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When Rick Caro, president of Management Vision, noted in the January 2012 issue of Club Industry that the fitness industry had not yet matured, one reason he offered was rudimentary software and technology. Some club management software companies took issue with the statement, but at least one executive says Caro has a point.
Andy Wigderson, vice president of sales and marketing at CSI Software, Houston, says that systems at some software companies may be rudimentary, but he lays blame on two factors. The first is that many club management software companies are really billing companies that offer their software (and often computers and training) to customers for free in exchange for being selected to process the club's transactions each month.
"It creates a perception in the industry that software is not something that you should spend a lot of money on or need to spend a lot of money on," Wigderson says. "It creates an issue for the few companies that are out there that are true software companies. I'm not knocking the billing companies. They are in business to make money like we are, but it makes it difficult for companies like us to charge what we should be charging."
Fitness facility operators also have been slow to embrace technology, Wigderson says. Other industries typically spend 6 percent to 7 percent of their revenue on technology, according to research Wigderson has done into industries such as retail manufacturers and hospitality businesses.
"I don't know what clubs spend because I've never seen any research on it, but I can guarantee you that it's not 6 to 7 percent. It's not even close," Wigderson says.
Despite these issues, technology is slowly advancing, Wigderson and others say.
Advancements have come in the value that club management companies offer in their software by focusing more on enhancing the member experience and affecting clubs' bottom lines, especially as concerns about member attrition grows, says Al Noshirvani, CEO of Motionsoft, Rockville, MD.
Motionsoft offers a data analytics engine that provides club owners with insight into the movement and profiles of their members and prospects.
Analytics and dashboards seem to be all the rage at many software companies, including Twin Oaks Software, Berlin, CT, where Carole Oat, sales manager, says the company provides its club owners with statistics and results as they want them.
ABC Financial Services, Sherwood, AR, also focuses on reporting, says Steve Ayers, the company's senior vice president of sales and marketing.
"Business analytics and dashboards have come to the forefront in the last year," Ayers says. "We have designed a fully integrated dashboard inside of the software that gives users key business metrics."
Dashboards allow club operators to input goals and budgets, and compare actual numbers to goals. The reports can be set up so that staff members see only the numbers that apply to them but the owner can see the overall business, Ayers says.
Club owners also want their technology to help them generate more revenue from their existing membership base, says Sid Nelson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Paramount Acceptance, Holladay, UT. The analytics show them how many of their members participate in personal training, group training, tanning, group exercise, child care and corporate fitness, so they can define their membership and target these people for more specific services.
Access to dashboard statistics through iPads, tablets and smartphones allows owners to have their finger on the pulse of their business, Nelson adds.
Immediacy of these reports has become vital, says Sean Kirby, national sales director for ASF International, Highlands Ranch, CO. ASF International's system allows immediate access to data anywhere an owner has an Internet connection with a laptop or a connection through an iPhone or iPad.
"This is especially important to owners who are hands-off or who run multiple locations," Kirby says.
Owners are not the only ones who want immediate and remote access. Members do, too.
"We are focused on allowing clubs to extend their reach beyond 'brick and mortar' and empower their members to more effectively use their services," Noshirvani says.
Motionsoft integrates its club management system to the club's website. By doing so, members can update personal information, review their balances, make payments and integrate to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
Twin Oaks sees the value of integrated online joining, booking, scheduling and purchasing, but its system also allows members to check into their clubs using their smartphones rather than their bar coded card, Oat says.
The avenue for mobility comes in mobile applications.
"We are seeing a lot of interest in mobile apps, online sign-up and online member portals," Ayers says. "With everyone being so mobile today and with everyone having iPhones or Windows phones, they are conducting their lives on these mobile devices."
Apps allow members to sign up for classes, purchase personal training sessions and complete other club-related transactions.
Eric Speers of Club Systems, Sugar Land, TX, says maturation in the industry's technology is all about connections.
"For today's software to be effective, it has to be about connections—connections to the market, connections to existing members and connections to potential new sales," Speers says. "Whether it's transforming customer service with a member online access module or increasing membership sales by having products and services out in the global business world, access to data via the Internet allows facilities to take their business the next step further."
One way to take software further is to improve contact management, says John Ulrich, president and CEO of Aspen Software, Spring, TX.
"If someone doesn't want to sign up right away, the software makes it easy for the sales staff to follow up with them via email or text messages," Ulrich says. "Then, when someone does join, the software assists staff in continuing to reach out to these new members, especially for the first six months, to make them feel welcome."
With complicated systems, club operators are looking for simplification, too. They want all their programs consolidated into one, says Todd Kelley, marketing manager, Affiliated Acceptance, Sunrise Beach, MO. It all ties into making life easier for club owners and club members.
"Over the last year, we have simplified some of our software," Kelley says. "They still have the same features, but they are easier to use. We wanted to be able to create a better user experience so they can get through their tasks more efficiently."
Shape.Net is another company that has simplified systems into one. The company provides an all-in-one cloud-based management system for health clubs—one system and database that can manage a club's entire business, including check-in, scheduling, billing, collections and CRM, says Larry King, owner of Shape.Net Software, Colts Neck, NJ.
With advancements in software come advancements in the security of the collected data, says Matt Zagrodzky, vice president of iGo Figure Software, Houston.
"The good news is that security has come to the forefront for most software companies," Zagrodzky says. "In addition, the credit card industry has set a high standard for data security, and software companies are constantly addressing this, since most software applications end up handling credit card data and are thus required to meet the credit card industry data security standards."
Data security means club owners must be aware of and trust any partners that their software providers use.
"For example, Retention Management has an excellent member retention program," Zagrodzky says. "As a software company, we looked at whether it made sense for us to create a retention management program. Instead, we decided to integrate with Retention Management."
Despite all of these advancements in club management software, greater advancement will only come once club operators value technology, embrace it and start spending on it instead of seeing it as a necessary evil, Wigderson says.
"You need to understand the importance of it and be willing to spend the money on it—the staff, the solution," he says. "Make it a real priority in your spending. That is what has to start happening here. It is starting to go that way, but we are just a little behind the time and starting to catch up."


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Last night I had a dream that I was vilified on local news for jaywalking with my daughter. In the dream, my daughter and I appeared on the local news, first waiting to cross a street at a stoplight. On the news, the image was of my daughter and I and apparently came from one of those traffic cameras they use to spy on citizens. The voice over on the TV was about negligent parents. I knew that my family was with us as the news cut to another
spy traffic camera of my daughter and I walking, diagonally across an empty street and the legs of my wife, mom and brother just at the edge of the frame. There was a sound of a horn and a squeal of over inflated tires which, I knew, had been added to the video by the news station. The voice over told viewers about the dangers of walking and crossing streets in particular.
This morning I woke up and found this in my Google Reader Feed:
Also, I read this (from an article about a high school student who was killed last Thursday when she was struck by a car walking to a bus stop):
"You really have to wave the flag at the bull, so to speak," he said, "because drivers are really self-consumed, and it is hard to get them to stop."
A superstitious person would lock himself in his house for a few weeks and wait for the bad omens to be forgotten. Perhaps, give up walking and cycling all together. Sleep in his car. Because, as we know from all evidence that is available, your car is the safest place you could ever be. I mean that with absolute sincerity.
Really. Using my advanced graphing skills, I've drawn a bar graph* of my own to demonstrate:
As you can see, cars are not dangerous at all which is why it makes sense to compare walking on a public street to the safest and most sane of all sports: bull fighting.
*Information based entirely on the data above making many assumptions about the data that are probably inaccurate and shortsighted.

subset: commoncrawl


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- 4 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 pound top round, London broil, or flank steak, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- Two 8-ounce packages white button mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced (about 5 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup plain Greek-style nonfat yogurt
For Serving:
- 4 cups cooked whole-wheat egg noodles
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat with its juices to a plate.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and have released most of their water, about 5 minutes.
Return the beef and juices to the pan and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until well combined. Add the beef broth, wine, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens and reduces slightly, 5 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and cook for 1 minute more.
Spoon the mixture over the noodles and garnish with parsley.


