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ONE Ilkley firm has been catching the eye of passers-by with its unusual Tour de France themed display.
'Skeleton Steve' has got on his bike outside Ilkley Osteopaths on Leeds Road, where the riders will pass on Saturday. And Steve's even been spotted pedalling away himself, as the video below shows.
Osteopath at the practice and member of the Ilkley Cycling Club Amos Grech-Cini has been working hard with the help of Ilkley Cycles to get Steve the Skeleton up and cycling.
Cycling fan Amos Grech-Cini added: "We treat a large number of cyclists who have neck and shoulder pain due to the position they ride on the bike, as well as knee pain and lower back problems, unfortunately they also often tolerate it for too long hoping the injury will go away, so by the time they visit us it is often chronic, however our aim is to get them back on the road enjoying their sport as quickly as possible."
To mark the occasion of the Grand Depart Yorkshire and the arrival of the race in Ilkley the team at Ilkley Osteopaths are offering readers of the Ilkley Gazette 25 per cent off their first visit. The offer is available on all therapies at the clinic which includes Osteopathy, sports therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). To receive the discount quote STEVE2014. For more information call 01943 817117.
Brit Tate who joined the clinic as a sports therapist in 2013 and is a competitive cyclist says she works with large numbers of cyclists with problems such as muscular injury from strains and sprains and maintenance treatment that keeps customers injury free.
Brit said "It is going to be an amazing weekend of cycling with the Tour arriving on Saturday. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for the town and excitement at the clinic from all the therapists and customers is reaching fever pitch."
The Ilkley Osteopaths have a track record of supporting sport in the town as sponsors of the annual Aquathon last year and the British Squash Open at Ilkley Tennis Club, supporting the Ilkley Harriers awards presentations and entering a competitive team at the Ilkley triathlon each year.
The team are also launching a new service of a cognitive behavioural therapy to complement the other therapies offered by the clinic.
The therapy which has gained popularity in recent years, focuses on working with clients to change learned behaviours and gives them the skills and support to put into place new behaviours.
Osteopath Robbie Grech-Cini said: "Having undertaken research in the area and talking to our clients we have realised that this type of therapy can have a dramatic effect on some life limiting issues which traditional therapies may fail to manage. Examples include depression, stress, eating disorders, excessive worry, health and social anxiety, habits such as hair pulling, low self-esteem and confidence, OCD, persistent pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias and sleep problems. CBT has also helped clients with problems such as getting back on a bike after an accident and performance anxiety."
Ilkley Osteopathic Practice opened in 2001 with three osteopathic partners Amos and Robbie Grech-Cini and Louise Judd. Associate Helen Patton joined in 2012. Sports therapist Brit Tate joined in 2013 and Naomi Kirby, CBT therapist joined in May this year.
For more information please call the practice on 01943 817117.


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DR. HOOK- Suck it up: Stay hydrated in the heat
Sweat– or is it perspire? According to the dictionary, both verbs sweat and perspire mean "To excrete perspiration through the pores in the skin." Proper Brits know "Horses sweat; men perspire; but ladies glow." Judy Garland didn't know about glow. She said, "I wish I could just perspire. Unfortunately, I sweat!" Tina Turner sweats so much on stage that she wears clothes that can't get drenched– oh, what's sweat got to do, got to do with it?
Believe it or not, as a teenager, I was a singer. Yes, I'm sure all of you have fallen back in your chairs and are now reading this column on your backs. When I lived in Ohio, I actually got three highest achievement state awards for singing. Call me Andrea Bocelli, Laaa!
I was in a show choir called The Top Twenty. The girls put on showy dresses, and the guys put on tuxedos with dorky ruffled shirts. I looked like Jerry Seinfeld in the "Puffy Shirt" episode.
In this choir, everything was choreographed– which meant I was constantly swaying, dancing– and sweating! Unlike Tina Turner– who wears leather that doesn't absorb sweat– my puffy shirt and tuxedo made me look like a drowning cat. At times, my glasses would even fog up. I think I lost about 10 pounds of sweat each performance. Do you think I became dehydrated?
First, to be clear: dehydration is not the same as hypovolemia– decreased body fluid volume. For example, in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Black Knight becomes hypovolemic when he has all his limbs cut off and blood is squirting everywhere. His body fluids are low, and so his blood pressure drops and his organs don't get enough blood.
On the other hand, dehydration means low free water. You can be dehydrated from sweating too much and not drinking enough. When the body is low in water, the serum sodium level increases. This triggers the brain to release antidiuretic hormone (ADH) to tell the kidneys to reabsorb more water back into the body– which helps preserve body fluid volume.
The brain also signals, "Hey! I'm thirsty!" So you drink more water to stay hydrated. (There are other mechanisms too, but let's just focus on this one.)
We all lose water from our bodies like the government spends our tax dollars. Poof! It's gone! We lose water in our breath (exhale on a cold window and see the moisture from your lungs). Skin releases water, especially when it's hot outside or you're exercising. Water is lost during a bowel movement, especially with diarrhea.
"Water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did shrink; water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink" said the ancient mariner.
So how much water should a person drink? That's the $64,000 question, because it really varies depending on a body, habits, age, condition, etc. If you drink too little, your sodium levels can increase to dangerous levels. If you drink too much, your sodium levels can decrease to dangerous levels. (Yes, even water can be toxic at high levels. If it's not one thing, it's another, Blanche.)
Assuming everything's working properly, you'll know when you need water because you'll be thirsty, and the thirst will stop when you're hydrated enough. Generally speaking, normal adults need at least 1600cc of water a day.
Water comes in fruits and vegetables as well as from the tap. The movie Like Water for Chocolate might mislead you to think eight bars of Lindt are equivalent to eight glasses of water, but they aren't– too bad!
I drink plain old tap water that's filtered. Honestly, I don't understand why everyone loves bottled water– it hasn't been proven to be any better for you, it's expensive, and some manufacturers actually add extra calories and "stuff" to it.
It just seems to me that people who buy that stuff have water for brains.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you can get away this weekend, Dec 14 &15, we are offering a special holiday discounted rate for any King Deluxe or Queen Deluxe Room. Stay one or more nights, and you'll receive a 20% discount. Just give us a call at 501.525.6155 to make your reservation.
While you're in Hot Springs, don't miss the magical light shows at Garvan Woodland Gardens.
Words fail to describe the beauty of the lighted walking trails while sipping on a cup of hot chocolate (free).
While you're in Hot Springs, check out The Muses Christmas concert Sunday afternoon concert in the stunning Anthony Chapel. Lookout Point is proud to sponsor this concert! For tickets, visit the 3 Arts Cafe in the Hale Bathhouse, or online.


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Horrible news of out Switzerland, after a brutal hit during a playoff game in the second-tier Nationalliga B left defenseman Ronny Keller paralyzed. Via Puck Daddy, the 33-year-old Keller was checked from behind by Stefan Schnyder, sending him into the board head-first. This is exactly what the NHL is trying to prevent when it cracks down on boarding defenseless players, like Patrick Kaleta's hit on Brad Richards this weekend.
According a statement from the hospital where Keller is being treated,
"Following a serious injury of the fourth thoracic vertebra, Ronny Keller will be a permanent paraplegic."
The local attorney general has opened an investigation, and will reportedly weigh intent, negligence, and whether Schnyder's actions were egregiously outside the boundaries of the sport. (For what it's worth, Keller felt Schnyder on his tail, and turned into the hit, losing his footing at the exact wrong distance from the boards. Sadly, had he just played the puck, he would have been pancaked, but fine.)
Schnyder has contacted Keller and expressed his regret both privately and publicly, and is receiving psychological support.


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An Israeli medical official says a man in his 30s has died of a heat stroke suffered just after finishing a Tel Aviv marathon race.
Rescue services spokesman Zaki Heller says the runner collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, but medics were unable to resuscitate him. The race was run in 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.
Heller says four other runners who collapsed from the heat have been put in a medically induced comas and are on respirators at a Tel Aviv hospital. He says medics have treated more than 50 runners at the race.
Race organizers last week postponed the full marathon (42 kilometer) race initially scheduled for Friday in anticipation of a forecast heat wave. But organizers allowed the half-marathon (21 kilometer) race to proceed.


