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Friday, December 30, 2011
25 Free copies "How To Design A Drawing"
I'm so excited to announce that I'm finally finished with "How To Design A Drawing" my new video tutorial. It will be hosted on folioacademy.com and I'll be giving away 25 free copies here on my blog - first come first serve. How it will work: One day in the next week or so I'll roll out of bed, stretch, repeat a few affirmations, "you're a good artist because you use reference" or something like that. Then I'll hop online and update my blog with something like, "Enter your email address in the comments section below to win free access to "How To Design A Drawing!" I won't announce it on facebook so the best way to be ready is to get the rss feed by following this blog.
There are 8 videos in this new series and includes work that I've been putting together for the last 2-3 years. This was the hardest video tutorial to make so far because explaining concepts require a lot of visuals and careful descriptions.
Design is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. I was let into the BYU illustration BFA on PROBATION! Back in 1990 it was my wake up call. It was embarrassing and shocking - I thought I was pretty good at art and watching my classmates get in easily was humiliating but also motivating. It was exactly what I needed. Ironically years later I ended up teaching for the same instructors who put me on probation.
Anyone can learn to be a good designer if they want it and are willing to work hard. Every image I have in my portfolio was a struggle in the design stage. Perhaps struggle is the wrong word but each illustration I design is like solving a puzzle. The puzzle is solved when I have my final sketch and at that point painting is a breeze because if I've done it right I don't have to make critical decisions while painting.
I designed the penguins above live in front of our studio cameras as the final video in the tutorial so that the viewer can watch as I solve that puzzle. I will be using these videos in one of my UVU classes this coming semester - something I've only dreamed about until now. I also give my students free access because I want them to all have what I would have wanted to have when I was a student.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Do Public Schools Kill Creativity?
Back in 1971 I started attending elementary school just north of Washington DC in Maryland. I didn't know it then but I was a little seedling of an artist trying to poke my head out and catch some rays. There were a bunch of us - little budding artists trying to sprout. We were so excited about life and discovery yet unaware that the environment we were growing in was hostile towards our skills and learning styles. Turns out we were floundering in a system that looked at us more like weeds than flowers.
What I'm going to talk about is in no way intended to be an indictment of teachers or administrators but rather of the public school system in general. A system that no one individual or even organization is in total control over. Also, I don't want this to come across as a negative attack ad but rather as a wake up call for all of us.
Like many I never felt like I belonged in public school. I always felt like I wasn't good enough - like I was, well, stupid. I struggled with math - really struggled. My reading comprehension was horrible and for the life of me I couldn't stop day dreaming - and boy did I come up with some good ideas! My speling was atrowshous and writing - forget about it - I couldn't hold a thought long enough to form a paragraph and by the way there's a guy walking a dog across the street...I think dogs are smarter then humans...the man walks behind the dog...the dog poops...the man picks up the poop...the man carries the poop for the dog...is the dog smiling?...Oops - sorry - I'm back.
Today I probably would have been diagnosed with A.D.D and put on drugs but back then it hadn't been invented yet (he said sarcastically). My parents even had me tested to see what the heck was wrong with me. I was even lucky enough to have an older sister who was everything I was NOT academically (straight A's)- so that was really helpful.
I think we've grown to believe that a person is smart if they did well in school and not very smart if they didn't but isn't this short sighted? Lets think about this. Do we think that someone who can represent you in a court of law is more intelligent than a creative director at an ad agency? Is a concert pianist more intelligent than an accountant? Our university system was born out of a necessity to develop graduates with mostly left brain skills to manage the tasks of the industrial age and it worked. Now we are entering a new age where creativity is becoming more valuable. Daniel Pink says, "In school, problems almost always are clearly defined, confined to a single discipline, and have one right answer. But in the workplace, they're practically the opposite. Problems are usually poorly defined, multi-disciplinary, and have several possible answers, none of them perfect. Are timed, standardized tests the way to ready youngsters for real-world problem-solving?"
Do smart people ever make stupid mistakes and if so why? Laurence Gonzales, author of Deep Survival talks about the question of why some people survive crises while others die. He says survivors have the ability to think deliberately under pressure helping them to avoid making stupid mistakes. Those that die are often intelligent people who simply follow already established mental scripts rather than addressing the reality of the situation. Having good grades in math and English probably won't factor in to the most important decisions a person will have to make in life.
The truth is we sift our kids in the public school system. We sift for the kids with math, reading, and writing skills and basically toss the rest aside. Sure we have art, band, and drama classes but do we hold kids accountable for doing poorly in those subjects? Do we have standards tests in those subjects? Do kids make the honor role for coming up with great ideas? No...and so creative kids like me go away feeling like their contributions are worthless.
So after high school I limped away damaged and insecure knowing three things: 1) I loved art 2) Nobody seemed to care and 3) I was stupid. Is this how it has to be? Do we need to destroy the self esteem of our creative kids and hope that some of them will somehow find their way into a job or field where their right brain skills will be appreciated? Is it possible to change the system so that we can perhaps teach creative children differently?
I find it ironic that we expect our kids to get good grades doing essentially left brain tasks but the items we place the highest value on are largely right brain creations: smart phones, internet based products and services, cars, motion pictures, novels, comics, tablet computers, designer clothing and accessories etc. I would argue that the innovators behind the scenes at companies like Apple, Google, Ebay, Pixar, etc were in some cases also survivors of public school. I think it would be a safe assumption that public school had little to do with these kinds of creations. These outliers had to develop a robust set of skills well beyond math and English and they did it largely on their own. Imagine what problems we could solve as a country if creativity was celebrated at school? Is there a correlation to the success of Google and their active reward program to reward creative ideas from their employees?
I was fortunate enough to have had wonderful parents who loved me and encouraged me even though they didn't fully understand me. My mom was a special ed teacher as was my wife and my sister teaches elementary school currently so I'm familiar with the the restrictions placed on teachers. I'm glad that I was able to show my mom and dad that I wasn't a lazy kid. I've accomplished a lot in illustration: acceptance into the society of illustrators annuals, an addy award, a client list of fortune 500 companies, and over 20 children's books published with national publishers - some winning state awards. I'm so glad my mother got to see me illustrate some of the same stories she taught from in school before we lost her last year.
Today I'm able to work on the projects I want. If I get an idea I go for it. I feel like I survived the public school system but how many don't? How many feel like they just aren't as good as the 4.0 earners? We have an amazing resource in our children and rather than cultivating their individual skills we sort them keeping the left brain dominant children and tossing the rest. We pick through them like we select produce at the fruit stand and for what? What benefit do we get for celebrating left brain skills while ignoring kids with right brain skills? - I don't understand it.
My college roommate (an engineering major) came to me a few years ago and said, "I have a son who hates school, get's horrible grades like you did, but loves to draw - what should I do with him?" I was pretty much at a loss because unless he was willing to put his kid in a private school he was stuck with a square peg kid in a round hole school. I told him to appreciate his abilities, nurture his art, and let him know how valuable he is while encouraging him to do his best.
Obviously this is a subject that I'm passionate about and in some ways is out of bounds for the direction of my blog but it's who I am and I wanted to share it. It's too important for me to sit by and watch while my heart aches for some of the kids I meet at my school visits. I love to tell kids how hard it was for me to learn to read. I love to watch their expressions as I tell them that even though I pretended to read and only looked at the pictures I was able to get it over time. It just took me longer and a few great teachers and a mom who cared and wouldn't let me fail.
A friend warned me not to post this on my blog because I do a fair amount of school visits and this might offend school teachers and administrators. When my 18 year old son Aaron was in elementary school his 4th grade teacher gave the class a self portrait assignment. Aaron was so excited and got busy drawing himself with a sword, an earring, and a Mohawk haircut - his teacher gave him an D and got upset at him. I wimped out and said nothing because I wanted to stay in good graces with the school district. I've always regretted my decision to do nothing. The truth is I don't want to visit a school where administrators aren't aware, sensitive, or at least willing to ponder and learn about this problem. It's not about us – it's about the kids. We need to send the message to our elected officials that we're tired of killing creativity in our Public Schools.
For more on this subject I recommend "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink (I have it down on the left side of my blog) and TED talks by Sir Ken Robinson on youtube
Sunday, December 18, 2011
7 Reasons You Should Be Blogging
I think a lot of artists want to sequester themselves in their studio, nook, or cave and create - it's natural since our work is often very personal. But! The audience we create for wants to know more about us than just browsing our online portfolios. "But Will, what if I don't have an audience?" Here are 7 reasons you should be blogging anyway:
1) Online Journal of Your Progress -So what if you think nobody is reading - do it for you. Being selfish with your blog is a good thing - you'll do more of what you want and ironically that will make your blog more valuable to like minded people.
2) For Your Mom -Your mom wants to know what you're up to and if you're regularly blogging you can get a quick follower by letting her know.
3) Accountability -Having assignments and deadlines are good for us. If you know that you owe your blog an update you'll be more likely to log out of Facebook and get on with working on you - which is a good thing right? Good drawing skills require exercise - get crackin!
4) Learning -If you treat it right you'll actually learn more than if you don't blog. Not all blog posts are the same but sometimes you might want to teach a process, idea, or technique. Inevitably you'll have to look stuff up so you don't sound like a moron (like me) - there, now you're learning.
5) Help Others -Probably the best reason to blog. We're all in this together. I'm a product of many artists and teachers along the way - some I've given credit to - some I've forgotten or don't realize the impact they've had on my career - some I've borrowed from...ok, stolen - but you get the point. We all get help - blogging is a way to repay.