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Royal Delta – Royal Delta galloped once around Meydan and visited the starting gate as part of the typical routine trainer Bill Mott follows with his runners before a race. The two-time American champion stood quietly in the gate as assistant starters patted her neck.
"Everything is good so far," said Mott's assistant Rodolphe Brisset, who also serves as Royal Delta's exercise rider. "She just flew over this track."
The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and American champion "is settling into the routine now," said Alice Clapham, assistant to trainer Graham Motion and exercise rider. "He was very happy this morning. He galloped great, and we're very happy with him."
Motion is due to arrive in Dubai on Monday night and will decide what the 5-year-old will do over the next four days prior to the race.
Dullahan – American trainer Dale Romans' duo of Dullahan (Dubai World Cup) and Little Mike (Dubai Duty Free) both walked in the quarantine barn area on Monday following their 1000-metre workouts on Sunday. They will return to training on Tuesday, with both scheduled just for jogs, said exercise rider Tammy Fox.
Meandre – The Andre Fabre-trained Meandre arrived like all of the French-trained horses on Saturday and made his first contact with the track he will encounter in the Dubai World Cup on Monday morning. Travelling head lad, Richard Lambert said, "We went to the track this morning where he trotted and then cantered over 1200 metres. This is what he will be doing for the rest of the week. He travelled well and looks in good form."
Planteur – The Marco Botti-trained horse, a late-closing third in last year's US$10million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates, arrived in Dubai early morning March 24 and is eligible to train on the main track beginning March 26. The 6-year-old warmed up for his second tilt at the world's most valuable race by winning the February 23 Winter Derby Trial Stakes (Eng) on Lingfield's synthetic surface over the World Cup trip of 2000 metres
Red Cadeaux –Ed Dunlop's Hong Kong Vase winner has been in Dubai for a little over a week and exercised 1800 metres on the Tapeta track. The globetrotting 7-year-old will be having his first start in Dubai on World Cup night and boasts excellent International form having finished a nose second in the 2011 Emirates Melbourne Cup. Dunlop's travelling head lad Robin Trevor-Jones said, "He seems in good form and his rider said that today was the best he has felt since he arrived on Sunday last week. He did a canter over 1800 metres today and the plan may be to exercise him on grass on Wednesday or Thursday." Red Cadeaux will again be ridden by his Hong Kong-winning pilot Gerald Mosse.
Treasure Beach – "We were very happy with him on Super Saturday and he ran a very good trial on his first all-weather start, staying on well having been last turning in," said trainer Mike De Kock. "He has definitely improved a lot, both mentally and physically since then and is continuing to do so. Perhaps ideally I would have preferred another couple of weeks but he is in good shape and we expect him to go well."


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This much we know. Jack White from The White Stripes and Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin don't appreciate the new video game music craze sweeping the industry.
But thankfully one artist from a historic band stepped up to the mic to defend the exploding game genre. Aerosmith's Joey Kramer told Spinner that games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band should be viewed as new avenues for people to learn about music and not as alternatives.
"If that's what you gotta do to get kids to understand what a band like Aerosmith's all about and encourage them to learn more about the music, then that's just one more way to find out about it," he said.
Kramer would continue on to say that vocal artists speaking negatively will continue to talk until they're offered a paycheck.
"It may not be the most ideal way to find out about historic bands, but we'll see what happens when they offer those guys boat-loads of money. We'll see if they turn it down or not."
This makes me wonder how much the band got paid to release Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.


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Free Entry
We all die of something... the question is, "What will the last 10 years of your life look like?".
Procrastination is the thief of health. Unfortunately most Australians health decisions are made from an emergency room which have more to do with avoiding death than being healthy. Don't wait until you don't have your health to start caring about it. This impactful workshop will add years to your life and life to your years.
The fact is there are also people and entire cultures who are healthy at 100, vibrant, active, independent, with a purpose and contributing to their community showing us the way back to good health. Maybe you've heard, read about or seen them before? This powerful workshop will reveal what those people do and have done for decades.
You will learn:
• How to radically reduce stress and inflammation (the biggest killers in today's society)
• The latest research on medications and how to empower your body with drug free alternatives
• What arthritis is and how to avoid it
• How to avoid osteoporosis through specific nutrition and exercises


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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
The Top 5 Reasons I Listen to Webinars
I love to listen to webinars. Even though I am a speaker myself, I listen to as many webinars as possible. Here's my list why:
My Top 5 Reasons to Watch Webinars
1) Accessibility
Webinars are available around the clock. They provide a 24/7 learning experience. Can't see them live? They are usually archived and made available for you to watch at your convenience at a later date. There's no driving involved and as long as you have internet access you can watch them from home. This is ideal for genealogists who live in isolated places or have challenging schedules.
2) Affordability
Webinars provide some of the most affordable genealogy education available. Many webinars are free and others are available at a minimal cost. When compared to traveling to a conference or seminar the savings are huge.
3) Connections
Webinars give me the chance to connect with speakers that I haven't had the chance to meet in person. There are lots of speakers from around the country and around the world that I haven't had the chance to see. While a webinar doesn't provide face to face interaction in a true sense, I still take away a sense of their personality and I love to hear their accent.
4) Learning Expansion
One of the difficult aspects of attending a conference is that you have to choose only one lecture in each time slot. At a great conference it can be nearly impossible to choose between the top notch offerings. Webinars help fill in the gaps. I get to learn about new technology or subjects that I might not spend time on at a conference. In just an hour's time a webinar can expose me to brand new ideas that will jump start my research or get me inspired.
5) Experience
As a speaker, watching webinars allows me to learn from other speakers' mistakes. Webinars are a new form of presentation for genealogists. We are all still learning how to perfect this medium. By listening to webinars I can determine what works and what doesn't by listening to other speakers. One of the most helpful things is to get advance notice about technology glitches. If something goes awry for a speaker I can try to fix the problem before one of my talks so that it doesn't happen to me. Watching webinars helps me to be a better webinar speaker myself.
Where to find Webinars
The complete calendar of webinars by all providers is available on the GeneaWebinars site. Be sure to check all the information to determine when the webinar is being held, particularly note the start time and time zone and whether there is any cost associated with it.
Here are several sites that frequently provide webinars:
Legacy Family Tree
Casefile Clues Genealogist, Michael John Neill
Southern California Genealogical Society's Jamboree Extension Series
Friends of NARA Southeast Region
Posted by Marian at 9:43 AM
Labels: Webinars
3 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2011 at 4:21 PM
Thanks MarianReplyDelete
The techniques I have learned by watching the Legacy Family Tree webinars help me go back a generation or two.
Thank you so much for writing this post and sharing links. I had no idea that Friends of NARA gave webinars. Fantastic! I love webinars because most times I can make them work around my schedule with my family. Pop on some headphones and I can sit in the same room with them while I get my genealogy education fix. :)ReplyDelete
Webinars are great for my "listen and learn" style. I signed up for Using Your Laptop for Genealogy webinar tomorrow. Thanks for this post.ReplyDelete
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The Saxon candle is hand-poured by candle artisans. The candle is 2lbs of wax and sprinkled with 6 cotton wicks for maximum glow and light cast. Each Saxon vessel is made from Earthenware clay and handmade into a low bowl pottery styling. Each pottery piece is of exceptional quality with beautiful reactive glazing and hand dipped interior glaze of the FlashPoint Candle signature sky blue. Every Saxon vessel has this pop beautiful blue glaze on the interior of the pottery no matter the exterior glaze choice. Every piece is one-of-a-kind and will vary slightly as with any truly handmade artisan product. Give a Saxon candle as a special gift or place on a dining table, coffee table or bed-side stand. At 9" diameter this stunning candle can be used almost anywhere in the home, adding an artful object is often the finishing touch to any room, let the Saxon six wick soy blend candle be the final detail in your decor. Every piece of pottery can be re-purposed in the home or outdoors after the candle is finished. Use as a holder for bracelets, customize a terrarium and add a cloche or even a catch-all at the front door, the ideas are endless for a purposeful re-purpose of the Saxon vessel.
Additional Information
|Diameter (in.)
|Leaf Green
|English Pear
|Frangrance Description
|A sophisticated blend of sweet Bartlett pear and sparkling, effervescent Champagne to delight the senses. Warm amber base notes round out the mellow fruitiness of this fragrance.
|6 Wick