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Noel Davis has written another great security alerts which discus about KDE Problems, MySQL, Perl, Ximian Evolution, GnuPG, OpenSLP, Ringtone Tools, LuxMan, and Ethereal. Here are the details :
KDE Problems
Problems have been found in KDE's DCOP server, Konqueror, the dcopidlng script, and KPPP. The desktop communication protocol authentication daemon in KDE, dcopserver, is reported to be vulnerable to a locally exploitable denial-of-service attack.
The Konqueror web browser is reported to be vulnerable to a phishing-style attack called a homograph attack. A homograph attack uses a web site with a domain name created from international characters that resemble English letters to trick the user into believing the website is a known and trusted one.
The dcopidlng script is supplied with KDE and used during the build process of KDE and some KDE applications. Under some circumstances, the dcopidlng script could be vulnerable to a temporary-file, symbolic-link race condition that could result in arbitrary files being overwritten with the victim's permissions.
KPPP is a telephone dialer and graphical front end for the pppd daemon. By exploiting a file descriptor leak in KPPP, an attacker may be able to control the system's domain name resolution by modifying the content of the /etc/hosts and /etc/resolv.conf files. The problem in KPPP is reported to affect all versions of KDE through 3.1.5. Some Linux distributions execute KPPP (and other X Window applications that require root permissions to run) using a wrapper that protects from these types of attack by closing file descriptors safely. Red Hat Linux is one example of a distribution that uses a wrapper.
The KDE maintainers recommend that all users of KDE upgrade to KDE 3.4 or newer as soon as possible. A possible work around for the KPPP problem is to remove its set user id bit until it has been upgraded.
The MySQL database is reported to not properly filter the input of users who have DELETE and INSERT permissions. Under some conditions, this can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on the server with the permissions of the user running MySQL. In addition, a user with CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE permissions may be able to exploit a temporary-file, symbolic-link race condition to write to arbitrary files on the system.
Users should consider upgrading to MySQL 4.0.24 or 4.1.10a.
A race condition in the Perl programming language's rmtree function in the File::Path module may, under some circumstances, be exploitable by a local attacker to remove or gain read access to arbitrary directories and files. This race condition is reported to affect Perl 5.6.1 and 5.8.4.
Ximian Evolution
The Ximian Evolution email and groupware client will crash when it is used to read certain messages. This problem could be exploited by a remote attacker in a denial-of-service attack by sending the user a carefully crafted message. This problem is reported to affect versions of Evolution through version 2.0.3.
Users should watch their vendors for a patched version of Ximian Evolution.
A problem in GnuPG, the Gnu Privacy Guard, may result (under some conditions) in portions of the plain text of a file encrypted with symmetric encryption being recoverable by a remote attacker. Successfully completing this attack would require a large number of attempts using a source that has the decryption key and will report to the attacker if the integrity check fails. In other words, the attack is only feasible if the victim has an automated system that will respond back to the attacker when an encrypted message fails the integrity check. Also, the attack would only recover the first two bytes of each encrypted block. It is possible that other software that uses the OpenPGP protocol may be vulnerable to this attack.
Concerned users should watch their vendors for a modified version of GnuPG that provides protection against this type of attack.
OpenSLP is an open source implementation of the Service Location Protocol (SLP). SLP provides information about the existence, location, and configuration of networked services and devices. An audit of OpenSLP by the SuSE Security Team found multiple buffer overflows that could be exploited by a remote attacker using improperly formed
SLP packets.
Users should watch their vendors for patched and repaired versions of OpenSLP. SuSE and Mandrake have released repaired versions of OpenSLP.
Buffer overflows in LuxMan, an SVGA console-based Pac-Man clone, can be exploited by a local attacker to gain root permissions.
It is recommended that if the game is not being used its set user id root bit be removed. In addition users should watch their vendors for a repaired version.
Ethereal, a powerful and flexible network protocol analyzer with a graphical interface, is reported to contain several remotely exploitable vulnerabilities. These vulnerabilities may be exploitable by a remote attacker using specifically constructed packets, and could result in arbitrary code being executed with root permissions. The vulnerabilities affect versions of Ethereal earlier than 0.10.10 and include problems in the Etheric, 3GPP2 A11, IAPP, JXTA, and sFlow dissectors; and a problem in the GPRS-LLC if the "ignore cipher bit" is enabled. Code to automate the exploitation of the CDMA A11 dissector has been released to the public.
All users of Ethereal should upgrade to version 0.10.10 or newer as soon as possible. If users are unable to upgrade, they should turn off the affected dissectors.
Source: LinuxDevCenter


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It's time to jazz up your weekly menu with Laura Theodore, the Jazzy Vegetarian! This series features quick, easy and delicious vegan recipes along with green tips that will make adding plant-based choices into your everyday lifestyle a breeze.
There are no upcoming air times for this episode.
Funding for The Jazzy Vegetarian is provided in part by:


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What's that you're doing, Ms. Müller?
Melinda Müller, 28,
Maintenance technician
… has been with Lufthansa Technik for nine years
"I'm replacing an in-flight entertainment monitor in the back of an aircraft seat. Using a special tool called a release key I loosen it from the mounting. After that, I can easily take hold of it and pull it out. The new monitor is also very easy to install so the whole process takes only about a minute. I cannot spend much more time on it than that anyway because my colleagues and I have to maintain the in-flight entertainment system on up to 15 aircraft in a single shift. We usually encounter only small problems, like a defective display that has to be repaired before the plane takes off again, but some of our maintenance jobs are more involved. Replacing a damaged wire in a spot that's difficult to reach can take several hours. But our job is not just to maintain the entertainment system hardware, but also to upload the software onto all the new monitors we install, as well as uploading new music and films onto each airplane's server every month."


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Next Screen | Return
fv: FITS file summaryIn this fv summary window, the following information of all the extensions are listed -- name, type of the extension, and the dimension of the data. You can display the header, plot columns in a table and display an image.
Pages maintained by Bryan Irby Send bug reports or feature requests via the FTOOLS help desk.
HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public
Last modified: Tuesday, 20-Jul-2004 13:33:18 EDT


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Grosse Pointe Park receives $76,000 grant for fire department
AFG grant to help outfit firefighters with needed equipment
GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. – A $76,116 grant will go to the Grosse Pointe Park department of public safety as part of the Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program.
The investment will be used to outfit firefighters with the equipment needed. U.S. Rep. Gary Peters made the announced Wednesday.
"I'm proud to announce over $76,000 in federal funding to support hard working firefighters in the Grosse Pointe Park area," said Peters. "Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our families, that's why it's so important to ensure that they are equipped and ready to handle any emergency. By making an investment to improve safety in our community, we're securing a brighter future for our region."
The primary goal of the grant is to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and nonaffiliated emergency medical service organizations.
Since 2001, AFG has helped firefighters and other first responders obtain equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources needed to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.
More Headlines from Wayne County:
- Man dines, dashes from $16 bill and Ferndale police
- AP Interview: Mayor expects emergency manager
- New VA mental health clinic opening in Detroit
- Talks continue on McDonald's Muslim diet agreement
- Rash of fires break out in SW Detroit Wednesday morning
- Detroit woman, 60, is missing
- Campbell Ewald moving to Detroit, bringing jobs
- Detroit City Council mulls next move under financial crisis
- Shred old documents to protect privacy
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Andrew Dixon necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 49 diseños de 19 diseñadores freelance.
Koh Chang Dive School
Koh Chang Dive School offers numerous diving courses for both novices up to advanced and specialist courses covering areas like Dive Master, Rescue Diver, underwater photography and videography. Operating over multiple sites within Thailand their experience and course list make them one of the best dive operations within the country, and need a website to reflect their professionalism and services on offer.
The target audience will be both novice and experienced divers, mainly from tourists within the area, but also for people planning on visiting Thailand and what more information on Dive Schools in the country prior to their holiday. The main audience will be European / Russian visitors.
The site is to be clean, crisp, modern in style and using a white background.
Logo is at http://www.mso.net/files/kohchanglogos.zip
Colour palette – Clear, clean and natural using Web 2.0 colours, with a white background
Screen size – The site will need to fit 1024px width display. Where possible avoid scrolling of the page content. To help reduce scrolling the content, pages could use tabs if the content allows.
Elements to include:
Need to show the PADI logo – in zip at http://www.mso.net/files/kohchanglogos.zip
Header images – Make use of some of the best images in the zip of photos at http://www.mso.net/files/kohchangimages.zip (22.5M)
The main header image can be coded to change via javascript on a rotation basis. Key images to use would be ones with the happy smiling kids, as Thailand is called "The Land of Smiles". The imagery has got to sell a "dream" holiday experience, so the setting sun pictures, the one with the Thai girl on the boat steps etc.
The core sections of the site will be:
Dive Trips
Dive Sites
Dive Boat
Contact Us
Most of the above sections will have sub-sections, so we need to be able to navigate to the sub-sections, either drop-down menus, or static links appearing on the page once you have entered a section.
The full navigation for the site is at http://www.mso.net/files/kohchangstructure.pdf


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The Pack (Feat. Dev) - Dancefloor
The official music video for The Pack performing "Dance Floor" featuring Dev, from their Sophmore LP Wolfpack Party, available now!
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