6) Story -Like I mentioned in the beginning - people want to know about the artist behind the art. In fact I'll go as far as saying that most people purchase the artist just as much as the art it's self. I'm constantly surprised and disappointed when I run across an artist's website with great work but no blog. I want to know the human side behind the craftsman. I want to learn from them - know what they're into besides making art.
7) Selling Stuff -Money often gets a bad wrap. Sometimes we look down on those who aren't afraid to come right out and talk about making money or running a business - like we're above it. Let me make a case for money. Everyone wants it and everyone needs it. Without it we don't have a car, home, clothing or food - so money is life. So perhaps #7 should be 7) Making Life (that sounded wrong but you get the point) As artists we have to sell our work in some form be it originals, prints, books, apps, ebooks, cards, stamps, collectibles, animations, etc. Developing a good blog following is a great way to get the word out when you have a new _______ to offer.
I've mentioned why I blog before but I thought I would try to give a more complete list because I know how much it's helped me. When I first started I'll have to admit it seemed really weird. "I'm writing to myself...this is strange...nobody even knows I have a blog...nobody cares...people will laugh at me...I have body odor, etc"
It's never too late to start a blog but if you wait, you'll be that much further behind when you realize, "I should have started last year".
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Color Comp In 45 Minutes!!!
No Trees were harmed in the making of this post!
So last week I was in a boring meeting being bored...and my back was a bit stiff as I recall - BUT, I had my trusty iPad! Have I ever mentioned how much I love the iPad??? Ok, so I whipped it out (the iPad) and started free drawing with my finger - which I almost forgot to bring with me - shewwy. The sketch portion took me about 3 hours - part in the meeting and the rest while watching "Waiting For Superman" which I highly recommend.
Sometimes you might want to try out some colors before making the commitment of a full painting but you don't want to spend a lot of time. This is an easy step by step if you have photoshop - or Gimp - I haven't tried it but I'm hearing great things. I would love to hear what those of you who use Gimp think...so here is the iPad sketch:
And this is layer 2 in photoshop. I make it a "multiply" layer and with the airbrush and low settings on flow and opacity I start laying in values. Anywhere you think there would be shadows or dark colors.
Layer 3 is the easiest layer that should take about 20 seconds or less depending on your mad photoshop skills or caffeine/blood level. Make another "multiply" layer and then pick the color that you feel best represents the overall mood or tone of the piece. In this case I knew I wanted a night scene so I went with a dark blueish purple. Select "paint bucket" and click. Done.
The 4th layer is where you just pick out a few highlights and that's basically it. You can get an idea if you like a color scheme pretty quick with a process like this. It was one of the steps I knew I should have taken when I worked in acrylics but didn't want to spend the time doing. Sketching on the iPad really speeds it up in that you never stop. As soon as the sketch is finished you email it to your desktop or laptop and keep working...now there's even time to check FB!
Here is a short video of the sketch process with narration - iPad/brushes app/finger
So last week I was in a boring meeting being bored...and my back was a bit stiff as I recall - BUT, I had my trusty iPad! Have I ever mentioned how much I love the iPad??? Ok, so I whipped it out (the iPad) and started free drawing with my finger - which I almost forgot to bring with me - shewwy. The sketch portion took me about 3 hours - part in the meeting and the rest while watching "Waiting For Superman" which I highly recommend.
Sometimes you might want to try out some colors before making the commitment of a full painting but you don't want to spend a lot of time. This is an easy step by step if you have photoshop - or Gimp - I haven't tried it but I'm hearing great things. I would love to hear what those of you who use Gimp think...so here is the iPad sketch:
And this is layer 2 in photoshop. I make it a "multiply" layer and with the airbrush and low settings on flow and opacity I start laying in values. Anywhere you think there would be shadows or dark colors.
Layer 3 is the easiest layer that should take about 20 seconds or less depending on your mad photoshop skills or caffeine/blood level. Make another "multiply" layer and then pick the color that you feel best represents the overall mood or tone of the piece. In this case I knew I wanted a night scene so I went with a dark blueish purple. Select "paint bucket" and click. Done.
The 4th layer is where you just pick out a few highlights and that's basically it. You can get an idea if you like a color scheme pretty quick with a process like this. It was one of the steps I knew I should have taken when I worked in acrylics but didn't want to spend the time doing. Sketching on the iPad really speeds it up in that you never stop. As soon as the sketch is finished you email it to your desktop or laptop and keep working...now there's even time to check FB!
Here is a short video of the sketch process with narration - iPad/brushes app/finger
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sneak Preview - How To Design An Image
This has been a total joy to work on this image and video for two very different reasons. 1) Since I'm using it in my upcoming video tutorial "How To Design An Image" it was a good excuse to work on a fun piece. The video will be released at Folio Academy around January. 2) I figured why not kill two birds with one stone and make an assignment out of it - illustrate a song. The song is Tomorrow by Ladytron.
1) I've wanted to make a video series on design and composition for years and it's finally happening! I've been gathering and working this up literally for two years plus. It's been the hardest tutorial I've put together out of all of the video tutorials I've made thus far. Design is one of those subjects that teachers often fail to break down for students. It's really difficult to put feelings into words and concepts - things that you learn over time and begin to accept. There really isn't any magic to it if you're willing to break it down into steps and principles. So anyway I hope to have it up on Folio Academy in early January along with a complete re-design of the site.
2) I chose to illustrate a song because I've never done it before and I really really really love this song - Tomorrow by Ladytron. It's one of those songs that I think most of us can relate to in one way or another. The figure is loosely based on lead singer Helen Marnie but not really because I don't enjoy doing likenesses.
I went to H.S. during the 80's and will admit that I liked Thomas Dolby when you could get your &$% kicked for it. Also I was way into Depeche Mode, The Smiths, A Flock of Seagulls and so on. In the 90's Pet Shop Boys, Electronic, INXS, and so on. Now it's called synthpop or electronic and I still love it.
My iPod is full of: Cut Copy, Ladytron, Faded Paper Figures, The Dandy Warhols, Hey Champ, Miike Snow, Tenek, Coconut Records, Groove Armada, Empire of the Sun, Paola, Mount Sims, Zoot Woman, MGMT, Ladyhawke, Phoenix, Guster, Tesla Boy, and on and on.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Super Hero School Visits!!!
Imagine going back to elementary school - not as a kid or a teacher and not as the Principle or as a parent (been there done that) but as a SUPER HERO!!!! That's what it's like when you go as an illustrator. Think about it: the teachers hype you for weeks prior to your visit and the kids get the idea that you're a mythical creature coming to save the school - and you DO! because you get them out of class!!! So there you are (a normal putz like me) but the kids think you're awesome - so you start believing them...then you remember you're still going to have to do dishes when you get home -but while you're there you get to play super hero - able to draw tall buildings in a single swipe!...I need a cape.
Here I am a few weeks ago in Ogden Utah at Wasatch Elementary throwin down for the kids on my iPad. I had such a blast drawing for them and talking about what it's like to be an illustrator of children's books, ebooks, and apps.
What I include in my school visits:
1) Belly slide across cafeteria floor to get the kids amped! (remember to grease belly next time)
2) Talk about how hard it was for me to learn to read.
3) Explanation of illustrator responsibilities with funky pictures.
4) Read along with kids.
5) Short lesson on turning words into pictures.
6) Wow factor illustration demo on iPad.
My favorite part is how the kids go silent when I start drawing on the iPad hooked to the LCD projector - it's fun because I remember watching drawing shows and being mesmerized.
Suzane Bolar, the principle was awesome to work with - Thanks Suzane! She even called the press and got a write up in the local paper - here's the link: https://www.standard.net/stories/2011/11/17/book-illustrator-motivates-students
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tree Face Assignment
I gave this assignment in my media techniques class last night. I projected the images below from my iPad on the screen to be used as reference.
I told my class to create a tree that had at least one face in it. That's it. Then I started having fun. I didn't have any watercolor paper but I did have a gessoed board so I grabbed that and started drawing with a 12 cent papermate ballpoint pen.
I almost finished the drawing in class but when I got home last night picked it up again and fooled with it again in front of the TV (office re-runs). I love drawing in the living room - my mom used to needle point and I think of this as my equivalent.
This morning I decided to play hookie from the projects I'm supposed to be working on and fiddle with the sketch in photoshop. I got this far in about 3 hours. I'm still going to paint this in class next week with watercolor but sometimes you have to just do what you want and let the consequences follow right? I hope my kids aren't reading this...meh - no worries - they never read my blog.
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• apotropaic •
Pronunciation: æ-pê-trê-pay-ik • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Capable of warding off evil or bad luck, protecting against misfortune.
Notes: Apotropaism is the process of dispelling evil with magic. An apotropaism is the amulet, talisman, incantation, or spell that supposedly dispels it. Applying mysticism apotropaically should keep you evil- and misfortune-free for as long as the magic lasts. Click here for a glossary of mysical beliefs.
In Play: Some Haitians apparently consider human heads to be apotropaic: in 2006 a woman of Haitian origin was arrested by US Customs when a head was discovered in her suitcase (click here for proof). However, people who believe that voodoo or other magic can ward off evil and misfortune differ in exactly what they believe an effective apotropaism is: "Ty Kuhn considers money the best apotropaism—if you have enough of it." Meanness sometimes works in milder situations: "Phillipa Bird returned from her unsuccessful sales trip with an apotropaic scowl on her face".
Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Greek apotropaios, a word borrowed and kept alive in modern Hebrew as apitropos "guardian, trustee". The Greek original came from the verb apotrepein "to ward off", made up of apo "away from" + trepein "to turn". The noun from trepein is tropos "a turn", which turns up in English trope "metaphor", a figurative turn of word or phrase (similes, hyperboles, and the like are all tropes). Quite a few other English words are based on this borrowing. Sunflowers are heliotropic, which means that they always turn toward the sun. The tropics are determined by the turning of the Earth on its cock-eyed axis. (It is now time to turn to thanking Sara Goldman for adding to our good luck by suggesting this word for our series.)
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!

