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New job numbers released last Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics included some welcome news. The national unemployment rate dropped to a two-year low of 8.8% in March, with an increase of 216,000 non-farm payroll jobs.
President Obama is rightly touting the numbers as a sign of further, albeit slow, improvement in the economy. But the numbers also highlight a problem that could thwart a full and lasting recovery and impact the President's legacy as he begins his campaign for a second term.
Unemployment among African Americans actually increased in March as compared with February numbers, and remains staggeringly high at 15.5%. Unemployment for black men in particular is higher still, at 17.7%.
While black unemployment was even higher at this time last year—16.5% overall and 20.2% for men—the racial gap in employment has stubbornly persisted. As the chart below indicates, black unemployment has been roughly double white unemployment since the start of the recession.
As the nation struggles toward economic recovery, knocking down the uniquely steep and unequal barriers facing African American families and communities is in the interest of all Americans, and our nation as a whole. States like Maryland (29.4% black), Louisiana (30.2% black) and Georgia (30.5% black), cannot achieve a prosperous future without investment in greater and more equal opportunity for all. Indeed, with the 2010 census showing Texas joining California, Hawaii, and New Mexico as states with "majority-minority" populations, an equal opportunity mandate has never been more important to our national success.
From the start of his presidency, Mr. Obama has been ambivalent at best in addressing this challenge. At an April 29, 2009 press conference marking the President's first 100 days in office, Black Entertainment Television reporter Andre Showell asked Mr. Obama a poignant question about the already harsh economic challenges facing Americans of color. "As the entire nation tries to climb out of this deep recession," Showell noted, "in communities of color, the circumstances are far worse. The black unemployment rate, as you know, is in the double digits….My question to you tonight is, given this unique and desperate circumstance, what specific policies can you point to that will target these communities and what's the timetable for us to see tangible results?"
The President's response signaled the conflicted approach to protecting equal opportunity that has characterized much of his presidency: "Well, keep in mind," Mr. Obama explained, "that every step we're taking is designed to help all people. But, folks who are most vulnerable are most likely to be helped because they need the most help." He explained, "my general approach is that if the economy is strong, that will lift all boats as long as it is also supported by, for example, strategies around college affordability and job training, tax cuts for working families as opposed to the wealthiest that level the playing field and ensure bottom-up economic growth. And I'm confident that that will help the African-American community live out the American dream at the same time that it's helping communities all across the country."
Mr. Obama has since made good on some of those commitments (such as increased college support), while giving ground on others (most notably Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest). But the basic premise of his argument has been disproven by the facts. As I wrote at the time he made his statement, "unfortunately, it's just not true that fixing the economy [and] aiding poor communities will necessarily close the racial opportunity gap." Two years later, the gradually rising economic tide is utterly failing to close the employment gap, or to enable acceptable rates of employment amongst African Americans. That failure, in turn, casts a shadow over the nation's overall recovery.
To be sure, Mr. Obama has made some important strides on equal opportunity over the last two years, especially compared with his immediate predecessor. He has rejuvenated the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department with new resources and dynamic leadership. And he has made clear to federal agencies that they must follow equal opportunity rules when administering federal programs like the Recovery Act.
But the magnitude of the opportunity crisis facing the nation warrants going beyond defensive civil rights protections and investing proactively in greater and more equal opportunity. Some of the recommendations that I made two years ago, such as targeting job training, debt counseling, and business opportunities toward communities that have been cut off from opportunity, remain viable today. Others, like the National Urban League's proposal to create Green Empowerment Zones in areas where at least 50% of the population has an unemployment rate that is higher than the state average, also hold great promise. And the federal Surface Transportation bill expected in the coming months presents an opportunity to create jobs in struggling communities while connecting isolated neighborhoods to educational, health care, and other resources.
These are just a few specific and pragmatic actions that the President can take—some with, and some independently of, Congress—to pursue a full economic recovery that includes all Americans. But first, he must decide that addressing the disparate challenges facing different communities is part of being the president of all the people. It would be deeply unfortunate if, through inattention, this president's legacy included the perpetuation of unequal opportunity.


