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Tagged: MLB balls
5-1-09 PNC Park
After a six day lay off to get better after my 4/25 ankle injury, I got back into action today. I arrived at the gates at 4:10 or so, and was 3rd in line.
When the gates opened, I ran into the bleachers and immediately found ball #1, laying in the front row of section 138. I walked around in each section before turning my attention to the action on the field, and found another Easter egg in Section 136 about 5 rows back, it was ball #2.
The Pirates were hitting for about 10 more minutes, and then the Reds were going to hit. Near the end of the Pirates portion of Batting Practice, Karstens threw a ball to a kid about 6 rows back. Either the throw was a little off, and the kid completely missed the ball. It ricocheted right to me, ball #3. I was then faced with the choice of keeping the ball, or giving it to the kid. I decided to be charitable and glove flipped the ball to the kid, who thanked me.
The Reds then came out to hit. At the end of the Pirates portion of batting practice, a Pirate had thrown a ball into the crowd that someone misplayed. The ball was laying on the edge of the warning track. I didn't even think about doing the glove trick, because it was directly in the sight line of a security guard.
I changed into my Reds gear, and stood in the front row directly in front of the ball, and waited. Jerry Hairston came over to left center field.
He walked over, and without hesitation flipped me ball #4.
Game: 8 Balls (4 hit, 4 thrown)
Season: 58 Balls (23 hit, 29 thrown, 6 device)
Games: 12 Games (10 with BP, 2 without)
Average: 4.83 Balls per Game
Career: 224 Balls
Attendance: 14,238


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WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- Three renewable energy projects planned for western U.S. states would deliver enough power to meet the needs of 200,000 homes, the interior secretary said.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced Monday she gave her consent to three renewable energy projects that combined would add 520 megawatts of clean energy to the electricity grid, enough to meet the annual energy demands of 200,000 homes.
"These projects reflect the Obama administration's commitment to expand responsible domestic energy production on our public lands and diversify our nation's energy portfolio," she said in a statement.
A 350 MW solar energy facility and a 70 MW geothermal energy project are planned for Nevada. A 100 MW solar project is slated for Arizona.
The Interior Department gave no indication as to when the projects would be completed. The government said special consideration was given to the potential environment, social and cultural impacts of project construction.
The U.S. government since 2009 has approved 25 solar facilities, 11 geothermal plants and nine wind farms. The Interior Department said the projects would eventually add enough electricity to the national grid to meet the annual energy demands of 4.4 million homes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Posts Tagged 'apple cider vinegar'
The winter blues are hopefully behind us with spring here. That's right, spring has sprung! Celebrating the blossoming of Mother Nature's beauty is all around us. Why not take a little inspiration from Mother Nature herself and do a little spring rejuvenation to ourselves. Lets release our skin from underneath those wintering dry dead flakey layers! Your face is ready to greet the sunshine again after a nice do at home super easy and fun face mask
To pay our greatest tribute to our city, which has been pegged, 'Beer City USA', lets take something that is of plenty and use it to make our skin shine. Yes, you guessed it, the main ingredient in this do it yourself facemask is beer. It isn't just for the boys anymore and not just for drinking. Beer can be used for multiple purposes, but today I am sharing with you how it can make your face glow!
Balancing the Hulk
The hulk or should I say, Bruce Banner walks the fine line of not getting too angry, and I hope you don't allow your skin too either. Ideally you want your skin to be happily radiating to keep the anger at bay. With the ironically named Balancing the Hulk facemask, you too can keep your skin's moisture balanced, with clear tight pores and filled with antioxidants! Oh and not to mention, you will look like the Hulk from the green pigment in the spirulina (but only when you have the mask on-it does not dye your skin).
-1/2 tsp spirulina powder
-1 ripe mashed banana
-splash of fresh lemon juice
Spirulina is great for the whole body (you can ingest it too)- it has more antioxidants than blueberries. It can help lesson the effects of sun damage, while reducing the appearance of fine lines.
For the mask, mash the banana, add the spirulina, lemon juice and apply to the face. Keep on for 10-15min. So simple. Your skin will thank you!
This next face mask takes us back a few years to the Aztecs and is known as the "World's Most Powerful Facial"! It is simply two ingredients.
Pulsating Puddy
Equal parts:
-100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay
Mix ingredients together in a non-metal bowl to form a smooth paste. Apply 1/4in to 1/2in to the face.
The awesomeness of this facial is that you will feel your face tingle or pulsate as the clay dries. Leave on the skin anywhere from 10-20min. Remove with warm water.
**This is one of the more difficult masks I have done to get off. Just be patient with it. The clay will come off as it softens back up from the warm water.**
If your face is a little red this is normal from the pulsating invigorating feeling you felt while the mask was working its magic on your face.
Whether you want to explore the route of the Hulk, feel pulsating sensations and/or get your face 'drunk', your face will sure be thankful for the time you took to keep your face bright fresh and shedding away that winter layer!


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Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS)
Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) data are collected by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It is the only national source of information on personal travel for all modes of transportation and all trip purposes. NPTS also tracks the economic, social, demographic, and geographic characteristics of the traveler.
Data are collected from a nationally representative sample of households. In 1995, approximately 42,000 households were surveyed. Surveys have been conducted in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990 and 1995. Information is collected on all trips taken by each household member during a designated 24-hour period, known as the travel day, and on trips 75 miles or more one-way in the two-week period ending on and including the travel day, known as the travel period. In addition to the characteristics of the trip and traveler, the NPTS collects information on, among other things, vehicles, satisfaction with the transportation system, and seat-belt use.
Currently this site provides only 1990 and 1995 data. Data for other years will soon be available.
The latest NPTS is a combination of American Travel Survey (ATS) and NPTS and is known as the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Data collection for NHTS was completed in 2002 and should be available from this site in the near future. For more details on NHTS please visit the
NHTS website
The survey sample is selected from the 50 States, and the District of Columbia.
First Year
Last Year
Data Tables
View tables in this database ...
Day Trips (1990)
The Day Trip File contains specific information about each trip taken by respondents during the travel day (typically the day before the interview occurred). Travel day trips were classified as segmented trips if the respondent indicated that some mode of public transportation was used on the trip and a transfer from one vehicle to another took place while using the public transportation.
Day Trips (1995)
The travel day trip file consists of one record for each trip taken by an interviewed person in a useable household.
Households (1990)
The Household File contains household-Level demographics such as geography and household composition.
Households (1995)
The Household File contains household-level demographics such as geography and household composition.
Person Trips (1990)
The Period Trip contains information about longer trips (75 or more miles one-way) that took place during the two weeks prior to a respondent's interview.
Person Trips (1995)
Travel Period Trip consists of data that is asked once for every trip of atleast 75 miles one way that the person took during a 14 day period ending on travel day. A record is present only when a qualifying trip was made by the respondant.
Persons (1990)
The Person File contains person-level characteristics for members of households that participated in the NPTS
Persons (1995)
The Person File contains person-level characteristics for members of households that participated in the NPTS
Segmented Trips (1990)
For segmented trips, additional data are collected for each segment of the trip. All segmented trips are represented in both the Day Trip File and the Segmented Trip File.
Segmented Trips (1995)
Data for upto 4 segments of each segmented travel day trip the person made on travel day . It consists of pieces of travel day trips if transit or Amtrack was used.
Vehicles (1990)
The Vehicle File contains information about each vehicle in responding households.
Vehicles (1995)
The Vehicle File contains information about each vehicle in responding households.