subset: commoncrawl


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MONDAY, Nov. 30, 2009 (HealthDay News) -- Medical care for osteoarthritis patients in the United States costs $185.5 billion a year, according to a new study.
Of that amount, insurers pay $149.4 billion while patients pay $36.1 billion in out-of-pocket costs. Annual insurer costs are $4,833 per female patient and $4,036 per male patient. Women also have higher out-of-pocket expenses than men -- $1,379 versus $694. The total cost for female patients is $118 billion, compared with $67.5 billion for male patients. All figures are in 2007 dollars.
"Understanding the economic costs of OA [osteoarthritis] is important for payers, providers, patients and other stakeholders. Our study clearly reflects the significant impact of OA on U.S. health-care spending," study author John Rizzo, of Stony Brook University in New York, said in a news release.
For the study, which is published in the December issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, Rizzo and his colleagues analyzed 1996-2005 data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The data sample included 84,647 women and 70,590 men aged 18 and older who had health insurance. The health-care costs included physician, hospital and outpatient services, as well as drugs, diagnostic tests and related medical services.
People with osteoarthritis suffer gradual loss of cartilage, primarily in the knees, hips, hands, feet and spine. About 27 million Americans have osteoarthritis, which affects more women than men, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2030, it is projected that 25 percent of the U.S. population (nearly 67 million people) will have physician-diagnosed arthritis.
The study authors said increased awareness and better screening to identify patients with osteoarthritis may help delay disease progression and resulting disability, thus reducing medical costs.
"Our results suggest that patients with OA may benefit from greater efforts to promote exercise, proper medication use and appropriate surgical treatments for the disease," Rizzo concluded.
More information
The Arthritis Foundation has more about osteoarthritis.


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Posted on June 17, 2016 at 5:41 PM by Karyne Spadi
How did we do on the Employee Picnic this year? What were your thoughts on the food, activities, time, location, and the awards ceremony? What suggestions do you have for improving next year's event?
Posted on June 7, 2016 at 1:11 PM by Preston Neill


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Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC will pay a civil penalty of $1.25 million to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) at its Suffolk Downs racetrack facility in Revere and East Boston, Mass., the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have announced. The company is also spending more than $3 million to prevent polluted water from entering nearby waterways and will perform three environmental projects worth approximately $742,000 that will provide water quality monitoring and protection efforts for more than 123 square miles of watershed. The terms of the settlement are contained in a consent decree lodged in federal court in Boston today.
The federal complaint alleges that Suffolk allowed polluted wastewater, including horse manure, urine and bedding material, to discharge into Sales Creek, a tributary of Belle Isle Inlet and Boston Harbor. In addition, the federal complaint alleges that Suffolk operated its concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), which stables race horses from March through November, without a permit under the CWA.
"Today's agreement will prevent further discharges of wastewater from Suffolk Downs into local waterways and will bring the racetrack into compliance with the Clean Water Act, which protects America's streams, wetlands and rivers from the impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations," said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. "The settlement also brings lasting benefits to residents and the environment by requiring water quality monitoring in the Mystic and Saugus river watersheds and a salt marsh habitat protection project near the racetrack."
"This settlement reduces a major source of pollution into Boston Harbor," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "In addition, the settlement's environmental projects include monitoring water quality in the harbor's watershed, helping to protect a valuable urban waterway for the use and enjoyment of Boston area residents and visitors."
In response to EPA's enforcement at this facility, Suffolk is completing construction of a wastewater collection system, is making improvements to its stormwater collection system and has applied for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Suffolk will minimize the volume of and properly manage the wastewater it produces, which will now be collected in a detention pond and discharged during non-peak hours to the sanitary sewer system. Suffolk will also implement green infrastructure and low impact development techniques to address stormwater discharges from the racetrack and maintenance areas of the facility. These techniques involve the use of natural or engineered systems to direct stormwater to areas where it can be stored, infiltrated, evapotranspirated or reused.
"This case is yet another reminder of the department's longstanding commitment to defending the integrity of our precious natural resources through vigorous enforcement of our environmental laws," said U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Carmen Ortiz. "Today's settlement will help safeguard a cleaner environment for the citizens of the commonwealth to preserve and enjoy, and protect sensitive waterways and wetlands from harmful pollution." EPA inspections revealed that Suffolk Down's process wastewater discharged from the facility to Sales Creek during dry and wet weather. EPA inspectors observed stormwater contaminated with manure and turbid, brown runoff being discharged from the facility to Sales Creek. Sampling conducted at various outfalls discharging from the Suffolk Downs facility indicated elevated levels of pollutants, including ammonia, suspended solids and bacteria. Animal wastes contain excessive levels of nutrients and pathogens, which produce adverse environmental impacts including reduction of oxygen in the water, which affects aquatic life.
Suffolk will undertake three supplemental environmental projects under this settlement, including two water quality monitoring projects and one habitat protection project. Suffolk will work with the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) to conduct monthly baseline and targeted water quality sampling throughout the Mystic River watershed and will work with the Saugus River Watershed Council (SRWC) to conduct a Saugus River watershed sampling program. Both the Mystic River watershed and Saugus River watershed data will be available to the public for free on the MyRWA and SRWC websites. Suffolk will also construct a habitat protection boardwalk in the Belle Isle Marsh, which is immediately downstream of the Suffolk Downs facility and represents one of the largest remaining areas of salt marsh in Boston Harbor. The Belle Isle Marsh encompasses 275 acres of salt marsh, salt meadow and tidal flats, and is part of the Rumney Marsh Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).
Preventing animal waste from contaminating surface and ground waters of the United States is one of EPA's National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011-2013. The initiative focuses on large and medium sized CAFOs that are discharging pollution without or in violation of a permit.
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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The exact time and place of Harold's birth remains unclear, and although his upbringing by his father's
Pinter stamped his mark on the cultural and thaumatological scene as a suburban brooder and as an irate iconoclast - his work on the Crucio incantations alone have earned him a place amongst Britain's finest magicians. Yet it was his stance against the war that gave Pinter most fame towards his final years, perhaps undeservedly overshadowing his earlier, more theoretical work in the area of Imperious Curses.
In recent years, he had seized the platform offered by his 2005 Triwizard Tournament prize to denounce Dark Lord Voldermort and the war in the Wizarding World that was to claim the lives of so many, Muggles and non-Muggles alike.
On a personal note, I rather lost track of Pinter's work somewhere after the Prisoner of Azkaban, which I found well-plotted, but rather lifeless, and stuffed full of sub-Dahlian whimsy, which sat rather uncomfortably next to the over-cranked teenage angst and blatant use of plot tokens. Still, Harold did the best he could with what he was given, and one can ask no more than that. He touched all our lives, whether we knew it or not, and our thoughts must certainly go our to Ron and Hermione, who will need all our support in this difficult time.


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Jake's Shoe Collection
Nike Free Trainer 5.0
Size 11.5
Volt/Current Blue/Black
Style #:
In Collection Since...
October 02, 2013
Manufacture Date:
December 31, 2069
Last worn Friday, July 31, 2015
The Nike FREE Trainer 5.0 training shoe stands up to abuse during field drills, running, or lifting. Adaptive Fit construction wraps the arch and midfoot to deliver a glove-like fit. Dual-pull lacing system wraps around the foot and attaches to the midsole to provide locked-down fit and support. Full innersleeve wraps the foot with lightweight mesh to add exceptional comfort and breathability. The sidewall wraps up to cradle the heel and the midfoot to keep the foot in place during side-to-side and diagonal movements. Dual-density midsole and Nike Free flex grooves provide a barefoot-like training experience. Midfoot wrap-up provides additional lateral support. Solid rubber pods in the heel and perimeter of the forefoot are configured in an aggressive, delta-node pattern to offer added traction and durability. DiamondFLX traction pattern lends flexible, multidirectional grip. Flex grooves along the length and width of the midsole enhance flexibility, allowing the foot to easily move in any direction. Wider grooves in the forefoot allow the toes to engage more during landings and push-offs. Wt. 10.0 oz.