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(Harrisburg) -- A new federal report says Pennsylvania lost nearly 4,000 farms over a recent five-year period and the state's total farm acreage dropped by about 100,000.
The Census of Agriculture released Thursday found Pennsylvania had just over 59,000 farms that comprised 7.7 million acres in 2012.
The total annual market value of the state's agriculture products is about $7.4 billion.
The average farm produces about $124,000 in products every year.
Most Pennsylvania farms are between 10 and 500 acres in size, but about 650 are at least 1,000 acres. The average farm size is 130 acres.
The survey says that about half of the state's 59,302 farm operators have another primary occupation outside of agriculture.
The average age of a Pennsylvania farmer is currently 56 years and getting older.
Published in News
Tagged under farmer, Farming, farmlandback to top
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Achtung! Germany drags homeschool kids to class
Authorities haul crying children away to avoid 'danger' from parental teachings
A Nazi-era law requiring all children to attend public school, to avoid "the emergence of parallel societies based on separate philosophical convictions" that could be taught by parents at home, apparently is triggering a Nazi-like response from police.
The word comes from Netzwerk Bildungsfreiheit, or Network for Freedom in Education, which confirmed that children in a family in Bissingen, in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, have been forcibly hauled to a public school.
"On Friday 20 October 2006 at around 7:30 a.m. the children of a home educating family … were brought under duress to school by police," the organization, which describes itself as politically and religiously neutral, confirmed.
A separate weblog in the United States noted the same tragedy.
Homeschoolblogger.com noted that the "three children were picked up by the police and escorted to school in Baden-Wurttemberg, with the 'promise' that it would happen again this week."
The Network for Freedom in Education, through spokesman Joerg Grosseluemern, said the Remeike family has been "home educating their children since the start of the school year, something which is legal in practically the whole of the (European Union)."
"However, on this morning, they were confronted by police officials, who, in an incredibly inconsiderate manner, forced their crying children into a police car and drove them to the school. The police stated that they had been instructed to continue this measure in the coming week," the network statement said.
The network noted that the previous Minister of Education, Annette Schavan, had said such actions were not needed, because "… the children are generally not lacking in any other respects." Officials at that time, in 2002, confirmed that "forcible methods" generally are "not in the long-term interests of either the children or the police."
However, the network noted the priorities of current officials obviously are different.
"The family involved emphasizes that their children are neither truant nor school deniers, which are the cases for which such measures were intended," said the network's statement, a translation from the original German. "The Remeike family is fulfilling their children's right to an education by educating them at home, with the support of teachers from a distance learning academy, which also supplies the necessary material."
School arguments that homeschooling endangers the welfare of the children "lacks any factual foundation," the network statement said.
"Tearing the children from the bosom of their family by forcing certainly does not contribute to their welfare. The result is more likely to be traumatisation and the development of an aversion to instruments of state authority," the statement said.
No comment could be obtained immediately from school or police officials.
"The Netzwerk Bildungsfreiheit strongly empathises with the Romeike family, whom many of us know personally to be an intact and conscience-driven family. We condemn the degrading act carried out by the police as a blatant breach of the personal rights of individual family members and call for the Mayor of Bissingen, as well as the Office for Education of the District Authorities of Esslingen, to end these sanctions…"
The American blog noted that several other homeschooling parents recently have been fined or imprisoned for brief jail terms for teaching their children at home.
The blog reported that one mother spending a few days in jail for providing homeschooling for her child "ended up leading a Bible study for women who have begged her to come back."
It reported another family was fined $2,250 and members were being attacked emotionally so that the father handed a nervous breakdown that landed him in a hospital. The family put their two children in a public school "but it was so awful, they pulled them out again … and put them in a public Catholic school."
It also contained reports that Waldemar Block, the father of nine, was arrested at his work earlier this month and jailed for 13 days, while Olga Block, his sister-in-law, was jailed for 10 days for not paying fines after she sent her children to a Christian school in Heidelberg.
The Home School Legal Defense Association, the largest homeschooling group in the U.S. with more than 80,000 families, also has been working to raise attention in the international community to the plight of German homeschoolers, including several families in the Baden-Wurttemberg region.
The group suggested contacting the German embassy, which had an answering machine attached to the telephone line when WND left a request for comment yesterday.
The HSLDA said that contact is:
Wolfgang Ischinger
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000
or it can be e-mailed from its its website.
The U.S. organization also noted that homeschooling has been illegal in Germany probably since 1938 when Hitler banned it. It recently announced a campaign to address the persecution Christians in Germany are facing from education authorities.
Ian Slatter, a spokesman for the HSLDA, said it was launched after a mother was arrested and jailed on criminal homeschooling counts.
In that case, according to a report in the Brussels Journal, Katharina Plett was arrested and ordered to jail while her husband fled to Austria with the family's 12 children.
The latest police-state actions follow by only weeks a recent ruling from the European Human Rights Court that affirmed the German nation's ban on homeschooling.
The Strasburg-based court addressed the issue on appeal from a Christian family whose members alleged their human rights to educate their own children according to their own religious beliefs are being violated by the ban.
The specific case addressed in the opinion involved Fritz and Marianna Konrad, who filed the complaint in 2003 and argued that Germany's compulsory school attendance endangered their children's religious upbringing and promotes teaching inconsistent with the family's Christian faith.
The court said the Konrads belong to a "Christian community which is strongly attached to the Bible" and rejected public schooling because of the explicit sexual indoctrination programs that the courses there include.
The German court already had ruled that the parental "wish" to have their children grow up in a home without such influences "could not take priority over compulsory school attendance." The decision also said the parents do not have an "exclusive" right to lead their children's education.
The family had appealed under the European Convention on Human Rights statement that: "No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions."
But the court's ruling said, instead, that schools represent society, and "it was in the children's interest to become part of that society.
"The parents' right to education did not go as far as to deprive their children of that experience," the ruling said.
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Charges against homeschoolers dropped, plainclothes cop fired
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This halter bikini features soft, gentle drapes and comes in a rich jewel tone.
An extremely flattering and feminine design suited for lounging by the pool!
This style has ties at neck and back for a more comfortable fit, and is fully lined. Comfort is assured!
Bikini set can be purchased separately.
Product Specifications
Material: 80% Polyamide, 20% Elastane
Small Size
Bust fits AA to A cup
Waist fits 23 inches to 25 inches
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Bust fits A to B cup
Waist fits 25 inches to 27 inches
Large Size
Bust fits B to C cup
Waist fits 27 inches to 29 inches
Extra Large Size
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Waist fits 29 inches to 31 inches
Manufactured for Inner Desire
Additional Information


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The appendix is a small, finger-shaped pouch of intestinal tissue arising from the cecum near its junction with the small intestine.
If the appendix becomes infected it must be surgically removed before it ruptures and spreads infection to the entire abdominal space. Symptoms of acute appendicitis include pain in the lower right side of the abdomen, fever, reduced appetite, nausea or vomiting.
Before surgery, the doctor will perform a physical exam. The physician will check the abdomen for tenderness and tightness and check the rectum for tenderness and an enlarged appendix. In women, a pelvic exam is also performed to exclude pain caused by the ovaries or uterus. Additionally, blood tests and x-rays may also be performed.
There is no test to confirm appendicitis and the symptoms may be caused by other illnesses. The doctor must diagnose from the information you report and what he sees. During appendectomy surgery, even if the surgeon finds that the appendix is not infected (which can happen up to 25% of the time), he will thoroughly check the other abdominal organs and remove the appendix anyway.
Depending upon the circumstances of the individual patient, an appendectomy can be performed in one of two ways, through an open incision or with a laparoscope.
In the open technique, an incision is made in the lower right side of the abdomen, through the skin, muscle wall, and peritoneum. The appendix is located and then carefully freed from the surrounding structures and removed.
In the laparoscopic technique, several small incisions are made in the abdomen. In one incision a laparoscope is inserted. The laparoscope has a tiny lens to which a TV camera is attached. The appendectomy is performed by the surgeon while looking at the TV monitor. Small instruments are inserted in the other incisions and used to to remove the appendix.
If a pocket of infection has formed, or the appendix has ruptured, the abdomen will be thoroughly washed out during surgery. The surgeon may then leave the skin open and allow it to heal together on its own, to allow the infection to drain, or less frequently, put in a small drainage tube.
Recovery from a simple appendectomy is usually complete and rapid. Most patients can go home the day after the operation, and resume normal diet and activities within one to two weeks. If the appendix has developed an abscess or has ruptured, the recovery may be slower and more complicated, requiring use of medications to treat the infection (antibiotics).
Living without an appendix causes no known health problems.


