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Flickr responds to 'Dear Marissa Mayer' appeal with an appeal of its own
When Marissa Mayer was named new CEO of Yahoo recently, Los Angeles-based journalist Sean Bonner posted an appeal for her to 'please make flickr awesome again', signing it 'the Internet'. On his blog, Bonner commented that Flickr, was acquired by Yahoo in 2005, needs someone to 'put some support behind it, bring it up to date, give it an actually functional mobile app and commit to keeping it alive'.
|Sean Bonner's appeal to new Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer to 'please make Flickr awesome again' has been tweeted more than 20,000 times since he posted it on July 17th.
Claiming that 'it's no secret that everyone blames Yahoo! for killing Flickr' Bonner created the appeal in the hope that '[Meyer] could be the one to breath life back into it'. His appeal went viral, and today Flickr - which by its own account hosts more than five billion digital images - posted a response, copying the style of Bonner's original open letter.
Addressed 'dear Internet', Flickr's reply invites users to 'come help us make Flickr awesomer' and contains a link to flickr.com/jobs where interested potential applicants can find details of several open positions.
|Flickr's tongue-in-cheek response to Bonner's appeal asks for help to 'make flickr awesomer' and provides a link to open positions at the photo-sharing site.
Although it still has a massive user-base, Flickr has been challenged in recent years by a new wave of competitors including social networking sites like Facebook, which offer increasingly advanced photography-oriented features, and dedicated sharing apps such as Instagram (now also owned by Facebook).
Are you a Flickr user? Are you satisfied, or do you think it needs to be made 'more awesome'? Or have you turned away from Flickr altogether, in favour of other photo-sharing sites? Let us know.
(Via wired.com)
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Flickr is terrific! Any more useful improvements they make will be icing on the cake.
I like it much better than others that I've tried such as Picasa, PBase, PhotoSig and others. Flickr ROCKS!
I've been with Flickr a long time now, and have almost stopped twice. Once because I couldn't get the look and structure I wanted and the second time because I felt obbligated to comment on everything.
I've got smugmug now to because i like how you can customize almost everything, but thats me (http://rhermans.smugmug.com) but I still use flickr because it's imho still the best community.
Looking at all the other systems available they might look slicker but there isn't so much difference
I find it odd that so many people are complaining about the interface looking "old". Every interface "upgrade" that I've seen in the last ~10 years - Google, Facebook, just about any web page, Adobe programs, Windows, MS Office, MacOS since early versions of OS X - has made them look worse. I'm just glad they haven't screwed it up!
This is a really tone-deaf response to a sincere plea from their users. I've been a flickr user for a long time. The site has stagnated and no longer does anything particularly well. Causal users moved to Facebook. Professionals drifted over to SmugMug. Semi-professionals set up accounts at 500px. Mobile photographers moved to Instagram, tumblr, or similar alternatives. Uploading my pics to flickr and sharing them with the contacts and groups I participated in was exciting and fun; now it feels more like an obligation.
There's no better example of the problem than the official flickr mobile app. It was an embarrassment when it was released and has never become more than barely adequate. I've read that this is the result of interoffice politics within Yahoo. That's unfortunate, but if flickr's internal management can't be bothered to champion their own product and figure out a solution for their customers, then I can't be bothered to make excuses for them.
Yes, Flickr was my first choice to upload photographs in a secure place. Now, I am a Picasa user, as Google is leading the race to merge Photography,Video, Blogging and even the creation of web pages, which seem to be the way things may go in the next 5 years. Cinema, TV, telephone and internet will be one, soon as the market sees a profit to be made. Owning your editorial means to place photos, videos and text is a fact NOW. So either one keeps up with the times or one has to step aside, to let the inevitable happen. When a device can take videos, photographs and text and send it through the web woldwide, the media, as we know it, will be history. So, it is not enough to be the first, its trying to keep up with change, what will make an idea be perennial or a thing of the past. CHOOSE!
Leopoldo García
Shame he put breath rather than breathe, otherwise it would have made sense.
Of the photo sharing sites I've seen, Flickr offers the best overall experience for my purposes. I actually like that they haven't done much to change the format, as it means I don't have to keep "retraining" my parents and other relatives on how to view photos of their grandkids. Uploading through Lightroom is a breeze, and being able to reupload after changing a photo gives me huge flexibility. I can upload a draft for quick sharing, then fix elements later (especially handy for scanning negatives with dust or scratches). If the photo's EXIF info is done correctly, Flickr will display the three main data points that I want to see -- when, who, and where -- without having to dig into pop-ups or other pages. It also makes assigning photos to multiple albums ("sets," in the lingo) terrifically easy. I could go on...
I'm sure Flickr isn't "cool" anymore, but for me it's pretty close to perfect.
Agree, I have no serious complaints about the site but the mobile platform support is atrocious.
I don't understand some of the posts here about preferring Picassa -- the online galleries and tools for managing them are terrible (I'm referring to the online portion, not the Windows/OSX client).
Some features I would like to see (some maybe only for PRO accounts):
-native RAW/DNG Support and storage/backup
-at least a white and a black skin, better would be an additional 1 or 2 gray skins, too
-better integration (sync) in Lightroom/Aperture,etc. or alternatively a real desktop app to manage my files, not just an uploader
-a complete overhaul of the user interface, making use of web 2.0 technologies like AJAX, etc.
-custom resizing (option to add 1 or 2 user defined sizes to the ones defined by Flickr)
-more liberal linking options
-a more flexible API regarding EXIF, descriptions, etc.
-a market place to sell photos,prints,etc.
yup, I would like them improve selling photos on flickr too. I just got over a millions views and that is volume. If they make it seamlessly for customers to easily buy my photos, then I am all for that. Tried smug mug once and nobody use that much. Flickr has more people looking at photos then any other site. ( Facebook, you really see only your friends' photos, so that isn't the point).
Plus filckr has a better community of photographers all over the world and groups then any other photo sites I seen. Must websites, government agency news have a flickr account or group. You can upload to these group and they might be seen on a wesite or newspaper. So, while the flickr look maybe dated and needs an upgrade, it shear number, groups, and popularity makes it better for most non-pro.
This reply by Flickr/Yahoo shows clearly what is typical for most things coming from Yahoo after the original web directory - a total lack of visions and understanding of usability. Interstingly enough, they are only looking for engineers and programmers. As if the problems of Flickr had anything to do with a lack of programming or engineering talent. Actually their superb resizing engine prooves that their programmers are top notch. What they really need is a product manager with a clear vision of the future and a background from the photographic industry. I would hate to see Flickr become just another social picture sharing site - leave all the handy shooters to Facebook & Co. Instead they should focus on the serious photographer (professional or amateur) who is interested in presenting photographs, not snapshots.
I never found Flikr attractive, period. I do not care about it. The looks of our photography are ugly with it, lacks camera/lens database. In other words, it lacks a photographers orientation. Yahoo photos were also bad, and as they deleted these, I never looked back and for the most part I am happy with pBase. That is though a complicated issue, and I looked several times for alternatives. Flickr was always on the very bottom of the list.
Others have mentioned Lightroom/Aperture support, etc. Personally I say no, no interest at all. I want the operating system support to be the intermediary. No senseless bloat with more and more "intelligent" features, which offer no additional function but more learning, dependency and more maintenance.
Leave it alone. Let the whiners go elsewhere.
I find Flickr's response amusing...do they think that it's a lack of employees that has made the site lose its appeal? Don't hire new programmers. Hire new bosses.
Yahoo has earned a reputation for being a dull, unrewarding place to work without the nice employee benefits of other big tech companies. There is a major labor shortage right now in this field and being unable to hire first rate engineering talent has a massive effect on what Yahoo can accomplish. A lack of engineering capability also makes it hard to hire visionary managers. They don't like working in a place where their ideas can't be accomplished. Besides, managers are recruited personally, not by requests for resumes. Marissa Mayer has an excellent reputation that will make it easier for Yahoo to hire serious talent. I hope she puts some work into improving the work environment so they can keep good people.