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Maurice Jones-Drew has a wife, three kids and nearly $30 million accrued over the past four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So what is he doing living 3,000 miles away from home in a freshman dorm at UCLA?
Taking advantage of the league-sponsored back-to-school program for NFL players, Jones-Drew told SI.com's Jim Trotter that he's following through on a promise to his grandmother that he would return to get his degree in history.
Eight years after leaving school as a junior in 2005, Jones-Drew felt like a "dinosaur" when he walked back into the classroom for the first time and noticed fellow students taking notes on their iPads while he pulled out a pencil and notebook.
Although Jones-Drew now enjoys pizza and "Madden NFL" games with his suite mates, the transition back to school hasn't been all fun and games.
"I almost just stopped coming. It was too hard," Jones-Drew said. "But it would have been too easy to say 'to hell with this' and go on about your day. I'm glad I stuck it out."
Jones-Drew has visions of going on to law school, becoming a general manager and eventually gaining a partnership interest in an NFL team.
His more immediate goal, however, is to get back to 100 percent following December surgery to repair a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot. If all goes as planned, he will get back in a regular shoe this weekend, begin running in May and go full-speed in June practices.
New Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley plans to "run the rock," which has Jones-Drew believing he can become the eighth player in league history to reach 2,000 rushing yards.
"That's what I'm thinking," he said while working out with UCLA's medical staff. "Adrian Peterson."
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling


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MIT stacks solar panels, increases their power output by up to 20 times
Posted by Big Gav in solar power, solar pv
Extreme Tech has a look at techniques for increasing the amount of power generated per area using stacked solar wafers - MIT stacks solar panels like pancakes, increases their power output by up to 20x.
What's better than one pancake? A whole stack of pancakes! Using the same logic, a team of MIT researchers have stacked a bunch of photovoltaic solar cells together to produce up to 20 times the power output of conventional solar power installations. ...
Basically, photovoltaic cells themselves aren't all that expensive — according to MIT, they're only around 35% of the total cost of a solar power installation. The main issue with solar power (and its main cost) is its low energy density, and thus the sheer surface area required to generate a sizable amount of electricity. This is why you need to cover your whole roof with cells to power your light bulbs, and why solar power plants would have to occupy tens of square miles of desert to produce as much power as a nuclear power plant.
To combat this issue, MIT has built 3D stacks of photovoltaic cells. These have the same footprint of a conventional, flat solar power setup — but as you can see in the picture above, the total surface area is much, much larger. The team built a variety of 3D designs, including a cube, and in all cases they produced between two and 20 times as much power as a flat panel. The most interesting facet of this discovery, though, is that these 3D stacks produce lots of extra power whenever the sun is near the horizon, i.e. in the morning, evening, winter, or at latitudes far away from the equator. With conventional, flat cells, it's hard to capture low-angle light, but with an accordion structure (as pictured) the relative angle would be closer to 45 degrees.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Behind the Screens with Joshua Maloni
Despite her big voice and even bigger dreams, Stacy Francis didn't win "The X Factor." Ultimately, she's not sure she could've won the FOX reality series. But that didn't stop her from trying.
"I mean, I think that at the end of the day, of course, I would have loved to have won," she told BTS following her elimination last week. "I'm not maybe as confident in myself to say that I think I should have won. I think that everybody in the competition, at the point when you get to top 12, top 10, I think we all definitely have a shot at it. So, I was definitely going for the $5 million for sure. I had my eye on the prize for sure, yes."
What Francis is certain of, however, is that she would've had a better chance at winning had she worked with a different mentor. Francis was teamed with Nicole Scherzinger, who has been the subject of much on-air ridicule from judges Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid.
"Well, you know, I love Nicole very much, but the game was going really, really hardcore," she said. "I feel like Simon Cowell definitely threw me under the bus as a judge. I definitely have an admiration for him as the creator of the show and the executive of the show. That's doesn't go into the game.
"You know, as far as being in the game of the competition, he only stood up -- he gave standing ovations to his contestants. He made it very clear that he wants to take the crown for one of his girls. He was not supporting any other contestant that was not his contestant. And for that reason I would have loved to have been in his category, because he has a very strong voice, and America listens to him and they appreciate what he has to say, and he's very influential.
"Now, as the creator of the show, that was the moment that I had to take last night to thank him as I did, because he gave me the opportunity to be there, and for that I have so much admiration and respect for him."
"The X Factor" continues this week with another live performance show on Tuesday (8 p.m., FOX) and the fourth elimination episode on Wednesday (8 p.m., FOX)
Visitwww.TheXFactorUSA.com for up-to-the-minute news, videos and information. Become a fan of "The X Factor" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheXFactorUSA. Follow the series on Twitter @TheXFactorUSA and join the discussion at #XFactor.


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Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of KOAA.
Visit UCHealth Neurology's website
At UCHealth Memorial Hospital, we evaluate and treat the following neurological conditions:
- Vascular disorders such as stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage and hematoma, and extradural hemorrhage
Infections such as meningitis, encephalitis and epidural abscess
- Structural disorders such as brain or spinal cord injury, Bell's palsy, cervical spondylosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, brain or spinal cord tumors, congenital malformations, peripheral neuropathy and Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Functional disorders such as headaches, epilepsy, dizziness and neuralgia
- Degenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington's chorea and Alzheimer's disease
Emergency Treatment of Stroke
A stroke can happen anywhere, and knowing how to recognize the symptoms can save a life. Call 911 immediately if you or a loved one experiences these stroke warning signs:
F – Face drooping. Ask the person to smile; does his/her face droop?
A – Arm weakness. Ask the person to put his/her arms up; does one look weak or limp?
S – Speech. Ask the person to speak; Is his/her speech slurred or hard to understand?
T – Time. Time to call 9-1-1 and get him/her to the hospital immediately if the person shows any of these signs.
Memorial Hospital offers 24/7 emergency stroke care and operates the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit (MSTU) to bring emergency stroke care to your door.
Neurosciences Treatments and Procedures
Evaluating and diagnosing damage to the nervous system is complicated and complex. Many of the same symptoms occur in different combinations among the different disorders. To further complicate the diagnostic process, many disorders do not have definitive causes, markers, or tests.
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for nervous system disorders may include CT scans, EEGs, MRIs, electrodiagnostic tests (such as EMG or NCV), PET scans, arteriogram (also called angiogram), spinal taps, evoked potentials, myelgram, neurosonography and ultrasound.
Our Doctors and Specialists
The following specialists may play a role in your neurological care and work closely with your primary care provider:
- Neurologist. Specializing in neurology and treating disorders of the brain, spinal cord and nerves, a neurologist sees patients with a wide range of problems and may act as a patient's principal or consulting physician, while the family physician, or primary care physician, is generally in charge of a patient's total health care.
- Neurosurgeon. This surgeon specializes in neurological surgery (or neurosurgery) and manages disorders that affect the central and peripheral nervous systems, including their supportive structures and vascular supply, and pain management. Neurological surgery encompasses disorders of the brain, spine and nerves.
- Physiatrist. A physiatrist specializes in physical and rehabilitation medicine and treats injuries and illnesses that affect how you move. The goal is to decrease pain and enhance performance without surgery.
How to Contact Us
If you believe you or someone you know is having a stroke, dial 9-1-1 immediately.
If you have a nervous system-related concern, please discuss it with your primary care doctor. If appropriate, your primary care physician will refer you to a neurologist and/or neurosurgeon.
For questions about nervous system disorders, help finding a doctor, or to obtain information on health/wellness classes to support your neurological health, contact our nurses at HealthLink by calling (719) 444-CARE (2273).
UCHealth Neurology
1725 Boulder Street
Suite 101
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
(719) 365-6300


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How the wireless industry will connect the next billion people
The CEOs of Nokia, Qtel, Bharti Airtel, and Mozilla discuss the challenges of getting Internet access to the rest of the world.
BARCELONA, Spain--The price of mobile devices and services will need to come down to connect the next billion people.
That's according to the CEOs of four major companies in the wireless arena: Nokia, Qtel Group, Bharti Airtel, and Mozilla.
"As an operator, we have to package services to the lower segment of the economy," said Nasser Marafih, CEO of the Qtel Group, during a keynote address at this week's Mobile World Congress.
Qtel yesterday announced a new brand, Ooredoo, which will cover various wireless carrier brands throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Much of the growth over the next few years will come from the regions where Ooredoo (Arabic for "I want") operates.
The CEOs agreed that connecting more people to the Internet brings tremendous benefits. The increased penetration of broadband Internet increases a country's gross domestic product, creates new jobs, and raises people above the poverty line. With only one third of the world connected to the Internet, there remains a lot of work to make connectivity universal.
But where the developed world connects to the Internet through a standard DSL or cable connection, much of the emerging markets will find their way on the Internet through a smartphone.
"They are young and hungry to pick up the Internet faster than anyone else," said Bharti Airtel CEO Manoj Kohli.
Smartphone adoption is key to bringing people to the Internet, although prices have to come down. Kohli said he would like to see smartphones get down to the $30 level, with wireless dongles down to $10.
"There's a huge opportunity in the mid end, but there's a bigger opportunity in the low end," he said.
Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, said that he is helping to bring the Internet to the emerging markets through basic phones that offer a lot of features. Yesterday, the company launched the
"They expect a better Internet experience, but many can't afford a traditional data plan," Elop said.
There are significant opportunities to increasing access to broadband Internet. A 10 percent increase in broadband penetration would result in a 1.2 percent to 1.4 percent increase in a country's gross domestic product, Marafih said. Doubling the Internet access in poorer countries could create 64 million new jobs and help 600 million get out of poverty, he added.
Marafih and Kohli repeated some of the requests that other wireless industry executives have made, including lighter and clearer regulations, lower taxes for its customers, and more spectrum. In addition, the carriers and the so-called over-the-top content providers need to hash out how the carriers can get a cut of the profits for the content and services that travel across their networks.
The two sounded optimistic about finding a compromise with the over-the-top players, with Marafih saying they need support from the carriers to optimize their services and content delivery.
"I believe that OTT players and telecom players are partners," Kohli said. "They just need to define how to live together."
By removing the tension between the carriers and the over-the-top players, the world could reach the next billion people faster, Kohli said.
The executives, meanwhile, agree that no one company or industry can bridge the digital divide for the next billion or beyond.
"We're all going to participate in writing the next chapter of the Web," said Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs.
Mobile Guides
Foldable Phones
Mobile Accessories
Wireless Plans


