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Eastern Apalachicola Lowlands Kingsnake
Scientific name: Lampropeltis getula meansi (KRYSKO & JUDD 2006)
* Currently accepted name
* scientific names used through time
- Coluber getulus – LINNAEUS 1766
- Ophibolus getulus – BAIRD & GIRARD 1853
- Coronella getulus – DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854
- Lampropeltis getulus – COPE 1860
- Triaeniopholis arenarius – WERNER 1924
- Lampropeltis getula – FROST & COLLINS 1988
- Lampropeltis getula goini – NEILL & ALLEN 1949 in KRYSKO & JUDD 2006
- Lampropeltis getula meansi – KRYSKO & JUDD 2006
Description Size is 9.8-56.1 inches (25-142.5 cm SVL), record is 56.1 inches (142.5 cm SVL). Adults are variable in coloration distinguished from all other Kingnskes by its overall light dorsal coloration, having either narrow or wide crossbands with considerably lightened interbands, or being non-banded (striped or patternless). Combinations of these basic patterns also occur regularly in the wild. The ventral pattern is also variable, being either bicolored, loose checkerboard with interspersed bicolored scales, or mostly dark. Banded individuals have fewer than 26 yellowish and usually wide (up to the entire body length) dorsal crossbands. The scales between the light crossbands lighten with age, starting as black, they develop lightening on the anterior 1/2 to 3/4 of each scale, which varies from 25-100% of the intensity of the light crossbands in the adult stage. Adults that possess interbands the same intensity of the light crossbands appear to be non-banded (striped or patternless), but they can be distinguished from truly non-banded morphs due to the difference in morphology between the light colored crossband and interband scale types. Within a light crossband scale, light pigment is separated from dark pigment by a sharp, straight line; within a lightened interband scale, the edge of the light pigment is rounded, not straight. The scales are smooth, and there are 21 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round.
A. Top of the head (notice the large plate-like scales on the top of the head)
B. Smooth scales
C. Elongated scales below the tail (subcaudal scales) are typically divided
D. Front (face view) of the head
E. Side of the head
Range: Endemic to Florida, it is found in the Eastern Apalachicola Lowlands in the panhandle between the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee rivers and south of Telogia Creek, Franklin and Liberty counties. Individuals are also occasionally found in the southwestern Apalachicola Lowlands on the western side of the Apalachicola River. Morphological intermediates or hybrids (i.e., currently unrecognized L. g. goini) between the Eastern Apalachicola Lowlands Kingsnake and the Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula) are found mostly in the surrounding region from southern Gulf and Franklin counties to the west, north to Calhoun County, and east into northern Liberty (north of Telogia Creek), Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla, and Jefferson counties. It is not found outside of Florida.
Habitat: Rare, it is found in pinelands, hardwood hammocks, cypress strands, prairies, marshes, and estuaries.
Comments: HARMLESS (Non-Venomous), and seldom bites. The Eastern Apalachicola Lowlands Kingsnake is mainly terrestrial and active during the day, yet in the summer months individuals may be found moving at night.
It feeds on other snakes, lizards, frogs, rodents, turtle eggs, and birds and their eggs. It eats venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes, and is immune to their venom. It is even known to be cannibalistic, eating its own kind.
It lays eggs. It is primarily active from March-May, when breeding takes place. In the early summer, 3-30 eggs are laid. Newborns around 9.8 inches (25 cm SVL) hatch in late summer.
Comparison with other species: The Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula) has 19-32 light and narrow light crossbands on the body, no lightening of the black interband scales, a lateral chain-like pattern, and usually 21 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The Florida Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula floridana) has > 34 light and narrow crossbands on the body, a degenerate lateral chain-like pattern, and usually 23 dorsal scale rows at midbody.


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It seems like over six months since I posted the last entry, and that's because Team Air America has faded from view. But, every once in a while they pop up to remind us of the glory days of AAR.
Thus it is with Janeane Garofalo who appeared on last night's Real Time with Bill Maher and gave her weighty, perspicacious thoughts on the most vital and important issue of our day.
No, I speak not of the four wars we're currently involved in or the fact that millions of Americans are unemployed. Instead, she gave her thoughts on Weinergate, the time-wasting, vastly unimportant scandal involving U.S. Representative and professional doofus Anthony Weiner.
Janeane's weighty thoughts (link):
Anthony Weiner deserves to be supported and hopefully he will be mayor of New York one day. I'm serious. He is a Democrat [who] actually fights for the things liberals and progressive and rational people care about... I don't know why he's being thrown under the bus. He hasn't done any -- he hasn't broke any laws
As Newsbusters - another Garofalo fan site - points out, it sounds like she was about to say "he hasn't done anything wrong" but then realized that was wrong. Garofalo also didn't mention the strange timing where Weiner criticized Clarence Thomas' wife's financial links to the teaparty and just a few days later the scandal emerged. She also didn't mention that there are far more important things to be worried about.
And, here's video:
Posted in Janeane at 11:49 AM
Way back in May, Janeane Garofalo issued yet another plea for help which went unnoticed until now since she did it on the nearly unheard-of "Citizen Radio". That's some sort of internet radio run by Alison Kilkenny - a loony Huffington Post contributor - and someone else; their videos struggle to get hundreds of views.
Yet, somehow Naked Emperor News - someone whom I'm not a big fan of either - found their interview with Garfalo and is playing it for Garofalo's real base: the Glenn Beck fans at The Blaze.
In the interview, Janine Garrofalo says the "British Empire is the original douchebag empire where sh*tty Americans, sh*tty Australians come from". It's difficult to imagine that as anything other than an anti-WASP statement; some prejudices are acceptable to "liberals" like Janeane.
She then claims that to be a modern, Bush or Hannity style conservative is a character flaw: there's something wrong with their brains. Which, obviously, is a subject she's highly familiar with.
Posted in Janeane at 11:25 AM
The video below shows Senator Al Franken quoting the New Testament, specifically Matthew 25: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me". He uses that to segue into arguing to end the Bush tax cuts. He uses a carpenter who's only been occasionally employed and who he met at a union hall as a prop to make his argument.
Leaving aside the obvious religious issues involved in Franken's speech, both the Democrats and the Republicans have pushed loose borders policies that have allowed large numbers of foreign construction workers to enter the U.S., in most cases illegally. Those foreign construction workers have increased competition for jobs and have helped drive down wages. And, all of that was supported by both the GOP and Democratic elites. Franken is trying to give comfort to someone who was harmed by the loose borders policies that Franken supports.
Needless to say, the Tea Party types are no help with that either. They almost completely ignored the immigration issue for over a year and their only response to the Franken video is to promote policies that would help the richest among us.
Posted in StuartSmalley at 12:10 PM
Every few months I remember that this site is still around.
Accordingly, and based on the Air America Radio Year in Review 2007, here's the moment you've all been waiting for, the Air America Radio Year in Review 2010:
* They went bankrupt and went off the air.
P.S. Mark your calendars! Join us next year for the exciting Air America Radio Year in Review 2011.
Posted in Meta at 12:18 PM
Oh no he didn't!
Well, actually, oh yes he did!
On a recent Joy Behar Show - one of America's finest news sources on the hard news channel CNN - former Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider called Senator Al Franken a shocking name. The name he called him was so shocking... they bleeped it out!
You can watch it here, and I'll leave it up to you to decide.
However, using advanced voice analysis - and with the help of our cadre of former Air America Radio interns - this site has been able to determine that Schneider called Franken a "whore". Senator Al Franken, he's calling you out! How will Franken respond? Will he challenge Schneider to a ComicOff, or with legislation? Or, will Franken appear on The View and spill the beans on Schneider? Whatever happens in this Schneider-Franken Feud, stay tuned to this site for the latest news!
Posted in StuartSmalley at 01:30 PM
All three Janeane Garofalo fans are abuzz about a new comedy special she'll be starring in on June 26. It will be broadcast on a cable TV channel that most people don't get (Epix) and which will probably fold shortly thereafter.
Here's a sample, with her making a joke involving being mistaken for herself at Starbucks. Prime stuff:
DOUBLE MOCHA FRAPPE LATTE UPDATE: The previous video with even more of Janeane's jokes about Starbucks was deleted. However, as a replacement see peekURL.com/vt4oj42 That too is from 1995, back when she was cute and somewhat wholesome.
Posted in Janeane at 09:34 AM
Monitoring Air America Radio [TM] so you don't have to.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Story highlights
- Nurses encounter drugs, prostitution and gunfire while treating patients
- Health care workers now travel with armed guards for protection
- Some of their patients are gun violence victims
Atundra Horne walks along the battered cement pathway to her patient's home with a set jaw and a solemn face. A computer with patient records is slung over her shoulder; a backpack stuffed with gauze, bandages and other medical equipment rolls behind her.
Horne is a home health nurse, and her patients live in some of the roughest areas in Chicago. On this day she is working in Auburn Gresham, a neighborhood on the South Side. Horne's workplace is far from water coolers and cubicles; instead, she says, it involves drugs, prostitution and the occasional clap of gunfire.
"There is a lot of crime," said Horne, who has been a nurse for 14 years. "It is a danger you face every day that you're out here."
The threat of danger is so acute that trailing a few steps behind Horne is a security officer toting a loaded gun.
A year and a half ago it became standard protocol for Horne and her colleagues at Advocate Health Care to travel with armed security officers, who offer protection while the nurses treat patients.
They need the help. In 2012 there were more than 500 homicides in Chicago, many caused by guns, according to local crime statistics. The deaths tend to be concentrated in the South Side neighborhoods that Horne and her colleagues visit every day.
"There are people hanging out on street corners, there are drug dealers congregating," nurse Beth Kairis said, describing the rough areas where she works. "You see different crime scenes and makeshift memorials for people who were shot the night before."
Kairis recalled a recent visit to care for a baby who was quite ill. As she and the security officer pulled up to the house, they found out there had just been a shooting less than a block away. Mobs of people filled the street; the situation was dangerous.
Leaving the baby without care was not an option, but neither was entering the home under unsafe circumstances. Kairis said she ended up being ushered in and out of the home by a group of police officers.
"Sometimes it's unnerving just to get out of the car," said Kairis. "Sometimes (after a visit) I get back in the car and think, 'I know nine out of 10 people would not have gone into that house. Am I crazy?"
For her own peace of mind, Kairis recently devised a plan for avoiding problems. The night before she does home visits, Kairis studies her patient roster and the neighborhoods where patients live. She tries to cluster her calls for efficiency and safety.
"We hit the worst areas earlier in the day, then not-so-bad areas later in the day," said Kairis, who has been a nurse for six years. "Occasionally when something is going on in an area, we might have to change course a little bit and revisit that area later."
Changing course means patients in relatively better health may have their care delayed for a few hours, said Kairis. Some of the sickest patients may have to receive care at a friend or relative's house until the danger at their own home subsides.
At each home, the security officer, usually a retired or off-duty Chicago cop, often will enter a residence to ensure it is safe and then keep watch outside.
"We keep an eye on all this stuff so that the clinician can do what she needs to do without fearing for her safety," said Tom Flanagan, a retired police officer and president of Accord Detective Agency, a company that provides security for Advocate's nurses.
In the car between calls, the nurses prepare for the next patient while a police scanner drones on in the background. Officers will change their route if the scanner suggests a safety issue.
To say this is an unusual workplace arrangement is an understatement, said Kairis. But she has little fear most of the time because she has protection. Her patients, who often have no choice but to live in these neighborhoods, cannot say the same.
"My patients truly live as prisoners in their own homes," said Kairis. "No sooner do I get my foot in the door, they get the door bolted shut, the alarm activated. It's sad because they live afraid in their own homes, and they're dealing with sickness on top of that."
Many of her patients have cancer, and Kairis treats them with infusions of chemotherapy drugs. Other patients are gunshot victims. One is a 15 year-old boy who was hit by random gunfire in his neighborhood.
The boy, said Kairis, is now paralyzed.
Still, despite the inherent danger involved with her job, Kairis said she derives strength and the courage to continue providing care from the patients themselves.
"I am forever changed by these amazing people," said Kairis. "They have to motivate twice. Motivate because they are dealing with horrific sicknesses or the end of their life, and then you walk into their neighborhoods and there are drug dealers everywhere.
"This is what they're dealing with, yet they're still able to overcome, to go on with their day."
Horne said the care she is providing is personal, intertwined with her own history. She grew up in Englewood, another neighborhood on the South Side weighed down by gun violence, and witnessed violence firsthand.
She also said she feels drawn to Englewood by her mother and grandmother, who still live in the neighborhood. The patients there are, in essence, her people.
"I do it because I care about the patients," said Horne. "That's the No. 1 reason I'm out there. I care about my job and the services we provide to these patients. They can't help the communities they're in."