Summary Tables
National Transportation Statistics
Long-Distance Travel in the United States by Selected Traveler Characteristics: 1995 (Roundtrips of 100 miles or more, one way)
Long-Distance Travel in the United States by Selected Trip Characteristics: 1995 (Roundtrips of 100 miles or more, one way, U.S. destinations only)
Principal Means of Transportation to Work
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Terms and Definitions
Census Division
Groupings of states that are subdivisions of the four census regions. There are nine divisions, which the Census Bureau adopted in 1910 for the presentation of data.
Census Region
Groupings of states that subdivide the United States for the presentation of data. There are four regions -- Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Each of the four regions is divided into two or more census divisions.
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA)
A CMSA is a metropolitan complex of I million or more population, containing two or more component parts designated as primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs).
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA)
If an MSA has a population of 1 million or more and meets requirements specified in the standards, it is termed a CMSA, consisting of two or more major components, each of which is recognized as a primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSA).
For travel period trips, the destination is the farthest point of travel from the point of origin of a trip of 75 miles or more one-way. For travel day trips, the destination is the point at which there is a break in travel.
A person who operates a motorized vehicle. If more than one person drives on a single trip, the person who drives the most miles is classified as the principal driver.
Education Level
The number of years of regular schooling completed in graded public, private, or parochial schools, or in colleges, universities, or professional schools, whether day school or night school. Regular schooling advances a person toward an elementary or high school diploma, or a college, university or professional school degree.
A person is considered employed if there is a definite arrangement for regular full-time or part-time work for pay every week or every month. A formal, definite arrangement with one or more employers to work a specified number of hours a week, or days a month, but on an irregular schedule during the work month is also considered employment. A person who is on call to work whenever there is a need for his (her) services is not considered employed.
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)
Federal Information Processing Standards. Usually referring to a code assigned to any of a variety of geographic entities (e.g. counties, states, metropolitan areas, etc). FIPS codes are intended to simplify the collection, processing, and dissemination of data and resources of the Federal Government.
A group of persons whose usual place of residence is a specific housing unit; these persons may or may not be related to each other. The total of all U.S. households represents the total civilian non-institutionalized population. Does not include group quarters (i.e., 10 or more persons living together, none of whom are related).
Household Income
The money income of all family members in a household, including those temporarily absent. Annual income is asked for the 12 months preceding the interview. Includes income from all sources, such as wages and salary, commissions, tips, cash bonuses, income from a business or farm, pensions, dividends, interest, unemployment or work men's compensation, social security, veterans' payments, rent received from owned property (minus the operating costs), public assistance payments, regular gifts of money from friends or relatives not living in the household, alimony, child support, and other kinds of periodic money income other than earnings. Excludes in-kind income such as room and board, insurance payments, lump-sum inheritances, occasional gifts of money from persons not living in the same household, withdrawal of savings from banks, tax refunds, and the proceeds of the sale of one's house, car or other personal property.
Household Members
All people, whether present or temporarily absent, whose usual place of residence is in the sample unit. Includes people staying in the sample unit who have no other usual place of residence elsewhere.
Household Trip
One or more household members traveling together.
Household Vehicle
A motorized vehicle that is owned, leased, rented or company owned and available to be used regularly by household members during the travel period. Includes vehicles used solely for business purposes or business-owned vehicles if kept at home and used for the home to work trip, (e.g., taxicabs, police cars, etc.) which may be owned by, or assigned to, household members for their regular use. Includes all vehicles that were owned or available for use by members of the household during the travel period even though a vehicle may have been sold before the interview. Excludes vehicles that were not working and not expected to be working within 60 days, and vehicles that were purchased or received after the designated travel day.
Interstate Highway, Freeway, or Expressway
A divided arterial highway for through traffic with full or partial control of access and grade separations at major intersections.
Licensed Driver
Any person who holds a valid driver's license from any state.
Means of Transportation
A mode used for going from one place (origin) to another (destination). Includes private and public modes, as well as walking. For all travel day trips, each change of mode constitutes a separate trip.
Means of Transportation
A mode used for going from one place (origin) to another (destination). Includes private and public modes, as well as walking. For all travel day trips, each change of mode constitutes a separate trip. The following transportation modes, grouped by major mode, are included:
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
An MSA is a county or group of contiguous counties that contains at least one city with a population of 50,000 or more or a Census Bureau-defined urbanized area of at least 50,000 with a metropolitan population of at least 100,000. In addition to the county or counties that contain all or part of the main city or urbanized area, an MSA may contain other counties that are metropolitan in character and are economically and socially integrated with the main city.
Motorized Vehicle
Includes all vehicles that are licensed for highway driving. Specifically excluded are snow mobiles, minibikes, etc.
The number of persons, including driver and passenger(s) in a vehicle. NPTS occupancy rates are generally calculated as person miles divided by vehicle miles.
Starting point of a trip.
Other Modes
Airplane: Includes commercial airplanes and smaller planes that are available for use by the general public in exchange for a fare. Private planes and helicopters are included under other. Taxi: The use of a taxicab by a driver for hire or by a passenger for fare. Also includes airport limousines. Does not include rental cars if they are privately operated and not picking up passengers in return for fare. Bicycles: Includes bicycles of all speeds and sizes that do not have a motor. The U.S. national passenger railroad service providing intercity train service. Walk: Includes jogging, walking, etc., provided the origin and destination are not the same. School bus: Includes county school buses, private school buses, and buses chartered from private companies for the express purposes of carrying students to or from school and/or school-related activities. MOPED (Motorized Bicycle) : Includes motorized bicycles equipped with a small engine, typically 2 horsepower or less. Also includes minibikes such as dirt bikes and trail bikes. Note that a motorized bicycle may or may not be licensed for highway use. Other. Includes any types of transportation not listed above.
Primary Sampling Unit
For a specific trip, any occupant of a motorized vehicle, other than the driver.
Peak-period Trip
Any travel day trip that began between 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Person Miles of Travel (PMT)
A measure of person travel. When one person travels one mile, one person mile of travel results. Where 2 or more persons travel together in the same vehicle, each person makes the same number of person miles as the vehicle miles. Therefore, four persons traveling 5 miles in the same vehicle, make 4 times 5 or 20 person miles.
Person Trip
A person trip is a trip by one or more persons in any mode of transportation. Each person is considered as making one person trip. For example, four persons traveling together in one auto make four person trips.
Private Vehicle
Automobile: A privately owned and/or operated licensed motorized vehicle including cars, jeeps and station wagons. Also includes leased and rented cars if they are privately operated and not picking up passengers in return for fare. Van: Privately owned and/or operated vans and mini vans designed to carry from 5 to 13 passengers or to haul cargo.Pickup Truck: A motorized vehicle, privately owned and/or operated, with an enclosed cab that usually accommodates 2-3 passengers and an open cargo area in the rear. Pickup trucks usually have about the some wheelbase as a full-size station wagon.Other Truck: All trucks other than pickups, i.e., dump trucks, trailer trucks, etc.RV or Motor Home: Includes self-powered recreational vehicles that are operated as a unit without being towed by another vehicle (e.g., a Winnebago motor home).Motorcycle: Includes large, medium, and small motorcycles. Does not include minibikes, which cannot be licensed for highway use.