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Kuala Lumpur, Mar 18, 2014: Badminton stars Nathan Robertson of England and Cheng Wen Hsing of Chinese Taipei have been chosen by the International Olympic Committee as Athlete Role Models (ARMs) for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.
Former World champion Robertson and World Championships bronze medallist Cheng are among 37 Athlete Role Models selected by 28 International Federations whose sports will feature at the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games from 16-28 August, 2014. The ARMs will support, mentor and offer advice to the 3,800 young athletes participating at the Games.
Athletes will get to interact with the ARMs both at the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops focussing on skills development, leading healthy lifestyles, environment, social responsibility and Olympism. Athletes can also hope to pick up valuable lessons from the 'Chat with Champions' sessions which will be accessible to audiences worldwide on IOC's digital platforms. Fans of the Youth Olympic Games can pose their questions directly to the ARMs during informal interactions on the IOC's social media channels.
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer, himself an ARM at the Youth Olympic Games 2010, hailed the decision of the IOC in selecting Robertson and Cheng and congratulated the two accomplished players. Both athletes were nominated by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), having shown great dedication and passion for the sport, in addition to a high level of performance. They are also approachable individuals with abundant experience to share with junior players.
Robertson, now retired and best known for his Mixed Doubles gold medal at the BWF World Championships in 2006 and silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 (both with Gail Emms), was thrilled to be chosen by the IOC.
"I am very proud to be one of the Athlete Role Models for the Youth Olympic Games 2014," said the 36-year-old. "It's a fantastic opportunity for me to pass down my experience gained from 17 years as a professional player on the world tour to the stars of the next generation. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the YOG myself as it wasn't around when I was a junior. I am sure it's going to be amazing for the young athletes."
Doubles player Cheng Wen Hsing has distinguished herself in Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles. The 32-year-old's most notable achievements are bronze medal-winning performances at the BWF World Championships 2010 and the Asian Games in Guangzhou the same year.
"I'm excited to be selected as an Athlete Role Model for the Youth Olympic Games. I am looking forward to the experience of interacting with young athletes at Nanjing, especially since the Youth Olympics is an event that is important to me and to the Chinese Taipei Badminton Association," declared Cheng who was last week busy reaching the Mixed Doubles semi-finals of the Swiss Open with partner, Chen Hung Ling.
When she and Robertson meet in Nanjing it's Cheng who will have the bragging rights as she and Chen boast a winning 3-1 record versus Robertson and Jenny Wallwork.
Meanwhile, Chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission and Olympic silver medallist in fencing, Claudia Bokel, endorsed the initiative, noting: "The Athlete Role Model programme is a unique element of the Youth Olympic Games. The ARMs have so much valuable information to pass on to the younger generation. They will really inspire and empower the athletes long after the Games conclude to not only be great 'Youth Olympians', but (also) to share the skills and values learnt at the YOG with their communities and peers." —- BWF


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- Consumer demand for TVs has been softer than expected in 2011, but showing signs of improvement late in the year. However, inventory pressure plagued the industry through much of early 2011 and led to a sharp reduction in shipments to retailers. The result is that global TV unit shipments are expected to rise only 0.1% in 2011. According to the latest forecast released in the NPD DisplaySearch Advanced Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, growth is expected to improve in 2012, rising 2% to 254 million units.
- "Global economic conditions have improved in 2011, but more slowly than expected, and consumers in mature TV markets like Europe face continuing uncertainty, which is leading to very cautious spending patterns," noted Paul Gagnon, Director of North America TV Research for NPD DisplaySearch. Gagnon added, "Because price reductions are not as vigorous as a few years ago, partially due to a mature manufacturing base but also because of transitions to advanced features like LED backlights and 3D, consumers are becoming more willing to wait for peak sale periods to purchase."
- Flat panel TV continues to grow, but at a more gradual pace of 2-4% per year as the rapid transition from CRT to LCD and plasma nears an end. LCD TV continues to be the dominant technology on a unit and revenue basis, and in fact seems likely to capture even more market share due to a weaker outlook for plasma TV going forward. As LCD narrows the pricing gap with plasma at many sizes, the demand for plasma has fallen; NPD DisplaySearch expects this to continue and has reduced its forecast for plasma TV.
- Large TV sizes also continue to show strong growth, with shipments of 40"+ and larger sets expected to grow 12% in 2012 while <40" sizes decline 3%. A strong contributing factor to the growth of larger sizes, including an 18% increase in shipments of 50"+ sets, is pricing. Sizes up to 50" will have average prices below $1000 in 2012 and even 60"+ sizes will fall below $2000 for the first time. During Black Friday holiday sales in the US, many 40-47" sets were below $500, and even 60" sets fell below $1000, prompting robust unit sales as consumers were attracted to the new price points. Many consumers seem to be willing to give up features in favor of larger sizes for a given TV buying budget. Even in China, shipment share of 50"+ and larger sizes is growing strongly and may become the only region outside of North America to reach 10% 50"+ mix of unit shipments by 2015.
- Worldwide TV Forecast by Technology
Source: NPD DisplaySearch Advanced Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report
LCD TV Will Remain the #1 TV Technology with LED Share Reaching 67% in 2012
LCD TV shipments will rise from 206M units in 2011 to 225M units in 2012, an increase of 9%. LCD will account for more than 82% of all global TV shipments in 2011, rising to more than 88% in 2012, as demand for plasma falls and OLED TVs arrive late in the year in small quantities and at high prices. LCD is now a strong competitive technology at all sizes and should climb to more than 95% share by 2014 as CRT fades and OLED is slow to grow.
Premium features continue to grow, like LED backlights and 3D, and are keeping LCD TV average prices very stable, falling just 6% Y/Y on a volume weighted basis in 2011, the slowest year of LCD TV price erosion yet. Price erosion will be about the same in 2012 before picking up to 7-8% per year through 2015, but much less than the 24% decline seen in 2009. However, with the slower ASP erosion, total LCD TV revenue growth should remain positive through 2013 at 1-3% per year. The share of LED backlights in LCD TV shipments is expected to be about 46% in 2011, rising to nearly 68% in 2012. 3D will account for around 3% of LCD TV units this year.
Plasma TV units grew 30% in 2010 due to a favorable pricing advantage over LCD, but as that advantage has narrowed in 2011, shipments are expected to fall 11%, to 16.3 million units. The decline in unit growth and weak profits have led manufacturers to focus on more profitable segments, even at the expense of unit growth. As a result, plasma TV shipments are projected to fall to less than 10 million units by 2015.
The first OLED TV shipments are expected in the second half of 2012, but due to prices that are expected to be well above $4000 initially and remain significantly higher than mainstream high-end LCD TVs, will only grow to about 2.5% of the 40"+ segment by 2015.
The worldwide forecast for 3D TVs was slightly increased to more than 23M units in 2011 through better than expected growth in emerging markets and Europe. By contrast, demand in North America has been surprisingly soft for 3D, and may only reach 3.6 million units in 2011 as US consumers remain very price sensitive. Eventually though, North America will see a rise in 3D adoption due to stronger preference for 40"+ sizes where the 3D feature is common and expected to be less costly. Globally, 3D TV is expected rise to more than 100M units shipped by 2015.
Emerging regions, which includes China, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Middle East / Africa, will account for the majority of flat panel TV growth over the next four years, averaging 11% growth each year, while developed regions decline an average of 1% each year. In fact, China has become the largest market for flat panel TVs and will continue to be throughout the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is positioned for strongest growth as the late-adopting India market begins to boom.
The NPD DisplaySearch Q4'11 Advanced Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report includes panel and TV shipments by region and by size for nearly 60 brands, and also includes rolling 16-quarter forecasts, TV cost/price forecasts and design wins. This report is delivered in PowerPoint and includes Excel-based data and tables.


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Whilst it is true that during the early part of the British occupation of Gibraltar most of the population were members of the Armed Forces, and in particular the Army, the civilian population also contributed to the war effort and played an important role in the life of the Garrison. The buildings in which this exhibition is housed are probably amongst the first buildings ever constructed by the British in Gibraltar, thus dating back to the beginning of the 18th century. Originally it is thought that they were built as magazines to store ammunition and that the building in the courtyard, part of which can still be seen today, was used as a laboratory to prepare ammunition. The area is known as Willis's Magazine although there is no record of who Willis was and why it was given that name.
Undoubtedly the most important aspect of the building is the graffiti that can be seen on the walls, the earliest of which dates back to 1726. It is thought that soldiers mounting guard in the area used to spend their time drawing graffiti so as not to fall asleep during the long hours of duty, an offence punishable by death in those days. There is much graffiti, all equally interesting, yet there are two outstanding ones featuring a drawing of a galleon together with a graffiti attributed to Sergeant Major Ince, the architect of the Great Siege Tunnels. In this area the visitor can also see the water cisterns used in those days together with the drainage system.
The various exhibits within this area of great historical value depict scenes of how the civilian population lived during those hard times and relate the quaint and often fascinating stories that have passed down to our days of how the first British settlers of Gibraltar had to cope with life.
Under siege conditions, the mixture of tension, boredom, anger and alcohol meant that discipline had to be strict if order was to be preserved. One of the most common forms of punishment was flogging with a nine tailed whip. A drummer in a regiment, which later became the Lancashire Fusiliers, achieved fame as the most flogged man in the British army. In his first 14 years here he received 30,000 lashes, of which 4,000 were administered in a single year.
To preserve stocks of flour, General Eliott stopped his soldiers from powdering their hair and to set everyone a good example he even lived for a week on 4 ounces of rice a day. The high prices that could be charged for even small quantities of poor quality food tempted ships from North Africa to smuggle supplies past the enemy, but civilians often survived on little more than grass, seaweed and wild onions. During the Great Siege a cabbage cost the equivalent of two and a half days of a soldier's pay while the head and feet of a sheep sold for more than three weeks wages!
To escape the bombardment people gradually abandoned their homes, until the whole population had settled south of the city in tents and ramshackle huts made from timber salvaged from their ruined houses.
This encampment between South Barracks and the Mount was at first called New Jerusalem but because of the dreadful conditions it quickly became known as "Black Town". Even General Elliot moved his headquarters to a tent above the area known as "Red Sands"
The besieged population lacked fresh vegetables and citrus fruits, important sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiency cause the flesh to blacken and can cripple and kill. To combat this deadly condition, which almost forced the city to surrender, soldiers and civilians were ordered to grow food wherever possible. General Elliot must have taken a very keen interest since he was, most unusually for this period, a strict vegetarian
During the siege, many people on a poor diet were closely confined for long periods in unsanitary conditions.
It is hardly surprising that smallpox, yellow fever, influenza, dysentery and scurvy thrived. By the end of the first year of the Great Siege, smallpox, alone had killed over 500, with the highest mortality rate amongst the children. Although the chart below contains details of the military losses, it quite clearly shows that diseases were much more dangerous than cannon balls.
last entry at 17.45hrs.