I've been a Flickr user since way, way before the Yahoo takeover. Once Yahoo came in, things were fine for a while (read: until the yahoo management team figured out how to use the new phone system and started changing things), then went to hell. User support was bad, yahoo's user-hostile deletion policies were notorious, and coupled with lack of innovation and a visual experience rivaled in stark ugliness only by Google's pages combine to make Flickr a dinosaur.
Some people think cucumbers taste better pickled.
That response suggests that they are either not taking the criticism seriously, or worse, that someone in management there believes some kind of nonsense about the design of core products emerging spontaneously from all of the employees collectively. Either way they are doomed.
Flickr has a great community and probably the most comprehensive collection of images on the net. Its downfall is that the site looks like something out of 1999. I'd love to see a 500px-like user interface. That, plus the unparalleled user base of Flickr, would be a great combination.
Don't get me wrong, 500px is great as is, especially if you love landscapes and nudes, but Flickr's catalog contains a more than fair representation (to my mind's expanses) of every style of photography known to man - something most museums can't even boast. So, if Flickr (and "the Internet," I suppose) answer the call, I think their future is very bright.
Their community aspects were good but I have never liked the interface and the general approach to displaying images.
I've had a flickr account for years but my main hosting site is pbase.com which makes it much easier to actually assemble nice galleries of your work in the format you want.
Flickr needs many improvements, but have you seen the new Flickr presentations?, like this: http://www.flickr.com/groups/central/pool/14060501@N05/
Honestly, I probably won't be renewing my Flickr Pro membership this year. There are just too many options out there that offer me more value for my dollar and I'm not talking about free options either. Yahoo treated Flickr like an asset and completely abandoned the community aspects of the site which is why it's gone way downhill....
It's not flickr, but the flickr users and their pictures that are awesome!
The depth of some threads goes very deep.
Who is Sean Bonner anyhow?!
Sean's a well known blogger at boingboing, among other things. Smart (and often funny) guy about a bunch of things.
He's a blogger, really?
So he's no photographer?
Then who cares?
Flickr was NEVER awesome. Always behind in terms of code, file linking, site design, and general usefulness. The best favor they could do for it is shut it down and start over. Tons of fake praise, compact camera shots, and meme's on that terrible site as well.
seriously, how important is it that a free online filehoster is awesome? ^^
i mean it has fullscreen slideshows and it gives you the code to put them on your webpage.
i dont understand this guy claiming "the internet" want this and that^^
who cares its free when it starts to suck everyone will switch to a new plattform like everytime a page died.
For a single person to make 71 million (Marissa Mayer)... you would think she would be the only one the company needed to hire to make flickr awesome again.
...and you could certainly never find anyone with vision for less than multi-millions of dollars. They need to pay that much to attract top talent!
Ahh the myths that the elite perpetuate...
Come on guys....what's next are you going to camp out on Yahoo's lawn in protest of the '1%'. I've never understood why some people begrudge the money others make. Trust me.....if I could make 70 million I would take it in a heartbeat, and so would you. Good for her.
Clint - Sure, why not. The article is basically the web telling Yahoo how to use their money (invest in Flickr). We might as well criticize their employee pay scale at the same time.
I'm not "unhappy" with Flickr--for the pittance that I pay for a Pro account, it does everything that I think it could be expected to do. The interface & usability experience could stand a bit of sprucing-up, is all, and perhaps a few more interesting "social" features. The way groups/tags are managed could use some re-thinking, too.
On the other hand, though, if Flickr wanted to charge more for various "premium" services, there are some interesting things they could do. The biggest example I could think of would be to offer a true cloud-based storage/backup service for entire archives, and make that service seamlessly integrate with Lightroom, Aperture, iPhoto, etc. Perhaps even go all the way and offer a bona-fide asset management system accessed directly through the site. That would be cool.
Is anybody trying Picasaweb...?
Had 2k res, 1GB free/account, unlimited accounts (for greedy cheapskates such as I), Google-class of Bw (high!), original file support, Geolocation etc. since years ago... when Flickr and the rest were crawling at low-res, yet were popular.
Sample this in F11 Slideshow mode (i limited it to 1600x1200, over-compressed jPGs, but you'll get the taste of it)
As they say, "Picasa es tu casa" (sorry, couldn't resist...)
picasaweb is rather closed and now it's messed up by Google plus.
The improvement I would most like to see in Flickr is a filter that would catch multiple postings of the same photo, or of photos that are virtually identical. One of the chief pleasures of the site is the ability to seeing what other people are shooting. It's a pleasure severely diminished by people who take forty-seven virtually indistinguishable shots of the same thing and post every last one of them. It would be nice if Flickr had an algorithm that could tell when anyone does that, and if those peopler could then be required to select no more than three or four of images to keep on the site. It's called editing.
No, what I'm proposing would let posters put up as many pictures as they chose, as long as the pictures aren't virtually identical — that is, if you fit one over the other there would be virtually no dissimilarities between them. Post sixteen pictures of your new baby if you must, but vary the angle, the distance, and wait till the kid changes expression.
Very happy with flickr pro especially their views on copyright
Dear flickr,
None of the open positions are product management positions. A developer at a large company doesn't get to make the decisions. Only implement them.
Flickr is taking baby steps in bringing itself up to date, but not at the rate that it should. I've been on Flickr since 2005, so it's not like i'm going anywhere, but i'd certainly like to see improvements. The new justified view in contacts and group pool is a nice start. Now let's see them do something similar with the photostream itself.
In overall I'm happy with how Flicker now is. Of course i have many preferences I like to be seen build in. One of that is personalization of your photo presentation, much better stats support, support of scripting/CSS and a few other things.
Moved to 500px. When I post photos I want them to look good.. (and preferably reasonably big, not too big, but.. "enough"). Plus overall quality of work posted on Flickr is pretty low..
I agree :) 500px has a user base that posts quality photos overall as opposed Flickr where you get a lot of low quality "taken with my phone camera" type of shots :/ Am finding 500px much better
Still have and like Flickr but the integration of the groups needs a LOT of work. Most are dead zones where people dump loads of images looking for public approval. Most groups are dead zones with little to no discussion, except for a few like Strobist. Smugmug is still where I post galleries as Flickr has never been able to supplant their focused presentation capabilities. I have zero interest in services such as Tumblr which makes you agree to allow them to use your images even if you delete your account. Flickr still has an opportunity to be something original that both protects photographers while enabling them to come together in a compelling way.
I used to use flickr, but like the Yahoo sites themselves, it desperately needs a facelift and interface update. Everything Yahoo does still looks like it's designed for the late 1990s. And while I'm ranting, other Yahoo sites/products like "groups" were promised updates that never happened. I hope this flickr movement will convince Yahoo to get out of the past with ALL of their products.
Me not care
I don't really use my flickr pro account for social networking. For me it's a very good place to host full res images for use in other flickr supported services like Magcloud. For what you get, unlimited storage on a very stable system with support from other services for the $29 annual fee is a good value.
I had a Flickr Pro account for several years........about 3,000 photos and close to a million views. I took a look at Tumblr and switched. Much happier now.
As a Flickr user for seven years I would say that some improvement is in order. I think the social aspect of Flickr is important and as it is right now perfectly adequate. I would NOT want Flickr to compete with, or become another Facebook.
Most of my complaints are with the presentation of photos. That white background MUST go! Check out SmugMug for an example of what Flickr should be in that regard.
I have also noticed that Flickr has become slower....I'm not sure why. Also, Flickr has some odd rules on linking to external sites. I'm a musician as well as a photographer and tried to link to one of my songs on Soundclick which I have done in the past. Apparently, Flickr has added Soundclick to a banned list of sites....no explanation and the HELP section is worthless.
It also appears to me that Flickr doesn't listen or take seriously what users have to say about any aspect of the site. That will spell doom.
As Michael J Davis says, check out http://www.flickriver.com which displays your public flickr photos in a flowing stream at the size you choose. It's amazing.
