal> Accessed December 2000.
Wiscombe, W.J. and S.G. Warren. 1980. A model for the spectral albedo of snow I: pure snow. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 37: 2712-2733.
Please see the EOSDIS Glossary of Terms for a general list of terms.
Please see the EOSDIS Acronyms list for a general list of Acronyms. The following acronyms are used in this document:
ATBD: Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document
CMG: Climate Modeling Grid
DAAC: Distributed Active Archive Center
EBNet: EOSDIS Backbone Network
ECS: EOSDIS Core System
EDOS: EOS Data and Operations System
EGS: EOS Ground System
EOS: Earth Observing System
EOSDIS: Earth Observing System Data and Information System
ESDIS: Earth Science Data and Information System
ESDT: Earth Science Data Type
FTP: File Transfer Protocol
GMT: Greenwich Mean Time
GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center
HDF-EOS: Hierarchical Data Format - Earth Observing System
ISIN: Integerized Sinusoidal
LP DAAC: Land Processes DAAC
MAS: MODIS Airborne Simulator
MCST: MODIS Characterization Support Team
MODIS: Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
MODLAND: MODIS Land
MRT: MODIS Reprojection Tool
MSS: Multispectral Scanner
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NCSA: National Center for Supercomputing Applications
NDSI: Normalized Difference Snow Index
NDVI: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOHRSC: National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center
NSIDC: National Snow and Ice Data Center
PVL: Parameter Value Language
QA: Quality Assurance
RF: Radio Frequency
SCA: Snow Covered Area
SCF: Science Computing Facility
SD: Solar Diffuser
SDP: Science Data Processing
SDSM: Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor
SIPS: Science Investigator-led Processing System
SRCA: Spectroradiometric Calibration Assembly
TM: Thematic Mapper
TOA: Top-of-atmosphere
February 2004
October 2009


text: Conversion rate is dropping By Dave Hickman November 15, 2012 Story Share AP Photo First downs have been harder to come by for Geno Smith and the Mountaineer offense. MORGANTOWN - There have been times this season when West Virginia's offense has been at its best when the situations it faced seemed the worst.Perhaps more than anything else, that's what separates the Mountaineers' best performances and their worst.Argue all you want about a lack of a running game or Geno Smith's accuracy issues or the injuries or failures or defections that have afflicted the receiving corps. All of those factors no doubt have contributed to a nosedive in offensive production from the first five games of the season to the last four.But consider, too, how successful the Mountaineers were during a 5-0 start in converting third-down plays and many fourth-down attempts, as well. Then consider how ineffective they have been in those situations of late."We've not done a very good job of making plays when we had to make them,'' quarterback Geno Smith said. "It seems like we made a lot of them earlier.''Indeed, a look at some of the numbers bears that out.In the first four games of the season, West Virginia converted 61 percent of its third downs into firsts. That led the nation. And then in the fifth game, a win at Texas, when West Virginia failed to convert third downs (just 3 of 12), it went for it on fourth and was wildly successful. Five times WVU went for it on fourth down and five times it gained either a first down or a touchdown.Through the first five games, the Mountaineers converted 60 percent of their third- and fourth-down plays combined. That will make any offense better. But during a four-game losing streak that West Virginia (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) will try to snap Saturday in a 7 p.m. home game against No. 13 Oklahoma (7-2, 5-1), that 60 percent success rate has dropped to less than 40.While there have been some moderate successes (3 of 4 fourth downs against TCU, a 50 percent third-down conversion rate against Kansas State), overall the Mountaineers simply have not been able to make the plays to keep drives alive that they made during that 5-0 start. The third-down conversion rate has dropped from 60 percent in the first five games to 36.3 percent the last four. And while the fourth-down rate is actually pretty good (50 percent), that's on 20 attempts over those four games as opposed to just nine in the first five.Any team that is forced to go for it an average of five times a game on fourth down obviously has issues other than its fourth-down conversion rate.Dana Holgorsen obviously isn't a big proponent of gambling on fourth-down conversions because he'd rather his offense didn't get into those predicaments. But after matching a season-high with seven fourth-down attempts in last week's loss at Oklahoma State, he said he would probably reconsider only one of them. "If you look at all seven of them, there's only one of them that I questioned after the game and that was the one in the fourth quarter that we were backed up on our 35 or 40, somewhere in there,'' Holgorsen said. "Looking back at it, I kind of questioned that one a little bit. But I think at that point we were down 14, they had just had an 80-yard score and we made the decision to go for it and didn't get it. Other than that, the other six, I'd do it again.''The Mountaineers, down 48-34 with 11 minutes to play, went for it on fourth-and-6 at their own 39. Smith's attempt at a short lob pass to tailback Andrew Buie while the protection was breaking down was batted by a defensive lineman and fell incomplete. OSU scored two plays later to put the game away.In all, the Mountaineers converted four of the seven fourth downs against the Cowboys, including three of four before that first failed attempt in the fourth quarter. One of them led to a touchdown, another kept a long drive alive and the only failed attempt was when Shawne Alston gained nothing on a fourth-and-goal at the 2 at the end of that same 16-play drive. And, of course, the other success came under fairly bizarre circumstances. Smith had to leave the game when his helmet came off and Paul Millard replaced him for a fourth-and-13 play at the OSU 37. With the Cowboys perhaps not seriously considering that Millard would throw despite the down and distance, he sat in the pocket forever and eventually hit Ryan Nehlen in the end zone for a touchdown."That was on the [37] and I didn't feel good about the field goal because of the wind. I didn't feel good about a punt because you have a chance of only gaining 15 yards,'' Holgorsen said. "So we took a chance and it worked out. Then a couple of the goal line ones, we had third-and-short, fourth-and-short. We've got to be able to get it. If we are going to be successful offensively, we have to be able to get those.''Holgorsen was also asked if perhaps the penchant for going for it on fourth down might have anything to do with a lack of confidence in his team's defense - punt the ball and he's almost conceding another score.He said no, that wasn't a consideration."It's our job offensively to score,'' Holgorsen said. "It's our job to keep going forward.''If that means gambling on fourth down, so be it. When WVU's offense has been at its best, those gambles were working. But he insists it isn't something he wants to do on a regular basis. "I don't want to get into a habit of going for it on fourth down five to seven times a game. I do not want to,'' Holgorsen said. "And if you look back at the games, there's been a couple of times this year that we've done that, but over the course of the 20-some games since I have been here, that hasn't been the norm. And I don't expect it to be. But it's all the situations. The situations dictate that.''Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him at Twitter.com/dphickman1. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 2 Volunteers aid flood victims in Elkview, Clendenin 3 Teen pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 4 WVU hopes to get injured defenders back for TCU 5 Huggins, WVU tap South Florida hoops talent Huggins' sighing period and State's opening Previous Story Lewis County has next shot at trying to contain GW's Switzer Next Story