Public Transportation
Bus: Includes intercity buses, mass transit systems, and shuttle buses that are available to the general public. Also includes Dial-A-Bus and Senior Citizen buses that are available to the public. Does not include shuttle buses operated by a government agency or private industry for the convenience of employees, contracted or chartered buses or school buses. Commuter Trains: Includes commuter trains and passenger trains other than elevated trains and subways. Includes local and commuter train service. Does not include intercity service by Amtrak.Streetcar/Trolley: Includes trolleys, streetcars, and cable cars.Elevated Rail/Subway: Includes elevated and subway trains in a city.
Segmented Trip
A trip that includes at least one transfer.
Traffic Accident
An accident that involved a motor vehicle that occurred on a public highway or road in the United States and that resulted in property damage or personal injury. Does not include accidents that happened in a parking lot, in a driveway, on a private road, or in a foreign country.
To change vehicles or means of transportation while traveling between origin and destination.
Travel Day
A 24-hour period from 4:00 a.m. to 3:59 a.m. designated as the reference period for studying trips and travel by members of a sampled household.
Travel Day Trip
A travel day trip is defined as any one-way travel from one address (place) to another by any means of transportation (e.g., private motor vehicle, public transportation, bicycle, or walking). When travel is to more than one destination, a separate trip exists each time one or both of the following criteria is satisfied: the travel time between two destinations exceeds 5 minutes, and/or the purpose for travel to one destination is different from the purpose for travel to another. The one exception is travel within a shopping center or mall. It is to be considered travel to one destination, regardless of the number of stores visited.
Travel Period
The 13 days immediately preceding the travel day and the designated travel day for a sampled household, for a total of 14 days.
Travel Period Trip
A travel period trip is one-way to a destination, which is 75 miles-or-more from home with a return home trip during the 14-day travel period. Travel to the destination is counted as one trip and travel to return home is counted as another trip. For example, a person living in Denver flies to San Francisco, stays one week, and returns to Denver during the 14-day travel period. This would be counted as two travel period trips - one outgoing and one return. The only time a travel period trip would not have a return trip collected is when the respondent moves his/her residence.
Trip Purpose
The main reason that motivated the trip. For purposes of this survey, there are 11 trip reasons. For travel day trips, if there was more than one reason, and the reasons do not involve different destinations, then only the main reason is chosen. If there are two or more reasons, and they each involve different destinations, then each reason is classified as a separate trip. For travel period trips, if there was more than one reason, the primary reason was collected. The 11 trip reasons are defined as follows: To or from Work: Includes travel to a place where one reports for work. Does not include any other work-related travel. Work-related Business: Trips related to business activities except travel to the place of work; for example, a plumber drives to a wholesale dealer to purchase supplies for his business or a company executive travels from his office to another firm to attend a business meeting. Business, out- of-town trips, and professional conventions are also included. Shopping: Includes window-shopping and purchase of commodities such as groceries, furniture, clothing, etc. for use or consumption elsewhere. Doctor/Dentist: Trips made for medical, dental, or psychiatric treatment or other related professional services. Other family or personal business: Includes the purchase of services such as cleaning garments, servicing an automobile, haircuts, banking, legal services, etc. School/Church: Trips to school, college or university for class(es), to PTA meetings, seminars, etc., to church services or to participate in other religious activities. Social activities that take place at a church or school but cannot be classified as religious or educational are not included in this category. Vacation: Trips reported by the respondent as vacation. Visit friends or relatives: Trips made to visit friends or relatives. Pleasure driving: Driving trips made with no other purpose listed but to go for a drive with no destination in mind. Other social or recreational: Trips taken to enjoy some form of social activity involving friends or acquaintances. Includes trips for general entertainment or recreation (both as observer or as participant).Other social or recreational: Trips taken to enjoy some form of social activity involving friends or acquaintances. Includes trips for general entertainment or recreation (both as observer or as participant). Other: For trips that do not fit in any of the other categories.
Urbanized Area
An approximate classification of sample households as belonging to an urbanized area. Those classified as belonging to an urbanized area were either in a central city of an MSA, or in a MSA but outside the central city, and within a zip code area with a population density of at least 500 people per square mile in 1990.
Vehicle Mile of Travel (VMT)
A unit to measure vehicle travel made by a private vehicle, such as an automobile, van, pickup truck, or motorcycle. Each mile traveled is counted as one vehicle mile regardless of the number of persons in the vehicle.
Vehicle Occupancy
The number of persons, including driver and passenger(s) in a vehicle; also includes persons who did not complete a whole trip. NPTS occupancy rates are generally calculated as person miles divided by vehicle miles.
Vehicle Trip
A trip by a single vehicle regardless of the number of persons in the vehicle.
Vehicle Type
For purposes of the 1990 NPTS, nine vehicle types are: Automobile (including station wagon) Passenger Van Cargo Van Pickup Truck (including pickup with camper) Other Truck RV or Motor Home Motorcycle Moped (Motorized Bicycle) Other (Specify). See Means of Transportation for definitions of these vehicle types.
Data Source and Contacts
Data Provider Agency
Data Provider Office
Office of Highway Policy Information
BTS Contact
TranStats Customer Support
Phone:(800) 853-1351


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EFFINGHAM – Senior Lauren Wasmuth was the only Lady Vandal to win a match at the tennis sectional tournament last Friday afternoon in Effingham.
Facing an alternate from Salem, Wasmuth took her first-round match, 6-3, 6-3, before running into the tournament's No. 3 player, to whom Wasmuth lost, 0-6, 0-6.
That score, however, was very deceiving.
at Flora
Monday, Oct. 24
•(4) Olney vs. (5) Greenville, 5:30 p.m.
•(3) Vandalia vs. (6) Flora, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 25
•(1) Breese Central vs. Winner of Match 1, 5:30 p.m.
•(2) Carlyle vs. Winner of Match 2, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 27
•Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4, 6:30 p.m.
At 7-15 overall and 2-4 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, Franklin College has struggled.
Since Oct. 5, however, it has been a pretty good stretch. The team has lost only one match since then, which came against Spalding College. Franklin freshman Taylor Parrish, a Vandalia graduate, has been a big part of that turn-around.
The Grizzlies have defeated Manchester College (3-2), Indiana University-Northwest (3-1) and Earlham College (3-1).
Jr. Pro basketball camp starts Oct. 29
The Vandalia Jr. Pro boys basketball camp will begin on Oct. 29 and conclude on Nov. 12 during Red/White night.
Boys in grades K-6 may register for the camp, which will emphasize individual attention to develop skills.
Teaching kids to enjoy the game is one of the primary objectives of the camp.
Order forms for Vandalia football playoff T-shirts, lone-sleeved T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts are available at the Vandalia Community High School office until 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. All orders must be completed by that time.
Now, it's official.
The Vandalia High School football on Friday night clinched its spot in the playoffs with its sixth victory, a 20-14 win against Pana. The playoff appearnace will be the team's first since 2008.
Seniors Bryan Hosick and Levi Ulmer, and junior Ryan Ambuehl all scored rushing touchdowns for the Vandals (6-2), and Hosick intercepted a pass with less than 30 seconds left to seal the win.
Soccer player. Baseball player. Eagle Scout. Band member. Scholar Bowl member. Aspiring valedictorian. Aspiring chemical engineering major.
And that's just part of the life of Vandalia senior Christian Schroeder, who finished his high school soccer career on Friday.
So how does one juggle all of those responsibilities, anyway?
"I don't know how he does it," said Vandals soccer coach Walt Kinney. "He's a superhuman."
Junior Blake Swofford will be Vandalia's lone representative at the boys state golf tournament, and junior RaeChelle Leiken qualified for the girls tourney.