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LAS VEGAS -- It's opening day at the PGA Fall Expo and the crowd is large, loud and excited to see the latest in golf apparel and merchandise here at the Venetian Hotel and Convention Center. A processional of bagpipes opened the day, marching down toward a stage where PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka, PGA Professional Hank Haney and Reed Exhibitions Senior Vice President Ed Several opened the day with a welcome speech before Haney took a ceremonial "first swing," which rained down confetti on the attendees.
Then it was off to the Show Floor. What'd I see and hear? Some pretty cool things, including:
The Haney keynote. First up at the Expo was world-renowned instructor and one-time PGA National Teacher of the Year Hank Haney. His keynote address centered on effective ways of teaching and growing the game. A standing room-only crowd gave him a rousing ovation after his hourlong presentation.
Loved this new product called SwingSmart. It looks like one of those Bluetooth headsets -- but it fits onto your golf club. It actually contains Bluetooth technology, which allows you to swing a club and get feedback from an app (free download onto any i-device -- and soon androids) that measures swing speed, angle of attack, amount of lag and tempo. You can also see a 3D rendering of your swing from any angle. The module has a one-time cost of $249.99 and no subscription fees. I've got to get me one of these.
It's always good to see my friends from Kentwool Socks. It's especially good when they have a cool new product to unveil. The very popular footwear company, raved about by many tour players, including Masters champion Bubba Watson, on social media, has just come out with its 19th Hole Collection – a line of premium dress socks with many of the same great qualities as the golf socks but designed for office and formal wear.
The new Flix divot repair tool from Champ has a switchblade-type action with such great force that I had trouble hanging on to it when it opened. That said, it's a good-looking tool that shows the material and sturdiness to last forever. I'd think this would be the last such tool you'd ever need to buy (losing it notwithstanding).
Fashion is always the big story here at the PGA Fall Expo -- two apparel-only conventions are actually taking place at the same time here at the Venetian, and many vendors and buyers cross over between all the showrooms. Of course, women's apparel is always a hot topic at these expos and this year is no different. Dozens of apparel companies are lined up to show off their latest designs. Not that I know anything about women's fashion (or fashion at all), but a number of outfits really seemed to stand out as sharp, sleek and performance-enhancing. I spent some time with the ladies at GolfHer, which boasts great golf attire designed for golfers by a golfer.
Ecco has always been a leader in natural motion footwear. Its latest golf shoe, the Ecco Biom Hybrid, combines free-motion flexibility in the upper part of the shoe with the softer, flatter bottom sole that has become all the rage in golf shoes in the last few years. If you want some, you'd better act fast -- they are having problems keeping them in stock.
Additionally, there are several meetings, announcements and seminars taking place -- all designed to prepare the industry to meet the wants and needs of golfers around the world. The activities taking place here will resonate far beyond the Venetian in the weeks and months ahead. And besides, we still have a full day to go to discover new products.
Experts on the business and game of golf. The best coaching tips and latest golf news delivered straight to you. Sign Up to get the latest.


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Focus Network brauchte ein neues Website Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 183 Designs von 62 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
ArtFlux - Urban Art Gallery
ArtFlux is an online art gallery specialising primarily in urban based art such as graffiti, stencil art and illustration, but also urban photography and political posters. There is a strong emphasis on cutting edge, contemporary art.
I have decided to widen the scope of the website so that it is more of 'community' site where artists can submit their work and get paid a commission. There will be extensive social interaction through Facebook integration of comments etc.
Primarily, though, the website is an e-commerce site where buyers can browse images and then purchase them on a range of canvas, acrylic and metal products.
I am targetting people who are interested in purchasing canvas art. The target audience is United States, United Kingdom and rest of Europe.
People who may not be looking specifically for canvas art, but are interested in graffiti, stencil art, urban culture and contemporary art should also be attracted to the site and hopefully consider making a purchase anyway after they have had a browse.
Sites that have had an influence over my decisions for the design and functionality of the site, include:
Site was recently redeveloped onto Magento, but I am not happy with the redesign. See http://www.artflux.com
I have attached a number of items that will assist in the design and I encourage you to download all of them. Attached is a mock-up I have created of the homepage with how I envisage the various elements, but I am open to a complete reinterpretation of this as long as the majority of the sections shown are included.
The homepage should be very clean and visual. A visitors first impression should be that the site is more of an 'online gallery' of artwork to browse, rather than an e-commerce site.
The colour scheme of the site (background) should be predominantly white and the design should be optimised for 1024px + screen resolutions.
In the mockup I have included 'buttons' linking to the 3 most important areas of the site:
- Graffiti & Stencil Art
- Political Posters
- Urban Photography
These buttons should be designed properly and included in your design. See attached RAR files for images to use here.
There is also another button: 'submit', encouraging artists to send in their work for review.
Facebook integration will be extensive throughout the site, with 'Like' buttons, Facebook comments on the product pages and Facebook page feed on the homepage.
The winning designer will be invited to develop the design for the other site pages: category, product and site pages.


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When leaders of eight Arkansas higher learning institutions sent a letter to Congress recently calling for immigration reform, among their arguments was that undocumented students brought to America as children struggle to access college — a waste of their talents, both for them and for society.
When leaders of eight Arkansas higher learning institutions sent a letter to Congress recently calling for immigration reform, among their arguments was that undocumented students brought to America as children struggle to access college — a waste of their talents, both for them and for society.
They didn't mention specific students, but they were talking about people like Lidia Mondragon.
Lidia is a native of Guerrero, Mexico, where her family did not have electricity. Work was available only during the harvest season, so her father came to America illegally to work in chicken plants and send money home. He was able to visit his family occasionally.
At age seven, Lidia traveled across the California border with her family. A border patrol agent shined his flashlight into the car but did not ask questions. After a few months, the family relocated to Waldron, Ark.
The only Latino student in her class, she did not speak English, so she would nod her head and pretend to understand what was said. When she was in the sixth grade, English clicked for her. She graduated high school as her class's salutatorian.
It wasn't until she started applying for college as a sophomore that she began to understand what it meant to be illegal in Arkansas. She was accepted by every school where she applied, but she had to pay out-of-state tuition and, because she was undocumented, wasn't eligible for scholarships. Her tuition and mandatory fees at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith are three times what they would be were she a citizen from Arkansas. Her education, she said, is costing her $20,000 a year.
How does she pay for it? Her parents each have worked up to 75 hours a week at the chicken plant. She says they file income taxes every year. When Lidia's mother contracted cancer, Waldron's Latino community raised money so she could be treated. She was supposed to be in recovery for a month. Instead, she rested a week and then went back to work. The family needed the money.
Lidia, a senior now, is majoring in biology and is carrying a 3.5 grade point average. She will graduate next May and then enroll in medical school, perhaps specializing in pediatrics or oncology – a cancer doctor, in other words.
She wants to practice in Arkansas. According to a 2013 report by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, the state currently is short 360 primary care physicians — family doctors, pediatricians, etc. Central Arkansas is the only part of the state that has more doctors than it needs.
Lidia received a two-year work permit in March because of the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, announced in June 2012. Under that policy, holders of permits brought to America by their parents won't be deported.
She will have to renew her permit before the two years are up. It might not be available then, but she's enrolling in medical school anyway. She owes it to her parents. Her dad quit school in the sixth grade, her mom in the eighth, both to work. They don't want her to work 75 hours a week in a chicken plant.
"My dad always tells me, 'You already have the brains. All you have to do is work hard on your studies, and we'll do the rest,'" she said. "It's hard, but I'm going to be a doctor, but I'm going to be a doctor for a reason, because one day I will support them how they supported me."
Lidia has not traveled to Mexico since she was seven. She would not know what to do there. She grew up in Arkansas.
"Since I started school, every morning, we had to pledge allegiance to the flag, and I loved doing that. Here, this has been my home. … When they say, 'Go back to your home,' this is my home. How can I go back to something that I don't remember, that I don't even know what it's like to live there?"
There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants floating around what everyone knows is a broken system. This column could have been written about an American construction worker or chicken plant employee who lost his job to someone here illegally.
So what should be done? Blanket amnesty? Blanket expulsion? Or could Congress create a solution somewhere in between?
And what should be done about Lidia? Give her a chance to be a doctor? Send her to Mexico because her parents brought her here illegally? Or keep her stuck in the no-man's land where she lives now?
Whatever answer policymakers produce says more about this country than it does about her.
Steve Brawner is an independent journalist in Arkansas. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevebrawner.


