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The history of catastrophic industrial explosions is a long and truly horrible one. In 1921, a silo containing 4500 tons of ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate exploded at BASF in Germany, killing 561 workers. The explosion was so massive it was felt 300 miles away and left a crater more than 70 ft deep. In 1971, a flower mill exploded in Germany and resulted in the death of 17 workers. In 1984, an explosion in Bhopal, India immediately killed 2259 people. In 2001, a dust explosion in Toulouse, France resulted in 31 deaths. [1]
There have been many explosions in the U.S. as well, including at Imperial Sugar in 2008, where 14 died and 60 were injured; Hoeganaes Corp. in 2011, in which five died in three separate incidents in less than five months; West Pharmaceutical, 2003, where six died and 38 were injured. All of these incidents were caused by combustible dust or gas related explosions [1]
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), at least 350 explosions caused by combustible dust killed 130 workers and injured more than 800 since 1980. There are a number of statistics available from insurers and others that show the property damage caused by an explosion could range anywhere from an average of $400,000 to $1.6 million in loss per explosion incident [2]. Destroyed buildings and the huge loss of production, as well as the cost of reinvesting in new production equipment, can run into the billions of dollars. The average downtime after an explosion can be estimated to be at least several months, that is, long enough for customers to find another supplier [3]
The explosion at Imperial Sugar in Georgia in 2008 is the watershed "catastrophic" event, which resulted in a re-issuance of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and implementation of a National Emphasis Program -- strict enforcement -- by OSHA. More than 30,000 companies have been made aware of combustible dust hazards and of the need for strict compliance with the NFPA standards.[4]
Some random measures have been undertaken over the years to curtail risks in production. Smoking is no longer allowed in any production facility and welding has to be done with special precaution taken, special permission/permitting and strict direction. Even cell phones are banned in some production facilities.
But to achieve a truly safe production facility, a modern explosion protection solution must consist of
* Prevention of explosive atmospheres
* Avoidance of the ignition of explosive atmospheres
* Mitigation of the effects of an explosion to an acceptable level
Prerequisites for Explosion
Any dust that has a KST value greater than 0 is defined as being a combustible dust under by OSHA Guidance [5] therefore, measures to avoid or reduce the damage caused by an explosion are mandatory. This dust is not dangerous as long as the other elements of the so-called Explosion Pentagon are absent.
For example, sugar or flour stored in bags in a warehouse or other confined area are harmless products as long the fine dust particles are not airborne and dispersed, creating a concentration in the air which is defined to be combustible.
In addition, a source of ignition has to be present, which can be a mechanically-created spark, a spark created by discharging static electricity, a hot surface, or an open fire.
If you have all of the elements — combustible dust, a confined area, oxygen, an ignition source, and perfect dispersion of dust particles — an explosion would occur. But, the truly catastrophic results of these explosions are actually caused by the maximum explosion pressure build-up in the confined area. This build-up could burst the enclosure which would not be able to withstand the pressure. Both fragments of metal and flames released into work areas would cause deadly injuries and extensive property damage.
And then there is the secondary explosion. Typically, the exploding enclosure/enclosed area is connected to another room or other enclosure (a dust collector might be connected to a mixer or blender, for example). The shock wave of the first explosion "blows" into perfectly dispersed airborne dust in the connecting enclosure or enclosed area, causing catastrophic damage reminiscent of recent combustible dust explosions. Given the explosion risk potential in manufacturing facilities, what should a modern explosion protection solution include?
Prevention of Explosive Atmospheres
Explosion prevention, also known in the past as primary explosion protection, includes all measures to be undertaken to avoid a combustible atmosphere:
Substitution: includes, for example, suspension of highly combustible aluminum powder in oil to avoid reaction with oxygen via a fine layer of oil around each particle
Cleaning and Diluting: This is the housekeeping issue. Avoid dust accumulations in production that otherwise cause a combustible atmosphere when airborne. Cleaning dusty areas with pressurized air is no longer allowed; vacuum systems must be used. [6] Even vacuum system equipment must be explosion-proof,[7] since the accumulation of dust inside these systems creates an explosion risk if there is a source of ignition.
Conditioning of a combustible into a non-combustible product: This procedure, sometimes as simple as spraying water on powders, is quite often used in coal mines and wood processing industries.[8] NFPA 120,664 Conditioning finds its limitations if moisture changes the worth or handling of product so, for example, pneumatic conveying processes cannot be conditioned.
Blanketing with Inert Gas: This procedure quite often is used in batch operations such as in pharmaceutical production and can be quite costly.
Some measures of explosion prevention are not practical and find their limitations especially in the food processing industry. So, for example, neither water nor oil can be used to produce flour or coffee!
Avoidance of the Ignition of Explosive Atmospheres
This second step to explosion protection includes taking all possible measures to avoid any source of ignition such as mechanically generated sparks, flames, hot surfaces, avoiding static electricity (grounding of all equipment is mandatory), using only intrinsically safe electric/electronic parts. [9]
Now, in accordance with prevention of explosive atmospheres theory, if you could eliminate ignition sources with 100% certainty, eliminate oxygen with 100% certainty, or control dust concentrations, there would be no need for additional combustible dust explosion protection because you would have eliminated a required element for a combustible dust explosion.
In real processes, control of dust concentration and concentration of oxygen is quite difficult and expensive. Redundant systems increase the cost of investment.
Avoiding ignition sources is mandatory and the first step for explosion prevention, but controlling ignition sources is not enough since an unforeseeable ignition can result from something as simple as a screw or hammer dropping and causing a spark. Prevention and avoidance of ignition of explosive atmospheres alone will not eliminate the risk of an explosion.
In many production processes, fine particles are created, either by grinding, conveying, or any other step in processing. In almost all industries, it is recognized that these fine particulates create an environmental problem or health hazard for workers operating in an enclosed area.
Dust collecting systems are installed to eliminate these issues,[10] but they create a whole new set of risks. Despite the first reported combustible dust explosion in an Italian flour mill in 1785,[11] the knowledge that some fine particulates could mix with air in a confined space and cause a combustible mixture under the right set of circumstances has been ignored or neglected.
Today, thousands of dust collectors fulfill the requirement of providing clean air for a manufacturing environment but many, perhaps most, of these dust collectors do not have proper explosion protection. Many of them do not even have a simple explosion panel. Yet they are installed indoors and cause an even higher risk for workers and property than would be the case without the dust collectors at all.
Mitigation of the Effects of an Explosion: Combustible Dust Explosion Protection
As far back as the 1920s, combustible dust standards were issued by the NFPA. The first standards appeared as recommendations, whereas the newer standards seem to "imply" a mandatory approach to protect against the risk of combustible dust explosions, especially in light of OSHA's
National Emphasis Program that is essentially enforcing the NFPA standards for combustible dust through its general duty clause.
NFPA 68, 69 and 654 are general standards for a wide variety of industries:
NFPA 68 describes the need for explosion venting and the calculation of the vent area required. NFPA 69 provides a description of how to prevent an explosion. NFPA 654 can be described as the process standard, giving guidance on how to isolate an enclosure to prevent flame propagation and secondary explosions.
Mitigation of Explosion Effects: Indoor Venting As the Third Layer of Modern Explosion Protection
The most commonly used method for deflagration prevention in the U.S. is chemical suppression and, for many years, was the only method used to protect indoor enclosures from the risk of combustible dust explosions where venting to the outside wasn't an option. With chemical suppression, bottles of an extinguishing agent under pressure of 80 Barg are installed in an enclosure or duct. These bottles are triggered by devices such as spark detectors or pressure sensors. In the event a spark or increase in pressure is detected, the suppression bottles quickly release their agent and extinguish the flame, thereby stopping propagation.
One real drawback to chemical suppression is the "false triggering" of the system due to sudden but small changes of pressure in real world manufacturing processes. After "false triggering," the process being protected by suppression is contaminated and has to be cleaned. The suppression bottles must be refilled or replaced and the system must be recertified by authorized personnel. Thus, a facility will suffer from downtime and real expenditures due to "false triggering". [12]
In addition, in small enclosures, chemical suppression reaction time might not be fast enough to reduce the pressure build-up inside an enclosure below the enclosure's design pressure. Bursting of the enclosure or deformation could be the result.
Lastly, suppression systems require quarterly maintenance per NFPA 69, by authorized personnel (which is quite often the vendor's personnel) and create high maintenance costs for the lifetime of production.
For products/dusts with very high Kst values, suppression systems are still the only choice for explosion prevention for enclosures located indoors that cannot be vented to the outside. For the vast majority of applications, however, indoor flameless venting systems are the best solution.
Flameless Venting
Today, there are options for safely venting indoor enclosures. Explosion vents or panels are the least expensive method of venting an enclosure so long as that enclosure can be safely ducted to the outside. After an event, the vent must be replaced.
NFPA 68 describes the calculation of the vent area necessary to safely vent the deflagration, based on KST value and Pmax, the maximum explosion pressure and the Pred, or reduced design pressure, of the enclosure.
Many dust collectors are installed indoors; they are located close to the source of dust, and frequently away from outside walls. Any duct between the dust collector and the wall that will "lead" explosion pressure to the outside will cause back pressure. This has a huge impact on the strength of the dust collector. [13]
There are many dust collectors installed with a very low Pred, either because they have been so designed, without taking into consideration the potential of an explosion, or they have weakened after many years of use. The average Pred of rectangular dust collectors today is less than 0.3 Barg.
There are many experts, OSHA inspectors, and publication editorials that have, over the years, recommended that a dust collector be installed outdoors to avoid the catastrophic results of a combustible dust explosion. In fact, this is simply wrong and not practical. This "solution" would cost industry a fortune to relocate dust collectors and install more powerful blowers and fans and result in a tremendous increase in energy costs.
Let us remember that simply placing a dust collector or other enclosure outdoors does not necessarily reduce the risk of property damage or people being injured or killed. If an event occurs, the length of the flame can be 100 ft or longer and, therefore, care must always be taken to be sure that an explosion vent/panel does not face the direction of a neighboring building, a driveway, or other area where people or vehicles could be located. And, for some production, dust collectors must be installed inside. This is true, for example, of sugar-based products. Changes in temperature and humidity would block filter elements. In such cases, and in many others, indoor flameless venting is the best option.
An explosion can be vented safely indoors (as well as outdoors) with a flameless venting system.[14]
Flameless Venting Technology
Flameless venting technology was invented in the 1990s in Europe by REMBE GmbH. The flameless vent consists of a cage, wrapped with a specially-developed mesh material. The bottom of the cage is hermetically sealed with a round burst panel.
Once a deflagration starts, the increasing pressure causes the rupture disc to burst. Flame and dust shoot into the cylindrical body of the. Because the mesh material provides a very large surface area, the heat is dissipated. Dust particles cannot pass through the mesh material and are also kept inside the cylinder.
The increase of pressure outside of the flameless vent is negligible when an event occurs and the rupture disc bursts. There is no pressure wave so no dust will become airborne and create the potential for a secondary explosion.
Some of the flameless venting systems have an ATEX system certificate and can be installed indoors to safely vent an explosion; these systems are also in accordance with NFPA regulations and may be Factory Mutual approved.
Flameless venting systems are passive systems. They don't need any other device (such as a spark detector or sensor) to be triggered; the explosion pressure will activate the system. While other prevention systems, like suppression systems, do need quarterly maintenance, flameless venting systems do not. The burst panel of the flameless vent is specifically equipped with burst sensors. Once an explosion occurs, the signal is activated to shut down the entire process.
Just as a point of information, in accordance with NFPA 654, an enclosure – in many cases a dust collector – also must be isolated to prevent flame propagation into adjacent enclosures causing secondary explosions [15].
For companies having converted from suppression systems to flameless venting, the cost savings are enormous. The average downtime after an explosion is suppressed can be more than three days due to the need to clean the entire production line to eliminate the suppression agent. Compare this with a system protected with a flameless vent: the downtime is significantly reduced to just the time it takes to replace the panel and rinse the vent.[16]
During the past 10 years, indoor venting has become more popular in North America, not only because of its effectiveness in eliminating the risk of damage and fatality, but also for economic reasons. Dust collectors don't have to be relocated or placed outside and downtime caused by false triggering does not occur with passive indoor venting systems. Maintenance costs are dramatically reduced. If an event occurs, replacing the indoor venting system disc is fairly easy and production is able to resume within a short period of time.
Dr. Gerd Ph. Mayer is president, REMBE Inc., For more information, visit www.rembe.us.
[1] Oppau explosion, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppau_explosion; Preventing and Mitigating the Effects of Fire and Explosions, OSHA SHIB 73105; Combustible dust: Identifying, addressing explosion risks can save lives, by Tony Supine and Mike Walters, Plant Engineering, June 2012; Dust explosions-Cases, causes, consequences, and control, Tasneem Abbasi, S.A; Published dissertation November 2006 http://www.aseanenvironment.info/Abstract/41014595.pdf
[2] Understanding the Hazard, FM Global; P0108, 9/2003; http://osbie.on.ca/help/pdf/P0108_Eng.pdf; Combustible Dust: Safety and Injury Prevention, Awareness Training Program,
[3] Modern Dust Explosion Protection of Men and Machines,
http://www.bulk-solids handling.com/safety_environment/explosion_protection_fire_protection/articles/262074/
[4] Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program, OSHA Directive CPL 03-00-008, 3/11/2008. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=directives&p_id=3830
[5] Hazardous Communication Guidance for Combustible Dusts, US DOL, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA 3371-08, 2009, p.9.
[6] National Fire Protection Association standards: NFPA 654,2013.
[7] National Fire Protection Association standards: NFPA 654, 2013.
[8] National Fire Protection Association standards: NFPA 120, 2010.
[9] National Fire Protection Association standards: NFPA 654, 2013.
[10] "Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of recommended Practices", ACGIH, 28th edition, 2013
[11] "A Brief History of Dust Explosions" Verakis, Harry C; Nagy, John J, in Industrial Dust Explosions, ASTM STP 958. Kenneth L. Cashdollar and Martin Hertzberg, eds. American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1987, p 342.
[12] The Future of Explosion Protection; www.bulk-solids handling.com/safety_environment/explosion_protection_fire_protection/articles/360386/index2.htm
[13] Ralph Foiles, To Vent or Not to Vent, Chemical Engineering, 2004, www.processprotection.net/pdf/2.pdf
[14] Bill Stevenson, Confection Manufacturer Analyzes Dust Explosions, Association for Facilities Engineering, September/October 2003.
[15] National Fire Protection Association standards: NFPA 654, 2013 edition; NFPA 61, 2013;NFPA 68, 2007; NFPA 69, 2008.
See also:
Ergun, Emre: Explosion Protection System Selection, Chemical Processing Powder e Handbook, 2012.
Related articles:
Industry Experts Weigh In on West, TX Explosion
Spark Detection: First Line of Defense for Preventing Combustible Dust Fires and Explosions


