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Here's a classic Guitar World interview from 1998:
"Shit, that's cool, man!"
Jerry Cantrell is sitting in the breakfast room of New York City's Rhiga Royal Hotel, inspecting the cover art for the vinyl version of his album, Boggy Depot, and he clearly likes what he sees.
The mock-up is striking-a neo-Gothic tableau depicts a naked Cantrell waist-deep in, well, a boggy depot, and rubbing mud all over his body while a craggy tree hovers menacingly overhead. Cantrell's coolly diffident facade fades away, and his eyes and voice become filled with the giddy enthusiasm of a heavy metal stoner kid who used to spend hours examining Black Sabbath album covers for cryptic messages.
"I grew up listening to vinyl, and I miss the cover art," says Cantrell. "How can you do cool designs on a puny little CD? This is killer, man!"
Cantrell's amped up, and with good reason. After six years as the guitarist, primary songwriter and occasional vocalist for Alice in Chains, he's about to come out as a solo artist. For all his excitement, Cantrell cannot view the development as the culmination of a well-planned career strategy. The truth is, he really had no other choice.
Three years have passed since the release of Alice's last studio album, Alice in Chains, during which time there has been endless speculation about the band and especially Layne Staley, the tortured frontman who has been less accessible of late than Jimmy Hoffa. During a rare public appearance for the taping of the band's 1996 performance on MTV Unplugged, Staley acquitted himself well -- give or take a few flubbed cues-but looked like a leather-clad cadaver. Other than that, nothing, aside from talk that the hermetic Staley was succumbing to a brutal heroin habit.
Soon, the band members' pat reassurances about Staley's well-being began to ring hollow, and when they didn't tour behind Alice in Chains or the Unplugged album, there was talk of an imminent split. This from a band whose last studio album had entered Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart at Number One. 1992's Dirt, their previous full-length effort, had sold over three million copies and been hailed as a metal masterpiece. Alice (which also features bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney) was at the peak of its game-and yet it looked like it was throwing in the towel.
While Staley was waging a losing battle with his demons, Cantrell was enduring a private hell of his own. Not only was Alice's inactivity frustrating him, but he was also in the throes of a nasty break-up with his longtime girlfriend. Making matters worse was the advent of electronica; suddenly, it seemed, Seattle was known more for its silicon chips than its guitar bands. Feeling unmoored both professionally and emotionally, Cantrell decided to stop moping and start writing.
The end result, Boggy Depot (Columbia), is at once a rallying cry for beleaguered fist-pumpers and a wrenching exercise in public soul-baring. Free from Alice's chains, Cantrell roams from one genre to the next with impunity, his guitar grinding and boring its way through it all like a drill bit. "Cut You In," the album's first single, is a twisted samba, while "Jesus Hands" is just plain spooky; there's even a country-fried tune called "Between."
Is this the start of a new phase in his career, or merely a temporary detour? As the following interview indicates, it seems that not even Cantrell knows for sure.
GUITAR WORLD: The status of Alice in Chains has been uncertain for a while. How long have you been wanting to do your own record?
It's something I never really wanted to do, but the way things have played out, it's like, why not? To be honest, I'd just be happy being the lead guitarist and singer for Alice in Chains. It's always been my first love, and always will be, but with the situation being what it is…we've been together for a long time, and right now it's kinda played out. It's time to let it be. Now I've got to step up to the plate and take a few swings.
Has the band broken up?
We haven't gone public and said that we've broken up, because how do you call something like that over? You never want to shut that door. I love those guys, and hopefully we'll be able to do something again, but it won't be for a while.
It's admirable that you've stuck together despite all the drug and personal problems that have beset the band.
We're buds first and foremost, and all that stuff is nobody's business but ours. There are things that need to be addressed, but we don't want to talk about the drug issue anymore, and we don't want to talk about Layne anymore. As his friend, it's not my right to do that. It's been really tough, and we've been hammered a lot because we kept our word to each other. It's easy to get fucked when the shit's going down, but you've got to stick tight.
You've got some interesting players on the record-Norwood Fisher and Angelo from Fishbone and Rex from Pantera, among others.
Actually, it was pretty much the same guys from the 1993 Lollapalooza tour. I really wanted this record to have its own vibe. I didn't want Alice to carry over to these tunes. These are guys I've always admired, and it worked out great-they wound up choosing the songs we wanted them to play on. I've known Rex and the Pantera guys since I was 19. I like the range of players we have. There are four different bass players, but the record doesn't stray at all, from a stylistic standpoint.
There are some really interesting departures for you on this record. "Cut You In," for example, is almost like a samba, but it has that bizarre, inverted riff.
I was pretty hammered when I wrote that tune-I just started humming this thing I had in my head, and I grabbed this guitar I made in high school-it's a white Strat that I call Embo, which stands for Eat My Butt Out. Anyway, I grabbed the guitar and wrote it out in about 20 to 30 minutes.
The song features one of your trademarks-several odd time signatures-as do other songs on the album.
I really don't know where that comes from; it just comes naturally to me. I could sit down and figure it out, but what's the use? Off-time stuff is just more exciting-it takes people by surprise when you shift gears like that before they even know what the hell hit 'em. It's also effective when you slow something down and then slam 'em into the dash. A lot of Alice stuff is written that way-"Them Bones" is a great off-time song.
You're obviously still into slow tempos.
That's just a natural thing-it's more dramatic, and it carries more impact. I guess that's just how I am. I'd rather draw something out then rush it and get it over with. It's good when you can drag someone though it, and slowly turn the spit that way.
You experiment a little with country music on the record. "Between" has a distinctly county feel to it, and you even sing with a little twang in your voice.
That's very easy for me to slip back into. I'm half Yankee and half redneck, and I love country music; I was raised on it. My mom and dad played it all the time - Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones. Country is simple, heartfelt and very sad; that's probably why I like it so much.
On Boggy Depot, you demonstrate yet again your proclivity for exploring the dark side in your music.
I don't know why I'm drawn to that. I can relate to that vibe because I know it. My parents divorced when I was seven, and my mom died in 1987 when she was only 43. It was really hard; I miss her all the time. She's still with me, though-I fully believe she's watching out for my ass.
Tell me about the gear you used to record the album.
A lot of it was the same stuff I used with Alice. I used the Peavey 5150 head that Eddie Van Halen gave to me, a lot of Marshalls, some Fenders, Soldanos-a bunch of different amps. We just switched it up based on what the song called for. We used a lot of old Rat pedals, and an Electro-Harmonix distortion on "Jesus Hands." We also used some vintage crappy mikes on a bunch of stuff. [Producer] Toby Wright used this mic he bought for $20 at a pawn shop on "Keep the Light On."
How about guitars?
Pretty much the same guitars I used on the Alice records: the G&L; Rampage, the '52 Goldtop Les Paul, some old Strats and Teles. I bought Nancy Wilson's Les Paul Jr. and used that a lot on the record. I've got a new Fifties-era Les Paul that Gibson sent me that I really like a lot. On certain songs, I mixed up the guitars. Like on "Dickeye," I had the Goldtop on the left channel, and the white Les Paul reissue on the right.
So what's next for you?
I'm gonna get a band together and go on tour. I want to get a band together that has its own identity, tour, and then go right back into the studio and make another record. Basically, the main thing is to take as much time putting together the band as I did putting together the album. Then we'll see what happens after that.


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Homes for rent & sale near this school
from Movoto
Students at this school are making far more academic progress given where they were last year, compared to similar students in the state.
High progress with high test scores means students have strong academic skills and the school is a doing an excellent job at supporting academic growth compared to most other schools.
This school is above the state average in key measures of college and career readiness.
Even at schools with strong college and career readiness, there may be students who are not getting the opportunities they need to succeed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Yesterday, we talked about several new Dewalt clamping products that popped up on Home Depot's website. Today, let's talk a little about the Bessey clamps that are leaving the shelves at (some?) Home Depot brick and mortar stores.
When I toured my local Home Depot's holiday tools gift center, the tool department manager mentioned that they were discounting all of their Bessey clamps and related products.
I didn't find this to be too surprising. I bought some Bessey clamps from Home Depot in the past, when they had good prices, but I never took these tools to be strong movers.
I remember there being Dewalt clamps on the shelves before, but maybe there are new styles now?
Following my post about Dewalt clamps, Sheldon commented:
Locally Home Depot put all their Bessey clamps on sale. An employee told me he thought they were bringing in a new brand.
Hmm, so it's not just my store. If you happen to visit Home Depot in the next few days, would you mind checking out what the clamp section looks like at your store?
New Dewalt clamps… Bessey clamps possibly being given the boot…
It could be a coincidence. Or not.
Dewalt and Milwaukee's deeper forays into hand tool territory is really turning into an all-out competition for shelf space. Milwaukee has now taken over the level section at Home Depot, with their Empire Level products, and it looks plausible that Dewalt will be taking over much of the clamp section.
Other tool brands will have to up their game.
Keep in mind that Home Depot is a major customer. A few years ago, Dewalt announced new locking pliers, but never launched them. I was told something along the lines of there not being enough retailer demand. Half a year later, Milwaukee came out with new locking pliers that are now on the shelf at Home Depot stores. Dewalt eventually came out with new Euro-style locking pliers.
This topic, where Home Depot is the customer, was the focus of a post a few years ago: Dewalt vs. Milwaukee and Limited Shelf Space at Home Depot. But the same is true now.
If Dewalt clamps will be replacing Bessey ones at Home Depot stores, that will have ramifications for Dewalt and its direct competitors, but also Bessey. That will be something to think about. What happens to tool brands, big or small, if or when they lose shelf space at a major retailer, such as Home Depot, Lowes, or even Sears?
Something else to consider is that Pony Tools, which suspended operations a year and a half ago, is now owned by GreatStar. GreatStar owns Goldblatt Tools, and a whole lot of other brands, ranging from entry-level to pro-grade. They also manufacture tools for private label brands, such as Kobalt.
Perhaps Pony clamps will be coming back to Home Depot shelves?
Whatever is bound to happen, it'll take some time before we know what's what.