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CONTRACT electronics manufacturer Surface Technology International (STI) is set to grow in 2014 after securing a £11.5million financing package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
The company, which operates from its 64,000 sq ft production facility, in Osborn Way, Hook, is aiming to grow its revenue by 15 per cent.
The agreement provides STI with a significant increase in funding compared to the facilities provided by its previous banking partner, and will support the company's growth strategy in the commercial aerospace and defence, medical, oil and gas and industrial sectors.
Established in 1989, STI provides a full range of bespoke electronics manufacturing services including product design, PCB assembly, final assembly and testing, for clients operating in high reliability industries.
The new funding package from Lloyds includes a trade finance and letters of credit facility, which gives STI the opportunity to negotiate more favourable terms with overseas suppliers in return for earlier pay-ments.
It also includes term loan and asset finance facilities to fund future capital expenditure projects.
The funding was provided via the Funding for Lending (FLS) scheme.
With a factory in the Philippines, to serve the growing South East Asian market, STI is buoyed by strong demand from clients in the commercial aerospace, oil and gas and security sectors, and is forecasting revenues of £45m in the next financial year.
STI founder and managing director Simon Best, said: "This new funding arrangement gives us the headroom and flexibility to invest and grow our proposition.
"It is a greater level of support than we received from previous banking partners and is one of the key reasons why we moved our banking relation-ship to Lloyds Bank.
"The need for mission-critical manu-facturing capabilities in commercial and industrial markets is sustaining strong demand for our services.
"Our fully comprehensive offering, from design through to final assembly, means that we can provide a high- quality service to companies operating in these sectors."
Stephen Ogborn, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: "STI's experienced management team and strong reputation for delivery in niche manufacturing sectors ideally positions the company for future growth.
"They are typical of the innovative mid-market businesses which are helping to sustain the UK's economic revival."


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Basciani Louisiana unit gets up to speed
Basciani Foods Inc., Avondale, Pa., is making progress bringing up to speed the abandoned mushroom farm it took over last year in Independence, La., said Fred Recchiuti, general manager.
The facility, which grows and processes white mushrooms, portabellas and criminis, is "running pretty strong," he said.
The company recently installed a vacuum cooler, "which is key for mushrooms," Recchiuti said.
The vacuum cooler can cool mushrooms from 60 degrees to 35 degrees in 15 minutes, compared with two to three days in a regular cooler.
"There's a huge advantage in shelf life," he said.
Dole Mushrooms fills logistics manager slot
Quintin Schroeder has filled a newly created position of logistics manager, said Gary Schroeder, president of Kennett Square, Pa.-based Oakshire Mushroom Farm, which doesbusiness as Dole Mushrooms.
Quintin Schroeder, Gary Schroeder's son, has worked with the Ogden, Utah, location of Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Dole Mushrooms also plans to unveil a label by spring that will include health claims for its mushrooms. The new labels will be in line with changes Dole already has made on its labels for salads and fresh vegetables.
Essex Continental plans to boost organic
Essex Continental Inc., Montreal, will focus on organic mushrooms this year, said Frank Ferrarelli, general manager.
The company's volume of organic and exotic mushrooms already is on the rise, he said, and organics plays a bigger role every year.
Essex Continental should see a bigger increase than usual this year because the company plans to open a farm dedicated exclusively to organic mushrooms.
Up to 3% of the firm's 70,000 boxes of fresh mushrooms is organic.
"It wasn't even close to that two or three years ago," Ferrarelli said.
Within the next two to three years, up to 10% of the company's fresh mushrooms should be organic.
The company's organic varieties are primarily white, crimini and portabella.
Essex Continental has been shipping organic mushrooms for about seven years.
Food safety a priority at Giorgio Foods
Food safety continues to be a priority at Giorgio Foods Inc., Temple, Pa., said Bill Litvin, vice president of sales and national account manager.
"The Safe Quality Food Institute certifies Giorgio for SQF Level 3, the highest level attainable," he said.
The company also is into traceback.
"We have a sophisticated in-house system that allows us to trace back from the codes on our packages on the retail shelf and then forward the information to see where the product with the same code has shipped," he said. "The code identifies the building and crew that harvested the mushrooms."
The company also is involved with the Produce Traceability Initiative.
"We have our (Global Trade Item Numbers) all set up, but there is still work to do," Litvin said.
Monterey Mushrooms updates labels
New, sustainable packaging with high-graphic labels now is available from Monterey Mushrooms Inc., Watsonville, Calif., said Joe Caldwell, vice president.
"The new labels provide an attractive photo of various dishes with mushrooms to give consumers immediate ideas of what they can prepare for their families," he said.
Also at Monterey Mushrooms, Kevin Eichele has joined the company as western region sales director. Eichele most recently was with Cincinatti-based Chiquita/Fresh Express.
Monterey Mushrooms continues to invest heavily in modernization projects and efficiency improvements and to focus on its 100% Daily Value Vitamin D mushrooms, Caldwell said.
Mushroom Council plans MyPlate recipes
The San Jose, Calif.-based Mushroom Council says its work with the Hockessin, Del.-based Produce for Better Health Foundation on the MyPlate recipes is extending into 2012. The council already has released one recipe for the program — curried chicken with raisins and mushrooms — but there are plans for an additional five recipes.
The second recipe — mushrooms and steak fajitas — was being tested in the fall and was scheduled for release by the end of December. In early December, the council was working to identify additional partners for the remaining four plates, to be released in the first half of 2012.
Phillips expands white mushroom facility
Phillips Mushroom Farms, Kennett Square, Pa., is completing the expansion of its white mushroom-growing facility in Warwick, Md., said Kevin Donovan, sales manager.
"This will double our capacity for production of white mushrooms," he said.
The company started harvesting from the new facility in November and was scheduled to finish in late December.
The facility is probably at least 20% more energy efficient than standard mushroom production facilities, he said.
The company ships a full line of mushrooms, including brown mushrooms, portabellas and baby portabellas.
Ponderosa Mushrooms adds label equipment
Ponderosa Mushrooms & Specialty Foods has made some improvements at its Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, facilities, said president Joe Salvo.
The company has added a custom-made labeling machine to affix wrap-around labels to its retail packages.
The label has the brand name and package weight on top and a Universal Product Code and recipe on the side and bottom. Until now, the containers were hand labeled, Salvo said.
Ponderosa also has added an X-ray machine to detect metal in its bulk and retail packs.
"It improves our ability to meet food safety standards," he said.
To-Jo launches microwave product
To-Jo Mushrooms, Avondale, Pa., is excited about its new microwaveable sliced mushrooms, said Paul Frederic, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
"The consumer merely puts them in the microwave and cooks them for four minutes and has a perfectly sautéed mushroom with sauce," he said.
The package includes a pat of flavored butter. The tray is corrugated, so it does not get hot to the touch, he said. "Nothing could be easier for the consumer," he said.
The packages contain about 7 ounces of sliced, white mushrooms.