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A Basic Guide To Straightening Sheetmetal
There's no escaping the fact that if your project is based on an original steel body, at some point you're going to come up against tackling the bodywork, which will more than likely involve some rust repair, or patch panel installation, but will almost certainly require some dent removal.
There are a number of books on the subject and even classes that offer hands-on instruction, and all are useful to a degree, especially when you get the chance to receive one-on-one advice on what you're doing right or wrong in a classroom situation. But all instructors, be they live or in the form of written word, will have their own preferred methods. We recently had the opportunity to attend one of Ken Sakamoto's three-day School of Metalwork classes at Sunchaser Tools (see page 46) in Pasadena, California, that proved both entertaining and educational.
Paint and bodywork are not subjects many rodders feel comfortable with-they're almost as taboo as upholstery or wiring. Why is it many of us are perfectly happy with a wrench in our hands, but swap it for a body hammer or dolly and we're lost? Professional bodywork costs thousands, but it doesn't take long to learn the skills to achieve an acceptable finish without paying professional rates. If you're the type of person who wouldn't balk at fabricating a chassis, and who is at ease with a welder and grinder, you're perfectly capable of tackling bodywork. As for upholstery, well…
Hammers and Dollies
Before you start pounding on metal you'll need to familiarize yourself with your tools. There are numerous dollies available in various shapes and sizes, but a general-purpose dolly, as well as toe and heel dollies, should suffice for beginners. Likewise, a general-purpose pick, or chisel, hammer will get you started. As you become more proficient you may want to expand your arsenal with specific dollies for specific jobs. Try to avoid cheap tools, though, as they are generally manufactured from softer metal, won't last as long, and could even be dangerous.
Something that came as news to us while attending Ken's class was that hammers and especially dollies should be prepared, ground and polished to keep them in prime condition. Ken advised that body hammers should have a slight crown to their face, and that the edges should be beveled. When the hammer face is prepared properly it'll be less apt to leave small divots in the metal.
He also advised grinding general-purpose dollies to achieve a crown, paying attention to remove any high spots on the face. After all, whatever imperfections are on the dolly will transfer to the finished job. Both hammers and dollies should then be faced using a 120-grit flapper wheel followed by a fine deburring wheel on a bench grinder.
Understanding Sheetmetal
We are dealing with damaged-dented, bent, and generally twisted-sheetmetal here, and the first step to repairing damaged sheetmetal is understanding how it moves and stretches, and the necessary steps to return it to its original contour.
A simple small dent on a flat or gently curved panel is the easiest to remove, and as long as the backside of the panel can be accessed, the dent can be erased using a hammer and dolly, hammering from the front side only. With practice, a crease can be removed in the same way.
Sometimes there will be more than one dent and one will affect the ability to pound out the first, holding the metal out of shape. Often with a dent on a curved panel-such as the edge of a roof-when a dent forms, it will spring back slightly, producing ridges on either side of the dent that are higher than the surrounding sheetmetal. These crescent-shaped high spots will restrict the ability to remove the dent unless they are tapped down. They are not stretched areas, so they will tap down easily.
With large dents, it may be necessary to start pounding from the backside using a dolly, often starting at the edges and working toward the center of the dent. This may take some creative use of tools-dollies, spoons, or even prybars-depending on the gauge of the steel and the complexity of the damage, or its location.
Shrinking And Stretching
It is very rare that a hammer and dolly will be all you need to metal-finish a panel. To get it good enough for a skim coat of filler maybe, but not if you want to get it to the stage where it just needs a coat or three of primer before topcoat. For decades bodymen have used body files to finish panels. These are coarse files that look like rasps and remove metal a lot quicker than regular files. But they do remove metal, making the panel thin in places and therefore affecting its strength and structure.
Body files are usually used after another age-old process has been used to straighten or shrink sheetmetal: the oxyacetylene torch. Heating localized areas and then using a hammer and dolly to shrink them is a traditional method, but often requires numerous passes with the torch. It's also time consuming. But it is satisfying once you get the hang of it!
The latest method of heating and shrinking metal is the Shrinking Disk. There are imitators out there, but the original was designed and patented by Ken Sakamoto of Sunchaser Tools. A serrated metal disc, when spun at 5,000 to 6,000 rpm against the sheetmetal, will heat any high spots (though not to red hot as with the torch) without touching the surrounding areas. Cooling the worked area causes the heated high spots to shrink before another pass is made. Once mastered, this method doesn't take long at all before the panel is virtually like new.
Back To School
Ken Sakamoto, with over 30 years of metalworking experience, operates Sunchaser Tools and the Sunchaser School of Metalwork. You'll find hobbyists to experienced bodymen at the three-day classes, though the majority are metalwork novices. The class we took included all ages and skill levels, from Phoenix, Arizona's Billy Branch who was four days away from retirement, to 20-year-old Nikki Taylor, Ken's first female student, who was keen to learn how to repair her own '56 Chevy truck.
The classes start with a basic theory lecture, explaining in simple terms the composition of sheetmetal and why it expands, shrinks, or stretches when hit or heated. The lecture is followed by some simple tool preparation techniques. This is the first time some students have ever used a grinder. Another lecture on correct use of hammers and dollies-how to hold and swing the hammer, which dolly to use, how to raise a dent by hammering from the topside and why it "rises"-follows before students are presented with a 16-inch square piece of sheetmetal and invited to hit it with a ball-peen hammer and bend the corners over. They then learn how to return their panels to as-new condition. The first day ends with Ken demonstrating how to remove large dents from a Model A fender, and how to use his patented Shrinking Disk-or "the big eraser" as he refers to it-to metal-finish the fender to a point where it requires no filler before primer.
This is the tool many students may have previously seen Ken demonstrate at shows, and its promise of metal-finishing bodywork with relative ease is what persuades many to enroll in the class. Having now had the chance to use the disk, I can confirm that it does work! Hammer and dolly work is required to bring the panel up to where most would then add filler, but the disk heats the high spots, which then shrink when cooled with a wet rag. Added bonuses are that no metal is removed and the process is much quicker than the traditional method of using an oxyacetylene torch followed by hammer and dolly work to shrink sheetmetal.
Day two sees some students using the Shrinking Disk to finish their flat practice panels, while others straighten project panels they brought from home. There are additional lectures on more complicated dent removal, such as on compound curved panels, with the third day devoted to the students switching day two's roles, and again more lectures-this time on dolly, spoon, and sanding block selection, plus basic gas welding techniques.
Although Ken is in the business of selling tools, he takes great pains not to give students the "hard sell," though inevitably he will recommend certain tools. The Friction System, for instance, not only includes Ken's self-designed Shrinking Disk, but backing pads, Strip-It discs, and, importantly, an instructional video. Though it is probably most beneficial to novices, the three-day course is bound to teach even the most jaded bodyman something new, and the Shrinking Disk is a worthwhile addition to the toolbox of anyone who would rather not use plastic body filler by the bucket load!


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That's great, hope he plays all 16.
CORTLAND The Jets coaches love what theyve seen from safety LaRon Landry so far in training camp.
How much?
As good as Ed Reed is, weve never had an athlete like LaRon Landry that can do the things he can do, said defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman, who along with Rex Ryan coached Reed with the Ravens. Hes explosive.
Hes fast. Hes tough. Hes physical.
The Jets signed Landry to a one-year, $3.5 million contract in March to help stabilize a position that was a weakness in 2011. Landry, who has not played a full season since 2008, is being brought along slowly by the Jets.
Ryan likes to say they have Landry on a pitch count, holding him out of some practices.
In the limited time Landry has been practicing, he has done enough for Thurman to see things that make him think hes a better athlete than Reed.
Theyre different, Thurman said. Ed is a great ball-hawk. He can play center field. But LaRon Landry is a different animal. He is an explosive, fast athlete that can do a variety of things for us. I think with his addition, things are going to change back there.
Landry is not the only safety the Jets feel good about. They also like Yeremiah Bell, their other free-agent signing. With Landry, Bell and Eric Smith, the Jets feel they have improved drastically in the defensive backfield.
We havent had a group like this since weve been here, Thurman said.
* WR Santonio Holmes (ribs) is unlikely to play Friday against the Bengals. Ryan said he wont rule him out completely, but a source said Holmes will be out for at least a week.
Holmes injured his ribs in Saturday nights scrimmage. Originally, Ryan thought Holmes had broken a rib but X-rays came back negative. Ryan said Holmes broke a rib in the past, and this is a related injury.
* It was a good day for the Jets top two draft picks. DE Quinton Coples, the teams first-round pick, had two sacks in practice (players are not allowed to actually hit the quarterback). WR Stephen Hill, the second-round pick, had a couple of nice catches. One was a 50-yard bomb from Mark Sanchez during 7-on-7 drills. Hill beat CB Darrelle Revis on the play.
* C Nick Mangold is expected back at practice today after traveling to London to watch his sister, Holley, compete in the Olympics. ... WRs Scotty McKnight and DaMarcus Ganaway were waived. ... Holmes, NT Sione Pouha (head), RT Wayne Hunter (back), WR Jeremy Kerley (hamstring), WR DaMarcus Ganaway (hamstring), OLB Ricky Sapp (undisclosed) and WR Dexter Jackson (undisclosed) did not practice. RB Terrance Ganaway started practice but left with hamstring tightness in both legs. RB Joe McKnight left practice with a stinger but said he is OK.
That's great, hope he plays all 16.
Listen I love everything about the Jets and have for most of my life, howver comparing Landry to arguably one of the greatest to have played the position is silly, and something I thought the team was going to get away from. Let's go win some games first okay.
Can we get this often injured player to play one game before he is compared to arguably the greatest player at his position?...........
The coach (Thurman) didn't do that. He compared him to Reed in a limited capacity, and the writer wrote the headline. He was contrasting their respective athleticism. Face it, when you first clicked on the link, you had the thought in your head, "what did Rex say now?" Didn't you? I know I did. But that's the headline that grabs readers. A headline like "Jets secondary coach sees similarities in Landry and Reed" wouldn't have garnered the same play.
I'll never understand why people get so worked up over comparisons. They never say this guy is as good as this other guy. They always say this guy reminds me of, or this guy is faster than the other guy. Yet the headline is what people get all worked up over. This is Dennis Thurman. The guy that coached Reed saying that Landry is the most talented safety he's had next to Reed. He can do some things Reed can't do, but they're completely different. Landry can't cover the way Reed can, but Landry is faster, and more explosive. OMG somebody stop him before he says Demario reminds him of a young Ray Lewis. That would really hurt. I've seen people that remind me of other people, but never did it mean they were better than them, and people never get upset about it.
I have a feeling we will be franchising Landry after this season. If of course we don't reach a multi year deal after the season.
Let me just say one more thing on this though, any quote that begins, "as good as Ed Reed..." attached to a player that has been in the league already and has not wowed like Ed Reed should be looked at exactle as it is, blather. Tell me some kid I've never heard of, who hasn't played a snap in the league yet reminds the coaches of a young Ed Reed, and I think I would be more excited. This is just another guy on the roster, who was not allnworld elsewhere before.
I thought Kerry Rhodes was Ed Reed.