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Poliça's debut album Give You The Ghost was a truly singular record. On paper, it could scan as if they were pandering to gimmickry. Two drummers has the vague ring of needless decadence. The way in which Channy's vocal was smothered in auto-tune could have played out as hipster contrarianism. But in reality, it was one of the most thrilling and alive records of the year: flooding colour into the liminal spaces between its instruments, and finding the humanity in overwrought electronic manipulation.
Coming just a year after such a bold opening statement, follow-up Shulamith was always going to struggle to make the soufflé rise twice, especially since one of the debut's strengths was its startlingly well-formed uniqueness. And indeed, while this second collection of tracks has much to admire in common with its original, it ultimately feels the chill of an inevitable case of slightly diminishing returns, and a self-conscious need to expand beyond the parameters of the debut.
Opening track and lead single 'Chain My Name' does a lot to announce a distance between this record and the songs of the debut. Oddly up-tempo and stuffed with texture, the song moves with a sense of frantic urgency which we never heard on the material of the debut – songs which sprawled out over four minutes with a languid nonchalance. These songs are a lot busier, sport some more conventional arrangements, and have a lot more surface level energy to them.
But that's not to say that Poliça have pushed towards populism. In many respects, these songs demand a lot more patience of their listener than those which made up Give You The Ghost. Although there was a great deal of space to those songs, the choruses always seared through the emptiness with ferocity. Here, the vocal lines are far less sharply defined, with the hooks working a lot less hard for their listener. More broadly, the overall structures are perfectly happy to trail off into indulgence, trusting the overall aura of the album to bring us along with them – frequently taking time to closely examine something as small as a single arpeggio, and stretch it to the end of its potential.
It feels like Poliça drew more vivid pictures with fewer brushstrokes on their debut; using the sparser arrangements and uniformity of sound to pull you into the powerful, emotional centres of those songs. The attempts at sonic expansion on Shulamith move between the poles of upbeat 'Chain My Name' to the cloying menace of 'Very Cruel' but fails to create the completely immersive atmosphere of the debut. There are plenty of strengths to Shulamith, not least that it chiefly shares its blueprints with its spellbinding debut. But in expanding its horizons, it dents the assured sense of identity which made Give You the Ghost so utterly enrapturing, and reverses the dichotomy of maximalist-emotion alongside minimalist-music.
7Russell Warfield's Score
7User Score


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MEREDITH — The 2013 Great Rotary Fishing Derby's winner, Mark Head, was pumped about his big $15,000 cash prize, but he wasn't about to give away the location of his catch.
Head caught a 2.76-pound White Perch on Sunday morning on Big Squam Lake. He used smelt as bait and said that there was no way he was going to give up any more information about how or where he caught the fish. He said that he knew that it was a big one, but wasn't sure it would be a winner.
"I knew it was a pretty good size one," Head said.
Head has been fishing in the Great Rotary Fishing Derby for four years, and when he isn't fishing he works at Forestland Improvement out of Chocorua. With an ear to ear grin, Head yelled to his friends to call his wife, much to the amusement of everyone at the closing ceremonies.
Second prize, and $5,000, went to Lawrence Shipley of Belmont. He was fishing with his grandson Chris Dalton, and caught a 4.8 pound, 26-inch pickerel in Lake Opechee. When asked how the weekend of fishing went, he described it as brutal.
"I don't know, I need a cold one," Shipley said.
Third prize, and $3,000, was awarded to Thomas Knight of Hampton. Knight caught a 30.5 inch, 6.20 pound Cusk in Lake Winnipesaukee. He said that he planned on eating the fish, but it might actually make a memorable mount instead. He said that he would be splitting the money three ways with his crew, and that the money would help them get through the winter. Overall, he said that he was in shock about the big win.
"I feel super," Knight said. "I thought I was hearing things when they called my name."
This Fishing Derby was a bit different than past years, with no more tagged Rainbow Trout, in an effort to make the competition more fair. There were seven fish categories that were considered as winners throughout the weekend: Black Crappie, Pickerel, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cusk, Yellow Perch and White Perch. The largest out of the seven on each day are put into a pool and a winner is picked.
The heaviest fish over the course of the weekend were also awarded $500. Todd Vachon had the largest Black Crappie, Corey Verrill had the largest Cusk, Lawrence Shipley had the largest pickerel and John Denomme caught the biggest Rainbow Trout. Travis Williams caught the largest White Perch and Gerald Miller brought in the biggest Yellow Perch of the weekend.
The talk of the derby on Sunday afternoon was when 13-year-old Tayla Hammond weighed in a 30-inch, 8.6-pound Lake Trout. When walking through the crowd people were talking about the huge trout that a young girl had pulled in that day. That girl was Hammond, and it was one big fish.
Hammond used emerald shiners for bait to catch the huge fish, which tends to roam the cold, deep waters of lakes. She and her father Dwayne had been fishing throughout the weekend in Lake Winnisquam and Hammond managed to pull in a huge one that awarded her $250 for the largest Lake Trout on Sunday, and an additional $500 for having the largest Lake Trout of the Derby.
The Hammonds fish together every weekend, mostly in derbies, and this wasn't the first time she had won a prize. She won $50 in the Country Pond Ice Fishing Derby last weekend.
Tayla Hammond said that she had been fishing since she was 6 years old and that this was definitely the largest fish she had ever caught. While she said it was difficult bringing the trout from the water, her father had a proud smile on his face knowing that his daughter had done well.
"I usually don't catch trout," she said. "I usually catch Crappie and Bass. It was probably the biggest by four pounds."
The five heaviest of each type were hung on the board on both Saturday and Sunday for prizes of $250, $200, $150, $100 and $50. On Saturday the Black Crappie Winners were, in order of placement, Harry Blood, Lee Clark, Elwin Sidney and Stan Welcome had the fourth- and fifth-place finishes.
For Cusk the winners were Corey Verrill, Chris Johnstone, Harry Geiselman, Casey Cook and William Welcome. For Lake Trout the winners were Joe Denoncourt, Paul Kapij, John Varadi, Anthony Vallone and Bruce Marinel.
Pickerel winners were Lawrence Shipley, Christopher King, James Roche, Timothy Jo and Thomas Buskey. Rainbow Trout winners were John Denomme, Craig Pothier, ticket number 4601 which was nameless, Neil Pendleton and Corey Eastman.White Perch winners were Travis Williams taking first and second place, Peter Weeks, Patrick Hart and Paul Dillon. Yellow Perch winners were Robert Brooks, Tristan Chase, Michael Delisle, Mike Stillings and James Pike.
Sunday winners were announced at about 4 p.m. before the grand prize winners. For Yellow Perch the winners in order were Gerald Miller, Mark Jordan, Vincent Decesare, John Wright and Vincent Descesare. White perch winners are were grand prize winner Mark Head, Derek Bonner, Charles Buhrman, Bruce Dionne and Ryan Bonner.
Rainbow Trout winners were Patricia Domenichello, Nick Brown, Kevin Connell and Randy Snook taking fourth and fifth place. The largest Lake Trout in order were caught by Tayla Hammond, Scott Duran, Mike Pelow, Rusty White and Steve Warner.
The largest Cusks were caught by second-place overall winner Thomas Knight, Jamie Perron, Steve Noyes, Roger Carignan and Christopher Parris. The winners for the largest Pickerel went to Steve Dubois, Dennis Taylor, Elena Dabney, David Whitcomb and Jessica Mason. The winners for the Black Crappie category went to Todd Vachon, William Chase, James Nason, William Chamberlin and Dague Clark.