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Topic: Bleeding??? Urgent feedback Needed
Dad is now bleeding into both drain bags! I made here to Ohio yesterday. He is not doing well at all. Earlier in the weak he was severely dehydrated. He has an appt today with his onc dr but I am not sure he will make it due to the trip being an hour and a half. I am trying to talk mom into hospice. This is just too much. He has been throwing up bile for two days now and he is refusing to go back to the hospital. I think it may be time to call hospice in.
Anyway....back to the bleeding into the drain bags. Can anyone share more on this??? The Dr doesn't seem overly concerned....is this because it is expected or happens often? Hoping to get some feedback before speaking with the dr later today.


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Manage your account and access personalized content.
Access your cloud dashboard, manage orders, and more.
This step is used to capture a snapshot of the current state of your third-party database and is necessary to provide SQL Developer with a "point in time" view of your database. Once this step is complete, the Migration wizard works on the meta-data stored in its repository, instead of issuing queries against your live database.
Capturing Source Database


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You are here
SBA Helps E-Commerce Business Keep Clicking
(Des Moines, IOWA) -- Clickstop Inc., an E-commerce retailer, in Urbana, Iowa continues to expand and the company credits the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for help in making that growth possible.
The growth of Clickstop and its flagship brand, US Cargo Control.com, has once again fueled the need for expansion of the company's facilities. A new 42,750 foot warehouse addition was just completed in December of 2012, marking the second major building project in less than two years. The company had built a new 35,000 square foot headquarters building in Urbana in March of 2011, construction of which was made possible in part by the SBA's 504 loan program. The 504 program provides small businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing, that, in addition to other uses of proceeds, allows them to modernize or expand facilities or machinery. When it came time to build the new warehouse addition, the 504 loan program was again utilized.
Clickstop CEO Tim Guenther started the company in 2005 by selling tie down straps, moving supplies, and other cargo control products on its USCargoControl.com website. In addition to utilizing the SBA's 504 program to help expand the business, Clickstop has also used SBA's 7(a) loan program to help finance working capital. It's the 504 program though, that Tim credits the most for helping his company grow.
Tim says the SBA 504 loan program has been so helpful in his company's continued expansion, that he wanted to share information about the program with other entrepreneurs and small business owners. To that end, Clickstop has put together an 12 part video series to inform other small businesses about the 504 program and help guide them through the process in applying for the program.
"We're often asked about how we used the SBA 504 program, so we thought creating a series of videos would be a great way to share what we've learned about the program," Tim says. "We really hope it can help other small businesses learn about the program and navigate the process from beginning to end."
Business interested in viewing the video series can go to:
Since the company first started with one employee in 2005, Clickstop's annual sales have increased an average of 61 percent each year and the company currently has more than 50 full- and part-time employees on staff. Clickstop now operates 13 different websites selling a variety of merchandise to diverse markets that include the moving and cargo control industry, energy efficient insulation products, home organizing solutions, and personal fashion and styling. For more information on Clickstop, visit the company's website at:


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Crazy For Chai: Chai Cookie Recipe & Chai Facial
Chilly, winter weather (it's a frigid 68 degrees in San Diego today) always makes us seek something warm and full of sugar, spice, and everything nice. A cozy cup of Chai tea typically does the job and is one of the most popular teas in our relaxation room, offering great benefits for the body and mind.
Our love of Chai has inspired us to make it possible for your skin to also drink in the hydrating benefits and sumptuous scent of this spice-laden tea. This winter, you can achieve a radiant, healthy glow with The Spa at Paradise Point's Warming Chocolate Chai Facial that includes an antioxidant-rich dark chocolate mask, refreshing vanilla facial mist, & decadent cream laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and other Chai spices.
After receiving the products for our Chai facial and smelling the cinnamon and ginger, I was craving something, anything Chai so I whipped up my favorite recipe for chai cookies. They're a must if you too are crazy for chai!
Yields 8 giant cookies
Chai Cookies:
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 5 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Chai Cookie Frosting:
- 1 stick salted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp chai concentrate (Oregon Chai brand is my favorite)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Mix soft butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat for about three more minutes until well combined. Alternate adding the buttermilk and the flour mixture to the butter, starting and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla and beat on medium until everything is combined and the batter is smooth.
Stuff your batter into a gallon sized plastic bag, snip off the tip and pipe out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving about two inches of space between each cookie. Chai cookie batter will be VERY thick. Wet your hands after piping out and gently press down on each little pile of dough to smooth the surface of the cookies. Bake for about twelve minutes. Let cool completely while you make the chai frosting.
To make the frosting, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, chai concentrate and spices. Beat until very light and very fluffy. Frost cookies once cookies are completely cool. If not, the cookies will melt the frosting.