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I use my HTC Evo 3D (currently Android 2.3, soon Android 4.0) to record cycling workouts (GPS + Endomondo). During workouts, I don't want to receive any calls / messages for the following reasons:
- I don't want to be disturbed when relaxing
- I want to conserve the battery
- sometimes I listen to music and calls/messages interrupt the music, which I don't like, especially when the calls are business-related during my non-work time
How would I accomplish this? The flight mode doesn't allow GPS to be enabled, therefore this isn't a solution.


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- Betron bluetooth speaker is equipped with a 3.5mm audio cable for non-Bluetooth devices as well as being compatible with Bluetooth built-in tablets, smartphones, laptops, PC`siPads, iPhones, and iPods. Transmission range: 8~10m
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[amazon box="B00OZGAVSG"]
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Betron Bluetooth Speakers with high definition sound and expandable bass resonator technology lets you enjoy your music portably easy. Lasts up to 4-5 hours with a full battery (at mid volume) and offers a wireless connection of up to 10 meters.
It works with all Bluetooth-enabled devices as well as devices with a 3.5mm audio jack. Compatible with iPhone 6 6plus 5s/5c, iPod, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Mini, Android smartphone such as Samsung galaxy s5/s4/Note,HTC, Sony, Nokia, LG, Huawei, Blackberry, etc. MP3 players, CD players, desktops, laptops, tablets, and other music devices with an audio jack.
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- Playback Time: Up to 6 hours
- Battery Voltage/Capacity: 400mAh
- Battery Charge Time: 5V – 2.5 hours
- 3W output, incredible sound quality from a small package.
- Compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled playback devices-connects wirelessly up to 30 feet away.
- 3D stereo dynamic bass engine and the expandable bass resonator technology offer you magnificent bass.
- Rechargeable lithium battery that provides up to four hours of wireless play.
- Line-In jack for non-Bluetooth-enabled devices directly to the speaker.
- Small, compact, and extremely portable, easy on the go.
Whats Included in the Box
- Bps60 Blueooth Speaker
- USB charging cable
- Audio Cable
- User Manual


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Sponsor: I wanted to thank one of our sponsors for this week's episode, Nutmeg in Nashville, Tennessee. Nutmeg started as a cottage industry, out of creator Meg Anderson's kitchen, with pop up shops and workshops. The store is a passion project, it's about building a space for the vibrant community of makers to be inspired. They carry unique fabrics, perfect for building a real wardrobe with, and lovely prints for quilting, etc. Meg works hard to carry fibers that are one of kind, from small batch makers, as well as skeins for folks that are just learning. She dreams of one day having an entire wall of local farm yarn. It's important to her to have quality items, that feel accessible, so that people feel welcomed into the world of knitting/sewing and inspires all the creative juices. Make sure to visit Nutmeg when in Nashville and online at nutmegster.com, where you'll find a really great selection of maker goods, including their new yarn lovers club. You can find Nutmeg on Instagram @nutmegster.
Fiber folk: This week we get to follow the journey of southern sweetheart, Rebekka Seale of Camellia Fiber Company. Many of you may be familiar with her beautiful handspun and naturally hand dyed yarns, but it's the woman behind this operation and endeavor that you really must get to know. As we talked and I listened to her stories, there was a sense of familiarity in the ways of career, dreams, family and pursuits. Many of those stories you get to hear here today, and I hope you'll be as charmed and inspired by her as I was. You can find Rebekka at camelliafibercompany.com and on Instagram @camelliafibercompany.
Man on the street: For this week's "Man on the Street" I asked a follow up to last week's question: "For those who have naturally dyed fiber or yarn…what are your favorite dye materials to work with and why?" We had some great answers from Maria @fernfiber, Nikki @woolenviolet, Kerry @kerryrobb, and Jennifer @jay_kay_knits.
Giveaway: The winner of last week's giveaway, is Megan McDonald ! You've won the beautiful Flambeau shawl kit. Congratulations!
The giveaway this week is sponsored Camellia Fiber Company, and we're giving away a skein of bulky handspun US grown Merino, and a pair of size 13 Craft South birch needles, made in North Carolina. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment in the comment section at the bottom of the post page.
Sponsor: I wanted to make sure and thank our other episode sponsor, Have Company. Have Company began in 2013, created by maker and dreamer Marlee Grace. This is a charming shop, gallery and space in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a focus on handmade and apothecary goods, textiles and helping encourage artists and building community. They host artists from all over the country who teach workshops in the shop as a part of their artist residency program. Recently Have Company expanded their shop to offer a beautiful selection of yarns and needles, including Quince and Company, Camellia Fiber Company and Brittany knitting needles. This addition to the Grand Rapids fiber community is quite significant and exciting…you can visit Have Company in person when in Grand Rapids or learn more about them and shop online at have-company.com. You can find Have Company on Instagram @havecompany
Knitalong: The Home and Away Woolful Knitalong starts July 1st! Have you chosen the pattern you'll knit? The yarn you'll use? I'd love to see! I've decided on the Georgetown Cardigan, and will be knitting it with Quince and Co Owl. Share your WIPs and photos on our Ravelry group or on Instagram using hashtag #woolfulkal. Find more details here…
Events: I wanted to let you all know about an exciting new event that is taking place this October. One of our past guests, Hanahlie Beise has started a wonderful new residency, Colour in the Cauldron. It is the first of a textile research & residency series organized by her company, Hinterland Textiles, and will take place in Oaxaca, Mexico. Located high in the mountainous Central Valleys region, Oaxaca is rich in culture and is known world wide for its history in textiles and natural dyes.
This residency includes nine nights' accommodation at a beautiful bed and breakfast in the heart of the city. Folks will participate in an intensive natural dye workshop with Elsa Sanchez Diaz and Eric Chavez in Teotitlan del Valle for two full days, have an open studio day in Oaxaca City where they focus on dyeing with cochineal and caoba, chauffeured trips to a cochineal farm and coyuchi cotton village, guided tours of many local museums and galleries and scheduled talks and conversations with local textile experts and tours to various parts of the city and surrounding area.
You can find more info on how to join this amazing excursion on the Hinterland website.
Music by Jónsi.


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Updated at 6:58 p.m. ET
Friday President Trump had his first physical exam since taking office — a move that could offer a rare public snapshot of the 71-year-old leader's health.
"The President's physical exam today at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center went exceptionally well," Dr. Ronny Jackson said in a statement released by the White House. "The President is in excellent health and I look forward to briefing some of the details on Tuesday."
The exam was overseen by Jackson, a Navy rear admiral who directs the White House medical unit. Earlier information about Trump's health came from his personal physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein, who famously declared in 2015 that Trump would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Bornstein later provided a fuller accounting of Trump's medical status, which was unveiled with considerable drama during a televised sit-down Trump had with celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz in September 2016.
It's not clear how much information the president will share about Friday's work-up. White House Press secretary Sarah Sanders said she expects Trump will be about as forthcoming as his predecessors. A typical report from President Obama's or President Bush's physicals summarized their test results and pronounced the leaders healthy and likely to remain so for the duration of their time in office.
The president set a high bar for the exam. "I think it's going to go very well," Trump told reporters Thursday. "I'll be very surprised if it doesn't."
Friday's exam was not expected include a psychiatric evaluation of Trump, who boasted recently of being a "very stable genius." The White House wouldn't say whether doctors would test the president's cognitive abilities.
Trump was 70 when he took office, a year older than Ronald Reagan, America's next oldest president at the time of being sworn in. Although Axios reported this week that Trump has scaled back his work schedule, staffers insist the president is still full of energy.
"Many of you yourselves have reported on the fact that the president exhibits yeoman-like work every day in this job," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters Monday. "Whether it be up before dawn and up into the wee hours of the morning every day, it's been widely reported he only needs a few hours of sleep. This president works tirelessly for the American people."
Trump's 2016 physical listed his weight as 267 pounds, which Dr. Oz described as "slightly overweight." The president gets little physical exercise and uses a cart during his frequent golf outings. His diet is heavy on fast food, red meat and Diet Coke.
Trump takes a statin to control cholesterol, baby aspirin to prevent heart attacks and Propecia to treat male-pattern baldness. He doesn't smoke or drink alcohol.
The president raised a few eyebrows during a speech on Jerusalem last month, when he momentarily slurred his words. Sanders blamed that on a dry throat.
Some psychiatrists have raised concerns about the president's mental fitness for office, pointing to his unpredictable Twitter feed, among other indicators. Last month, more than a dozen members of Congress received a briefing on those concerns from Yale psychiatry professor Dr. Bandy X. Lee. That briefing was provided although both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association advise that mental health professionals should not offer a judgment about anyone, including public figures, who they haven't personally examined.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Things I Don't Do (Yet): Dark Spot Concealers
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011By Glinda
I added that caveat above because I have suddenly noticed a flurry of dark spot concealers that had gone unnoticed by moi from the likes of philosphy, Caudalie, Dr. Brandt, and even Clinique.
I have two medium sized dark spots on the top of each cheek, and they are starting to bug the heck out of me.
My two unwelcome guests first appeared during my first pregnancy. I panicked, and then found out that it was something that happened quite commonly to pregnant women, and relaxed. After my son was born, the spots faded quite a bit, but never truly went away. But, I could easily cover them up without a problem, even though it annoyed me to do so.
My second pregnancy is when they apparently decided to make my cheeks their permanent home, since my daughter is turning two next month and they haven't faded in the least.
And who knows? It could also possibly be sun damage as well, since Lord knows I didn't use much sunscreen for the first 25 years of my life. I also have a thyroid disease, which is listed as another possible cause.
So fantastic, I've got this ungodly trifecta of causes and it will probably take some sort of miracle for these things to pack their bags and leave.
Has anyone tried any of the dark spot concealers? Any recommendations? Anything to avoid?
You all were so helpful to KESW on the e.l.f. post, I thought I would give all you experts out there a chance to help ME!