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Marijuana Penny Stock Trading brokers are now becoming cheaper thus making it easier for retail investors to invest their savings. It can be frustrating to find a good trading platform and depends on the type of stocks you plan to trade (whether pinks sheets or OTC), the amount of capital available to you, and how frequently you trade. Each week I receive dozens of emails inquiring about which brokerage to use but it is a challenging question to answer since it involves multiple factors.
Marijuana Penny Stocks Irvine
3 Important Things to Look Out For
Surcharges: Depending on your broker, most add surcharges to shares less than a dollar. TradeKing charges an additional 1 cent for every share below $2 meaning that if you buy 5,000 shares it will cost you an additional $50. If you don't keep close watch on those small charges they can easily add up and eat into your potential profits. You should choose a brokerage with a flat commission rate or one that offers sizeable discounts on large orders. For instance eTrade, Charles Schwab, and TD Ameritrade all offer either flat fees or massive discounts and no hidden fees.
Stock Trading Restrictions: You should be capable of trading shares through an online platform and be wary of firms that force you to make your trades over the phone. Some brokers have restrictions in place especially with regards to issues such as short selling your penny stocks.
Volume Restrictions: The number of shares you are ideally allowed to trade is unlimited.
Different brokers have different account minimums, trade restrictions, commissions, and fees. Other important considerations include market maker routes, executions, software/trading platforms, and the quality of customer service. The greatest hindrance is not having sufficient starting capital and brokerages don't like to deal with poor traders. If you live outside the U.S. in a country such as the U.K. or Australia, finding a penny stock friendly broker will be harder.
Marijuana Penny Stocks have had a negative reputation over the years and for good reason. The vast majority (90%) of those companies represent poor investments that are not something anyone would like to put in a 401k. Most of them are simply shell companies created with a sole purpose of 'pump and dump'.
Marijuana Penny Stock Trading Irvine
Etrade is an obvious top choice overall since it charges a flat fee and offers outstanding trading software. Currently, Etrade has a promotion where traders with accounts of over $10,000 can trade free for the first 60 days.
The minimum deposit for a cash account is $500 and $2,000 for a margin account. Discounts are offered on large orders and penny stocks have no surcharges. Great research investment tools are available and the executions are very fast.
It is best suited for traders that trade frequently due to the tiered pricing structure, meaning that it is not recommended for non-active investors since they will have to pay additional commissions. The customer service is below average when compared to others while 24/7 phone and email support is available. The basics of the stock market are taught through video lessons.
The major limitation is that it does not accept traders from some countries. It is currently Tim Sykes favorite broker.
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers might have poor customer support but are still your best bet if you plan to short shares priced below $2. They have some of the best borrows for Cannabis Penny Stock Trading even though shares for shorting go fast.
Fees are levied for canceling or modifying an order and a monthly inactivity fee of $20 is charged. Unless you are a day trader, the commissions can be expensive. Interactive Brokers traders comprise mainly of massive institutions and high net worth individuals.
Unlike Etrade, Interactive Brokers accepts international traders and does not discriminate against particular countries.
TD Ameritrade
This broker has been operating for more than 40 years. In 2009, Ameritrade took over Thinkorswim. The broker has a solid trading platform with helpful charting tools as well as tutorial options to help you get started. In spite of this, their trading platform has experienced minor technical errors in the past leaving those customers that were looking to exit trades quite angry.
TD Ameritrade has no inactivity or monthly fees making it perfect for long term investors. Trade execution is great and the borrows are decent if you would like to short penny stocks. The broker offers free paper trading demo, which is great for beginners looking to test strategies and get a feel of the market.
The main drawback of TD Ameritrade is the $9.99 fee, which is much higher than that charged by other brokers. It can be argued that by charging more than the competition they are able to offer better customer support or it could be that they are greedy like the rest of the players on Wall Street.
One of the best things about SureTrader is the chance to bypass the pattern day trader rule since it is located offshore in the Bahamas. The pattern day trader rule is a rule set by the SEC that does not permit traders with accounts below $25,000 from executing over 4 or 5 day trades over a 5-day business period. This can be quite annoying and makes it hard for traders to grow their accounts fast but still protects day traders from losing money.
Recently, SureTrader's CEO, Guy Gentille was indicted by the SEC for manipulating penny stocks. It should be noted that while SureTrader was not involved in the schemes this scandal has tainted their reputation. Hearing such news about a company's CEO would make any trader feel uneasy and for this reason, trading over $2,000 with them is not recommended.
The account minimum is $500 and the charges are $4.95 for every trade for up to 1,000 shares but an ECN fee of .003 is charged for routing. The leverage currently offered is 6-1 and future plans are to increase this to 20-1.
The information pertaining to this company available on Google is very limited and while the company was established in 2000, it does not even have a Wikipedia page.
ChoiceTrade is better suited to OTC stocks and only costs $7 for every OTC trade. The broker has a volume surcharge of 1 percent for any trade over 500,000 shares. There is no account minimum but an inactivity fee of $30 is charged for every quarter.
However, this is not how it works. Patience is needed and you should paper trade for not less than 3 months. Keep in mind that you need to learn before your earn. Once you are ready, it is advisable that you start trading with not less than $2,000. Interactive Brokers and Etrade are the top 2 online penny stock brokers with great reputations.
Marijuana Penny Stock Trading Irvine
You can't just jump into the deep, vast ocean if you don't know how to swim. That is the best analogy for somebody who is too eager to dive into forex trading without much know-how about the business yet. Forex education is necessary for those who want to enter the forex trading scene and succeed.
The appeal of the forex trading business is that it is highly liquid. Its greatest advantage is the huge potential for profits. For people who want to earn big money and think that forex trading is an easy way - they have to think again. In order to become successful in this business, you need a solid forex education to back you up.
Reading a few websites about forex or watching the news as they deliver the forex-related information are not enough. You need to know the terminologies, the processes, the tools conditions and methodologies. Many of those who have been successful have spent a great deal of time studying the market over the years. They have undergone tutorial sessions on forex. They plan their investments based on trends they have established watching the market. The best traders have learned over time how to see disaster and how to respond accordingly. These learned investors know how to profit big time, and how to minimize losses.
Forex education is key in making the soundest of decisions when it comes to forex trading. The market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week so there really is a lot of room for making money and a bigger room for losing it - unless you're already a smart investor.
The first step is always to know about the ABCs and 123s. Forex education is the foundation for every transaction you will make. When you lose some, you gain some experience and additional knowledge. Stock this information for future reference, so you would know better next time the same blow comes your way.
Most sessions involved in forex education are programmed to provide beginners and even the more experienced ones with all the tools necessary in buying and selling currencies. Charts, trending, analysis, and interpretation of data are also critical in making it through a forex market day.
Aside from the training sessions, you have to continuously update yourself by digging deeper into what you hear from the news, and what you read from the papers and books about forex. If you read up you will understand what's happening and what the factors that affect the prices are. Economic issues are the main catalysts in forex trading but there are other issues like political events, countrywide sentiments, new laws, natural disasters, and cyclical process in the finance market that affect a countries currency.
A person with a firm foundation on forex education is the likely candidate to reap substantial benefits. But, aside from his intellectual and logical take on things, he should also be emotionally balanced in all his forex investments. He should be able to use his forex education while checking and balancing it with his emotions. A good combination will certainly make one very successful and rich forex investor.
Cannabis Penny Stock Trading Irvine Buy Now
9 Marijuana Penny Stocks to Watch in 2017
If you're looking for the best pot penny stocks, you'll love this list. Effective November of 2016 these stocks became very volatile as there were many voting to legalize marijuana in certain states including Nevada, California, Arizona, Florida, Maine, Arkansas, North Dakota, Montana, and Massachusetts.
While many of the companies in the marijuana sector have doubled and tripled in their pricing, there are also many that wound up to be financial train wrecks that were destined to a long term failure. Many people that are new in trading are spending upward of $500 only to find that they have made a terrible investment.
Struggling to survive and crippled in debt, they have little revenue in which to support the operation. From defunct mining companies that chose to add the word "cannabis" to the name in order to cash in on such a craze, many haven't learned that this isn't going to change things. The end result is the same, if you put the stocks in the same lot, they're still going to fail and someone is going to get caught holding the "hot potato". Once legislation passes, share prices begin to sharply drop.
1. Cara Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: CARA)
In 2004 this company was founded in Shelton Connecticut. At its clinical stage, the biopharmaceutical company has developed many products that target the peripheral nervous system. I.V. CR845, the lead product for Cara, is in Phase III clinical trials. These are designed to treat postoperative pain in adults. This pain is in the acute pain stage. The company is also working in the development of lead molecules that are to selectively modulate the peripheral CB receptors while not targeting the CNS cannabinoid receptors. The most advanced form of the CB compound is the CR701. This is the current stage of preclinical development for the treatment of neuropathic as well as inflammatory pain.
The largest benefit of this is the development of the marijuana based analgesics as they work toward the CB2 receptors. The analysts are overly confident that in spite of the fact that the stocks have dropped, they will make a strong comeback. They began with a target price of $20.33 and the current price is $5.97.
2. Aurora Cannabis In Com NPV (OTCMKTS: ACBFF)
Based in Vancouver, this company is engaged in both cultivations as well as harvesting and the selling medical marijuana in the country of Canada. Using water from Canadian Rocky Mountains it brings the cannabis plants to harvest in a 55,200-foot facility.
Offering high-quality medical cannabis the company is pricing the products at $8 per gram strain and at $5 per gram composite for patients. It boasts free shipping anywhere in Canada and the stock has grown over 90 percent since the start of the year.
3. The canopy of Growth Corp. Com NPV (OTCMKTS: TWMJF)
The Canopy of Growth and Corporation, formerly called Tweed Marijuana Inc., is by and far a large producer of all medical cannabis in the country of Canada that is marketed under the Tweed and the Bedrocan brands. With over half-a-million square feet of greenhouses indoors, this company acquired Bedrocan Cannabis Corporation in 2015 for about $58 million. As of current, the price grew 37.81 percent.
4. Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: ZYNE)
This pharmaceutical company was founded in 2007 and focuses on the development and commercializing synthetic cannabinoid therapeutics that are created and developed for transdermal delivery. Two of the candidates are the ZYN002 AND THE ZYN001 forms. ZYN002 is a synthetic cannabidiol (CBD). The permeation enhanced gel for the transdermal delivery has designed the product to be delivered with only once or twice per day dosing.
The ZYN001 form enables the transdermal delivery via a patch. It is used on the arm, the back or the thigh. It's being studied for treating conditions like fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy. Stock pricing has moderately grown this year and it's risen 6.45 percent as of date. Current' price is $10.23 and the target price is $30.25.
5. American Cannabis Company Inc (OTCMKTS: AMMJ)
Incorporated in 2001, this company offers solutions for cannabis businesses in both the United States and Canada. There are two main components of the company operations: The advisory and consulting component and the sale of the products and the equipment for the clients in the cannabis industry.
Offering consulting services such as commercial cannabis business planning services and the license applications as well as the cultivation and the building of the consulting. This includes cannabis regulatory compliance and compliance audits as well as the business growth strategies and monitoring services. Additionally, the company offers up products and equipment like Satchel, SoHum, and Living Soil as well as High-Density, Racking System and lastly, The Cultivation Cube.
6. Cannabis Sativa Inc (OTCMKTS: CBDS)
Based out of Nevada, and in operation for around 12 years, this company just recently went public. Engaged in the development and the promotional work of natural cannabis products, they have both licenses for medical strains of cannabis like NZT and a lozenge that delivers the cannabis as well as a trauma cream.
7. Medical Marijuana Inc (OTCMKTS: MJNA)
Still in the development stage, yet incorporated in 2005, this company has a wide range of services, products, and technology. All of this is geared toward the medical marijuana and the industrial hemp sectors. It includes all cannabinoid based products as well as cannabis chewing gum and new and innovative extraction technologies as well as isolated high-value extracts that are designed, created and developed for pharmaceutical as well as cosmetics and nutritional industry.
8. Canna Securities
Regardless of whether you're buying Canna Securities or stock will be dependent on the prospects of the cannabis business. Canna Securities (NASDAQ: CSAX) has stood out clearly as a stock of marijuana that appears to have no solid prospects. With their focus no directly on the marijuana itself, it's a sure win.
CSA or Canna Security American was created in the year 2009 in order to meet the growing needs of the evolving medical industry from a legal standpoint of compliance. It offers a security aspect. CSA is instrumental in development of the legal cannabis market in Colorado. They worked on the committee for rulemaking and with the Department of Revenue and they helped formulate the regulations in the state of Colorado.
At present, CSA is considered and recognized as a leader in the security and the compliance for the legalization of the cannabis industry. They offer high-quality and dependable solutions which are easily adaptable to meet the ever changing needs and security of the industry. This delivers sustainable growth as they help entrepreneurs to grow and be successful in the new and dynamic market.
From the inception, they've specialized in the engineering of the custom security and to ensure that they are in full compliance with all of the federal and state regulations as well as the local laws. They offer security solutions to all of the cannabis businesses including armed, unarmed guards as well as armored transport. This also includes alarms, door access systems, and video surveillance. It includes security systems and all state licensing consulting.
This extensive list includes armored transport as well as guards that are armed and unarmed. Comprehensive background checks and all site risk assessments. Guards for CSA will dress professionally with appropriate identification and they will all have a military or law enforcement background. With a new fleet of Mercedes-Bens Sprinter vehicles, they are armored with the latest in bullet-resistant technology and all of them are GPS tracked and equipped with 4 point camera systems which offer live transmission at all times as well as streaming footage to the command center.
In this fashion, they can offer traceability for all pickup to drop off locations. They can also offer comprehensive security solutions to the industry for cannabis that is unparalleled.
With services to over 130 clients in over 500 facilities in 14 states where marijuana states CSA is now achieving a 100 percent approval in licensing and rating as well as their consultants. As regulations change they are able to adjust quickly and effectively as more states implement and regulate the dispensary models. They are able to leverage their expertise in compliance with the various security codes and standards as well as the guidelines to offer clients the most innovative and cost-effective security.
As the national leading security firm, they know what the risks are and what to anticipate. They can tailor their services to ensure that there is maximum loss prevention and everything is in legal compliance. We've positioned ourselves in the market as a brand name leader in cannabis security industry.
9. Nutrafuels
Nutrafuels (NASDAQ:NTFU). NutraFuels is a United States manufacturer that is located out of Coconut Creek in Florida. With a facility that has been inspected and it's also been approved by the department of agriculture in Florida, they are FDA registered and they have a 3rd Party cGMP certification. All of the staff are trained and certified in the cGMP requirements.
NutraFuels are all manufactured with the highest quality standards and all of the industry protocols. Their portfolio of companies includes none other than industry CBD Leader Hemp Genix and the Skin Care Manufacturer leaders NF skin. They also include Oral Pro Nutra Spray and Nutra Pro Shot as well as many others. Nutra Fuels has led the industry in the manufacturer of CBD oral sprays and other liquid CBD products.