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DRC home :: Events :: Feedback :: Wallpaper :: Advanced Search
The Summit Racing group: Summit Pro Stock drivers Greg Anderson and Jason Line, Summit Racing/BIGFOOT Monster Truck driver Dan Runte, and Harley-Davidson Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Eddie Krawiec and Andrew Hines made the trip from Stuttgart, Germany to the outskirts of Pristina, Kosovo. The distance between the two cities is much greater than 716 air miles. Pristina is a world away from Stuttgart. Germany explodes with color; new and old buildings side by side, heavy traffic speeding by on well-paved roads; Kosovo struggles as a country still trying to rebuild from a violent war in the late '90s which tore up buildings, streets and the populace. Rubble lines uneven roads. The vehicles are older, smaller and in various stages of decay. Repair shops - ranging from roadside stands to multi-story structures appear virtually every quarter mile. We heard the joke that they are so close together because the cars can barely go that far before needing service. "Kosovo Harleys" - motorized rototillers fitted with bucket seats - occupy these highways, along with farm tractors and Mercedes-Benz and Iveco 18-wheelers. It is dramatic.
We drove 45 minutes, past buildings in all states of construction and destruction, from the Pristina airport to Camp Bondsteel, a NATO/multi-national base (primarily U.S.) very different from what we saw in Stuttgart. At Bondsteel, Team Summit was housed in containerized barracks affectionately called "cans," with outdoor bathrooms. Camp Bondsteel has a gym, a PX for shopping and a coffee shop which includes a scaled-down Burger King and Taco Bell as well as a pizzeria, Thai-food stand, kabob counter and full coffee bar. The 800 U.S. troops stationed here alongside some 150 or so soldiers from other nations are helping to keep peace in the turbulent Balkans. The troops have limited recreation and leisure-time activities. Going into town is not very popular.
Team Summit did venture into Pristina for a visit to Film City, NATO's command center for the region. Some 40 U.S. troops are stationed there with troops from 30 other nations.
Jason Line reflected on the program, primarily the two days in Kosovo.
Obviously Kosovo is struggling. The U.S. has an unemployment rate around eight percent; 10 or 12 percent in some places; and here it's over 50 percent. That's a pretty big number! Kosovo is not as developed as any other place I've been to; still, it's very interesting. Americans all get wrapped up, especially us in racing, in our own little world. When you come to a place like this, you see folks who don't have it as good as we do, that's for darn sure. They have real world problems to deal with, not whether they won or lost a round on the drag strip. The last thing on their minds is racing.
It's amazing, really. I've had a great experience; it's made me appreciate America and how we live. It's also increased my admiration for our troops and the troops from all countries stationed away from home. I can speak from my own experience in the Air Force stationed at a remote site. When you are deployed in a remote location, and you haven't seen anyone from home for a long time, any piece of home is a welcome sight. So the more remote the posting, the more excited everybody is to see you, for sure. It's good that we can make somebody happy; we can bring a little piece of home.
Team Summit visited Camp Bondsteel's dining facility, where they ate with the soldiers and visited the full-service hospital and the Blackhawk-helicopter-maintenance operation. At each stop, they signed autographs, swapped stories with the diverse groups of men and women, many of them racing fans or automotive enthusiasts.
The Blackhawk maintenance operation was pretty cool. It's been around for many years, but mechanically it's up to date even if some of the equipment is not new. It's always fun to look at tools, machinery, engines, and helicopter parts. I am certainly curious about how it works and knowing how it works might make me feel better about flying in one.
The Blackhawk maintenance group (all the troops we met were from Hawaii) was very eager to show us what they are working on, sort of the opposite of racing, at least our kind. We try to hide everything and don't want anyone to know what we're developing; these guys are very proud of what they do and wanted to show us how they do their jobs and explain how it affects the overall mission.
There is terrific camaraderie amongst the troops - they know their mission and stay focused on doing it. Putting myself in their shoes, I think that could be hard to do. Some of these folks are away from home for the first time. They stay amazingly focused on what they have to do; and seem genuinely happy about it.
The troops that we've met are certainly appreciative. Our reason for being here is to show our appreciation to them.