After shooting a 79 at the Carlyle sectional tournament on Monday, Swofford just made it through the cutoff for advancement to this weekend's event.
Being that close, however, made him a bit nervous as he closed out his round, considering that he missed the state tournament by one stroke last season.
It is possible for a team with five wins to miss the football playoffs, but in the Vandals' case, even if they lose the final two games of the season, they should still get in.
A 42-8 drubbing of Southwestern last Friday night – led by four touchdowns by Ryan Ambuehl and a career-high 196 yards from senior Levi Ulmer – gave the Vandals their fifth win, and if historical trends continue, that will be enough for Vandalia to qualify.
HILLSBORO – Seniors Abby Hickerson and Callie George were named all-South Central Conference on Saturday, after placing third in doubles play at the SCC Tournament.
Getting that honor, however, turned out to be quite a challenge for the duo.
Facing the team of Gianna Paden and Breanna Speraneo from Hillsboro after a first-round bye, George and Hickerson had to take the match to three games before closing out the 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 second-round victory.
Included was winning the final three points of the third game.
Copyright © 2019
The Leader Union is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Vandalia, Il, and the surrounding area.


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Willis and Towers Watson have merged. Visit willistowerswatson.com
View our solutions by
Association for Consultancy & Engineering
Willis has been selected as a "preferred provider" for Professional Indemnity Insurance by the Association for Consultancy & Engineering (ACE) in the UK. ACE has launched the New ACE PI Insurance Scheme, which provides ACE members with more choice and better value for money.
The most significant change to the previous arrangements is the formation of a panel consisting of three brokers. The selection of the panel has been carefully considered by ACE, and Willis is very pleased and excited about this new opportunity for members. The new facilities will be able to offer cost effective insurance solutions, either from existing insurers or from other underwriting sources. Willis' presence and the increased choice within a more competitive marketplace will, we believe, ultimately provide better value for money. ACE members will benefit from the security offered by the "ACE Charter of PI Insurance Standards", which details the recommended minimum terms and conditions, and the panel brokers' minimum service standards. This will give unprecedented comfort and flexibility to ACE members when selecting their Broker.
Your Coverage & Protection
As one of the approved panel brokers, Willis is able to offer ACE members significantly wider cover than the recommended minimum terms and conditions and, if required, include different aspects of ACE members' services. Some typical additions can include the following:
Willis is also able to offer additional services depending on your individual needs. Below are examples of the scope of advice and assistance available:
All Engineering & Consultancy Contacts


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UMKC Northland
UMKC School of Education Announces Programming Changes in Northland
Priority is to meet evolving needs of districts, educators
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Education is modifying the content and the delivery sites of its programming in Kansas City, North to better serve the needs of Northland educators and school districts.
Beginning spring semester 2013, coursework for new and existing students will be offered in North Kansas City School District buildings that offer the most convenience, as well as sufficient space for UMKC programming. An agreement has been reached to conduct courses at Golden Oaks Education Center at 3100 46th St. Students enrolled in courses at UMKC's Northland Center will continue to attend classes at the current location through the end of fall semester 2012.
"By shifting our focus from traditional programming at a self-contained satellite location, the School will work more closely with area school districts to develop and deliver programming designed to meet the unique needs of those districts," said Rob Leachman, Ed.D., program director for the Northland at the School of Education. "The UMKC School of Education has been a mainstay in the Northland for nearly 15 years, and we intend to maintain a significant but physically different presence into the future to deliver excellence and value to our stakeholders. Discussions with the school districts and individual educators centered on the professional development and graduate education needs of these districts, and those discussions led us in this direction."
"This is more than just a simple change in location; it illustrates a renewed focus on developing responsive programming that we hope better meets the self-identified needs of the educators and students we serve," Leachman said. "In addition to offering coursework leading to traditional graduate degrees, this transition will include an increased emphasis on continuing education and certificate programs that can address district needs with greater specificity. Ongoing collaboration with the districts may allow for the School of Education to utilize the expertise of district practitioners in providing graduate instruction to educators in their respective districts."
The Northland changes presage additional outreach programs the School of Education is considering.
"Our commitment to the Northland remains strong and our reorganization continues our tradition of academic excellence. It likewise aligns with our strategic goals of fostering and modeling a collaborative environment and providing leadership for healthy urban communities. It similarlyupholds our values of strategic innovation developed by skilled and knowledgeable professionals working collaboratively," said Wanda J. Blanchett, Ph.D., dean, professor and Ewing Marion Kauffman/Missouri Endowed Chair in Teacher Education for the School.
"We also engaged in internal discussions regarding how we might both be more responsive to the needs of our partner districts and, potentially, even develop a presence in other parts of the metropolitan area," Blanchett said. "Our intent is to increase our accessibility within the districts and fine tune our delivery so that we may replicate it in other districts in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area as we support educators to Learn here. Serve anywhere
During the transition, Leachman will become the director of continuing and professional education for the School of Education. A long-time Kansas City area school administrator and retired school superintendent, Leachman will facilitate the identification of needed programming in area school districts and then will work with School of Education faculty and district personnel to deliver that programming.
"We believe this transition will better position the School of Education to meet the needs of educators in our region by working more directly and collaboratively with districts," Blanchett said. "We continue to deliver high quality student-centered service to our students in authentic real-world education settings."
About the UMKC School of Education: The mission of the UMKC School of Education is to recruit, prepare, and support outstanding teachers, mental health professionals, and administrators who will create lifelong opportunities through education for America's diverse urban communities. The School aspires to provide for an increasing diversity of educational specialists who are grounded in both theory and practice and can deal effectively with the problems and needs of a culturally, linguistically, socially and politically diverse society. For more information about the UMKC School of Education, visit education.umkc.edu.
About the University of Missouri-Kansas City: The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit http://www.umkc.edu/. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.


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The Fog Of War In Benghazi And Washington
First I heard the distant explosion of bombs. Then the night sky over Tripoli lit up with a fiery criss-crossing of bullets and rockets from attacking American warplanes and Libyan anti-aircraft batteries. I stood in awe on my hotel balcony, trying to decipher the action, until the better part of valor told me to crawl under my bed. It was 1986, and to this day, I cannot tell you who fired what when.
I am reminded of this experience—and many others I have had serving in and covering wars—as I follow the criticisms of NPR's coverage of what happened in the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11.
Some of the criticisms have had to do with the accuracy of the early reports. But more have focused on the later question of whether the attack was pre-planned by terrorists or was part of the protests taking place at the same time at American diplomatic installations in the Muslim world in reaction to a now-infamous video. These later reproaches of NPR have been mixed with objections about the Obama administration's reports of just what happened.
As Barbara McClain of Summerland, Calif., wrote, "after all the time that it took the administration to admit to the facts, it appears that NPR is still lagging behind or positioning a biased report."
The criticisms were mostly of the introductions to stories made by the hosts on NPR flagship radio shows.
Audie Cornish, for example, on Sept. 19 led into a story on All Things Considered :
France announced today that it will close 20 embassies across the Muslim world on Friday, the Muslim holy day. The reason: security. A French satirical newspaper today published cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad—this after a massive protest over a derogatory video about Muhammad produced in the U.S. Those demonstrations have been linked to the deaths of at least 30 people in seven countries including the American ambassador to Libya. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley is in the Tunisian capital of Tunis and sent this report.