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Wireless/Wired Internet Access - Pullman Campus
WSU Pullman Libraries provide both wired (using your own ethernet network cable) and wireless Internet access.
Getting Started
- Information Technology Services (ITS) - Wireless Connection Setup
- ITS Computing and Network Use Policies
- Guest Wireless Access
Technical Assistance - ITS
- Email the Information Technology Services (ITS) Help Desk
- Call 509-335-HELP (509-335-4357)
- Information Technology Services - Students
Wired access - WSU Pullman Libraries
- Animal Health Library: 2 ports for Internet access - Current Journals area.
- Holland and Terrell Libraries: 11 ports on designated carrels along the curved northern bank of windows of the first floor (overlooking the practice fields and Martin Stadium).
- Owen Science & Engineering Library: 26 ports total - floors 1, 4, 5 and 6.


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Kings to free Jimmer Fredette; Knicks next?
The Kings did their best to move guard Jimmer Fredette - one of the many great mistakes of the past regime's tenure - at last week's trade deadline, but interest in Fredette was minimal. After acquiring guard Jason Terry in the deal that sent Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn, the Kings are poised to make Fredette a free agent by simply buying him out. Yahoo! Sports first reported the buyout.
Because he is among the best 3-point shooters in the league - he makes 49.3 percent from the arc - Fredette figures to attract much attention once the waiver process begins. Because Fredette played at BYU, he has long been linked to the Jazz, but sources indicated that Utah showed no interest in trading for him last week, even at a rock-bottom price.
MORE: Knicks waive World Peace, Udrih | Felton arrested on gun charges | Mavs beat Knicks in Dirk buzzer
But Fredette, who grew up in Glen Falls, N.Y., would also be a logical fit for the Knicks, desperate for outside shooting help and now concerned about guard depth in the wake of the buyout of Beno Udrih and the arrest of Raymond Felton on gun charges. The Knicks will have two roster spots open following the release of Udrih and forward Metta World Peace.
Fredette had a career-high 24 points at Madison Square Garden in a Kings win over the Knicks two weeks ago.
Fredette has actually posted his best season in the NBA, after arriving in Sacramento in 2011, when he was the No. 10 pick in the draft - the Kings chose him immediately ahead of Klay Thompson, Alec Burks, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Kawhi Leonard, Nikola Vucevic and Iman Shumpert. At the time, the franchise was floundering and the team's owners, the Maloofs, were desperately trying to move. The choice of Fredette was made because of his name recognition and personal popularity.
Indeed, Fredette was the universal choice as college player of the year for the 2010-'11 season, when he averaged 28.9 points in his senior season. But NBA scouts worried that Fredette did not have a real position at the next level and that his defense was too poor to warrant him getting big minutes.
That, essentially, has been Fredette's story to date-he is not capable of running the point, and at 6-2 he is vastly undersize to play shooting guard. It has been primarily because of his defense that he has been limited to a career-low 11.3 minutes per game this season.
The Kings declined to pick up Fredette's contract option before the start of this season, which makes him an unrestricted free agent this summer and provided a clear signal that the team intended to cut ties with him.


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Midwest Farmers and landowners are getting involved in the fastest-growing electricity source in the world: wind energy. Wind power has the potential to supply more than one-and-a-half times the current electricity consumption of the United States, and the Midwest has the potential to lead the way.
Wind developments of all sizes offer opportunities for farmers and landowners to supplement their incomes. Just one large turbine will provide enough renewable energy to power 600 to 800 residential homes. With that potential, wind power may become farming's next cash crop.
Billy Connelly of Native Energy says, "Right now renewable energy is on course to quickly eclipse the profits of fossil fuel energy." However, the initial costs of putting up turbines are still high. "A single, medium-size turbine costs $90,000 for the tower, turbine and installation," says Ed Blume, director of communications, Renew Wisconsin. "The amount goes up from there. If you're thinking about putting up three or four commercial turbines, expect to pay at least one million dollars per turbine." Because of the high prices, farmers typically look for ways to save money by working with a developer, seeking out investors or looking into grants and tax breaks.
Getting started
Wind turbines do not require a lot of land. One turbine and an access road take up less than half an acre, allowing a farmer to grow crops or graze livestock right up to the turbine's base.
However, before putting up a wind farm, you must consider whether you have the infrastructure to support turbines. You need more than just good wind; you have to be located near high-voltage three-phase power lines. This allows turbines to connect to the electric grid, giving you a way to transport the energy produced.
Each state has a different threshold for what it calls "net metering," according to Leo Udee of Alliant Energy. Under net metering, owners of small, renewable energy sources receive retail credit for the electricity they generate. To find out what kind of value you'll receive back for the power you produce, contact your local power company.
When making a connection to distribute your wind energy, expect to fill out an interconnection application and to sign a general buy/sell agreement. The application asks for information about the kind of turbine you're putting up as well as the inverter and disconnect system you'll be using. The application fee may cost up to $280, depending on your state.
The general buy/sell agreement identifies the rate (or the value of the electricity your wind turbine produces), according to Udee. This can be 3.5 to 8.5 cents/kilowatt-hour. After determining the rate, the power company needs to have a copy of a certificate of insurance.
Within 10 days of receiving information from an applicant, engineering technicians go on site to look at the utility system. If the existing transformer is too small, the landowner will need to pay to have it upgraded. In most cases, in a small power situation, an upgrade probably won't be necessary. However, a large power situation of 11 kW or more will need a larger transformer.
"Once the turbine is up, people from the power company come in and make sure things are correctly connected and wired," Udee says. "All states provide energy credit to turbine owners to be deducted from their energy bills. Some, like Iowa, are credit only, whereas others, such as Wisconsin, first provide credit, then, upon request, can issue a check."
Wind resource
Does your land have a good wind resource? Before a single turbine goes up, on-site wind monitoring is mandated. The site must have a strong wind resource, which means the wind blows at a pretty good clip and consistently — above 11 mph annually. To evaluate your wind resource, you can use an anemometer or put up a small wind turbine to collect data.
To ensure best wind, a turbine needs to be in a rural setting, free from obstacles and elevated above surrounding terrain. Excellent resources for finding out if your land has a good wind resource are state wind maps. John Dunlop, senior technical outreach representative for the American Wind Energy Association, explains, "Wind energy can change dramatically with precise location even within 80 acres."
Ways to harvest
Most wind projects are built as a result of public policy where both the farmer and a developer are aware of local wind opportunities, Dunlop says. In some cases, the farmer reaches out, and other times the developer will work with a county board to inform the community about the wind energy potential. There are three basic ways to harvest wind energy: contract with a wind developer; form a joint venture with others; or own the turbines yourself.
Contract with developers
Contracting with a wind developer involves the least time, least effort, least risk and the least reward. A developer obtains the permits, finds equipment and arranges the financing and the construction. The developer assumes all financial obligations and liabilities, leaving the landowner to enjoy a low-involvement way of harvesting wind energy. This is the most common form of wind ownership.
Because developers are looking for land with good wind resources, they typically approach property owners with projects in mind. If you're sitting on land with ample wind, there is a good chance that developers are already looking at the possibility of constructing turbines on it.
Many developers will sign contracts with landowners for guaranteed payments. According to Dunlop, payments to the landowner are typically between $4,000 and $6,000 per wind turbine per year.
Most commonly, landowners and developers sign lease agreements. A developer leases or rents the land for the life of the turbines, usually 30 years. This allows you to retain land ownership. Other agreement options include wind easements or having the developers purchase your land.
Invest with others
Harvesting wind with others, without a developer, has the potential to bring in a greater profit but it also involves greater risk. There are many different forms of investing with others. A pass-through entity allows tax credits and operating gains and losses to be allocated to the members rather than the entity itself. A cooperative gives ownership and control to those who use its services. Returns are based on patronage, not investment. A partnership allows for joint liability. Finally, a limited liability company (LLC) finances a wind project and takes the responsibility if things go wrong; the owners are not liable. This method offers owners some legal protection in case of accidents and disasters. "Many farmers join together in an LLC to get enough turbines up to form critical mass," says Mike Bock of Bock & Associates.
Own the turbines yourself
Remember the saying, "The greater the risk, the greater the return"? This holds true in individual ownership. When owning your own wind farm, you assume all the risk but you also receive all the profits.
"Having your own wind farm may result in a payoff two to three times greater than collaborating with a developer," Dunlop says. Owning your own wind farm helps offset your energy consumption without involving a developer. However, it takes a huge investment of time. You assume all responsibility for the work involved and you take on all the risks that a developer typically does.
One option you have as an individual investor is to put up a single turbine for your own electricity and sell what you don't use to the local utility. This can be done with any size turbine.
Because installation price depends on the size of the turbine you install, securing financing is an excellent way to offset initial costs. If you are considering putting up a small wind farm, made up of four or five turbines, having investors take tax credits helps with the initial costs, according to Blume of Renew Wisconsin. Once the tax credits are used up, you own the turbines and all revenue goes to you.
Whether you work with a developer, join an LLC, or take it on flying solo, harvesting the wind promises to be profitable. The winds of change are blowing through the Midwest — and this time, the wind can make you money.
After attending wind energy meetings put on by the University of Minnesota, Jim Scholl and his son Doug, who has since died in a small-plane crash, realized that energy is part of the future of agriculture. In 2001, Jim and Doug decided to get into harvesting energy from the wind. Jim, along with 42 other landowners in Martin and Jackson Counties in Minnesota, launched the Trimont Area Wind Farm LLC near the Lakefield Junction station power plant.
The limited liability company financed the project. Each landowner received 1% of the company when he or she put up 80 acres of wind rights and $7,500. The Trimont Area Wind Farm LLC has 67 1.5-megawatt turbines producing 100 megawatts of electricity when running at maximum. Trimont Wind is Minnesota's first commercial-scale, landowner-developed wind farm.
The LLC was sold to PPM Energy, Portland, OR, in 2005. PPM now runs the wind farm. According to PPM, "Landowners benefit from revenue participation, as well as from traditional easement payments. In addition, production tax revenues from the project for Jackson and Martin Counties are expected to range from $350,000 to $400,000 annually." Trimont Wind's landowners now have a contract stating that, for every 1% of the company they own, they get 4% of gross energy per year, up to a cap. "We'll get to that cap in 10 or 20 years, depending on how hard the wind blows," Scholl says. The landowners also receive $4,000 rental per turbine per year. This project provides more benefit to landowners than the typical wind project.