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Around approximately 1900, Harmondsworth Magazine ran this tantalizingly absurd trick picture of a woman seemingly in eight places at once. Goodness, that's a sight normally reserved for the fanciful hallows of the odeon!
Explains the caption, "A ubiquitous young lady who can be in eight places at once — the victim of a photographic freak." Now I want to write a story about the Photographic Freak, a freewheeling blackguard who uses his newfangled Brownie to clone people, so those plutocrats in Washington ban all photography. ("Police sketch artist" thereby becomes the most important career in the land.)
[Via Turn of the Century]


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Having spent the past two full raid nights with Heroic Omnitron Defense System, I've had a few things on my mind. Including, but not limited to, if it's ever appropriate to give a motivational speech to the raid that includes: "would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take… OUR FREEDOM!". Since I'm fairly certain that I can work it in somehow, I've been brushing up on my Scottish accent.
However, setting aside my closeted desire to emulate William Wallace, I've been mulling over the use of interrupts as an "interesting" boss mechanic. We all know that Blizzard works hard to make encounters that are unique and "fun" – but from time to time I find myself facing certain mechanics in encounters that really just don't seem very "fun", and seem to be there just to make someone's life miserable for the 5-10 minutes that the encounter is active.
For me, I'm finding that some of the interrupt requirements that we are seeing in this tier of raid content are more of a nusiance than an interesting mechanic of the encounter. Now please don't get me wrong – I don't think that all of the encounters that have an interrupt requirement are poorly designed, and I do think that some are engaging for the raid, but there are a few that I really don't find "fun" for either the player saddled with the job or the raid as a whole. In fact, I'm pretty sure we have an elemental shaman that weeps the tears of his ancestors every time we get to Maloriak in our raid week.
To better analyze the use of interrupts as an "interesting" mechanic, let's break down the encounters of this tier of content that have a requirement, and rate them.
Maloriak – This encounter has two interrupt components to it, one which I find interesting and well done and one which I think is not interesting. Let's address the latter first. Arcane Storm. In my opinion this is not an interesting mechanic. It basically requires one person to do nothing but sit on the boss with an itchy trigger finger just waiting to interrupt the second you see the cast start. The entirety of this encounter for the person given the task of interrupting Arcane Storm is to sit on the edge of their seat and pray that they don't screw up and wipe the raid. Not particularly fun for them – or interesting as a boss mechanic.
Now if you take the other interruptible ability for this encounter, Release Aberation, I think you have the exact opposite. You have an ability that takes thought and strategy when interrupting. It's interesting. Interrupt at the wrong time and you have, at worst, completely botched that pull or, at best, made it a lot harder for the raid to succeed. There is a reason to have interrupts beyond just blindly interrupting every time spell x is cast. And to me this is an interesting interrupt mechanic. I think it adds depth to the encounter, and enjoy it's placement in the encounter.
Omnitron Defense System – Similarly to Maloriak's Arcane Storm, I do not think that Arcane Annihilator is a particularly "interesting" mechanic. I don't think that it adds anything but more stress to an already very active encounter – and it basically makes the 7-10 minutes of the fight hell for those assigned to the task – even if they only have to deal with it for 50% of the fight while Arcanotron is active.
Arcanotron already has several abilities that define him – and even more so in heroic – that having an interrupt mechanic that adds nothing but "interrupt every time he casts" doesn't really seem necessary, and certainly isn't particularly interesting. I'm fairly confident that all of our interrupters will tell you that they didn't particularly have a lot of "fun" in the time we spent working on this encounter.
I absolutely think that they could have made a more interesting mechanic to pair with Arcanotron's abilities to punish you if you failed to stop DPSing him when his shield went up.
Nefarian – I actually find the interrupts for this encounter to fall into the "interesting" category. They require teamwork and strategy to successfully execute, and they are present for one phase in a three phase encounter. During the course of the fight, your team has to break down your raid to make sure that you have all three platforms adequately covered for interrupts, you have to ensure that your interrupters have good communication on each platform, and you have to make several decisions with regards to how to handle the adds and Nefarian during the phase.
To me, the add phase adds a bit of depth to the encounter and is interesting for the raid.
Halfus Wyrmbreaker – Similarly to Arcane Strom and Arcane Annihilator, I don't find Shadow Nova to be a particularly interesting mechanic. It is again basically assigning one person to sit on Halfus and pretty much do nothing but wait with an itchy trigger finger on his interrupt key. Halfus starts to cast: WIND SHEAR! I'm growing fairly confident that our poor elemental shaman are going to have to replace their keyboards/mice because they've worn out their wind shear binds.
Ascendant Council – There are two interrupts that have to be dealt with in this encounter. One I find interesting (Aegis) and one I find not so interesting (Hydro Lance). Let's start with Hydro Lance – again simply another mechanic of the encounter that requires someone sitting full time on the boss just waiting for him to cast so the ability can be interrupted. Not particularly engaging or interesting. In fact – we've already seen this quite a few times on a number of other bosses!
However, the Aegis I find an interesting mechanic. It's paired in with a damage shield, that requires you to bust the shield before your raid dies, and interrupt his cast (we've seen this mechanic in earlier encounters). This means that your raid not only has to get through his shield, but also needs to recognize when his shield is down and prevent him from continuing to cast. It requires some thought, and isn't just blindly sitting on the boss waiting for him to cast to smash your interrupt key.
Cho'gall – Cho'gall is another encounter that I find the requirement of interrupts to be an interesting and engaging mechanic. Interrupting the adds on Cho'gall requires communication, team work, and won't completely obliviate the raid if one person screws up. It doesn't require one person to sit on the boss full time just waiting for a cast – rather it's a short portion of the encounter that comes up regularly and can be easily handled with good planning and communication. In fact, I'd probably go as far as to say that dealing with the interrupting the adds is probably one of the least stressful part of the encounter.
In conclusion I think that interrupts can be an interesting mechanic in an encounter, but I don't always think that they are. I think if the encounter is designed well the requirement of interrupts can add depth, but if it's designed poorly it only adds tedium and is not a "fun" mechanic. I believe it's probably not an easy balance to strike, and just looking at this tier of content it's clear that the devs had some hits and some misses when working with this mechanic (in my opinion anyhow!).
What do you think of the interrupt mechanic? How would you change certain encounters that have an interrupt requirement that you dislike to make them more engaging and interesting?