Or Steve Inskeep, who began a Sept. 25 interview segment on Morning Edition this way:
President Obama is in New York City today, addressing the United Nations General Assembly. Now, foreign policy has lately become a major focus of the presidential campaign, which had been centered almost exclusively on the economy. That changed recently when a film produced in the United States prompted protests across the Muslim world, including the killing of a U.S. ambassador, one of the things we are expecting the president to talk about shortly. NPR's national political correspondent Mara Liasson is covering the story. She's in New York. Hi, Mara.
Attached below is a timeline assembled by intern Laura Schwartz with relevant excerpts from all NPR's coverage on the flagship shows since the beginning. I offer it so that you can draw your own conclusions. Mine, based on personal experience and a close review of the transcripts, is that NPR acquitted itself, not perfectly, but about as well as can be expected in its coverage of both the administration and the incident itself. Many of the stories shone with intelligence and insight.
There is some validity to the criticisms of the hosts, but only if you take their introductions out of the context of the larger reports that followed—reports that indeed did go into the confusion and mixed claims over what happened. The introductions are of necessity short and don't themselves go into the nuances. As it is, the conflation by the hosts of what happened in Benghazi with what happened elsewhere is not incorrect. The attack in Benghazi took place against a larger backdrop of the video protests, which to the best of our knowledge, even today, played some role in Benghazi, however pre-planned a terrorist attack might have been. Certainly, it is hard to find journalistic ignorance or political bias in the above lead-ins unless you just want to believe it.
Inskeep, the author of a recently released book on Pakistan and an experienced veteran of the tension in the Muslim world and opaqueness of violent events, said it long and well himself in response to a query from me. He began as follows with an excerpt from an interview he did with Mideast expert Robin Wright the day after the attack in Benghazi:
INSKEEP: Really important point here, Robin Wright, that I want to make sure that I'm clear on. You said at the beginning there we don't know precisely what happened in Libya. Based on the information that you're trying to sift, as everyone else is, is it not clear to you what the motivation might really have been in Libya?
WRIGHT: In Libya, you have the additional problem of an al-Qaida affiliate, some extremists who have been very active, or increasingly active, as well - very small. But, you know, there are multiple types of players in Libya, and we need to be very careful in this sensitive period, understanding who are perpetrators and the fact that they probably do not represent the majority of people, whether it's in Libya or in Egypt.
Inskeep explained:
In the days that followed I was guided by the best information available from reporters on the ground and our correspondents in Washington. When they had something we reported it and when they warned us off we did not. My conversations with them yielded two useful points. First, the nearest eyewitness descriptions we received of this incident came from a Reuters correspondent, whom I know personally, who is very well acquainted with Libya, who speaks Arabic, who was in Benghazi shortly after the attack, and who interviewed actual protesters as well as Libyan authorities. Those who say there was no protest should probably talk with the protesters who acknowledged protesting. Her reporting also indicated some evidence of planning or sophistication in another part of the attack; and her description matched that of our correspondents in the US who heard that there may have been a mix of events. From my interview with her on September 13:
HADEEL AL-SHALCHI: There was definitely a protest planned around the consulate to mimic what happened in Egypt. Security even told me that, you know, people who were sympathetic with the cause from the security may have even allowed, you know, people to riot very close to the consulate.
What protesters tell me happened is that there was an exchange of fire. Who shot the first shot either from inside of the embassy or from outside is still murky. What we know is that when the shooting started or the clash started between the two sides, all hell broke loose. People went back home, brought all their weapons. Brigades that are not involved with the government or not recognized by the government brought in their heavy weapons. RPGs were shot in the air. And that's when it became very chaotic. And that's when also security forces were outnumbered and out-weaponed, and the storming was allowed to happen.
This part of the story seems like something that was a chaotic mob riot. What may make people speculate that it was a planned attack was the commander of an operations team that was involved in trying to safeguard the movements of 37 Americans staffers from a safe house to the airport in order for them to be Benghazi said that the safe house came under a sustained, accurate attack from six mortars - six rounds of mortars, and he said that it was impossible for any militant or for any regular former revolutionary or rebel to have that kind of accuracy when they were hitting what was supposed to be a secret location. So it looks like it must have been a combination.
Inskeep concluded:
Hadeel's reporting points to the second valuable lesson. It seems to me that people have tended to divide this story into two completely separate possibilities. People imagine that EITHER it was a completely spontaneous protest over the video, OR it was a carefully planned terrorist attack that had been in the works for months. And so if we referred to a protest on the air, some people would complain that we were ignoring the evidence of terrorism.
I think our reporting has reflected that this may not have been an either-or question. It may have been a protest and a terrorist attack. It may have been a quickly planned terrorist attack. It may have been several things at once. It may have involved several groups doing different things. To say it was one thing is not to say it was not another thing. And to say we have downplayed one possibility or another doesn't seem factual to me, though I am certain you can find instances where someone's brief mention in an intro or interview has not dealt with all the complexities.
My own sense is that the criticisms of NPR have become conflated with the criticisms of the Obama administration. It is not my place to judge the administration's actions; you will have your own opinion. But there is nothing that I have seen in those actions to justify a running framing of the Benghazi coverage as a cover-up, as some critics of NPR seem to want to do. This is not to say that reporters should not investigate the possibility of cover-up, but journalistic fairness so far seems to me to require a framing of the government's statements as consistent with the standard confusion of information in the fog of war.
The Reagan administration's statements on the 1986 bombing, for example, were filled with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, as I was to find reporting on the ground in Tripoli and Benghazi. But I didn't expect otherwise, especially in statements from distant Washington. As the Reagan administration was then, the Obama administration and the non-political, professional arms of the CIA, FBI and State Department Foreign Service are today at a similar disadvantage of limited information and distance, with little ability even to send investigative teams to Benghazi.
But this is a presidential election season, and many of the criticisms themselves seem to originate in political motivation or in shallow cynicism about everything the media does. What we want from NPR is calm, fair and independent reporting and analysis. So far, we are getting it.
Intern Laura Schwartz contributed to this report.


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We recently heard from our Hyderabad project in India about several mothers of sponsored children who are exemplifying the potential of families living in poverty. Hereís the story of Md. Baby ó enjoy!
I was married at an early age. My husband died after the birth of our only son Anwar.
Since then, my problems increased.
I learned to sew after my husband passed away, and I used to go the fields to work as a daily laborer to provide for my family.
When I heard about CFCA sponsorship, I went to apply for the program.
The sponsorship program has given a new hope for me in the form of self-help groups.
As I already knew how to sew, I was interested in opening a tailoring shop that also sells sewing items.
I shared this with my group members and took out a loan.
With the group loan I opened the shop and purchased the basic materials.
Every month I save my earnings to repay the loan.
I repaid the first loan, and, over the past five years, I have updated my shop with additional loans from my group.
I also purchased four sewing machines to meet the demand of my customers, and I employ three women to help me support the tailoring work.
As I underwent problems in my past, I hired these other women to help them in their times of crisis, as I was helped in my past.
I provide them with a daily lunch and a monthly salary.
The CFCA self-help group also helped me learn how to speak with the people and also to mingle with others.
My son Anwar is pursing graduation. The sponsorship support helped him to continue his studies and the group loans helped me to develop my tailor shop.
We are so thankful to Anwarís sponsor and CFCA for all their help.