subset: commoncrawl


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My husband gets very tired of plain brown rice in his lunch, and I like a bit of variety as well so I decided to make a healthier, vegan version of Spanish style rice.
-2 cups uncooked brown rice
-1 can low-sodium diced tomatoes
-1 packet of low-sodium condensed vegetable broth (or bouillon)
-1/2 cup of chopped celery
-dash of onion salt (can substitute powder)
-dash of garlic salt (can substitute powder)
Brown the uncooked brown rice in some cooking spray, sort of how you cook rice-a-roni. Put all the ingredients in a rice cooker, fill rice cooker with water to about 4 1/2-5 cups once all the ingredients are in and let the rice cooker do the rest.
This fluffed up to about 6 cups and by my calculations is about 233 calories per cup.
I do this, too! Slightly different recipe, but yours looks yummy, too.
Please could you say why you think this is Spanish rice? The recipe looks nice enough, but I can't see where the name comes from.
If you made a sofrito with the tomatoes using olive oil and some real garlic (I'd recommend cooking the celery down along with it, with or without some chopped onion) and stirred the rice into this before adding the stock and making it in the rice cooker - perhaps with some paprika (preferably smoked) and a bit of bay leaf or some thyme, then that would be more like a Spanish Arroz (Rice) dish. You could add some canned cannellini beans along with the stock if you like.
Spaniards can buy ready made tomate sofrito cheaply in cans or jars, rice can be stirred into this for a minute or so before any water or stock is added. However, it's probably more common to just quickly fry rice in a little olive oil and garlic, add water, perhaps some salt and add some sofrito to the cooked rice - like ketchup. I think it's because your recipe describes adding raw tomatoes to rice that it seems so untypically Spanish, but I'm very curious as to why you gave your dish this name.
This is how I learned to made rice from some Hispanic friends of mine, mostly from Mexico (one even lived in a pueblo style house before she moved to the US), with some variations. And in general that is the type of rice that I see most often in Latin American cooking at least in this area, I am in California, and that is generally what this kind of rice is referred to as.
One variation I have seen is where you plop half an onion in instead of the onion salt, to give it that onion flavor. I suppose you could used raw ingredients like garlic in much the same way. But again this is the way that I learned how to make rice with the chucks of tomato and all, I just adjusted it to make it healthier and lower in calories than the traditional way.
Thanks Stephanie, that makes it clearer.
However I admit that I really cannot to grips with 'Spanish' being used to describe dishes influenced by Mexican cooking. Probably because I am Spanish :)
What can I say, I'm in the US. The origins of different things are not always as clear, and a lot of the time they are very mixed. At home my mom makes Polish, Irish, Mexican, American, Italian, etc. and mixes their styles together. I guess it is just how things are here, the only thing I can think of to kind of explain this is that it seems foods are usually grouped together by language here.
Loretta, a lot of things are called 'Spanish' in the US when it actually means 'Hispanic'. Spanish culture as such from Spain is not that familiar to most Americans, but Hispanic culture certainly is. E.g. Spanish Harlem (East Harlem) in NYC has few if any Spanish people, but has a large Hispanic community; Spanish style architecture really means something sort of Mexican, etc.
In any case, the rice looks great and since I'm currently at a place with only 2 burners on the stove but a rice cooker, I'm going to try it later this week!
The Big Onigiri.
- Wherever you go, there you are. -
Looks yummy, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing your recipe. :D
This looks wonderful! :D
I'll need to try it out lol.
Oh, I've got a question.
I don't have a rice cook just yet. I plan on getting one in a few days.
I've never had one, so I'm not sure how it works lol.
My question is...
I'd like to make sticky rice, for sushi/onigiri/etc, but not sure if a rice cooker would do that.
I know you need the medium or short grain rice to make it.
Do rice cookers make sticky rice? lol
Thanks for the help.
I figured I'd ask here, since that's a rice cooker lol :)
Thanks again
I'm getting my Bento on:P
That looks really delicious Stephanie!
Did you learn from a latin woman how to make such
wondeful looking Spanish arroz? Looks like it smells good!
@Adriana - My rice cooker makes superb sticky rice, and it's just a cheap one from Walmart. I've found that it depends on what kind of rice you use. Get the starchy, short-grained type to make sticky rice. I can find sushi rice easily, so that's what I use. :)
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May 23, 2018
Leonhardt's Lauchhpads an innovation and startup accelerator www.leonhardtventures.com focused on organ regeneration and recovery technologies based in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City and DeviceLab, Inc. an Orange County, California medical product design and development company, today announced that they have launched a working partnership with DeviceLab's engineers engaged to build prototypes for many of the 30 startups in the Leonhardt's Launchpads accelerator(s).
"Leonhardt inventions have treated with success over 400,000 patients to date. The team assembled by Leonhardt's Launchpads 140 strong has a proven track record of bringing concepts to market leadership in the area of organ regeneration and recovery technologies. It is a great honor to be selected by this organization as their go to prototype building shop for their 30+ startups." said DeviceLab founder and CEO Doc Vu
"DeviceLab has proven themselves in rapid prototyping which we view as a critical element to the success of the startups in our innovation accelerator. Their team has experience with over 100 product developments and their reference list is impressive. We love that they are located just a 45 miles south of our headquarters where we can meet with their team in person to drive projects forward with good communication." states Alex Richardson Vice President of Engineering and Product Development at Leonhardt's Launchpads
Leonhardt's Launchpads innovation and startup accelerator(s) have these active projects in these sectors.
The first projects DeviceLabs is working on for Leonhardt's Launchpads include:
1. OrthodontiCell Tooth Movement AcceleratorTM and teeth position stabilizer.
2. Valvublator heart valve decalcification and regeneration device so patients can keep their own heart valve instead of getting an artificial implant.
About Leonhardt's Launchpads: An innovation and startup accelerator with labs and offices in California and Utah focused on organ regeneration and recovery technologies. 30 startups in the current 2018 portfolio class. Business model is to accelerate each organ specific innovation through first-in-man studies and then seek a strategic partner/buyer.
About Leonhardt Ventures: Since 1982 bringing forward medtech innovations. In the 1980's the team developed a leadership position in cardiovascular balloon catheters, in the 1990's in stent grafts and percutaneous heart valves, in the 2000's in stem cell based therapies and since 2010 the focus has been on the combination of bioelectric stimulation + a refillable micro infusion pump + a fifteen component composition for organ regeneration. Over 21 issued patents and dozens of more patent claims pending. Over 400,000 patients treated with inventions to date.
DeviceLab: Established in 1998, DeviceLab is a full-service, consumer, medical device engineering and design company based in Orange County, Southern California -
Caution: All innovations mentioned are in the early stages of development and are not yet proven safe of effective. Patents pending may not be issued. Patents licensed may not be maintained. Startups have substantially less resources than comparable competitors and may not be able to bring these innovations through first-in-man studies.
Leonhardt's Launchpads by Cal-X Stars Business Accelerator, Inc., 12655 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Leonhardt's Launchpads Utah, Inc. 370 S, 300 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Research Lab @ 2500 S State St. #224, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
Leonhardt Ventures, 12760 Millennium Dr. A213, Playa Vista, CA. 90094
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Why Kids Are Feeling the Pressure
Being competitive is part of the American way, right up there with having an independent and pioneering spirit. "But kids are more intent than ever about winning at all costs — in sports, in school, and in their social circles," says Michele Borba, EdD, author of 12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know (Jossey-Bass). "Competition is different and more dangerous than it used to be. Worse yet, young children are now being drawn into it, and they really can't cope with the pressure."
What's going on? For starters, kids are soaking up the never-ending reports of athletes cheating their way to victory by taking steroids — and then lying about it. What's more, shows like American Idol, Survivor, and America's Next Top Model reinforce the idea that being number one is all that matters. "We have a whole generation of kids who fear they're going to get voted off," says Wendy Grolnick, PhD, coauthor of Pressured Parents, Stressed-Out Kids (Prometheus Books).
The flip side of that fear is kids' false hope. "When people appear out of nowhere to achieve national celebrity, kids think, 'I can do that too, and if I don't, then I'm a nobody,'" explains Susan Newman, PhD, author of The Book of No (McGraw-Hill). Reality TV judges press home the message: On the season finale of American Idol last May, Simon Cowell declared, "You've got to hate your opponent." But, as Newman points out, "Kids shouldn't be taught to hate their competitors. They need to learn how to cooperate and support one another because team players are the people who succeed in the real world."