Sorry to hear about things like the lack of linking to Soundclick.
If find 500px quite awesome now :-)
Flickr just went wild with strange content and bad photos. It just wasn't for anyone with a serious interest in photography anymore. Or rather too much of it wasn't and distracted from the good content.
Hope they'll unclutter and the instagrams users will join instagram and leave Flickr alone ;-)
Just my personal opinion.
|Patrick Finds Inner Peace by ecastellon
from Your best photo of the week!
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from Arranged everyday objects
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With the iPhone X coming out soon, the title probably won't last, but the iPhone 8 Plus is officially the best smartphone camera DxOMark has ever tested, and the iPhone 8 is second.
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Adobe's move to a subscription model is treating it very well indeed. The company has posted record revenue for the second quarter in a row, hauling in a mind-boggling $1.84 billion.
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To help widen the interest in a cappella music by providing a large and enthusiastic audience for groups of all styles to perform, have fun and create new fans.
Groups may have no less than three nor more than eight performing members. Groups of any style and ages are welcome. Larger groups are eligable as long as they only have eight members performing on stage at any one time. For the complete rules click here.
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All groups are requested to submit either the regular online entry form. We also ask that you email us a color .jpg of the group. Groups should also send us a sample of (or provide a link to) one or two of their songs. If your group is accepted there is a $10 per person entry fee.
Please note you may only submit to one regional show at a time. List of regional directors.
Regional winners win airfare plus 2 nights accommodation in the San Francisco Bay Area to compete in the National Finals. There is also 1,000 free CDs duplication from our sponsor Discmakers for the National Champs.
To find a specific song on any recording (or to find recordings by group name or CD title),
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A New Year's Trading Resolution
Like many market players, I've been looking back at my trades over the past year to see how I can improve my results. There are plenty of trades that make me cringe, but in many cases I didn't make any big mistakes and did the right thing based on my trading methodology.
The one thing I want to work on in the year ahead is being more aggressive with trades that are working. Every year since I've started trading I have said that I need to increase the size of my trades, but it isn't easy because doing so also requires that I handle some trades differently. I have good results overall, and I don't want to mess that up with a new style....464 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
Mr.SmOOOth wrote:Thanks RustyP! I was going to try to contact him but never got around to it.
Donkeypuncher wrote:You might want to send it by certified mail, that way you know he actually did receive it and signed for it.
Oh yeah, still haven't heard from j_mardis yet. I'm not mad about it yet, but I'm starting to get a little annoyed about the situation.
mikesolt wrote:msgs were sent to J_mardis and ananka....
nothing yet
IdahoLefty wrote:I golf with j_mardis and know him very well. he has had alot of family problams of late. Im not making excusus or saying that him not reaturning pms is ok. just thought i would throw some info out there. if i see him at our next tourny on the 12th i will let him know he needs to check the boards.
(p.s. you know we live in idaho nd dont of electric power or cars yet, maybe the usps donkey died trying to get your mail to you.)
dgdave wrote:You guys should hit up the Team Over The Top forums. its the Idaho board
Roy wrote:IdahoLefty ripped me off too, should have known better.
Here's am interesting link.
Looks like we have Jmardis and Lefty out playing with our plastic on the club tour.
Jmardis also has a nice site SELLING "how to" disc dye info.... what a piece of work
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Protecting Yourself and Others Against Influenza
Get an annual flu vaccine. Influenza viruses change
continuously, so a new vaccine is created each year. The vaccine helps
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Currently, there are two types of vaccine – a flu shot and a nasal spray. The flu shot is approved for anyone older than 6 months. People age 2 to 49 can get the nasal-spray flu vaccine if they are not pregnant or do not have a weakened immune system. Annual flu vaccine is effective only against seasonal flu and may not protect against a pandemic virus.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper sleeve.
Discard used tissues and wash your hands afterwards. Do not cough or
sneeze into your hands.
Wash your hands. Always wash hands after coughing, sneezing,
using tissues, using the toilet, and touching public surfaces (such as
door handles, shopping carts, etc). Be sure to wash your hands after
any contact with a person who has the flu or with their immediate
surroundings – their home or their room.
Always wash your hands before touching eyes, nose, mouth, inserting contact lenses and preparing food. See the Hand Washing Guide for more information. When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or sleeve. Do not cough or sneeze into your hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When possible,
stay at least 6 feet away from someone who is coughing and sneezing. If
close contact cannot be avoided (for example, you are caring for a sick
person at home), consider wearing a respirator (a facepiece designed to
protect you from breathing in very small particles, which might contain
viruses). Respirators fit tightly to the face so that most air is
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numbers N95 or above have been shown to be most effective.
Stay home when you are sick. This will help prevent others from
catching your illness. Consider wearing a facemask if you are sick with
the flu and need to have close contact with other people.
- Avoid crowds. During a pandemic, avoid crowded places when possible to limit the spread of the flu. If you must go into a crowded place consider wearing a facemask while you are there, especially if you live with someone who has the flu, because you might be in the early stages of infection. If you are well and cannot avoid the crowded location, you can also wear a facemask while there. The guidance on the use of facemasks may be revised as more information is known.


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Rogers struggles while working on changeup
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Esmil Rogers saw his struggles this spring continue as he surrendered four runs over three innings vs the Astros on Thursday afternoon.
Rogers allowed five hits, two walks and gave up a pair of back-to-back homers in the Blue Jays' 7-5 loss to Houston. He has now surrendered seven earned runs in nine innings this spring while competing for the final spot in Toronto's starting rotation.
The biggest problem Rogers has been experiencing this spring is a lack of command. He has left a lot of pitches up in the zone, and the end result has been a number of hard-hit balls.
"First inning, he was good and then he was shaky after that," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "The key for him is throwing enough strikes. He can be a heck of a pitcher when he gets the ball in the strike zone. We've seen it before, but that's where he runs into trouble. He has to do that, he has to do that to be effective."
To a certain extent, the subpar results can be a little deceiving, because Rogers is working on a few things that he might not necessarily try during the regular season. He is attempting to refine a changeup, but so far he hasn't had too much success with it.
The second home run of Thursday's game came on a poorly located changeup up in the zone. A better change would go a long way in improving his overall arsenal, but it's clear that it's not quite ready. Despite his struggles, Rogers intends to keep throwing it the rest of spring in an attempt to refine the pitch before the start of the regular season.
"I want to keep throwing it, because the only way I can get better is when I pitch and throw the changeup," Rogers said.
"I just have to make my pitches and working a little bit more out of the stretch and try to get my command out of the stretch because I'm a little quick when I have runners on base."
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Monitoring of Acute Knee Injuries to Understand Osteoarthritis Development
This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified September 2015 by Richard B Frobell, Lund University
Lund University
The Swedish Research Council
Crafoord Foundation
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Richard B Frobell, Lund University
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: June 23, 2011
Last updated: September 10, 2015
Last verified: September 2015
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Biospecimen Retention: Samples Without DNA
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), laboratory analyses and patient reported outcomes, the overall aim of this study is to investigate structural injuries and biochemical alterations in the acutely injured knee and to relate these findings to clinical outcomes at various time points.
|Knee Injury Knee Osteoarthritis
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Case-Only
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|The Acute Knee Injury Project
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Knee Injuries and Disorders OsteoarthritisU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Richard B Frobell, Lund University:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) [ Time Frame: 5 yrs ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Radiographic osteoarthritis [ Time Frame: 5 yrs ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples Without DNA
Joint fluid, Serum & Plasma
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|March 2012
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|January 2019
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|January 2017 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|12 Years to 40 Years (Child, Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Study Population
We will recruit approximately 150 patients annually over 3-4 years with the goal of including at least:
- 200 knees with isolated or combined ACL injuries
- 50 isolated meniscus tears
- 50 primary patellar dislocations
- 50 contusions without ligamentous, cartilage or meniscus injury.