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text: Pre-operative Checklist for Adults (For Longwood Patients) Wear loose comfortable clothing. Make certain you are wearing a short sleeve top, preferably with buttons down the front. Bring your dentures or hearing aids. Please bring cases for storing them. Do not wear your contact lenses on the day of surgery. Please wear your glasses and bring a case for storing them. If you have a Healthcare Proxy/Advanced Directive, please bring with you the day of surgery. Valuables are safest at home. Do not bring cash, jewelry, credit cards, or cell phones. Remove all jewelry at home. This includes wedding rings and bands, and all body piercings. Do not wear nail polish, hair spray, body lotion, perfume or make-up. Contact Us Today! 617-523-7900


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World class and well funded, KU Geology changes lives. KU Geology is a vibrant, expanding department with brand new, state-of-the-art facilities at the Earth, Energy and Environment Center on the KU Lawrence campus. KU Geology offers a world-class carbonates program, is the birthplace and home of Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, has a top-ranked paleontology program, and boasts of geobiologists who are close to solving the dolomite problem among many other achievements. KU Geology hosts an internationally recognized geophysics program, a top-ranked hydrogeology program, and glaciology, tectonics and geochronology programs that bring in millions in grants and contracts, and send students around the world to study the most intriguing questions of the day.
Two-thirds of KU Geology faculty members collaborate with the energy industry, consulting and engaging in research with ExxonMobil, Shell Oil, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron, among many others. Every year more than a dozen corporations make the trek to campus to recruit KU Geology's graduates.
In their careers, the 28 members of the KU Geology faculty also have produced more than 3,500 scholarly papers, books and other works. Their peers so honor the KU faculty that the members of the Society for Sedimentary Geology have elected one KU professor as their president, while the Society of Exploration Geophysicists made a second KU professor a recent president.
Generous Support
Backed by industry contracts, alumni gifts, and grants from such sources as the National Science Foundation and NASA, research at KU Geology tackles the most intriguing geoscience questions of the day. The Department also provides a wide range of scholarships and fellowships to its students.
Industry Connections
Faculty and students collaborate with industry on a daily basis. Among other efforts, KU Geology hosts a thriving industry-academic partnership called The Kansas Interdisciplinary Carbonates Consortium, which provides funding for research where students work directly with the people who can hire them after graduation.
A Balanced Approach
While the laboratory and classroom are key to a KU Geology education, fieldwork remains integral. Undergraduates take required field courses and work out of KU Geology's permanent field camp in Colorado. Students at all levels can choose between numerous field experiences, including work in Spain, Puerto Rico, Iceland, the western United States and a barrier island off Georgia. New trips are being added all the time.
A Bright Future
KU Geology is now housed in the Earth, Energy and Environment Center, our new geoscience building. The complex integrates geology and petroleum engineering, exploration, environmental science, field, laboratory and analytic experience, scientific research and field applications. KU offered its first geology class nearly 150 years ago and the best is yet to come!


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Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Smile for the Camera: Doll Brinlee and Nina Pounds
(Photograph kindly provided and privately held by Gale W.)
"The word prompt for the 10th Edition of Smile For The Camera is Costume? No, not as in Halloween. Costume as in dress in general; especially the distinctive style of dress of a people, class, or period. Show us that picture that you found with your family collection or purchased that shows the costumes of the rich to the not so rich, from the civil war to the psychedelic sixties. I know you have them, so share. Admission is free with every photograph!"
On the left is my great-aunt Elizabeth Ann "Doll" Brinlee and on the right is Nina Pounds. Doll Brinlee was the oldest daughter of Hiram Carroll "Dink" Brinlee and Eliza Caroline "Disa" Boone. Doll was born in 1866 and looks fairly young in this photograph, so I would guess it was made in the mid- to late 1880s. Her oldest daughter was born in 1884.
The first thing that strikes the viewer are the hats, but notice also the gloves and boots – Doll's appear to be laced up and Nina's appear to be buttoned up. My question for the experts out there is: Are these more likely to be Doll's and Nina's own duds or were they perhaps provided by the studio?
Doll was my grandfather Lawrence Carroll Brinlee's older half-sister. Her mother was a great-granddaughter of Daniel Boone. (Yes, I know that's a common myth among families with the name of Boone, but in this case it's the real deal and easy to show. Besides, no glory to me – my grandfather's mother was my great brick wall, Susan Elizabeth Smith Bonner Brinlee.)
12 comments:
I'm glad you mentioned the gloves and the shoes - those hats certainly do grab your attention!ReplyDelete
Neat picture-love the hats!ReplyDelete
Apple and Tipper - Thanks your your comments. I sort of lusted after those shoes and gloves. One of my favorite pairs of shoes is a kind of half boot that buttons all the way up.ReplyDelete
Great photo! It's a perfect example of how lucky we are that we don't have to wear hats like that to be fashionable.ReplyDelete
Sharon - Yes, I can definitely leave the hats, but would take the shoes and gloves.ReplyDelete
Noted how the skirt that Nina Pounds is wearing has an added shaped piece to the top. And both ladies are wearing belts!ReplyDelete
Judith - You are right about the extra piece on her skirt; I wasn't sure what that was, and I wonder what it looked like when she was standing up. It appears as though they just had to put on all of their finest duds to show off!ReplyDelete
Those look less like hats than misplaced items of studio furniture. Great photos, thank you, Greta. Regards, BrettReplyDelete
Brett - I wondered if some of their apparel might have been studio props.ReplyDelete
Yes, I suppose it's possible. The rough and ready nature of the "studio" setting, i.e. the makeshift white sheet as a backdrop and rucked up carpet suggests to me that it's a travelling photographer, perhaps even at some sort of carnival or fair.ReplyDelete
I would have guessed that it was more likely to be from the late 1890s or early 1900s, but I'm not too confident about that.
Regards, Brett
Hello Greta,ReplyDelete
I am related to Aunt Doll. She is my grandfather Louis Boone Brinlee's older sister. I was looking on the Internet for Daniel Boone information as Daniel Boone is also related to me.
Hi Raymond,ReplyDelete
I would love to hear from you; my e-mail is GMKoehl "at" gmail.com. Do you have any other information on or pictures of Doll Brinlee? Your grandfather Louis Boone was a real favorite of my grandfather Lawrence Carroll Brinlee according to my Uncle Bill.


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For resin manufacturers, their best hope lies in continuing to create cost efficiencies while developing new technologies. The challenge is to be able to make these improvements at a time when margins remain at a very low level.
2002 and Beyond
The economic difficulties worldwide made for a difficult 2002 for resin manufacturers, particularly on the publication ink side.
"2002 was a very difficult year for both Eastman Resins, Inc. and the industry in general," said Phil Runge, product market manager, resins at Eastman Resins. "So far, 2003 has not been much better, but hopefully there will be a mild recovery in Q3/Q4."
"2002 was a very difficult year for the chemical industry as raw material and energy costs increased substantially," said Ken Bryan, commercial manager, UV specialties at Dow Chemical.
The packaging ink industry fared better than the publication side, and companies that specialize in that area did well in 2002.
"Most of our products are designed for the packaging ink sector and as such our business mirrored the trends in the industry of flat to modest growth during 2002," said Holly Anderson, marketing manager, graphic arts for Rohm and Haas. "However, the commercialization of the new Lucidene 4000 PLUS technology has spurred new growth in the flexible packaging area as well as in coatings. Our expectations are for a slow and gradual recovery within the industry in 2003."
"The overall economy in 2002 was relatively stagnant – the long awaited recovery never seemed to arrive," said Rick Krause, marketing director for Johnson Polymer. "Commercial printing seemed to be harder hit than packaging printing as consumers kept spending on packaged goods while business scaled back on advertising and promotional spending. Johnson Polymer did well in 2002 despite the economic stagnation, and 2003 continues the steady improvement in spite of concerns around the Mideast situation and extended economic doldrums. We continue to see encouraging signs for the overall industry."
