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The 2013-14 Liberty swimming & diving team, coming off of back-to-back runner-up finishes at the CCSA Championships, appears poised to contend for a title once again.
The Liberty swimming & diving team enters the year with a talent-laden roster, and appears poised to challenge for the program's first Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA) championship in 2013-14. During each of the last two seasons, the Lady Flames have placed second at the CCSA Championships to five-time champion Florida Gulf Coast. The two will likely battle again for the 2014 title. For the first time in the program's four-year history, Liberty swimming & diving will feature four full classes of recruited student-athletes. Conference champions Brye Ravettine, Bethany Kennon (formerly Wakeley) and Emilie Kaufman highlight the team's senior class. Fourth-year head coach Jake Shellenberger looks for continued growth from the Lady Flames' program. "I'm looking for a transformation from the idea or the mindset that we are new, and starting to transition into the mindset that we are here," Shellenberger said. "What's the next step after that? That's going on to be a top 25 program, continuing to excel at the national level in the summer, and at the NCAA meet and so forth." The Lady Flames have added five freshman this year, in addition to transfers Ginny Grams (Florida State/Daytona State) and Kristin VanDeventer (Virginia). In freshman Courtney Fox, Liberty also has its first diver in program history. Last season, Liberty received its first national ranking, finishing the season rated No. 37 in the Endless Pools/CollegeSwimming.com Top 25. The Lady Flames went 14-2 last season, including 9-1 in CCSA dual meets. At the 2013 CCSA Championships, Liberty picked up its second-straight runner-up finish. During the meet, Liberty had six total event victories (four individual, two relays) and 20 podium finishes (16 individual, four relays). The Lady Flames set five conference records, five meet records and 13 program records. Liberty had eight NCAA B cuts and U.S. Open cuts by individuals, and one NCAA B cut in a relay. "This team wants to win the conference. They finished second place to Florida Gulf Coast the previous two years, and they are getting tired of that," Shellenberger added. "They have a goal that they want to win the meet. That's fantastic. It's always better when it comes from the student-athletes and not from the coaching staff." Sophomore Jess Reinhardt was named the 2013 CCSA Freshman of the Meet, after winning both the 100 and 200 fly in conference-record times. She then went on to represent Liberty in the 100 fly at the 2013 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships. This year's schedule will pit the Lady Flames against teams from the ACC (North Carolina, Virginia Tech), SEC (Vanderbilt) and Big Ten (Illinois, Michigan State). The Lady Flames will also contest dual meets against strong Commonwealth opponents James Madison and Richmond, and conference rival Florida Gulf Coast. "We're going out and swimming some of these teams that are pretty good. It will be good for our women to see North Carolina in person. It will be good for our women to see Virginia Tech again. It will be good for our women to go up and swim against some Big Ten teams that we have a chance to beat, and we'll be in the meet." An event-by-event preview follows.
Sprint Free The Lady Flames fielded the top sprint group in the conference last season, with Brye Ravettine (22.78), Cori Gary (22.96) and Meghan Babcock (22.81) all recording NCAA B cuts in the 50 free. The trio went 2-3-4 in the conference 50 free final, and they were joined by Chloe Thomas in the top eight of the 100 free final. Ravettine, the 2012 CCSA Swimmer of the Meet and Freshman of the Meet, was a 2012 All-America honorable mention in the 50 free. She also swam a B cut time of 49.80 to take second in the 100 free at last year's conference meet. Returnees Jess Reinhardt, Ranndi Grubbs, Kendall Hough and Sarah McCorkle all scored points in sprint free races during the 2013 CCSA Championships. Freshman Amber Slack and junior Mallorie Chambers may also swim in the sprints this season.
Mid-Distance Free Cori Gary returns as the program record holder in the 200 free, clocking 1:50.73 to place third in the 2013 CCSA finals. Meghan Babcock and Bethany Kennon tied for ninth at the conference meet last season. Newcomer Ginny Grams brings an impressive resume with her to Liberty. Her ledger includes NJCAA national titles in the 200, 500 and 1,650 free for Daytona State in 2013 after spending 2012 at Florida State. Kristin VanDeventer, a transfer from Virginia, will also bring experience at the 200, 500 and mile as well. Sophomore Kendall Hough and freshman Morgan Noonan are also expected to contribute to Liberty's mid-distance group in the 200 free. Junior Emily Duff placed fourth in the 500 free A final at the 2013 conference meet, swimming 4:59.16, and sophomore Hannah Wakeley also scored, taking 14th place. Duff, along with Grams and VanDeventer, have all broken 5:00 for the 500 free. Wakeley became Liberty's first-ever scorer in the 1,650 free, placing fourth in the 2013 CCSA final, clocking a program-record 17:12.07. Grams' lifetime-best 1,650 free time of 16:45.43 gives Liberty another strong contender in the mile, while VanDeventer and freshman Heather McCorkel will also challenge for top-8 spots in the 1,650 free.
Backstroke Liberty's backstroke group continued its strong performance in the pool last season. Brye Ravettine and Emily Duff took second and third in the 100 back at the conference meet for the second year in a row. Kendall Hough followed in fifth place last year, followed by Chloe Thomas in 11th. Duff met the NCAA B cut and US Open cut while placing second in the 200 back in a program-record 1:58.30. Kendall Hough placed fifth for the 200 backstroke, posting a season-best 2:01.73. Junior Jennifer Garzinski swam a lifetime-best 2:07.06 to place 18th overall. The Lady Flames add three freshmen to their stable of backstrokers, in Victoria Tschoke, Natalie Chambers and Amber Slack for 2013-14.
Butterfly Liberty returns the top two butterfly finishers from last year's CCSA meet. Jess Reinhardt, the returning CCSA Freshman of the Meet, won both the 100 and 200 fly in conference-record times, before qualifying for the 2013 NCAA Championships. She holds the current CCSA records in the 100 fly (52.87) and 200 fly (2:00.41). Bethany Kennon won the CCSA 100 fly in 2012, before placing second to Reinhardt in both fly events last season. Sophomore Ranndi Grubbs earned 13th-place finishes in both the 100 and 200 fly at the CCSA Championships, while Hannah Wakeley placed ninth in the 200 fly. Additional Lady Flames who may compete in the fly this season are Emilie Kaufman, Ginny Grams, Natalie Chambers and Sarah Kendrick.
Breaststroke Liberty returns CCSA record-holder Emilie Kaufman in the 100 breaststroke. Kaufman's record 1:01.04 swim in prelims met the NCAA B standard, while she placed second overall in finals. The senior added a conference title in the 200 breast, in an NCAA B cut and program-record time of 2:15.00. Juniors Jennifer Garzinski and Mallorie Chambers also competed in the breaststroke at last year's CCSA Championships, while freshman Morgan Noonan brings top-eight equivalent times in both the 100 and 200 breast.
IM Emilie Kaufman is Liberty's top returner in the individual medleys. She placed third at the CCSA Championships in the 200 IM, clocking a program-record time of 2:03.98. Emily Duff holds the second-fastest 400 IM time in program history, but the Lady Flames had no entries in the 400 IM last season. This year, the Lady Flames will look to a combination of Kaufman, Duff, Hannah Wakeley, Ranndi Grubbs, plus newcomers Morgan Noonan and Victoria Tschoke, to compete in the IM. Tschoke has recorded 200 IM times which would have scored a top-eight placing at last year's conference meet.
Diving Courtney Fox will be Liberty's first-ever diver. Due to a lack of diving facilities, until the new Liberty pool is completed, Fox will only be able to compete in one-meter diving. A sophomore from Nazareth, Pa., Fox placed 15th at the Pennsylvania State Championships as a senior in high school. "We have a diver this year. We're renting a one-meter board, and we're diving," Shellenberger stated. "That'll help us tremendously as far as starting to grow the diving program in anticipation of a new pool being built. Diving's going to be a big part of our program, once we build the facility. Courtney's going to be awesome for us."
Relays The Lady Flames' talent and depth gives them many options to put fast relays in the pool. Liberty won both the 200 free relay (1:30.01) and 400 free relay (3:20.23) at the 2013 CCSA Championships, setting conference records in both, while clocking an NCAA B cut in the 200 free relay. Liberty also took second in the 800 free relay and 400 medley relay last season, and should challenge Florida Gulf Coast for the title in the 200 medley relay as well this year. All of Liberty's freestylers return from last year's CCSA-champion relay teams, and each member of the team's 800 free relay and 400 medley relay are back in 2013-14. The Lady Flames' newcomers will help bolster an already-strong set of championship-contending relays.
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Article content
The U.S. government on Monday filed an objection to Detroit's plan to deal with $18 billion of debt and exit the biggest municipal bankruptcy in the nation's history.
The filing addressed regulatory and monetary disputes between the city and two federal agencies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants assurances that Detroit will follow its regulations under the adjustment plan. The filing said the city had not responded to so-called carve out language provided by the EPA.
While the plan acknowledged that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) holds an unimpaired, secured claim totaling $90 million, the federal agency disputes that amount.
Instead HUD pegged the aggregate amount of unpaid principal and interest on loan guarantee contracts at $111.9 million. The filing said discussions between the city and HUD were ongoing.
"To date however, the debtor has not yet agreed with HUD's figure and HUD therefore files this objection to preserve its right to contest the claim amount stated in the plan," the filing stated.
The U.S. objection joined several others that were filed on Monday in opposition to Detroit's plan, which will be the subject of a U.S. Bankruptcy Court confirmation hearing that starts in July. Judge Steven Rhodes must ultimately determine if the plan is fair and feasible.
Objections filed by Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties centered around issues with Detroit's water and sewer department, which serves their residents.
"The city appears willing to engage in a game of chance, jeopardizing the (water and sewer department), and thus the region, by putting the (department's) operations at risk. It does so by, among other things, stripping necessary funds from the water and sewer system at the expense of a healthy (department)," Oakland county said in its objection.
Some bondholders and bond insurers also raised objections to the city's proposed treatment of more than $5 billion in outstanding Detroit water and sewer revenue bonds.
Bond insurance company Financial Guaranty Insurance Co (FGIC) protested the plan for failing to tap non-core assets of the city including the Detroit Institute of Arts.
A key component in the plan is $816 million pledged by philanthropic foundations, the institute and the state of Michigan, subject to legislative approval, to ease pension cuts for Detroit retirees.
FGIC said that deal "is not fair, equitable or reasonable."
Even UBS AG and Merrill Lynch Capital Services, a unit of Bank of America, filed a limited objection about wording in the plan concerning their hard-fought deal to settle interest-rate swap agreements at a much-discounted payment by the city of $85 million.
The investment banks said while Detroit has told them the plan does not mean to impair their secured creditor rights, the city has not agreed to add clarifying language to the plan.
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subset: commoncrawl