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Oh, sure, they're adorable when they're little, wearing tiny outfits, learning sign language and scampering about the house like itty-bitty Parkour experts.
Oh, sure, they're adorable when they're little, wearing tiny outfits, learning sign language and scampering about the house like itty-bitty Parkour experts.
Then, the next thing you know, they're all grown up, presiding over a cliffside civilization of hundreds of genetically enhanced apes and trying to maintain a fragile peace between the few human survivors of the Simian Flu pandemic and their own heavily armed, hairy-armed militia.
At least that's the plight of Caesar, who's thrillingly brought to life by Andy Serkis in "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," the ridiculously entertaining, technologically stupefying sequel that's easily the summer's best blockbuster yet.
A brief opening sequence hints at the devastation that took place during the decade since James Franco waved goodbye to Caesar at the end of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," aka "How Alzheimer's Research, a Jackhole Neighbor and a Sadistic Refuge Employee Led to the End of the World As We Know It."
Soon after, a couple of apes sit around, signing to each other their curiosity about whether humans still exist, since no ape has laid eyes on one in more than two winters. They don't remain curious for long, though, as an encounter with a small cluster of humans in the forest ends in gunfire.
Then Caesar and his army show up at the gates of the survivors' colony in the ruins of downtown San Francisco.
"Apes do not want war but will fight if we must," Caesar tells the astonished humans. "Do. Not. Come. Back."
I dunno about you, but if an ape leading hundreds more apes — many of them riding horses, almost all of them armed with spears — tells me to leave him alone, I'm going to move heaven and earth to comply.
But that would've made for mighty brief running time.
Besides, as explained by the humans' leader, Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), the colony only has two or three weeks of generator power remaining. They need to get to the hydroelectric dam near the apes' home if they're going to have any hope of contacting the outside world and rebuilding society.
Dreyfus wants to annihilate the apes, but Malcolm (Jason Clarke), who led the group that first made contact, convinces Dreyfus that he can negotiate with Caesar.
Unlike Caesar, though, many of his followers weren't lucky enough to have been raised in a loving home by Franco and John Lithgow. They remember their mistreatment in circuses and medical labs, none more so than Koba (Toby Kebbell), who bears the scars, physical and emotional, of far too many experiments.
Some humans are just as distrusting. As Carver (Kirk Acevedo), the most anti-ape member of Malcolm's group, says in what could have been the movie's tagline, "They're talking apes! With big ass spears!"
After several challenges to Caesar's leadership, Koba sneaks into town, discovers the humans' armory and becomes even more convinced that an all-out assault is imminent. So he stages a coup by creating a false flag attack on their forest homes and leads his apes of wrath against the colony.
The sight of an ape wielding an assault rifle while riding a horse through a wall of fire is just nuts.
It should be the pinnacle of summer action spectacle fun.
But use essentially the same script, by the team of Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") and Mark Bomback ("The Wolverine"), and replace the apes with more humans and "Dawn," directed by Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield"), would have been average at best.
As it is "Dawn's" humans are vital to the production, but with everything else going on, hardly anyone will pay them any attention.
You've seen that style of treachery a hundred times, and several scenes could have been lifted from any number of '80s action movies.
You've just never seen those scenes done with apes. The sight of hundreds of them at a time, with nary a rubber mask to be found, is simply stunning.
"Dawn" isn't just about war, though. The inner workings of the simian society are intriguing. And there's much more nuance in the performances of that side of the cast than you'd expect.
What the ape portrayers, led by Serkis and Kebbell and their performance-capture suits, accomplish is nothing short of remarkable. Given the rampant Botoxing and face-lifting in Hollywood, these apes have more expressive faces than most humans.
For the actors to get their due, I hope the Blu-ray comes with an option to watch the entire movie with Serkis, Kebbell and the gang before the digital effects artists work their wizardry.
But "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" demands to be seen on the biggest, brightest screen possible.
Don't wait for the DVD.
And, for the love of all that's hairy, don't just watch it on your iPad.


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Asparaginase (L-Asparaginase, Erwinia L-asparaginase, Elspar®, Kidrolase®, Erwinaze)
Pronounced: as-PAR-a-jin-ase
Classification: Enzyme, Antineoplastic agent
About Asparaginase (L-Asparaginase, Erwinia L-asparaginase, Elspar®, Kidrolase®, Erwinaze)
Asparaginase is an enzyme (a protein that makes chemical reactions go faster) that speeds up the reaction that turns asparagine into aspartic acid and ammonia. Cancerous white blood cells depend on asparagine to survive, so if all of it is used up through the catalyzed reaction, the cancerous cells die. Normal white blood cells can produce their own asparagine, and are therefore less affected by the drug.
There are several forms of asparaginase, made from different bacteria and your care team will determine which type is best for you.
How to Take Asparaginase
Asparaginase is given by intravenous (into a vein) infusion over 30 minutes or as an injection given into a big muscle (called intramuscular or IM). It can be given alone or in combination with other drugs. Asparaginase can be given in various dosing schedules, depending on the regimen and the type of asparaginase being used.
Possible Side Effects
There are a number of things you can do to manage the side effects of asparaginase. Talk to your doctor or nurse about these recommendations. They can help you decide what will work best for you. These are some of the most common side effects:
Allergic Reaction
In some cases, patients can have an allergic reaction to this medication. Signs of a reaction can include: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain, rash, flushing, itching, swelling at the injection site or a decrease in blood pressure. If you notice any changes in how you feel during the infusion, let your nurse know immediately. You will be monitored for an hour after the infusion or injection.
Blood Clots
Asparaginase can increase the risk of blood clots. These clots can occur anywhere in the body. Symptoms of blood clots can include severe headache, swelling in the arm or leg, chest pain or shortness of breath, among others. If you experience any unusual symptoms, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately or go to an emergency room.
This medication can impact the ability for your blood to clot normally. This can cause excessive bleeding. Your healthcare team will monitor your blood clotting ability during and after treatment. Notify your healthcare team or go to the emergency room immediately if you experience uncontrolled bleeding; including blood in the urine, black or bloody stool, nosebleeds, or other bleeding.
This medication can cause an inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreatitis. Your care provider may order blood tests to check how your pancreas is functioning. Call your healthcare team if you experience abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
Glucose Intolerance
This medication can cause changes to your blood sugar levels. Your healthcare team will periodically monitor your blood glucose level while you are receiving asparaginase. Notify your healthcare team if you experience frequent urination or feel thirsty all the time, as these can be signs of elevated blood sugar.
Liver Toxicity
This medication can cause liver toxicity. Your healthcare provider will monitor your liver function with blood tests. If these tests become abnormal, your healthcare provider may need to lower the medication dose or stop the medication. Notify your healthcare provider if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), your urine appears dark or tea-colored, or you develop pain in the abdomen, as these can be signs of liver toxicity.
Asparaginase can cause neurotoxicity, which can include extreme drowsiness, confusion, personality changes and hallucinations. If you develop any unusual symptoms, go to the emergency room right away.
Reproductive Concerns
Exposure of an unborn child to this medication could cause birth defects, so you should not become pregnant or father a child while on this medication. Effective birth control is necessary during and after treatment. Even if your menstrual cycle stops or you believe you are not producing sperm, you could still be fertile and conceive. You should consult with your healthcare team before breastfeeding while receiving this medication.