Parents have also become key influences in this high-stakes game. "Moms and dads have always lived vicariously through their children," says Newman, "but now those dreams are fed by images of stardom and celebrity." To that end, parents force kids into advanced classes and onto elite travel teams, and hire tutors and private coaches to ensure their kids' success because being just "okay" isn't enough anymore.
Yet the pressure to compete, whatever its source, can lead to paralyzing stress and can program tweens and teens for self-defeating perfectionism. "Kids may set the bar so high they end up never being satisfied with their performance," Borba explains. "They can also become reluctant to try new things — an essential part of adolescence — out of fear they'll make a mistake."
The good news is you can do a lot to help your child handle the heat, win with grace, and rebound from loss. After all, healthy competition, with realistic expectations and an emphasis on striving for excellence, is good for all kids. It educates them about discipline, time management, and goal-setting. Take a look at how parents can bring back the balance — and teach the right kind of winning attitude.
Competition in School
When Katie, from a Chicago suburb, was 10, she wanted to play the saxophone because she thought it was cool. But a classmate learning the oboe had a different motivation. "The friend's mom picked the less popular instrument so her daughter would stand out from the crowd when applying to college," says Katie's mother, Laura. "The girls were still in elementary school!" Borba isn't surprised: "Building a resume used to be a high school task," she says. "But now even first-graders are being programmed to have an edge."
Some schools are fueling anxiety with Web sites where teachers update grades daily, enabling students and parents to track them. Moms and dads can use these sites to stay informed — or to push kids relentlessly. And even traditional subject-based competitions like spelling bees and history contests are now part of the spiking pressure — there are far more contests now, with more kids expected to participate and at younger ages.
A recent phenomenon alarming experts and parents alike is the growing "extended time" trend. "I've had a number of requests recently from parents who want me to make a false diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disability so their child can get additional time on tests or extra tutoring, or be placed in smaller classes," says Ron Zodkevitch, MD, a child psychiatrist and member of Family Circle's Health Advisory Board. The practice became common in 2003, after the College Board announced that it no longer would report whether time accommodations were made for students with disabilities. "Parents are using unethical methods on their child's behalf," observes Borba, "and skewing results for everyone else."
How Kids Are Losing Out
- Paralyzing anxiety. A recent Associated Press/MTV survey found that school is the main source of stress for 13- to 17-year-olds. "Some kids hook their self-esteem to their successes and failures," says Grolnick. "If they do poorly on a math test, they think, 'I'm terrible at math, and I'm a terrible person.'"
- Cheating. Ninety-five percent of high schoolers admit to participating in "questionable behavior" while doing schoolwork, say surveys by Rutgers University Business School in New Jersey. In a 2006 study of 36,122 high school students by the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles, 59 percent agreed that "successful people do what they have to do to win, even if others consider it cheating."
- Loss of learning. In a study Grolnick conducted of 91 fifth-graders, kids who were told to focus on the results of a test were less likely to remember the information later.
Competition in Social Situations
It's natural for kids to become obsessed with appearance and consumed with self-doubt when puberty hits. And it's also a time when peer pressure escalates. "Although kids have always competed for status, there's more edginess, influenced by the winner-take-all mentality in our society," says Jane Shure, PhD, coauthor of Inside/Outside Self-Discovery Program for the Middle School Years (ToucanEd).
The meanness is also fueled by kids' hyper-connected culture. In a matter of seconds they can score winning points by harassing one another, spreading rumors, and sharing unflattering pictures via cell phones and the Internet. The extreme transparency of online social circles — sites like MySpace and Facebook display the number of "friends" each user has and let users rank friends — has ratcheted up social competition.
Kids also exploit today's plethora of consumer goods to gain cachet. While some just want to have items in common with classmates, others are bent on outdoing peers. Advertisers have always played to this, but, says Shure, today's sheer number of products can fuel kids' material status-seeking out of control.
How Kids Are Losing Out
- Weakened individuality. "Kids have always been ostracized by their peers if they don't conform to some standards of the day," says Shure. Yet too much emphasis on not being a loser may rob a child of the ability to think things through and stand up to peer pressure.
- Risky behaviors. When kids are pegged as social losers, either by others or by themselves, "there's a chance they'll turn to smoking, drinking, experimenting with drugs, or eating disorders, either to fit in with peers or numb their pain," says Shure.
- Damaged personalities. Kids who want to join the popular group — or stay in it — won't challenge its leader to stop mean behavior and could become bullies themselves. By using materialism to win friends, kids don't learn how to make true pals based on shared values.
Competition in Sports
In the past decade children's sports have become more intensely organized — by adults. And many kids are beginning to specialize in a single sport as early as age 6. Why? Often to increase their chances of landing a college scholarship or turning pro. Yet, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, fewer than 1 in 35 male high school basketball players will play college hoops; only 1 in 200 high school baseball players will reach the major league. "Making it to the highest level requires more than just practice," says Fred Engh, author of Why Johnny Hates Sports (Avery). "It takes a highly competitive personality, a love for the sport, and incredible natural talent."
Still, a 2008 survey by the National Alliance for Youth Sports found that 74 percent of parents have seen a coach yell at a child for making a mistake, promoting a do-or-die ethic. "Coaches think success is winning the championship," says Engh. "But what should matter is that kids are learning teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship."
How Kids Are Losing Out
- Unnecessary injuries. Of the more than 30 million children and teens who participate in organized sports, about 3.5 million yearly seek medical treatment for overuse injuries and fatigue from overtraining, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. And that doesn't include injuries resulting from recklessness.
- Underhanded play. A poll of more than 5,000 high school athletes by the Josephson Institute of Ethics found that nearly half of the football players they asked agreed it's okay for the coach to tell a player to fake an injury to get a time-out. Nearly half of baseball players agreed that it's acceptable for a coach to order his pitcher to throw at an opposing hitter.
- Quitting too soon. Kids pressured to be superstars may stop having fun, lose their intrinsic motivation — and the skill-building benefits of sports — and even give up. "Excelling takes hard work," says Grolnick. "Kids who play for the love of the game perform better over the long haul than those who play only to beat others."
It's inevitable that your child will have to go head-to-head with others. Sometimes it'll be healthy fun; other occasions may be tough or even painful. But, in the end, knowing how to face competition honestly and with a good attitude can set kids up for a happy, fulfilling life — the best victory of all.
Steps Parents Can Take to Teach Fairness
Here are some smart steps you can take to tame over-the-top competition and teach fair-mindedness.
- Emphasize personal best. Encourage your 7-year-old to improve his swim time, not to beat the rest of the swimmers; urge your 14-year-old to get a higher score on his next algebra test, not a perfect 100.
- Buy thoughtfully. When kids ask for the latest gear, make sure it's not something they can use to show up their peers. If they have a good reason for wanting a new gadget or outfit, offer to split the cost or buy it for their birthday or a holiday.
- Discuss your family's values. If your child complains that other kids are getting extra time for tests, explain that special accommodations are designed for those who truly need them. Anybody else who uses them is cheating — and your family doesn't cheat.
- Talk about role models. Point out when two opposing football players collide then help each other up. Likewise, call attention to a player who celebrates a sack with an unsportsmanlike dance.
- Ask the right questions. Don't give subliminal messages about winning. Ask what your child is learning at school, not how she did on tests; ask how he felt about the game, not who won; ask whether the party was fun, not who was there and what they wore.
- Refuse to keep score. If you say you're jealous of Aunt Janet's new car, you'll teach kids to judge others by what they have. Cheer for your kids, but don't analyze missed opportunities or keep a log of their race times. If your school has a grade-tracking Web site, visit it sparingly, and limit your child's visits to no more than once a day.
Originally published in the October 17, 2008, issue of Family Circle magazine.