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Relation between team size and efficiency in Japan based on my Grand Tour of Japanese Automotive.
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By Christoph Roser at AllAboutLean.com under the free CC-BY-SA 4.0 license.
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Tagged: Vance Worley
Father-Son Baseball? Yes, Please! (4/14/2012)
It has been a long and busy off-season. On Saturday, April 14, 2012, Tim and I kicked off our 2012 baseball season with a game between the Mets and Phillies in Philadelphia. I had been looking forward to this game like crazy.
I had originally planned to take both boys to Baltimore on Saturday, April 7th, but I didn't realize it was Easter weekend and we had a house full of family. So we had to wait a whole week to get our first taste of major league baseball for the season.
I've been extremely busy at work this off-season. And our house has been crazy. Having two boys is awesome. But it is way harder than having one boy. Tim and Kellan get along great most of the time. But they also create non-stop action, tons of brotherly competition, a healthy dose of yelling and chaos, and they require a lot of discipline…or at least a lot of correcting. Don't do this, that, or the other thing. Stop doing this, that, or whatever.
Baseball season provides something that the rest of the year generally does not. Something I really needed. Extended periods of father-son time in an environment that Tim and I just really enjoy. No chaos. Tim and I have gotten so good at attending games. We're an amazing team. Hardly any discipline is needed. It is just fun and relaxing days connecting with my boy and sharing our mutual love of baseball. So let's get to it.
The morning started with opening day of Tim's first year of little league (which is the newest chapter of Tim's life, extremely exciting, and will be up next on this blog). After opening ceremonies, we hopped in the car, grabbed a happy meal from McD's…
…and headed toward Philadelphia. I was loving baseball season within the first fifteen minutes of our drive. It was a completely unchanged experience despite the six month break. Tim and I had great conversations the whole ride down, except of course for during the 15 minutes that we spent battling each other to see who could sing the best Gotye "Someone I Used To Know" (Tim's favorite song). Tim won! As my wife will tell you, I'm a horrible singer. By the way, Tim's best comment during our drive was his description of what college is: "college is where there are lots of boys and lots of girls and you find out who you are going to marry."
We pulled into the stadium – paid our $15 to park. Pulled on Tim's new Ichiro jersey…
…and sized up our destination: Citizens Bank Park!
Bring on the baseball.
We grabbed a spot second in line. We started up a nice conversation with the guy behind us, another guy excited to be back at the ballpark for another year. And within a few minutes, a young man approached and asked, "Are you Todd?"
It was a 12-year-old boy named Harrison who was at the ballpark with his father, Seth. Another father-son having a great day with the sport they love. Harrison reads our blog and leaves comments from time-to-time under the name "Philadelphia45." It was great to get to know Harrison and Seth a little bit.
Tim loves hanging with older kids, and Harrison was no exception. Here they are hanging out at the gate – timed exactly when Tim blinked (oops):
When the gates opened, we went our separate ways, but we'd meet up again with Harrison and Seth. Tim and I headed to left field. We were among the very first people into the seats. And within a few minutes, a Phillies batter lined a foul ball into the roped off seats down the 3B line. An usher grabbed it and spotted Tim from a long way off. He siliently (so Tim didn't realize it) called us over to the "chain" and handed Tim his very first baseball of 2012:
Thank you, Sir!
We have somewhat of a routine for the BP at Citizens Bank Park. First, we set up shop right down the line, in the very small piece of foul territory that is open at the beginning of BP. Here was our view:
There was a Mets player…I think he was a player, although he was wearing shorts and no jersey…hanging out below us. And I notice something very odd…
…he had a glove with "Todd Helton" embroidered on the thumb. I asked him why he had a Todd Helton glove and he responded, "Because he gave it to me." "Oh, that's really cool," I responded.
Soon (as pictured above), Johan Santana showed up and started running from the foul line to CF. At one point, he was approaching the foul line when a Phillies batter hit a long grounder right to him. I called out, "Hey, Johan!" When he looked up, I pointed at Tim and he started to motion like he was going to throw it to Tim. But Tim was holding his glove in his throwing hand for some reason. So, Johan pointed…or maybe he nodded…at Tim and then threw the baseball to me. I handed it over to Tim and we both called out a loud and excited:
Thank you, Johan!!!
Wow, Johan Santana. That's a great toss-up. Very exciting for our first toss-up of the season. But in retrospect, our next toss-up would be about ten times more exciting.
We hung out in the same spot until they opened the rest of the stadium. We watched Cliff Lee do some running…
…and we chatted with Harrison and Seth who had joined us shortly after the toss-up from Santana. They had also caught two baseballs already – one from Michael Stutes who I really want to connect with some day on a toss-up because he once heckled my softball team while he played for the Reading Phillies.
Normally, when the rest of the stadium opens, Tim and I head out to the "pizza wedge" in RCF. But the Mets have a commemorative baseball this season that I was really hoping we could get from one of the Mets pitchers warming up down the line. So we relocated (along with Harrison and Seth) to the corner spot down the LF line:
We ended up standing right behind Tim Byrdak. I was excited. I have wanted Tim to get a baseball from another "Tim" ever since we got one from umpire Todd Tichnor. Maybe this would be the day!?
When Mets coach Ricky Bones (I love that name!) walked by, Harrison asked for a picture. Bones told Harrison to hold on and when he returned about 10 minutes later, Tim was a co-beneficiary of Harrison's request:
Thanks, Mr. Bones!
And then things got REALLY exciting! Tim Byrdak and his partner finished up playing catch. A Mets batter had hit a grounder that rolled to a stop about five feet from Byrdak's feet. As he grabbed the ball to throw it in, while pointing at Tim, I shouted out, "Hey, Tim, how about throwing a ball to another Tim!?"
It worked. Byrdak turned around and tossed the ball at Tim. Tim has made amazing progress with his catching skills over the last two months, but I was nervous and anxious and excited all at the same time as the ball sailed toward Tim. What would happen?
Without hesitating, Tim reached out and made a nice one handed grab with his glove. A clean catch with zero assistance from his dad:
When the ball stuck in Tim's glove I was ecstatic. I literally jumped in the air and shouted, "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!" I was so happy and proud of my no-longer-so-little guy. All offseason, we've been talking about how he's going to catch a baseball (or baseballs!) on his own this season, and we've been talking about trying to get a baseball from a Major League "Tim" for years, and it all came together in one moment and sheer awesomeness.
It was truly perfect and completely made my day.
Some of our hugest "thank yous" ever to Mr. Timothy Christopher Byrdak!
We've been fortunate enough to get a nice collection of baseballs at MLB games, but this one definitely ranks right up there at the tippy top of the list as one of the best.
On the natural high of the toss-up from Mr. Byrdak, Tim and I decided to report to the pizza wedge.
Here's a tip. When relocating to another section of the ballpark, walk through the seats, not through the concourse. That's what we did and…
…Mike Pelfrey rewarded us with a baseball in deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep center field.
Before hitting up the pizza wedge, we visited the Phillies hall of fame area so Tim could grab the different metal baseballs that have finger grips for different types of pitches, and then spit some seeds down…
…into the bushes in the batters' eye. And then Tim called Richie Ashburn "saaafe!" in our first MyGameBalls.com photo scavenger hunt picture of the season.
The pizza wedge was dominated by a family a four with two 13-14 year old'ish girls who got some love from the players (as did "mom"), before Mets coach (and former player for numerous MLB teams) Tom Goodwin hooked Tim up with our first pizza wedge ball of the season:
Note: the balls from Pelfey and Goodwin followed the more traditional, point at Tim and throw to Dad method…although, Tim made an attempt at the Pelfrey ball, but it was too high and sailed over his glove and into mine.
There was still more BP, but we were done. Tim wanted to play some games. The speed pitch, for some reason, wasn't open. But we played the trivia game and the running in place game…
…in the deep LCF concourse. This season, instead of handing out slips of paper that say you played one of these games, you collect stamps in the little booklet that Tim is holding in the above picture. I'm not sure what you get when you fill it up with stamps. We'll see later in the season.
After some game time, we headed up the steps toward the upper deck. We got this picture of Tim on the second deck with a view of the bullpens and Ashburn Alley behind/below him:
And then we headed to the back row of section 302 for what we determined must be the farthest seat from home plate:
Yep, make that two pictures checked off the 2012 Photo Scavenger Hunt list!
While up there, of course, I got a panorama from section 302:
And then we headed back down to the second deck for our first father-son picture of the season:
Thank you to a nice usher who snapped the photo. As my Little Grandma would say, "Jiminy, Tim is gotten huge!" Remember when he used to look like this? It is fun looking back at game photos and seeing him grow up before my eyes.
Actually, he's done some much growing that I was concerned he would be too tall for the kids' play area. But fear not…
…plenty of growing still to do before he is shut out of the play area.
Tim was excited after posing for that picture, he told me "I can even come back and play when I am seven!"
The game started while we were at the play area. Soon, we grabbed some nachos…
…and our seats in section 104:
The Mets were already winning 1-0 on a David Wright homerun to LF.
We spent a lot of the game (we're mobile so not all of the game) sitting behind this dude…
…named "Duda," Lucas Duda, and this other dude named….
…Hunter "Ugliest Mechanics In Baseball But Monster Power" Pence.
After nachos, it was time for Tim's first ice cream helmet of the season. We took the scenic route to our favorite ice cream lady at Citizens Bank Park…
…that's the view from Section 242¸by the way.
Most of the teams in Tim's little league are sponsored by local businesses, but one is sponsored by today's Phillies starter, Vance Worley (who used to play for the Reading Phillies):
Big thanks to Vance for supporting our league, but this, unfortunately, was not his day.
On this pitch, Vance got Jason Bay to ground into a double play…
…but a run scored making it 2-0 Mets. Duda was up next and he clubbed a 2-run homer to make it 4-0 Mets.
How about a random shot of British Columbian-born, Gonzaga University-alum Jason Bay:
Guess what? Tim still likes ice cream hemlets…
…and our lady still makes a huge helmet.
The Phillies have not started strong this season. And I noticed something…the fans do not seem to believe in them as much as in the last couple years, at least at this point with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard both on the DL. Check out the patch of empty seats with the Phils losing 4-0 in the top of the sixth inning:
I never saw that last season at Citizens Bank Park.
Tim wanted to visit the team store. On our walk around the stadium, we noticed this nice mosaic art piece in the concourse:
While Tim and I were talking about the little Phanatic in the mosaic, the real Phanatic's mom showed up on the scene. I pulled our my camera and it refused to fire when the Phanatic's mom patted Tim on the head. Instead, the flash delayed the shutter and it didn't take a picture until the Phanatic's mom stuck her hand in my face with an exaggerated "Hi, Dad" wave:
So I got a rare close up of the Phanatic's mom's hand!
Shortly thereafter, Tim became the owner of a new stuffed Phanatic:
We stopped by the play area on our way back to RF, but it was just closing down. Sad news. So we headed back to the now hardly half-full RF seats. Between innings, an usher took this shot of me and Tim:
By the way, Tim's eyes were starting to look puffy because he was battling serious hay fever, which has been a daily battle for the last couple weeks.
The Phillies really did nothing offensively in this game. Well, next to nothing. They did get a single on this pitch to Juan Pierre:
If you look closely, you can see the baseball heading toward RF in that picture.
It is almost impossible to get an umpire baseball in Philadelphia (it would be easier if you had seats in the Diamond Club), but it was our first game of the season so, heck, we were up for the challenge.
We relocated to the concourse behind section 130. For a while, we stood behind the camera man…
…where we saw Ruben Tejada drive in pinch runner Mike Baxter…
…off of Michael Stutes:
And then we watched David Wright…
…and Ike Davis…
…make outs for the Mets.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Tim and I slid into nearly ideal seats for making the umpire ball attempt:
The umpire Alfonso Marquez (shown in the background) would enter a tunnel at the home plate end of the dugout, just to the right of the guy in the light blue Phillies t-shirt in that last picture.
We had a great view of Jimmy Rollins, as he grounded out:
And a great view of Hunter Pence, while he struck out:
There were tons of empty seats in RF as Jon Rauch pitched to the day's final batter John Mayberry:
Mayberry ended the game in the ideal umpire attempt manner – a high pop up that allowed us to get into position while the umpire had to stay at home plate.
We slid all the way into the second a row and stood at the little railing separating the really nice seats (dugout) from the ridiculously nice seats (Diamond Club). Tim and I both called out "Alfonso" when he stopped on the grass just short of the warning track to wait for his colleagues. He heard us call his name and fired an absolutely beautifully rubbed up baseball to us:
And then he left.
We lingered for a bit and then headed toward the LF corner on our way to the exit. Tim was tossing the umpire ball into his glove over and over while we walked. I noticed that there were two ballgirls down the LF line and I asked Tim if he wanted to get a picture. He said yes, and then yelled and started running.
I thought he was running to the ballgirls, but he had missed his glove and fired his new umpire ball under some seats and it disappeared. We couldn't find it anywhere, but fortunately, a nice fan pointed it out and we retrieved it from a tray of peanuts (or some type of food).
Fifteen seconds later and we would have missed getting this double ballgirl picture, which was taken mere feet from the spot where Tim caught the baseball from Byrdak about 4-and-a-half hours earlier:
A pose with his umpire ball and Citizens Bank Park sign…
…and with the Harry Kalas statute…
…and then we were "outta there!"
It was an incredibly awesome first day being back at the ballpark. I can't wait to fold Kellan into the mix for our first 3-guys game next weekend.
I know why Ernie Banks always wanted to *play two* — hip, hip Hooray for Baseball!
2012 C&S Fan Stats
|1/0 Games (Tim/Kellan)
|2/0 Teams – Tim – Phillies, Mets; Kellan – N/A
|1 Ice Cream Helmet(s) – Phillies 1
|6 Baseballs – Mets 4, Phillies 1, Umpires 1
|1/0 Stadiums – Tim – Citizens Bank Park; Kellan – N/A
|1/0 Player Photos – Tim – Ricky Bones; Kellan – N/A