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Hylobates agilis
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Hylobates agilis F. Cuvier, 1821
Common Name(s):
Hylobates albo Ludeking, 1862 ssp. griseus
Hylobates albo Ludeking, 1862 ssp. nigrescens
Hylobates rafflei É. Geoffroy, 1828
Hylobates unko Lesson, 1829
|Taxonomic Notes:
|There is debate as to the validity of the subspecies. The general consensus seems to be that this species is monotypic, though some experts recognize two subspecies: H. a. agilis to the west, and H. a. unko to the east (these may possibly correspond with "mountain" and "lowland" forms, respectively). All this is not to be confused with the two main color morphs found throughout the species' range, though in general the pale morph is more common in the Barisan Range of Sumatra, while in the eastern lowlands and in the Malay Peninsula black predominates (Marshall and Sugardjito 1986).
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Endangered A2cd ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
|Geissmann, T. & Nijman, V.
|Mittermeier, R.A. & Rylands, A.B. (Primate Red List Authority)
The species is considered Endangered in light of a continued decline inferred from habitat loss, calculated to be > 50% over the past 45 years (3 generations), in combination with illegal trade for the pet market. Threats are driven primarily in the Sumatran portion of its range where the species seems to be declining rapidly and is certainly endangered. On the mainland (Peninsular Malaysia and Thailand), there seem to be a number of stable populations, but the range has contracted. The species is entirely confined to closed canopy forest, and thus, habitat conversion, road building and fragmentation are increasingly threatening the species.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|This species is found in Sumatra (Indonesia) (southeast of Lake Toba and the Singkil River), Peninsular Malaysia (from the Mudah and Thepha Rivers in the north to the Perak and Kelanton Rivers in the south) and south Thailand (near the Malaysian border, east of the Thepha River watershed (Gittins 1978; Groves 2001; Marshall and Sugardjito 1986; W. Brockelman pers. comm.).
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatera); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia); Thailand
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|O'Brien et al. (2004) performed a population assessment in 2002 on agile gibbons in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia. Using calling counts in both forest edge and interior habitats, and basing their estimate on forest cover area in the park, they calculated a population of 4,479 agile gibbons (CV = 30%) (O'Brien et al. 2004). In Peninsular Malaysia, Belum and Ulu Muda are strongholds. Portions of the population in Thailand likely number a few thousand individuals, located in approximately three forests fragments/reserves (W. Brockelman pers. comm.).
Density estimates for this species range from 1.4-2.8 individuals/km2 in Bukit Barisan Seletan (O'Brien et al. 2004), and 6-11.4 individuals/km2 in Kerinci-Seblat (Yanuar 2001) to 5.5-18.9 individuals (2-5 groups)/km2 in Sungai Dal on the Malay peninsula (Gittins 1979). Recent surveys in south Thailand reveal the density to be 2 groups/km2 in parts of Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary (W. Brockelman pers. comm.)
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|This species occurs at highest densities in dipterocarp-dominated forests, but their known habitat ranges from swamp and lowland forests to hill, submontane, and montane forests (O'Brien et al. 2004). Additionally, populations in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in Sumatra do not seem to avoid forest edges near human habitations (O'Brien et al. 2004). In southern Sumatra, populations were found up to 1,400 meters (O'Brien et al. 2004).
These arboreal and diurnal primates are primarily frugivorous (preferring fruits high in sugar, such as figs), but they will consume immature leaves and insects as well (Gittins 1979, 1982). An average home range size of 29 ha has been determined in a study at Sungai Dal (Gunung Bubu Forest Reserve) on the Malayan peninsula (Gittins 1979, 1982; Gittins and Raemaekers 1980).
|Major Threat(s):
On Sumatra, this species is threatened by conversion of their forest habitats by humans and a subsequent opportunistic capture for the pet trade. These threats extend to populations within national parks and forests, including illegal agricultural development inside the parks. In Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in southwestern Sumatra, deforestation rates are linked to the coffee market; coffee plantations serve to completely strip arboreal primates of their canopy habitats (O'Brien et al. 2004). The expansion of oil palm plantations is a major cause of forest loss on Sumatra. In nearby Java, agile gibbons are one of the most commonly seen gibbons in the wildlife markets (Nijman 2005).
The species' status in West Malaysia is uncertain; in Indonesia, it was certainly affected by fires and deforestation of the 1990s. There has been a probable 50%-plus range reduction in last 10 years (C. Groves pers. comm.), and oil palm plantations are expanding rapidly in the country. In Thailand there is extensive conversion of forests to rubber plantations and other crops (even inside protected areas), as well as hunting for the pet trade.
|Conservation Actions:
Agile gibbons are protected throughout their range by local laws as well as by listing on CITES Appendix I, although the extent to which national or international laws actually protect the species is uncertain.
The species occurs in a number of protected areas, including Bukit Barisan National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park, Selantan National Park, and Way Kambas National Park in Indonesia; Mudah Wildlife Reserve in Malaysia; and Hala Bala Sanctuary in Thailand. Unfortunately, many of these are merely proposed or gazetted, and their actual protected status is uncertain. Moreover, many of the Sumatran reserves are in montane regions where the species occurs only at low densities. In Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park in southwestern Sumatra, populations are presently secure and healthy but will depend on the regaining of control by the Indonesian government over illegal deforestation of its parks for their continued survival (O'Brien et al. 2004).
As the validity of the subspecies is questionable, a research priority is to clarify this issue so that the species can be further assessed.
|Geissmann, T. & Nijman, V. 2008. Hylobates agilis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T10543A3198943. . Downloaded on 16 October 2018.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided

subset: commoncrawl


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General Comments: Futures closed higher on news that Steger and Dreyfus had predicted smaller orange crop production this year. Some short covering was seen as a couple of small tropical systems were detected in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. There are still no real threats showing in the tropical Atlantic for Florida or Orange production. The weather in the tropics has started to show a little more life with the systems that formed last week. The bulk of the tropical Atlantic is still seeing some very dry conditions and wind shear to prevent tropical storm development, but at least some systems that could become tropical are starting to appear. Growing conditions in the state of Florida remain mostly good. Showers are reported and conditions are said to be very good in almost the entire state. Temperatures are warm. Brazil is seeing near to above normal temperatures and mostly dry weather.
Overnight News: Florida weather forecasts call for some showers. Temperatures will average near normal. Wire reports indicate that Steger has estimated Florida Oranges production at 130 million boxes and that Dreyfus has estimated production at 132 million boxes.
Chart Trends: Trends in FCOJ are mixed to up with objectives of 141.00 and 148.00 September. Support is at 133.00, 130.00, and 128.00 September, with resistance at 137.00, 140.00, and 142.00 September.
General Comments: Futures closed lower, but traded inside Friday's range. There was not a lot of news out there for traders, although after the close USDA released its crop reports that showed overall improvement in crop condition. More talk of production problems in the Southeast, and especially Georgia, as well as in Texas kept buyers at the table. The wet weather in the Southeast and still very dry conditions in Texas have caused analysts to start to drop estimates even more tan the USDA estimates last week, and the USDA estimates were below the trade estimates before the reports. Very hot weather conditions in China continue, and the weather in Corron areas is not really improving right now in that country. US crops remain behind the normal pace. The poor planting conditions early in the year have made the crop progress behind normal. Texas is dry, but will turn cooler later in the week. Export sales have been on the weak side lately as the buy side of the market waits for prices to work lower. Weather for Cotton still appears good in India.
Overnight News: The Delta will be dry and Southeast will see showers and storms. Temperatures will average above normal in the Delta and near to below normal in the Southeast. Texas will see dry weather. Temperatures will average above normal. The USDA spot price is now 88.47 ct/lb. ICE said that certified Cotton stocks are now 0.041 million bales, from 0.042 million yesterday.
Chart Trends: Trends in Cotton are up with no objectives. Support is at 92.00, 90.75, and 90.10 October, with resistance of 94.20, 94.80, and 95.60 October.
Next page: Cotton, Sugar and Cocoa


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NEW DELHI, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Public ire over the horrific gang rape of a female student in a moving bus in India exploded into protests as the victim fought for her life.
Public anger and shock had been welling up since the attack last Sunday in New Delhi in which the 23-year-old woman, a student of physiotherapy, was gang-raped by six men after she boarded the privately run bus with a male friend. Police said as the bus driver drove around, the woman and her friend were badly beaten, the woman repeatedly raped, and then she and her companion were stripped and tossed out of the vehicle.
The two victims, discovered by highway patrol, were later admitted to a hospital where the woman remained in critical condition.
No other passengers were reported aboard the bus at the time of the attack and curtains were drawn on the vehicle's tinted windows, preventing outsiders from knowing what was happening.
Amid uproar in both houses of the Indian Parliament, where some lawmakers called for new laws providing the death penalty for rapists, angry and shaken citizens took to the streets Wednesday, shouting slogans against authorities and government.
Police have arrested the bus driver and at least three others in the rape incident
Police said the alleged attackers in the bus asked the couple, waiting at a bus stop, to get into their vehicle and began misbehaving after the bus started moving, the Hindustan Times reported.
Doctors said the woman suffered intestinal and other abdominal and head injuries, and had lost much blood. She was put on ventilator support but had started talking Tuesday, the newspaper said.
The Times of India reported three of the four arrested confessed following a court appearance Wednesday. One other person allegedly involved was detained in India's eastern state of Bihar.


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We are sorry, this product is currently not available.
Sunshine, pools, cocktails, palm trees & pink flamingos! Dress up your drinks with these fabulous flamingo acrylic drink stirrers, packaged in a set of six. Inspired by Palm Beach, pool floats and relaxing poolside. A great addition for any girls getaway, wedding, bachelorette party or the perfect way to think of fun in the sun year-round. Shown in pink, hot pink, blush, coral, pink glitter, solid gold & gold glitter. Laser cut with love in sunny Palm Springs, California from high quality shatterproof acrylic. All products are reusable, retain their color & can last for years if handled carefully & hand washed. Not a toy, or for young children.


text: Machinery manufacturing is driven by competition in many areas: technological innovation, economic and environmental sustainability and of course, safety. If your business is machinery, you strive to excel on all these fronts. Our expertise and customized services are there to support you. Not only are we well-respected as a third-party certification body with access to top notch laboratories and staffed with leading specialists, our global presence means we are available where you need us. We are ready to support you on questions of safety, compliance, efficiency and more.


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Jackson, Jackson Hole Travel Guide
Jackson Summary
- A small, bustling town with plenty to do, surrounded by unkempt wilderness
- Gateway to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks
- Endless outdoor activities make it an active traveler's paradise
- Unique wild west vibe: kitschy cowboy bars brush up against taxidermy shops
- Diverse and delicious culinary scene is very affordable
- Locally owned stores provide a unique shopping experience
- Weather often affects flying in; pilots often cite it as the hardest airport in the biz to land on
- Summers transform the town from a ski town to a crowded tourist mecca
- High altitude can make some feel constantly weak or tired
What It's Like
A short walk through Jackson can at times feel like an Epcot experience. In the span of a few blocks, you'll find lively pubs serving elk meat gyros, kitschy cowboy bars where locals and après skiers nurse their beers, high fallutin' haut cuisine restaurants and maybe a ho-down or two. Combine this with the fact that you're surrounded by some of the vastest and most untouched natural beauty in the country, and mere miles away from some of the most challenging skiing in the world, and it becomes easy to see why the town has grown into the charming, vibrant place that it is today.
Jackson serves as a year-round gateway for tourists visiting Jackson Hole Ski Resort, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park, the combination of which makes the area the ultimate outdoorsman's paradise. Of course, this also brings a tourist trap element to the city (especially in the summers), but given its remote location and devotion to the old west, it comes off more appealingly than one might expect. It may also be the only place you can find great Thai food and a taxidermist next door to one another.
Where To Stay
It's not hard to cross the entire town of Jackson on foot, but staying near Town Square will keep you close to most of the shops, restaurants and bars. If you're looking to ski non-stop, staying at the south end of Jackson will put you close to the slopes of Snow King Resort, accessible right from town.


text:
Back on the Market with another Major Price Reduction
Win Races in Style
Grand Soleil yachts, performance cruiser-racers built by Cantiere del Pardo, now in their 35th anniversary year are an icon of "made in Italy" performance, design and style. Grand Soleil has always been associated with the top names in yacht design. The Grand Soleil 37 represents the current working partnership with America's Cup and Volvo designers Botin and Carkeek.
Kalevala II has everything you'll need to go cruising or win races or . Her extra tall rig and deep keel make this Grand Soleil 37 an outstanding performer in PHRF and IRC. She offshore capable and is ORC cat 1 certified. She has a beautiful Italian crafted teak interior with full cruising amenities. You won't find a nicer dual purpose yacht. In the water and at our dock in Annapolis.
Please call David Malkin for an apointment or additional information at 410-280-2038 ext 15
Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Come see why North Point Yacht Sales is making a difference.
Stepping below you are greeted with a spacious open salon with teak throughout. She exudes warmth and class.
The layout starts with the nav and large head/shower aft. Behind the nav is a large private aft cabin. The main salon has a full galley to port with 12v refer and all the room and accoutrement you could want. The table is a squared oval capable of seating 6 to 8. The table converts to make a larger double berth. Forward is a large centerline queen. It is flanked by good sized lockers with shelves.Blue Ultra-Suede cushions
Kalevala is turbo charged with an extra tall "IRC" rig giving here an additional 5' of mast height. She has all the tools you will need to hit the race course without additional investment. Plus cruising and deliveries sails consisting of Kevlar/carbon main and 3 kevlar/carbon jibs, all from 2006.
7330 Edgewood Road Suite 1
Annapolis, MD 21403
United States


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Even if you use the utmost caution, you can still be a victim of credit card fraud. Credit card companies and banks are more and more often putting the onus of catching phony or incorrect credit card charges on the consumer.
The most important thing is to check your billing statment, of course. And there are organizations like Creditcards.com that offer tips on how to keep your cards safe as well. Here, we take a look at 10 of the riskiest places you might use your card, according to Creditcards.com, and what you can do to avoid the dangers.
By Constance Parten, Senior Producer
Posted 9 Jan., 2011