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Seeking referrals
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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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May I just say, 'So frikkin' what?'
Assange's one-time collaborator The New York Times publishes its ebook Open Secrets: WikiLeaks, War and American Diplomacy tomorrow. The NYT executive editor, Bill Keller, is reported to have said:
'He was alert but dishevelled, like a bag lady walking in off the street, wearing a dingy, light-coloured sport coat and cargo pants, dirty white shirt, beat-up sneakers and filthy white socks that collapsed around his ankles. He smelled as if he hadn't bathed for days.'
The Guardian's book, WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy, is also published tomorrow.
Labelled a 'freak' by fairweather friends such as Daniel Domscheit-Berg, a Wikileaks co-founder who has written Inside WikiLeaks: My Time at the World's Most Dangerous Website, Assange is being used as an example pour encourager les autres for the rest of us to conform. Heaven forfend that anyone should be thought 'weird'.
Assange is a man who has incurred the wrath of the greatest state power on earth in order to liberate certain facts that are now being buried under a mountain of irrelevance. He's had death threats and faces the possibility of being chucked in gaol and the key thrown away, as they are doing to Bradley Manning. And critics are focusing on his grooming?
Genius Albert Einstein had a wardrobe of mostly identical clothes so he wouldn't have to think about what to wear, and was also said to have smelt like a polecat. But I don't see evidence that his contemporaries wrote off his contribution to humankind on the basis of his grooming.
After all, without Albert, we'd never have seen the atom split or produced nuclear weaponry ... (Er, let me think about this one.)
There may well be valid criticism of Assange, but diminishing the importance of the leaks themselves by providing a tawdry diversion does not serve anyone but the very forces Wikileaks and Open Leaks are supposed to be challenging.


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If there is one thing that some people fear even more than public speaking it's speaking off the cuff. Impromptu speaking can turn confident presenters into gibbering wrecks. We've all been there. You are sitting in a meeting and suddenly your boss turns to you and asks for a quick update on a project you've been working on. You weren't expecting it and you have nothing ready.
Your mind goes blank, your throat constricts and everyone is looking at you.
I know it's scary, but speaking off the cuff doesn't have to be difficult. Much of your terror comes from the initial adrenaline surge you get because our mind perceives such situations as a threat. Here are four ways to improve your ability to speak off the cuff.
1) Change the way you think about impromptu speaking
Off the cuff speeches are actually a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your expertise. Think about it for a moment. You are normally asked to speak about stuff you actually know about, aren't you? Why would anyone at work ask you to speak about something that they know you know nothing about?
2) Start with a pause
Don't start speaking immediately. Pause, take a breath and get your mind into gear before engaging your mouth. As well as buying you valuable thinking time, a pause creates more credibility as it shows that you are thinking before speaking.
3) Trust yourself and turn off your internal critic
I believe that our brains are amazing and that they will, if you trust them, feed you with everything you need to speak confidently and coherently. The problem is most people have an internal critic which judges our ideas before we express them.
The critic's intention is positive in that it wants us stop us from saying anything stupid, but if we give it too much credenc its effect is to shut down our creativity. Experience has taught me to trust my first ideas and you will find the same. It takes a little courage and a lot of practice, but it's the key to becoming a confident off-the-cuff speaker
4) Use a simple framework to organize your thoughts
Speaking off the cuff, like any other type of presentation, benefits from a logical structure. In other words it needs a beginning, middle and a conclusion.
I use a formula called PREP to help me organize my impromptu speaking. This is an acronym for Position, Reason, Example and Proposition. I start by stating my Position, go on to explain the Reasons for this position, give one or more Examples that illustrate my position and then finish by either restating my position or making a Proposition for further action.
Speaking off the cuff is a learnable skill like any other. When I first started I was terrible, but now I believe and am pretty good at it. I continue to use and practice all of the above tips and I am confident that you will benefit from using them too.
About the Author:
Gavin Meikle is a presentation skills trainer and coach with Inter-Activ Presenting in the United Kingdom who's mission is to change the way the world communicates. He runs workshops, courses and one-to-one mentoring programs for business owners, managers and executives. For more information, visit http://www.inter-activ.co.uk/


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Watch These Cheetah Cubs Grow and Play -- Every Day
August 22, 2012
"A Cheetah Cub's Tail" is a live streaming video channel that follows the lives of a litter of Cheetah cubs at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC) from their birth to their hopeful reintroduction into the wild. First time Cheetah mom Salome (which means peace) gave birth to the 3 cubs at HESC on May 2. Since then viewers have been watching the cubs learn, play and grow on the live streaming channel.
With one click, you can watch Salome and her trio of cubs live every day on Africam.com! Bookmark it!
Cheetahs are known to be the fastest animal on earth, achieving a land speed of 65 mph (104 km/h ) in short bursts. They can accelerate from zero to over 62 mph (100 km/h) in three seconds! Considered Endangered, perhaps only 7,000 to 10,000 of these big cats remain in the wild in eastern and southwestern Africa - and they are vulnerable, as the wide-open grasslands they prefer are disappearing at the hands of people who settle there.
Photo Credits: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre


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Honesty, it's difficult to know where to begin tracking the irony in this story. Al Gore launched Current TV in large part on the financial and political basis of his global-warming crusade and entrepreneurship, which predictably went nowhere even with high-profile headliners like Keith Olbermann. Gore then improbably convinced Al Jazeera — which is owned by the royal family of the oil-pumping emirate of Qatar — that the channel was worth a half-billion dollars on the basis of its penetration into cable and satellite-TV systems in the US. That deal, by the way, got cinched only after Gore began accusing some of those cable and satellite system operators of bigotry for threatening to drop Current TV's slots if the deal went through — which would have cost Gore a $100 million payday.
Fast forward eighteen months, when Al Jazeera America is no more a household name than was Current TV before the sale. According to Gore, they've balked at making payments on the bloated cheeseburger he sold them, so Gore is suing them … for fraud:
Former Vice President Al Gore has filed a lawsuit against the Middle Eastern media group Al Jazeera, accusing it of fraud and breach of contract in its $500 million purchase of Mr. Gore's Current TV cable channel.
The dispute centers on Al Jazeera's refusal to turn over "tens of millions of dollars" remaining in an escrow account and still owed to the selling shareholders of Current TV, according to a statement from David Boies, the lawyer representing Mr. Gore and a Current TV co-owner, Joel Hyatt, who are suing on behalf of all the selling shareholders.
"Al Jazeera America wants to give itself a discount on the purchase price that was agreed to nearly two years ago," Mr. Boies said. "We are asking the court to order Al Jazeera America to stop wrongfully withholding the escrow funds that belong to Current's former shareholders."
Well, if anyone knows about fraud, it's Al Gore. After all, he's the same man who took the half-billion-dollar deal from the Qataris while claiming not to be a hypocrite about climate change by drenching himself in oil money. He shouldn't be surprised at the sudden refusal by AJA to pay the overpriced bill for the bill of goods Gore sold them. After all, as a wise man once intoned: "There's no such thing as ethical oil." Unless they're stuffing the proceeds into your pocket, of course.
But Gore isn't the only practitioner of irony in this tale of woe. AJA, which styles itself as a news outlet, wants the court proceedings to remain under seal:
The complaint has been filed under seal at the request of Al Jazeera, though Gore and Hyatt have filed a motion seeking to unseal it.
"We do not believe that our complaint should be sealed," Boies said. "However, despite being a news organization, Al Jazeera America has said that the full complaint should be kept from the public file. We have therefore filed the complaint under seal until the Court can resolve this issue. We expect that the Court will reject Al Jazeera America's argument."
That's a hell of a news instinct, Al Jazeera! Even this, though, reflects back on Gore. Recall that Gore accused the cable and satellite providers of being bigots for even considering the idea of dropping Current TV from their line-ups if the sale went through. How did Gore make that argument? He insisted that AJ "has obviously long since established itself as a really distinguished and effective news gathering organization." Don't forget that the context of those remarks to Matt Lauer was Gore's accusation in his book that other news outlets had sold out to Big Oil … an accusation before Big Oil came knocking on Gore's door, of course.
All that said, AJ should pay the price agreed for Current TV, unless it has better evidence of fraud. When the deal went through, the New York Times estimated the clearance for Current TV at upward of 40 million homes in the US; today's estimate puts it at over 60 million. Even if, as the NYT's report yesterday notes, AJA "has been slow to develop an audience," that has nothing to do with the deal for Current TV, which was entirely about access — access that Al Jazeera couldn't get on its own, thanks to the lack of interest in news from the Qatari perspective in the US. "Slow" is right, but a better word might be "retreating"; they're getting only 17,000 viewers a night during prime time this year. Compare that to what Current TV did with Olbermann two years earlier:
Executives at MSNBC had no public reaction on Friday to Mr. Olbermann's departure from another channel. But Nielsen ratings demonstrate that Mr. Olbermann was not able to recreate his success there.
In his 40 weeks on Current TV, he had an average of 177,000 viewers at 8 p.m., down from the roughly one million that he had each night on MSNBC. Just 57,000 of those viewers on any given night were between the ages of 25 and 54, the coveted advertising demographic for cable news. Still, Mr. Olbermann ranked as the highest-rated program on Current.
Olbermann got more than three times the viewers in the demo as AJA gets overall now — and that was considered a failure. If nothing else, this proves that it wasn't bigotry that kept Al Jazeera off of US cable and satellite systems before the Current TV sale.