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I learned a lot about biology this week by watching a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that was titled: "What Should America Do About Gun Violence?"
I am not sure biology was supposed to be the point, but an odd witness, who is not an expert on gun violence, let it rear its ugly head.
Story Continued Below
( PHOTOS: Senate guns hearing)
Gayle Trotter is a senior fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, a self-described conservative group that believes in "limited government, personal liberty and free markets."
Trotter also believes in guns and ammo. Lots of ammo.
She testified that women must be able to arm themselves with military-style, semi-automatic rifles that contain large ammo magazines because women are smaller than men and need an equalizer.
A large ammo magazine allows a shooter to fire the weapon many, many times before reloading. At Newtown, the shooter was able to not only murder 20 children but shoot each of them a sickening three to 11 times because he had a large ammo magazine.
Last year in Tucson, Ariz., the shooter who killed six people and wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords used a 33-round magazine.
At Aurora, Colo., James Holmes used a 100-round drum magazine in his Smith & Wesson semi-automatic rifle, according to police, to kill 12 people and wound 58.
Police have testified that their greatest opportunity to rush shooters is when the shooter must stop firing to reload. If the shooter doesn't have to reload for a long time, that opportunity is diminished.
None of which is convincing to Gayle Trotter.
"You are a large man, tall man, a tall man," Trotter said to one senator who questioned the need for large ammo magazines. "You are not a young mother who has a young child with her. You cannot understand.
"You are not a woman stuck in her house, not able to defend her children, not able to leave her child, not able to go seek safety on the phone with 911."
( PHOTOS: Will these guns be banned again?)
This might be understandable if Trotter lived in Syria and needed to defend her family on a daily basis. But she lives in the United States. There is certainly violent crime in the United States, but little of it comes from criminals who kick down the doors of homes and come after women and children with guns blazing.
If that does happen, the safest thing to do is to call 911. The most dangerous thing to do is to keep loaded weapons around the house where children can find them and accidentally kill themselves or others. (And the Newtown shooter killed his mother in her sleep with one of the many guns she kept around the house for self-defense.)


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Tokyo Conquered
Well Marlins fans, I have a lot to catch you up on since it's been a couple of days since my last blog entry. I'm happy to report that we now have successfully completed our tour of the military bases in the Tokyo area. After all the fun and incredible activities we had at the fire and rescue station, security headquarters, youth clinic, and burrito shop grand opening on the Yokota Air Base, we headed down the road to see how the Army's soldiers were living at Camp Zama. Because it was a Sunday, we didn't have as many activities lined up out of respect for the soldiers' day off, but we were able to interact with many of them at a meet and greet session we had at their shopping center on base. Just as it was with the airmen at Yokota, the soldiers at Zama were very excited to host the Marlins group on their base, talk some baseball, take pictures, get some autographs and free Marlins gear, and tell us their stories of service and sacrifice. This was again a humbling and extremely enjoyable experience for us.
Now, while meeting the soldiers was a great experience, I have to confess that one other memorable thing happened at the meet and greet. Yes, I'm talking love folks. To be blunt, I was struck by Cupid's arrow. I mean absolutely taken and love struck from the moment I laid eyes on her . . . she was absolutely the cutest little baby girl I might have ever seen . . . American father, Japanese mother, both incredibly nice, and just the cutest baby ever. If Luis hasn't uploaded the pictures yet, I'm sure he'll get it posted soon so that you all can fall in love with her, too.
So, after I fell in love with this little girl, and her father absolutely refused to relinquish custody of her to me (lol), we moved on from our official duties at Camp Zama. That night, we had our first opportunity to get off base to check out some of the local culture. First we had a light dinner at the sports bar on the base and caught up on some of the college football and basketball scores from back home. That is where we met our soon-to-be tour guide for the night, and one of the more entertaining characters we've met on our trip so far. His name is Mike Larkin, but he specifically requested that we refer to him as "Mike Lowery" (based on the character from his favorite movie). Lol. What a guy. He's been managing restaurants on the Japanese military base for more than 20 years and was like the unofficial mayor of the town who knew everyone.
So after getting to know Mike and asking for his recommendations on places for us to check out off base, he decided to invite himself on our outing for the night and serve as our honorary tour guide for the night. Hilarious. It was good to have him, though. Not only was he a constant source of comedy and jokes all night, but he also was a useful guide. We wanted an authentic experience for the night, so we decided to do it like the locals and, instead of hiring a van or taxi for the night, we schlepped it on foot, from our hotel to the base exit, then from the base to the local train station. Mike showed us the way and then helped us navigate the Tokyo train system – which is easily the most complex train and subway system you've ever seen in your life. They have like four or five different trains running on the same track and same color line, and about eight different train/color lines all weaving in and out of one another. It's enough to make your head spin before you even get to the fact that IT'S ALL IN JAPANESE CHARACTERS, TOO!! Haa. So, suffice it to say, we would have been in some serious trouble but for our man Mike.
Once on the correct train, we made our way to a little town called Machida, which is like a little mini-Times Square and took in some of the local culture there. We all were pretty spent by that point in the evening though, so we didn't stay long and made a short night of it so we could be fresh for our journey to the navy base in the morning.
On Monday morning, we journeyed down to what was an incredibly cool military base – theYokosuka Navy Base, which is the U.S.' largest navy base in Asia. They have more than 25,000 people (navy sailors, family/civilians, and Japanese nationals) who live or work on the base!! This place literally was a full city, with its own shopping district, eight-screen movie theater, restaurants, etc. And, boy were the views beautiful out over the Tokyo Bay. The ships in the U.S. fleet there also were some kind of impressive. While we had a very enjoyable experience doing the baseball clinic with the Yokosuka base's high school boys' baseball and girls' softball teams, and doing the meet and greet with the sailors that evening, the highlight of the day was touring the USS George Washington – the aircraft carrier docked at Yokosuka. Now if you want to talk about an impressive piece of machinery, you're talking the USS George Washington! This ship is essentially a city at sea . . . it is several stories tall, the length of a 10-story office building, and has several different cafeterias & eating areas, and seven different gyms on board! This ship has everything needed to hold thousands of sailors at sea for several months at a time. Truly remarkable.
Seeing the flight deck and hearing the details on how the fighter jets take off and land on the carrier while at sea also was unbelievable. Given how precise and advanced these tactics are, it just makes you feel like what you do every day is just elementary level stuff – both in terms of complexity and importance. These sailors are at sea for months at a time keeping the borders of our territories and those of our allies safe, so we owe them an incredible amount of gratitude. And their sacrifice is especially great because they not only are stationed away from America for multiple years at a time on their tours of duty, but those stationed on the ship have to live on the ship at sea for several months at a time. You talk about being separated from your family and loved ones . . . Wow, what a sacrifice.
So the activities at Yokosuka wrapped up our official business for the Tokyo area. Even though we were dog tired, it was our last night in Tokyo before flying to our next destination, so a group of us decided to rally and made our way all the way into downtown Tokyo (75-90 min journey) for the night . . . and yes my friends I am talking Roppongi!!! I mean you can't go out in downtown Tokyo and not go to the Roppongi district, can you?!? Lol. And let me tell you, it lived up to the advance billing. Beautiful, colorfully-lit downtown streets with all types of activity going on . . . restaurants, bars, lounges, shops, street vendors, etc . . . it was like Times Square on steroids! Just imagine Times Square, but cleaner and slightly more modern, then multiply the size by five . . . now you have Roppongi. And this was a Monday night, so I can only imagine how active it would have been on a weekend night. In any event, given our schedule, we weren't up for the full "Roppongi experience," but we did want a taste . . . so we found a nice authentic restaurant to enjoy some of the local cuisine (yes, that meant taking off the shoes and sitting on the pillows on the raised floor – which was pretty good). After dinner we popped in and out of a couple places then settled on a very cool New-York-style lounge called Vanity on the 13th floor of a building and had a breath-taking view of downtown Tokyo out of the large windows of the lounge. So we stayed for a bit then finally called it a night and headed back to prepare for our travel the next day. So that concluded our activities in the Tokyo area.
Given all that we experienced in our four days in the Tokyo area, it's hard to believe we still have two-thirds of our trip still ahead of us. I can't wait to see what our next stop has in store for us. From what I understand, we'll have an opportunity to do physical training with the troops at our next stop, so that should be really cool. I can't wait. So, please check back in a couple days for my next entry.
Again, I want to thank Armed Forces Entertainment (by the way – please follow them on Twitter as well (@armedforcesent), the men and women of the U.S. military, and the Marlins management for giving our group this incredible opportunity. It's truly been the experience of a lifetime for all of us, and we hope we've been able to represent the Marlins family and general civilian population well and provide some joy and excitement for the service men and women we've met on the trip.