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I receive a few emails each week asking questions about cycling in the Alps. To save some effort, I thought I'd put some of the more frequently asked questions / answers here.
Feel free to ask additional questions in the comments.
1. When do the Cols (passes) Open?
It depends on the weather – of course. But the highest Cols usually aren't open until early or mid-June.
The following links show the status of most of the major French climbs. If links are dead, search "etat des cols + the region.
- Many Big French Cols here
- Haute Savoie here
- Savoie (Galibier, etc) here
- Hautes Alpes here
- L'Ain /French Juras here
- For Swiss Climbs click here and tick Cols category
- Another site with Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland: here.
As the openings approach, you can contact local tourist offices and they will often have an exact opening date. For example, for Galibier, contact the Valloire tourist office here.
In autumn, I have climbed Galibier in late October, one year, yet in 2007 there was significant snow in September.
Remember, early and late in the year to bring extra layers for the FREEZING descents.
2. Could You Recommend a Tour Route?
The Route des Grandes Alpes goes from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean over most of the famous French Alps climbs. I've written 7 posts detailing a 7 day Tour of this great route here.
Other Ideas?
The book "Cycling in the French Alps" by Paul Henderson (available at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk) – details 8 great multi day trips. Including the Route des Grandes Alpes mentioned above. Highly recommended.
Or see the Switzerland National Routes link below.
3. Are there Sign-Posted Bike Routes
In the French Alps, Haute Savoie and Savoie have a large network of signposted routes ranging in Difficulty from Green (family), Blue (rolling), Red (difficult) to Black (Epic). You can order by mail a fabulous free package (link here) of 3 maps detailing Cols, Routes, and multi-day trip ideas. A free PDF brochure is available for download here. An online list of routes including google map with links is here.
In Switzerland there are 9 National Cycling Routes that follow superb routes and are perfectly signed. Plenty of cycle friendly hotels along the routes. For more details see here.
Additionally, virtually every local tourist office in France or Switzerland will have maps and details of local cycling.
4. Where should I stay to climb Alpe d'Huez?
The most asked question! Most people stay in Bourg d'Oisans at the bottom. The official site is here and lists accomodations.
Personally, I prefer staying up top in Alpe d'Huez. Much more scenic.
5. What Gearing Do I Need??
Well, it depends how strong you are. 🙂
Generally I always suggest to people to bring easier gears than they think they need – there are many climbs 20 miles long.
Even strong cyclists will appreciate a compact. Recreational cyclists unfamiliar with HUGE climbs will be absolutely miserable without proper and easy gearing – this means a triple.
Macho studs will mock me and my triple (with a 27!! at back), but on long steep days, even if I am bonking, I can still turn the pedals.
My wife has a huge granny gear and has conquered Galibier, Alpe d'Huez and Ventoux.
6. I am going to Alpe d'Huez / Mont Ventoux. Can I rent a road bike?
Yes. At the base of both climbs are very good cycle shops. For example:
For Alpe d'Huez see here.
For Mont Ventoux in Bedoin, take a right turn towards Ventoux and 100 yards later on left is a huge store with rentals.
7. Where Do You Get Your Climb Details?
Primarily, I use the series of books "Atlas des Col des Alpes" – by Altigraph. The series includes books on the Swiss and French Alps as well as the Juras, the Pyrenées, and the Vosges.
Although in French, they are easy to understand. Basically just route directions, low quality map, and an elevation chart for pretty much every climb in each region.
8. What do the "N", "D", "C" mean on French Road numbers?
N routes are "National" routes and usually very busy. AVOID. For example, the N201 appears the best option on a map to leave Geneva towards the Alps. It is a horrible, fast, crowded, truck-filled road. And I often see hapless cycle tourists struggling along it. Yeck.
D routes are "Departmental" roads and are usually good quality and less crowded.
C are "Commune" roads. Small local and almost always very quiet. Ideal.
9. Watching the Tour de France Live?
First, watch in the mountains. On the flats the Peleton passes in a flash – dull. In the mountains the suffering is epic.
It is so much fun to cycle up a huge climb the day of the Tour. Cyclists and Fans everywhere.
Generally, the roads will be closed to non-official cars several hours before the riders arrive (even earlier for places like Alpe d'Huez). A publicity caravan passes over an hour before the riders – throwing little gifts, playing music, etc. So you need to be at the top well before this or the police will stop you.
Thus you need to start climbing several hours early. Bring lots of water and food as it becomes a long day – riding then waiting for the Tour. But a memorable experience.
10. Sunscreen?
Yes and lots of it. Just because it's cooler up high doesn't mean the sun isn't very strong.
I have gotten into the habit of using 30 or even 50 SPF. And on very long rides bring a little tube and reapply. Nothing worse than riding with sunburn.