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TheBookey needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 188 designs submitted by 39 freelance designers.
EternalPet is a new website (and Facebook community) offering pet memorials, forums, and other support for pet owners who have recently lost a pet. It tries to be sincere, supportive, and welcoming to all.
The logo should be pretty clean, simple, and friendly. It must scale well - very small for a Facebook thumbnail, but also large for website and t-shirts, etc.
Please avoid very cliche elements like a dog with wings and a halo playing a harp. Also no overly-cute cartoonish animals. Animals are fine, but they should be drawn with a respectful, sincere tone.
The slogan is: "Gone but always with us". Feel free to include that in the design, but it's not necessary.
The demographics: middle-America, skewing female, down-to-earth pet lovers, traditionalist, sensitive.
The psychographics: people who have recently lost a pet, so they're sad, in need of support and connecting with other people to help them feel better.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Story highlights
- Italian astronaut captures amazing images of Earth from International Space Station
- Paolo Nespoli used Twitter to send images back to Earth during a six-month mission which ended in 2011
- The ISS orbits 400 kilometers above Earth traveling at a speed of 20,000 kilometers-per-hour
- April 22 marks the 42nd Earth Day with events being held all over the world
As an estimated one billion people around the globe take part in events to mark the 42nd Earth Day, Paolo Nespoli's images provide a striking reminder of our planet's awe-inspiring beauty and fragility as an eco-system.
During a six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS) last year, the Italian astronaut snapped around 26,000 images, posting daily updates on Twitter.
"I really tried to capture what I was seeing. I was amazed by the response from people. It was very fulfilling for me. I was doing something which was very interesting for me, but it made me more happy that I could share the images," Nespoli said.
Nespoli explained to CNN what it's like to see the world "turning around your feet" and the unique perspective space travel provides on our planet and humans' collective impact on it.
Describe the view of Earth from space?
Paolo Nespoli: "It's a most unreal view you have from up there. It's look as though it's painted. One of the things you gain up there is an appreciation of planet Earth as a kind of ship. It looks like a ship flying in space.
"A lot of the time you're up there you are working so you don't have a lot of time to look out of the window. When you do, most of the time you see oceans and clouds -- which is really nice.
"But it really takes a little bit of time before you acquire a perception of where you are and what you are looking at and how to look at it in the best way.
"After a month, a month and a half, something strange happens -- you look out of the window and you know where you are. You might be over Australia, Africa, you just know. It's amazing how you just develop this."
How high does the ISS orbit?
PN: We are 400 kilometers (248 miles) above the Earth and fly at a velocity of 20,000 kilometers-per-hour (12,400 mph) -- the equivalent of about 7.7 kilometers-per-second (4.8 miles-per-second).
How did traveling to space change your outlook on Earth?
PN: "I felt like a human being, a terrestrial guy -- not an Italian or a European. I felt like an earthling.
"You get an appreciation of how delicate the planet is. You see the atmosphere which covers the Earth like a blanket. It looked like if I would blow on it too hard it would float away. We know if that get's corrupted in a certain way that's the end."
How do you think humans are affecting the planet?
PN: "The impact we are having on this planet is surely microscopic when we look at one single event, but when you look at it and you repeat these events all over - a few miles across here, a few miles across there, a river here, a river there, a city here, a city there -- and it's clear we are a major force in shaping the crust of this planet and its clear we have the capability of imparting changes.
"I cannot say we are bad, or that we are causing the planet to go hot or cold. We don't have enough data. But it's clear that we are doing things that have a huge potential of making changes. We need to understand more. It's a risky situation with a very delicate eco-system balance which can be dramatically skewed."
Thoughts on the future of space travel?
PN: "I think space travel will become successful as a tourism activity. I wish everybody could go up there and see the world from a different point of view, with different eyes.
"I would, for sure, send up the politicians (some of them we should leave there!) to change the way they think, but I would also send up philosophers, journalists and theologians."