"We are very pleased with our 2002 results despite the sluggishness in the industrial economy," said Steve Demetriou, Noveon president and CEO. "We now have had three consecutive quarters of sales growth over the prior year. Going into 2003, we are faced with challenges and uncertainties related to the global economic and political situation. Therefore, we will continue to focus aggressively on improving our effectiveness and factors within our control. We remain focused on driving productivity improvements, generating strong free cash flow and investing in growth opportunities around the globe."
Recent Trends
The most obvious trend has been the search by ink manufacturers for lower prices as they in turn struggle to keep their own costs down.
"Given the overall economic conditions, Eastman Resins, Inc. is under pressure to help their customers contain costs, while at the same time trying to provide them with new technology so they can add value to their products," Mr. Runge said.
"No one seems to be requesting or experimenting with new resin concepts while the economy is so anemic and uncertain; the current trend, if it can be called a 'trend' since low cost is always in demand, is for ink manufacturers to procure low-cost raw materials so that some modicum of improved profitability can be realized," said Norm Szalkowski, Neville Chemical's ink coatings applications chemist.
"Ongoing overcapacity, growing imports and aggressive pricing activity continue to plague ink makers," Ms. Anderson said.
"The industry continues to look at ways to cut costs through the consolidation of plants and facilities," Mr. Krause said. "Ink companies continue to digest the acquisitions made over the last few years through various initiatives to streamline and cut costs."
The continuing consolidation throughout the printing chain is placing new demands on companies.
"First and foremost, the printing business is consolidating," Mr. Demetriou said. "Printers, ink companies and suppliers to the ink industry are being reduced in number through mergers and acquisitions. The commodity nature of many segments of the printing ink industry has required companies to provide economy of scale and to be able to serve expanding customers nationwide and even globally. This will continue to put pressure on smaller companies to focus or consolidate.
"In certain ink markets, most notably packaging, capital is increasingly being invested in customer plants with in-house blending facilities," Mr. Demetriou said. "This has required more rigorous contractual agreements to protect the interests of each party."
One bright spot has been in the flexible packaging segment.
"The market is going more toward flexible packaging and lamination, with growth in these markets of between 4 percent to 8 percent," said Dr. Sobhy El-Hefnawi, marketing manager, graphic arts, North America for Cognis Corp., Coatings & Inks Division. "Retort packaging requires heat resistance and very high bond strength. It's a high demand, high growth market."
As a result of the growth in flexible packaging and other areas, solvent-based flexo has been growing faster than water-based, although environmental issues remain important.
"We see some flexo areas moving back to solvent from water inks," Ms. Anderson said.
"Environmental issues are still a concern," said Mr. Demetriou. "Water-based inks have been substituting for solvent-based but this trend may be achieving its practical limit as the remaining substrates and quality requirements will require the printer to remain with solvent-based products. High solid inks, where coverage is greater per pound of solvent, are also increasing in use. Products based on soy oil have grown very rapidly and use of other vegetable oils are being examined."
Mr. Demetriou and Mr. Bryan see opportunities in the energy-curing field.
"UV inks are growing in virtually all types of ink applications," Mr. Demetriou said. "Reduction in prices of materials and other factors would increase growth. Flexographic UV overcoats are expected to grow very rapidly. Using UV cured inks allows for more rapid downstream converting operations."
"World economic growth has slowed dramatically compared to the late 1990s," said Mr. Bryan. "As growth begins to pick up again in the next few years, UV cure in the coatings industry will become even more attractive due to its high productivity and environmental friendliness."
As expected, economic issues are the major concern for resin manufacturers. Mr. Runge points to the reduction on return on assets and its impact on developing new technologies ad reinvesting in the business.
"This industry is going to have to find a way to return to reinvestment economics if it is to survive," Mr. Runge said. "While Eastman Resins' ink customers have healthy ROA numbers, given the asset intensity of resin manufacturers, their operating margins have to be much higher to justify new investment. As recently presented at the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers' (NAPIM) Convention, ink manufacturers have seen a 13 percent increase in ROA, while resin manufacturers have seen a 50 percent reduction."
Mr. Szalkowski also pointed to the challenges of improving ink properties and profitability concurrently.
Ms. Anderson said that a number of factors, including overcapacity, consolidation of printers, growing imports and aggressive pricing activity by ink makers even in the face of rising energy and raw material costs have made growth tougher for suppliers.
"This has continued to make it difficult for many suppliers to pursue much-needed profitable growth strategies and for investment in longer term technology that would benefit the ink industry," Ms. Anderson said.
Responding to Challenges
Developing new products that meet increasing demand for value while becoming more efficient are the keys to succeeding in this marketplace.
"Eastman Resins, Inc. is working hard to provide their customers with good value for their raw material dollar so that they in turn can offer value up the supply chain, and are doing this both by cost containment and aggressive new technology that will reduce the total cost of manufacture for their customers," Mr. Runge said.
"The continuation of manufacturing improvements over the last several years have positioned us well to fund new technology that will drive our value added and profitable growth strategy over the long term," Ms. Anderson said. "Our new Lucidene 4000 PLUS product line provides not only improved ink quality, but also much needed efficiency gains by the printers. The commercialization of this five-product series has met with tremendous market response, indicating a real demand for something different."
"Johnson Polymer continues to aggressively resource and support its printing and packaging business," Mr. Krause said. "We continue to develop new products that bring value to our industry. We have streamlined our organization and remain very customer focused to our most substantial and core business where cost effectiveness is essential."
Noveon is working to increase its sales and efficiencies through mergers and acquisitions. The company recently purchased key water-based overprint coatings technology and manufacturing assets from Flint Ink as part of its strategy to expand its performance coatings graphic arts product lines. Mr. Demetriou said Noveon is also improving manufacturing efficiencies.
"Our productivity initiatives reduced manufacturing costs by $8 million from 2001, and in the fourth quarter we launched a Six Sigma program aimed at generating further productivity benefits," Mr. Demetriou said. "Our new product pipeline is improving, sales are growing, and we are expanding many of our plants worldwide. We are actively engaged in evaluating attractive and strategic acquisitions."
Demands in the pressroom are evolving, and Mr. Demetriou said Noveon's R&D is keeping up with these changes.
"Noveon is working on developing new products in response to changing press requirements, substrate changes and raw material evolution," Mr. Demetriou said. "Sales personnel are required to thoroughly understand the business and maintain good relations with pressroom staff."
Mr. Demetriou said that understanding how ink manufacturers operate is essential in order to provide the best service.
"The supplying of ink is as much a service as a manufacturing industry," Mr. Demetriou said. "Noveon strives to understand the customer's operations and indeed often provides operational support at the customer's plant. This may include troubleshooting, training of new press operators and similar functions. With consolidation of many ink companies, their customers and also suppliers, economy of scale or focus is essential."
For resin manufacturers, success in the future depends on understanding their customers' needs and creating products that will bring value to both buyers and sellers alike. In the present economy, this will most likely be a difficult challenge.


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BABEL is a powerful reminder of the poetry of film. Alejandro Iñárritu's non-linear storytelling style is both epic and intimate, and imagines our global interconnectivity as catalyzed by a single bullet. Raw performances from an extraordinary cast drive this haunting and, at times, harrowing tale about our inability to communicate despite advances in technology. The film is also an unblinking look at the price this has on our children, and ultimately asks the question, "Will we hear each other, before it's too late?"