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Government 101
Been awhile since you studied U.S. Government in school? We've put together some helpful information to help you brush up on how government works and how you can be an effective citizen. Want to know what's going on in Washington? Check out the government information below. Also be sure to take a minute to enjoy our games.
The Executive Branch
The Legislative and Regulatory Process
Who Represents Me?
Congressional Committees
Helpful Links
Helpful Tips
Political Games
The Executive Branch
The Legislative and Regulatory Process
- 113th Congress Legislative Calendar
- How a Bill Becomes a Law
- How a Regulation Becomes a Rule
- Helpful Legislative Definitions
- Find a Bill
- Congressional Schedule
- Daily Digest
Who Represents Me?
- Who are my legislators?
- Leadership in the 113th Congress
- Meet the Freshmen Members (this may take a few minutes to load)
- 113th Congress Math
- 113th Congress Vacancies
- Forms of Address for Government Officials
Congressional Committees
- 113th Congress Congressional Committee Leadership
- Congressional Committees
- Senate, House & Joint Committee Jurisdictions
Helpful Links
- Federal Legislators' Social Media Links
- Helpful Government Links
- Political News Links
- State Legislative Activity
Helpful Tips
- Tips on Writing to Your Elected Officials
- Tips on Meeting with Your Elected Officials
- Tips on Writing Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds
Political Games
- Do you know your states? Play The Capital Game
- Do you know your Presidents? Play Name That President
- Do you watch C-SPAN? Play Who Am I


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Monday, July 19th, 2010
|Josh Anderson
Angela Ashurst-McGee
Alan Barlow
Matt Burkhart
Diane Bush
Vanessa Hall
Matthew Lavin
Jaquelin Pelzer
Pamela Pierce
Jacoba Mendelkow Poppleton
Sarah Rudd
Brett Sigurdson
Sarah Stoeckl
Sarah Vause
Angela Waldie
Angela Ashurst-McGee, 1997/98. Angela began work at the journal as the first-ever Thomas J. Lyon Fellow three months before her second son, Logan, was born.Since Angela's fellowship was set up only for one year, she then taught composition at USU. She became the Assistant Director of Writing for English 1010 and helped plan the following year's composition curriculum and train new instructors.
She has worked as a freelance editor and then as the associate editor of the Joseph Smith Papers Series. [You see, those editorial skills do come in handy after all sometimes!] She is now a certified professional resumé writer und the founder and president of Red Rocket Resumé.
A few words from Angela: "My experience at Utah State University was almost uniformly positive. I got a good education taking good classes from good teachers. Faculty members were uncommonly friendly and willing to give advice and act as mentors. The English department treats its master's students like colleagues and professionals rather than peons; comp teachers and editorial fellows work alongside faculty and participate in department decision-making."
Vanessa Hall, 1998-2000.Vanessa graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in English from Washington and Lee University in 1998. She then served as the first two-year fellow at Western American Literature.
Purdue University awarded her an Andrews Fellowship to pursue a PhD. Her major field is contemporary American literature and her minor fields are labor history and women's studies. Her research and teaching interests also include gender and class in literature and culture, Native American literature, and western American literature. Her dissertation is a cultural biography of Raymond Carver.
In the fall of 2007, Vanessa was the first one of our editorial fellows to finish her PhD and become a professor of English. She took a position at the New York City College of Technology in downtown Brooklyn. After the birth of her third child, she decided to retreat to the Poconos, where baby #4 was born.
Sarah Rudd, 1999-2001. Sarah grew up in Salt Lake City and Mexico. She moved back to the Salt Lake City area, where she now works as a realtor. Sarah still thinks folklore rules and she contributed to a book on the history of folklore in Utah. The title of her contribution is "Utah Latino Folklore Studies."
Matt Burkhart, 2000-2002. Matt grew up somewhere around Chicago, came to us from Missoula, and has now acquired a PhD from the University of Arizona in Tucson. He presently teaches at Colby College. His research focuses on western American studies, especially Native American and environmental literature. He won the J. Golden Taylor Award for best paper submitted to the WLA Conference in 2003. From 2003-2005 he served as the graduate student representative on the WLA Executive Council.
Alan Barlow, 2001-2003. Alan grew up in southern Utah and has a BA from Utah State University. His computer skills were indispensable in our office. After getting his master's degree in English, he earned a master's degree in Management and Human Resources at Utah State University and then served as Director of Human Resources at Wilderness Quest in Monticello, Utah. He was the Chief Compliance Officer and Human Resources Director for the Tule River Indian Health Center in Porterville, California, before moving to Fort Yates, North Dakota.
Angela Waldie, 2002-2004. During her tenure as Graduate Student Representative to the WLA Executive Council, Angela started a professionalization panel for graduate students who attend the WLA Conference. In 2006, she was the recipient of the J. Golden Taylor Award for best graduate student paper submitted to the WLA Conference. In 2012, Angela received her PhD from the University of Calgary. When not reading, researching, or teaching, Angela can be found exploring the hiking trails and hot springs of the Canadian Rockies, writing poetry, weaving, practicing yoga, or salsa dancing.
Sarah Vause, 2003-2005. Sarah has a BA from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, where she grew up. She is now teaching classes at Utah State University and Weber State University. She is still running and hiking in the beautiful mountains of Utah.
Matthew Lavin, 2004-2006. Matt came to us from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York, where he also worked for a newspaper before going back to graduate school at USU. In 2008, Matt was the recipient of the J. Golden Taylor Award for best graduate student paper presented at the WLA Conference. For 2011 and 2012, Matt served as a graduate student representative on the Executive Board for the Western Literature Association. In 2012, he received his PhD from the University of Iowa. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, he is now the associate program coordinator of "Crossing Boundaries: Re-envisioning the Humanities for the 21st Century" at St. Lawrence University. Crossing Boundaries is a Mellon initiative dedicated to crossing the divide between private and public knowledge, the classroom and the wider community, real and virtual media for communication and communing with others by using digital technologies both in and outside the classrooms.
Sarah Stoeckl, 2005-2007. Sarah grew up in Salt Lake City. She was awarded the WAG Distinguished Master's Thesis Award for writing the best MA thesis across all departments at Utah State University. In 2012, she received her PhD from the University of Oregon in Eugene.
Jacoba Mendelkow Poppleton, 2006-2008. Jacoba now works as a marketing representative at New Dawn Technologies, where she is responsible for web content, blogging, social media, event planning, and campaign management. She also diligently (maybe?) works on her own writing, and she certainly will never be able to resist a beautiful pair of shoes.
Diane Bush, 2007-2009. Diane has taken an editorial position with another academic journal, the Western Historical Quarterly. Her obsession with the Donner Party continues. Or does it? We hope to see her in Reno in 2015 to find out.
Pamela Pierce, 2008-2010. Pamela went on to study library science at Indiana University Bloomington, where she also worked at a journal titled Language@Internet. Pamela now works as a Retention Specialist at a Washington, D.C. area non-profit that helps former foster youths graduate college. She also volunteers at 826DC, an organization focused on teaching creative writing to elementary, middle, and high school students. She spends her weekends visiting independent bookstores, museums, and the historic sites of the East Coast.
Brett Sigurdson, 2010-2011. Brett loves to teach and write. He has moved back to the East Coast, where he is the editor of THE CHARLOTTE NEWS in Vermont. He and his wife, Kate, live on Lake Champlain. Apparently, the hiking and biking opportunities are fantastic.
Brett with his dog, Miles Davis, 2010.
Jaquelin Pelzer, 2010-2012. Jaquelin is pursuing a PhD at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and she is one of the graduate student reps on the Executive Council for the Western Literature Association for 2013-2015.
Jaquelin with her dog Macy in 2010.
Josh Anderson, 2011-2013. Josh is currently working on his PhD at Ohio State University, focusing on US ethnic and postcolonial literature with an emphasis on American Indian and working-class literature of the US West. In Columbus, Josh also continues to work in academic publishing, serving as an editorial assistant at Studies in American Indian Literatures (SAIL).
Tags: WAL Editorial Fellows
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How does doing a Zero Percent balance transfer affect credit score?
Can anyone tell me if or how this will affect my credit score?
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Does Doing a Zero Percent Balance Transfer Affect Credit Score?
When you apply for new credit there is a small drop in your fico score when there is a new hard inquiry. This is generally a few points.
However there can also be some major benefits once a new credit line is opened.
Lets say you only have 1 credit card with a $2000 Limit and you have a $1500 balance. This will actually reflect negatively on your credit score as you will be utilizing 75% of your available debt.
If you apply for an receive a new credit card with a $5000 limit and transfer that balance at 0% for either 6 months 12 months or longer, the credit reporting agencies now see that you are carring $1500 balance on a card with a $5000 limit and 0 balance on a card with a 2000 limit. You only have $1500 utilized out of $7500 or 20 Percent Utilization. Lowering your utilization should actually increase your credit score.