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LAKEPORT -- A judge Wednesday confirmed next week's trial for a Lakeport man facing attempted murder and other felonies for allegedly shooting at utility workers outside his home last summer.
Dennis Leroy Cato, 64, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to all seven felony counts stemming from an incident during which authorities allege he shot at, but did not hit, two PG&E subcontractors finishing up work at his Hill Road East home Aug. 29.
Wearing a black- and white-striped jail uniform and sitting in a wheelchair, Cato appeared before assigned Judge David W. Herrick Wednesday afternoon at the Lake County Courthouse.
Herrick, a retired Lake County judge, conducted a trial-readiness conference after saying it looked as if the parties would not resolve the case before trial.
Cato initially told the judge he never heard about the Lake County District Attorney's Office making an offer but later said he and his public defender, Komnith Moth, talked about the prosecution proposing a plea bargain with a maximum 14-year prison sentence.
"That's not acceptable," Cato said of the prosecution's offer.
After listening to the defendant's comments, the judge completed the pretrial conference and confirmed the case for trial April 17.
Deputy DA Susan Krones, who is prosecuting the case, said she might end up filing a motion to postpone the trial in the meantime, depending on the contents of a defense expert's report she expects to receive for the first time today.
Cato, who remains in custody at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility, is set to return to court Friday for trial assignment. The attorneys estimated the trial would last six or seven days.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow his court coverage on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh or #Lakecourt.


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Daily snapshot: Home stretch
President Obama begins his final campaign swing in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Alicia Keys, on the ground in North Carolina.
How we win Ohio.
Boots on the ground in Pennsylvania.
Meet some of the top volunteers from Iowa.
More volunteers are headed to Florida.
The Virginia GOTV director explains how you can help.


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Color Mania 5k walk/run - Miami, FL
Amelia Erhart Park
Sat 04/13/2013
5K, Elite, Military, Off-road/Trail
A super fun walk/run event that blows traditional 5ks out of the water by letting you color outside the lines. Color Mania focuses less on speed and more on having crazy colorful fun with friends and family and building great memories.Additional InformationHow does it work? 1) Participants must wear a mostly white shirt at the start line, a blank canvas if you will. 2) Walk or run the course and have your blank canvas filled with color by the end. Walkers/runners begin Color Mania as a blank canvas, and then make your way through sections of the course that are associated with a designated color. As the walkers/runners reach each color section, they are showered by our volunteers, sponsors, and staff with Color. What is the Color? All color products are 100% natural and safe. The color is basically a mix of edible cornstarch and dye. Its safe and biodegradable. You could even eat it if you wanted to.Event schedule and timesRace begins at 9am.
- Address:401 E 65th St. Miami, FL
Miami, FL 33014


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Saliva, 'Rise Up' – Exclusive Song Premiere
Saliva are ramping up to a new album and the band is teaming with Loudwire to exclusively premiere their new single 'Rise Up' from the disc of the same name.
It's fitting that the band has chosen a raised fist for the artwork for their 'Rise Up' single as the song itself is as anthemic as they come. The group hit their power grooves with precision while new vocalist Bobby Amaru delivers the motivational kick in the pants needed to drive home the point with the 'Rise Up' lyrics.
Guitarist Wayne Swinny says, "'Rise Up' … it's a statement on where we're at. The title just has that fire to it." The song is filled with plenty of swagger and hard driving guitars sure to connect with hard rock fans. This track, along with new cuts like 'Choke' and 'Redneck Freakshow,' should keep fans rocking for quite some time.
The 'Rise Up' album is currently on schedule for an April 29 release through Rum Bum Records, and the band is ready to hit the road for what promises to be a rocking album cycle. The itinerary is starting to fill up, with a trek that launches Feb. 28 in Daytona Beach, Fla. and shows currently spanning into early May. See their full list of dates at this location and check out the new single 'Rise Up' below.
Listen to Saliva, 'Rise Up' :
[Mobile Users May Have to Flip Phone Sideways to Play]


text: Since launching MR PORTER we've been happy to see that our hunch was right: there are a great deal of stylish men out there - in all professions, in every location across the globe - who are interested in looking good. To celebrate this fact, we teamed up with the leading digital storyteller NOWNESS, and the Amsterdam-based artist and director Mr Christian Borstlap, who created a unique animation film looking at MR P's across the world. Enjoy the journey.