text: Valuation Request Form To receive a free market analysis estimating your property's value, just fill in the form below. I will analyze the data you provide and get back to you with comparable sale information for your neighborhood and a range of approximate values for your property. If you need a more precise valuation estimate, I will arrange to tour the property with you. All information you provide will be kept strictly confidential. Address of Property: City: State: Property Type: Single Family House Condominium Multi-Unit Residential Lots and Land Mobile Home Commercial Condition of Property: Excellent Good Fair Needs Work Poor Bedrooms: 1 2 3 4 5 or more Bathrooms: 1 2 3 4 or more Additional Rooms/Features: Please list additional rooms and describe any special features and recent upgrades. For example: new roof, new carpet, custom kitchen cabinets, property near park, etc. Approx. Size: Square Feet Approx. Age of Kitchen: Years Approx. Age of Baths: Years Please provide the following information so I can contact you with your property valuation report. Name:* Email Address:* Phone Number(s):* Comments: * Your name, phone number, and email address are required. Please be sure your email address is entered accurately. By submitting this form with your telephone number you are consenting for Accelerated Realty Group and authorized representatives to contact you even if your name is on the Federal "Do-not-call List." Real Estate IDX Powered by iHomefinder


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Complete Story
Cable Station WYOU Will Keep City Funding -- For Now
WYOU will live for at least another year.
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has reversed his decision to scrap funding for community access TV station WYOU, which has been on the air for more than three decades.
"WYOU is one of those creative, quirky things that makes Madison Madison," Cieslewicz said Wednesday. "It's weird -- in the kind of way that makes you smile and often makes you think."
Unfortunately, the mayor continued, "we're in for a period of fiscal austerity and that combined with the uncertainty of cable fee funding in the wake of the new cable TV law makes it unlikely that we can continue supporting WYOU from the city level."
Charter Communications is dropping its local cable franchise agreement with Madison in favor of a statewide franchise allowed under a recent change in state law regulating cable TV providers. All financing for public, educational and government channels, or PEG channels, is set to end by February 2011.
In addition, Charter has moved Madison's PEG channels to the digital tier, reducing viewership to only those who can afford and want Charter's digital service.
WYOU broadcasts on "4 no more," said the stations's interim director, Guy Swansboro, who also serves as vice chairman of WYOU's board of directors. Since Sept. 30, the station has been on analog channel 95 and Charter digital channel 991.
In February, it will only be found on digital channel 991. At midnight on Feb. 17, all major TV stations in the country will stop broadcasting analog signals and switch to digital.
Charter provided more than $400,000 annually in PEG access fees for the city's two community broadcast stations: WYOU and Madison City Channel, which broadcasts city government meetings.
Currently, under a three-year agreement, Charter charges 63 cents per subscriber each month for the PEG channels. The fee provided $272,000 to City Channel this year -- nearly half its revenue -- and $139,000 to WYOU, about 80 percent of its revenue.
Cieslewicz wanted to give the nearly $140,000 designated for WYOU to City Channel, which broadcasts government meetings and civic events. This would spare the city from having to use property tax dollars to help supplement funds for City Channel.
After a recent meeting with WYOU's board of directors, Cieslewicz called the station and said he would leave WYOU's budget alone for 2009, but warned that the station would only get half its current allocation the following year.
By 2010, WYOU hopes to be more self-sufficient, Swansboro said. The station is in the process of hiring a new executive director. The former director, Charles Uphoff, was fired in April.
The station will also do more outreach to let the public know its mission and explain its importance to the community.
"City Channel is the channel that uses actual tax dollars and not WYOU," Swansboro said. People need to start asking questions like, "Why is the government channel more important than the people's channel?"
Swansboro said Cieslewicz didn't know much about WYOU when they met.
"He didn't know that we taught classes. He didn't know that we had children's groups in here. He didn't even know that the executive director had been fired in April. I think he found out that he can't count on his people to give him information, at least about WYOU," Swansboro said.
Cieslewicz said he was happy to learn that the WYOU board is already planning for a day without PEG access fee support.
"I was very pleased that the board and I could agree on a phase-out of city cable fee backing and that WYOU -- like WORT on radio -- is likely to live on with broader community support," the mayor said.
The station is closing in on hiring a new executive director, and that could happen as soon as Monday, said one WYOU employee.
Swansboro didn't want to disclose the candidate's name, but said the woman comes from the music industry, and was instrumental in the early development and marketing of bands like the Police, U2 and REM.
"She has worked in marketing, but not for any tax-exempt organizations. She definitely has experience in trying to sell weird products, which I suppose WYOU is," Swansboro said.
The station's potpourri of programming for October includes a Hindu cultural hour, a segment on iPod repair, "Cooking with Bob," which focuses on whatever Bob Swokowski is grilling, music from the Capitol City Band and Amy Goodman's nationally syndicated news hour, "Democracy Now!"
Robert Lughai, WYOU's education director and program coordinator, said he is thrilled that the station doesn't have to close up shop.
"We've been around since 1974. There's been a long legacy of independent producers and people just from the community who have come through the doors and have produced either one-time programs, documentaries, or had regular television shows, and that would have ended," Lughai said.
Traditionally, public access TV hasn't had to make money because it's been a service to the community, Lughai pointed out.
"Anyone in the community who wanted to have a voice, who wanted to put something on the air, they could do it. So our focus was, and still is, service -- being here to help them get their ideas onto video and on the air. Our focus was not like a business such as to make money. We had PEG funding to do that," he said.
The station has looked into streaming online. But YouTube has its limitations, Lughai said.
YouTube only allows a maximum of 10 minutes, and WYOU has television shows that are half an hour, an hour or two hours long.
People don't realize that the station at 609 E. Washington Ave. -- between Pizza Extreme and the Madison Chamber of Commerce -- functions as an education center, Lughai said.
Staff members teach people how to use digital cameras and how to do editing on nonlinear editing software. At a university, a student would pay thousands of dollars to learn how to edit, Lughai said. "Or you can come here and become a member for $40 and we will get you editing."
Plus, the station offers summer youth groups where kids learn to make television shows. The station lets community members use its professional cameras and green screen studio.
"Every day there is some independent producer, which is just someone who lives in the community, coming in and editing or filming or using our studio," Lughai said. "There's just a lot going on here that most of the community isn't aware of, which is a shame. Our goal is to get the word out more that we are here and we are here to help."
John Foust, president of the Wisconsin Association of PEG Access Channels, called WYOU one of Wisconsin's top public access channels and said he hopes Cieslewicz will reconsider his decision to cut its funding for 2010.
"It's one of the largest public access channels that we have. No doubt WYOU needs more guidance. It would certainly benefit from professional management and things can be reconsidered but I would not want it to disappear," Foust said.


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Codex tools: Log in / create account
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WordPress has the ability to allow post authors to assign custom fields to a post. This arbitrary extra information is known as meta-data. This meta-data can include bits of information such as:
With some extra coding, it is possible to achieve more complex actions, such as using the metadata to store an expiration date for a post.
Meta-data is handled with key/value pairs. The key is the name of the meta-data element. The value is the information that will appear in the meta-data list on each individual post that the information is associated with.
Keys can be used more than once per post. For example, if you were reading two different books (perhaps a technical book at work and a fiction at home), you could create a "reading" key and use it twice on the same post, once for each book.
Here is an example of what this information might look like on your post:
Today's Mood: Jolly and Happy
Based upon our example above, let's put this into action. We'll add two custom fields, one called "Currently Reading" and the other "Today's Mood". The following instructions will demonstrate how to add this information to a post using Custom Fields.
To add your "Today's Mood", repeat the process and add "Today's Mood" to the key and a description of your mood in the value text boxes and click SAVE to save this information with the post.
On your next post, you can add a new book and mood to your meta-data. In the Custom Fields section, the Key will now feature a pull down list with the previously entered Custom Fields. Choose "Currently Reading" and then enter the new book you are reading in the value. Click Add Custom Field and then repeat the process to add "Today's Mood".
You only need to create a new "KEY" once, after which you can assign a value to that key for every post, if you so desire. You can also assign more than one Value to a key, for a post. This will come in handy for people who read more than one book at a time.
With a Custom Field added to the post, it's time to display your books and mood to the world. To display the Custom Fields for each post, use the the_meta() template tag. The tag must be put within The Loop in order to work. Many people add the_meta() template tag to the end of their post or in their Post Meta Data Section. Here is a basic example of using the tag:
<?php the_meta(); ?>
It might look like this in the source code:

Curently Reading: Calvin and Hobbes

Today's Mood: Jolly and Happy

The template tag automatically puts the entire meta-data into a CSS style called post-meta. The key is in a span called post-meta-key so you can style it in your style sheet. All of this is showcased in an unordered list.
To customize the look of the post-meta list, change the characteristics in your style sheet. For instance, let's add some style to our example from the top. The style sheet elements would look like this:
.post-meta {font-variant: small-caps; color: maroon; } .post-meta-key {color: green; font-weight: bold; font-size: 110%; }
There are also many WordPress Plugins in the Official WordPress Plugin Directory that add some nice features to the job of displaying meta tags. A search for Custom Field plugins at Google should help you find even more.
The following are more advanced techniques for getting and customizing meta-data and custom fields.
To fetch meta values use the get_post_meta() function:
get_post_meta($post_id, $key, $single);
The PostMeta information is stored in a new table, $wpdb->postmeta. This table has four fields:
The values from this table are pulled into a structured multi-dimensional array called $post_meta_cache, just after the $posts array is fetched in wp-blog-header.php. This variable will only contain values for the list of posts fetched for the current page build. The structure of the array will look something like this:
[ postid1 => [ [ key1 => [val1, val2, ...], key2 => [val1, val2, ...], ... ], postid2 => [ ... ], ... ]
So, if you wanted to fetch the "reading" values from post number 256, you use this PHP code:
// Fetch an array of values for what I'm reading: $readinglist = $post_meta_cache[256]['reading'];
These functions are intended for use inside The Loop, and all return arrays.
This will output the resulting meta value (notice the addition of "echo"): <?php $key="mykey"; echo get_post_meta($post->ID, $key, true); ?>
At the time of this writing, there is only one template function.
We expect that independent developers will come up with many interesting uses for post meta-data in the form of plugins. The the_meta() template function is just an extremely basic example.


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Well, what's the takeaway? They got nothing out of her, that's for sure. The big moment was the "what difference does it make?" quote, when she blew up at Rob Johnson. So let's parse that a bit.
Democratic spin: That was Hillary at her toughest, telling the right wing to go stuff it. She let the mask down and was real, raw, showed her emotional side.
Republican spin: What difference does it make? It makes a hell of a lot of difference! That's the whole point here.
If you go back and watch the exchange, which you can at the link above, you will see that what is really being disputed here is this question about why didn't the US government know that night exactly what happened. Hence Clinton's frustration. It is clear that the right is jumping all over the above phrase. If you Google it (along with Clinton's name--apparently, What Difference Does It Make? was a Smiths single), you will see that most of the links on the first couple pages will take you to right-wing site hoo-boy-ing it up, saying things like this, from Breitbart:
Poor Condi Rice. Why didn't she pull this during the 9/11 hearings. "What difference does it make what we knew and when we knew it, Senator? 3,000 Americans that September morning!"
Comparing 3,000 deaths with four is insane. But I do think these words will hang around her neck for a while. The question then becomes whether a large percentage of Americans agrees with her or agrees with the Republicans. As I've written about this all along, some obviously tragic errors in judgment were made, three State employees lost their jobs over it, so a price was paid, but exactly how this started isn't something that the American public is likely to obsess over. It's Libya. It's dangerous. It's hardly shocking that something like this happened.
Other than that, they didn't touch her. John McCain completely wasted his shot at her, just pontificating away, looking aggreived, not accomplishing anything. Rand Paul was feisty and pointed but then asked a totally nutso question. If you were as confused as Clinton was ("Turkey???"), here's the explanation. There arose last year some wingnut conspiracy theory that Amb Stevens was involved in running guns to the Syrian rebels through Turkey. Here, from an obscure web site:
One of the shocking revelations coming out about the murder of our ambassador in Benghazi, Chis Stevens, is that he was apparently involved in a gun-running scheme arming Syrian rebels. And what are the Syrian rebels doing with those weapons? Killing Christians among others. Is the U.S. arming the rebels improving life for the Syrian people? Not hardly!
To normal human beings, Paul asked an idiotic black-helicopter question. But he's probably already raised $100,000 off of it from Christian persecution groups.
Hillary heads to the House this afternoon. Bottom line so far: She will have to do a little damage control for that quote, but she is still the 2016 frontrunner.


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With some of the world's friendliest people, Australia is a place that welcomes you with open arms and invites you to experience it with all your senses. Live like a local whether exploring the Great Barrier Reef, going on coastal walks with wombats, or swimming in waterholes in the Outback. This isn't a place you just see, but a place you feel.
To enjoy life like an Aussie, here's recommendations for families, adventure lovers, epicurean explorers and those looking to add a touch of style or romance. Pick and choose your way!
Where else can you easily explore a floating continent with the world's best aquatic adventures? Here you'll find beaches with kangaroos, the Great Barrier Reef, and relaxing beach cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Byron Bay. Make sure to check these adventures off your list whether you're traveling as a family or with that special someone.
Along with cool coastal adventures, eating and drinking well plays a significant part in the Australia way of life. Most trips can be paired with can't miss food and wine experiences that are unencumbered by tradition. Where to start? Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, and Perth are topping lists for their innovative chefs, world-class restaurants, festivals, markets, and friendly cellar doors serving new wines. Get a taste now.
The image of Australia's Outback is often dusty and remote, yet the reality has many choices for travelers. There's wildlife safaris in Kakadu National Park near Darwin. And helicopters and coastal cruises through the Kimberley. Seeing the natural landscapes through the local indigenous people at Uluru, Alice Springs or the Daintree Rainforest near Cairns and Port Douglas. And a tale of two great reefs - a very famous one and an equally spectacular, secret one on the west coast – where each can be combined with the Outback. Choose your Outback adventure.
Australia's capital cities have that rare combination of award-winning restaurants, friendly people, and easy access to nearby nature. Sydney is one of the world's great cities where you can explore the harbour or beach in five-star style. For those looking for natural wonders both on and off the plate then go to Hobart in Tasmania. If you want to add the outback to wine and wildlife, then head to Adelaide or Perth. Darwin is perfect for Outback adventures. Brisbane is a great jumping-off point to Great Barrier Reef adventures or stunning beaches like the Sunshine and Gold Coast. Or you may want to start in the hip laneway eateries, festivals, and rooftop bars of Melbourne, which is often noted as Australia's cultural capital. Get started and explore the top ideas in each city.