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Inside Apple's new Xcode 4 development tool
The Fixit feature
Developers report Apple has also introduced a new Fixit feature that provides advanced code completion and flags common bugs or typos using the same red underlining that Mac OS X uses system wide to indicate spelling errors.
The Fixit feature can suggest appropriate symbol spellings and supply correct punctuation, assisting developers to write code faster while making fewer mistakes. A static analysis can find and flag common bugs and errors such as a failure to properly release memory that is no longer needed.
Xcode 4 is also reported to support new version control features for collaborative development, enabling coders to checkout, commit changes and update content in projects stored on Subversion and Git version control systems (which work with multiple versions of files over time, like Time Machine).
New tools also allow users to compare different files for changes over time that have been checked into a version control system and revert or merge code into the latest version.
Apple shares new LLDB debugger as open source with LLVM
Xcode 4 is also reported to include a significant new version of the modern Low Level Virtual Machine (LLVM) Compiler, which Apple has been supporting as an open source project to eventually replace GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), the tool most Unix-based development systems use to convert source code to executable object code targeted to a specific processor.
LLVM is a modular compiler system designed to create faster, more optimized code. The new LLVM Compiler 2 now supports C++ in addition to the C and Objective C languages, and compiles code up to twice as fast as GCC. The code it creates also runs faster than code compiled with GCC, with Mac OS X code reportedly running up to 25% faster and iOS code running as much as 60% faster, just through improvements made in optimizing the compilation of the same source code.
Also within Xcode 4 is an entirely new debugger system Apple designed for performance and efficiency, resulting in faster finding and fixing of bugs. The new debugger is modeled after LLVM's modular architecture, and is therefore named LLDB. Apple is also said to be releasing its internal LLDB project as open source, and will make it available to third parties alongside the open source LLVM compiler.
Playing new Instruments
Another major feature delivered alongside Xcode 4 will be a new version of Instruments (originally code named Xray), Apple's graphical tool for code performance profiling based on Sun's DTrace technology.
The new Instruments adds new time profiler support for iOS development, and includes new features that help developers examine how their application code interacts with other apps and the system's kernel, in order to find where apps are spending their processing time and allocating their resources in a very complex computing environment.
Instruments is also said to include support for identifying abandoned memory that has been referenced but not actually needed, enabling developers to reduce the memory footprint their apps demand. The tool will also add profiling analysis support for OpenGL ES, an important tool for iOS developers building high performance games and other apps that make use of sophisticated graphics.


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(Editor's note: This commentary was adapted from a letter Mackinac Center President Joseph G. Lehman sent to Center supporters in April 2009.)
Ideas matter, especially when they influence high government officials. Contrast these two statements.
"The trouble with socialism is you eventually run out of other people's money."
— attributed to Margaret Thatcher
"We'll take it. We'll take your money. ...I'm going to be first in line...."
— Gov. Jennifer Granholm,
Fox News Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009
The first statement explains why socialism is bad public policy. The second illustrates what happens when someone ignores the first statement. Gov. Granholm, in her statement above, was shouting "first dibs!" on the federal "stimulus" cash that some governors say they will reject.
Of course, the stimulus cash doesn't grow on trees. Government taxes it away from productive people. The allure of redistributionist policies is the hope of getting something for nothing. For a politician, it means making friends with some people by giving them things paid for by other people. It should be clear that such policies can't work in the long run and will only serve to increase the government bubble. They don't work so well in the short run either.
Michiganians were shocked at the news of GM CEO Rick Wagoner's ouster at the behest of federal car czars. That was quickly overshadowed by President Obama's pronouncement that Chrysler would be forced into some sort of bankruptcy that seems to have been decided before it ever reached court. It's either that or no more federal cash. Meet the new boss.
We argued — nearly alone — last year that Chapter 11 bankruptcy was probably the best among bad options for one or more of the Detroit Three. At that time the companies still controlled their own destinies, more or less. They soon discovered that asking for and receiving more federal cash has certain strings attached. Is that what we want for the whole state?
A brief commentary isn't the place to analyze every detail of state and federal fiscal policy. But it is a good place to affirm ideas that work and warn against those that dig us deeper into the hole. The Mackinac Center is the one voice in Michigan you can always count on to advocate for free markets and limited government. We aren't deterred or discouraged when politicians ignore those principles. Rather, it's times like these that we see the greatest opportunity to explain why our ideas are needed more than ever.
Joseph G. Lehman is president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and the Center are properly cited.
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The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
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So a very exciting thing to me about my position is that I have an area of focus. I am an Instructional Services Librarian, but within that, I have designated areas to take the lead on. Student retention is a hot topic on campus (and seems to be a focus for many campuses and now academic libraries lately), and so I am working with a colleague on my team to get the library more involved in campus retention efforts. We are hoping to develop more collaborative relationships with non-disciplinary units on campus to aid in student success and retention. And this is not just for retaining the low-performing students, but also keeping the high-performing students from going elsewhere (for example, looking at the Honors College).
From my focus, I have established a new ACRL Student Retention Discussion Group with Jaime Hammond, who is a Reference and Outreach Librarian at Naugatuck Valley Community College. A number of other instruction and outreach librarians I have met are just starting to figure out how to approach this, and there seems to be consensus that library contributions to student retention efforts might be a tricky thing to measure and assess. So hopefully this discussion group will serve as a useful resource to those of us working in these areas.
Check out a recent blog post by Steven Bell, ACRL Vice-President / President-Elect, about retention and our new discussion group on ACRL Insider to learn more about "the student swirl" in graduation and also more about how ACRL Discussion Groups work.
Hope you will join us! The conversations will be ongoing via Connect, but we also have a set meeting time at ALA Annual in Anaheim, Saturday 6/23 from 4:00-5:30pm PST.
Here was the official announcement that went out:
Student retention is a hot topic in academia, but how do libraries fit into the discussion? Join the newest ACRL Discussion Group on ALA Connect at http://connect.ala.org/node/173037 to be part of the conversation!
What: ACRL Student Retention Discussion Group
Why: to discuss methods, best practices, and assessment for developing case-by-case and programmatic efforts related to student retention
How: on ALA Connect (http://connect.ala.org/node/173037) or meet at ALA Annual
Please contact the conveners with any questions:
Nicole Pagowsky, Instructional Services Librarian, University of Arizona Libraries email@example.com
Jaime Hammond, Reference and Outreach Librarian, Naugatuck Valley Community College firstname.lastname@example.com


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Charlotte Skyline Panoramic Picture Framed, North Carolina
$ 99.00
$ 119.00
This panorama of Charlotte was taken by James Blakeway and features a twilight view of downtown Charlotte. On the far left, with its brightly-lit roof, is Odell Plaza. Moving to the right and located in the center of Uptown Charlotte is the tallest building in the city, the 60-story Bank of America Corporate Center. To the far right is the 3rd tallest building in Charlotte, The Vue. It was completed in 2010 and is a 677-foot tall skyscraper. Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina and a top tourist destination in the Carolinas. Its proximity to a wide variety of markets has led to Charlotte's maturation as a financial and distribution center for the Southeastern United States.


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Got men? The Father and Son collection is made with a masculine color swatch, manly elements, eclectic papers with paisley and masculine themes, and beautiful solids. In this testosterone-filled collection, you'll find the perfect layouts for the men (and women--because we use tools too!) in your life. Be sure to check out the entire Father and Son Collection.
Father and Son Brag Book
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Ways To Give
Fred Hutch is world-renowned for our groundbreaking discoveries and world-class scientists, including three Nobel laureates, who work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer and related diseases.
The Hutch is widely recognized for our pioneering work on bone marrow transplantation, boosting survival rates for some blood cancers from zero to nearly 90 percent for some leukemias — saving thousands of lives each year. Fred Hutch's development of bone marrow transplantation has led to the discovery that the immune system can also be a powerful weapon against cancer and related diseases.
Today, the pace and potential of lifesaving research has vastly accelerated. Contributions by generous benefactors provide key support to supplement government grants. Private support acts as a catalyst for our scientists to fund new ideas and innovations in research as they emerge — accelerating our ability to pursue discoveries that save lives.
Our mission, and how your donation helps >