Patients will be recruited using two different strategies:
- Those seeking medical care at the orthopedic emergency room (ER) at Helsingborg hospital
- Those referred to the orthopedic outpatient health care unit of Helsingborg hospital due to an acute knee injury by their primary health care unit will be scheduled for a clinical visit for baseline assessment (visit 1) within four weeks from their injury. To facilitate recruitment, primary care units in the local area of Helsingborg will be offered an opportunity to refer all patients with rotational knee trauma and effusion directly to the orthopedic outpatient care unit.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 12-40 years at inclusion (inclusion of patients younger than 18 will require parental approval)
- A history of knee injury not more than 4 weeks prior to inclusion
- Agreement and informed consent to participate in the study
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any MRI contra-indications (such as extreme obesity, metal implants, claustrophobia etc.)
- Pregnancy
- A history of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a disorder of the coagulative system
- General disease that effects physical function or systemic medication/abuse of steroids
- Any other condition or treatment interfering with the completion or assessment of the trial.
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01382173
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01382173
|Contact: Richard B Frobell, PhD
|Contact: Ola A Olsson, MD, PhD
|Department of Orthopedics, Helsingborg hospital
|Helsingborg, Sweden, S-251 85
|Contact: Kerstin Akesson +46424062032 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Richard B Frobell, PhD
Sponsors and Collaborators
Lund University
The Swedish Research Council
Crafoord Foundation
More Information
Keywords provided by Richard B Frobell, Lund University:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Richard B Frobell, Associate Professor, Lund University
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01382173 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|June 23, 2011
|Last Updated:
|September 10, 2015
Keywords provided by Richard B Frobell, Lund University:
Knee injury
Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury
Patellar dislocation
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Wounds and Injuries
Osteoarthritis, Knee
Knee Injuries
Joint Diseases
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Rheumatic Diseases
Leg Injuries
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
What Do They Have in Common?Trick brain teasers appear difficult at first, but they have a trick that makes them really easy.
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Immune/Respiratory Herbal FormulationsHimalaya herbal formulations help balance the immune system, key to enhancing the body's natural defenses, while also supporting the respiratory function when our body is unable to cope with environmental factors, such as air, pollution, allergens and viruses on its own. Ancient Roots The many different herbs used in Himalaya Herbal Healthcare's scientific product line are also used in India's ancient, traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda. The word Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit root words ayur (meaning "life") and veda (meaning "to know"). Literally, Ayurveda means "the science of life." It is a system of medicine dating back over 4,000 years. Ayurveda had a profound, far-reaching influence on Traditional Chinese Medicine and the healthcare systems of many other countries and cultures. Ayurveda believes that five great elements make up the universe and the human body: earth, water, fire, air and space. It also believes that humans possess a unique constellation of body types or doshas: vata (wind/spirit/air), pitta (bile), and kapha (phlegm). Each represents a divine force, and Ayurveda seeks to bring them into balance through proper diet, herbal treatment and spiritual practice. Since Himalaya Herbal Healthcare formulas are very science-based and appropriate for all body types ("tri-doshic" or "non-dosha-specific"), and since their formulas require no Ayurvedic knowledge to be used successfully, they do not consider themselves to be "an Ayurvedic line" in the classic sense of the word. Himalaya Herbal Healthcare is proud to offer the same herbs used in India's ancient system of medicine. They're proud of their ancient roots, but they have very modern branches. Modern BranchesHimalaya Herbal Healthcare products draw from a remarkable canon of plants used in an ancient system of healthcare that goes back over 4,000 years, but success can't be measured by tradition alone. 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text:
Patrick Plattet
Office: Bunnell 307D
Phone: 907 474 6608
Email: pplattet @ alaska.edu
My research contributed to the Collaborative Research Project NEWREL (New Religious Movements in the Russian North) within the programme BOREAS of the European Science Foundation (2006-2009). Since 2010, I am a member of the Center for the Study of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements in Russia . Launched in 2010 through the Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative ( PCRI ), the Center is based at the European University at St Petersburg ( EUSPB ) and serves as a hub for academic collaboration that will enhance long-term scholarly cooperation around themes related to Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity in the Russianized World.
I am also developing a comparative approach to reindeer herding in the North Pacific through a CESU grant funded by the U.S. National Park Service. The comparison is developed through a research on the " Ethnohistory and Ethnoarchaeology of Reindeer Herding on the Alaska Peninsula " (2011-2016).
Ph.D. Ethnology and Anthropology, University of Neuchâtel/Switzerland; Practical School of Higher Studies/Paris, France, April 2005
Postgraduate Diploma in Ethnology and Anthropology, University of Neuchâtel, 2000
M.A. University of Neuchâtel, Ethnology, French Literature and Linguistics, June 1998 B.A. University of Neuchâtel, Ethnology, French Literature and Linguistics, Journalism, 1994-5
Academic Positions
Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015-present
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009-2015
Postdoctoral Fellow, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNFS), 2005-2009
Visiting Scholar at the Anthropology Department (UAF), 2005-2009
Research Interests
Religious anthropology, Modes of ritualization, Hunting/herding/fishing practices and ideologies, Ritual efficacy, Sacrifice, Symbolic and cognitive anthropology, Ethnography, Russian Far East, Central & Eastern Europe
Teaching Interests
I truly enjoy mentoring students. I am happy to advise students on their research projects and to facilitate fieldworks in Kamchatka/Russian Far East, in Alaska, and in the ex-Soviet Block. I try to provide mentorship in grant writing and to develop a dynamic and reflexive approach to ethnographic fieldwork with students. At an institutional level, I have recently initiated an agreement between the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland) in order to facilitate student exchanges and to offer the opportunity to study abroad.
Courses I offer at UAF in 2009-2010 include: Kinship and Social Organization, Structures of Anthropological Arguments, Fundamentals of Social/Cultural Anthropology, Research Design and Professional Development Seminar. Additional courses I have offered at UAF include "Re-Presenting Rituals in the Russian North" and "The Anthropology of Claude Lévi-Strauss" (with David Koester).
NEWREL Project
NEWREL (New religious movements in the Russian North: competing uses of religiosity after socialism) is concerned with the full variety of religious phenomena that has flourished in the Russian North since glasnost'. My own Associated Project analyzes forms of popular religiosity in rural areas of Northern Kamchatka that are under Christian influence (Russian Orthodoxy, Protestant Evangelism) by comparing them with other forms that have developed out of any external religious control. My intermediary conclusion is that, far from devastating the creative forms of religiosities elaborated since the turn of the 18th century, Evangelical activism (and the resistance to it) contributed to revitalize village communities after the predicament of the 1990s. Without neglecting the tensions and the conflicts that followed the Evangelical wave in Northern Kamchatka, my point is that "Faith/Gospel Movements" favored the reintroduction of a plurality of religious specialists, a pattern that had been until the 1930s-40s and the closure of Orthodox chapels and churches by the Soviet authorities. In an article in preparation with Virginie Vaté, I suggest that the presence of various religious specialists (be they shaman, blacksmith, priest, pastor, elder, etc.) plays an important role in the processes of social integration and of cultural transmission. Special attention to various types of ritual altars relates this view with the modes of ritual actions mobilized by each category of specialists in order to represent religiosity. Here, my argument is that the fabrication of ritual altars (for funerary, hunting, pastoral or theatrical purposes) not only reveals the integrating ability of local religious systems but also manifests an act of "social cognition" that informs us about the relevant modes of representation of religiosity.
Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative
Regional Center of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative (PCRI/Russia )
Reindeer Herding on The Alaska Peninsula
Funded by the U.S. National Park Service, this project documents (a) the historic migration of Inupiat people to the central Alaska Peninsula (circa 1910) and (b) the ethnohistory and ethnoarchaeology of reindeer herding in the Northern Alaska Peninsula (1910s-1940s). A main objective is to shed light on a relatively unknown facet of the "American period" of Southwest Alaska by exploring the connections between Inupiat migratory waves and reindeer economics in this region. Various sets of data will help understand the correlation between human population movements and modes of herding mobility across the Alaska Peninsula with emphasis on Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve (ANIA) and Katmai National Park & Preserve (KATM).