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Timely detection of bronchiolitis epidemics in Guadeloupe1
Detección oportuna de epidemias de bronquiolitis en Guadalupe
Martina Escher*; Philippe Quénel; Jean-Loup Chappert; Sylvie Cassadou
Cellule de l'Institut de Veille Sanitaire en Régions Antilles Guyane, Fort de France, Martinique, France
OBJECTIVE: To develop a criterion for early detection of bronchiolitis epidemics in Guadeloupe so that prevention and control strategies can be implemented in a more timely manner.
METHODS: Weekly figures of bronchiolitis cases reported from July 2005-July 2010 by Guadeloupe's sentinel network were used. The criterion for detecting epidemics was created with data from the 2005-2009 bronchiolitis seasons. First, the baseline level for bronchiolitis (BL) was predicted by fitting a periodic regression on the non-epidemic observations; then a test was conducted of nine possible criteria to define epidemics by combining a statistical threshold set at different levels and a number of consecutive weeks with observations above and below them; lastly, the optimal criterion was selected considering its performances using expert advice as the gold standard. The selected criterion was validated with data from 2009-2010 season.
RESULTS: The BL accounted for a linear trend and two sinusoidal functions of 52 and 26 weeks (R2 = 45%). According to the epidemic criterion selected, the statistical threshold was set at the upper limit of the one-sided 95% Confidence Interval of the predicted BL; 2 consecutive weeks with cases above it were necessary to set the start of an epidemic, and three again below to set the end. The median delay in launching the alerts was 2 weeks; there was one false alert; and the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for detecting epidemic weeks were 98%, 96%, 95%, respectively. During the validation period, the criterion launched one false alert and detected the epidemic with 4 weeks of delay.
CONCLUSIONS: This criterion supports epidemiologists in timely interpretation of bronchiolitis epidemiological data for decision makers in Guadeloupe. In the future, it should be updated in accordance with trends in bronchiolitis epidemiology, and improved by integrating virological indicators. Its inclusion in an integrated management strategy for bronchiolitis prevention and control, supported by a bronchiolitis public health network, should also be encouraged.
Key words: Bronchiolitis, viral; bronchiolitis; Guadeloupe; France; Caribbean region.
OBJETIVO: Formular un criterio para la detección temprana de las epidemias de bronquiolitis en Guadalupe, a fin de aplicar de manera más oportuna mejores estrategias de prevención y control.
MÉTODOS: Se usaron las cifras semanales de los casos de bronquiolitis notificados desde julio del 2005 hasta julio del 2010 por la red de vigilancia de Guadalupe. El criterio para detectar las epidemias se estableció con los datos de las temporadas de bronquiolitis del 2005 al 2009. En primer lugar, se predijo el nivel basal de bronquiolitis ajustando una regresión periódica a los casos observados fuera de las epidemias; luego se pusieron a prueba nueve posibles criterios para definir las epidemias combinando un umbral estadístico establecido a diferentes niveles y un número de semanas consecutivas con las observaciones ubicadas por encima y por debajo de ellos; por último, se seleccionó el criterio óptimo conforme a su desempeño, usando el asesoramiento de expertos como criterio de referencia. El criterio seleccionado se validó con los datos de la temporada 2009-2010.
RESULTADOS: El nivel basal de bronquiolitis presentaba una tendencia lineal y dos funciones sinusoidales de 52 y 26 semanas (R2 = 45%). Según el criterio de epidemia seleccionado, se fijó el umbral estadístico en el límite superior del intervalo de confianza de 95% unilateral del nivel basal de bronquiolitis previsto; para establecer el comienzo de una epidemia se requerían 2 semanas consecutivas con casos por encima de él, y 3 semanas con casos por debajo para determinar su finalización. La mediana del retraso para lanzar las alertas fue 2 semanas; hubo una alerta falsa; y la sensibilidad, la especificidad y el valor predictivo positivo para detectar las semanas de epidemia fueron 98%, 96% y 95%, respectivamente. Durante el período de validación se emitió, según el criterio, una alerta falsa y se detectó la epidemia con 4 semanas de retraso.
CONCLUSIONES: Este criterio ayuda a los epidemiólogos a interpretar de manera oportuna los datos epidemiológicos de bronquiolitis a fin de tomar decisiones en Guadalupe. En el futuro, debe actualizarse según las tendencias en la epidemiología de la bronquiolitis, y mejorarse mediante su integración con indicadores virológicos. También debe promoverse su inclusión en una estrategia integrada de manejo para la prevención y el control de la bronquiolitis, apoyada por una red de salud pública relacionada con la bronquiolitis.
Palabras clave: Bronquiolitis viral; bronquiolitis; Guadalupe; Francia; región del Caribe.
It is well known that early detection of epidemics is imperative to effective control; hence, infectious disease surveillance has been conducted in many countries for decades. Traditional methods of reporting diseases (e.g., notifiable disease surveillance, laboratory-based surveillance) are currently linked to less specific, but more reactive methods (1). These include syndromic surveillance, which makes it possible to identify illness clusters before diagnoses are confirmed (1-3), and mathematical models, which are often used to analyze surveillance data in order detect epidemics sooner (4-9).
Throughout the world, acute bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract infection and a leading cause of hospital admission among young children, especially those less than 2 years of age (10). In France, an estimated one-third of the infant population is affected each year, thus more than 450 000 infants (11). This clinically-diagnosed viral respiratory condition can be caused by several viruses, but the most common is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is isolated in as many as 75% of cases (10, 12).
Bronchiolitis is usually seasonal, with epidemics occurring every year, and in the majority of cases, is only mildly self-limiting (11-14). Nevertheless, the public health burden of bronchiolitis is considerable-the high number of infants seeking care during epidemics has a considerable impact on any health care system (13, 14). Many health sector stakeholders-pediatricians, general practitioners (GPs), physiotherapists, emergency units, hospitals, and health promotion communicators- are affected by bronchiolitis epidemics (14). Coordination and collaboration among these stakeholders are key to launching timely preventive strategies and responding appropriately at the community-level so that emergency units are not overwhelmed. To this end, early detection of bronchiolitis epidemics is imperative.
In Guadeloupe, a French territory located in the West Indies, bronchiolitis has been monitored since 2003 by a syndromic surveillance system based on a network of sentinel GPs (15). Cases are reported weekly throughout the year; seasonal epidemics occur in September-December.
This study was undertaken to develop a criterion based on the aforementioned surveillance system that would improve the timeliness of bronchiolitis epidemic detection in Guadeloupe. This article presents the methods employed and the performance of this epidemic criterion.
Data source
A syndromic, sentinel surveillance system based on a network of GPs began operating in Guadeloupe in 1983; in 2003, bronchiolitis was placed under surveillance (7). Since 2005, the network has been made up of 44 GPs who, according to the Caisse Générale de Sécurité Sociale de la Guadeloupe (General Social Security Fund of Guadeloupe, CGSS), account for 12% of the total number of GPs in Guadeloupe and 20.4% of its overall medical activities (15). Within the framework of the surveillance system, a case of bronchiolitis has been defined as: (i) a child less than 2 years of age (ii) presenting expiratory dyspnea and obstructive signs, with (iii) difficulty coughing, and (iv) in an infectious context (15).
Guadeloupe's health agency collects case numbers by telephone on a weekly basis. In order to stabilize the figures and overcome the effect of the variable participation of the sentinel GPs, the number of cases reported weekly is divided by the cumulated activity fraction of sentinel GPs at work that specific week. For each sentinel GP, the activity fraction is calculated from the CGSS data from the previous year (16).
This study analyzed weekly data from 25 July 2005-25 July 2010 (Figure 1). The criterion for early detection and monitoring of bronchiolitis epidemics was developed with data for July 2005-July 2009, and subsequently validated with data from July 2009-July 2010.
Criterion development
The criterion was developed in two steps: first, the "baseline level" of bronchiolitis was estimated; and then, the criterion was created to define epidemic periods (i.e., start and end weeks). These two steps are detailed below.
Prediction of bronchiolitis baseline. The Internet application, Réseau Sentinelles® (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research and the Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France) (8), was used to fit a periodic regression (also known as Serfling's method) on the non-epidemic observations for the period 2005-week 30-2009-week 29. To exclude the epidemic observations, a cut-off value was set at the upper unilateral 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) of the mean of all the observations.
The structure of the periodic regression model was composed of a trend (a first degree polynomial function of the time) plus one or two seasonal components (sine and cosine terms with annual, or annual plus semi-annual periodicities). The two periodic regression equations were a special case of the following model:
Yt= α + β + γ1 cos(2 π t/n) + δ1 sin(2 π t/n) + γ2 cos(4 π t /n) + δ2 sin(4 π t/n)+ ε
In this model, Yt is the number of bronchiolitis cases at week t; α and β are the intercept and the slope of the linear regression; γ1,2 and δ1,2 are the parameters of the seasonal components; and ε is the random error.
Model coefficients were estimated by the least-squares method. The validity of the model was tested by verifying the homoscedasticity of residuals through graphical analysis, statistical analysis of their distribution, and their independence by the Ljung-Box test. The fit of the model was assessed by the coefficient of determination (R2). The Akaike's information criterion (AIC) was used to identify, among different models, the one that fits the data better, based on the parsimony principle. Finally, the selected model was used to predict the "baseline level" of bronchiolitis cases in Guadeloupe for the period 2005-2009.
Definition of epidemic periods. In order to define the start and end weeks of an epidemic (i.e., to distinguish between the significant departures of an observation from the expected baseline level and a random variation), two parameters were combined: (i) a statistical threshold, and (ii) a number of consecutive weeks with a number of bronchiolitis cases respectively above and below the threshold. The threshold was defined as the upper limit of the one-sided CI of the predicted baseline level, the variation around the baseline level being established on the standard deviation of the residuals. Three a levels were used: 0.1, 0.5, and 0.01. As the number of consecutive weeks above and again below the threshold is concerned, 1, 2, or 3 were used as the options for setting the start of the epidemics, and 3 was used to set the end.
Combining these two parameters, nine possible criteria were identified and studied. To assess their performance, the results of these nine criteria were compared to a gold standard established by expert advice.2 Performance was based on: (i) the speed with which epidemic alerts were launched; (ii) the number of false alerts, i.e., epidemic periods detected outside the gold standard; (iii) sensitivity, i.e., the ability to identify epidemic weeks within the gold standard; (iv) specificity, i.e., the ability to detect true non-epidemic weeks; and (v) the positive predictive value (PPV), i.e., how precisely true epidemic weeks were detected.
The best criterion had to combine timely epidemic warnings with a low number of false alerts and a high sensitivity, specificity, and PPV in correctly detecting the epidemic weeks.
Criterion validation
The final selected model was used to forecast the baseline level of bronchiolitis cases in Guadeloupe in the 2009-2010 season. The epidemic criterion retained was validated by comparing the epidemic periods detected by the study's tool (in terms of start and duration) with those indicated by the expert.
In Guadeloupe, a linear decrease in the number of bronchiolitis cases was observed during the study period, with 7 200 estimated cases in the 2005-2006 season and 3 200 in the 2009-2010 season. The incidence of bronchiolitis was highly seasonal, and the lowest number of cases occurred in July. Each year, epidemics occurred around mid-October and mid-December. They started sharply and ended smoothly with strong inter-weekly fluctuations. During the study period, a decrease in their amplitude and duration was observed.
Criterion development