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Invensis Learning's SAFe Scrum Master Training Course in Makati is delivered by highly qualified SAFe Programming Consultants (SPCs) with extensive experience in scaling Agile implementation for an enterprise. The name of the certification is SSM Certification, whereas the training course is known as SAFe Scrum Master. This SSM Certification is one of the most industry-recognized Agile certifications for professionals globally. This SAFe Scrum Master Course in Makati is ideal for individuals and enterprises that are looking to gain an in-depth understanding understand of the role of a Scrum Master in an organization that is looking to Scale Agile framework.
The main takeaways from this 2-Day SAFe Scrum Master course in Makati are that you demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of applying Scrum in a SAFe enterprise, facilitating Scrum events, executing iterations, PI executions, continuous improvement, DevOps implementation, and more. The SAFe for Teams course covers key topics, including introducing Scrum in SAFe, the role of the Scrum Master, PI planning, iteration execution, finishing the PI, and coaching the Agile team. Participants attending this SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) Certification training will receive a course completion certificate and 16 PDUs/SEUs.
We deliver SAFe Scrum Master Training in Makati through interactive classroom and on-site training modes. Attend this SSM Certification course from various available weekday and weekend schedules. Enroll now and gain this SAFe Scrum Master certification in Makati today.
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As part of your SAFe Scrum Master training, you will receive:
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Jozaninarijinja – Shimane Castle
Any foreigner who has spent any time in Japan, and almost all of Japanese school children know of the strange foreigner Lafcadio Hearn (his Japanese name was Koizumi Yakumo, or 小泉八雲), an exceptionally cosmopolitan Irish-Greek intellectual who came to Japan in 1890 as a journalist but quickly had to change career to that of an English language teacher, a fate no doubt shared by many eager young westerners in the present times. His first teaching post in Japan was at a school in Shimane, capital of Shimane Prefecture, which later featured in his famous writings about Japan. Also featured in his writings was this little shrine, the Jozaninarijinja (城山稲荷神社), an Inari shinto shrine at the top of the castle mountain in central Shimane. On his way to school he would often stop and look at the large stone statues of foxed outside the shrine. Hence, it is in my opinion that Lafcadio Hearn generally, and this shrine in particular, could be considered the guardian spirits, or saints, of English teachers in Japan, Japanophiles and even foreign manga lovers! If you consider yourself having ever fitted into one of those categories, take a moment the next time you are in Shimane and throw a coin to the spirits of this shrine!


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Window Cleaning in Ilkley
Looking for a window cleaner in Ilkley? Why pay for a monthly window cleaning service, when you can do it yourself with ease with your very own water fed window cleaning pole?
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Fun easy to use just connect to any standard household hosepipe and clean windows, conservatories, fascia's, soffits and more
We are the only sellers of this professional, domestic water fed pole kit in the UK. At just £29.99 for an 11ft water fed pole, (working reach 15 foot) perfect for cleaning 1st and 2nd story cleaning of windows and conservatories.
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A snake will sometimes bite in self-defence if disturbed or provoked.
Most snake bites occur when someone accidentally steps on a snake while walking in the countryside.
Some snakes are venomous and can inject venom containing toxins as they bite. A bite from a venomous snake is a medical emergency because it can be deadly if not treated quickly.
In the UK, adders (pictured above) are the only venomous snakes found in the wild.
People also keep foreign (exotic) venomous snakes, sometimes illegally.
Exotic snakes have been known to bite while being handled carelessly, or when they escape from their cages.
There's also a risk of being bitten while travelling abroad to tropical countries.
What to do after a snake bite
Immediately after being bitten by a snake you should:
- remain calm and don't panic – snake bites, particularly those that occur in the UK, usually aren't serious and are only very rarely deadly
- try to remember the shape, size and colour of the snake
- keep the part of your body that's been bitten as still as possible to prevent the venom spreading around your body
- remove jewellery and watches from the bitten limb as they could cut into your skin if the limb swells
- do not attempt to remove any clothing, but loosen clothing if possible
- seek immediate medical attention
If you or someone you're with is bitten by a snake, you should NOT:
- try to suck the venom out of the bite
- try to cut the venom out of the bite or make it bleed
- rub anything into the wound or apply ice, heat or chemicals
- leave someone who's been bitten on their own
- put anything around the bitten limb to stop the spread of venom (such as a tight pressure band, tourniquet or ligature) as it won't help, and can cause swelling or make it worse; it could also damage the limb, leading to the need for amputation ↗
- try to catch or kill the snake
Dial 999 immediately after being bitten by a snake to ask for an ambulance, or go straight to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department ↗.
You should give healthcare professionals a description of the snake to help identify it.
You may be admitted to hospital so the bite can be assessed and your condition closely monitored.
Symptoms of snake bites
Venomous snakes can sometimes bite without injecting venom. This is called a "dry bite", and it causes mild pain from the snake's teeth puncturing the skin as well as anxiety ↗.
If, after an adder bite, there are no other symptoms, such as swelling, it's probably a dry bite.
You should still visit your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department ↗ as signs that venom has been injected might not appear until later – up to two hours or more after an adder bite, or even longer after an exotic snake bite.
Venomous snake bites (adder and foreign)
Adder and foreign snake bites can cause similar symptoms.
Symptoms of an adder bite when venom has been injected include:
- severe pain at the location of the bite
- swelling, redness and bruising at the location of the bite, spreading up the bitten limb
- feeling sick (nausea) followed by vomiting
- diarrhoea ↗
- itchy lumps on the skin (hives ↗ or nettle rash)
- swelling of the lips, tongue, gums and throat
- breathing difficulties with wheezing, similar to asthma ↗
- mental confusion, dizziness or fainting ↗
- an irregular heartbeat ↗
For foreign snake bites, symptoms may also include:
- dizziness, faintness, collapse and shock
- bleeding from the mouth, nose and wounds
- vomiting blood or passing blood in urine ↗ or stools
- muscle paralysis ↗, which can lead to breathing difficulties ↗
In the most severe cases, a venomous snake bite may cause:
- extensive swelling, blistering and eventually tissue death (gangrene) ↗ in the area of the bite
- paralysis – starting with drooping of the upper eyelids and progressing down the body to produce an inability to swallow, breathe or move
- shock ↗ and loss of consciousness
- kidney failure ↗ with little or no urine being passed
- massive blood loss – as a result of bleeding from the mouth, nose and wounds, vomiting blood, and passing blood in urine or stools
- death
Dial 999 to ask for an ambulance if someone is bitten by an adder or foreign snake and faints or develops symptoms of anaphylaxis ↗.
In a small number of people, a snake bite can trigger a severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. This can occur immediately after a bite or several hours later.
Anaphylaxis should always be treated as a medical emergency. Left untreated, anaphylaxis can be life threatening.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- itchy skin with hives and redness
- swollen face, lips, tongue and throat
- swelling in the throat that can cause breathing difficulties
- wheezing and difficulty breathing
- rapid heartbeat
- nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
Anaphylaxis can also cause a drop in blood pressure, which can lead to shock and cause symptoms such as:
- dizziness or mental confusion
- faintness, loss of consciousness or collapsing
- cold and clammy skin
- blindness
Read more about anaphylaxis ↗.
Someone who's been bitten by a snake may go into shock. Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when there's an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body.
Shock should always be treated as a medical emergency – you should dial 999 to request an ambulance immediately.
Symptoms of shock include:
- faintness or collapsing
- pale, cold, clammy skin
- sweating
- rapid, shallow breathing
- weakness and dizziness
- blindness
- feeling sick and possibly vomiting
- drowsiness or loss of consciousness
After calling an ambulance, lay the person down and raise and support their legs. Use a coat or blanket to keep them warm.
Read more about how to treat shock ↗.
Treating snake bites
If you're bitten by a snake, visit your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department ↗, or dial 999 to request an ambulance.
In most cases, you'll need to stay in hospital for a short period after a snake bite. This is so staff can keep you under observation in case you develop symptoms that suggest venom has been injected.
As a precaution, you may be asked to stay in hospital for at least 24 hours so your blood pressure and general health can be monitored.
Antivenoms are antidotes to snake venom and are used to treat more severe snake bites. They contain antibodies, which are proteins that neutralise the effects of the snake's venom toxins.
In some people, antivenoms can trigger a severe reaction called anaphylaxis, so it's important you're closely monitored after receiving this treatment. Anaphylaxis is treated with adrenaline.
Because of the risk of anaphylaxis, antivenom should only be given by a qualified healthcare professional.
If the snake bite is severe and your blood pressure has fallen significantly, you may need intravenous fluids administered directly into a vein in your arm. You may also need a blood transfusion ↗ if you've lost a lot of blood.
Recovery times for snake bites can vary depending on the species of snake involved.
In most cases, children bitten by an adder will make a full recovery in one to two weeks.
Adults usually take more than three weeks to recover fully, with a quarter taking between one to nine months. Early treatment with antivenom can reduce these times.
During the recovery period, you may experience episodes of pain and swelling in the area that's been bitten.
These symptoms can usually be controlled by taking over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol ↗, and continuing to exercise the limb.
Preventing snake bites
Follow the advice listed below if you're in an area where venomous snakes are found:
- look out for warning notices on heaths and commons
- wear boots and long trousers
- never pick up a snake, even if you think it's harmless or it appears dead
- never put your hand in a hole or crevice (for example, between rocks) – if you need to retrieve something, stand well back and use a stick to reach it
- if you find yourself very close to a snake, stand completely still – most snakes only strike at moving targets, so the snake will escape without harming you if you remain calm and still
Travelling abroad
If you're bitten by a snake while abroad, you should assume it's a medical emergency and contact the relevant emergency medical services.
If you're travelling to an area where there's a risk of being bitten by a snake, make sure you know how to contact emergency medical services in that country.
When travelling abroad, carry a first aid kit that contains medications, such as painkillers, antacids (for indigestion ↗) and rehydration sachets (for diarrhoea ↗). It should also include plasters, non-adherent dressings and bandages, insect repellent, and sun cream.
Read more health advice while travelling abroad ↗.
Adder or grass snake?
Adders have a distinctive dark zigzag stripe down their back. They're quite short, growing up to a maximum of 75cm (2ft 6in) long.
Adders have a large head and slit-shaped pupils.
Males are usually grey with black markings, and females are usually brown with darker brown markings.
However, sometimes adders can be silver, yellow, green or completely black.
The adder is common throughout mainland Britain and some islands off the west coast of Scotland, including some of the Inner Hebridean Islands.
Adders can sometimes be confused with grass snakes, which are longer (up to 120cm, or 3ft 11in).
Grass snakes are green, grey or brown with black flecks or bands, and have a characteristic yellow collar behind their head. They're fast moving and are often found near water.
How common are snake bites?
There are millions of venomous snake bites each year around the world, resulting in more than 100,000 deaths.
The majority of fatalities occur in south and southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, New Guinea and Latin America.
Rural farming communities are often affected, where access to emergency medical services is limited or non-existent.
In the UK, about 100 adder bites are reported each year. Most bites occur between June and August, with the number peaking during July.
Deaths from adder bites are rare. There have been 14 reported deaths since records began in 1876, with the last death in 1975.
Less than 10 UK residents are bitten by foreign snakes each year, either while travelling abroad or by captive snakes kept in this country.