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Microsoft Assault on Google Shows Industry Shift
Microsoft is skewering Google again with ads and regulatory bashing that say as much about the dramatic shift in the technology industry's competitive landscape as they do about the animosity between the two rivals.
The ads that began Tuesday mark the third phase in a 5-month-old marketing campaign that Microsoft Corp. derisively calls "Scroogled." The ads depict Google as a duplicitous company more interested in increasing profits and power than protecting people's privacy and providing unbiased search results.
This time, Microsoft is vilifying Google Inc. for sharing some of the personal information that it gathers about people who buy applications designed to run on smartphones and tablet computers powered by Google's Android software. Earlier ads have ripped Google's long-running practice of electronically scanning the contents of people's Gmail accounts to help sell ads. Other ads attacked a recently introduced policy that requires retailers to pay to appear in the shopping section of Google's dominant search engine.
"We think we have a better alternative that doesn't do these kinds of nefarious things," said Greg Sullivan, Microsoft's senior manager for Windows Phone, the business taking aim at Google's distribution of personal information about buyers of Android apps.
As Microsoft attacked Google in the United States, a group led by Microsoft asked European authorities to investigate whether Google has been using its free Android operating system to stifle competition from other mobile services besides its own. One such rival is Microsoft's Windows Phone system.
The barbs on both sides of the Atlantic could backfire. Even as they help draw attention to Google practices that may prod some consumers to try different services, they also serve as a reminder of Microsoft's mostly futile – and costly – attempts to trump its rival with more compelling technology.
"It's always the underdog that does negative advertising like this, and there is no doubt that Microsoft is now the underdog," said Jonathan Weber, who has been following Microsoft's "Scroogled" campaign at search consulting firm LunaMetrics.
On the flip side, Google has evolved from an endearing internet startup to an imposing giant running web and mobile services that vacuum intimate details about people's lives. Despite repeated management assurances about respecting personal privacy, Google has experienced several lapses that have resulted in regulatory fines, settlements and scorn around the world.
Beyond privacy, Google has been portrayed as an abusive bully in various complaints about its business practices.
On Tuesday, the Microsoft-led FairSearch group complained that Google has acted unfairly by requiring device makers relying on its Android software to install an entire suite of Google's mobile services, even if they just wanted one or two apps, such as Google Maps or YouTube. That still hasn't prevented device makers from redesigning Android to suit their own purposes. Amazon.com, Inc., with its Kindle Fire, and Barnes & Noble, Inc., with its Nook tablets, are among the companies selling Android products that don't feature Google services.
Microsoft's latest ads revolve around concerns already raised by privacy watchdogs. Critics argue that Google hasn't adequately disclosed that customers' names, email addresses and neighborhood locations are routinely sent to the makers of apps sold in Google's online Play store.
At least one group, Consumer Watchdog, has complained to the Federal Trade Commission that Google's apps practices represent an "egregious privacy violation." Citing agency policy, FTC spokesman Jay Mayfield declined to comment on whether the complaint has triggered a formal investigation.
"What Google is doing is a big problem, so I am glad Microsoft is helping to bring it to light," said John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's privacy project director. "But Microsoft has its own problems. I certainly don't think they are doing this for altruistic reasons. They are clearly doing this for their own competitive purposes."
Google says it shares a limited amount of personal information about Android apps customers to ensure they get better service and faster responses if any problems arise. The company says the practice is allowed under its terms of service – a document that most people rarely read in its entirety.
Microsoft says it doesn't pass along personal details about customers buying apps for devices running its Windows Phone software. But there aren't as many Windows Phone users or apps for that system as there are for Android.
The notion of Microsoft being well behind Google once seemed inconceivable.
A decade ago, Microsoft was the world's most powerful technology company, with its Windows operating system and Office productivity software pervasive on personal computers. Microsoft's dominance had grown so extensive that U.S. and European antitrust regulators spent years trying to rein in the Redmond, Wash. software company.
Although Google was growing rapidly at the time, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and other skeptics dismissed the company as a "one-trick pony" that hadn't proven adept at doing anything besides searching the web and selling ads next to the results.
Google, which is based in Mountain View, Calif., has since morphed into a multi-faceted juggernaut relentlessly trying to muscle into new markets. The company now runs the world's most-watched online video service in YouTube, the largest email service in Gmail and the most widely-used operating system for mobile devices in Android. All of those services provide more opportunities to show the ads that generate the bulk of Google's revenue. Google is now the company facing the scrutiny of regulators – and Microsoft has been active in making those complaints, including the one announced Tuesday.
"Google is certainly the biggest challenge that Microsoft has ever had to deal with," said Michael Cusumano, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management and author of several books about Microsoft.
Microsoft has tried to thwart Google by investing heavily in online services, to little avail. Since Google went public in August 2004, Microsoft's online division has accumulated more than $17.5 billion in operating losses. The losses include an accounting charge of more than $6 billion for Microsoft's acquisition of aQuantive, an online advertising service that didn't pan out.
Google, meanwhile, has been steadily increasing profits and share of the internet search market. Google processes about two out of every three search requests in the U.S. and handles an even larger percentage of queries in many parts of Europe.
Although Microsoft has remained profitable companywide, the Windows franchise that provides its financial backbone has been weakening as a growing preference for smartphones and tablet computers undercuts sales of desktop and laptop computers. Besides doing damage with Android, Google is also trying to dent Microsoft by selling a less expensive, internet-based alternative to Microsoft's Office suite. Google is also pushing a laptop operating system built on its popular Chrome web browser in an attempt to divert even more sales away from Windows machines.
Microsoft has countered with a dramatic overhaul of the Windows operating system, one designed to bring tablet features such as touch screens to desktops and laptops. But Windows 8 has gotten off to a tepid start since its October release.
The changing fortunes of Microsoft and Google have been reflected in the stock market's appraisal of the two companies.
Google's market value has soared from nearly $25 billion at the time of its initial public offering in 2004 to nearly $260 billion. Microsoft's market value has fallen by about 17 percent during the same period, declining from nearly $300 billion at the time of Google's IPO to $249 billion today. Apple Inc., a rival of both Google and Microsoft, is the only technology company worth more than Google, with a market value hovering around $400 billion.
Microsoft's stock gained $1.02, or 3.6 percent, to close Tuesday at $29.61, while Google's added $2.80, or 0.4 percent, to $777.65.
Microsoft developed its anti-Google ad campaign shortly after hiring former political operative Mark Penn in August as a corporate strategist who reports directly to Ballmer. Penn is best known as a former pollster for President Bill Clinton and a campaign strategist for Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful bid for president in 2008. Penn left his job as CEO of public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to help Microsoft generate more usage of its Bing search engine and other online services.
Microsoft isn't saying how much it is spending on the ad campaign beyond saying the amount will run in the "multimillions" of dollars.
Although there isn't any evidence that the ads have hurt Google yet, Sullivan said Microsoft is pleased with the response. The company says about 117,000 people have signed Microsoft's online petition protesting Gmail's ad-driving scanning of content. That's a sliver of the more than 425 million Gmail accounts worldwide. Microsoft says about four million people have visited Scroogled.com, the website that serves as the hub of the company's anti-Google campaign.
Although the attack ads are something new for Microsoft, denigrating the competition isn't. Most notably, Microsoft tried to undermine web browser pioneer Netscape Communications beginning in the mid-1990s. Most of that sniping remained behind the scenes until a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Microsoft's business practices exposed the cutthroat tactics deployed to overcome Netscape's early lead in the web browser market.
Given that history, Microsoft's marketing assault on Google isn't that surprising, said Cusumano, who has been following the company for 20 years.
"Nothing is below Microsoft," Cusumano said. "They have been playing dirty for a long time. In this instance, they probably sincerely believe this can give them a little marketing edge and help them capitalize on the growing discomfort with the size and influence of Google."
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Posted by Editoress on 11/16/11
Cyclocross racing is breaking away from the cold, wet days of fall and winter to debut at next spring's Sea Otter Classic, a four-day "Celebration of Cycling", scheduled to take place April 19-22, 2012 in Monterey, California's Laguna Seca Recreation Area.
"During the last few years, cyclocross has grown with a cult-like fanaticism as a participatory and spectator sport," said Frank Yohannan, president and CEO of the Sea Otter Classic. "It fits right in with the festival atmosphere and the celebration of everything cycling that makes up Sea Otter."
The Sea Otter Cyclocross, hosted by Raleigh America, will take place Saturday afternoon, April 21, and will feature all men's and women's professional and amateur divisions, as well as singlespeed, messenger and industry cup races. (For cyclocross details, Click Here.)
Cross racers will experience the thrill of starting and finishing on the Laguna Seca Raceway while thousands of fans cheer them on. The course will snake through the Sea Otter Expo and Laguna Seca Lakebed area, and will include off-camber and "kitty litter" sections, a high-speed barrier section located near the Sierra Nevada Beer Garden, and other yet-to-determined obstacles.
"We hosted the Midsummer Night Cross race and found that people will show up just about anywhere, and anytime, when offered a chance to ride their cross bikes," said Chris Speyer, vice president of product and marketing for Raleigh America. "When the idea of helping with cyclocross races at Sea Otter presented itself, we didn't think twice."
Sea Otter attracts more than 50,000 cyclists and fans every year, where they are immersed in dozens of races, product demos, family-oriented events and more than 350 exhibitors showing off the latest in cycling services and products.
Cyclocross joins Sea Otter's cross country, dual slalom, short track and downhill mountain bike events, as well as its road, criterium, and circuit road racing events. Recreational options include three Gran Fondo routes - a 96-mile Carmel Valley route, a 50-mile Coastal route, and a 20-mile mountain bike route.
More details about Sea Otter's cyclocross races, and online registration for all Sea Otter Classic events, can be found at www.seaottterclassic.com.
Press release
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The Library has free Wi-Fi available during regular business hours.
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Books and Audiobooks are the items that are requested most frequently.
Other libraries will not loan reference and genealogy materials; however, there are helpful sources for genealogy materials:
Normally, there is no fee for an interlibrary loan. On rare occasions, another library may charge a fee but the Orange Public Library will contact you before advancing with the loan in order to get your permission.
In most cases, the turnaround time for an interlibrary loan is one to two weeks; however, the time depends upon the difficulty of locating an available copy of the item and the location of the lending library. If there is a deadline by which the item is needed, please notify the Orange Public Library staff at the time of submitting the request.
When the Orange Public Library receives an interlibrary loan it also receives a due date. Usually, you may borrow the items for two weeks but sometimes the lending library sets a shorter time frame. In some cases, an item may be renewed. If you wish to renew your loan, please contact the reference librarian three days in advance of the due date on your item. The reference librarian will request a renewal, which may or may not be granted.
Occasionally, items will arrive with a restriction of "In Building-Use Only." This means that the item cannot leave the Orange Public Library building. The lending library sets the policy and the Orange Public Library must abide by it.
The Library accepts cash, check and money order.
Library staff does not assist with tax preparation. During tax season AARP uses the Library facilities for their tax preparation program.
The Library does not have wireless printing or color printing.
A copy machine is available at the Library. The copy machine is made available by The Friends of the Orange Public Library, Inc., and offers both black and color copying options.
The Library does accept gently used books, magazines, and DVDs by appointment. Please call 409-883-1086 to schedule your donation appointment.
The Library does not provide faxing or scanning services at this time.


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Serious bending of the cost curve could be accomplished by targeting the less mission-essential elements of our overburdened health care system.
I'm a longtime fan of the comic strip Dilbert. For those unfamiliar, most of the strip's humor centers on the idiosyncrasies, and sometimes outright idiocies, of life in a corporate office. The tragic irony is that much of it is based on actual tales from real-life offices, and most of the remainder isn't all that farfetched.
In a more serious portion of one of his Dilbert-based books, the strip's author offers some of his own remedies for such inefficient, annoying, or downright self-destructive practices of suboptimal workplaces. One seems to scream out for application in the health care field, particularly as we seem to be caught in a positive feedback loop of redundancy which actually reduces overall productivity relative to cost.
The principle is simple enough: Keep a lookout for processes twice or more removed from your core mission, and especially for employment positions which exist solely to attend to these processes.
As an example, consider a pizzeria. The guy making the pizzas is at the heart of the mission. Getting the ingredients and delivering the pies are each one step removed from the actual making of the pizzas, but still very relevant. Someone who conducts focus-groups and travels the country to analyze trends in pizza-making and customer preferences, on the other hand, is at least one more step removed. If that's all he does, it might be worth reassessing his role in the business. At the very least, a chunk of his time might be allocated to tasks a little more directly related to the bottom line.
Health care seems to have a lot of tasks and positions that are twice or more removed from the central mission. Another field, education, also has this dubious distinction. It's not entirely coincidental that these two sectors are heavily regulated, if not outright controlled, by multiple levels of government, elected and otherwise - especially since government is probably the best (or worst, depending on your perspective) example of twice-plus-removed tasks, personnel, departments, agencies, etc.
Also not so coincidentally, these fields always seem to be having trouble making ends meet. Once you embrace the approach of spending X amount in the name of efficiency, oversight, and support in order to reduce costs by a fraction of X, it's pretty easy for budgets to balloon out of control.
There's not much a field like healthcare can do to reduce its dependency on twice-or-more-removed processes and personnel, once it's squarely under the thumb of heavy regulation by outside entities. If the government has seen fit to institute such a massive body of rules that it takes an on-staff OSHA team working 24-7-365 to make sure no citations are issued during the next site visit, a hospital pretty much has to bite the bullet and find a way to fit that team into its budget.
If you know you aren't going to reliably get paid for the work you've done (or even avoid investigation for fraud) without having a full-time coder on board, you're going to have to write that into your cost of doing business as well. At this stage of the game, simplification of our system pretty much has to come from the outsiders who complicated it in the first place.
One would hope that, with all of the "experts" supposedly consulted during the assembly of the health care reform omnibus that was rushed through Capitol Hill, somebody would have seen that serious bending of the cost curve could be accomplished by targeting some of these less mission-essential elements of our overburdened health care system. Perhaps someone did - unfortunately, such hypothetical individuals didn't have much of an effect. The reams of pages within the law now being reassessed by the Supreme Court seem to be heading in the completely opposite direction.
AMA Issues New CPT Code for AI Estimates of CCTA-Based Fractional Flow Reserve
February 26th 2024Clinicians can bill Category 1 CPT Code 75580 for adjunctive use of the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Cleerly Ischemia software for fractional flow reserve estimates based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) scans.
MRI Research Suggests Link Between COVID-19 Related Brain Fog and Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction
February 23rd 2024For people with COVID-19 related brain fog, emerging dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) research findings revealed blood-brain barrier disruption in multiple brain regions, including temporal lobes and the frontal cortex, up to a year after active infection.