Prediction of bronchiolitis baseline. According to the cut-off value, the baseline level was estimated by fitting the model on 128 non-epidemic observations. According to the AIC criterion, the best model consisted of a linear trend and 12- and 6-month periodicities, which accounted for 45% of the variance of the time series (R2 = 0.45) (Figure 2):
Yt = 91.9 - 0.2t + 22.175cos(2 π t/52.2) - 1.7sin(2 π t/52.2) - 6.0cos(4 π t/52.2) - 12.8sin(4 π t/52.2) + εt
Using this model, three statistical thresholds were calculated at 0.1, 0.05, and 0.01 a level (Figure 2).
Definition of epidemic periods. Between July 2005 and July 2009, four bronchiolitis epidemics, one each season, accounting for 101 epidemic weeks, were identified by the expert advice (gold standard) (Table 1).
All nine of the criteria studied enabled the detection of epidemic periods with respect to the gold standard. The performances of these criteria are presented in Table 2. According to these results, the best criterion was STα level 0.05 (SW2 - EW3), with a median delay of 2 weeks for launching the epidemic alert; only one false alert; and sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of 98%, 96%, and 95%, respectively.
Criterion validation
According to the expert advice, the 2009-2010 bronchiolitis season was characterized by one epidemic period occurring between 2009-week 43 and 2009-week 53 (Figure 3, green area). The selected criterion detected 2 epidemic periods (Figure 3, grey straight lines), the second being a false alert. Considering the first epidemic, the criteria launched the warning with a delay of 4 weeks, 2 weeks later than the expert advice, and correctly established the end of the epidemic.
By analyzing the historical time-series data of the syndromic bronchiolitis surveillance in Guadeloupe, a criterion was developed for the detection of epidemics. This criterion showed good performance in terms of timeliness (2 weeks of median delay), sensitivity, specificity, and PPV (98%, 96%, 95%, respectively). However, this performance was only partially observed during the validation period.
Concerning the methods, because the identification of abnormally high occurrences of a disease relies on a good understanding of the normal patterns of its occurrence (6), the first step was applying time-series analysis methods to establish a baseline level. Time series analysis is especially suitable for baseline level detection because it uses historical data for non-epidemic periods to predict what future data should be in the absence of an epidemic (7).
Different methods have been used for this purpose, such as Seasonal Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models, control chart methods, and Hidden Markov Models (8). In this study, an online application was employed that uses a model based on a regression with seasonal components. This approach was chosen because the type of analysis proposed fit the characteristics of the study's time series well (at least 2 or 3 years of historical data, time series characterized by a marked seasonal variation of the additive type with outbreak, and the absence of discontinuities or large breaks) (8).
Then, the start week of each epidemic was defined by combining a statistical threshold (with three levels) and a variable number of consecutive weeks with a figure above and below it. Both of these parameters impacted criteria performance. The a level of the statistical threshold mostly impacted the sensitivity of detecting the epidemic weeks. Conversely, the criterion's specificity was directly linked to the number of consecutive weeks needed to set the start of an epidemic. Experience has shown that while an increase in the number of cases above the epidemic threshold for a single week is often accounted for by a data transmission error or other extraneous factors, a high level of cases for 2 or more consecutive weeks usually indicates a true rise in incidence (17).
Inevitably, a trade off exists between precision and timeliness when detecting epidemics. From a public health point of view, it is important to balance the risk of wrongly launching an epidemic alert-which entails economic waste and public health implications-with that of launching it so late that the measures will be ineffective or effective too late. With this in mind, the criterion STα level 0.05 (SW2 - EW3) was chosen because it coupled good timeliness and specificity in launching epidemic alerts with a sensitivity, specificity, and PPV in detecting the epidemic weeks not lower than 95%. However, these good performances were only partially observed during the validation period.
Nonetheless, it is important to consider that the expert was asked to identify epidemic periods retrospectively. The a posterior analysis of surveillance data enables the interpretation of data for a specific week while being aware of what the figures are for the week that follows it, information not available when analyzing data on a real-time base. In this case, the additional information drove the expert to set the start of the epidemic for the 2009-2010 season in a week still characterized by an inter-weekly fluctuation, and to disregard a second period of increase as an epidemic.
Indeed, the 2009-2010 bronchiolitis season was peculiar, compared to the previous ones, with a steady increase of cases in the first phase of the epidemics compared to the sudden, dramatic increase seen in previous years. This may have been caused by a pandemic influenza A (H1N1) wave that swept Guadeloupe in mid-August 2009, prior to influenza season, which generally starts in mid-December. In fact, some authors suggest the possibility that the 2009 H1N1 wave impacted the usual dynamics of the hibernal viruses due to an interaction among respiratory viruses (18). Moreover, it is possible that the H1N1 epidemic influenced the practices of physicians in diagnosing respiratory syndromes in children, making GPs more prone to classify them as influenza cases.
Those hypotheses are difficult to assess since Guadeloupe currently lacks a laboratory-based surveillance system for viral respiratory infections other than influenza (e.g., RSV, human parainfluenza viruses, adenovirus, etc.). Information on the circulation of respiratory viruses could support the interpretation of syndromic data.
Regarding the GPs'capacity to correctly classify cases, it should be taken into account that bronchiolitis occurs mainly in children less than 2 years of age with specific clinical symptoms that generally differ from those of influenza. As a consequence, the definitions adopted by the surveillance system for bronchiolitis and influenza-like syndromes are fairly different (15) and have not changed over the years. Nonetheless, results from a recent study on GPs' attitude in the management of bronchiolitis cases in young infants in France suggest that moderate acute bronchiolitis cases were recognized in 59% and 68% of cases in 2003 and 2008, respectively (19). Sentinel GPs in Guadeloupe are generally a well-sensitized physician population, however their classification of cases according to surveillance definitions could be assessed to identify any gaps.
Although the authors consider the syndromic surveillance system in Guadeloupe to be a good tool for monitoring bronchiolitis, and the criterion developed to be a sound step toward more rapid epidemic detection, further improvements are recommended, specifically: the addition of other syndromic health services-based indicators (e.g., emergency department activities), and more importantly, a laboratory-based surveillance system, analogous to those currently operating in other areas of France (13).
Given that bronchiolitis is a major cause of morbidity in young children, preparedness, early detection, and timely response to its outbreaks are imperative and key to prevention and control. The epidemic criterion presented in this paper will help epidemiologists in charge of bronchiolitis surveillance interpret data and issue public health alerts.
In the future, two main challenges will need to be addressed: first, annually updating the statistical threshold according to epidemiologic trends in bronchiolitis, and integrating new indicators into the epidemic criterion; and second, the inclusion of this epidemic criterion in an integrated management strategy for bronchiolitis prevention and control, in par with what has already been achieved for dengue (20). With these aims in mind, the organization of a bronchiolitis public health network in Guadeloupe should be encouraged, as it has been in other parts of France (21).
Acknowledgements. The authors would like to acknowledge Alicia Barrasa and Ioannis Karagiannis for providing valuable expertise during the course of the project. The authors also wish to thank the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET, Stockholm, Sweden) for funding this study through the first author's (ME) fellowship.
1. Deseclos JC. Are there "new" and "old" ways to track infectious disease hazards and outbreaks? Euro Surveill. 2006;11(12). Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=663. Accessed 30 January 2012.
2. Henning KJ. What is syndromic surveillance? MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004;Sep 24 (53 Suppl):5-11.
3. Josseran L, Nicolau J, Caillere N, Astagneau P, Brücker G. Syndromic surveillance based on emergency department activity and crude mortality: two examples. Euro Surveill. 2006;11(12). Available from: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=668. Accessed 30 January 2012.
4. Castagnola D, Flahault A, Galinec D, Garnerin P, Menares J, Valleron AJ. A routine tool for detection and assessment of epidemics of influenza-like syndromes in France. Am J Public Health. 1991;81:97-9.
5. Allard R. Use of time-series analysis in infectious disease surveillance. Bull WHO. 1998;76(4):327-3.
6. Quenel P, Dab W. Influenza A and B epidemic criteria based on time-series analysis of health services surveillance data. European J Epidemiol. 1998;14:275-85.
7. Reis BY, Mandl KD. Time series modelling for syndromic surveillance. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. Available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/3/2 Accessed 30 January 2012.
8. Pelat C, Boelle PY, Cowling BJ, Carrat F, Flahault A, Ansart S, Alain-Valleron AJ. Online detection and quantification of epidemics. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2007; 7:29.
9. Hafen RP, Anderson DE, Cleveland RW, Ebert DS, Abusalah A, Yacout M, et al. Syndromic surveillance: STL for modelling, visualizing, and monitoring disease counts. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2009;9:21.
10. Wainwright C. Acute viral bronchiolitis in children-a very common condition with few therapeutic options. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2010;11(1):39-45.
11. Grimprel E. Epidemiologie de la bronchiolite du nourrisson en France. Arch Pediatr. 2001;8(Suppl 1):83S-92S.
12. Bush A, Thomson H. Acute bronchiolitis. BMJ 2007; 335:1037-41.
13. Caillère N, Josseran L. Surveillance and epidemiology of infant bronchiolitis in France. Arch Pediatr. 2008;15(3):327-8.
14. Union Régionale des Médecins Liberaux, Agence Nationale d'Accreditation et d'Evaluation en Santé. Conférence de consensus : Prise en charge de la bronchiolite du nourrisson. Edinburgh: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network; 2006. Available from: www.has-sante.fr/portail/upload/docs/application/pdf/bronchio.pdf Accessed 30 January 2012.
15. Cassadou S. Le réseau de médecins sentinelles en Guadeloupe. Bulletin d'Alerte et de Surveillance Antilles Guyane. 2008;10: 3-4. Available from: http://www.invs.sante.fr/publications/basag/basag2008_10.pdf Accessed 30 January 2012.
16. Cardoso T, Quenel P. Les réseaux de médecins sentinelles dans les départements français d'Amérique. Bulletin d'Alerte et de Surveillance Antilles Guyane. 2008;10: 2-3. Available from: http://www.invs.sante.fr/publications/basag/basag2008_10.pdf Accessed 30 January 2012.
17. Serfling RE. Methods for current statistical analysis of excess pneumonia-influenza deaths. Public Health Rep. 1963;78:494-506.
18. Casalegno JS, Ottmann M, Bouscambert-Duchamp M, Valette M, Morfin F, Lina B. Impact of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic wave on the pattern of hibernal respiratory virus epidemics, France, 2009. Euro Surveill. 2010;15(6). Available from: www.eurosurveil lance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19485. Accessed 30 January 2012.
19. David M, Luc-Vanuxem C, Loundou A, Bosdure E, Auquier P, Dubus J-C. Assessment of the French Consensus Conference for Acute Viral Bronchiolitis on outpatient management: Progress between 2003 and 2008. Arch Pediatr. 2010;17(2):125-31.
20. Cire Antilles-Guyane. Integrated management strategy for dengue prevention and control in the Caribbean subregion. Bulletin de Veille Sanitaire Antilles Guyane. 2009;8:2-15. Available from: www.invs.sante.fr/publications/bvs/antilles_guyane/2009/bvs8ag82009_08.pdf Accessed 30 January 2012.
21. Sebban S. La France des réseaux bronchiolite. Réseaux, Santé & Territoir. 2010;33(10):14-9.
Manuscript received on 10 December 2011.
Revised version accepted for publication on 13 April 2012.
* Send correspondence to: Martina Escher, firstname.lastname@example.com
1 Preliminary results of the study were presented at the European Scientific Conference on Applied Infectious Disease Epidemiology; in Lisbon, Portugal, 2010 (Abstract 2010329).