text: Health Information Eating a Diet Low in Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, and Cholesterol by Karen Schroeder Kassel, MS, RD, MEdEn Español (Spanish Version)Here's How: | Cholesterol | Healthier Fat Options | Butter vs. MargarineRelated Media: Healthy Eating: Fats and Carbohydrates The major kinds of fats in the foods we eat are saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats, trans fats, and dietary cholesterol raise blood cholesterol levels. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, which can lead to a heart attack. Limiting the amount of fats in your diet and choosing healthier fats can help to reduce that risk. Here is some information to help you sort it out and make changes that can improve your health.Here's How:There are 2 steps to lowering your bad fat intake—Lowering intake of unheathy fats and replacing them with healthy fats.Foods often have more than one type of fat. As a general rule, foods that have mostly saturated fat are thicker (like butter, lard, or cream), while those that are mostly unsaturated are thinner (like oils). Knowing some basics may help you identify and avoid these less healthy options.The body uses saturated fatty acids to function, but we eat and drink more than our bodies need. Some of the foods that are rich in saturated fat include: Whole milkCreamIce creamWhole-milk cheesesMeats (like beef, poultry with skin, or lamb)Saturated fatty acids are also abundant in oils like coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and palm oil. These oils will be semi-solid at room temperature.Many snack foods and fried foods are also rich in saturated fat. Check the Nutrition Facts label to find the saturated fat content of a specific food. Look for oils listed above in the ingredient list. Fortunately, for many of these foods that are naturally rich in saturated fat, there are low-fat versions. Some taste better than others, so try a variety of them to find ones you like. Use these lower-fat versions or occasionally indulge in smaller portions of regular fat foods. Also, try to choose naturally lower-fat foods. For example, have fruit and gingersnaps for dessert instead of ice cream. Consider eating fish and vegetarian-based dinners a few times a week in place of meat.Trans fats are made through a process called hydrogenation. This process takes a vegetable oil, which is naturally high in unsaturated fatty acids and adds hydrogen molecules to it to make it more saturated and more solid.Trans fats can make food taste good and add texture. You will find them in many processed snack foods. Foods that may contain trans fats include: MargarineCookiesCrackersCakesFrench friesFried onion ringsDonuts Look in your pantry and check for trans fats listed on the Nutrition Facts food label. You may also see hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil listed as ingredients. This means the food containstrans fat and should be avoided if possible. CholesterolDietary cholesterol affects cholesterol levels to a much lesser degree than was originally thought and also much less than saturated and trans fats. It is found only in animal foods, not plant foods. Our bodies use cholesterol to carry out necessary bodily functions, but we take in more than we need. Dietary guidelines advise that people consume less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day. You should not eliminate fats from your diet completely, but you can replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Since saturated fat and cholesterol are often found together in foods, by limiting saturated fat, cholesterol intake will go down as well.Healthier Fat OptionsYou can feel good about eating unsaturated fats, in proper amounts. Keep in mind that unsaturated fats still deliver as many calories as the saturated varieties, so keep reasonable portion sizes. There are two types, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. The difference is in their chemical make up, but all that means is that either fat can be used instead of saturated and trans fats.Unsaturated fats can be found in a variety of foods you are familiar with. Some examples include: Certain oils, like safflower, sesame, or soyCertain fish, like salmon, mackerel, or troutNutsSeeds Monounsaturated fats are similar and can also be substitutes for less healthy fats. You will find them in olive, canola, or peanut oils. Avacados are also a good source of monounsaturated fat. Change takes time, so go slowly and make small adjustments to get started. Tips to help you work these fats into your diet include: Combine nuts, seeds, dry cereal, and dried fruit for a snack mix.Use mashed avocado as a sandwich or bagel spread.In sesame oil, saute vegetables, tofu, and peanuts.Bake pecans or walnuts into breads, pancakes, and muffins.Use an oil sprayer for your cooking oils; spray meats and vegetables and sprinkle with herbs before cooking.Coat salmon or tuna steaks in sesame oil and sesame seeds before broiling.If you do not like something, try something different. There is a wide variety of choices you can make that will help you cut back on the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat.Butter vs. Margarine Since both the saturated fat in butter and the trans fat in margarine can raise cholesterol levels, which is the best one to eat? There is no definitive answer to this question. When choosing your spread however, remember that softer is better. Whipped butter has less saturated fat than regular solid butter. Also, liquid or soft margarine in a tub have less saturated and trans fats. Consider substituting an oil-based spread (like olive oil) instead of using butter or margarine.You can also make easy substitutions while cooking or baking. Try liquid vegetable oils such as canola, safflower, soybean, or olive instead of butter or margarine. Remember that whatever you choose, make sure that you limit the amount of fat you are adding to your food.RESOURCES:Academy of Nutrition Dieteticshttp://www.eatright.orgAmerican Heart Associationhttp://www.heart.orgCANADIAN RESOURCES:Health Canadahttp://www.hc-sc.gc.caHeart and Stroke Association of Canadahttp://www.heartandstroke.caReferencesAbout cholesterol. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/About-Cholesterol_UCM_001220_Article.jsp. Updated July 31, 2014. Accessed December 9, 2014.Dietary guidelines for Americans 2010. United States Department of Health and Human Services website. Available at: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf. Updated December 2010. Accessed December 9, 2014.Dietary interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what. Updated October 20, 2014. Accessed December 9, 2014. Mead A, Atkinson G, et al. Dietetic guidelines on food and nutrition in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease-evidence from systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (second update). J Hum Nutr Diet. 2006;19:401-419. Monounsaturated fats. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp. Updated August 5, 2014. Accessed December 9, 2014.Polyunsaturated fats. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Polyunsaturated-Fats_UCM_301461_Article.jsp. Updated October 31, 2014. Accessed December 9, 2014.Trans fats. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article.jsp. Updated August 5, 2014. Accessed December 9, 2014.What are solid fats? United States Department of Agriculture Choose My Plate website. Available at: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/solid-fats.html. Accessed December 9, 2014. Willett WC. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular disease-epidemiological data. Atheroscler Suppl. 2006;7:5-8. Zaloga GP, Harvey KA, et al. Trans fatty acids and coronary heart disease. Nutr Clin Pract. 2006;5:505-512. Last reviewed December 2014 by Michael Woods, MDPlease be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.Editorial PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsSupport


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Some sweet sounds conclude our presentation of the three-volume series l'ANPAC Presente with Volume 3 (AN 400 3, 1984). Like musicians on Volumes One and Two, Pierre Claver Zeng Ebome, who performs "Eyala," has been active in Gabonese politics for many years, holding various posts in the government of President Omar Bongo as well as being elected to Parliament. Norbert Epandja, who gives us the lovely "N'oublie Jamais," has been involved in politics of a different sort, as president of the Musicians' Union of Gabon. I can tell you nothing about the other talented musicians here. Enjoy l'ANPAC Presente Vol. 3!
Download l'ANPAC Presente Vol. 3 as a zipped file here.


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Jones, Golic Jr. have Notre Dame dads on mind
Notre Dame wide receiver T.J. Jones has plenty on his mind as he prepares for the talented Alabama secondary he'll face in the BCS championship game Jan. 7 in Miami.
Still, he can't help thinking about his late father, Andre, who died in June 2011 at age 42 after suffering a brain aneurysm. The elder Jones played on Notre Dame's 1988 national championship team, and T.J. grew up hearing stories about his dad's coach, Lou Holtz. His godfather is Raghib ''Rocket'' Ismail, the team's star receiver and kick returner, and he stays in touch with many of his father's Fighting Irish teammates.
T.J. keeps his dad's championship ring at home because his mother is afraid he would lose it at school. He hopes to place his own right next to it.
''Before I came here, we used to always talk about how cool it would be if we both won the national championship, especially if we won it at Notre Dame, once I committed here in high school,'' Jones said after practice Thursday. ''So I definitely have a more personal tie-in with what it means than somebody else might.''
Jones isn't the only Irish player following in his father's footsteps. He's also one of several members of the nation's top-ranked team who have overcome obstacles and setbacks to make it to college football's biggest stage.
Last year, Mike Golic Jr., whose father was a star defensive tackle for the Irish in the early 1980s and currently co-hosts a morning talk show on ESPN, had been unable to win a starting job on the offensive line. As a graduate student this season, his hard work and determination changed that.
Golic said there were times when he struggled to go on, but his dad was always there with encouragement and advice.
''You have to stay sharp,'' he said his father told him. ''You have to stay ready. If I wasn't ready when my number was called, then I'm letting everyone else down as well as myself. Staying ready and being accountable for what I was responsible for in my role on the team at that point, was his message to me.''
Golic said he appreciates how tough it will be to protect quarterback Everett Golson from Alabama's swarming pass rush, but he's confident.
''They're big, strong, talented college football players,'' Golic said. ''Fortunately for us, we go against big, strong, talented guys every day in practice, on our defense. Our defense is built very similar to theirs - a lot of very talented guys, big bodies, who play a very similar scheme and similar techniques. It's been really a tremendous tool for us. ... It's going to really help us a lot.''
Freshman cornerback KeiVarae Russell was recruited as a running back and came to Notre Dame with dreams of scoring touchdowns. Instead, coach Brian Kelly moved him to defense before fall camp started.
''Of course I always think about what it would be like if I played running back,'' Russell said. ''But it would have been tough to have a big impact coming in this year, with (running backs) Cierre Wood and Theo Riddick having such great seasons, and George Atkinson III. If Coach said I could play running back next year, I wouldn't do it because I've come to enjoy corner a lot.''
The transition wasn't exactly seamless. Russell had to learn a new position and completely shift how he prepares for the game. The touchdown pass he gave up during the season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, still sticks in his mind.
''I think I've gotten a lot better,'' Russell said. ''My confidence has increased from the first game, when I allowed that touchdown. I was beat down after that. But I've kept getting more experience throughout the year, learning the techniques of other players and the schemes of our defense.''
Russell said he embraces the challenge of guarding Alabama receiver Amari Cooper, also a freshman.
''He's very strong, runs great routes, knows how to attack the ball,'' Russell said. ''It's going to be fun, me and him looking each other in the eye, freshman to freshman. I'm going to be looking him in the eye, every play, and letting him know I'm here.''