text: (WSJ) Tekturna is the first in a new class of blood-pressure lowering medicines, called renin inhibitors. It acts within the renin system, which is central to blood-pressure regulation. Renin is an enzyme that controls the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, the key mediator in the regulation of body-fluid volume and blood pressure.Minor physiologic correction to the WSJ quote above: renin cleaves the inactive peptid angiotensinogen into Angiotensin I, which is then converted in the lung to Angiotensin II by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). As such, the new drug acts to control hypertension earlier in the development of the metabolically active compound, Angiotensin II.


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We walked around the 4th street area for a bit after lunch, then parted ways. I really loved the little pet shop George. Tons of super cool vintage dog figurines, love those spaniels. The colors are wonderful. They had a lot of different kinds of dog related pottery on display.
I saw this from my parked car when I was getting ready to head for home. It takes a lot of train cars for the circus, I can't believe how long that train was. Of course now that I'm looking it up online I can see there's a lot of controversy about it. So all in all that made for something interesting, and there's a chance to learn something new everyday.
Of course today the thing we're learning is that I'm pretty boring.


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Until early this year, Process Pipe & Valve (PPV) manually packed stainless-steel components in newspapers and premade 5-mil polyethylene bags. It then placed the wrapped components into corrugated cases, using cut pieces of corrugated both as dividers between components in the case and along case sidewalls for added protection during shipping. But that process was labor intensive for the Kenosha, WI-based company.
In March, PPV installed a Model 405 T semi-automatic skin packaging machine from Hannan Products (Corona, CA). The machine is currently used 10 to 12 hours per week in a low-volume operation. "We're a 'job shop' that fabricates, welds, and polishes custom stainless-steel components," explains Don LaJeunesse, who co-owns PPV along with his father, Donald "Dutch" LaJeunesse. PPV functions like a subcontractor, finishing components that it ships back to the component supplier. The finished components are eventually used by machine manufacturers that build processing equipment used in pharmaceutical, food, dairy, and beverage applications.
"We were struggling to get parts out the door during some of our busier periods," says Don LaJeunesse. "Last summer, we added a full-time person to do all our packaging, and other tasks. But he had a tough time keeping up because we often had to cut dividers out of cases my dad would procure from local stores."
Distributor plays role
PPV looked to upgrade its packaging process, but without overspending. Initially, the company sought used equipment through a vendor it learned of through last fall's Pack Expo show. While researching machine options, LaJeunesse also investigated materials. His search led him to the New Berlin, WI, location of distributor Unisource (Norcross, GA).
Not only did Unisource find appropriate materials, it also steered PPV to "a brand-new skin packaging machine, complete with a warranty, for $5ꯠ, about the same price we almost paid for a used machine," he says with satisfaction. Unisource represents Hannan equipment.
Unisource and Hannan helped PPV set up the machine, and both companies provided training and follow-up service. About an hour after the machine was set up, PPV was running it.
The machine uses a 20"-wide, 10-mil roll of Surlyn® film from DuPont (Wilmington, DE). The film is placed on the unwind of the Hannan and pulled through the top portion of the machine's frame so that it runs parallel to an 18" x 24" platen located about 12" beneath the film.
An operator places a 200#, B-flute corrugated pad onto the platen. The pad is printed white on its top side, which also carries a surface coating of Surlyn that creates a good seal with the film. Same-sized pads are used for all skin-packaged components. The number of parts that are manually placed onto each pad depends on part size.
"We use a custom-sized pad because it's more cost effective than having to order a custom-sized case," notes Dutch LaJeunesse. "These pads have to be customized anyway because they are perforated." The perforations enable vacuum to be pulled from the platen through the pad. Vacuum is not drawn, however, until machine operator Matt Mollman loads the appropriate number of stainless-steel components onto the pad. That process, Don LaJeunesse points out, requires care.
"We pack anywhere from two to 30 pieces on the pad," he explains. "We want to leave enough space between each part so that we get a good seal around each item. We also make sure to leave about an inch or more of space at all four edges of the pad. That way, if something were to penetrate the box during transport, it likely wouldn't damage any of the parts inside."
'Heat slide' is key
Once the components are loaded onto the pad, the operator pulls out an oven, or "heat slide," from the top of the machine. The oven is moved over the portion of the frame that holds the film. The oven contains heating elements that warm the film, which then begins to sag. While the oven remains in place, the top of the frame descends automatically (based on the film reaching a specific temperature) onto the part-covered pad. As the film covers the parts and pad, vacuum is pulled from the platen below, drawing the film tightly around the parts and around the pad's perimeter. That creates a skin-tight package.
The operator then pushes the oven back in to its original position, which shuts off the vacuum. He then opens the film clamp before pulling the pad from the platen area. As the pad is pulled, it also pulls film from the unwind into position on the machine frame. The operator uses a knife to cut the film, separating the packed pad from the film web. The operator pushes a button on the machine, which lifts the frame back up into place. The machine is then ready for the next cycle. The pad with the skin-packed parts is placed into a shipping case. Usually, three or four pads are placed into each case, along with expanded polystyrene "peanuts" for added protection.
Machine pays off
PPV uses UPS for shipments that are packed on the Hannan machine. "We're a small-quantity job shop, so these are custom orders that we ship in box quantities," Don LaJeunesse explains.
"We're at the end of the [manufacturing] chain. A project is usually started by a large processing company," he continues. "They may contract with several companies to build different parts of the project. Then we would get work from one of those companies."
Because of PPV's role, LaJeunesse notes, "we feel the effects of the economy later than others in this cyclical industry. When the economy began to slow and companies were laying off people, we were still working extra hours to catch up. When the economy picks up—and it may be improving now with interest rates headed downward—it will take time before we pick up." When business does expand, PPV will be ready to pounce, particularly now that it's armed with the new machine.
"We purchased the machine with the idea of delivering product safely to customers," notes Dutch. "However, down the road we have the capability to at least double our output without having to increase personnel." Instead of barely keeping pace with packaging functions, the operator now also tends to shipping, receiving, and cleaning tasks.
"And the machine can pack much faster," adds Don LaJeunesse. "It used to take us about four hours of manual packing to pack 200 of our machine sensor parts, which is about two boxes' worth. Now it takes about an hour. At $15 an hour, including benefits, that's a big labor savings for us, and that's just to package one component."
In the few months PPV has used the new skin packaging machine, it has not experienced any problems. "We're on a learning curve with determining how many parts to place on the pad when we encounter a new part that we have not packed on the machine, but Unisource and Hannan came out the next day when we had questions," LaJeunesse says.
"It's difficult for us to determine payback on the machine," he says. "We run about 45 percent of our parts on this machine, and because these parts represent the most competitive part of our business, we want to be able to package them fast. The machine has cut our time to package parts dramatically. So even though we've added the cost of buying the machine, the pad, and the film for it, we've reduced labor costs and the cost of the former materials."
The key payback, LaJeunesse says, is customer satisfaction. In the past, parts could move around in the case during transport nationwide. Boxes might be transferred in and out of many trucks before arriving at the customer. Now that the parts are skin-packed to the pad, they don't move. During Packaging World's plant visit, LaJeunesse picked up a pad and shook it to demonstrate that the components wouldn't come loose.
Another benefit of the new packaging, he says, "is that the parts will better retain their luster than they did before. That means they'll look better to our customers, and the pad allows them to more easily store the parts on their shelf. Even though these are stainless-steel parts, they can oxidize if they're not in a package. This package reduces that."
LaJeunesse says customers have noticed. "We've had people calling us and saying, 'It's great the way the products are packaged now,'" he concludes.