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Register for free !
Peter Kenter
Nov 14, 2012
last update:Oct 16, 2014
However, minor discrepancies can enter the calculations when supporting components, such as cast-in-place concrete beams and columns, are slightly deformed when formwork sags and twists during placement of fresh concrete.
The use of Robotic Total Station (RTS) technology is helping builders to quantify those inaccuracies and allows them to adjust prefabricated components to real-world measurements in the field.
"No matter how accurately the model is created, and no matter how many clashes are detected during the pre-construction coordination meetings, prefabrication practices can be messed up when other building components are not accurately installed in the field," said Julian Kang, an associate professor at Texas A&M University.
Kang pointed to recent projects, such as the 30-storey Ark Hotel, built from prefabricated components in the Hunan Province of China by Broad Group in just 15 days.
If buildings are constructed on such accelerated schedules, he argued, the collection of accurate field data becomes critical as prefabricated components are introduced.
"RTS technology can collect point data from the surface of the building on the job site to see if the building is being built accurately," he said.
"We wanted to know if we could get the model updated in time for prefabrication. That information could help project managers to make proactive decisions regarding variations caused by inaccurate field operations."
RTS units use information supplied by BIM and CAD, then use an automatic target-locking feature to mark layout points, check actual elevations, and locate columns, walls, anchor bolts and utilities.
While RTS devices typically use a reflecting prism to accurately locate key points, a reflectorless option allows inaccessible positions to be calculated using lasers.
The university tested the effectiveness of RTS technology in field conditions, using a 107,000-square-foot building construction project at the Texas A&M University campus.
Two RTS vendors were asked to locate four corners of a beam side, a series of pre-determined points on a beam side, several 3-D embeds and 2-D columns as quickly as possible.
"The equipment took about 10 minutes to set up for both vendors," said Kang.
"Overall, the results were amazing."
Beam side corners were located in two and five minutes respectively.
Beam side points were each located in three minutes, embeds were located in 1.3 minutes and 1.25 minutes each, while columns were located in 22 and 25 minutes.
Text files derived from the data were quickly imported into the BIM model.
"This information could then be given to sub-contractors to make real-time adjustments," said Kang.
"We concluded that it's reasonable to expect that this information can be collected quickly enough for project managers to identify potential problems and make proactive decisions to circumvent them."
Nov 14, 2012
last update:Oct 16, 2014
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Grills and Parts
Here in our Bargain Basement Grills and Parts section, you can find bargains on all kinds of clearance parts!
Many of the products in this section have been added for many reasons: we no longer stock a company's product, the part has been discontinued from the manufacturer, the part is used (which will be specified in the part's description), or the part has been past it's return date. If you are looking at an item, get it while you can because it is gone for good once it's out of stock! We are continuously adding new product to this discounted section of our site, so make sure to keep checking back for added deals.
Expedition 2003-2006 Ford Billet Aluminum Grill - 5372P
Regular Price: $134.99
Special Price $124.99
Only 1 in stock
F150/Expedition 1997-1998 Ford Aluminum Billet Bumper Insert - 5038P
Regular Price: $77.99
Special Price $56.54
Only 1 in stock
F250/F350/Excursion 1999-2004 Ford Flame Sheet Grill - 3302
Regular Price: $205.99
Special Price $174.99
Only 1 in stock
F250/F350/Excursion 1999-2005 Ford Side Wings of Grill - 5711
Regular Price: $57.99
Special Price $36.72
Only 1 in stock


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Because Suffolk is situated in the heart of downtown Boston, there's no lack of hotels within a short distance from campus.
The hotels listed here offer preferred rates to Suffolk community members, including students, families, employees, alumni, and business partners.
Please be sure to inquire about the preferred rate when reserving a room at one of these hotels, or use the preferred rate link, if provided.
Ames Hotel
1 Court Street
Boston, MA 02108
Preferred rate
Bulfinch Hotel Boston
107 Merrimac Street
Boston, MA 02114
Call for preferred rate
Club Quarters in Boston
161 Devonshire Street
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 357-6400
Preferred rate
Langham Hotel
250 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
Preferred rate
Millenium Bostonian Hotel
26 North Street
Bsoton, MA 02109
Call for preferred rate
Nine Zero Hotel
90 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108
Preferred rate
Omni Parker House Hotel
60 School Street
Boston, MA 02108
Preferred rate
W Boston Hotel
100 Stuart Street
Boston, MA 02116
Preferred rate
Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill
5 Blossom Street
Boston, MA 02114
Preferred rate