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text: [i:Vibes] :: View topic - Infusion @ Labour of Love - Koolhaus, Toronto (Sept 5th.2004) Guidelines FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Bookmarks Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Main Menu Frontpage News Reviews Interviews Party Reports Artist Profiles Label profiles Diaries Tutorials What is... Links Radio-info Interactive Forum User Stats Info FAQ Crew-info i:Vibes Info Site Updates Infusion @ Labour of Love - Koolhaus, Toronto (Sept 5th.2004) [i:Vibes] Forum Index -> Party Reports View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message [i:Vibes] SystemSystem RoleVibes: 0.00Joined: 01 May 2001Member #: 6Posts: 8821 Post subject: Infusion @ Labour of Love - Koolhaus, Toronto (Sept 5th.2004 Discuss this [i:Vibes] article here! [i][b]Article teaser:[/b][/i] Infusion are still on their Summer 2004 Tour, with the new album on the way, they played Labour of Love 3 on September 5th.2004. Did the show meet expectations? Post rating: 0 Rate this post: Not logged in Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2004 2:08 am Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First [i:Vibes] Forum Index -> Party Reports All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Spam----------------Spam posts Music----------------Music discussion (trance, techno, progressive and other genres)EquipmentArtist and Label NewsRadio BroadcastsMusic Production and DJ Mix PromotionClub Listings Non-music related----------------Other discussionBuy & Sell [i:Vibes]----------------Site Feedback and Help Content Discussion----------------News DiscussionReview DiscussionInterview DiscussionTutorial DiscussionWhat is...Party ReportsArtist ProfilesLabel Profiles You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou can delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou cannot attach files in this forumYou can download files in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group


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Thomas Bortvit of Branson, Mo., and the late Katherine (Schroeder) Bortvit formerly of Estherville, would like the announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystal Jo Bortvit, to Michael Alan Starr, son of Ray Starr and Carol (Linder) Starr of Hartley.
Crystal is a graduate of Estherville-Lincoln Central High School and currently is working at Hilltop Care Center. Michael is a graduate of Castro Valley High School in California and moved to Iowa in 2010. He currently is working for Polaris Industries.The couple met June 2, 2012. They recently moved from Estherville to Hartley.
They got engaged Feb. 28, 2013 on Crystal's birthday and are due to be married on June 14, 2014 in Spencer.


text: Dunanda Falls is on Boundary Creek in the SW corner of Yellowstone Park. It is 150 feet high with several hot springs just below it. The falls faces due south, and because of the mostly clear vertical drop, it creates a lot of mist and spray when the water hits the rocks at the base. During a full moon on a clear night, the moon will create a lunar rainbow in the mist or a moonbow. While I was standing watching the moonbow, it looked like a shimmery silvery blue arch. The digital chip saw the color with long exposures. I was here in 2001 on an assignment for National Geographic and made a few photographs with ISO 100 film which required an exposure time of one minute. I returned on the blue moon in Aug 2012 to use a more sensitive photography device, with an ISO of 800 or more. My exposure times ranged from 8 seconds to 15 seconds. One of the problems was dealing with the mist coming downstream which fogged up the surface of my lenses. Another problem was negotiating the extremely steep hillside in the dark with a small headlamp, in the narrow canyon below the falls. I had scheduled 4 nights around the full moon to be sure I caught it when the night sky was clear.


text: Nick Viall's Engagement Ring Look-alikes April 11, 2017 Natasha Bachelor, Bachelorette, Blog (0) It's no secret that we all adore The Bachelor, but, in truth, we're bigger fans of the engagement rings that highlight the show. This season, it's no surprise that everyone's making a huge fuss about the latest engagement ring--Vanessa Grimaldi's! First of all, we have to applaud Nick Viall for choosing one of the most gorgeous engagement rings from all the seasons of the show. Yet, even though the ring is rumored to be quite pricey, you can get a look-alike version with the same prestige and beauty. (Source: www.abc.com) Reality Show Replica Some say Nick went a little overboard with this ring, weighing in at over four carat, but when you're a celebrity couple that found love on a reality TV show, can you expect anything less? Our first lookalike is just as breathtaking as Nick's pick, with its diamond platinum band and three centre stones. Each stone is set within diamond filigree, just like the famous Bachelor ring. Moreover, the stones are designed with the same shape and craftsmanship; you can't get much closer than that, ladies! Timeless Twin Much like Vanessa's ring, this next Bachelor twin is classy with a vintage touch. With its circular diamonds, encased by haloes of smaller sparklers, this piece is fit for the celebrity lifestyle. This ring by Gottlieb & Sons is also available in platinum, allowing you to draw even more similarity to the reality TV ring. The only difference? The bottom of the band doesn't have in-set diamonds, but since this design remains more classic, you'll love it eternally. Ideally Identical Another traditional looking twin to Nick's selection is this elegant piece by Gottlieb & Sons , featuring a large centre stone, two accent stones and an eternity band. The square-shaped outline of the circular centre stone creates a nice contrast that makes it pop, a lofty touch which lends this ring a celebrity aura. The baguette-cut side stones also draw a striking resemblance to Vanessa's ring. Plus, the intricate filigree gives this ring a palpably romantic feel. Neil Lane would be proud. Simply Sisters The last look-alike on our list could definitely be mistaken for Nick's chosen engagement ring. It's vintage with a modern touch because of its stone-encrusted band, helping it reflect light in the same manner. Also, the diamonds feature a similar round cut, and the diamond filigree is almost identical. Finally, it's made of platinum much like the Bachelor ring! We may not know Vanessa personally, but we're pretty sure she would've said yes to this old soul too! Each of these rings, though all quite similar, have their own unique flare that will allow you to carry a hint of your personality while still staying true to the Bachelor style. So,now that we've reviewed the top picks, you can affordably copy Vanessa's ring and feel like you're the star of your very own reality show. Except unlike The Bachelor, your hubby-to-be didn't have to date 20 women at the same time before proposing-- thank goodness!


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Awesomefinnz was caught during the completing of his soap statue. "I was trying to make a Bolsillos statue! I didn't do anything bad!" -Awesomefinnz
They set it up very well. I'm surprised I got fooled.
I had 95% of the site fooled.
Bu-bu-But Brocky said it was 127% true. How could that NOT seem like legit information?
Brocky is a general,how are members suppose to feal safe when we cant even trust the generals,I accept apologize but it will take time so I can trust in generals again.
It seems that some of you did not get the message and is still getting hyped from a false announcement. Brocky's announcement about the multiplayer was a prank. None of it was true, and Geoff posted in it to make it look official. (I was pranked as well! x) I am sorry if the prank made the LL and MA look untrustable. If you lost our trust, we hope to earn it back.
GuysWhy u no love prank?
Because it was a very cruel prank.
Next time I make a prank i'll do it on April first mmk. xoxox
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Over the past few decades, I have watched the financial industry change. Some parts have evolved quite slowly, while others shift rapidly. But I am always amazed at how some business models manage to hang on despite overwhelming proof of their lack of purpose or value added.
Some parts of the investment world exist simply because people don't know better. The information is out there, but it is obscured by a relentless parade of advertising, promotion and marketing. The truth gets lost behind a smokescreen of noise and deception. Indeed, there are increasing numbers of people who are employed for just that purpose.
Ignorance: It's a job creator.
But rather than merely complain, what if we take a look at the parts of the financial industry that don't create value.
Fund of funds: I have been critical of hedge funds that charge too much for the privilege of failing to deliver alpha, or market-beating returns. But what should we make of the fund of funds that charge an additional fee for the privilege of selecting underperforming hedge funds for investors? However they get paid — a layered fee on top of other fees, or directly from the hedge fund — they create conflicts of interest and/or drags on returns. How these continue to exist is beyond my comprehension.
Retail commission brokerage: I am perplexed at how long the retail-brokerage industry has managed to hang around. In the late 1990s, I expected it to come to an ignominious end. It morphs and thrives, even while under pressure from many different directions.
Financial pundits: My colleague Josh Brown has masterfully dissected this group in a new book, "Clash of the Financial Pundits: How the Media Influences Your Investment Decisions for Better or Worse." (Disclosure: I am the subject of one chapter of the book.) I don't think it is a spoiler to say that half the pundits out there are worthless, self-promotional weasels who do nothing for investors and traders. As to the other half, well you need to make up your own mind about them. Suffice it to say the decent pundits are smart, circumspect and consider their words carefully.
Newsletter writers: I continue to be astounded that this has thrived as a sub-industry of finance. Promises of 1,000 percent gains, stock-picking excellence and incomparable market-timing skills don't pass the sniff test. Basic math informs us that anyone who has developed a true alpha-generating technique would garner far higher returns than selling those secrets in a newsletter. Just as an aside: You need to distinguish between those folks who provide analytical insight about a specific topic that requires expertise — energy exploration, biotech, even economics — and the get-rich-quick promises that fill my inbox. The former have value, the latter are useless.
Public relations/investor relations: Each day, my inbox is filled with some nonsensical announcement from the bowels of irrelevant companies. I'm not referring to everyone who works in PR or IR. Some of you actually look at the subject areas I spend most of my time writing about, and send me relevant and interesting information on that area. I only refer to the other 98 percent, the time-wasting idiots who impose a tax on the rest of the world by blasting out a relentless firehose of meaningless drivel.
Exploiting greed continues to be an excellent marketing strategy. It serves as a reminder we should never underestimate the ongoing failure of human intelligence.
See where Ritholtz ranked in BrightScope's 10 Most Influential Advisors on Social Media on ThinkAdvisor.