text:
Second radiation release indicated at New Mexico site
New air sampling data from southeastern New Mexico's troubled nuclear waste dump indicates there has been another small radiation release.
Department of Energy officials say a monitoring station picked up elevated radiation readings around the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad on March 11. That's nearly a month after a Valentine's Day leak contaminated 17 workers and shut the only repository for toxic waste from the nation's nuclear bomb-building program.
Engineers say they believe the contamination is from previous deposits on the inner surface of exhaust ductwork.
Officials say occasional low-level releases are anticipated, but they should be well within safe limits.
The plant has been shuttered since early February. Shipments were halted after a truck hauling salt through the repository's tunnels caught fire. Nine days later, the plant's alarms were triggered by the radiation release.
© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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It is an international island in the midst of the American capital, a sharp-elbowed place ruled by alpha male economists. The days are long, and employees are regularly pressed together for weeks on end during overseas "missions." It is a climate in which romances often flourish — and lines are sometimes crossed.
Some women avoid wearing skirts for fear of attracting unwanted attention. Others trade whispered tips about overly forward bosses. A 2008 internal review found few restraints on the conduct of senior managers, concluding that "the absence of public ethics scandals seems to be more a consequence of luck than good planning and action."
This is life at the International Monetary Fund, the lender of last resort for governments that need money and, under the leadership of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, an emerging force in the regulation of the global economy.
But with Mr. Strauss-Kahn's arrest earlier this weekand indictment on Thursdayon charges that he tried to rape a New York hotel housekeeper, a spotlight has been cast on the culture of the institution. And questions have been revived about a 2008 episode in which the I.M.F. decided that Mr. Strauss-Kahn had not broken any rules in sleeping with a female employee.
What may draw even more attention to the culture of the fund is the revelation of an affair involving a potential successor to Mr. Strauss-Kahn, who resigned as managing director on Wednesday. Kemal Dervis of Turkey had a liaison while working at the World Bank years ago with a woman who now works at the I.M.F., according to a person with direct knowledge of the relationship.
Interviews and documents paint a picture of the fund as an institution whose sexual norms and customs are markedly different from those of Washington, leaving its female employees vulnerable to harassment. The laws of the United States do not apply inside its walls, and until earlier this month the I.M.F.'s own rules contained an unusual provision that some experts and former officials say has encouraged managers to pursue the women who work for them: "Intimate personal relationships between supervisors and subordinates do not, in themselves, constitute harassment."
"It's sort of like 'Pirates of the Caribbean'; the rules are more like guidelines."
"It's sort of like 'Pirates of the Caribbean'; the rules are more like guidelines," said Carmen M. Reinhart, a prominent female economist who served as the I.M.F.'s deputy director for research from 2001 to 2003. "That sets the stage, I think, for more risk-taking."
In 2007, officials at the fund declined to investigate a complaint by an administrative assistant who had slept with her supervisor, and who charged that he had given her poor performance reviews to pressure her to continue the relationship. Officials told the woman that the supervisor planned to retire soon, and therefore there was no point in investigating the charges, according to findings by the I.M.F.'s internal court.
The official, who is not named in the records, told investigators that he also had a sexual relationship with a second employee, and that he did not believe he had acted improperly.
In another case, a young woman who has since left the I.M.F. said that in 2009, a senior manager in her department started sending her increasingly explicit e-mails seeking a relationship. She complained to her boss, who did not take any action.
"They said they took it seriously, but two minutes later they were turning around and acting like everything was O.K. to the person who had done it to me," said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she still works in the international development community. "He wasn't punished. Not at all."
Virginia R. Canter, who joined the I.M.F. last year with responsibility for investigating harassment claims, said the institution recently took a series of strong steps to protect employees. A new code of conduct adopted on May 6 specifies that intimate relationships with subordinates "are likely to result in conflicts of interest" and must be disclosed to the proper authorities.
"Do we sit and think, 'He's sizing me up as a potential sexual object?' "
"It's recognizing that sometimes relationships grow in the workplace," Ms. Canter said. "But it doesn't mean we're not sensitive to this issue and we will investigate if there is evidence to suggest harassment."
She also said that the fund would not again brush aside an employee complaint like the one from the assistant who was sleeping with her boss. "Absolutely that wouldn't have happened today," she said. "We would investigate the matter."
The I.M.F., created in 1945, has 2,400 employees evaluating the economic health of nations from a pair of huge Washington buildings and on regular trips abroad. When nations borrow money from the fund, they typically must agree to adopt economic reforms, and employees are sent to watch their progress.
In recent years the fund has tried to diversify by hiring more women, Even so, only six of the I.M.F.'s 30 senior executives are women. Only 21.5 percent of all managers at the fund are women, compared with 32 percent at its sister institution, the World Bank, and 26 percent at the United Nations secretariat.
Some women say the fund is a welcoming work environment.
"I haven't met any cases in my career of sexual harassment," said Teresa Ter-Minassian, who spent 37 years at the I.M.F. and retired last year as director of the fiscal affairs department.
Some issues arise from cultural differences. In one case, a married Muslim woman complained when her European boss paid her a compliment that was innocuous but unrelated to work, the only subject she considered permissible.
"Culturally, there are a lot of people thrown together," said Susan Schadler, who spent 32 years at the fund, rising to deputy director of the European department before leaving in 2007. "There's a lot of scope for misunderstanding, misreading signals. I think that's a particular vulnerability for the fund."
The new relationship policy is a response to the 2008 case in which a Hungarian economist, Piroska M. Nagy, had a relationship with Mr. Strauss-Kahn.
Ms. Nagy described herself in a letter to investigators as "damned if I did and damned if I didn't."
An independent investigation found that Mr. Strauss-Kahn had not abused his power. Though he apologized publicly, many women at the I.M.F. were dismayed by the outcome.
"What are we supposed to make of this when we go into Strauss-Kahn's office?" Ms. Schadler said, recounting conversations with former colleagues. "Do we sit there and think, 'He's sizing me up as a potential sexual object?' "
"There is this implicit culture that this wasn't really seen as something that the fund is going to worry about," she said, "and I think that's what bothered women."


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[Chicago Slices raw: Interviews With Chicago People]
ANDREW JONES interviews a mail woman about the hazards of her job. Then Andrew interviews PERCY FAIR, a man who sells sno-cones out of his front yard. Then visits Krivoy, a store where Andrew interviews CYNTHIA HADESMAN who showcases the more eccentric hats. Finally Andrew interviews the executive chef at Chicago Caterers.


text: At Eataly, we are proud to offer the best Italian products made by our regional farmers, bakers, and pasta makers. We choose to work with producers who share our passion for making the highest quality food and drink accessible to everyone, helping us deliver extra virgin olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, and air-dried pasta to your doorstep. Italy has never been so close.


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Annotating geeky fashion (or, what I wore to DH 2014)
I've never really thought of myself as fashionable in any sense-- I can count every pair of shoes I own on one hand, own no makeup at all, and pick up clothing staples at the local Goodwill on half-price days. But I did teach myself how to sew a few years ago (upon discovering that "business casual" clothes were either my size or affordable, but never both), and moving to Berkeley has given me the freedom to make things that are a little more colorful than what I wore in Chicago. The discovery of Spoonflower also opened up new possibilities in geek-wear.
So, for those who are curious, here's some "metadata" to go with this week's attire.
Tuesday: Bamboo Memorial Outfit
Presenting on Bamboo at the DARIAH workshop, I figured I should wear the two bamboo-patterned pieces of clothing I sewed while the project was still alive and well.
Wednesday: Fish Eats Brain & Shin-Bijutsukai
The shirt design is from a whiteboard at the University of Chicago, and depicts one of the two iconographies of the UChicago-student relationship (being eaten). The squares in the skirt are from a 1901-1902 Japanese design magazine, Shin-Bijutsukai, which I found in the Public Domain Review. I downloaded the images from the Internet Archive, cleaned them up, and had them printed at Spoonflower as fabric swatches.
Thursday: Bulgarian dialectology & technology scraps
The top is from Spoonflower. I scanned a particular data set from the Bulgarian Dialect Atlas. There's also a matching skirt that has the maps that correspond to that data set. The main fabric of the skirt is something I found on the side of the street in Berkeley. The two fabrics I added are scraps from a pair of pants (the circuits) and a digital Slavist shirt.
Friday: Fish Eats Brain scraps
I sewed the top and skirt, though there's nothing particularly geeky about the top. The skirt has scraps of a fish eats brain fabric
Bonus: Bizarre internet slang & Russian fairy tales
Because I mistakenly counted Monday separately from Sunday (my flight left Sunday night from SFO, which was already Monday in Lausanne), I had an outfit to spare. The top is supposed to be internet slang, albeit a combination of obscure and completely sanitized variants, probably intended for purchase by a a middle-aged person trying to sew something hip for their kid. So, there's things like "HUGZ", "LMHO" (H, not A), "JTOL#404" (to which I say, WTF?), "AWHFY", etc. The skirt is illustrations from Russian fairy tales, with horrible things happening to people. I tend to wear it when I've got an unpleasant meeting to attend.