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Top 5 Tips for Visiting Turkey
By: PR Newswire
Dec. 6, 2012 04:34 AM
LONDON, December 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Whether you are flying into Dalaman or Antalya on your cheap holidays to Turkey you need to ensure that you make the most of your time in this stunning country. We have put together our top five attractions to ensure you don't miss a trick on your Turkish trip.
The top tourist attraction or landmark
Literally translated, Pamukkale means 'cotton castle' and is one of Turkey's most impressive natural wonders. It is made up of a series of vast white travertine terraces cascading down a cliff, resembling snow from a distance. It is easy to book an excursion from the major beach resorts to the ancient ruins here, which contain baths, temples, a well-preserved theatre, and the largest necropolis or graveyard in Anatolia, containing over 1200 tombs. You can also take a dip in the thermal springs, in use since classical times.
The best beach
The posters of Oludeniz Beach do not do it justice. On one end is the great expanse of Belcegiz Beach, enclosed by the brittle silhouette of Babadag and the landing pad for paragliders sporting jet-propulsion packs. The curved beach is a jaw-dropper, with the water in the Blue Lagoon boasting a stunning three shades of turquoise.
Young couples, large families, adventurous types, backpackers, and package-holidaymakers are all known to flock here in huge numbers.
The best resort
The Bodrum region; a small peninsula on the Aegean Coast, is home to some of the hottest tourist resorts in the country. Bodrum town, with its excellent marina in particular is a centre for yachting and boating and the region is made up of a series of 'cove villages', the largest of which is Turgutreis, a popular destination for tourists seeking its extensive beaches, street bars, open-air market and covered bazaars. Gumbet is an upbeat commercial centre while Yalikavak has small, quiet bays and high-class bars and elite restaurants. Quieter resorts, such as Altinkum, Bitez and Torba, are great for family visitors.
The best city
The only city in the world to straddle two continents, recent archaeological excavations has shown Istanbul's history to date back around 8000 years. Visitors are spoilt for incredible sites to visit. There are the many mosques designed by Ottoman master architect Sinan including his masterpiece the Suleymaniye Mosque. Also worth visiting are the classic Blue Mosque with its signature blue ceramic tiles, the monumental Hagia Sophia and the world-famous and bustling Grand Bazaar, thrust into the spotlight in the new James Bond film Skyfall.
Istanbul is arguably best seen from the water and a ferry trip taking you the whole length of the Bosphorus will reward you with views of the Black Sea and a fresh fish lunch.
Play the part of an Ottoman bather shrouded in a cloud of steam by visiting a Turkish bath or "hammam". There are over 57 still operating in Istanbul alone, including the traditional Cemberlitas and Cagaloglu Baths in Sultanahmet, where you can enjoy the ancient rituals of steam-bathing and massage; or for a more luxurious experience, most high-end hotels have their own Turkish baths within their spa centres. Besides its ancient mystical appeal, hammam-goers cite countless health benefits, including improved circulation and respiration, intense relaxation, weight loss, clear skin, expulsion of toxins and relief of muscle pain and hangovers.
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Dale K. Lock
Deputy Chief of Operations
65 South Front Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 527-1400
Fax: (901) 527-9516
Mission Statement: Through dedication, determination, and continuous training; we will achieve maximum operational proficiency and provide the highest level of response possible in the areas of hazardous materials, technical rescue, fire fighting, and emergency medical services.
The Special Operations Response Team (SORT) is comprised of three rescue companies, three engine companies, and three ambulances that are strategically positioned throughout the City of Memphis. Special Operations began in the mid 1970's with two hazardous material response teams, and during the late 1980's, expanded its services to include a rope rescue team. In 1997, the Memphis Fire Services Division, in conjunction with the national Urban Search and Rescue Program, expanded its services to include structural collapse, confined space, and trench rescue. In 2007, Special Operations increased its service level to include water rescue.
Members of the SORT companies are required to hold technician level certifications in each technical skill. They dedicate countless hours of training in both the classroom and field settings to maximize their skills in each discipline. Special Operations is supported by a dedicated staff who are responsible for providing technical training, researching the latest equipment and training, insuring equipment is working properly, purchasing equipment, and developing policies that meet the demands of the City of Memphis and Division of Fire Services.
Training Requirements:
Fire Suppression
Fire Training
Air Rescue
Fire Stations
Fire Services Organizational Chart (pdf)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In Memoriam
Memphis Fire Museum
History of Memphis Fire Services
Additional Links
Memphis Fire Statistics
MFD Phone Directory
Equipment Location Chart


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16 April 2012
Promise - S/T LP (Cumulus, 1980)
1980 Colorado Private-Pressing Pop-Psych LP by PROMISE entitled "Promise" on Cumulus Records (#180, Stereo). RARE Limited-Pressing listed in the almighty "Acid Archives" book. Seldom seen album with tunes ranging from strong Power Pop, to Beatles-influenced Pop Psych, to occasionally Heavier Edge!
Back In My Heart
Later On Tonite
The Find
Posted by Trey Lindsay at 9:04:00 PM 0 comments
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Folks often look for literature, descriptions and photos about an event they just completed and/or will compete in. It provides a good sense of closure and at the same time provides a good reference for the years to come. So, what we've decided to do here is post the press, blog, photo and, yes, even video coverage the 2009 Lithia Loop Trail Marathon collected this year. Enjoy and please do chime in and let us know if we've missed something! Thanks for all the great write-ups!!!
Scott Dunlap's "A Trailrunner's Blog": Fast Run at the Lithia Loop Marathon
Devon Crosby-Helm's "The (Ultra) marathon Life": Lithia Loop Marathon
Jim Johnson's "DoubleJRunning": USA Trail Marathon Championships
Scott Sandow's "Trail Runner Chronicles": Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Race Report
Dave Dunham's "Double-D Mountain Runner": USA Trail Marathon Championship
Richard Bolt's "USATF Oregon Mountain, Ultra & Trail Running": USA Trail Cahmpionships
Bryon Powell's "iRunFar.com": Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Results
Mai Cam Doung Photography: Lithia Loop Trail Marathon
Team INOV-8 USA: Saft and Dunlap at USATF Trail Marathon Championships
Team Swiftwick: Nick Lewis finishes 7th at US Trail Marathon Championships
Heather Daniel's (2008 report) "Run With It": Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Race Report
Race Coverage:
USA Track & Field: "King Named Athlete of the Week"
Competitor Magazine: "King and Arnold Claim USATF Trail Marathon Crowns"
Runner's World TrailHeads: "Champions All Around"
Mail Tribune's "King Wins Lithia Loop Marathon"
Chippy D's
Richard Bolt's
Cathy Dunham's
Mai Doung's
From Dave Dunham's Blog: Video 1; The Lead Pack and Video 2; The Chase Pack
Online Race Results
USA Track & Field and Photos
Friday, November 13, 2009
A Round-Up of Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Post Race Literature
Posted by Rogue Valley Runners at 3:27 PM
2 comments:
- Scott Dunlap said...
Hey, thanks for this! Really cool to see all the viewpoints.
A Trail Runner's Blog
- Monday, November 16, 2009 5:22:00 PM
thanks RVR! glad you found my sister pix. here's my TR, a little late, but still fun to write about now.
- Friday, November 20, 2009 10:44:00 PM
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All the Times We Had, Ivan & Alyosha's first full-length album, encapsulates the personalized blend of rousing songcraft, infectious melodic hooks and thoughtful lyrical introspection that's already endeared the band to just about anyone who's witnessed one of their effortlessly uplifting live shows, or who's heard either of their two prior indie EP releases.
The Seattle combo–which borrows its name from a pair of characters from Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov–delivers its songs of struggle, perseverance and spirituality with a resilient, upbeat attitude that's reflected in their bubbly brew of stirringly strummed folk-rock guitars, surging instrumental interaction and a bright, buoyant blend of voices that reflects the band members' family-style camaraderie, evoking a timeless pop ideal that's as affecting emotionally as it is pleasing to the ear.
The intrepid ensemble–comprised of core members Tim Wilson (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Ryan Carbary (guitars, piano and vocals), Tim Kim (electric guitar and vocals) and Tim's brother Pete Wilson (bass and vocals), plus a revolving assortment of friends and collaborators on keyboards, drums and other instruments–has spent much of the past two years on the road, traveling the highways and back roads of America, often with wives and children in tow, building a loyal fan base with their joyous, high-energy live performances.
Ivan & Alyosha's prior releases and live shows have won the band copious critical acclaim. They've also done successful stints opening for the likes of Aimee Mann, Brandi Carlile, the Low Anthem, Rosie Thomas and John Vanderslice. Since early in its existence, the group has been embraced enthusiastically by alternative radio, performing multiple on-air sessions for NPR as well as receiving notable support from such key stations as KCRW, KEXP, WFUV and WNYC.
The same qualities that originally won Ivan & Alyosha media attention and a devoted grass-roots audience are apparent on All the Times We Had, which the band co-produced in collaboration with keyboardist/engineer Chad Copelin, and mixed by Jesse Lauter (The Low Anthem). The 11-song album effortlessly captures the warmth and immediacy of Ivan & Alyosha's live performances, lending added resonance to such lyrically compelling, melodically arresting tunes as "Be Your Man," "Running for Cover," "Don't Wanna Die Anymore," "The Fold" and the album's' bittersweetly reflective title track, which features guest vocals by the band's frequent touring partner and longstanding admirer Aimee Mann.
"We didn't get it perfect, but I definitely think we got it right," Tim Wilson says of the new album. "We really worked hard to get a live vibe, and to capture that inspiration that we get when we're on the road, when everybody's together and feeding off of each other. You can nit-pick and edit everything until it sounds perfect, but we were more concerned with just getting the best performances we could. I think that it's more mature and more focused, and closer to what we do live, than the records that we'd done before. We definitely had moments in the studio where it like, 'Oh, wow, this is special.'"
Ivan & Alyosha formed in 2007, when Tim Wilson met Ryan Carbary. Both had been in various Seattle-area combos, but the songs that Wilson was writing at the time seemed to call out for a new musical approach. The pair spent nearly a year writing material for their debut EP, The Verse, The Chorus. Released in March 2009, the EP generated an unexpected level of national exposure, with the charming tune "Easy to Love" (reprised onAll the Times We Had) receiving considerable airplay. The debut EP won the band an interview on NPR's All Things Considered and coverage in NPR's All Songs Considered SXSW 2010 preview. A subsequent appearance at the SXSW festival generated considerable music-industry word-of-mouth.
By the time Ivan & Alyosha recorded its second EP, Fathers Be Kind, in February 2011, the group had expanded to include Tim Wilson's bass-playing brother Pete, whose songwriting abilities contributed considerably to the band's creative arsenal, and Tim's high school friend Tim Kim, whose distinctive guitar work added a new dimension to their sound. Fathers Be Kind's majestically jangly title track became a favorite of fans, critics and DJs, and reappears in a newly recorded version on All the Times We Had.
"When we recorded The Verse, the Chorus, we'd never really played live as a band," Tim Wilson notes. "By the time we did the Fathers Be Kind EP, my brother Pete and Tim Kim had come on board, and we had done a west coast tour or two, and some dates on the east coast, but we were still figuring out how to play together. After Fathers Be Kind came out, we went out and spent year and a half touring, and became a real band. I think that's reflected on the new album."
Indeed, All the Times We Had demonstrates the positive effects of the band's extensive roadwork, underlining just how far Ivan & Alyosha has progressed since its humble origins.
"I think that we all feel pretty strongly that this is what we're supposed to be doing, playing music, trying to write good, timeless songs, and trying to connect with people," Wilson states. "I think that we have a pretty deep sense of purpose, that this is not just some accident. I guess that the essence of faith is having felt or experienced something that maybe you can't hold in your hand, and I think that's how I'd describe my attitude towards music. And it's OK if it's hard, because anything in life that's worth doing is hard.
"I'm guilty as guilty as anyone, of wanting certain things or wanting to be in a certain place right now," he concludes. "But we're building something, and building something takes time. I'm learning to enjoy the journey, and I think we all are."