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At this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, issues of health and wellness are at the center of numerous events and gatherings. Those topics have been addressed here before -- an initiative called Workplace Wellness Alliance was started in 2009 -- but interest has increased substantially since then and has now gotten the attention of leaders and representatives of businesses and countries from around the world.
"In today's environment of economic uncertainty, individuals, institutions and countries are striving for greater adaptability and resilience against setbacks while continuing towards improving competitiveness in an ever-changing world," wrote Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the Forum in the opening statement of this year's program. "In this context, organizations, in their role as employers, have an even greater responsibility to nurture employee resilience; there is strong evidence that a healthy workforce is vital to a country's competitiveness, productivity and well-being."
Dismal statistics about growing stress and burnout at work underline the importance of paying greater attention to work-related health problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 350 million people suffer from mostly stress-related depression worldwide. It is one of the leading causes of disability and a contributing factor in multiple so-called non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer.
While a certain amount of stress in the workplace is considered unavoidable and can even be an integral part of productivity, unhealthy stress levels are reached when workers face demands and pressures that exceed their abilities or are beyond their control or leave them feel unsupported. By contrast, the WHO states, "a healthy working environment is one in which there is not only an absence of harmful conditions but an abundance of health-promoting ones." This includes, but is not limited to, the "availability of health-promoting organizational support practices and structures."
As self-evident as some of these descriptions may seem, employers have not always been quick to recognize their role in addressing the health concerns of their workforce. Traditionally, even employer-sponsored healthcare systems like in the United States have not systematically engaged in preventive measures to reduce illnesses and injuries in the workplace. But with rising insurance premiums and other healthcare-related costs, businesses feel the need to invest more in the welfare of their workers, not only because it is the right thing to do but also because it is in their own interest.
According to Buck Consultants, a global consulting firm specializing in human resources, work-related stress is now considered a top health risk and drives workplace wellness programs in many parts of the world. In addition to skyrocketing direct healthcare expenses, absenteeism (sick leave) and presenteeism (workers show up for work but are not fully productive) cost companies billions of dollars in annual losses, much of which could be prevented.
The issue should not only concern the business world. The last thing any society can afford is to have a large part of its working population burned out and forced into early retirement because of disability, said Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's former labor minister who became lately the country's first female defense secretary. "These cases are no longer just the exception. It's a trend that we have to do something about," she said in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), the French news agency.
Nearly one out of every 10 sick days is due to psychological illness, yet labor protection still covers almost exclusively physical health problems, even in Germany where labor laws are already relatively strict compared to other countries, including the U.S.
Under von der Leyen's leadership, the German government has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the risk of burnout among workers and vowed to explore possible solutions.
But ultimately it will be up to business leaders to create more health-conducive work environments where workers can thrive instead of being used up for the sake of increased but short-lived productivity.


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A Dangerous Woman
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|No, this isn't the femme fatale romance the word "dangerous" suggests. Instead, the eponymous character is a mildly retarded woman, Martha (Winger), whose simplistic view on life places her in ethically compromising positions. When a hunky Irish handyman (Byrne) comes on the scene and seduces both her and the aunt with whom she lives (Hershey), Martha awakens to feelings she has never experienced. Winger's performance is both sensitive and provocative, but is wasted in a film filled with two-dimensional characters, and really, not too much of a point. Adapted from a novel by Mary McGarry Morris. Screenplay by Foner, wife of director Gyllenhaal.
|Directed by:
|Stephen Gyllenhaal
|Naomi Foner, Gramercy Pictures
|Debra Winger, Barbara Hershey, Gabriel Byrne, David Strathairn, Chloe Webb, John Terry, Jan Hooks, Paul Dooley, Viveka Davis, Richard Riehle, Laurie Metcalf


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Revolution has sparked a lot of debates between fans — Is Charlie too whiny? Is Rachel working for the wrong side? What caused the friggin' blackout?!? — but one topic notably absent from discussions is whether the militia is as evil as Charlie thinks. The Monroe Republic's law enforcers are one of the more interesting aspects of the series, yet simply because Charlie views them as the enemy, are we supposed to as well? Hmm... we're going to need a little more evidence then that. Until then, here are a few reasons why the militia might be gravely misunderstood.
It was born from love The militia wasn't founded as some integral part of Monroe's (David Lyons) scheme for world domination. In fact, Monroe didn't even found it! Our favorite reluctant hero Miles (Billy Burke) was the one who started and cultivated the organization into what we now see. And as the flashbacks have made abundantly clear, the world immediately post-blackout was not a nice place to live. Without electricity or a social structure, society collapsed and it was dog-eat-dog (and probably dog-eat-man and man-eat-dog, too). Miles didn't found the militia to take over the world — he did it to save lives and restore peace! Though it's clearly gotten a little sidetracked, do you really think the militia has lost all touch with its true purpose?
Who is Rachel? Revolution's Elizabeth Mitchell opens up about her mysterious character
Charlie owes the militia an apology Charlie (Tracy Spiridakos) loves to whine, and short of "Everybody leaves me," and "What happened to you, Miles?" her next favorite target is the militia. She struts around spouting off how evil and corrupt the militia is, but what Charlie doesn't realize is the moral high horse she's sitting on might as well have a big "M" branded onto its haunches. Charlie should be thanking the militia for her sheltered upbringing that has allowed her to be so morally elite. Without the militia to stop constant looting, pillaging and rape, Charlie would have lost her glossy innocence years ago (in more ways than one). So before she goes off again on another militia-directed tirade, maybe she should ask herself what kept her old community so quiet and safe (even if their methods are not necessarily ideal)?
Militiamen are people, too! Charlie and the gang seem to have a hard time understanding the world outside themselves. Take for instance, understanding the fact that militia soldiers are people trying to do their jobs and stay alive — just like them!
Revolution: The trouble with Charlie
In "Sex and Drugs" Charlie agrees to assassinate a rival for Drexel, and Aaron (Zak Orth) can't believe she would kill an innocent man. "This isn't some militia soldier," Aaron pleads. "Charlie, [the rivals] are innocent. This is murder!" And though Charlie shouldn't make a habit of killing innocent people, she and Aaron should also realize that just because you don a militia uniform doesn't mean your heart is replaced by a black lump of coal.
To generalize the militia as a band of evil, mustachioed villains is to dehumanize it, which — if Charlie wants to maintain her moral supremacy — she needs to refrain from doing. Killing militia soldiers is sometimes necessary, but if Charlie stops feeling guilty for murder simply because of the clothes someone is wearing or the job they have, soon she'll find herself on the wrong side of the moral spectrum.
When will Revolution reveal reason behind the blackout? Boss Eric Kripke tells all
Does the head poison the entire body? Let's just say it: Monroe is evil. There's no question about that. The guy treats women like disposable objects, he tears apart families and he is definitely not afraid of murder. Oh, and we almost forgot to mention his narcissistic scheme for world domination. Summary: The dude is bad news. But does that mean everyone working for him is, too?
Above the level of anonymous foot soldiers, let's think about the militiamen we know best: Neville and Jason. While it's clear Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) can be ruthless in the line of duty, we also saw through flashbacks that he truly believes he's doing what is necessary to protect his family. Overall, he seems to be a pretty nice guy who just has a couple of skewed ideas.
Jason (JD Pardo), on the other hand, appears to be a great guy who's in a tough situation. Torn between pleasing his dad and protecting the girl he likes, Jason is more confused than evil. That doesn't mean we shouldn't expect Jason to do despicable things as the show goes on, but it's hard to imagine him ever doing them with a malicious intent.
Revolution's Elizabeth Mitchell and Giancarlo Esposito share their theories on the blackout
Of course, we have seen some militia soldiers who are total jerks, but it's not as though the rebels seem to be any better. In "Soul Train," Hutch would rather stab Nora (Daniella Alonso) and blow up a train than save a few innocent lives. Does that sound like one of the good guys to you?
Maybe the lesson of Revolution is this: there is no good or evil. As the series peels away the layers of motivation behind characters' actions each week, we constantly learn that not everything is as it appears. So let's hold off judgment on the militia for a little while longer. Who knows? Maybe we'll be seeing Miles taking charge again and reinstating the militia to its once imagined glory.
What do you think about the militia? Would you like to see it become a force of good?