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Financial Ties to NJ Bill to Make Non CCHIT EHR Use Illegal
John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 10 blogs containing over 8000 articles with John having written over 4000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 16 million times. John also manages Healthcare IT Central and Healthcare IT Today, the leading career Health IT job board and blog. John is co-founder of InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit and LinkedIn.
I previously wrote about a NJ bill to make non CCHIT EHR use illegal. I got an email from one of my readers that I should take a look at the financial ties to this NJ bill to see how that might have influenced its creation.
Turns out that Al Borg was already a few steps ahead of me and did the following research:
Some data on all of this:
- HIMSS NJ capter- http://www.njhimss.org/abouthimss/abouthimss3.html
- information on NJ Rep Pallone- http://himss.capwiz.com/bio/id/387 (click on "PAC" then 2007/2008 to see the likes of Cerner ($1000), GEPAC ($5000), MS ($5000), Siemens ($6000), ACP PAC ($6750), AMA PAC ($7000).
About the main sponsor of the bill-
- The Honorable Herb Conaway, MD tried to be elected governor in 2004 but was soundly defeated by his Republican rival.
- The Honorable Herb Conaway, MD actually started the mandate-EHR quest back 2 years ago, with the first law passed by the NJ Senate 1.5 years ago- http://healthcare.zdnet.com/?p=615&tag=rbxccnbzd1
- In HIMSS 2008 The Honorable Herb Conaway, MD was presented with the HIMSS State Leadership Award.
- In HIMSS 2009 he was also a major speaker on the "State Officials Legislative Forum"- http://www.prolibraries.com/himss/?select=new_speaker&speakerID=25947&conferenceID=7
- On 2/2009 Conaway is featured in HIMSS HIELights webpage- http://www.himss.org/HIMSS_HIElights/HIMSSHIElights.asp?date=200902.
- Conaway is no friend of physicians and hospitals- check out the bills that he sponsored to force medical error reporting, for prohibiting the payment for "preventable medical errors" and now this pro-CCHIT HIT bill. If you look at here (http://www.democracyforamerica.com/press/2004/6) you'll see that he's for Obama's universal health care dreams, using an HIT backbone, of course.
- I couldn't find any major political contributions here- http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/herb_conaway.asp?cycle=08), so I presume his greatest source of income are speaker fees. Thus I looked for his NJ financial disclosure sheets and yup, he got money from HIMSS, from the "State Alliance for e-Health", from the "Healthcare Information Management Soc" (only in the 2007 and 2008 years, and I suspect amounts are under-reported):
- in 2008: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/ConawayH2008.pdf
- in 2007: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/ConawayH2007.pdf
- in 2006: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/ConawayH2006.pdf
- in 2005: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/ConawayH2005.pdf
Ok, so once you discount for some of Al's bravado it's interesting to see the back history of the sponsor of this bill. Even if you don't want to make the claim that he doesn't have financial reasons for creating this bill, you can at least see where he drank the kool-aid.
Al also missed some other sources of campaign contribution for Herb Conaway and the co-sponsor of the bill Chivukula Upendra. I also found this page on the JN legislature site where I think we'll be able to track the votes for this bill. Looks like it made it through committee (which it looks like Herb Conaway chairs) with a unanimous vote by Herb Conaway Jr., Connie Wagner, Mary Pat Angelini, Anthony Chiappone, Jerry Green, Linda R. Greenstein, Sandra Love, Nancy F. Munoz, Vincent J. Polistina, Joan M. Quigley, and Linda Stender. That's a lot of people who probably aren't getting good information on the EHR industry and CCHIT's effectiveness.
On that note, someone mentioned in the comments of my first post that I should contact the representative from NJ and take a more proactive approach in responding to such a horrible bill. I'm not sure a representative from NJ really cares about what someone from NV might say, but I also think that it's worth taking a stand on such a bill so that this bill doesn't cause other states to consider similar bills. So, here's the page where you can send a message to Herb Conaway, Jr and Upendra J. Chivukula. Should be interesting to see if they reply to a whole bunch of emails on the issue.
What's even crazier to me is that Herb Conaway is a physician. I guess he hasn't been practicing with an EHR lately.


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TORONTO (AP) -- The Toronto Blue Jays have put pitcher Josh Johnson on the 15-day disabled list because of inflammation in his right triceps and say lefty Ricky Romero will make his season debut this weekend.
The Blue Jays made the move Thursday and recalled right-hander Brad Lincoln from Triple-A Buffalo.
Johnson was scratched from a start Friday, and his move to the DL wasetroactive to April 29. He is 0-1 with a 6.86 ERA in four starts since being acquired in an offseason trade with Miami.
Romero will start Friday night at home against Seattle. He was an All-Star in 2011, but struggled in spring training this year and began the season in the minors to work on his mechanics.
Romero made one start for Class A Dunedin, allowing one run in seven innings.


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|Desert Lily, Judy Mason
Walk Leaders: Botany Society Volunteers
$10 per person. Meet at the State Park Store
9 a.m. at the State Park Store next to Calico's
Meet knowledgeable members of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park's Botany Society for an easy morning stroll in different locations in the Park. Leaders and destinations will vary. Bring water, sun protection, and sturdy shoes.
Meeting Place: Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF) Store (next to Calico's)
587 Palm Canyon Drive #110, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Time: 9:00 a.m. to approx. 11 a.m. (depending on travel time to the location)
For more information contact Ashley at 760-767-0446 ext. 1003 or email@example.com.
Note: Additional dates may be added, so check with the ABF Store or the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center for the current schedule.


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The Two Orphans
Wildside Press, Mar 1, 2009 - Fiction - 248 pages
Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery or Dennery (1811-1899) was a French dramatist and novelist. He obtained his first success in collaboration with Charles Desnoyer in Emile, ou le fils d'un pair de France (1831), a drama which was the first of a series of some two hundred pieces written alone or in collaboration with other dramatists.
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Federal Perkins promissory notes are available to sign in the Financial Aid Office until Friday, September 11, 1998.
No appointment is necessary and awarded students may sign their promissory note at their convenience during regular office hours.
Please bring with you your student ID, driver's license number, information for two personal references and personal bank account information. You will be required to show your student ID in order to receive your promissory note and provide the additional information above on various forms. Be advised that no one will be allowed to leave the office with their promissory note. Federal Perkins promissory notes will remain in the possession and supervision of an administrator.
Please note that Perkins loan proceeds will not credit to student accounts without a signed promissory note. There is a 3 - 5 business day processing time for Perkins to credit.
If you have any questions about the federal Perkins loan, feel free to contact our office.
The Financial Aid Office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to
6:00 PM and Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. We are located on the second
floor in suite 230. Please feel free to stop in our office during
business hours with any concerns or questions you may have.