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Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Chicagoland
"Life in Jewish Chicago" helps delve into the lives of our ancestors in the Jewish communities of Chicago. It is a guide to the historic institutions which our ancestors participated in. As you locate materials, try to picture what life was like. A history of the Jews of Chicago can be found on the website of the Spertus Institute.
The following record types will aid you in painting this picture:
Organizations Jewish Newspapers & Periodicals Synagogue Records Personal Collections & Oral Histories The "Old" Neighborhood
The Chicago Jewish Archives has collected information and records from many organizations including such groups as:
For a current list go directly to the Chicago Jewish Archives website.
Jewish Newspapers & Periodicals
Synagogue Records
Personal Collections & Oral Histories
The "Old" Neighborhood
Meites, H.L.. History of the Jews of Chicago. (Reprinted 1990, originally published in 1924 by Jewish Historical Society of Illinois) Cutler, Irving. The Jews of Chicago: From Shtetl to Suburb. (University of Illinois Press, 1996) The Meites book has been reprinted by the Chicago Jewish Historical Society and can purchased directly from them. The Cutler book is available at the Spertus book store as well as other book stores. For a complete listing of books about the history of Jewish Chicago see the Reference Materials on this website. Every year tours of Jewish Chicago are run by Dawn Schuman Institute and also the Chicago Jewish Historical Society.
To Search this Site Return to top of page
Last update:26 July 2016


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Our components, systems and services will support you in the automation of your plants and machinery worldwide. Driven by our vision of "The Spirit of Safety", we use all our passion and knowledge to offer you the best possible automation solutions. We are automation specialists committed to safety!
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Essential oils have been used for centuries by folks to treat various serious illnesses. Aromatherapy, an alternative treatment method uses essential oils to treat ailments. The effectiveness of essential oil to treat diseases is however controversial, people have been using it to cure snoring. There are numerous essential oils for snoring available with different flavors and smells. Beside these aromatic properties, these oils can provide you with several health benefits as well. In this article, we shall brief you the top essential oils for snoring that really works. Moreover, you will get to know about other vital functions of these oils.
Why do People Snore
When people do make an irritating sound when they unable inhale or exhale air freely through nose and throat while sleeping, is called snoring. Uneasiness makes the nasal tissues vibrate, which makes the unbearable snoring sound. Some people snore because of overweight and during the changing seasons or when they have a sinus related problems.
What are essential oils?
In short, essential oils are the essence of the plant. These are the extract of the plant in concentrated form. Various plant parts such as leaves, stem, flower, bud, roots etc are the source of these oils.
These parts are crushed, steamed and processed to produce volatile oils. The oils retain the aroma, in other words, flavors and smell of the plant along with vital medicinal properties. If you want to opt aromatherapy as an alternative treatment, you have to inhale these essential oils. Beside inhaling, you have it apply on your skin.
Various studies point toward the multiple health benefits of these oils. But let us try to know how essential oil for snoring works and what are the top essential oils for snoring that really work.
What Essential Oils are good for Snoring
Valerian Essential Oil
Valerian root is the source of the oil with the pungent and musky aroma. This oil has been prescribed in naturopathy for sleep disorders. Valerian oil will calm you and help you get a deep sleep night. You will tend to snore less and fewer position changes with the calming effects of Valerian.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is known for its calming effect, therefore used as a sleep aid by many people. If you inhale this oil, it will reach you amygdala in the brain, the calming center and calm your mind. Moreover, it enhances the release of melatonin, also known as sleep hormone. Therefore, lavender essential oil may benefit you greatly for snoring.
Marjoram Oil
Beside analgesic, antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal properties marjoram also can effectively remove mucus from your nasal passage. This will clean up your airway and you will less likely to have snores at night. In other words, you can experience a sleep without dreams and less sleep disturbance.
Fennel Essential Oil
If your airways are blocked, fennel can really clear the airways due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The smooth flow of air through your nasal passage will cause you less snore at nights.
Beside this, fennel can effectively treat digestive issues, due to which you will tend to quality good sleep at nights.
Citronella Essential Oil
Citronella is one of the most commonly used essential oils for snoring. If you are an alcoholic and suffering from snoring due to toxins. Citronella can effectively remove toxins from your body and can lessen the snoring at nights.
Sage Essential Oil
Sage oil has expectorant properties. It can expel out mucus from the clogged nasal passage. Beside this, sage is used to treat respiratory infections due to its antimicrobial properties. Hence, it clear the airways in both the cases and improve the sleep quality at night. As well as it can lessen your snores at night.
Thyme Essential Oil
Thyme is known to have powerful antiseptic properties. So, thyme has been used to treat respiratory illness. If you snore due to respiratory problems then thyme oil can be one of the useful essential oils for snoring.
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If you rub thyme oil on your palm, feet, write etc before bed, they can improve your sleep quality and reduce snoring.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Folks have been using eucalyptus leaves to treat respiratory illness such as bronchitis, asthma etc. Studies suggest that this oil can break down thick mucus and helps remove it from the nasal passage. Hence, this can be effectively used to treat snoring caused due to a cough and cold.
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint essential oils are used to treat bowel related illness, thus it can improve the quality of sleep at the night. Moreover. A cough and other respiratory problems can make your snore worse. Beside other properties, peppermint can relieve your respiratory symptoms. Thus, it can allow smooth flow of air through your nasal passage and help you a lot in snoring.
Cedarwood Essential Oil
Cedarwood oil can cause you sedation, thus it can improve the quality of sleep at night. Anxiolytic properties of cedarwood can calm you and promote better sleep as well.
Pine Essential Oil
Pine has been used to treat insomnia since long. Beside this, pine has antimicrobial, decongestant and antioxidant properties. Therefore, this oil can be used as an effective sleep aid.
If you massage this oil on palms, joints, feet, and other body parts, they can relax your body and help in insomnia.
Clove Essential Oil
If you have any of the respiratory diseases such as a cough, cold, tuberculosis or bronchitis, clove oil can help you immensely. Clove oil breaks down the thick mucus into pieces and expels it out from air passage. Hence, oil can be a great alternative treatment for snoring.
Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C thus it can improve your overall well being. Moreover, lemon essential oils have anxiolytic properties. Therefore, it can calm your mind and improve the sleep effectively.
How essential oils work to reduce snoring?
You might be wondering, how essential work and benefit you in snoring sleep-related issues. In fact, different essential oils have a different mode of action to aid your sleep.
Mode of actions:
- Expectorant properties: Most of the essential oils are known to have expectorant properties. Inhalation of these oil aroma breakdown thick phlegm. The broken down phlegm easily comes out of the sinuses and nasal passage.
- Anxiolytic properties: Antianxiety effects of essential oils can relax the nervous system and promote quality sleep. If you are one who is suffering from insomnia due to anxiety, the essential oil can really help you a lot.
- Antimicrobial Properties: Some of the essential oils have antimicrobial effects. Thus, they are effective in treating respiratory illnesses. Hence essential oils are very effective in treating snoring and related illnesses.
How essential oils work to reduce snoring
You need the know the ways how essential oils can be used to stop snoring. Here are the few methods you can opt to stop snoring immediately.
- Apply 4 to 5 drops of essential oils on your extremities such as feet, palm, wrist etc.
- Inhale the aroma of the essential oil.
- Add a few drops of essential oil in your filled bathtub.
- Mix 4 to 5 drop of essential oil in water and gargle for some time.
- You can add essential oils to other massage oils such as coconut oil and olive oil.
The bottom line
Essential oils are very effective in the treatment of snoring. However, there are a few precautions you must take care of. Always add essential oils to carrier oil before use. Some of the essential oils are toxic, therefore never ever swallow them.
You might be snoring due to other underlying medical conditions such as sleep apnea. Go, see a doctor and rule out the underlying conditions. You can use essential oils for snoring, but you must consult your doctor if you really need this. Read the label and follow the directions as mentioned.