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Upper Bench King Cole Blue Cheese Walnut Crackers with Gold and Roasted Grapes |
Naramata Bench |
On a warm day in April two savvy food enthusiasts, a small contingent of the "Chicks Who Wine," met up with Shana and Gavin Miller, owners of Upper Bench Winery and Creamery situated in Penticton, at the gateway to the picturesque Naramata Bench to find out their story. This deeply rooted couple has a rich history that helps explain their approach to viticulture, winemaking and cheese making at Upper Bench. It was a combination of passions that brought these passionate owners together many years ago. Now married 16 years he is a former salesman originally from the UK, she is a former accountant originally from Nova Scotia, who with their two teenage children Max and Chloe are knee deep in the family business. This engaging couple have always shared the dream of owning their own winery and combining their crafts. That magical day arrived in 2010 when a former Holman property on Penticton's Upper Bench came up for auction. The stars aligned, partners Margareta and Wayne Nystrom were found, and the deal was sealed. There is a buzz about their winery and creamery lately that may change the course of not only their history but the history of the area.
Upper Bench Winery and Creamery offers a unique experience to locals and visitors alike by offering pairings of their two passions... artisan wine and hand‐crafted cheese. Opened in 2011 this husband-and-wife team owned winery is the perfect marriage (pun intended) of winemaker (Gavin) and cheese maker (Shana). In season they also sell local seasonal fruit at their shop, so it's a picnic basket waiting to happen. You can choose to either relax with a glass of wine on their sunny patio and enjoy a flight of their latest releases perfectly paired with one of their cheese platters and daily fresh bread, or, fill up your shopping basket with goodies to take home or on an impromptu picnic. This is one-stop shopping for food and wine aficionados at this easily accessible, euro-like, farm gate-style winery. Wine, cheese, bread, fruit … a gourmand's dream combination. The winery has also started weekly pizza nights, partnering with Flat Bread Farms from Cawston to create pizzas using Upper Bench cheeses and, naturally, pairing them with one of their wines.
We were lucky enough to not only try several of these award winning wines on a blustery Spring day but to pair them with Shana's creamy bries and silky blues after a tour of her brand spanking new CFIA registered state of the art creamery. Shana Miller, a.k.a. "The Big Cheese," discovered her passion for making cheese in 2002. She was fortunate enough to have been taught the art of making hand‐crafted cheeses by the original cheese maker for Poplar Grove, Sandra Chalmers. When Shana began creating her own cows milk cheeses for Upper Bench, almost ten years later, she wanted to mix things up and branch out. By customizing every aspect of the cheese‐making process and listening to her inner creativity Shana has been able to lovingly cultivate 60 to 80 kilograms of her own unique cheeses per week. She turns 100% Canadian pasteurized cow's milk into an extraordinary collection of blue cheeses, brie and a few washed rind cheeses. According to the Ace Bakery site, "Shana completes every step in the cheese making process by hand. This includes cutting the curd, hooping, flipping, piercing, washing, wrapping and labelling. She believes that the real difference is made when the formed curds are brined and put into the temperature and humidity controlled aging room. This is the "affinage" stage where she coaxes each wheel of cheese to its full potential."
Shana Miller and her King Cole |
She has been asked to bring along her King Cole blue, named for both branches of her family, which is a bold-flavoured, velvety semi-soft, surface ripened blue cheese with veining through out and hints of apple and pear. She has also been asked to bring her Gold which is a semi soft surface-ripened cheese, similar and yet distinct, from an Oka or Port Salut.
Shana and her Gold |
Leading the initiative is Anita Stewart, Canadian culinary activist and chair of the Tastemaker committee for the ACE Bakery Artisan Incubator. Shana will receive advice from renowned Tastemakers, attend seminars covering branding, marketing and business planning, as well as small business financing and management from lead sponsor BMO Financial Group. The Tastemakers will co‐host and work directly with the artisans on developing recipes, hosting workshops and providing advice on their business. The Tastemakers include the likes of Lynn Crawford (Pitchin' In and Ruby Watchco), Pete Luckett (Luckett Vineyards) Anne Desjardins L'eau a la Bouche), Connie DeSousa (Top Chef Canada), John Jackson (CHARCUT Roast House), Robert McCullough (Random House), Michele Genest (Boreal Chef Cooking, North Of Ordinary Magazine).
For todays experiment into Artisan cheese and wine I decide to make Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers that are reminiscent of cheese straws and biscuits which are popular party fare. Traditionally these are made with sharp cheddar cheese. With Upper Bench Winery and Creamery King Cole these provide an alternative flavour profile combined with the classic pairing of walnuts. These shortbread-like crackers can be made up into logs and kept tightly wrapped in the freezer to have on hand for a quick accompaniment to a cheese tray whenever a glass of wine is needed. They are very tasty solo but equally stunning topped with another winery cheese Upper Bench Gold, or paired with Roasted Grapes. Roasted Grapes sound a little odd, but this is one of those recipes where the end result is more than the sum of its parts. Something wonderful happens when you apply heat to grapes tossed in fragrant olive oil. The transformation is unexpected; familiar and exotic at the same time with tasting notes of figs or plums. The recipe will be coming in an upcoming post.
I paired all with Upper Bench Chardonnay which is mentioned delivers "notes of lemon drop, honey, ripe banana and toffee to the nose. Its crisp acidity, citrus, stone fruit, mango and papaya satisfy the taste buds while subtle French oak provides a lush mid-palette and a long rich finish."
Sadly for us, for the moment, Shana's cheeses are only available at Upper Bench Winery and through the talents of some of our local notable chefs, such as Mark Filatow of Waterfront Wines in Kelowna, who feature her cheeses in their restaurants. Not only are their individual passions evident in the products they are creating, but Gavin and Shana are also an incredibly fun, warm and inviting couple who are always willing to share the love of their craft.
Kudos to Upper Bench Winery and Shana and Gavin Miller for their vision. With their passion for outstanding flavour and quality I look forward to "celebrating your flavour" every time I visit the Naramata Bench.
Read my friend Roz' account of our day with the "Chicks Who Wine."
Upper Bench Winery and Creamery
Website: http://www.upperbench.ca/
Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers with Roasted Grapes and Gold |
8 ounces (1/2 cup) King Cole Upper Bench Winery blue cheese, crumbled (about 12 ounces with rind), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts (1/4 cup to be ground)
Upper Bench Gold
Roasted grapes (recipe to follow next time)
In a food processor grind 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter , ground walnuts, and blue cheese together for 1 minute, or until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix until it's in large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until combined.
Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 12-inch long log. Brush the log completely with the egg wash. Spread the walnuts on a cutting board and roll the log back and forth in the walnuts, pressing lightly, and distributing them evenly on the outside of the log to cover it completely. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days to allow the flavours to mingle.
When ready, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the log 1/4-inch thick with a small, sharp knife and place the crackers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 18-22 minutes, depending on your oven, until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and store in airtight container. Serve at room temperature. In a dry location they will stay fresh for 3 - 4 weeks.
You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.


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The Chevrolet Camaro was a "pony car" introduced by General Motors in 1967 to compete with the Ford Mustang, which by the way was conceived to compete with the Chevrolet Corvair Monza. There are four distinctive generations of Camaro's, 1967-1970, 1970 1/2 – 1980, 1982-1992, and the fourth and final generation was 1993-2009.
The first generation Camaro featured a unibody construction from the windshield to the firewall back and a separate steel frame for everything upfront. The first Chevrolet Camaro was available in both convertible and hardtop styles. There were eighty factory options and 40 dealer options available for the Camaro. The Camaro was offered with engines ranging from a 230 cubic inch six cylinder to a 327 V8.
The first generation SS package was the most popular. It offered a modified 350 cid V8 with an available 396 big block producing 325 hp.
In December of 1966 the famous Z-28 option was introduced. The Z-28 was a base Camaro that came with front disc brakes and power assist and a Muncie 4 speed transmission. The Z-28 also came with broad racing stripes on the hood and trunklid and a competition suspension.
There were minor changes made in the 1968 Camaro such as multi-leaf rear springs. In 1969 the Camaro was redesigned inside as well as outside. The Camaro received a make over including fenders, door skins, grille and taillights to mention only a few. There was a new dash and more comfortable seats. A V8 427 cid was also available.
The second generation of Camaro lost some of it's power due to the tightening emission regulations and a fuel crisis. The 155 hp 250 cubic inch V6 was the standard engine offering. The largest engine available was on the SS mode, a 350 or 375 hp 396 big block V8.
The third generation of Camaro saw the introduction of the IROC-Z, named after the International Race of Champions. Along with unique graphics the IROC featured a Tuned Port Injection that produced 215 hp.
The last year of production for the Camaro was 2009.
About the Author
This article courtesy of http://www.carparade.net
Written by: Ryan Larson


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Upgrading 1.5 from an existing 1.5x version
From Joomla! Documentation
The "J1.5" namespace is an archived namespace. This page contains information for a Joomla! version which is no longer supported. It exists only as a historical reference, it will not be improved and its content may be incomplete and/or contain broken links.
It is risky to upgrade a live site without testing the upgrade process first. So before upgrading the live site you need to set up a test site which is as close as possible to the configuration of your live site, then test the upgrade on that. When you are happy with the process you can apply it to the live site (having taken a fresh backup of the live site first, of course).
For some basic information on patching and migrating, see Upgrading and Migrating FAQs and Upgrade Instructions.
You can also use a Joomla! extension to automate the process of loading version updates. See Update Manager for Joomla! for more information.
Review the release notes for the new version.
When upgrading from a version that is not the most recent, review release notes for the prior releases.
Step 1: Download the upgrade file[edit]
To download the most recent patch package and to obtain the MD5 hash:
- Visit the release download index.
- Find the correct update file. The Joomla 1.5 downloads are located at the bottom of the page.
- If you are on the version prior to the current one, use the file that updates from the prior version to the current version (for example, Joomla_1.5.25_to_1.5.26-Stable-Patch_Package).
- If you are on an older version, use the 1.5.0 to current version file (for example, Joomla_1.5.0_to_1.5.26-Stable-Patch_Package).
- Select the archive format (zip, tar.gz or tar.bz2) that is most convenient for you.
- Verify the download using the MD5 hash listed in the right column on the same line as the package you selected.
If you have questions about these instructions, read the Additional Information below this table.
Additional information:
What is a patch? |
Which package format should I use? |
How do I use the MD5 hash to check the package? |
Step 2: Backup your site[edit]
Before you actually upgrade, you really should make a backup of your site. Backup your existing Joomla site files and store all the files and database in case something gets messed up, you wont have any problem reverting back.
All upgrades should be first tested on a copy of your site before being applied to a live site.
Step 3: Copy the upgrade files[edit]
There are different ways of installing a package file depending on your particular circumstances. If you have difficulty with one of these methods, then simply try another.
Unpacking a package file |
- Alternative 1: Unpack the package file on your local computer then use an FTP client to upload them to your site.
Using an FTP client to upload files |
- Alternative 2: Use an FTP client to upload the package to your site, then use a terminal session (eg. SSH) to connect to your site and unpack the files there.
Using a terminal session |
- Alternative 3: If your hosting provider gives you access to your site via some sort of web control panel like CPanel or Plesk, you can use the control panel file manager to upload the package, then use a terminal session (which might also be available via the control panel) to unpack the package file and overwrite all changed files on the server.
- If you are using CPanel, there is specific information on Uploading and extracting an archive file with CPanel.
Step 4: Check your live site to make sure it is working correctly[edit]
Don't assume that the upgrade will work flawlessly just because the test upgrade worked. Check to make sure that nothing untoward has happened. It could be that differences between the live site and test site platforms will bring out a problem that you did not notice during testing. If you find a problem and it cannot be resolved quickly you might have to rollback the upgrade using the backup copy you created in step 2.
Hopefully all will be well and you can relax. If you have any questions before, during, or after the upgrade then please ask them on the Joomla! 1.5 Migrating and Upgrading Forum.
Return to Upgrade Instructions