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FY05 Access to Artistic Excellence (part 2)
Alabama Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support Touring Alabama. Performances and mini-residencies will take place in three communities including Fort Payne, Livingston, and Selma.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, $40,000
To support ASO Around Georgia, a community partnership initiative. The tour will include performances and outreach activities as a means to cultivate meaningful partnerships with communities across the state.
Boston Modern Orchestra Project, $18,000
To support CD recordings of works by American composers. Each of the four new CD recordings will represent either a premiere release or a new release of an out-of-print recording.
Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra (Consortium), $20,000
To support Music Off the Walls, a consortium project. A series of chamber music concerts will be performed in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, exploring themes of current exhibitions.
Canton Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support school performances and young people's concerts. Plans include small ensembles performing in 20 elementary and middle schools in Canton, and two young people's concerts.
Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support Pied Piper, interactive chamber ensemble music concerts for children. Performed at a public library, the 32 concerts will be performed by ensembles of strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion for preschool-age children and special elementary populations.
Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra, $10,000
To support the performance and broadcast of the 2005 Philharmonic Holiday Concert. The performance will take place at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, $25,000
To support Coming Together - A Wave of Progress, a community engagement program. Plans include organization-wide initiatives and programs that will build artistic partnerships within the African American and Latino communities.
Classical Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support free concerts by college and high school age students. The eight free concerts will take place at Preston Bradley Hall, at the Chicago Cultural Center, during 2005-06.
Colorado Symphony Orchestra, $18,000
To support state-wide tour concerts. Performances and educational activities led by Music Director Designate, Jeffrey Kahane, are planned in Fort Collins, Alamosa, Pueblo, and Grand Junction during 2005-06.
Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support an outreach and intergenerational education program. Activities will include Pizza Pop Concerts for teens and young adults, and Young People's/Family Concerts for elementary school students and their families during 2005-06.
Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, $12,500
To support Unplugged, an informal classical concert series. During 2005-06, Unplugged concerts will be hosted by a local celebrity and feature casually dressed orchestra members under live video images projected on a large screen.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, $22,500
To support a state-wide touring program. Concerts and educational programs will take place in five rural communities.
Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra, $74,500
To support Made in America, a collaborative commissioning, performance, and outreach project. A new work by Joan Tower will be commissioned and performed by up to 60 small-budget orchestras in all 50 states.
Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support a community gospel concert and associated educational activities. Under the artistic direction of Dr. Isaiah Jackson, the concert will involve more than 200 choristers from community churches of various denominations.
Hartford Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support a Martin Luther King Celebration concert, school and community concerts, and a Latino Celebration. Plans include the 7th annual I Have a Dream concert in 2006, outreach performances in community organizations, and concerts featuring performances and compositions by Latino artists.
Houston Symphony (Consortium), $25,000
To support school residency activities, a consortium project. Plans include professional development, instrument instruction, ensemble performances, and student attendance at concerts, in partnership with the Houston Independent School District and the Crockett Charter School (CCS).
Juneau Symphony, $7,500
To support tour concerts to rural communities. Concerts will take place in Haines, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada.
Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support Sound Discovery, a music education program. Open rehearsals with Lido , an animated conductor's baton, will be presented to students in grades five and above, and the Symphonic Concert for Children will reach third- through fifth-grade students.
Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, $10,000
To support concerts in rural and inner-city communities as well as educational concerts for children and families. Activities will include ensemble concerts for families, instrument "petting zoos" in schools, public parks, and businesses, and outreach concerts in rural Kentucky communities and inner-city Lexington.
Macon Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support performances of works by American composers. The Macon Symphony, under the artistic leadership of music director Adrian Gnam, will perform two concerts at the Grand Opera House and the Griffin Auditorium.
Midland-Odessa Symphony/Chorale, $7,500
To support the Senior Series. Brass, string, and woodwind ensemble performances will take place in area senior centers, retirement facilities, and long-term care homes.
Missouri Valley Chamber Orchestra, $7,500
To support tour concerts and educational activities. Concerts and in-school programs will take place in western North Dakota cities including Dickinson, New Salem, Beach, Williston, Hettinger, Washburn, Wilton, Minot, Beulah, and Medora.
The Nashville Symphony, $15,000
To support outreach concerts in rural areas of Tennessee. In partnership with local community organizations, the symphony will tour to diverse and underserved communities.
New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, $20,000
To support a state-wide tour to small, rural, and underserved communities of New Mexico. The project also will offer educational activities in Albuquerque area schools.
Omaha Symphony, $10,000
To support a tour to rural and underserved communities of Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. The symphony will perform concerts and provide educational experiences for adults and children.
Oregon Symphony, $22,500
To support the Community Music Partnership program. The orchestra will select an underserved, rural community to participate in a two-year outreach residency.
The Philadelphia Orchestra (Consortium), $45,000
To support Neighborhood Concerts, a consortium project with the Cooper Health System. The orchestra will perform free concerts and ancillary activities in Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.
The Phoenix Symphony, $18,000
To support One Nation, a consortium project of education programs for the local Native American community. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (aka the Salt River Community Schools) in Scottsdale will partner with the symphony to expand outreach efforts and increase the number of private music lessons offered.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Consortium), $25,000
To support a community partners concert with consortium partner Afro-American Music Institute, Inc. The symphony performance will include the winner of the annual Sphinx Competition and will be held at Heinz Hall.
Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support Musical Zoo, a music appreciation project for children. The symphony will conduct educational performances and "petting zoo" activities throughout Puerto Rico.
Quad City Symphony Orchestra (Consortium), $7,500
To support educational outreach and touring performances, a consortium project with Iowa Communications Network. Touring performances by three ensembles of the orchestra will be recorded and broadcast throughout central and eastern Iowa.
Queens Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support in-school ensemble performances, educational workshops, and young people's concerts. The music appreciation project will reach children and families throughout the Borough of Queens.
Rhode Island Philharmonic, $7,500
To support Business After-Hours community outreach performances. The orchestra will perform for employees and their families at their workplace.
Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support a tour to rural and underserved communities in southwestern Virginia. Activities will include concerts, ensemble performances, and master classes.
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, $30,000
To support Symphony 101, an outreach project of community concerts for underserved and low-income residents. Host and music director Christopher Seaman and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will offer a symphonic repertoire and informal lectures for first-time concertgoers at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, $25,000
To support a percussion festival. Percussionist Colin Currie and the Juilliard Percussion Ensemble will be featured in the May 2006 festival performances under the direction of music director David Robertson, at the conclusion of his first season with the Orchestra.
San Diego Symphony, $12,500
To support concerts reaching out to new audiences. The San Diego Symphony, under music director Jahja Ling, will perform selections from their repertoire by Mexican composers in several venues in San Diego and Tijuana.
Santa Cecilia Orchestra, $7,500
To support Discovering Music, an educational outreach program in underserved communities of Los Angeles. The project, led by artistic director Sonia Marie De Leon, will provide orchestral performances and educational activities in venues ranging from elementary schools to community centers.
Seattle Symphony (Consortium), $25,000
To support ACCESS, a consortium project of outreach performances and educational events for underserved communities. In partnership with the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center, the orchestra will engage children and families in diverse neighborhoods of Seattle.
St. Joseph Symphony, $10,000
To support concerts for underserved, rural communities. The orchestra will perform symphonic repertoire in western Missouri and eastern Kansas.
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, $15,000
To support concert tours to New York's North Country. The orchestra, under the direction of music director Daniel Hege, will perform concerts in rural and underserved communities.
Tucson Symphony Orchestra (Consortium), $20,000
To support the Southern Arizona Residency, a consortium project with the Gila Valley Arts Council. The project will consist of an educational component and a public concert in six rural communities in southern Arizona.
Vermont Symphony Orchestra, $7,500
To support the Made in Vermont Music Festival Tour, a series of educational activities and community concert programs in rural and underserved communities. The project will present children's programs in ten communities, followed by family concerts in each location.
Virginia Symphony, $15,000
To support Lift Every Voice, a community partnership project with churches and Historically Black Colleges in Hampton Roads. The Virginia Symphony, and the combined choirs of Hampton University and Norfolk State University, will perform composer Dr. Robert Ray's Gospel Mass, and conduct workshops and educational performances throughout the region.
West Shore Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support outreach concerts in western Michigan. The orchestra will perform free outdoor and chamber music concerts in non-traditional settings.
West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, $10,000
To support a state-wide tour to rural and underserved communities. The orchestra, with music director Grant Cooper, will introduce orchestral music to new audiences throughout West Virginia.
American Composers Forum, $40,000
To support the innova Recordings production of CD's by Henry Brandt, the re-issue of films on DVD, and a "scrapbook" publication of Harry Partch. Plans include a set of 15 CD's of 28 works by Henry Brandt, a DVD of two experimental films, and a reprint of a bio-scrapbook of Harry Partch.
American Music Center, $30,000
To support American Music Center's Virtual Information Center for new American music through its NewMusicBox.org and NewMusicJukeBox.org Web sites. NewMusicBox is a monthly Web magazine about artists and issues in the new music community, and NewMusicJukeBox is a searchable, encyclopedic database of contemporary American composers.
Meet The Composer, $75,000
To support Creative Connections, a nationwide project that brings composers and audiences together around new musical works. The project will provide opportunities for composers to attend performances of their music and take part in pre- or post-concert discussions, open rehearsals, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and interviews.
Pawtucket Day Nursery, $10,000
To support weekly music classes for low-income, underserved children. Instructors from the Music School of the Rhode Island Philharmonic will provide music appreciation and introductory instruction to children in Pawtucket Day's music program.


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Does any why my I/stat base setpoint is on ( -100 ). I have a handful they started this. I Cleared memory ( NOVRAM ) ...Updated ASC and gave it a new file...still goes to -100 on base setpoint....has anyone else experienced this thanks,
Results 1 to 2 of 2


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Photos Nick Hamilton
Video by Justin Gunson
Men's All-Mountain Snowboards Under $450: Signal Freedom Machine
Inspired by the Every Third Thursdays web series, the Yusaku Freedom Machine has a new-to-the-line core profile, where the board is beefed up underneath the bindings. This gives you added strength and response when you need it, but remains forgiving and playful when you want it to be. It's regular camber all the way through, which gives you reliability in hairy situations, solid edge hold and turn initiation, and good pop off whatever your nose takes you to.
Price: $449
Available Sizes: 148, 150, 152, 154
Tester Comments
"Solid ride, super fun. We had a good little time together. Pop felt good, fun cruising board."
Men's Good Wood All-Mountain Snowboards Under $450
About the 2014 Good Wood Snowboard Test
Looking for reviews of the best snowboards for the 2013/2014 season? For the 15th annual TransWorld SNOWboarding Good Wood Snowboard Test we split the test into two and took 16 experienced testers to Woodward Tahoe at Boreal, California for the park test and Sierra-at-Tahoe, California for the all-mountain portion. Our testers rode hundreds of decks to deliver the best boards from the most comprehensive snowboard test in the industry.