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BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN clocks more laughs than any film in 2006, and it does so with a social commentary that asks us to pause between guffaws and examine the world around us. Sacha Baron Cohen's immersive performance as Borat detonates an international conversation about what is funny and what is too far. The joy of the film is that no ivory tower is too tall for Borat. He targets Christians and Jews, feminists and frat boys, and all the while offering a global catharsis; for if we can laugh together, we can live together. To Borat, AFI say "High five!"
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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is the haute couture of Hollywood filmmaking. Lovingly fashioned with style, romance and a fully realized script by Aline Brosh McKenna, it's a film about choices and the time in one's life when the world sparkles with opportunity. David Frankel's film is both elegant and entertaining, and a wonderful reminder to moviemakers that a film with female protagonists can appeal to men and women alike. Meryl Streep's tour de force performance adds Miranda Priestly to the many iconic characters that America's greatest actress has created for the pantheon of film.
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DREAMGIRLS is a musical masterwork that dazzles and delights in every frame. The film shines a spotlight on the talents of Bill Condon, who expands and enriches a legendary stage production while invoking the spirit of Broadway's Michael Bennett. The result is an explosion of passion and power, an anthem to the outsider and a celebration of friendship that hits every note. Jennifer Hudson's triumphant debut is one for the ages, and the film's brilliant creative ensemble — a dream team of talent — deserves a standing ovation as the credits roll.
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HALF NELSON is a small cinematic miracle - a film of such honesty that it challenges the boundaries of narrative film and cinéma vérité. Ryan Fleck-s directorial debut is an absorbing tale of demons and dreams, and the film compels us to consider role models in the real world, and who we look up to in the unlikeliest of friendships. Ryan Gosling's inspired performance proves once and again that he is a force among the actors of his generation, and Shareeka Epps' brilliant debut stands tall among the best of the year.
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HAPPY FEET is a one-of-a-kind motion picture experience. George Miller continues to paint outside the lines of traditional filmmaking, and his genius expands upon the animated art form to illuminate a world where penguins embrace dance and differences to survive and thrive. But that is just the tip of the iceberg, as the environment, religion and the chasm between generations enrich this sweet and subtle tale — one that is fun and funny, brilliant and beautiful, groundbreaking and global in its message.
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INSIDE MAN is a classic heist film that vaults above genre under the direction of one of American film's truest voices, Spike Lee. This smart and shrewd crime thriller is layered with a complicated social portrait of the United States, where everybody is out for himself. This enriches the complexity of motives, and an all-star cast makes the most of this intricate game of cat and mouse, each with an eye on stealing the show.
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LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA is a masterpiece of American film. Clint Eastwood continues to set the standard — telling stories of uncommon sensitivity on a canvas so grand and glorious that his place in America's cultural legacy seems to have no bounds. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA is a complex examination of duty to one's country — the enemy's country. By presenting the Japanese perspective, the film projects point of view through a prism, reminding us of our common humanity and inspiring us to rise above the past and look forward to a brighter, better future.
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LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is a ray of hope for American film. This comedy gem exemplifies the best of the independent film movement, one that tells its story outside the mainstream but enjoys a massive and enthusiastic public response. Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris have assembled the comedic acting ensemble of the year, and together they tell the story of the Hoovers, the most dysfunctional family on wheels. In the tradition of classics like YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, through our laughter — and horror — we see ourselves.
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UNITED 93 is a landmark American film — one that takes on a defining moment in modern time and creates a living memorial with equal parts art and realism. Paul Greengrass exemplifies the power of a story well told as the film confounds expectation at every turn. It is a nightmare that heals. It is an ending we know, yet our hearts race with hope. Ultimately, UNITED 93 is a meditation on honor and courage — and what you see in yourself when you look into the eyes of the person sitting next to you on a flight to tomorrow.
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24 clocks into its fifth season firing on all cylinders — demanding that audiences fasten their seatbelts and hang on for the most thrilling ride in television. From season to season — and from second to second — 24's strong, cinematic narrative is enriched by a vast and varied acting ensemble that in 2006 was gloriously enhanced by the show's President and First Lady — Gregory Itzin and Jean Smart. Explosive and emotional, 24 is a show that sets hearts racing as it defines heroism in modern day.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA shines bright among the stars of television's sci-fi classics. The show is a profound parable for our times, and in the grand tradition of science fiction, the farther it rockets into outer space, the deeper it probes the inner workings of our humanity. In 2006, the show dramatically changed course from its initial premise — a true act of creative courage — and its continuing ability to fuse gripping drama and thoughtful allegory heralds BATTLESTAR GALACTICA as one of the triumphs of television.
DEXTER is a killer show about a serial killer. Wildly audacious and original, the show is an incisive new take on several television staples — the medical mystery, vigilante justice and even romantic comedy — mashed together in the bloody grip of a self-doubting sociopath. Both creepy and compelling, DEXTER is the most morally complex show on television, and with that distinction, a true catalyst for a discussion of ethics around the living room.
ELIZABETH I shines bright among the crown jewels of television long form. The film is a majestic reminder of the art form's ability to capture a time so rich in detail that it transports its audience to a world they would have never known. ELIZABETH I is high IQ entertainment at its most engaging, and Helen Mirren's towering performance will have audiences genuflecting for generations.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS is a celebration of America — its hopes and dreams, its heart and its heartland. Rare is the show that presents family and faith in such an authentic way — rich with emotion and illuminated by the pulse-quickening thrill of football. Peter Berg's small town tale is one with community at its core, but universal in scope — the struggle of winning and losing, the drive to reach for more and the challenge of seeing a future beyond the glare of Friday night's lights.
HEROES is a force for good in American television. Tim Kring's ambitious comic book drama not only entertains with super-human abilities, but it speaks to an audience that yearns for hope in a world where cynicism abounds. The show marks an evolution in the serialized drama; its separate story lines do not immediately connect, but they share a message for the global community — within each of us is a stronger, better self with special abilities beyond what we can even imagine.
THE OFFICE is an outrageous ode to the obvious and the oblivious. Each week, this clever comedy celebrates the trivial pursuits of colleagues we all know and love — the deluded, the ignorant, and the trapped, but talented. Steve Carell continues to define himself as a leading man of laughs, here a player within the funniest creative ensemble on television. Together, they make THE OFFICE a place you want to spend your nights.
SOUTH PARK holds a mirror up to American society, then smashes it and demands audiences take another look. Sweet and simple on the surface, the show remains the most subversive comedy on television as creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone continue to slaughter sacred cows into the show's 10th season. SOUTH PARK's achievement is more than just pushing boundaries; it's an insightful comment on America, told with equal parts philosophy and flatulence.
THE WEST WING is a landmark in American television. Its heart filled with hope, the show is unmatched in its ideal and its execution. The term "degree of difficulty" was redefined by THE WEST WING years ago, but in 2006, it reached even further — including a live presidential debate that reminded audiences of the power of substantive discussion in the highest offices of our land. Hail to the show's chiefs, Aaron Sorkin and John Wells, and their extraordinary creative ensemble, who gave the world seven remarkable seasons of THE WEST WING along with a graceful and memorable bow.
THE WIRE is the great American novel produced for television. Rich in detail and engrossing in depth of character, the show is a moving document about the failure of American social institutions — from the family to schools to the justice system and beyond. David Simon and his talented writing team have created a window on our world — one complicated by motives, illuminated by nuance, and ultimately, heartbreaking in its humanity. THE WIRE is a show that you do not simplywatch; it's one you live.
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