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Neuroblastoma is a tumour that arises from the primitive neural crest cells and is the most common extracranial solid malignant tumour in infancy. The most common presentation is an abdominal mass most often palpable in the flank Skin lesions consist of highly characteristic firm, non-tender, slightly blue or bluish-grey metastatic nodules that, due to the release of cathecholamines, tend to blanch and develop a surrounding halo of erythema within 2 minutes after being palpated. Other manifestations include "racoon eyes" which are periorbital ecchymoses resulting from orbital metastases.
Central neuroblastoma, Neuroblastoma, Neuroblastoma, NOS, Neuroblastomas


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I have a drawer filled with USB drives that I've picked up along this windy life of mine but none of them look like Empty Memory, an artsy, almost jewelry-esque USB stick that looks like it's hollow. They only hold 4GB of data but BOY DO THEY LOOK COOL.
Of course, all those invisible good looks come with a hefty price tag. The 4GB stick costs $75 for the stainless steel version and $94 for the rose gold and black rhodium finish. The idea behind the design is that the portion of the stick where you expect the 'storage' to be is actually hollow. It's like a visual mind trick, you're left wondering where the heck all the files, videos, pictures, documents, adult material, etc. you store on USB sticks went.
But the question is! You're only getting 4GB for nearly a hundred bucks. Is that worth it? It's not an egregious amount of money but call me old fashioned because I'm philosophically opposed to paying 20x more than the going price for a 4GB stick (the going price being a quick search on Amazon). So I ask you, dear readers, how much would you pay for this admittedly stylish 4GB USB stick? $20? $40? No amount of money? ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY? Or I guess, how much does style weigh in something as utilitarian as a USB stick? [Logical Art via Laughing Squid]


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Visible-Infrared Whirlpool
This animation transitions from the more familiar visible light image of the "Whirlpool Galaxy" to the dramatic new view captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Revealed are strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion.
The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and is a four-color composite showing light from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light of wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye.
The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation.
In the transition from the visible to the infrared view, the dust lanes seen as dark streaks to the human eye become vivid filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy.
Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations.
The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain.
The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away.
The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.
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Cauldron of Light
In this animation, a seething cauldron of light appears to bubble and ooze around the remains of a giant star that as...
Dissecting a Light Echo
This animation illustrates how a light echo works, and how an optical illusion of material moving outward is created....
Pulling Back the Curtain of Dust
This artist's animation begins by showing a dark and dusty corner of space where little visible light can escape. The...
Blacker than Black
This artist's animation illustrates the hottest planet yet observed in the universe. The scorching ball of gas, a "ho...
Mapping Exotic Worlds
This animation shows the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The map,...
How to Map a Very Faraway Planet
Scientists using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope were able to create the first-ever map of the surface of a planet bey...
Infrared Rose
This movie begins by showing an optical image of the Rosette nebula, a turbulent star-forming region located 5,000 li...
Highway to the Danger Zone
"The further on the edge, the hotter the intensity," sings Kenny Loggins in "Danger Zone," a song made famous by the ...
Two Suns Raise Family of Planetary Bodies
This artist's animation depicts a faraway solar system like our own -- except for one big difference. Planets and ast...
Hot, Dry, and Cloudy (Artist Concept)
This artist's concept animation shows a cloudy Jupiter-like planet that orbits very close to its fiery hot star. NASA...
Stars Spring Up Out of the Darkness
This artist's animation illustrates the universe's early years, from its explosive formation to its dark ages to its ...
Hubble-Spitzer Orion
This video cycles between the Hubble view, the Spitzer view, and the combined Hubble-Spitzer view of the Orion Nebula.
Making a Great Observatories Composite
This video shows how a Hubble image and a Spitzer image of the Orion Nebula were combined to create a new, multi-wave...
Who Ya Gonna Call?
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is a galactic ghost buster, spotting hidden massive stars and other monsters lurking i...
Order Amidst Chaos of Star's Explosion
This artist's animation shows the explosion of a massive star, the remains of which are named Cassiopeia A. NASA's Sp...
Fire and Ice Planet
This artist's animation shows a blistering world revolving around its nearby "sun." NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Tel...
Fire and Ice Planet (without data plot)
This artist's animation shows a blistering world revolving around its nearby "sun." NASA's infrared Spitzer Space Tel...
Journey to Orion
This movie begins with a visible view of the famous Orion constellation. Superimposed on the area near Orion's sword ...
Stars Can't Spin Out of Control
This artist's animation demonstrates how a dusty planet-forming disk can slow down a whirling young star, essentially...
Fade to Red
This animation shows the Andromeda galaxy, first as seen in visible light by the National Optical Astronomy Observato...
Birth of 'Phoenix' Planets?
This artist's animation depicts the explosive death of a massive star, followed by the creation of a disk made up of ...
Cigar Galaxy up in Smoke
This movie compares a visible-light view of the "Cigar galaxy" to an infrared view from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescop...


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Rules on crowdfunding and on how to verify what makes an accredited investor by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, to be written by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), were the focus of a House hearing on Thursday.
At the joint hearing held by the House Financial Services Capital Markets Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on TARP and Financial Services Bailouts, Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J. (left), chairman of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, said that he was "dismayed" with the SEC's recent decision to seek public comment on its proposal on private-offering promotion under the JOBS Act.
"After missing its initial 60-day requirement for the implementation of the General Solicitation part of the bill," the SEC "again delayed implementation" of that segment of the agency's Rule 506 "even after the staff had proposed moving forward with an interim final rule," Garrett said. "This type of delay on what is a very simple and straightforward requirement from Congress is completely unacceptable."
But Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., asked those testifying on the panel if SEC Chairwoman Mary Schapiro's decision to seek a 30-day comment period on the proposal was a good idea, arguing that the SEC rulemaking process allows for a comment period.
Robert Thompson, professor at Georgetown University Law Center, agreed that it was the correct move, and responded that "by not seeking public comment, the SEC was increasing the risk of litigation." The SEC, he said, "has to worry about if this rulemaking will stand up to litigation."
After repeated complaints, SEC Chairwoman Mary Schapiro decided to back away from issuing the rule and instead put the rule out for public comment. The agency was barraged with complaints from groups like the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) and Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) for circumventing its traditional practice of putting rules out for comment before issuing them.
In putting Rule 506 out for comment, Schaprio explained that the rule "is one of the exemptions that has been widely used by U.S. and foreign issuers to raise capital without registering their securities offerings." In 2011, she said, "the estimated amount of capital raised in these types of exempt offerings was just over $1 trillion, which is comparable to the amount of capital raised in registered offerings during this same period."
When the commission adopted Rule 506 more than three decades ago, the agency said, "the issuer, or any person acting on its behalf, could use the exemption only if they were not offering or selling securities through general solicitation or general advertising," Schapiro explained.
The JOBS Act, however, directs the SEC "to lift this prohibition as well as a similar prohibition contained in Rule 144A of the Securities Act," she said, and with respect to Rule 506 offerings, the Act "directs the Commission to permit such general solicitation, provided that all purchasers of the securities are accredited investors."
The JOBS Act further says that the SEC's rule "shall require the issuer to take reasonable steps to verify" an investor's accredited status, using such methods as determined by the agency. The Hedge Fund Association (HFA) told the SEC in a Sept. 13 comment letter that the agency must "specifically tell private fund managers what they will need to do to safely verify whether investors are accredited, should they want to advertise" after the JOBS Act rules are finalized.
Richard Heller, chairman of the HFA's Regulatory and Government Advisory Board and author of the letter, said that "the SEC's pragmatism is notable in its 'reasonable steps' standard, but managers need to know that what they are doing is legal before they will take advantage of new opportunities given by this law."
The HFA suggested that the SEC define a "safe harbor," or a provision within the regulation which will eliminate managers' liability under the law in connection with verifying investor accreditation should they perform those activities within certain defined standards. Ideally, says the group, "in order to comply it should be sufficient for an asset manager to receive a signed subscription agreement from an investor in which that person unequivocally affirms that he or she is an accredited investor."
Another issue discussed at the hearing was crowdfunding, part of the JOBS Act that was signed into law in April, and one of the top 10 investors threats recently cited by NASAA.
Since the JOBS Act took effect, Matt Kitzi, Missouri Securities Commissioner and chair of NASAA's Enforcement Section, said that "the number of entities pitching themselves as crowdfunding vehicles online has risen dramatically—from a couple hundred to about 1,700." However, he noted, "none of the domain name holders can do anything until rules are written" regarding crowdfunding. That's what the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is grappling with now. NASAA expects such rules to come next year.
Jeffrey Van Winkle, a partner at Clark Hill PLC, speaking on behalf of the National Small Business Association, told lawmakers that the passage of the JOBS Act "demonstrates a broad bipartisan understanding that existing securities laws pose an unreasonable burden on the ability of small firms to access the capital markets, harming economic growth and job creation."
He said the National Small Business Administration is "deeply concerned that either the SEC or FINRA or both will impose such a high regulatory burden on issuers and crowdfunding portals that important aspects of the JOBS Act may become a dead letter." This, he continued, "would frustrate the intent of Congress and the president. It would have a severely adverse impact on the ability of small firms to raise the capital necessary to create jobs and to play a major role in improving the U.S. economy."
Moreover, he argued, "there are important indications that the SEC and FINRA are moving too slowly to implement the JOBS Act."