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Free Phone Spy Software With exactspy
What most of the discussion has revolved around is using spying apps to spy on a cell phone. These are just small programs that can be downloaded to a target cell phone so that all of the data and information being sent to and from the phone can get intercepted. Usually, the users of this kind of spying software are looking to find out if a spouse is cheating (this could well be illegal depending where you live!) or they may be wanting to monitor a cell phone that their child is using to make sure that no inappropriate behavior is taking place. Another common use I've seen is companies using the software to keep an eye on employees – to make sure that they are where they are supposed to be and not divulging company secrets to competitors or that sort of thing.
Free Phone Spy Software – What Can It Do?
Zastosowanie Darmowe oprogramowanie Spy Phone for cell phones has become rather widespread in recent years as the phenomena for downloading apps to smart phones has taken off more and more. The software has been refined to the point now, where it is pretty good at intercepting text messages (even ones that have been deleted), all phone call data such as caller ID, duration and time of the calls. Darmowe oprogramowanie Spy Phone that you can find through the link on this page you can even track the cell phone's whereabouts by tapping into its GPS system. As well as all of these features, the spyware also allows you to see web surfing history, all pictures and images sent to and from the cell, IMs, BBMs and SMS and emails. There is also an upgrade for a slightly higher price that will let you spy live on the phone conversations as they take place. Innymi słowy, you can listen in secretly to phone calls remotely.
Taking this remote microphone function a step further, you can even turn on the cell phone remotely to listen in to what is going on in the surroundings.
And all of this is invisible to the user (once the software has been downloaded to the phone), so you'll need to pick a time when they are not around in order to install the spyware. A good way to do this might be to treat the person to a new whizzy phone (and pre-install it before you give it to them). Oczywiście, many sensible parents will simply tell their children that they are monitoring their cell phones. In many cases it doesn't pay to simply spy on them only to get caught – they'll likely never trust you again and any misbehavior that it was hoped might have been thwarted might simply be exacerbated. And a word of warning if you are thinking of using this to spy on an adult in any kind of capacity. You would almost certainly be breaking some kind of privacy laws in doing so. If you want to use this on employees' cell phones, na przykład, then you must make them aware that you are monitoring them and you'd also do well to get them to sign a legal waiver to that effect. As laws change from state to state and country, I'm in no position to advise you on any of this. (I'm not a lawyer, anyway!). It definitely is NOT illegal to buy this software online but how you choose to use it may be deemed so by your local courts and laws. I would definitely urge consulting a lawyer first if you intend to use this on a phone that you don't own or on an adult over 18 (possibly 16 in some countries) for whom you are not a legal guardian.
The Best Free Phone Spy Software For Cell Phones Online
I've linked to what I believe is the best currently available Darmowe oprogramowanie Spy Phone for cell phones online. I do so because they are, być może, the most reputable company in this business and their customer service is exemplary. There are a number of spyware for cell phones manufacturers advertising online but I would advise caution about many of them. Some of their software simply doesn't work or has glitches and their customer service can be awful when it comes to installation support or requesting refunds. exactspy is probably the most well-known brand online and their software works, period. They also know how to treat their customers right in terms of software and installation support as well as having discrete payment methods – and their no quibble money back guarantee gives means you can rest-assured that you will make a satisfactory purchase.
, Co po prostu trzeba zrobić, to:
1. Przejdź do strony internetowej exactspy i zakup oprogramowania.
2. Pobrać aplikację do telefonu, który chcesz monitorować.
3. Zobacz dane telefonu z dowolnego urządzenia, które ma połączenie z Internetem.
With exactspy-Free Phone Spy Software będziesz w stanie:
• Połączenia Obserwuj
• wiadomości tekstowe utworu
• maile Przeczytane
• Lokalizacja GPS utworu
• Korzystanie z Internetu monitora
• Kalendarz dostępu i Address Book
• przeczytanych wiadomości
• Rekord Otoczenie
• Aplikacje i programy sterujące
• Zobacz pliki multimedialne
• Mieć pilota telefonu i więcej ...
You Can Download: Free Phone Spy Software With exactspy


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Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Unity in Our Nation - Your Daily Prayer - October 21, 2018Dear God, We are needy of you. We're aware, more than ever, of our own weaknesses, and of the struggle with dark forces that try hard to divide us and gain more ground.
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The latest news and hot topics trending among Christian music, entertainment and faith life.
Top 10+ Videos of Greatest Showman Songs
The Greatest Showman has an inspiring soundtrack sung by Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya and others! If you love the music from the film, you'll be sure to enjoy these 10+ covers by talented musicians. From YouTube favorites like Peter Hollens, and Piano Guys, to amazing auditions on X-Factor, this is one playlist you can keep on repeat!


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18 U.S. Code § 5040 - Support
§ 5040.
The Attorney General may contract with any public or private agency or individual and such community-based facilities as halfway houses and foster homes for the observation and study and the custody and care of juveniles in his custody. For these purposes, the Attorney General may promulgate such regulations as are necessary and may use the appropriation for "support of United States prisoners" or such other appropriations as he may designate.
(Added Pub. L. 93–415, title V, § 510, Sept. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1138.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Beginning Yoga Strength
Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 7:00 PM
Eldersburg Branch Library
For ages 16 - Adults
Join Dianna Fornaro, a Yogafit instructor from Freedom Fitness, for classes designed for yoga novices who want to build strength and grace through gentle yoga stretches and strengthening exercises. An additional strength training component is incorporated to help build bone density and range of motion. Please bring your own mat and/or towel. All attendees need to register.
Return to the Calendar of Events


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Music City has become a hub of memorable eateries. From savory hot chicken to savoring speakeasy-style cocktails, Nashville restaurants offer the best of the best across the spectrum of Southern—and international—cuisine. Don't miss these Nashville restaurants on your next visit to the city; they blend atmosphere and flavor in unforgettable combinations.
In between trips to the Ryman, gallery-browsing downtown, and shopping the 12South neighborhood, sip cocktails at The Patterson House, a cozy, speakeasy-inspired bar. Try a flavorful, European-style breakfast (plus a pomegranate mimosa) at Marché Artisan Foods. Grab a picnic blanket and a spicy hot dog at I Dream of Weenie, an eatery housed in a vintage yellow Volkswagen bus. Order legendary fried chicken and banana pudding at Arnold's Country Kitchen, a Nashville classic. We guarantee these one-of-a-kind Nashville restaurants will provide dining experiences you'll never forget. And when you visit, tell them Southern Living sent you.


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The Darwin port of XFree86 uses the IOKit for device driver loading and discovery, rather than the XFree86 module loader. Because of this, the XFree86 configuration file is not used on Darwin systems. The descriptions found elsewhere of devices supported by XFree86 for other operating systems also do not apply.
XFree86 for Darwin will work with any video card that you have an IOKit driver for. If you are running Mac OS X, this typically means any card that has been shipped by Apple. If a card works for you with the Mac OS X GUI, it will work on the same machine with XFree86. If you have a pure Darwin installation, your hardware support may be somewhat limited because Apple does not include all its hardware drivers with Darwin. IOKit drivers are typically found in /System/Library/Extensions/ or /Library/Extensions/.
Multi-button and scroll wheel mouse support works well with all USB mice that I have tested. I have done no testing with serial mice.


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Alphabetical Listing
Are Early Warning Models Still Useful Tools for Bank Supervisors?
by Gary W. Whalen
December 2010
This paper answers two timely, important research questions. Has the accuracy of statistical early warning models declined in recent years as the economic environment faced by banks has become more volatile? Has it become necessary to frequently re-specify or re-estimate these models to produce reasonably accurate forecasts of bank risk?
To answer these questions, a set of Cox proportional hazard composite CAMELS1 downgrade models are estimated for a sample of low-risk community banks at five different year-end dates ranging from 1997 through 2002. The estimated models are used to produce out-of-sample risk estimates for up to six future forecast periods. The models generally have Type I and Type II error rates in the low- to mid-30 percent range in each of the forecast years, including the most recent one. Forecast accuracy does not consistently or sharply decline with model age, indicating frequent re-specification or re-estimation is unnecessary. In addition, a supplemental analysis of forecast accuracy indicates that a considerable number of banks categorized as Type II errors by the models in each forecast period appear to be high risk ex post. The implication is that the "true" Type II error rates of the models are lower than the conventional figures reported in the tables.
Any whole or partial reproduction of material in this paper should include the following citation: Gary W. Whalen, "Are Early Warning Models Still Useful Tools for Bank Supervisors?," Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Economics Working Paper 2010-3, December 2010.
This Economics Working Paper (PDF) is available for viewing in Adobe's PDF format. The PDF viewer is available for download free from Adobe in versions for different platforms.