2012 (in preparation), Patty Gray, Patrick Plattet and Virginie Vaté (eds), Doing Religion in the Russian North: Uses of Religiosity after Socialism , New York, Oxford, Berghahn.
Ph.D. Thesis
2005, The double game of fortune. Imitation and substitution in contemporary shamanic rituals of two north-kamchatkan (Far-East Siberia, Russian Federation) rural populations: the maritime hunters of Lesnaïa and the reindeer herders of Achaivaiam [in French/online publication of University of Neuchâtel]. http://doc.rero.ch/record/4966?ln=fr
Peer-Reviewed Articles and Book chapters
2011, "Landscapes in motion: Opening pathways in Kamchatkan hunting and herding rituals," in P. Jordan (ed.), Landscape and Culture in Northern Eurasia , Walnut Creek, Left Coast Press.
2010, "Dal recinto al rito: Aspetti dell'orientamento nelle pratiche pastorali e nelle performances rituali contemporanee degli allevatori di renne del Nord-Kamchatka" [Reprint in Italian of "Les voies du corral"], Il Polo , LXV(4): 11-41.
2008, Patrick Plattet and Virginie Vaté, "Interactions religieuses dans le Nord-Est russe (Kamchatka, Tchoukotka): note de recherche [Religious interactions in the Russian Far East (Kamchatka, Chukotka): A research note]," Études Mongoles, Sibériennes , Centrasiatiques et Tibétaines , 38: 155-183.
2005-2006, "Les voies du corral: Aspects de l'orientation dans les pratiques pastorales et les performances rituelles d'éleveurs de rennes du Nord-Kamtchatka [Aspects of orientation in pastoral practices and ritual performances of reindeer herders from North Kamchatka]," Études Mongoles, Sibériennes , Centrasiatiques et Tibétaines , 36-37: 21-60.
2004, "Zаmеtki pо rаbоtе Vlаdimirа Iохеl'sоnа i eë аktuаl'nоsti dlja sоvrеmеnnоj kul'turnоj i sоciаl'nоj аntrоpоlоgii [The work of V. Jochelson and its relevance for contemporary cultures and social anthropology]," in E. Kasten (ed.), Preservation and revitalization of traditional ritual feasts of coastal Koryaks (Nymylans) , Krasnodar, Kamshat: 99-104.
2003a, Patrick Plattet and Laurent Amiotte-Suchet, "L'amour, la chance, le jeu… des thèmes sérieux en Sibérie. Entretien avec Roberte Hamayon [Love, luck, and game… Some serious themes in Siberia. Interview with Roberte Hamayon]," ethnographiques.org , 4 [online]. http://www.ethnographiques.org/2003/Hamayon,Amiotte-Suchet,Plattet.html
2003b, "Les rites de deuil et les commémorations funéraires chez les éleveurs de rennes Koriaks du Nord-Kamtchatka [Mourning rites and funerary commemorations among Koryak reindeer herders from North Kamchatka]," in Y. Droz (ed.) La violence et les morts. Éclairage anthropologique sur la mort et les rites funéraires , Genève, Georg: 198-210.
2002, "La course des deux bois du renne, commentaire ethnologique d'une photographie de terrain [Racing woods: Anthropological commentary of a field photograph]," ethnographiques.org , 2 [online].
2000, "Les danseurs de 'populaire': néo-traditionalisme et culture populaire en Hongrie contemporaine [Dancing the 'folk': neo-traditionalism and popular culture in contemporary Hungary]," Tsantsa , 5: 151-157.
Conference Proceedings
2006, [with Maïté Agopian] "Izmeniaiushchiisia masshtab postsovetskoi mobil'nosti: olenevody Achaivaiamia [Changing Scales of Post-Soviet Mobility: The Reindeer Herders of Achaivaiam]," in N. N. Portniagin (ed.), Role of systemic factors in the process of creation and development of reunifying territories [Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski], Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, Kamchat: 255-256.
2002, "Les cuirs du mort. Traitement du corps et manipulation des vêtements funéraires chez les Čavčuven du Nord-Kamtchatka [Body Treatment and manipulations of funerary costumes among Koryak reindeer herders from North Kamchatka]," in F. Audoin-Rouzeau and S. Beyries (eds.), Le travail du cuir de la préhistoire à nos jours , [Proceedings of 22 nd International Conference on Archeology and History, Antibes], Antibes, APDCA: 159-174.
Book Reviews
GRAY Patty, 2005, The Predicament of Chukotka's Indigenous Movement: Post-Soviet Activism in the Russian Far North , Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, American Anthropologist , 108(1): 243-244.
HERZFELD Michael, 1997, Cultural Intimacy: Social Poetics in the Nation-State , New York/London, Routledge, Tsantsa , 5: 179-180.
Translation of articles
(from English to French) HOLZLEHNER Tobias, 2007, "Le paradis des grands bandits: la culture de la mort violente en Extrême-orient russe," ethnographiques.org , 13 [online]. http://www.ethnographiques.org/2007/Holzlehner.html
(from English to French) Wisniewski Josh, 2007, "Apprendre en perspective: chasse, intentionnalité et mimésis chez les chasseurs iñupiaq du nord-ouest alaskien," ethnographiques.org , 13 [online]. http://www.ethnographiques.org/2007/Wisniewski.html
Grants and Fellowships
2011-12 U.S. National Park Service, 1-year renewable CESU (Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units) grant for the project "Ethnohistory and Ethnoarchaeology of Reindeer Herding on the Alaska Peninsula." Serving as PI, $123,322 (Award #P11AT36177)
2010-12 Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative, 2-year grant for the Center for Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements in Russia . Serving as co-PI for the overall collaborative project (16 participating Senior and Junior Investigators from Russia, Estonia, France, Ireland, UK and USA); $499,708
2006-10 European Science Foundation/National Science Foundation 4-year grant for the project "New Religious Movements in the Russian North: Competing Uses of Religiosity after Socialism" (NEWREL). Serving as PI for the U.S. portion awarded by the NSF Arctic Social Sciences Program, $621,495 (Award #0631419)
2006-09 Swiss National Science Foundation, 3-year grant for the project "New Religious Movements in Northern Kamchatka: Competing Uses of Religiosity after Socialism." Serving as Postdoctoral Fellow ("Advanced Researcher") and as Associated Partner in the NEWREL/BOREAS Collaborative Research project of the European Science Foundation; $128,700 (Award #PA001-113073)
2005 Swiss National Science Foundation, 1-year grant for the project "Religious Continuities and reformulations in Contemporary Far-East Siberia: Ethnographic and Analytic Exchanges in an American Research Setting." Serving as Postdoctoral Fellow ("Young Researcher"); $43,300 (Award #PBNE1-106765)
2002-03 Swiss National Science Foundation, 1-year supplemental grant for the project "Shamanic and Political Dances in Contemporary Siberia: the Koryak of North Kamchatka." Serving as PhD Research Assistant (Award #1213-067796.02)
2000-02 Swiss National Science Foundation, 2-year grant for the project "Shamanic and Political Dances in Contemporary Siberia: the Koryak of North Kamchatka." Serving as PhD Research Assistant (Award #12-61917.00)


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The 'Mop Romper' Lets Your Baby Do the House Cleaning
New mothers, if you're exasperated at having no one to help you clean your messy house, why not let your baby do the dirty work? Your crawling infant can help you out when you dress them in a "baby mop," which is basically a romper with mop heads attached to the arms and legs. As your child crawls around on the floor, the mops on the romper pick up dust, dirt and hairballs. Plus, it will help keep your floors nice and polished too!


text:
Here's a familiar site in Vermont and throughout New England… a beautiful old barn that's finally beginning to cripple under the stress of Mother Nature's 100+ years of wind, rain, snow, hail and other weather events (like hurricane Irene in this case).
But lucky for us, Vermont craftsmen are giving these beloved ancient structures a new lease on life– as rustic, reclaimed barnwood furniture.