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NPR reporters are analyzing the president's 2013 budget proposal. We'll be adding to this post as we get additional budget breakdowns. Check back for updates.
As NPR's Scott Horsley reported Monday morning, President Obama's 2013 budget calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in new federal spending aimed at spurring economic growth. Many of the proposals are recycled from the American Jobs Act that Obama put forward in September. Most of those plans have languished in a divided Congress, and the president's budget is likely to do the same.
NPR's Scott Neuman reports that the spending plan "aims to trim $4 trillion from the deficit over the next decade, while boosting spending to programs to stimulate the still-ailing U.S. economy."
"At a time when our economy is growing and creating jobs at a faster pace, our job is to keep things on track," Obama told an audience at a Northern Virginia community college. "I am proposing some difficult cuts that, frankly, I wouldn't be proposing if I didn't have to."
Horsley notes that the plan calls for $140 billion in research and development spending, including $2.2 billion for advanced manufacturing. Obama also wants to invest $476 billion over six years in transportation infrastructure, financed in part with money that will no longer be needed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The president's budget renews his call for higher taxes on the wealthy, Horsley reports. That includes an end to Bush-era tax cuts for families earning more than $250,000 a year, limited tax deductions for high earners, and the so-called "Buffett Rule," which would ensure that millionaires pay a minimum tax rate of 30 percent.
All told, Horsley says, the budget proposes $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue over the coming decade. That includes a new $61 billion tax on big banks and $41 billion in additional taxes on fossil fuel producers.
The Pentagon is proposing a 6 percent overall spending decrease in its 2013 budget. Those cuts will rely heavily on a big drop in troop strength, according to the proposed budget released by the White House on Monday.
By 2017, the Army will lose 72,000 soldiers, the Marines will lose 20,000, and there will be 6,200 fewer sailors and 4,200 fewer airmen. Plans to hand the biggest reductions to the Army and Marines are in line with the Pentagon's plans to create a more mobile force, with less focus on major conflicts as the two major wars the U.S. has been fighting end. The Army and Marine Corps still will be larger than they were in 2001.
At the same time, the Pentagon is ramping up funding for its newest priorities: becoming more active in the Pacific and the Middle East. To that end, the military will maintain the current bomber fleet, and the carrier fleet of 11 ships. Army and Marine Corps forces in these two regions will also remain strong.
The Pentagon says it will protect funding for upgrades to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other space-based systems that enhance surveillance and communications. But the military will be phasing out a defense weather satellite system and a successor to the U.S. spy plane known as Global Hawk Block 30, which were deemed too expensive.
The Pentagon was at pains to point out that service members will not take the brunt of these cuts. The budget is only calling for increases in things such as pharmacy copays and health care enrollment fees for some retirees. Though pay raises will slow in the future, the budget for 2013 calls for a 1.4 percent increase. The Pentagon says personnel costs make up one-third of the military budget, but cuts in benefits will only contribute about 10 percent of the savings for 2013.
-- Larry Abramson
Updated at 3:15 p.m.: The Obama administration is proposing $51.6 billion for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. While advocates are pleased to see this commitment to diplomacy and development, they worry about cuts in global health and humanitarian and refugee assistance.
A big part of the budget is for the Overseas Contingency Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, though the $8.2 billion request is less than last year, and the State Department recently announced that it will be scaling back its huge diplomatic mission in Iraq by cutting costs associated with contractors. In Iraq, the Obama administration is requesting $4.8 billion for next year, which is about 10 percent less than last year.
The administration is requesting another $1.3 billion for Egypt. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says security assistance has been a good investment over the years, though she has been warning that it will be hard to disburse all of this year's aid unless Egypt ends a crackdown on U.S. democracy-promotion groups.
The new budget includes $770 million for a new Middle East and North Africa Incentive Fund to support economic reforms in the wake of popular uprisings.
"The Middle East is re-inventing itself before our eyes," says Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides. "The demands on us have never been higher. And you will see all of that in this budget request."
-- Michele Kelemen
President Obama's 2013 education budget totals $69.8 billion in discretionary spending. The bulk of that money is for Pell Grants for needy college students, K-12 school reforms, Title I funding for disadvantaged students, special education and early childhood education.
Two new education initiatives are unprecedented in funding and scope:
The biggest is an $8 billion fund to train 2 million workers in health care, transportation, information technology and advanced manufacturing. In a new partnership with businesses, community colleges will expand career centers, designed to meet employers' needs in high-skilled, high-growth industries. The three-year fund will also support small-business entrepreneurs and paid internships for low-income community college students.
The other new initiative is an $80 million competitive grants program to train 100,000 new teachers. The money would go to four-year colleges to provide innovative teacher training programs in science, technology, engineering and math. These are areas in which the United States faces significant teacher shortages.
Funding for community colleges, teachers and career academies is a one-time, mandatory request.
-- Claudio Sanchez
The president proposes cuts in a few programs for the poor that he has targeted before, arguing that the budget-reduction pain needs to be shared. Among the largest proposed cuts is $452 million in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income families pay their heating bills.
The budget notes that the $3 billion requested for LIHEAP is higher than the amount the president requested last year because of rising energy costs. But the program has bipartisan backing, especially in New England states. And a large group of lawmakers is pushing to get LIHEAP spending back to the level it was a couple of years ago, close to $5 billion.
The president has also called for a $329 million cut in the $1.7 billion Community Services Block Grant program, which helps fund local programs intended to alleviate poverty. These might include things such as job training and tax preparation services. The budget would also make minor trims in Job Corps and in a program to provide affordable housing for low-income individuals with disabilities. The administration argues that some of these trims are part of an effort to make programs more efficient and accountable.
The budget calls for $3 billion in Community Development Block Grants, the same level that Congress enacted this year. However, the program, which helps local governments pay for affordable housing and other development projects, has been cut substantially in recent years. Funding for homeless assistance programs would go up about $300 million under the president's budget.
The budget would provide more than $7 billion in food assistance for low-income women, infants and children, and anticipates spending more than $100 billion next year on other food and nutrition programs, including food stamps — also known as SNAP benefits.
Programs to help low- and moderate-income Americans appear to have escaped serious cuts, in part because they've been cut so much already. There are many on Capitol Hill who think there's still a lot of spending waste — more tightening is likely as lawmakers try to further reduce the size of government. But anti-poverty groups will continue making the argument that now is not the time to weaken safety net programs relied upon by many Americans, and they've had some success in recent budget fights.
-- Pam Fessler
Added at 3:15 p.m.: President Obama's budget would make a small trim in Homeland Security spending. The president proposes $39.5 billion for the agency, a decrease of 0.5 percent or $191 million less than what was enacted last year. Most of the savings come from cuts in administrative costs, including overtime and travel.
The budget would increase spending on border security and cyber security. There's also money for new explosives detection systems at U.S. airports. The Coast Guard would get funds for a new cutter and ice breaker to replace aging vessels "well past their service life."
More than $6 billion would be set aside for FEMA's disaster relief fund, which covers the anticipated costs of natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. Other FEMA grants would be eliminated. The administration also says it will take measures to speed spending of some $9 billion in FEMA grant money already in the pipeline to "grow the economy now."
The budget also continues current administration policy of focusing immigration enforcement efforts on identifying and removing illegal immigrants who are criminals. For those judged low risk, the administration says it is enhancing the "Alternatives to Detention" program — such as electronic monitoring — which costs significantly less than detention.
-- Brian Naylor
Added at 3:15 p.m.: Scientists who use NASA spacecraft to study Mars were expecting bad news from NASA's 2013 budget, and they got it. With the exception of the Mars Science Laboratory, which is already on its way to Mars, and a mission to sample the Martian atmosphere scheduled for launch next year, NASA is re-evaluating its long-term Mars strategy. In practical terms, that means pulling out of two missions planned in cooperation with the European Space Agency for later this decade.
The news wasn't all bad for space science. NASA's proposed budget for 2013 is $17.7 billion, essentially flat compared with 2012. But that will still allow spending $628 million on the James Webb Space Telescope to keep it on track for launch in 2018. There's also $1.8 billion for research and new spacecraft for studying Earth.
The space agency will continue to send astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station at a cost of $3 billion. The budget proposal also contains $2.9 billion for a new deep-space crew capsule and a heavy lift rocket for future human exploration missions.
-- Joe Palca