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Pharma companies active in the US market recognize the declining importance of physicians compared to the increased clout of payers, provider organizations and patients. Many have moved toward new commercial models and repositioned sales resources to achieve greater scale and efficiency through Integrated Delivery Networks (IDNs). Others have attempted to implement geographically dispersed organizational strategies or geographic "archetypes" that require differing levels and types of sales investment.
In pursuit of this objective, managers have looked to the traditional metrics of market share and Tier 2 access to identify where to invest or, failing that, on how to reduce sales force and promotional spend. But the world has changed. Reliance on these tools – applied almost uniformly throughout big Pharma for the past 20 years – is no longer sufficient to ensure a profitable brand, let alone a sustainable business. In fact, the old standards may be having a reverse effect: in sales territories dominated by powerful payers or expanding Medicaid enrollments, continued deployment of traditional volume and access metrics could prompt companies to maintain investments in geographic markets that end up being the least profitable.
Put simply, it's time for a new set of metrics that will allow pharma companies to align their strategies around the push for greater profitability, putting them on the right track for growth – right to the end of the product cycle. Precisely targeted data linked to method of payment, insurance coverage and geographic footprint are now available from both internal and external sources. When combined with insights from anonymous patient longitudinal data (APLD), these new information products can help management to be more confident in deciding where and when to expand, redeploy or reduce costly staffing of sales professionals among specific market geographies. Considering that field force expenditures comprise third biggest discretionary investment that big Pharma makes after access rebates and R&D, the efficiencies achieved can be considerable.
Specifically, the application of these new metrics will enable management to move along three important vectors of performance simultaneously:
1. From measuring Volume to measuring Net Margin.
2. From measuring Quantity of Preferred Formulary Lives to measuring Quality of Access.
3. From measuring Drivers and Barriers to Performance at the National level to the Local level.
The following detailed explanations highlight why each of these three transitions is critical to helping companies maximize the effectiveness and impact of their promotional resources in the midst of mounting competitive market pressures.
Margins Matter
Exhibit One: New Performance Vectors
For example, there are a number of mandated new reductions to net revenue, like the offset of 50 percent of the "doughnut hole," legislated in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For the products we have reviewed, this can be as high as 12 to 15 percent of Gross Sales over the course of a year. Surprisingly, our review finds that this expense is geographically concentrated in a few areas of the country – the Midwestern states, New York, and California—where there are more CMS "Standard Eligible" patients.
An even more important indicator of exposure to margin erosion, particularly for mature brands, is the rebate level paid to the Medicaid program, Part D Plans, Commercial Plans and PBMs – and also now directly to patients through coupon offset savings programs. The toll is cumulative and extensive: years of double-digit price increases have created CPI penalties in Medicaid that can often lead to reimbursement which is less than the cost of goods sold for products in their last years of patent life. According to IMS Health research, about five percent of all branded Medicaid prescriptions are reimbursed at only one cent per Rx due to cumulative CPI penalties that exceed 100 percent of the product's Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC).
Likewise, the expense of patient support programs is compressing margins – some 400 products had a co-pay offset, coupons or evouchers in 2013 and most of them also contracted for formulary access simultaneously. This can drive up the gap for lower cost prescriptions. For example, paying down a ARB co-pay to $5 from a Tier 3 average patient out-of-pocket (OOP) charge can knock 40 percent out of a brand's net revenues. If the manufacturer had already contracted in the geography and patients use the co-pay cards to pay down a preferred OOP, virtually all the margin in that market can disappear. In 2014, as much as five billion dollars will be spent on co-pay support in the US, but the money will not be spread evenly. Rather, it will concentrate in places where high deductible plans and co-insurance are prevalent. In some sales territories, manufacturers with specialty pharmaceuticals will spend more this year on co-pay support than all other sales and marketing expenses combined.
Exhibit Two: Prescription adherence by State; DPP4 Diabetes Products
Access: Quality not Quantity
Patient compliance to therapy is a consequence of many factors, but the most consistent driver, across all therapeutic classes, is patient OOP. Since 2006, many pharma companies have seen that the quality of access for patients who have qualified for the government Low Income Subsidy [LIS] is unsurpassed in any other patient population. LIS patients will pay only $6.35 in 2014 for any branded product on either Tier 3 or Tier 2 and may use many more days of therapy in a year than a standard eligible patient. Once their total drug spend exceeds $6,455 in a calendar year, their cost sharing per prescriptions goes to zero. In chronic care therapeutic classes, it is not unusual to see 50 percent or more of transactions in the catastrophic phase of coverage in Part D for prescriptions filled in the second half of the year. Thus, LIS patients, who need no co-pay support, will generate many more net revenue dollars than other Part D patients.
It follows that pharmaceutical manufacturers must incorporate this understanding of the patient response to cost sharing or utilization management techniques, so that they know where they have a high level and quality of access to them. This makes it easier to demonstrate that additional sales effort will actually succeed in turning that written prescription into a filled – and refilled – prescription.
Think Nationally...but Invest Locally
Exhibit Three: A Local IDN Strategy can Amplify or Dampen Payer Actions.
In a number of recent projects, where the quality of access could be taken out of the equation for success, our research has discovered clear geographic patterns in the standard of pharmaceutical care. These patterns can be measured and translated into a sales opportunity. For example, there are clear differences between northern and southern regions in the US on the length of time a patient stays on metformin before adding an alternative diabetes therapy. The same is true for methotrexate use prior to and/or concomitant with a TNF inhibitor.
This can make Seattle or Boston far more interesting to some treatments, and Birmingham and Miami less so. By the same token, Boston can be considered "scorched earth" for many manufacturers who will have to get their products stepped through multiple generics before being eligible to be prescribed. The insurance formulary may say that all the brands in a class are covered, but the practice of writing generics first is deeply embedded in all training and practice in the Boston area.
The same outcome occurred with unaffiliated physicians, but to varying degrees. The decline in share among physicians affiliated with a rival IDN, Presence, was less significant compared to the drop for another competitor, Dupage Medical. Knowing whether to invest in resources to move entire blocks of physicians to amplify the formulary advantage or dampen the impact of the restriction can only come from connecting this granular performance data in real time physician practices.
The clean cut
As we move into the next phase of change in pharmaceutical marketing and sales management, more sophisticated tools and measurements need to be adopted to ensure that companies continue to invest in the most profitable geographic opportunities. The traditional measurements – quantity of formulary lives and volume, are just too imprecise for making disruptive, time consuming and largely irreversible cuts in long-standing sales investments. A new set of metrics, which provide a proxy for "gross to net margin" at a local level, must be deployed across the industry. Metrics that provide better indicators of branded growth potential – whether these measure quality of access or the power of local influences – should be identified in each therapeutic class.
Accuracy in evaluating the growth and profitability potential of each market, incorporating new insights that have only recently been extracted from performance, affiliation and longitudinal data, will be critical to ensuring that cuts in resources, when they do happen – as they must – can be focused on the markets where this will matter least. As in crafting a suit that fits, bespoke is best. And to do that, managers would be wise to measure twice, so they only have to cut once.
Mason Tenaglia is Vice-President, Managed Markets Services, IMS Health and a member of Pharm Exec's Editorial Advisory Board, He can be reached at [email protected]


text: Okay I have a walk in freezer with two units in it i had one system freeze up on the evap pretty bad. We got it thawed out changed the faulty clock and checked the sysyem out unit was good. but it was a little low on oil. I asumed it would bring the oil back after we removed the ice but after a few days it didn't it is actully lower now its a 404a system and my suction in around 11psi the evap coil is under the condensor. what can i do to get the oil back to the system with out taking out the valves. i did add a little oil to help the compressor but now im concerned about it having to much. someone did replace the compressor about a year ago not sure why though. oh it does have a crank case regulator and but no suction acumalator. and it is a pump down system. thanks and you all can call me an idiot lol


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Income inequality and wealth distribution are two different concepts, in that income inequality focuses exclusively on the income side of the equation while wealth distribution looks at how the ownership of assets in a given society is shared among its members . However, both measures help chart the economic gap within a country's wealthiest and poorest citizens. Over the last ten years, economic inequality has been growing, particularly in developed countries where, historically, it had been more contained.
Data is from the World Bank Development Indicators.
Income Distribution (GINI Coefficient,) Latest data available.
% of population living with less than $2 a day
Latest data available.
Income share held by top 10%
Latest data available.
According to the World Bank, the GINI coefficient "measures the extent to which the distribution of income or consumption expenditure among individuals households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution." Therefore it is used as an indication of income inequality within countries. Practically, it measures the area between the Lorenz curve, a standard indicator of the distribution of income within a community, and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. In this index, 0 represents perfect equality, while 100 perfect inequality.
Other widely used measures of economic inequality are the percentage of people living with under US$2 a day (at 2005 international prices) and the share of national income held by the wealthiest 10% of the population.
According to World Bank data, income inequality tends to be lower in Northern Europe, with countries such as Sweden, Norway and Finland showing some of the world's lowest GINI coefficients. It is also surprisingly low in much less affluent countries like Afghanistan and Ethiopia. The highest levels of income inequality were found, in the last decade, in countries such as the Central African Republic, Honduras, Angola, Haiti, South Africa and Namibia.
The Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) maintains its own GINI index and related statistics for member countries. According to a 2011 OECD report, "over the two decades prior to the onset of the global economic crisis, real disposable household incomes increased by an average 1.7% a year in OECD countries. In a large majority of them, however, the household incomes of the richest 10% grew faster than those of the poorest 10%, so widening income inequality." In the late 2000s, Chile had the highest GINI coefficient, after taxes and transfers, among OECD member countries. The United States, Turkey and Mexico came right before it. At the other end of the scale, Slovenia, Denmark and Norway led the ranking with the lowest levels of income inequality.
In terms of absolute poverty, Liberia has one of the highest percentages of people living with less than US$2 a day (at 2005 international prices,) preceded by a long series of African countries, including Madagascar and Malawi. In the Seychelles, Comoros, Namibia, South Africa and Haiti, the 10% of the population at the top of the economic ladder control the highest share of national income compared to the rest of the world.
The website Worldmapper.com offers a variety of maps, conveying visually a host of different demographic and economic indicators. Here are a few relevant ones.
World Wealth Distribution Year 1500
In the year 1500 European territories were some of the wealthiest on earth, when measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person. The regions with the largest total GDPs were Eastern Asia and Southern Asia. These were also the most populous regions at that time. The regions with the lowest GDP in 1500 were Central Africa and Southeastern Africa. These regions also had the lowest GDP per person. In 2002 these regions enjoyed an even smaller proportion of the world total GDP expressed in purchasing power parity dollars than they did in 1500.
World Wealth distribution Year 2015 (forecast)
The projected wealth of China in 2015 could mean it producing 27% of all the wealth in the world, if the economic trends established between 1975 and 2002 continue for another 13 years. In year 1 of the current era China produced 26% of the wealth in the world, but very slowly declined to generating only 5% of the world total in 1960. Whilst China is predicted to recover its former position within the world economy, this time instead of the Americas having a very small percentage of world wealth, as in year 1, now it is African territories that are predicted to remain small on the international financial stage. Eastern European territories are also predicted to have decreasing proportions of world wealth.
Women's Income
The total income of women is highest in the United States, and second highest in China. Women in the United States have a high total income because on average they are some of the highest paid women in the world. Women in China earn below the world average, but they have high total earnings due to the large population of China. Norway and Denmark are home to women with the highest annual earnings per person in the population. Women living in Yemen and Sierra Leone earn 150 to 250 times less per person. Income is measured here in its purchasing power where it is earned, rather than being adjusted to be made comparable using a simple exchange rate.
Men's Income
The total income of all men in the world is more than double that of all women in the world. In every region men earn more than women do. The greatest income inequality between men and women is in Southern Asia where men earn five times more than women on average. The neighbouring region of Eastern Asia has the smallest difference between men and women, where men earn twice what women earn. Men have the lowest average earnings in Central Africa, with annual incomes allowing for purchasing power of only 3.7% of the average earnings of men in North America and Western Europe.
Data is from the World Bank Development Indicators and from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Figures are the latest available for each country and reference years vary as indicated. Wealth distribution maps are from Worldmapper.com
Income Distribution (GINI Coefficient), Latest Data Available
Click on the column heading to sort the table.
Income Distribution, Late 2000s, OECD Countries
Click on the column heading to sort the table.
% of population living with less than $2 a day, latest available data
Click on the column heading to sort the table.
Income share held by top 10% of the population, latest available data
Click on the column heading to sort the table.
- "Comparison of household saving ratios: Euro area/United States/Japan," by R. Harvey, Statistics Brief, June 2004, No.8, OECD
- OECD - An Overview of Growing Income Inequalities in OECD Countries, 2011 report
- Statistics portal
- World Bank – Comparing Levels of Development
- World Bank – Poverty Indicators