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Don't get too excited—the part of Christian Grey is still up in the air.
Although there has yet to be any official casting for Fifty Shades of Grey, actor Max Greenfield has been thrown into the rumor mill on which hunky Hollywood stud should play the sex-driven character (who will definitely need to show off his goods for the role).
Is Max up for it?
"Yeah, that's not a problem," the New Girl star told Giuliana Rancic during the Emmy's red carpet on doing full frontals for the part.
"That's not the issue. It's the issue of whether they wanna see that much intensity onscreen, because that's what I plan to bring."
Fully willing to show off whatever's needed and promises intensity? Hello, E.L. James, what are you waiting for?!
Could you see Max Greenfield take on Christian Grey? Sound off in the comments!


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Gulf Stream has been selected to provide site construction and improvements for the Folly Beach County Park recreational project located on Folly Beach, SC.
Specializing exclusively in site, infrastructure and transportation construction, Gulf Stream has developed an unmatched expertise in over 55 years of service and a vast portfolio of successful projects in coastal South Carolina.
Gulf Stream, founded in Charleston in 1963, has honored a tradition of responsibility and excellence in providing top quality site and infrastructure construction services for businesses, communities, industries and most importantly, people across the Charleston region and the coastal South Carolina.


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Ben Yanker of Buffalo Restoration
In 1994, Ben became the first NIDR Certified Restorer in the state of Montana. This course entailed rigorous study and involved a formal report and screening by an international ethics committee. In 2000, Ben Yanker went on to become the first WLI Water Loss Specialist in Montana. In 2005 Ben became a Mechanical Systems Hygienist. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Restoration Industry Association and currently serves on the board for the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce. His RIA certifications include: Master Fire and Smoke Restorer, Master Textile Cleaner, Odor Control, Color Repair, Master Water Restorer, Health and Safety, Applied Microbial Remediation, Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning, and Applied Structural Drying.
"Being a family company has an impact on how we do business. When you choose Buffalo, you're part of the herd, no questions asked. We're going to treat you like family, and we won't rest comfortably until you can."


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Awesome- Concilio
NYC's Gateway to Nations Pow Wow in Photos
Thousands of visitors from across New York City and surrounding areas turned out for the 19th Annual Gateway to Nations Pow Wow at Floyd Bennett Field in Flatlands, Brooklyn May 31-June 2. The event was more than just a contest pow wow but also hosted indigenous artists from across the hemisphere. Polynesian, Mayan, Kechuwa from South America and a Taíno group from the Caribbean, all shared their culture with audience members and each other during the three day gathering. For a complete list of Gateway to Nations dance competition winners, go to the council's Facebook page by clicking here.
The gathering was hosted by the Redhawk Native American Arts Council. The organization was founded and maintained by Native American artists and educators residing in the New York City area. Since 1994, the Council has been dedicated to educating the general public about Native American heritage through song, dance, theater, works of art and other cultural forms of expression. The council represents artists from North, South, Central American, Caribbean and Polynesian Indigenous cultures.
The council will next be hosting the Bear Mountain Pow Wow August 3-4 at Harriman State Park in Stony Point, New York. And September 21-22 will be the Native organization's FDR Pow Wow, held at FDR State Park in Yorktown Heights, New York. For details on the council and both of the upcoming pow wows, go to RedhawkCouncil.org.


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join us tonight as we welcome our guests Canadian rockers Out of the Void, and the debut of Ryders new single plus the best damn rock found anywhere. Rock n Roll Union music worth fighting for!!
The VOC NATION RADIO NETWORK airs live and on-demand audio broadcasts 7 days / week via vocnation.com. VOC NATION features contributors such as Brady Hicks (Pro Wrestling Illustrated), "Voice of Choice" Bruce Wirt (WNJC Philadelphia), Stro Maestro (WCW), Wes Brisco (WWE and TNA Impact), Ken Resnick (WWE and AWA), Shelly Martinez (WWE and TNA Impact), Eli Drake (TNA Impact and NWA), and Kathie Fitz! Plus alums such as Chaz "Mosh" Warrington (WWE), Bobby Fish (WWE), Steve Corino (WWE and ECW), and Petey Williams (TNA Impact), as well as some of the hottest wrestlers, analysts, and broadcasters, reaching beyond their extensive wrestling knowledge to discuss sports, lifestyle, politics, and more! Consistently ranking in the top 1% for downloads (Podomatic) and 5% for live streaming (Stitcher), VOC NATION has been streamed by half a million unique visitors!
Discover the network that top-notch wrestling and entertainment stars such as Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura, Trina Michaels, and Alan Thicke have loved from their first appearances ... and that US Olympic Gold Medalist - and WWE star - Kurt Angle called, "The best talk show that you can hear." It's all here ... on vocnation.com!


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Department of Management & Marketing
Professional opportunities in marketing are marketing specialists and directors, sales professionals, advertising specialists, advertising directors and research professionals. For students who want a general perspective of marketing, the curriculum provides a broad range of marketing subjects. The marketing curriculum, whether approached from a general or specialized perspective, provides the conceptual, quantitative, and analytic skills that are necessary for students to function in a dynamic business environment.
The following are specific educational objectives for Marketing majors:
- Acquire a practical understanding of the marketing planning process and be able to develop a complete marketing plan.
- Learn to develop and execute a formal marketing presentation, including problem definition, formulation of alternatives, and the selection and defense of specific action recommendations.
- Become familiar with fundamental marketing concepts and learn to apply analytical skills and innovative thinking in a variety of marketing contexts, including commercial, industrial, service, and non-profit sectors.
- Acquire strategic insights useful in the practical segmentation of markets and the effective manipulation of the marketing mix.
- Acquire a detailed understanding of the customs, traditions, and decision making processes that direct the consumption behavior of the modern American consumer.
- Learn to identify and differentiate the effects of cultural and sub-cultural factors on consumption behavior and the implications for marketing strategy.
- Become familiar with quantitative and qualitative techniques to gather and analyze information in order to help marketing managers reduce uncertainty in managerial decision-making.


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Ubuntu means a person is a person because of other people
We encourage our Scouts to exemplify aspects of Ubuntu such as being a good person and recognizing they are part of a whole
The Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA are community-oriented. We want our Scouts to have the FUN and safety that is inherent in being a part of a supportive community of family and friends. As modern, inclusive Scout Programs, we embrace ideas and concepts from all around the globe. One of those concepts is Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a tradition from the sub-Sahara region of Africa, and the word's origins are in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa.
Ubuntu has several specific meanings, but they all relate to a sense of community and belonging. In our Scout Programs, we offer a community for every family and every child everywhere.
Meanings of Ubuntu
A Person is a Person Because of Other People
The full Zulu phrase "ubuntu ngmuntu abantu" in English means, "a person is a person because of other people." This has several implications. First, isolation is neither positive nor possible. People must interact with each other in order to fulfill their basic needs, but also to fulfill the needs of the mind. People have a difficult time growing or accomplishing things in isolation. We instill this concept in our Scouts. Our Scouts vote on their own activities and make decisions via consensus. Our Scouts also offer constructive criticism while evaluating Challenge demonstrations, referred to as Did and Do.
A person is a person because of other people can also mean a person was born because of their parents, who were born because of their parents, and so on and so forth. Our Scouts share their genealogical background as far their knowledge of their own family can take them. For example, our Scout could say, "My name is Mary, my parents are Amy and Steve, my mother's parents are Edith and George, my father's parents are Sara and Thomas, my grandmother's parents…, etc." We understand some of our Scouts do not have family trees they can access, or may not wish to. Our Scouts are welcome to talk about honorary aunts and uncles, mentors, friends, teachers, foster parents, or the families they have acquired, such as good friends and Team Counselors, through the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA.
Being a Good Person
Ubuntu can also mean being a good person. For example, it is a Zulu tradition to offer to help someone walking along the road in need of food and a bed. The traveler does not even have to ask; it is the duty of the person with more to make the offer. Ubuntu also means being open and giving, and feeling empathy and a desire to help if others are hurt. We instill empathy in our Scouts. By interacting with our Scouts who differ from themselves, they get the opportunity to appreciate the circumstances of others.
Part of a Whole
Ubuntu can also mean recognizing that one is part of a larger whole. It can take on a spiritual quality in which each person realizes they are an essential part of a connected universe. We encourage our Scouts to live spiritual lives. We encourage our Scouts of faith to learn more about their individual faiths, and our Scouts with an ethical or worldview to study those concepts.
Ubuntu is a concept that includes being a giving, functioning member of a whole by appreciating where one has come from and where one is going. Each of our Scouts is a member of our community, as well other communities including families, friendship groups, and neighborhoods. We instill in our Scouts a sense of interdependence, and mutual cooperation for the common good.