We're amazed at the amount of work involved in rescuing old lumber from the floors, walls, beams and siding of these fallen soldiers. Craftsman pick through a great deal of unusable lumber in order to find pieces suitable for furniture.
Once sorted, the wood must then be tested with a metal detector and de-nailed, before milling. But once that is done, an incredibly beautiful patina often emerges that can go on to become a unique piece of heirloom furniture, rich with our American history.
Here's an example of a reclaimed barnwood table we crafted and sold lately. This one even made it into Yankee Magazine as part of an article called, Reclaimed Style.
If you're looking for reclaimed barnwood furniture, give Rebecca or Shannon a call. They work closely with our craftsmen to customize these pieces with your choice of antique wood.
Just as an aside, did you know that only 50 years ago about half of Americans were living in rural areas or on a farm? Today less than 2% of the American population is involved in farming. In Vermont that number is 50% higher… still only 3%. Perhaps that's why there are so many old barns that have fallen into disrepair. Sad, but nice to have a way to recycle them and re-capture their story.
Many thanks to Picture Ninja for the use of their photograph of this forlorn old Vermont barn.
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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.


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MayaRefugee wrote:Does anyone know if the Buddha ever talked about the imagination?
I've tried googling and searching this forum and I can't find anything.
The reason I ask is I have artistic inclinations and I've noticed I spend a lot of time manifesting mental concepts of what I perceive/am conscious of through the use of (what I currently think is) my imagination assisted by my intellect.
I would like to know what the Buddha said about this habit/tendency so I can see this process for what it is - I think I could just be clinging to aspirations of being labeled smart/clever by those I share these mental concepts with.
Trungpa's notion of Dharma art is not merely reproducing and interpreting a collection of Buddhist symbols or ideas, but it is an approach to art as meditation, an attitude of directness and unself-consciousness in creative work.
MayaRefugee wrote:...a collection of thought forms with an associated symbol i.e. word, graphic representation, manipulation of sound, gesture, etc that have been allocated a certain meaning
MayaRefugee wrote:Kim, I totally agree with what you say.
It's what to teach with your art that I'm trying and hope to one-day get to the root of.
MayaRefugee wrote:I'm interested in the proper treatment of the paint that sits idle on the pallete i.e. my bank of unmanifest thought-forms.
I ask myself:
- how much paint should be on the pallete?
- what's the right type/qulaity of paint to have on the pallete?
- what's the right intention to have when moving this paint from the pallete to the canvas?
- what purpose is there to move paint from a pallete onto a canvas?
- what are the repurcussions of moving paint from a pallete to a canvas?
- is there really a need to have a pallete of paint?
- is it possible to not have a pallete of paint?
- etc
I guess this stuff ties in with cultivating right thought and right speech.
Kim O'Hara wrote:Hi, everyone
There's something I was going to say yesterday in response to MayaRefugee's wish to view the Buddha as an artist. Now meindzai has tagged onto the thought it seems even more worth saying.
Claiming the Buddha as an artist and then trying to derive an artistic agenda from him seems unfair to him and to yourself: unfair to the Buddha because I'm sure he never saw himself in those terms, and unfair to yourself because you then have to bend and stretch your definitions and categories out of shape to make 'art' fit 'what the Buddha said and did'.
It's much more productive, IMO, to see the Buddha as a teacher - which is how he saw himself and how we usually see him - and the artist as someone who has a teaching role in the community, showing people new ways of thinking about things or looking at things.
The primary implications for your artistic practice emerge very quickly and naturally: effective communication becomes a key feature of your artistic language, and compassion/morality become key features of the content of your art.
Works for me, anyway.
MayaRefugee wrote:You say good art starts with having something to say.
Somewhere in the process the artist has to declare/believe what they have to say/express is worthy of being said/expressed.
What do you think is worthy of being said/expressed?
In the evolution of my art I've noticed what I deem worthy of expression changes as my beliefs/understandings change, once ones beliefs/understandings align with the changeless/deathless what do you think would be worthy of expression?
MayaRefugee wrote:Kim,
If one made it to the top of the mountain should they sit expressing/depicting the view for others at the bottom or should they build climbing aids to help others get to the top aswell?
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Anybody who knows me for more than about 11 seconds is fully aware that I love my dear bride, the saintly Susan, to utter distraction.
It is a happy obsession that has lasted for more than 42 years and I don't think it is ever going to fade, but obsessions, even good ones, have their downside.
That downside for me is I just miss her like crazy — underline crazy — when work, family or other responsibilities require her to leave town for more than a couple of days.
I can't sleep, I eat things that would offend a garbage can. My normal avuncular personality becomes a might grumpy, and my time sense goes entirely out of the window.
Once Susan joined our dear daughter, Rebecca, when she took an internship in Bolivia. Susan and Becca both say the trip was only eight weeks long, but I know for an irrational fact that my girls were away for 14 months, and I don't care what the calendar says.
Over the decades there have been many trips and I have never adjusted to her absences.
Even when I am getting a little goofy because of Susan withdrawal, I have enough sanity left to recognize intellectually that the separation is limited and we will be reunited.
I take solace in that, but there is another member of the household who suffers as much — or maybe even more — as I do when Susan leaves, without the capacity to comprehend that tomorrow exists.
Pirate is our resident canine. She has been with us about 12 years. The short-haired white dog with a big black patch over one eye, which earned her the name Pirate, was a throwaway dog that had been dumped by the roadside way out in the country.
We got her from a friend who lured her out of the brush but couldn't keep her.
From almost the moment she joined the clan Pirate adopted Susan as her person.
When Susan is working in our in-home office, Pirate sleeps at her feet. If Susan gets up for a drink of water her furry shadow follows at her heels into the kitchen. If my bride spends part of an evening watching TV, Pirate is there often sleeping with her head on Susan's feet. If nature calls, Susan finds Pirate waiting patiently outside of the bathroom door. When Susan goes on a trip the dog doesn't know where to sleep or sit. She wanders around the house whining and desperately searching for her person.
Dogs, I'm told, have no time sense. For them everything is now. So for Pirate if Susan isn't home in the current now, she might appear in the next now.
When the dog comes back into the house after a visit to the backyard she launches into another frantic search, dashing around the house, going from room to room sniffing under doors that aren't open.
My reaction is pretty much the same but I don't wag my tail.
Roger H. Aylworth is a staff writer with the Enterprise-Record. His column appears every Sunday and he can be reached at 896-7762 or @RogerAylworth on Twitter.


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Hear! Hear! For Day at the Capitol!
HEAV's Day at the Capitol offered a unique glimpse into state government—past and present! Parents and students interacted with historical and present-day legislators—Patrick Henry, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Richard Henry Lee, as well as Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, Attorney General Bob McDonnell, Delegate Chris Peace (Henrico), and Senator Ken Cuccinelli (Fairfax).
Homeschool parents and students listened to their elected officials then had the opportunity to ask questions. They heard an up-to-the-minute review of the legislation HEAV was tracking from HEAV lobbyist Ben Lansing, and learned how a bill becomes a law by participating in a fun Mock General Assembly conducted by Day at the Capitol host Martin Brown.
A short bus trip to Capitol Square provided opportunities to visit legislators, view the General Assembly in session, and take scheduled tours of the Executive Mansion, the Capitol grounds, or the Supreme Court. The day ended with a special reenactment of the Second Continental Congress by the Virginia Patriots at St. John's Church. What a thrill to feel we were part of the passionate debates as the reenactors sat among the audience and jumped to their feet to make a point. Parents and students were encouraged to join the heated discussion with an appropriate, "Hear, hear!" or "Nay!" with enthusiastic hand-pounding on the benches to show their agreement.
Gifts for the Legislators
Vicki Bentley prepared gift baskets for our legislative speakers, and we hand-delivered a gift basket filled with candy, home-baked bread, and a homeschool book to Governor Timothy Kaine's office. Governor Kaine recently responded with a thank-you letter expressing his support for home education.
See the Pictures!