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I've just entered Project Voldemort (a NoSQL key-value datastore) site, and saw something interesting:
"Unlike MySQL replication, both reads and writes scale horizontally"
Well, seems like this statement tries to compare Valdemort with a MySQL traditional RDBMS. Yet, MySQL Cluster is also part of the MySQL solution family. It can scale writes and reads horizontally.
- Wasn't this statement a little bit unfair to MySQL?
- Can MySQL Cluster scale well at all?


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There has been much division over the happenings of Ferguson, MO these past few months. For those who may be totally unaware, Michael Brown, an 18 year old black man was killed by a white police officer on August 9th, 2014.
Some believe that Darren Wilson (the cop) killed Michael Brown (the young man) in cold blood. Others believe that Darren Wilson was attacked by Michael Brown and in order to protect himself killed Michael Brown. Some would say we should just wait until the jury comes out with their decision.
While I do believe that the Justice System needs to run it's course, I also believe that we need to assure that the truth is being fed to the jury and the general population.
Here is the testimony of eyewitness accounts from people whom didn't even know Michael Brown: Tiffany Mitchell, Michael Brady, Piaget Crenshaw and a couple construction workers.
The issue with Ferguson is that the controllers of the narrative should be the eyewitnesses not the Ferguson Police Department (who had been under investigation from the Department of Justice even before Michael Brown's killing).
My fear is that the jury is likely being fed evidence in the same way that we are being fed evidence. The evidence is selective and much of it is untrue. So the question is, "Who controls the narrative?"
After the murder of Mike Brown, the Ferguson police chief makes the statement on national news that Mike Brown was killed within 35 feet of the police car. Yet in fact he was over 100 feet away. Why would the police chief not state the actual distance? Could he have been making it appear that Darren Wilson was indeed in danger of his life? It is definitely more believable why a police officer would fear for his life when there is a danger 35 feet away as opposed to 100 feet away.
Missouri State Representative Jeff Roorda also serves as Vice President of Shield of Hope- the charitable wing of the Fraternal Order of Police union. This organization has raised over half a million dollars for Darren Wilson. Why is money even needed? He is still on the payroll. He has yet to be charged with a crime and thus has no legal fees. These funds are not to help him in a time of need but rather appear to be payment for a job well done.
Jeff Roorda has often stepped in as a spokesperson for the St. Louis County Police yet he was fired from the police force of Arnold (St. Louis suburb) in 2001 for filing a false statement against a suspect in 1997 and then against his own police chief in 2001. Roorda later became police chief of another St. Louis suburb and a business manager for the St. Louis Police Officers Association.
Is this one of the people that we want controlling the narrative of what actually took place in Ferguson? One who has made it very clear that he doesn't want police wearing body cameras?
A few weeks ago the St. Louis Post Dispatch released an article stating that there was substantial evidence that sided with Darren Wilson's story. Most believe these so-called facts were leaked by the Ferguson Police Department. But under further scrutiny, it is obvious that the information leaked didn't validate what they were in fact trying to claim. Watch Lawrence O'Donnell from MSNBC press the forensic pathologist.
Check out the statement following this report from the Justice Department: "The department considers the selective release of information in this investigation to be irresponsible and highly troubling. Since the release of the convenience-store footage, there seems to be an inappropriate effort to influence public opinion about this case."
Why is the Ferguson Police releasing selective information, even when it is untrue? Because they know that if you change the narrative, you win the people. Why was no police report filed after the murder, which in fact goes against Missouri law? Because they needed time to put a story together. Even with three months, their story is falling apart. Why? Because people are questioning the narrative.
How we view the police will determine whether we take what the police say at face value or dig deeper. I get nervous every time a police car is behind me. Why? Because I have had dozens of bad experiences with the police. Unlike many Americans, I don't live in Mayberry. While there are many good cops in my neighborhood, there are many bad cops also in my neighborhood.
I've had a gun pointed at me about 6x in my life. Never by a stick up man. Always by a cop. You know how scary that is? Because I am white I know the cops can only get away with so much with me. They don't have the same fear with black men. They do what they want as is seen with the following situations of which all happened recently.
Police in Beavercreek, OH kill John Crawford while holding an unloaded BB gun in Walmart.
Highway Patrol in Columbia, SC unloads on a man at a gas station.
Police in NJ arrested Marcus Jeter for "resisting arrest" and "trying to take his gun" but didn't know that their setup was caught on camera.
Police in Brooklyn, NY brutally beat a 16 year old kid and are caught on video.
Silence lets injustice continue. We cannot remain silent. We must assure that police do not create the narrative they want to be told. We must not believe that every cop is a good cop. We must not believe that every young black man is a criminal. I side with the peaceful protests of Ferguson and call for my white brothers and sisters to listen to the anger and frustration of the protestors. Anger is not an evil. The Bible commands us to be angry. Yet let's direct the anger into seeing justice played out in our cities across this country. Let's see the end to senseless deaths of our black brothers and sisters at the hand of those who we pay to serve and protect.


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CELTICS: Boston gets hot late to defeat the Suns 87-79
BOSTON >> Jeff Green scored 14 points, rookie Jared Sullinger added 12 points and a career-best 16 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics recovered from a dreadful third quarter with a big rally to start the fourth and held off the slumping Phoenix Suns 87-79 on Wednesday night.
The Celtics survived a scoring drought that spanned almost half of the third quarter, scoring just 14 in the period before regaining the lead and taking command against the road-weary Suns, who lost their 11th straight away from home.
Jason Terry added 13 points as Boston's reserves outscored Phoenix's 47-16. Kevin Garnett was the only Boston starter to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds.
The Celtics (18-17) have won four straight and are back above .500 for the first time in two weeks.
Marcin Gortat had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and Jared Dudley scored 14 while pulling down 10 boards for the Suns, who lost their fourth straight and fell to 2-16 on the road. Luis Scola scored 16 and Goran Dragic finished with 10 points for Phoenix, which gave the Celtics a scare in the third quarter.
The Suns were coming off a 108-99 loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday, when they were outscored 58-43 in the second half and lost their 10th straight on the road.
The outlook wasn't good after the first half Wednesday with Boston leading 53-41, but the Suns responded with a torrid run early in the third quarter, shutting out Boston for 5:59 while scoring 17 straight. Dudley hit a 3-pointer and Gortat scored six during the spurt, putting back an offensive rebound that gave Phoenix a 56-55 lead with 6:59 left in the period.
Boston fans went silent at first as the big lead dwindled, then started booing as the Celtics continued to struggle. Rajon Rondo finally snapped the scoreless skid on a jumper with 5:42 left in the period, cutting Phoenix's lead to 58-57. The Celtics hadn't scored since Garnett's jumper 19 seconds into the third.
Boston regained enough composure to lead 67-64 after three, then quickly took command by opening the final quarter with an 11-2 run. Terry started it with a 3-pointer and Garnett added four points before setting up Green for an alley-oop dunk to put Boston up 78-66 with 7:45 remaining.
Notes: Rondo returned from a one-game suspension for making contact with a referee and failure to cooperate with a league investigation. He finished with eight points and eight assists. ... Boston coach Doc Rivers was called for a technical late in the third period, then Rondo and Phoenix's P.J. Tucker drew dual technicals early in the fourth. ... The Celtics opened the game 4 for 11 from the floor and trailed 24-23 at the end of the first quarter, then shot 57 percent in the second quarter while outscoring Phoenix 30-17 in the period. ... The Suns committed seven turnovers in the second quarter ... Sullinger's previous high for rebounds was 11 against Toronto on Nov 17.


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- Cover a Post A note
- Use some kind of Die Cut for a background
- Purple is this week's color
- Use a butterfly or something from nature
Thursday, March 29, 2012
This Week's Challenge
6 comments:
- Donna said...
This is gorgeous, Selma. What a fun project. Looking forward to trying this one out.
- March 29, 2012 at 8:07 AM
- Caroline D. said...
Another beauty Selma!! Sounds like fun to work in 'minature' on post it notes. Or at least I will... I only have the little 2.5 x 2.5's notes.... or those super tiny ones. lol
- March 29, 2012 at 9:03 AM
- Darlene said...
FABULOUS challenge idea and I had so much fun using the new techniques I learned at Joan's last weekend! Thanks ladies ... you're the BEST!
- March 29, 2012 at 11:47 AM
- Mrs A. said...
Tried making the flowers again but they still came out looking blue in the photo and I didn't have another 3"x3" post it note only the next size up of 3" x5". Enjoyed the challenge though and was determined to play.
- March 31, 2012 at 2:55 PM
- Unknown said...
thank you for the fun challenge
Selma your note pad cover is so very pretty like every thing that you did
very pretty butterfly
have a very nice day
- April 4, 2012 at 6:14 AM
- Theresa's Studio said...
Thanks for this fun challenge and another great idea.
- April 4, 2012 at 12:30 PM