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Current360 Continues To Grow
Current360, a full-service advertising, marketing and digital agency in Louisville, Ky., has increased its operating income to well over 15 percent higher than the industry average during the recession. The president of the company credits much of the success to expanding services. The agency is completely rebranding to reflect its dedication and capabilities as a full-service agency. As of mid-October, Current360, previously CurrentMarketing, dropped "marketing†to refrain from emphasizing a single service. The company also purchased another agency and secret shopper service in Florida to expand into a new market and diversify its skills, most notably in research.
The agency maximizes its profit margins with in-house services, the largest portion of work outsourced merely being printed items. Less outsourcing gives the agency a competitive advantage by allowing greater control of time constraints and budgets, which increases the profitability of projects. Through its growth, the company has remained committed to its offbeat culture and giving back to the community. During the recession, Current360 has donated $1.6 million in time and services to the Louisville area. For information visit www.current360.com.
Frankfort Avenue Holiday Hop
Come to a special edition of The FAT Friday Trolley Hop, Nov. 30 from 6 to 10:30 p.m., to celebrate the holiday season. The monthly event provides free parking and transportation to participating shops, restaurants and galleries along the Frankfort, Mellwood and Story Avenue corridor. The Holiday Hop will include the following special events:
A Reader's Corner Bookstore, 2044 Frankfort Ave., will host a discussion and book signing by Steve Wiser. Wiser is the author of "Distinctive Houses of Louisville,†"Louisville Tapestry,†"Louisville Landmarks and Legends†and "Louisville 2035.â€
Boombozz Famous Pizza, 3400 Frankfort Ave., will offer $3 craft beers, and a portion of the proceeds from One Hope Chardonnay wine will benefit breast cancer research and awareness.
D&W Silks, 2320 Frankfort Ave., will serve refreshments and offer 20 percent off the entire store and a free poinsettia to customers who spend $50 or more (while supplies last).
Jerry Heston Hairdressing, 2708 Frankfort Ave., will give complimentary hand massages and feature holiday gift sets. Hoppers can enjoy hot chocolate and enter a raffle for an Aveda Hand Relief basket.
Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Ave., will donate a portion of sales to Second Chances Wildlife Center.
Margaret's Consignment, 2700 Frankfort Ave., will host live entertainment by Tanita Gaines and trunk shows from Accessories by Lucy and Bethlehem Farm Soaps.
Mellwood Art Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave., will host the Hollydays Art and Gift Market from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., then the Candy Canes and Cocktails Girls Night Out from 6 to 9:30 p.m., benefitting Junior League of Louisville.
South Bayly Boutique, 107 S. Bayly Ave., will host special offers and serve homemade fudge and holiday cider.
The Irish Rover, 2319 Frankfort Ave., will host a traditional Irish music seisuin (informal live Irish music session) starting at 8 p.m. in the bar area.
The Urban Farmhouse Market, 2830 Frankfort Ave., will serve holiday refreshments and let shoppers pick a chance to win a "Boots & Pearls†shirt.
Vint, 2309 Frankfort Ave., will serve holiday favorites including the white pumpkin latte, maple sugar latte and fireside mocha, and give hoppers a chance to warm by the fire and get a boost for more holiday shopping.
The Wine Rack, 2632 Frankfort Ave., will host a sampling of four Schlafly beers from 6 to 8 p.m.
For more information, visit www.fatfridayhop.org.
UofL Physicians Pediatric Eye Clinic
For the convenience of parents, the University of Louisville Physicians – Pediatric Eye Specialists will hold a clinic for children from 8 a.m. to noon on Dec. 8. This special clinic will be held at the Kentucky Lions Eye Center location, 301 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., at Floyd Street. Free parking is available in the KLEC parking lot. Appointments can be made in advance by calling 502.852.7818. UofL Physicians – Pediatric Eye Specialists sees patients from birth to age 18. Major forms of insurance are accepted.
Pediatric Eye Specialists is part of University of Louisville Physicians, the largest, multispecialty physician practice in the Louisville region, with more than 78 sub specialties, 1,200 dedicated staff professionals and nearly 600 primary care and specialty physicians. The group's physicians also are professors and researchers at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, teaching tomorrow's physicians and leading research in the most innovative medical advancements. For more information, visit www.uoflphysicians.com. The Kentucky Lions Eye Center is a multispecialty ophthalmologic care center offering enrollment in clinical trials and the latest treatment options for diseases and conditions including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, strabismus, low vision and many others. The department's LASIK and refractive surgery program is one of the most comprehensive in the region. For more information about the department, visit www.louisvilleeyedocs.com or call 502.852.7818.
Norton Sports Health Program
Norton Sports Health is the new title sponsor of the Kentucky Derby Festival's Training Program to prepare runners for the KDF Marathon and miniMarathon on April 27, 2013. The free, 14-week program offers training tips and weekly group runs for participants of all levels of experience. Runners can register for the training program online at www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com. An orientation meeting for the program will be held on Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. at duPont Manual High School.
The orientation meeting will include distribution of a free training packet and short-sleeve technical shirts for the first 700 attendees who register online (there may be a limited number of shirts given out for runners who register at the meeting); introduction of the race doctor, athletic trainers and nutritionists; an overview of the Marathon and miniMarathon; guests speakers and a question-and-answer session. The deadline to sign up online for the Training Program is Jan. 14; however, runners may still register at the orientation meeting. The 40th annual 13.1-mile miniMarathon and 26.2-mile Marathon will start simultaneously at 7:30 a.m. in downtown Louisville.
Norton Sports Health features a team of highly trained sports medicine specialists, including orthopaedists, neurologists, physiatrists and primary care physicians. These specialists work together with trainers, physical therapists, nurses and other care providers to design customized programs that help return athletes of all ages to optimal performance following a sports-related injury. Norton Sports Health, a part of Norton Healthcare, is one of the Louisville area's leading sports-related injury prevention and treatment programs. More information is available at www.NortonHealthcare.com/SportsHealth.