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Himachal Pradesh, state of India, in the extreme northern part of the Asian subcontinent. It is bounded by the state of Jammu and Kashmir to the north, by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the east, and by the states of Uttarakhand to the southeast, Haryana to the south, and Punjab to the west. Himachal Pradesh occupies a region of scenic splendour in the western Himalayas, offering a multitextured display of lofty snow-clad mountains, deep gorges, thickly forested valleys, large lakes, terraced fields, and cascading streams. Indeed, the name of the state is a reference to its setting; Himachal means "snowy slopes" (Sanskrit: hima, "snow"; acal, "slopes"), and Pradesh means "state."
The city of Shimla was the summer headquarters of preindependence British viceroys; it is now the state capital and, at an elevation of about 7,100 feet (2,200 metres), one of the largest and most popular mountain resorts in the country. Formerly a union territory, Himachal Pradesh became a state of India on January 25, 1971. Area 21,495 square miles (55,673 square km). Pop. (2011) 6,856,509.
Relief and drainage
Within the diverse terrain of Himachal Pradesh are several parallel physiographic regions corresponding to the northwest-southeast-trending ranges of the Himalayan mountain system. The region adjacent to the plains of Punjab and Haryana consists of two stretches of the Siwalik (Shiwalik) Range (the Outer Himalayas) separated by long, narrow valleys. Elevations in the southern tract of the region average about 1,600 feet (500 metres), while in the northern tract they range between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (900 and 1,500 metres). To the north of the Siwaliks are the Lesser (or Lower) Himalayas, which rise to about 15,000 feet (4,500 metres). Within this region are the spectacular snow-capped Dhaola Dhar and Pir Panjal ranges. To the north again is the Zaskar Range, which reaches elevations of more than 22,000 feet (6,700 metres), towering over the other ranges in the region. Many active mountain glaciers originate in this area.
Himachal Pradesh has many perennial snow-fed rivers and streams, in addition to four major watercourses. The eastern portion of the state is drained primarily by the Sutlej River, which rises in Tibet. Draining the western part of Himachal Pradesh are the Chenab (Chandra-Bhaga), Ravi, and Beas rivers, which have their source in the Great Himalayas.
The Siwalik region has hot summers (March to June), with temperatures rising above 100 °F (38 °C), cool and dry winters (October to February), and a wet season (July to September), with rains brought by the southwestern monsoon. As elevations increase farther north, the climate becomes wetter and cooler. In the Great Himalayas, winters are bitterly cold and snowy, with temperatures dropping below 0 °F (–18 °C).
Population composition
The population of Himachal Pradesh is composed of a variety of distinct ethnolinguistic groups and social castes. Among the most prominent communities are the Gaddi (Gaddi), Gujari, Kinnauri, Lahuli, and Pangwali. Many Punjabi immigrants have settled in the major towns and cities since Indian independence in 1947.
The vast majority of the population is Hindu, although Buddhists form the dominant group in the sparsely populated districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur, both of which share a border with Tibet. The state also has small minorities of Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians.
Although every former princely state within Himachal Pradesh has a local dialect named after it, Hindi (the official state language) and Pahari are the principal languages. Both are Indo-Aryan languages. In Lahaul and Spiti and in Kinnaur, however, the most widely spoken languages belong to the Sino-Tibetan family.
Settlement patterns
Himachal Pradesh is one of the least-urbanized states in India. In the early 21st century its urban population accounted for less than 10 percent of the total. There are more than 50 towns, and the capital, Shimla, constitutes a city of reasonable size. The capitals of the former princely states, including Bilaspur, Mandi, Chamba, and Kullu, are now district headquarters. Dalhousie, Kasauli, and Sabathu are hill resorts of British origin. Kangra, Palampur, Solan, and Dharmshala are other notable towns in the state.
Agriculture and manufacturing
Most people in Himachal Pradesh depend for their livelihood on agriculture, pastoralism, transhumance (seasonal herding), horticulture, and forestry. However, the government of Himachal Pradesh has encouraged the development and dispersal of manufacturing, with different towns—mostly in the southern part of the state—often specializing in the manufacture of particular goods. The town of Nahan, for instance, is known for its production of agricultural implements, turpentine, and resin, while television sets, fertilizer, beer, and liquor have been among the major manufactures of Solan. Meanwhile, Rajban is identified with cement production, and Parwanoo is recognized for its processed fruits, tractor parts, and electronics. Shimla is also known for its manufacture of electrical goods, while paper and hardboard products generally have come from Baddi and Barotiwala. Alongside the growth of heavier industry, thousands of artisan-based small-scale manufacturing units have remained in operation across the state.
Resources and power
The state has implemented a series of development plans based on the utilization of its abundant hydropower potential and mineral and forest resources. Himachal Pradesh produces a significant portion of India's hydroelectric power. Existing hydropower plants include a station on the Ulh River at Jogindarnagar, the massive Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River, the Pong Dam on the Beas River, and the Giri Dam on the Giri River. Himachal Pradesh also has embarked on joint-venture hydropower projects with the central government, such as the large Nathpa Jhakri project in Shimla district. To combat a serious soil-erosion problem in the Siwaliks and to protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, the state has launched a reforestation program. It also has instituted stricter enforcement of environmental laws.
Despite its remote location, Himachal Pradesh has a reasonably well-developed infrastructure that not only has aided domestic mobility but also has helped in the promotion of tourism. Scenic narrow-gauge rail lines run from Kalka to Shimla and from Pathankot (in Punjab) to Jogindarnagar. There also is a railhead in Una. Roads, however, crisscrossing through the ranges and valleys, serve as the communications lifeline of Himachal Pradesh; the state operates many bus routes throughout the network. Regular domestic air service is available in Shimla and Kullu.
Government and society
Constitutional framework
The basic governmental structure of Himachal Pradesh, like that of most other Indian states, is determined by the national constitution of 1950. The state government is led by a governor, appointed by the president of India. The Council of Ministers, headed by a chief minister and responsible to the directly elected Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha), assists and advises the governor.
The state is divided into a number of districts, each of which is headed by a deputy commissioner. The districts, in turn, comprise several subdivisions, which embrace several more levels of local administration. The smallest (and most numerous) administrative unit is the village.
Since the late 20th century, Himachal Pradesh has made great efforts to expand education. Consequently, there has been a remarkable rise in the number of primary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions and a corresponding increase in enrollment at all levels.
Himachal Pradesh University, founded in 1970 in Shimla, was the state's first institution of higher education; it now has dozens of affiliated or associated colleges. Other major tertiary institutions include a medical college in Shimla, an agricultural university in Palanpur, an engineering college in Hamirpur, a university of horticulture and forestry near Solan, and a university of information technology, also in Solan district. In addition to its universities and colleges, Himachal Pradesh has some important research centres, most notably the Indian Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla and the Central Research Institute in Kasauli.
Cultural life
The fairs and festivals of the rural communities provide many occasions for song, dance, and the display of colourful garments. The Kullu valley, known as the valley of the gods, provides the setting for the Dussehra festival held each autumn to celebrate the defeat of the demon king, Ravana, by the prince Rama (as recounted in the ancient Hindu epic the Ramayana). During the festival, the various temple gods are carried in procession in covered palanquins, accompanied by bands of singers and dancers. Participants in this and other such celebrations are typically decked in vibrant attire, often accented with exquisitely designed shawls from Kinnaur district, finely embroidered handkerchiefs from Chamba, or distinctive woolen caps from Kullu.
Pilgrims from neighbouring states and from within Himachal Pradesh itself converge in large numbers to worship at shrines of legendary antiquity. The town of Dharmshala has more recently emerged as a sacred site, particularly for Tibetan Buddhists; it was in Dharmshala that the Dalai Lama settled after he fled from Tibet in 1959 in the wake of China's occupation of Lhasa.
Aside from their festivals and sacred sites, the Shimla hills, the Kullu valley (including the town of Manali), and Dalhousie are popular tourist destinations, especially for outdoor recreation. Indeed, skiing, golfing, fishing, trekking, and mountaineering are among the activities for which Himachal Pradesh is ideally suited.
The history of this mountainous state is complex and fragmented. It is known that a number of so-called Aryan groups filtered into the more productive valleys during the Vedic period (c. 1500 to 500 bce) and assimilated the pre-Aryan population. Later, successive Indian empires—such as the Mauryan (c. 321–185 bce), the Gupta (c. 320–540 ce), and the Mughal (1526–1761), all emerging in the Indo-Gangetic Plain—sought to exercise varying degrees of control over trade and pilgrimage routes into the area and between India and Tibet across the Himalayas.
The remote, predominantly Buddhist area that is now the district of Lahaul and Spiti was controlled by Ladakh from the decline of the Mughal Empire (about the mid-18th century) until the early 1840s, when it briefly came under Sikh rule. Also during this period, warring semiautonomous petty rulers controlled the trade routes, as well as desirable segments of agricultural and pastoral land, in the other areas of present-day Himachal Pradesh. British domination of this region followed the Sikh Wars of the 1840s and continued, directly or indirectly, for the next 100 years.
Around the time of Indian independence in 1947, there was a popular movement to end feudalism in the region, and the princely state of Suket virtually surrendered to peaceful demonstrators. Subsequently, Himachal Pradesh was constituted as a province in 1948. It consisted of 30 princely states and was administered by a chief commissioner, who represented the government of India.
Between 1948 and its achievement of statehood in 1971, Himachal Pradesh went through various changes in size and administrative form. It became a substate under the Indian constitution of 1950. In 1954 it joined with Bilaspur (a former Indian state and then a chief commissioner's province), and in 1956 it became a union territory. Himachal Pradesh was enlarged in 1966 by the merger and absorption of numerous Punjab hill areas, including the regions surrounding Shimla, Kangra, and Kullu; the district of Lahaul and Spiti; and parts of the districts centred at Ambala, Hoshiarpur, and Gurdaspur. Early in 1971, Himachal Pradesh became the 18th state of India; Y.S. Parmar, who since the 1940s had been a leader in the quest for self-government in Himachal Pradesh, became the state's first chief minister.Chakravarthi Raghavan Surinder M. Bhardwaj
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
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Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir, state of India, located in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the vicinity of the Karakoram and westernmost Himalayan mountain ranges. The state is part of the larger region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since the…
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Stella (1955)
Directed by Michael CacoyannisGenres - Drama | Sub-Genres - Melodrama, Romantic Drama | Run Time - 94 min. | Countries - Greece | MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Earlier reports that Greek filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis' Stella was based on Olive Higgins Prouty's Stella Dallas were derived from misleading contemporary reviews. In fact, all that that Cacoyannis film has in common with the Prouty novel is the fact that both are centered around a strong, fiercely independent female protagonist. Melina Mercouri plays the film's title character, an intensely passionate girl who falls out of love with her many beaux the minute they start talking about marriage and commitment. Ultimately, Stella comes to grief when one of her more ardent suitors decides that, if he can't have her, no one can. Adapted from his own stage play by Iakovos Kambanellis, Stella was filmed in 1955, but did not attain a widespread American release until 1957.
singer, woman, free-spirit, hedonism, child, custody, daughter