If you weren't able to join us, you can see a pictorial review of Day at the Capitol below. And if you were with us, you might find yourself in one of the photos, thanks to homeschooler and entrepreneur Seth Fisher of Through My Lens Photography!
Despite the damp weather, the day was filled with lots of fun learning experiences and great fellowship!


text: Review: Greenbrier concert series kicks off in big way By Bill Lynch July 5, 2012 Story Share FAIRLEA, W.Va. -- The Greenbrier Concert Series came in under par on the Fourth of July with what was probably the biggest concert event of the summer -- at least the single biggest in West Virginia.It wasn't exactly a hole in one, however. It wasn't perfect and part of that had to do with the opening act, Lionel Richie.Pairing the former pop sensation with country superstar Toby Keith might have made sense earlier in the spring after Richie released "Tuskegee," a collection of reworked country versions of his best known hits as duets with country stars like Shania Twain and Tim McGraw.The record was warmly received, though his show Wednesday was about as country as a bottle of mineral water.Richie stayed pretty close to the radio-hit originals, which was fine for a lot of people. Music from the '80s always plays well in West Virginia, and plenty of people in cowboy hats and boots sang along to "Hello" and "Dancing on the Ceiling," but there were plenty also staring at their shoes.The 63-year-old pop and R&B singer turned in a decent performance. He sounded good, but most people came to see Toby Keith. They came for a big time country show, and they arrived in droves.At a very rough estimate, the crowd might have been pushing somewhere around 10,000 or 15,000 people with Richie. It appeared to have doubled by the time Keith finished his first song. Despite the size of the crowd, it was fairly orderly and friendly. Driving to the fairgrounds, getting in and out was, as expected, slow going, but not especially treacherous. There were a few drunks at the show, but with 12-ounce beers going for six bucks a can, getting and remaining drunk over a four-hour period would have gotten expensive.Everyone seemed to be having a good time, though there was an odd moment of hostility between Richie and Keith's performances. Greenbrier owner Jim Justice came out to say thanks for all the support in making the PGA Tour and the concert series possible.He also again responded to criticism he and the Greenbrier had received in the aftermath of the recent storm outages. Seemingly contradicting statements by AEP, Justice appeared to acknowledge that the Greenbrier might have received preferential treatment in having their power restored because of the PGA Tour but that he didn't have anything to do with that directly.He also seemed to believe it was a good thing and that The Greenbrier having power for the PGA Tour probably sped the return of power to the surrounding area. He encouraged everyone to help those in need. Not everybody agreed with what he had to say.An angry woman shouted futilely at the stage from deep in the crowd about still not having power at her house. She tried to encourage others to chant with her, but she was stumbling drunk and most of the people around her said they had power.They weren't here to be mad. They just wanted to see the show, and Keith was spectacular. He delivered a real rock star kind of country show with great sound, humor and pyrotechnics.He also seemed glad to be there. Pulling from his latest record, "Clancy's Tavern," as well as the hits from his 20-year-career, Keith delivered hit after hit after hit. As with Richie, people danced and sang along. They just did it a lot louder with Keith.And a little warning: If you ever go to a Toby Keith concert and get a space near the stage, you better know the lyrics. At one point during the show, Keith tossed the microphone to someone and coaxed him into singing the chorus to "Should Have Been a Cowboy."Given that the man's face was projected on two big screens and he was being watched by potentially tens of thousands of people, he did OK -- even if the odds of him being asked to duet with Keith again were probably pretty slim.For the Fourth of July at the West Virginia State Fairgrounds and as the entertainment for the biggest sports event in the state, there really couldn't have been a more appropriate performer for the Greenbrier Classic to have. Keith wears his patriotism on his sleeve and has an entire catalog of songs that pay tribute to being an American and what it means to him.It would be easy to be jaded about Keith, to see him as an opportunist playing on the strong feelings of rural people for financial gain or a jingoistic oaf who slings red, white and blue around because those are the only colors he understands. But Keith isn't dumb, and he's not simple. He's sincere, and there's a lot of heart in his songs. On the Fourth of July in Greenbrier County, you couldn't ask for more than that.Well, there were fireworks, too. The Greenbrier Classic Concert Series continues Friday night with Rod Stewart and The Fray and Saturday night with Bon Jovi. For information, visit www.greenbrierclassic.com or call 855-453-4858.Reach Bill Lynch at email@example.com or 304-348-5195. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Congressional opioid investigation targets drug wholesaler Miami-Luken 2 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 3 WVU hopes to get injured defenders back for TCU 4 Safety shutoff disabled prior to June coal-mining death, report says 5 Rhode Island bank claims Justice companies owe $4.2M on helicopter loan Annual fair features Appalachian arts, crafts and how-to sessions Previous Story In Short: July 5-11, 2012 Next Story


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Did You Know?
The Eurasian Eagle Owl is amongst the largest owls on earth -- with a wingspan of 6ft!
In honor of National Pet Week, we are promoting veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and those who help keep pets healthy and happy! We are hosting VEZU day here at Potter Park Zoo Saturday, May 8 from 12-4pm where you can meet and interact with a variety of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and animal care professionals.
We know that pets are an important part of many families and we love to promote that. In line with that, I would like to add that the animals at the zoo also receive very similar care to pets. We use the same vaccines and they get very similar or even more thorough examinations than pets. Pets, just like people, need to have a physical examination at least once a year. At that time your veterinarian can give the various vaccines that are due and needed to keep your pet healthy. Further, examinations for parasites, including heartworm can also be done. Michigan has had cases of heartworm occur, so it is important to keep your pets checked for this and to use medicine to prevent them from acquiring it. It is always better to keep your pets healthy and free of disease than to treat it later.
In zoos, it is even more important to have regular examinations of the animals since we cannot touch them daily and know if a bump or lump is developing. Further, I rely on our expert zoo keeping staff to monitor the animals daily and notice very small changes in the animal's behavior, eating, sleeping, or walking which could indicate early symptoms of something much larger. If we diagnose a problem early, it may be easier to treat it. We also vaccinate the animals with the same types of vaccines that are used for dogs, cats, horses, or cattle as they do not make vaccines specific for tigers, eagles, or bongos! This preventive medicine program, or diagnosing and preventing diseases before they become a problem, leads to prolonging the lives of our animals, sometimes long beyond life-expectancy and keeping them healthier much longer!
I hope to see you at VEZU day this week, but otherwise, happy pet week!
Dr. Tara


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BP Comment Quick Links
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May 10, 2013
Fantasy Freestyle
Four Hot Hitters
Selling high on fast starters is largely a myth these days. There is simply too much information available for fantasy gamers. Not all fast starts are created equal, though, and sometimes it pays to inquire on the availability of some of these players. Occasionally, owners will feel like they are selling at peak value, and now is the time to make a deal with them. In other cases, those owners are selling a player at peak value, and it is best to avoid acquiring him now. The key is determining which hot players are likely to sustain their high level of success.
There were quite a few players for me to pick from, and I opted to eliminate superstars from the discussion. Superstars do great things, and telling you that Miguel Cabrera will continue to play well and is worth acquiring isn't terribly useful. With that in mind, I selected four hitters that had an ADP outside the top 100 at the end of March for NFBC leagues.
Carlos Gomez, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Gomez is dialed in. He's leading all qualified batters in batting average, and he's providing his owners with the type of power and speed they sought when they drafted him. His homer and stolen-base totals aren't outlandish, and actually line up nicely with last year's breakout totals. In fact, he's pacing to fall short of the number of bases he stole last year.
The real outlier in the early going is his MLB leading batting average. His .447 BABIP is 151 points higher than last year's mark of .296, but while it's safe to say he won't maintain his current clip, it's also not helpful to end the discussion there. His BABIP this year isn't just good luck. Last year, he had a line-drive rate of 16.9 percent and a popup rate of 10.1 percent. In the early going, those rates have improved to 25.3 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively. Little from the rest of his batted-ball and plate-discipline stats stands out as a substantial improvement, though. His contact rate is up less than two percent, and he's not being much more selective, still walking in less than five percent of his plate appearance, and swinging at more than one-third of the balls thrown out of the strike zone (38.62 percent o-swing rate in 2012 and 34.66 percent o-swing rate this year).