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Dinner Tonight: Charred Eggplant Salad Recipe
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
"Somehow, the eggplant comes off with a distinct smoky aroma that you'll swear must have been cooked over charcoal."
Eggplants always amaze me. They're my favorite vegetable to cook with since they can be manipulated in such exciting ways. This recipe from Chow grills them until they're tender and soft, then mixes them with an astonishing number of herbs including basil, mint, scallion, and parsley. Thinly sliced red onions, which quickly marinate in some red wine vinegar, provide a nice balance. The resulting salad is acidic, fresh-tasting, but still full of depth.
Chow has its own method for grilling eggplants, but I'm quite fond of a technique I learned a few years ago from KCRW's Good Food podcast. All you'll need is a heavy iron skillet. Lay the eggplant on a hot iron skillet and turn them every five minutes or so until they're blackened and very soft.
Somehow, the eggplant comes off with a distinct smoky aroma that you'll swear must have been cooked over charcoal. I used this technique to make some great baba ghanoush before and it worked equally well.
- Yield:4
- 2 large eggplants
- 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 6 basil leaves, finely chopped
- 6 mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pita bread
Heat your grill or large iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the eggplants on the grill or skillet and cook for about 6 minutes per side, or until skins are stiff and the flesh is very soft. It should take anywhere from 24 to 30 minutes. When done, set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Add the sliced onion to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of the salt and pour in the vinegar. Let them marinate for at least 5 minutes, but preferably longer.
When the eggplant is cool, remove the skins and roughly chop up the pulp. Transfer to a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, and then add the onions and vinegar.
Serve with some warm pita bread.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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The vehicle registration regulations of some countries require Vespa models with 50cc or less to have a differently sized number plate to vehicles with a larger cubic capacity. Consequently, when increasing the cc of the motor a (usually larger) number plate is then necessary for continued legal road use. Regrettably the fixing holes in your new plate do not often match the existing ones in the frame of your scooter, resulting in crooked positioning and/or undesirable extra holes being drilled.
This can be avoided with the use of these suitably dimensioned number plate holders. The mounting holes correspond with those originally found on the scooters frame making any extra drilling unnecessary while mounting your new number plate.
We have these items produced using plastic, steel and stainless steel with a base paint or chromed and polished finish. Some number plate holders are provided with frame fixing screw recesses, ensuring optimal number plate positioning.
Conclusion: Useful accessory for a perfectly street-legal look.
SIP-TIP : Do not forget to order a sufficient amount of suitable fixing screws (M5/6x20mm), our very own SIP Style screws (eg #75205700 for a MOD look) provide real eye-catching details!


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Who's your video game hero?
From sports to comics, every kind of fun has its heroes. Here are some top video game heroes and their latest games.
MARIO: The mustachioed plumber is always saving Princess Peach. He has been in more than 200 games, including last year's terrific Mario Kart Wii.
CRASH BANDICOOT: The wacky marsupial continues his fight against Dr. Neo Cortex, most recently in Crash: Mind Over Mutant (Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older).
SONIC: The speedy adventurer is featured in more than 100 games, 36 for mobile phones alone. He currently stars in Sonic and the Black Knight (Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older).
LINK: The Legend of Zelda hero proves his bravery with his Master Sword in every game, most recently Phantom Hourglass.
POKEMON: With about 500 Pokemon, it's hard to pick just one hero. Maybe that's why the series, with the new Pokemon Platinum, has sold more than 175 million games.
SPONGEBOB: The buck-toothed sea sponge appears in dozens of video games (even Monopoly), including 2008's standout Drawn to Life.
SPYRO: The perky purple dragon joined forces with former enemy Cynder in last year's Dawn of the Dragon (Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older). Keep an eye out for the Spyro movie in 3D.


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MasterChef CenturionMasterChef Centurion or MasterChef team Building Centurion is presented at Rooihuiskraal Historical Terrain, a Cooking Competition, Cooking Team Building Competition. Where applicable, alcoholic beverages can be arranged.
MasterChef can be presented @ your Office
Potjiekos Competition:
Each team (10 – 12 Team Members) receives a No3 Potjie, Meat, Vegetables and some of the ingredients to make their Potjie. Teams have to barter for their much needed ingredients a.k.a Beg, Borrow or Steal. The teams also have to make Greek salad and to get everybody involved in the competition.
Braai Master:
Each team receives a Mystery Box containing a Braai, Meat, Ingredients, Utensils and spices. build your Braai and make a Fire while the team Prepares the Meat, Salad and Bread Dow. Judging is based on cleanliness, presentation and Team Spirit. Teams take their Braais home after the event'.
Cake Boss:
A race against time to create a master piece according to theme.
Communication is the key as only one person is allowed to be by the Cake at any time. When the untimely whistle blows the team members must rotate and each team member has to get a turn.
Teams might have to also prepare a Salad, Bake a Bread or Theme and Decorate their Table or Stand
All our Events are Fully Catered with Mineral Waters, Cold Drinks, Snacks & Side dishes to accompany your prepared meal
Halal Equipment is available to prepare meals
09h00 Arrival
Meet at Rooihuiskraal Historical Terrain
09h15 Arrival Refreshments
Tea, Coffee and Muffins
09h30 Ice breakers
Meet your facilitator as company and have a laugh with some Fun activities before the competition starts
10h15 Refreshment Break
Mineral water and comfort break
10h30 Minute To Win It /Amazing Race / Corporate Olympics
11h30 Refreshment Break
Boerewors Rolls and Cold Drinks
12h00 Potjiekos Competition / Braai Master
13h30 Cake Boss
14h00 Lunch
The Prepared meals and Salads are served with side dishes i.e. Garlic Bread, Rice, Pap etc.
Halal Meals are ordered from certified suppliers.
14h45 Awards
Announcement of the winning team
15h00 Departure at Leisure
Master Chef Team Building Centurion, MasterChef Team Building Centurion, MasterChef Teambuilding Centurion, Master Chef Centurion, MasterChef Centurion, Team Build Cooking Centurion, Teambuild Cooking Centurion, Cooking Team Building Centurion, Cooking Teambuilding Centurion, Potjiekos Competition Team Building Centurion, Potjiekos Competition Teambuilding Centurion


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Click on more info to Add to order and more
Product code: 301540
The Powerseat family is an electro-hydraulically operated range of gas safety shut-off valves with ultra high flow rates and a range of associated accessories. Their primary function is the on-off control of low pressure combustible gases, air and oil. They may be used for both control and safety shutoff purposes. The valves are suitable for the three families of combustible gas as follows, 1st, town gas;2nd, natural gas and 3rd, Liquefied Petroleum Gases. They are suitable for oil with a viscosity of up to 200 seconds Redwood.