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Stronghold 3 delayed to summer
The castle-building strategy game Stronghold has been pushed back to summer 2011, to allow time for new feature additions.
The castle-building strategy game Stronghold 3 has been pushed back to this summer, announced publisher SouthPeak Interactive today. It was originally slated for spring, so at least the delay isn't too long. It could be worse; you could wait fourteen years and then get a delay into summer.
SouthPeak says the delay is to make time for developer Firefly Studios to add new features to the game, though the announcement wasn't specific on what shiny new features to expect.
"We want to make sure fans get the game they want and deserve," said designer Simon Bradbury in the announcement. "Although some may be disappointed the game isn't coming out as soon as they expected, we're sure they won't be disappointed with the new elements we're adding to the franchise, to make this the best Stronghold yet."
Comment on Stronghold 3 delayed to summer, by Steve Watts.


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Once a physicist: Elspeth Drayson
Elspeth Drayson is co-owner and administrator of Drayson Racing, a Le Mans Series motor-racing team. One of the team's drivers is her husband and business partner Paul Drayson, who is also the UK government minister for science and innovation.
What sparked your interest in physics?
At school, my best subjects were maths and sciences, and while I was doing my degree at Imperial College London I particularly enjoyed classes in medical physics. This was partly because my father ran the medical-engineering department at Oxford University, so I had been exposed to the subject as an early age. My five sisters also studied science, so it was definitely in the blood. While I was then doing my MSc in medical physics and electronics at Bart's Hospital, I became interested in the business side, so after finishing the MSc I did a degree in management studies at Oxford.
What did you do next?
I joined a small start-up company that was working on a system that monitored platelets prior to blood transfusion, to assess their viability. Platelets have to be stored at room temperature, not frozen, and they only last about five to seven days. At the end of their life they change from a disc shape to a sphere, and the idea was that we could measure their shape by shining light through them. The machine the company built to do this turned out to be an expensive solution, but it was a very interesting field, and I got quite involved in the marketing side. Then after I met my husband – which happened, literally, over a Bunsen burner in a lab at Oxford – we co-founded a vaccine company, PowderJect Pharmaceuticals, and developed it over a 10-year period.
How did you become involved in motor racing?
Paul went into politics after we sold PowderJect in 2003, and by that time I had already stepped down from being a director to have a family. But we had really enjoyed working together and we wanted to do something else. When he announced that he had always wanted to drive a racing car, I thought this was obviously a midlife crisis of some description. Then, after he had entered several races and started doing quite well, I recognized that it was not a temporary interest and if the children and I did not get involved, then we would hardly see him. We set up our own race team two years ago, and owing to Paul's political commitments, I have been the one running it. My current role does not involve a lot of physics, but it does involve understanding the engineering decisions and the financial side of the business. I also love numbers, so at races I find myself concentrating on lap times and average fuel consumption. Having a numerical mind is really useful.
What are you working on now?
In this year's American Le Mans Series, we are racing in the prototype category for the first time. One of the reasons we moved into this category is that you have much more scope to showcase new technologies. We did use biofuel made from waste wood in our previous car, but otherwise the rules really limit what you can do. With the prototype, we are looking at a whole range of things, from carbon capture to electric motors and flywheels, which may aid performance but will also be more energy efficient. One of the key reasons we got into racing was to show that you can combine green technology with a very fast race car. Also, race technology develops very quickly, so if innovations work and have applications in other areas, they can be on a fast track to integration.
Do you worry about safety when your husband is driving?
If you are just watching the cars, oddly enough it is easy to forget who is inside them. Even when you see a crash on the big screen, you just think "Oh, I hope that person's okay". But also the technology has improved tremendously. Back in the old days, when people had a crash at high speeds, they would break their neck from the sheer impact. Now, there is a device that attaches the helmet to the seat so that drivers' heads are supported. That has saved many lives, and there are also fire-retardant race suits and so on. Having better technology still does not prevent all accidents; in fact, last year at Le Mans, the cars had a tendency to take off on a certain part of the track. They are like aeroplanes at that speed – not enough down force! Quite a few competitors were taking off, spinning, with parts of the car coming flying off – and then the driver would get out and walk off the track saying "I'm fine". That reassures me that safety is pretty good.
Physics and motor racing are both very male-dominated – have you experienced any problems in either field?
At Imperial I was one of 20 women out of 200 students in my year, and at a careers evening I asked a medical physicist for advice. He said, "My advice to you – dear – is to find yourself a nice husband and not bother." I was not disrupted by this, thankfully! There are even fewer women in motor racing than there are in physics; in fact, for a long time the only women associated with the sport were glamour models posing on the cars. But now there are a number of very good female engineers and mechanics who are not decoration – they make a contribution and excel at their jobs. I would like to think that in the future, any woman studying physics or engineering could think "Ah, perhaps a career in motor sport is for me".
This article originally appeared in the November 2009 issue of Physics World
last edited: June 27, 2018


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Element Warwick Black Purple is a super soft quality and great value polyproylene rug. The Element Warwick range of rugs are created in high fashion colours with a modern design, these rugs would look striking in any room.
These rugs are also available in:
60cm x 110cm
80cm x 150cm
120cm x 160cm
160cm x 220cm
Free UK Mainland Delivery on this item


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Picture of the Day: Amy MaRie in a sexy thong
Here's a sexy butt shot of Amy MaRie as she poses in a thong lingerie set.
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Major Section: PROGRAMMING
Intern$ is a macro that behaves the same as the macro
except for weakening the restriction to a fixed set of package names so that
any package name other than
"" is legal. See intern. Note that if you
evaluate a call
(intern$ x y) for which there is no package with name
y that is known to ACL2, you will get an error.
(Intern$ x y) expands to:
(intern-in-package-of-symbol x (pkg-witness y))See intern-in-package-of-symbol and see pkg-witness.


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It turns out that if you have a div set to overflow:auto, the contents of that div are wider than the containing div, and you have an element with a :hover css class inside that div that IE9 will start messing with the height of the div whenever the mouse is moved inside it. (see below)
The work around for this is quite easy. All you need to do is specify a height on the wrapper div and set the inner div to a height of 100%. You can see an example of the problem and the solution here.