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Singtrix: The Karaoke Machine That Makes You Sound Like a Rock God
"Bohemian Rhapsody," the anthemic Queen song that few, if any, rational people would attempt singing — that's what I chose to belt out. My booming voice carried out of the conference room and into the hall, where a slowly gathering group of co-workers listened in wonder.
I sounded awesome.
In fact, I never sounded so good. It was my voice or at least my voice as interpreted by the tech wizardry behind Singtrix, a $299 karaoke/party singing kit that did things with my voice that I didn't think were possible.
Invented by John Devecka, Eric Berkowitz, and Kai and Charles Huang, four people who helped create the tech behind Guitar Hero, Singtrix is a variation on that same theme. It uses your favorite songs and real-time interaction and processing to turn non-musicians into rock gods. In other words, it's like the ultimate karaoke machine: one that makes you sound like you can actually sing.
"If you're bad, you'll sound good. If you're good, you'll sound great," explained Devecka.
The kit is deceptively simple, but, at least in my brief hands-on time, surprisingly effective. It consists of a pro-level mic-stand with holders for your iPad Min or full-size iPad (or your iPhone), a pro-level detachable mic, a 40-1att, 2.1-channel speaker with built-in subwoofer and the Singtrix module, which is where all the magic happens. The whole kit is fairly lightweight and easy-to-move (we moved it between offices and had it up and running each time within a matter of minutes), though I do wish the speaker had a handle.
The mic connects directly to the module, which pumps sound out to the speaker, though you can choose to attach headphones or smaller, less room-filling speakers to the module. The iPads and iPhones are there to supply the songs and to run the free app from Karaoke Anywhere.
Singtrix is a subscription-based service (it comes with a small collection of free songs) that will give you access to songs and lyrics, which scroll on your iPhone or iPad screen. If you want, however, to play songs from your own iTunes collection, you can do that, instead. You connect your mobile device to Singtrix and it does the job of scooping out the vocals while leaving the music behind.
Singtrix's orange face offers a handful of simply labeled buttons and dials. Berkowitz told us you can get as complex or as simple as you want. Whatever you choose, Singtrix is altering your voice in real-time, fixing the pitch and matching your key to the song's, adding reverb, and, if you want, completely changing the sound of your voice. It can even add multi-part harmonies.
You can also use two voice enhancements at once and switch between them using a button on the microphone. At one point, I was talking to myself: One setting made my voice very deep, another made me sound like a woman. In another instance, I sounded like Barry White. That same button is useful if, say, you only want to activate harmonies at a certain point in the song: Hit the button and harmonizing is on; release, and it's off.
Most memorably, though, I sang a version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" the late Freddy Mercury might not totally hate. I also noticed that the mic is sensitive enough that I could hold it eight inches or so from my face, sing quietly and still sound amazing through the speaker.
There are, according to Berkowitz and Devecka, 350 presets, including special effects like the robot voice, and others that are designed around specific songs and song styles. Once you start singing over some of your own music, it's likely you'll be fighting off others who want to go next.
Singtrix is taking pre-orders this month and starts shipping in Dec. We expect to get our hands on a review unit shortly. Still, I won't soon forget the feeling of walking out of that conference room and facing my co-workers, who greeted me with a little round of applause. I wanna be a rock star.
Image: Mashable


text: Following the success of several gloomy post-punk revival bands, the Cinematics formed in 2003 and hail from Glasgow, Scotland, after originally meeting in Dingwall. Inspired by the likes of the Cure and Echo&the Bunnymen, the band includes guitarist Ramsay Miller, bassist Adam Goemans, drummer Ross Bonney, and vocalist/guitarist Scott Rinning. By 2005, the Cinematics were touring the U.K. with Ambulance LTD, the Editors, and Brendan Benson, also signing with TVT Records. Their first single, "Chase," was released in September 2006 and produced by Stephen Hague (Blur, New Order). A full-length, A Strange Education, came out the following year. ~ Kenyon Hopkin


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When the folks at Hustler Video asked us if we wanted to see exclusive photos from their new swords-and-skins-and-sandals flick This Ain't Conan The Barbarian XXX 3D, we said, "Sure!" Then they sent us a photo of star Lee Stone fanning himself in front of a green screen.
And we we were all like, "Man, the industry's become way more experimental as of late. It looks like today's modern consumer is titillated by symbolism. Is society the fan? Or the green screen?"
Just kidding! They also gave us images of actress Jazy Berlin as Valeria, wearing armor that is definitely not able to absorb a blow from a broadsword. All of these images are extremely NSFW: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Also, here's the nudity-free preview, which promises a recreation of the disturbing Thulsa Doom orgy sequence. Is someone going to make the requisite trouser snake gag? I'll do it if no one volunteers.


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I was struck by a glaring contrast on the Sun's commentary page this past Sunday. First, I read the column by former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. ("Churchill dilemmas repeat today," Nov. 24). Before too long it had degenerated into Mr. Ehrlich's usual sarcastic denigration of all things progressive, which he characterizes as "long on utopian vision and short on ability to pay."
Then my eyes moved to the left of Mr. Ehrlich's column to the one written by Freeman A. Hrabowski III, the highly successful president of UMBC ("50 years in American education equity". Mr. Hrabowski recounted some of progressivism's notable triumphs and told how the vision of equity in education has been aided by the funding provided from taxpayer dollars by the Maryland General Assembly for the founding and maintenance of UMBC and how this has helped open the door to successful higher education for previously disenfranchised minority individuals.
Mr. Hrabowski concluded that "Now more than ever, we must make the investments in education that are so critical to our future." Our state, our country, and our people do much better when we empower progressive leaders like Mr. Hrabowski and say "No thank you" to the regressive rhetoric of Mr. Ehrlich and his ilk.
John Bonn, Towson
To respond to this letter, send an email to email@example.com. Please include your name and contact information.


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Column: The NBA has a tanking problem that keeps getting worse
If you hoped to spend your Christmas afternoon on the couch, avoiding the sea of torn-up wrapping paper from the holiday gift carnage and taking in some quality NBA games well, blame New York. And the salary cap. and the draft. And David Stern.
First, the old, battered and disinterested New York Nets invited an equally battered but far more prideful Bulls team into their billion-dollar Barclays Center to hang an ugly, 18-point loss on them.
That seemed destined to be the dud of the day until the next game came on.
The Knicks, who have played 49 Christmas Day games in the organization's storied history, never had lost by as many as 29 points at home for the holiday. And yet, just 17 days after losing by 41 points at their refurbished Madison Square Garden to a flaccid Celtics team, the Knicks had neither the firepower nor self-respect to stop the Oklahoma City Thunder from trouncing them.
The Knicks and Nets both fell to 9-19 and are only 2 ½ games out of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Of course, calling what is going on in the East a race is like calling the open swim session at the senior center a meet.
Boston is in possession of the final playoff slot in the East. If you were to ask any Celtics fan, that would be considered a disaster. After all, the entire point of Boston shipping Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets was to rebuild with that all-too common ploy, The Tank.
The Sixers went in the tank, although in their defense the Andrew Bynum debacle left them little option but to begin the scrap-and-start-over process. The problem is, more and more teams are trying to jump into the extremely shallow pool from which a couple of truly great teams have been built using that method.
The Thunder are one of those examples. Of course, the good fortune that landed Oklahoma City Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in consecutive drafts also included that minor detail of moving the entire franchise to another city. The Celtics of the second half of the aughts are considered another example, although their use of The Tank involved clearing cap and acquiring Garnett and Ray Allen in a series of deals that were only doable because of the Celtics' reputation as the greatest franchise in league history.
Despite what the Sixers tried to make you think when clownish CEO Adam Aron was around, Philly's NBA legacy doesn't even sniff Boston's. Besides, the Nets and Knicks tried to use versions of the Celtics' reloading method in recent years. The results were the visual garbage on your television Wednesday.The irony is that the NBA's best franchise of the new millenium - the San Antonio Spurs, who have three titles and have won 71 percent of their games since 2001 - have maintained their dominance well after age took away Tim Duncan's status as a superstar without a pick any higher than No. 20 overall in the draft.
Despite the lesson the Spurs and a team like the Indiana Pacers should teach teams, this is what the NBA's salary-cap system has created: scads of teams not even trying to compete so it can try to hit it big in the draft lottery, or clear room to acquire high-priced veterans and mix them into an easy-bake contender.
The NBA, a league ruled by Stern as its commissioner, has been slow to figure out a way to stop what has turned into front offices partaking in a win-shaving scandal - one that is every bit as insulting and damaging as a point-shaving scandal carried out by players could ever be. According to a report by Grantland's Zach Lowe, a proposal for a rotating draft system has been put together for NBA owners to consider. Think of it as a roulette wheel with 30 numbers, where each team's draft spot shifts one spot on the wheel each year for three decades.
It would at least represent an effort to fix a league that has become largely unwatchable and uninteresting. The Eastern Conference entered the holiday a collective 53 games under .500. The season is one-third over, and the Heat and Pacers are doing nothing but playing 82 exhibition games this regular season, then a couple of tune-up rounds in the playoffs before their seasons truly begin when they play for a spot in the NBA Finals. It's disgraceful to the point where it's tough to fathom why anyone east of the Mississippi would bother buying a ticket to an NBA regular-season game.
Certainly no one who watched the Christmas travesties that took place in New York could find a reason to battle a sea of wrapping paper, let alone the Cross Bronx Expressway, for that.
Dennis Deitch is a sportswriter for the Delaware County Daily Times. Follow him on Twitter @DennisDeitch.