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Jim Cassidy wrote:I think I recall you preferring meat well done. That might rule out my favorite lamb recipe, chops rubbed with crushed garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper browned in olive oil and butter. Throw some chopped shallots and herbs in the pan for a minute, deglaze with the red you are drinking with dinner, reduce and finish the sauce w/butter.
Might be too dry if you finished the chops to well done in the oven.
Jim, despite James Roscoe's comments to the contrary, I have learned to like meat less than well done. More like medium to med-well. I know, small difference to the folks who prefer their steaks to be still mooing on the plate. So once I kill the beast and render it into meal sized bits, I will definitely try some chops. Being without a meat saw, I need to find a decent cleaver, I suppose.
I have at the moment two candidate lambs for the table. One is a wool breed ram lamb (sold to me as a Jacob, but more likely a Navajo-Churro) that is about 5 or so months old.
The other is a Painted Desert ram lamb (a hair sheep breed) that is more likely only 3 or 4 months. Have a pair of those, one horned and one naturally polled, and both still nursing a bit. Still haven't decided whether to keep the horned or hornless for breeding.
One has to go, either eaten or sold.


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Reporting from Ko Olina, Oahu - My 11-year-old daughter, Hannah, has wanted to visit Hawaii since Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" movie came out in 2002.
The wacky animated movie about a Hawaiian girl who adopts a pet that turns out to be an alien was filled with surfing, hula dancing and exotic locales. But mostly it was about ohana – the Hawaiian word for "family."
So when we arrived at
it seemed like a no-brainer that we'd find Lilo and Stitch here to welcome Hannah to the tropical paradise that filled her dreams and imagination.
We spotted Stitch almost immediately wearing a lei and a floral print hat, but no matter how hard we looked we couldn't find the spirited and eccentric little girl who seemed such a natural fit for a Disney resort in Hawaii.
Everywhere we went in the resort, we asked: Where's Lilo? We were variously told Lilo was at school, on vacation or surfing on Kauai – but none of the answers sufficiently explained the obvious storytelling oversight.
The $800-million Aulani in Ko Olina on leeward Oahu opened in late August with an official grand opening scheduled for Sept. 22.
I've been staying at the Aulani for the last few days with my wife, Nancy, and Hannah, where there was no shortage of family activities to keep us busy.
The new resort has gone to great lengths to emphasize the Aulani's historic Hawaiian theme and keep the Disney touches to a minimum.
Make no mistake, you'll find vacationing versions of Mickey, Minnie,Goofy, Chip, Dale and Stitch posing for photo ops – but only in small doses.
Here are some of the family activities we took part in during our recent visit:
Upon arrival, our first stop was at Aunty's Beach House, a kids club featuring a host of activities: hula lessons, luau parties, science experiments and comedy shows.
Adorned with surfboards, boat oars and fishing gear, the kids club is a concept lifted from the Disney cruise line with repurposed props and decorations from Disney World's defunct Adventurer's Club.
Aunty's is filled with tabletop touch-screen video games, arts and crafts, dress-up costumes, storytelling sessions and big-screen TVs showing endless movies – making it difficult for parents to retrieve their children. Hawaiian renditions of Disney favorites such as "Be Our Guest" and "You've Got a Friend in Me" play over the sound system. Replica photos made from the collection at the Bishop Museum, the Hawaiian history museum in Honolulu, line the hallways.
But with an age-range that topped out around 10, Hannah felt a little old for the crowd at Aunty's. She preferred the Painted Sky teen spa that offered movie nights, pool parties, beach bashes, stargazing tours, lei making, dessert decorating, scavenger hunts and fitness challenges. Disney counselors warmly welcomed her at both locations regardless of her age, and she soon became a regular at each place, reveling in her dual grade-schooler and tween status.
Similarly, the Pau Hana community hall served as a family room where parents and kids could spend time together. The three of us made bracelets with our favorite Hawaiian words. Hannah's bracelet said
, or soccer, surrounded by kukui nuts and turtle-shaped beads.
Next door was an ingenious waiting room for hotel guests that had already checked out but hadn't left for the airport yet because of a late flight. The Luana Lounge included couches, big-screen TVs, lockers, showers, a swimsuit water extractor, computers for printing boarding passes and a constantly updating flight departure board from theHonolulu airport.
At the community hall, Nancy, Hannah and I checked out a modified Android cellphone that doubled as a GPS wayfinder on the Menehune Adventure Trail, a treasure hunt game in which hotel guests search for Hawaii's mischievous little people.
About 300 menehune statues were scattered throughout the resort and spotting them quickly became Hannah's favorite pursuit. They could be found under footbridges, inside the shave ice stand and atop bookcases. Hannah's favorite menehune was sleeping in the upper reaches of one of the elevators leading to our room. On more than one occasion we waited in the lobby for the menehune elevator to arrive.
On the menehune trail, we used the wayfinder to track clues leading to madcap menehune mischief. By speaking into the phone, we caused the menehune to appear in rocks, blow conch shells and even start fires. The finale sent us into a dark cavern where volcanic lava began to flow.
"Daddy, look at the walls," Hannah said, gripping my hand tightly. "They're glowing."
After our treasure hunt, the cell phones were easily repurposed into electronic guides to the Aulani's gardens and artwork, which I enjoyed on my own.
One of my favorite activities at the Aulani was the nightly fireside storytelling hour, where families listened to Hawaiian tales of star-crossed lovers told with a ukulele accompaniment. Less successful was the poorly attended sunset gathering, where a conch shell was blown and hotel guests were encouraged to chant as day turned to night. Most people seemed confused or disinterested.
You'll notice that so far I have written little about Disney's famous walk-around characters. I've saved the worst for last. You'd assume that Disney would have their character interactions dialed in by now.
I was surprised by the contrived and disruptive afternoon character poolside party that featured a Disney employee, using a public address system, extolling swimmers to scream, splash and hop up on deck for a hula contest. The pump-up-the-energy vibe so upset the tranquil mood that poolside loungers cringed at the paradise-wrecking spectacle.
A similar dry-land surfing lesson for kids withChip and Dale employed more amplified pep rally exhortations that echoed throughout the resort.
I would have dismissed the overexuberance as grand opening jitters if not for the Starlight Hui, the resort's marquee event held several times a week. In an effort to avoid the pan-
luau common at most resorts, Disney produced a tradition-rich show that paid tribute to Hawaii, its people and customs.
As the stirring show drew to a close, a youth counselor jumped up on stage in a but-wait-there's-more moment and called out all the Disney characters one by one. The folklore-rich show steeped in myth and legend quickly devolved into a disco nightclub with the characters leading the crowd in the "Electric Slide" and other line dancing steps typically reserved for weddings and reunions. It left me almost dumbstruck until I jumped up to boogie with Hannah, who could care less about thematic consistency and coherent storytelling.
I trust Disney will dial down the excitement level of the character appearances over the coming weeks as complaints start rolling in.


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Last Saturday was mine and Hubby's wedding anniversary (11 years!) and to celebrate we went to Tulsa for a few days IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.
I capitalize because: 1) Hubby had to ask off work for a frivolous trip, and 2) we took the kids out of school for our frivolous trip.
Now, remember close to a year and a half ago when the kids and I were having a bad morning so I took them to breakfast and got them to school 35 minutes late? Well, when I told my husband over the phone I could hear his lips grimace in worry. And then when he got home, and really off and on over the next few weeks, he'd hesitantly bring it up but I could tell it'd also pushed its way out after thinking about it all day, and he'd ask if I was going to do this again? And often? And the underlying question was, Are you as focused on school as I am?
So to take the kids out of school and drop them at my parents' house for a few days all in the name of frivolity was quite a treat. A treat that we "fretted" (not really) over for a few days before finally making the decision.
We went in the middle of the week to attend a concert of They Might Be Giants (Anyone know them? My friends don't and I'm thinking of holding a listening session to school them on silly songs from the early 90s), but really the concert was just a way for Hubby and I to visit Tulsa.
We lived there for almost four years and we miss it. When we visit my parents in Tulsa it's not the same--they live in South Tulsa, we lived in Midtown, and when we lived in Tulsa we never went to South Tulsa. So visiting them and their restaurants and their everything, it's like a different town.
So this week we visited our old places. We stalked the house where we brought home our first two babies, we walked up and down Cherry Street where we ate dinner a few times a week, we walked the neighborhood that held most of our walks but especially those at the end of my pregnancy with Little Missy when we were trying to put me into labor, we found the first playground G loved, we ate at our favorite restaurants.
And it was good.
It's always strange to me how much things don't change. How the turn off Lewis into our old neighborhood looks exactly the same and I could have been driving my old sedan with a teeny baby and a teeny toddler in the back after visiting Daddy at lunch. Our favorite restaurant is the same, with the same booths and the same TVs and the same food.
And it was good to sit at lunch with my husband for over an hour and have nowhere to go, to walk in the sunshine and admire the houses we'd always loved, to stay up late and sleep in late and drive around the town we love.
It was frivolous and it was perfect.
This week we got crazy
Last Saturday was mine and Hubby's wedding anniversary (11 years!) and to celebrate we went to Tulsa for a few days IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.