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Department Chair: Hamid Hefazi
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Faculty: Behnam Bahr, Eric Besnard, Christiane Beyer, Hsun-Hu Chen, Hsin‑Piao Chen, Mihir Das (Emeritus), Ramin Esfandiari, Joshua Hamel, Hamid Hefazi, Min‑Ten Jahn (Emeritus), Bei Lu, Panadda Marayong, Hamid Rahai, Praveen Shankar, Reza Toossi, Jalal Torabzadeh, Parviz Yavari, Hsien‑Yang Yeh (Emeritus)
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Administrative Support Coordinator: Leanne Hayes
Students desiring detailed information should contact the department for referral to one of the faculty advisors.
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The Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is supported by a professional Advisory and Development Council (ADC) comprised of outstanding engineers and executives from industry and government in Southern California. The role of the ADC is to form a liaison between the University and industry and to help the administration and faculty remain informed of modern engineering practices.
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Plus last Lego Robotics and a new venue record, Samwise the predatory bisexual, Bulge Larping, Christmas cookie drama, tough day in Tonawanda, Watching: Stage Left, and bangers and mash.
In tech reviews, Air Control Lite, Wii Fit thinks I'm fat, and Instant Netflix.
In media reviews, Off the Main Sequence, The Redbreast, Commando, The Remains of Company D, The Good War, Oliver!, Fame and the best of 2010.
Poll: Shutdown due to Northeastern.
Look on my Works; nothing now Remains
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With silver eyes, the scarlet eagle / Showered silver on the people
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Men in Black 3 [DVD] [2012]
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Thursday December 22nd
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Thursday November 10th
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Tuesday August 23rd
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Saturday August 13th
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Monday August 1st
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Wednesday July 6th
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Monday May 9th
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Wednesday April 27th
- Another good moment (10 comments)


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maberi wrote:Really like how you did that photo album!!
Did you end up getting Tigger's phone number?
mnp13 wrote:I sent the picture to Demo. His response: "He'd make a good rug"
mnp13 wrote: I got goosed too, which was also pretty funny.
iluvk9 wrote:I knew you were gone, Michelle, and I took over at the helm for you! Everything is GOOD!!
I love the idea of a photo album. I have never seen anything like that.
mnp13 wrote:Not that anyone noticed but I was out of town from June 26 - July 4.
maberi wrote:ArtGypsy wrote:ARE YOU SERIOUS?????????????????
Why do you think I went on that hunger strike, hmmmmmmmmm????????????
You were visiting Joyce?
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I worked out for the second time last night. I almost threw up. I'm no longer at a place where my squirrel-like metabolism affords me the choice of whether I work out or not: I have to work out.
Some people there where working out because their doctor told them to or else they'd die. That's a pretty powerful motivator. Others because they're clearly cross training for some Olympic sport.
But I wager that no one there last night saw "going to the gym" as their ultimate goal.
Professional athletes train for one purpose:
To win.
Good business people are constantly assessing their role in a simple formula:
Create a good or service that benefits people and generates positive cash flow.
Diligent students want to graduate with honors; successful musicians want to have people pay to hear them play; writers want their words in as many hands as possible.
Goals are not only a noble pursuit, they help us stay focused. They anchor us with stability in the midst of personal shaking; they give us a clear path forward when we're presented ulterior options – options which would undermine success.
As a Christian, what are your goals?
I find much of what's presented to us, much of what's expected, to be well meaning but tepid, good natured but nauseating, and having some level of virtue but ultimately emasculating.
Is my sole pursuit as a Believer in Christ simply to read my Bible until I know more than someone else, or pray until others notice God hovering over me, or be such a good husband that other wives point me out to their husbands, or such a good father that other families' kids would prefer living in my house, or tithe so faithfully and fully that most church salaries and projects are covered by my giving?
Such goals sound silly. Yet those are all very real conversations I've counseled people through – our been counseled through myself.
A noble vision without heaven's backing becomes a fruitless pursuit.
So how do we attract the eyes of heaven?
116,229 people live in my Jefferson County, NY. Last night, our church board sat around and discussed a simple yet profound truth: what we're stewarding now is incredible, but it's nothing compared with where we need to go. This is a great corporate vision, yet I was struck on a personal level.
What am I doing to personally notify, navigate, and nurture those 116,229 people into a relationship with Jesus? What are my wife and I doing? My children?
How many of the 116,229 are the Hopper's goal? Our part may be to reach 23, yours is 54, but the Bride is commissioned with reaching all of them, nothing less. And I'm a part of the Bride.
If heaven considers me a successful Christian, a Christian that has a goal, how does it measure me?
My findings suggest it's by how much my value of people provokes active compassion, especially toward those living the furthest from his grace.
Do not confuse disciplines and goals. No good athlete looks at the weight machine and says, "I want to do more reps than anyone in the world." They say, "I need to condition myself to go out there and win."
Don't confuse your Christian disciplines with your heaven-backed goals. All the "gym time" in the world won't touch a single life if you don't get out there on the field and start playing to win.
Ah, there goes another one. 116,228 and counting. ch:
7 Comments
Christian Fahey · 9 Nov '11 at 11:09 am
Wow. This puts it all into perspective, Christopher. And convicting. "A noble vision without heaven's backing becomes a fruitless pursuit." We train to win (whatever "train" means in a given field). And we must be bringing it in the right contest. Yeah. Two thumbs up!
Christian Fahey · 9 Nov '11 at 3:01 pm
'Tis a good quote C–eloquent and true. 🙂
mooney · 9 Nov '11 at 9:24 pm
I want to work out, but it's, well, work. I tried lifting weights too, but they were heavy. Guess I'll sit here and read your blog.
"Hey, Jaivin! Go get Daddy an Almond Joy out of the pumpkin bowl!"
lol. Sorry, I couldn't help it. Great point CH. And if you want to be huge like Arnold, you can't just do the work once in awhile, it's a full-time gig.


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For the annual conference of the Online News Association this weekend, I've pulled together two new printable handouts: 8 ways to use social media in the newsroom, available at http://bit.ly/social-flyer, and 6 Twitter tools for journalists (PDF — and see the accompanying post). I'm speaking on the aptly named Social Media Mania panel on Saturday.
I think these are two of the nicer handouts I've produced, using Apple Pages, part of the iWork suite. These downloadable documents are part of the ongoing series of social media guides and tutorials that Socialbrite has been producing for social change organizations, nonprofits, journalists and anyone interested in effective use of social media.
While the PDFs are spiffy-looking, they're less than optimal for search engines and for the disabled, so I'll mirror the handouts here in html.
8 ways to use social media in the newsroom
1An uber-aggregator of your feeds, FriendFeed is like Twitter but easier to organize. You can post more than 140 characters, organize private or public rooms and get a feed of your friends as an e-mail. But FriendFeed is more than an aggregation tool: It's a virtual watering hole where you can see what's on the mind of your friends and colleagues.
Search the real-time Web
2Find out what people are talking about online right now — chances are you can turn a meme into a story. Tools include Twitter Search, Tweetmeme, OneRiot, Scoopler.
Flip out!
3We're all multimedia journalists now, right? Never let another eye-catching moment or newsworthy subject slip by: A Flip cam ($199 for hi-def version) lets you easily add a visual element to a story. Users are more likely to jump into a conversation around a video on your site than a text-only article. Kodak's Zi8 is also a good choice. Continue reading


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We just published the latest data from the Empire Fed, which indicated that the economy is sill improving, and hiring plans are looking brighter.
Now of course, a big question for policymakers is: What is the driving force behind hiring? What is it that will make businesses add more jobs?
Some people think it's about taxes or red tape or some vague notion of confidence.
But as we've argued, there's one driver of hiring: Sales. The more sales the better.
And it's not just wonky charts that show a connection between sales and hiring.
Here it is straight from the horse's mouth from that Empire Fed Survey...
High expected sales growth was widely deemed to be the most important factor among those who planned to add workers.
Any questions?


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