His batting average is going to fall hard, as pitchers will eventually exploit his free-swinging approach. Expectations should be up some from what they were in the spring, and an improved final line from last season's is highly likely. That said, if you own him and someone is willing to pay through the nose for his services, take advantage of that. Otherwise, sit tight and enjoy the unique combination of thump and speed he'll add to your fantasy team. If you don't own him, now is an awful time to try and acquire him. He has improved, but many of his faults that made him a .260 hitter last year remain. An average in the .270-.280 range going forward this season feels about right.
Starling Marte, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
Prior to the 2012 season, while Marte was still a prospect, Kevin Goldstein ranked him fifth in the Pirates system and threw a 65 grade on his speed tool. Marte's speed is legitimately a plus tool, and other than a 156-plate-appearance professional debut in 2007, he's never fallen short of 20 stolen bases in a season. He matched his career best of 33 steals set in 2011 again last year, and he's well on his way to setting a new high this season. Nick Faleris mentioned Marte's "emerging power" in his section about the Pirates Top 10 Talents 25 and Under, and it certainly is emerging this year, with five long balls already on his line. Marte set a new single-season best last year for homers with 17 split between Triple-A and the bigs, and he could best that this year.
The tools are exciting, but Marte still needs to refine his craft. His walk rate remains low, which doesn't directly hurt his standard-league stats, but does speak volumes about his aggressive approach. Though his walk rate is up from 4.4 percent to 4.9 percent this year, he's swinging at a little over 2.5 percent more pitches this season. His contact rate is up significantly, from 72.92 percent in 2012 to 79.17 percent this year, but that's entirely the result of a leap in contact made on pitches outside the strike zone. Last year, he hit under 50 percent of the pitches he chased (49.24 percent o-contact rate), and this year he's hitting 66.35 percent of the balls he chases. His BABIP of .404 this year looks extra fluky, knowing that his increased contact is on pitches that pitchers want him swinging at. Factor in that his line-drive rate is up under one percent from last year's mark and is offset by a slight uptick in popups, and you have a player whose average is due for serious correction if he doesn't make some changes to his approach.
Revisiting his power output, Marte will have a difficult time eclipsing 20 homers if he doesn't hit the ball in the air more often. Last year, he had a fly-ball rate of 18.2 percent, and while he's hitting a few more balls in the air this year, that rate remains low at 21.2 percent. Because Marte is a speedster, spraying line drives and ground balls is far from the end of the world, but it does make it unlikely that he'll continue to hit homers at anything approaching his current pace. Marte leads off for the Pirates, so he should help fantasy teams in runs scored, and his speed is real, so 30-plus stolen bases at season's end is a realistic expectation, too. Temper homer and batting-average expectations, though, and be happy with another 10 bombs and an average in the neighborhood of .285.
Manny Machado, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
Machado is the latest cautionary tale of why placing too much weight on minor-league stats can often be a big mistake. His numbers for Double-A Bowie last year were solid, but unspectacular, yet the Orioles called him up to fill a need at third base and provide a spark. They trusted that his talent would keep him afloat while he adjusted to facing major-league pitching. Machado showed the Orioles that their faith in calling on him down the stretch last season was well placed. He wasn't a world-beater last year, but he did flash some power, slugging seven homers in 202 plate appearances. Of course, there were other facets of his game that hinted at him still being quite green.
For supremely talented youngsters, sometimes the light just goes on, and it appears that is the case for Machado this year. His walk rate is up slightly from 4.5 percent to 5.8 percent, but that doesn't do his improved plate discipline in the early going justice. His swing rate has dropped from 54.26 percent in 2012 to 48.40 percent in 2013, and nearly all of his newfound patience is the result of chasing fewer pitches out of the strike zone (29.71 percent o-swing in 2012 and 23.10 percent o-swing in 2013). Not only is he being more selective at the dish, but he's also making more contact, raising his contact rate by close to six percent this year. Machado isn't just making more contact, he's making harder contact, hitting line drives 20.3 percent of the time in 2013 compared to hitting them just 14.8 percent of the time last year. He'll need to hit the ball in the air more than his current fly-ball rate of 17.1 percent if he hopes to fully enjoy his homer power, but everything else is coming up roses thus far. Machado looks like a top-10 third baseman the rest of the year, and the only players I don't believe he has a chance to outperform at the position, barring an injury, are Miguel Cabrera, Evan Longoria, David Wright, Adrian Beltre, and Chase Headley.
Chris Davis, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles' willingness to overlook Davis's high strikeout rate last year allowed him to hit over 30 homers for the first time in a single season in the bigs. His power has never come into question, but the utility of it has. You have to make contact to drive the ball out of the yard, and Davis overcame a 30.1 percent strikeout rate and made the power play last season. The shocker was that he was able to hit .270 in spite of his propensity for striking out. Davis put the league, and fantasy gamers, on notice by hitting a homer in each of his first four games of the season. That's some start to the year, but he's enjoying more than a hot streak.
Davis is displaying signs of becoming a better hitter. His walk rate of 14.8 percent is more than double his career rate of 7.1 percent. Part of that could be pitchers pitching more carefully to him while he's locked in, but even if you eliminate his three intentional passes, his walk rate would still be impressive at 12.59 percent. As his uptick in walk rate would suggest, he's chasing less often. Davis's chase rate has dropped from 39.49 percent to 33.10 percent. The most exciting development in Davis's game is an increase to his contact rate on pitches in the strike zone from 82.09 percent last season to 89.73 percent this year.
I've yet to caution that we're dealing with small samples, but now seems like a good time to do so. It's possible Davis reverts back to the form he's showcased in the past, but the early signs are good that a player with over 1,700 plate appearances in the majors is making some adjustments to maximize his offensive talent. Davis is a candidate to lead the majors in homers, and 30-plus again this year is nearly a foregone conclusion. He's a long shot to continue to hit over .300 even with his improvements, but if his changes stick, there is no reason to write off a .285 average.
7 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Kevin Ebert
I'm pretty sure you meant 23.1 percent O-swing percentage for Machado in 2013. The text around it complements him for improving his 2013 rate, which is somewhere in the range of the 25th best in baseball.
May 10, 2013 09:24 AM
Josh Donaldson: Buy, sell or hold?
May 10, 2013 21:07 PM
While Carlos Gomez may have a free swinging approach by some measures, his pitches per plate appearances is 3.93, which is quite a bit above his past level. This is currently the 77th best in the majors and similar to Posey, Fielder, and Prado, none of whom would be characterized as free swingers.
May 11, 2013 08:18 AM
It's good that he's seeing more pitches, but I'm not sure what that's evidence of. He's still a free swinger. Among batters that have seen 350 pitches (there are 219 players that qualify), Gomez swing rate of 55.13% is the 9th highest. Conversely, Prado, Fielder, and Posey rank 181, 190, 195 in swing rate. If a player is swinging at more than half of the pitches they see, and they rank in the top 10 among regulars in swing rate, I think the classification of free swinger is apt for them.
May 12, 2013 11:50 AM
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Unboxing Live 117: Pebble Smart Watch
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Cell Phones, Clothing, Features, Videocasts
We give you a look at the Pebble smart watch - it shows you your notifications from your smartphone, right on your wrist right on its e-ink display, and is compatible with both iOS and Android. Here are some specs:
- Load apps using Bluetooth
- 144 x 168 pixel display black and white e-paper
- Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR and 4.0 (Low Energy)
- 4 buttons
- Vibrating motor
- 3 axis accelerometer with gesture detection
You can also control apps and music as well, again, all over Bluetooth. I waited a long time for this to arrive, mostly because I had to wait for the orange version to get manufactured and show up. If you wanna get your hands on one, you can get the Pebble watch from Best Buy.
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