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Administering Better Libraries - Educate"ABLE: Administering Better Libraries - Educate" is a Federally funded two year project designed to develop training materials and resources for newly appointed public library directors on the administration and management of public libraries. The ABLE web site is maintained by the Nioga Library System, a cooperative association of twenty-one member public libraries within the following three Western New York Counties - Niagara, Orleans and Genesee. Nioga serves to assist member public libraries in providing their communities with access to the broadest range of services. State aid supports Nioga's operations and no fees are charged to member libraries for any services. The project was supported by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. |
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Anne Hathaway is up for an Academy Award for her role as Fantine — a prostitute with a heart of gold — in this year's "Les Misérables."
But before Hathaway filled Fantine's bustier, a number of Hollywood's top actresses were vying for the role.
Among them, Scarlett Johansson, who was previously rumored to be in the running for the role of Eponine — which ended up going to newcomer Samantha Barks.
Johansson recently opened up to Broadway.com, which asked the actress whether she had auditioned for the part.
"Yes, I did. I sang my little heart out," the 28-year-old "Avengers" actress revealed for the first time.
But there was one hitch: "I auditioned with laryngitis ... I did everything I could to, like, not have laryngitis."
Not that she was nervous about it, adding "The jazz hands kid inside me was just over the moon!"
But, alas, Johansson has come to accept that the role wasn't meant to be.
"I think, looking at the film now, there's no possible way I ever could have topped that performance [by Anne Hathaway]," she explains. "It was perfect and I think fateful and meant to be."
But it did remind her of auditioning for the role of Cosette when she was a child and "it was fun for me to revisit that," she says.
Johansson is currently channeling her younger stage actress self on Broadway in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
"Lucky for me, it all worked out," she continued to Broadway.com. "It's great to be back. It's very exciting to have the opportunity to bring Tennessee Williams to life every night and share that with the audience, who've been really enthusiastic."


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Bleach significantly reduced the toxicity of ricin within five minutes, noted Lauren Jackson, a research food technologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Summit-Argo, Ill.
Help for a bioterrorist attack involving ricin may be as close at hand as the laundry shelf, according to a report presented at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). It concluded that ordinary household bleach appears to be an effective, low-cost, and widely available way to decontaminate food preparation surfaces in homes, restaurants, and processing plants that are tainted with ricin.
Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans, which are grown and processed throughout the world to produce castor oil. Although no longer widely used as a laxative, castor oil remains a key raw material in the manufacture of soaps, paints, dyes, inks, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, and other products. Ricin occurs in the waste "mash" left behind after production of castor oil. Experts regard ricin as one of the most likely bioterror agents because it is so easy to obtain and so toxic, with no antidote. "This discovery is important because it provides a practical, readily available way to inactivate ricin on food processing equipment in the event of an intentional contamination event," said Lauren Jackson, Ph.D., who reported on the research. "It is the first study to explore ricin decontamination in the presence of food, and it shows that household bleach is effective."
Jackson and colleagues prepared solutions of bleach and two other substances routinely used at food processing plants to disinfect counters, machinery, and other surfaces that may contain harmful bacteria or viruses. The other disinfectants were peroxyacetic acid (PAA) and so-called quaternary ammonium compounds. In one set of experiments, they tested the substances on discs of stainless steel smeared with milk-based infant formula, pancake mix, peanut butter, and other foods that contained ricin. They also tested the three disinfectants on a "control" solution containing ricin, but without any food, to make sure it was the disinfectants that inactivated ricin and not something present in the foods.
Household bleach turned out to be the most effective anti-ricin agent. Bleach significantly reduced the toxicity of ricin within five minutes, noted Jackson, a research food technologist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Summit-Argo, Ill. Bleach completely eliminated ricin in the "control" samples using just a small amount. PAA also showed effectiveness, but less so than bleach.
ACS is a non-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, the group is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Source: American Chemical Society
This free educational webinar will provide a detailed process for climate-driven "pre-response" in a variety of key areas including: Supply Chain Disruptions, Employee Safety and Productivity, Regulatory and Compliance Risks …and many more areas.


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10 Kane Brown Songs Every Fan Has Memorized
An intensely personal touch separates Kane Brown's best songs from the rest of the singer's two-plus album country music catalog. The "What Ifs" singer opens up in often astonishing ways, but the top songs on this list are somehow still universal.
"Used to Love You Sober" was how most people met Brown — that is, if you weren't already keenly aware of his country covers on Facebook prior to the track's 2015 release. Despite a fast-growing digital fanbase willing to fill up clubs across the southeast, he struggled with his first five radio releases. His self-titled debut on Sony Music Nashville had been out for three months before he even released what would become his breakthrough hit, "What Ifs." Now he's riding a streak of No. 1 hits.
Album cuts make up the majority of this list of Brown's best songs. We asked Taste of Country readers and Kane Brown fans to share their favorite songs from Kane Brown, Experiment and either of his two EPs, and a few really stood out. This list of 10 songs is sure to change as more singles get released and as new music comes. Wife Katelyn Jae had a big influence on the songs from his most recent album. Her songs fair very well on this playlist.
What's the best Kane Brown song ever? The 10 chosen for this list were chosen based on fan and ToC Staff opinion, sales, chart data and streaming numbers. Let us know what should top this list in the comments section or on Twitter.
See Kane Brown's 10 Best Songs:


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The Millennium Cohort Study website address (http://www.millenniumcohort.org/) uses a .org domain name for complex logistic reasons. It is important to recognize that the study is intended to continue to follow participants even after they leave military service. The project is anticipated to remain DoD-led as well as sponsored, yet it must retain an identity that includes both military and non-military components. For this reason, as well as other technical considerations, the Millennium Cohort Study website is hosted on a .org address. The study team recognizes that .mil websites are more clearly recognizable as authorized DoD sites. All participants should be assured, however, that all Millennium Cohort information security standards meet or exceed those required by DoD websites.
A cohort study follows a distinct group of people over an extended period of time. In epidemiological research, only a cohort study has the strength to describe long-term health outcomes that are of concern to the military. The Department of Defense determined a need to collect data to evaluate the health of service personnel throughout their military careers and after leaving military service. Important health facts, which may seem obvious now, were not always known to be true - they were learned through cohort studies. For example, we know that smoking causes lung cancer and that untreated high blood pressure causes heart disease. But less than 50 years ago, these relationships were not clear.
The Millennium Cohort Study is a project recommended by the United States Congress in 1999, and sponsored by the Department of Defense. The study is being conducted by the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, California. Report Control Symbol # DD-HA(AR)2106, Office of Management and Budget Approval # 0720-0029, and Primary Institutional Review Board Protocol # NHRC.2000.0007.
The purpose of this study is to assess the health risks of military deployment, military occupations, and general military service. It is important that we receive your information because you have been selected to represent your fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. There are a limited number of Service members taking this survey, so every individual response is needed for this to be a successful study. Ultimately, the greatest benefits of this study will not be known for many years. This is why it is essential to stay involved with the study even after you are out of the service.
The study team understands the sensitivity of health-related information. Strict confidentiality of all data on participants is maintained. Data will not be shared with military commands, disability evaluators, insurance companies, or anyone not directly involved in data analysis. All data are maintained securely (see "How Safe is My Information", below). Only summary information from the entire 200,000-member cohort, with no identifying information, will be shared.
Absolutely. We need your continued participation even if you are no longer serving in the military. Currently, approximately 58% of the Cohort has left military service. The Millennium Cohort Study is designed to research the effects military service may have on service members' health over a period of many years, including after military service is complete.
You will be asked to complete one survey, through the mail or online, at least every three years until 2068.
If you move or change duty stations, we ask that you contact us via phone or email to let us know your new contact information.
Very secure. The information you provide on your questionnaire is protected and stored in conjunction with a Subject ID number and nothing that would link it to your identity. Only Millennium Cohort Study researchers have access to the data. No personal identifying data will ever be released. All information is stored in locked filing cabinets in double locked rooms on United States Government property as well as additional safeguards for Web-related data. Information stored on computers is protected by all measures required by DoD computer security regulations. Additionally, information on individuals cannot be obtained through FOIA requests, and your insurance companies will not have access to any information that you provide us.
We will connect your survey data with other databases, medical records, surveys, or biological specimens collected or maintained by the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, federal or state agencies, or nongovernmental organizations such as the National Student Clearinghouse.
We may also utilize commercial sources such as LexisNexis, TransUnion, and other government resources to obtain up-to-date contact information.
Thank you for your interest in the Millennium Cohort Study. The scientific validity of this study requires study investigators to follow certain protocols. A random sampling process is used to identify a population to whom invitations are sent. Unfortunately, this means that only those who receive invitations are allowed to participate.
Please see our publications page and our 20-year report for just a few of the results and how they are being used to inform policymakers.