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COLUMBUS, OH -- Representatives from National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) and the Ohio State University Department of Recreational Sports participated in an early August ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of the National Research Institute for College Recreational Sports and Wellness, according to NIRSA's Web site. The ceremony took place on The Ohio State University's Columbus campus, at an amphitheater inside the newly constructed Recreation and Physical Activity Center, which is the new home of the Institute.
Formed in April 2005, in collaboration with NIRSA and The Ohio State University, the Institute will improve the quality and accessibility of data available to college recreational sports professionals for evidence-based decision making, build a research culture among the profession, and provide staff who will operate and administer all research projects with grants and contracts. NIRSA will provide $15,000 per year for three years to the Institute to assist with administrative and operating costs. The Institute's mission is to foster and facilitate interdisciplinary and collaborative research, provide educational research services, and to develop data sharing processes directed toward optimizing college recreational and wellness pursuits, the Web site said.
Danell Haines, director of research and assessment for the Ohio State Department of Recreational Sports, is the director for the Institute, leading a thirteen-member advisory board with members from Ohio State and NIRSA.


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- Description
DetailsDimensions: Width 430mm. Depth 335mm. Height 480mm. Supplied Flat packed, with an approximate assembly time of 15 minutes by 1 person(s). Weight: 7kg. Additional specifications available on request.
Delivery Information
Delivery is Free to UK Mainland but Scottish Highlands and islands may incur a surcharge, please ask before ordering.


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SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Friday night was truly a Home for the Holidays for South Berwick as the streets were packed with members from its community.
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — Friday night was truly a Home for the Holidays for South Berwick as the streets were packed with members from its community.
The 8th annual Home for the Holidays celebration was held downtown. Local businesses owners got into the holiday spirit with activities, treats, plenty of hot cocoa and more for the entire family to be entertained.
Sponsored by SmartGrowth South Berwick, the event focuses on building the strength of the downtown businesses. Board Member Amy Miller said the focus of the event was local businesses.
"The town is coming together to keep the independent stores alive," Miller said.
The community got the chance to visit artist Pamela duLong Williams' new studio. Williams said it was completed in October and this event gave everyone the opportunity to support the town.
"I've had quite a few people," Williams said. "I've met some of my neighbors, which is nice."
Williams' friend and fellow artist Randie Olofsen said they were getting more people as the night went on. She added people have been admiring the house for so long that this will give them the opportunity to explore her artwork.
"She is amazing and the house is amazing," Olofsen said. "People are having a lot of fun."
At the First Baptist Church kids lined up to take a ride in a carriage led by a mini horse. While they were waiting petting goats were also available for kids to interact with.
Shannon Hague, a member of the church and a teacher at Central School, was making crafts outside. Throughout the night kids stopped by to make mitten Christmas ornaments.
"It's a little chilly," Hague said. "It's not too bad. People are enthusiastic. I'm very glad that they came."
Bob's Trophies was one of the starting points for the SoBo Scavenger Hunt. Owners Jeff and Nicole Parmley said they just re-bought the store that morning, which has been in Jeff's family for over thirty years.
Nicole said they grew up in the town and liked how it got everyone out to meet up with their friends and neighbors while supporting the local stores.
"It's nice to have the downtown feeling back," Nicole said. "It feels like when we were kids again."
She added how exciting it was for kids and parents to get involved.
"It teaches kids part of being part of a community," Nicole said. "It's something you can get away from the hustle and bustle from work. It brings the community back together."
Jeff, Nicole's husband, considered the evening a success.
"This event has been excellent," Jeff said. "I've been running into some old acquaintances."
In the newly located public library, Julie Parker, member of Friends of South Berwick Library, was helping kids make holiday crafts using small pine cones and yarn. She said they start by giving kids the materials but it's their talent and creativity that make some unique crafts.
"It's something the parents can get involved with," Parker said. "The little kids get a lot out of it. They get excited seeing their friends and their friends families."
Parker said Home for the Holidays has built itself over the years and a lot of effort is combined to make it a success.
"It's something everyone can look forward to," Parker added. "All the downtown businesses get involved."
Bridget Pote, of South Berwick, said her family went to almost all of the stores and churches. She said they enjoyed having experiences at each of the participating businesses.
"It's been fabulous," Pote said. "It's even better than last year. It gets better year after year."


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Hello everyone! Wanted to share my project for ustream tonight.
If you havne't ever came to one, it is FREE and loads of fun! All the chat
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I created this mixed media plaque with lots of fun techniques.
Hope to see you there!
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Supply List:
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Thanks for stopping by everyone and have the most AMAZING week!
Hugs and love <3 p="" xoxo="">


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Chad Johnson, 34, was spotted this week eating lunch with actress turned fitness guru AJ Johnson, 49, in West Hollywood.
The two were photoed eating side by side and enjoying casual conversation out on what many assume was a date.
This comes only weeks after his divorce with Evelyn Lozada was finalized.
The two didn't shy away from from the cameras either, in fact, Chad stuck his tongue out at photographers.
However, the two deny any love connection and claim they are partnering to work on Chad's life.
Chad confirmed this when he tweeted:
"Working with the great @THEAJZONE on getting my life back in the right space mentally, got a long way to go… Tear Down to Rebuild."
In response, AJ tweeted:
"@ochocinco we have work 2 do but you fearlessly knowing this is MAJOR! Thnk u 4 ur trust/honesty/openess! I'm proud of u already!xo."


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Dear Buck:
I recently noticed that the city changed the continuous-flow intersection at Eisenhower Boulevard and Madison Avenue so that you can turn left from Eisenhower onto Madison only with a green arrow. I'm sure that makes those turns safer. I'm wondering if the city was responding to accident statistics when it decided to do that, and does the change make the flow at that intersection less "continuous"?
Signed: Lefty
Dear Lefty:
You're right; the city made that change a couple of months ago after seeing a spike in accidents involving cars making left turns off Eisenhower Boulevard, according to city traffic engineer Bill Hange.
Making drivers wait for a green left-turn arrow makes those turns safer, he said, but it also reduces the overall efficiency of the intersection, particularly at off-peak times when left turns would be easy to make without a green arrow.
But as to the "continuous flow" of the unusual intersection, Hange said, "No, it doesn't have anything to do with the continuous part." That benefit, which involves the flow of cars and pedestrians from Madison Avenue onto Eisenhower Boulevard, remains, he said.
Buck Thompson finds answers to questions regarding life in Loveland. Send your questions to 201 E. Fifth St., Loveland CO 80537; or to email@example.com.