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Planck overview
Status: Post-operations
To map the relic radiation from the Big Bang with improved sensitivity and resolution, and testing theories on the birth and evolution of the Universe.
Planck is ESA's time machine, looking back to the dawn of time close to the Big Bang, about 13.7 billion years ago. Planck's objective was to analyse, with the highest accuracy ever achieved, the remnants of the radiation that filled the Universe immediately after the Big Bang – observed today as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB).
The results are helping astronomers in deciding which theories on the birth and evolution of the Universe are correct, for example, did the Universe start its life with a rapid period of expansion?
But first, Planck had to detect and understand the foreground emissions that lie between us and the Universe's first light. Planck's first scientific data and results were released in January 2011, and the first cosmological results were publishing in March 2013.
What's special?
Planck was Europe's first mission to study the relic radiation from the Big Bang.
The temperature of this CMB radiation has already been measured as approximately 2.7 K, but Planck provides even more precise measurements with an accuracy set by fundamental astrophysical limits. In other words, it will be impossible to ever take better images of this radiation than those obtained from Planck.
Scientists also know from previous observations that slightly hotter or colder patches – anisotropies – appear in the sky, different by one part in 100 000. These differences in temperature are the imprints left in the CMB by the primeval 'seeds' of today's huge concentrations of matter – galaxies and galaxy clusters, for example. Planck's high sensitivity resulted in the best ever map of anisotropies in the CMB, enabling scientists to learn more about the evolution of structure in the Universe.
To complete these highly sensitive measurements, Planck observed in nine wavelength bands, from one centimetre to one third of a millimetre, corresponding to a range of wavelengths from microwaves to the very far infrared. Planck's detectors were cooled to temperatures very close to the absolute zero, otherwise their own emission of heat would spoil the measurements.
The Planck spacecraft is approximately 4.2 m high and 4.2 m wide. The primary mirror is 1.5 m and is accompanied by two science instruments: the Low Frequency Instrument (LFI), which operates between 30 and 70 GHz, and the High Frequency Instrument (HFI), which operated between 100 and 857 GHz.
HFI completed its survey in January 2012. LFI continued to operate, with science operations concluding in October 2013.
Planck launched on 14 May 2009 on an Ariane 5 from ESA's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It shared a ride into orbit with ESA's Herschel spacecraft. The two spacecraft operated independently.
Planck operated from a Lissajous orbit around the second Lagrangian point of the Sun–Earth system (L2), a virtual point located 1.5 million km from Earth in the direction opposite to the Sun.
Planck was formerly called COBRAS/SAMBA (Cosmic Background Radiation Anisotropy Satellite and Satellite for Measurement of Background Anisotropies), since the mission grew out of a pair of proposals with similar objectives.
It was renamed on approval of the mission in 1996 in honour of the German scientist Max Planck (1858-1947) who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1918.
ESA's Planck observatory follows NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer, COBE, and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, WMAP.
The Prime Contractor for the Planck satellite was Alcatel Alenia Space (Cannes, France), which lead a consortium of industrial partners with the Alcatel Alenia Space industry branch in Torino, Italy, responsible for the Service Module. ESA and the Danish National Space Centre (Copenhagen, Denmark, funded by the Danish Natural Science Research Council) were responsible for the provision of Planck's telescope mirrors, manufactured by EADS Astrium (Friedrichshafen, Germany).
The Low Frequency Instrument was designed and built by a Consortium (led by the Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica (IASF) in Bologna, Italy) of scientists and Institutes from Italy, Finland, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The High Frequency Instrument (HFI) was designed and built by a Consortium (led by the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (CNRS) in Orsay, France) of scientists and Institutes from France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland.
Many funding agencies contributed to the LFI and HFI instruments hardware; the major ones are: CNES (F), ASI (I), NASA (USA), PPARC (UK), Tekes (FIN), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain), and ESA.


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Queen Snake
* Currently accepted name
* scientific names used through time
- Coluber septemvittatus – SAY 1825
- Tropidonotus leberis – DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854
- Tropidonotus septemvittatus – BOULENGER 1893
- Natrix septemvittata – BURT 1933
- Regina septemvittata – CONANT & COLLINS 1991
Description Average adult size is 14-23 inches (35.5-58.4 cm), record is 36 inches (91.4 cm). Adults are slender, brownish to olive-green, with a yellowish stripe on the lower side of a body. The belly is reddish with two rows of dark spots that converge to form a single stripe beneath the chin and tail. Some individuals may have a predominantly dark belly, or loose their distinctive striped pattern with age, which is only apparent near the head. The scales are keeled and there are 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juvenile coloratioin is similar to that of adults, but may exhibit three additional stripes along the length of the back.
A. Top of the head (notice the large plate-like scales on the top of the head)
B. Underside of the head (chin and throat)
C. Keeled scales
D. Side of the head
E. Front (face view) of the head
F. Elongated scales below the tail (subcaudal scales) are typically divided
Range: In Florida, the Queen Snake occurs in the panhandle. Outside of Florida, it occurs north to Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Canada. There are disjunct populations in Arkansas and Missouri.
Habitat: Uncommon, found in cypress strands, rivers, streams, creeks, and marshes.
Comments: HARMLESS (Non-Venomous). The Queen Snake is aquatic. It is occasionally found under rocks and logs near water or basking in vegetation overhanging water. Adults feed primarily on soft-shelled crayfish, but will eat other aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, and fishes. It is live-bearing, with 10-12 young born in the summer months.
Comparison with other species: The Striped Crayfish Snake (Regina alleni) has an unpatterned belly and smooth scales. The Gulf Crayfish Snake (Regina rigida sinicola) has a thin black stripe within the yellowish stripe on the side of the body. The Glossy Crayfish Snake (Regina rigida rigida) has faint, dusky stripes on the sides of the throat.


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Why sports are non-negotiable in my family
Millions of us watched the Olympics, awed by the artistry of sheer physical excellence. The stirring theme song is silent now, and we're back to our ordinary routines of work, school, and whatever. For an increasing number of our kids, however, the "whatever" is less and less likely to involve sports. By age 13, 70% of kids have dropped out of organized sports—and, often, out of physical activity altogether.
The media and celebrities, including Michelle Obama, are all over the issue of childhood obesity; encouraging kids to play sports is certainly one way to keep our kids healthy. We live in a sedentary, information-oriented world. Gone are the days when a child's day naturally involved physical work or even vigorous outdoor play in the neighborhood. Today's kids are more likely to be working their thumbs on cell phones or Play Station than working out, unless mom and dad shuttle them to sports practices.
From my perspective, however, the value of sports is way bigger than lowering cholesterol and shedding pounds. Training for and competing in sports are necessary to give our kids the mental toughness they need not only to succeed in life, but also to become saints. When we let our kids drop out of or avoid sports activities, we run the risk of raising 'soft' kids who can't endure the natural physical difficulties of life without complaint, therapy, or giving up. That's no way to build a strong human being, and it's certainly not what makes saints.
It troubles me when I see parents—especially those who are doing a great job forming their kids intellectually and spiritually--undervalue the role of sports. I hear parents say with a shrug that their kids "aren't interested" in playing sports. They just "don't want to." (Certainly problems like high-pressure coaches may contribute to a child's reluctance—but that's a topic for another discussion.) Other parents, especially those whose children are more inclined to reading, music, or art, see no need for their children to waste time on sports when their natural gifts lie elsewhere. So all these kids quit sports, or never even get started. I think that's a huge mistake.
Our children need to build the habit—in body and mind--of facing physical difficulty with perseverance, goal-orientation, and confidence. We must help them learn to master their bodies--to integrate their choice to pursue the good with the habitual capacity to follow through. Otherwise, their good intentions and untested "virtues" will easily crumble in the face of the physical challenges that simply cannot be avoided in life.
Life is often painful, sweaty, and uncomfortable. Just like sports. We don't get to choose whether to "sign up" for chronic illness, devastating disease, or even old age. And while we don't want to frame our kids' participation in sports around preparing them for the really bad things in life, we as parents need to keep in mind that we cannot prevent physical suffering for our kids. We can only prepare them for it: we can help them build virtue in the face of it.
A friend's daughter developed a brain tumor at 10 and suffered through two years of painful treatments and increasing disability before dying, but it was her athletic spirit that kept her fighting. Even at her young age, she had learned how to take pain and push through it, keeping her mind's eye on the goal. Before she got sick, it meant running laps and doing wind sprints for basketball, so that she'd have the stamina to score with her signature layup all through the game. After she become ill, it meant eating when she didn't want to and continuing normal activities that were suddenly grueling. Restored health and functioning were the goals set before her. And as it became clear that she was losing the physical battle, she shifted her goal and kept her eyes on her eternal prize, knowing that her sufferings would turn into elation when the final buzzer sounded. Both in life and in dying, her physical courage intertwined with simple faith. Not a coincidence.
Just as we can't choose whether to sign up for physical challenges, neither do we get to "quit" when life's requirements are tedious or painful. Any mom who has lumbered through her ninth month of pregnancy in August knows what I mean. Our daughters need the mental toughness that will help them persevere, as moms, through the physical pains of childbirth and the months of bone-wearying, sleepless nights that may follow. Both our sons and daughters need to practice overcoming their bodies' complaints, learning to transcend tiredness, pain, and monotony for the sake of a worthy goal.
It's physical perseverance, for sure, but even more importantly it's mental discipline, a requirement for growing in virtue. One young mom I know works two jobs right now, while pregnant with her second child, because her husband cannot find work. Exhausting? Yes, but she's got the discipline and the fortitude to push through fatigue and mental discouragement, eyes firmly fixed on one goal: keeping her family solvent. She has what it takes to "just do it."
When it comes right down to it, living the virtuous life is often a matter of "just doing it," step-by-step perseverance in the ordinary duties of our vocation. My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the young age of 42. Every physical movement now, ten years later, from walking to getting dressed to typing on his Blackberry, takes the mental toughness of a quarter-miler running repeat intervals on a swelteringly hot day. He can't quit just because the routine's gotten old and no spectators are cheering on the sidelines of his daily challenge. For my sons, the daily discipline of working out—whether they feel like it or not—will, I hope, give them the capacity to persevere, to rise above the physical sufferings they will surely endure in their own lives, in the same way that their father perseveres in his.
The best thing about sports, however, just as in life, is that sometimes we can catch a glimpse of heaven, knowing that, "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. " [2 Tim 4:7] Our kids can experience the satisfaction of training well, giving their best, and finishing the race utterly spent but down-deep happy. The uninhibited joy of a last-minute touchdown, the elation of a best time, and the unity of a team effort all foreshadow a bit of the joy of heaven.
Our kids will have their own Olympic moments if we train them well. More than likely it will not be in front of worldwide TV cameras, but alone on the field, the track or in the pool—when they push on even though it hurts and they just "don't want to." Later in life, the cumulative value of their Olympic moments will be much greater than a gold medal sitting in a safe deposit box. It all adds up to priceless virtue and saintly character that will bring them across the finish line to an eternal reward. Now that's real victory in my book.
So please share…tell us how your child faced a character-building challenge in sports and experienced his or her own "Olympic moment. "
Topics: Culture , Current Events , Health , Parenting , Personal Growth