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You are in Home Malkin Tiles Ltd, Burslem, Staffordshire
Malkin Tiles Ltd, Burslem, StaffordshireMalkin Tiles was an offshoot of the earthenware company Edge, Malkin and Co. Initially they traded as Malkin Edge & Co, later becoming Malkin Tiles and eventually Malkin Tileworks. Manufactured a wide range of tiles, mainly moulded and encaustic dust-pressed. Eventually absorbed into H & R Johnson in 1968.
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Fashion Awards Maryland
The region's best and brightest from the fashion industry will join together for the second annual Fashion Awards Maryland. Lana Rae, head of KISS Modeling Agency and founder of Fashion Awards Maryland, has moved the event to The Brown Center at MICA after having the inaugural event at Kay Theatre at the University of Maryland, College Park. Hosted by stars of Style Network's "Kimora: House of FAB," Johnny and Lianca, this will be the largest representation of the fashion industry in the region. Attend Fashion Awards Maryland Saturday at The Brown Center at MICA, 1301 W Mt. Royal Ave. Red Carpet starts at 6 p.m.; seating begins at 7 p.m.; the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range in price from $30 for balcony seats to $80 for VIP. Go to fashionawardsmd.com for more details.
Baltimore Sun
Copyright © 2018, The Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore Sun Media Group publication | Place an Ad


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- Delivery
- Returns
- All furniture deliveries £14.99
- All Other Orders £4.99
- We want you to be confident about every order you place with us, so we keep our returns policy simple – if you're not happy with your purchase, we'll take it back*. Just call our friendly Customer Care Team on 0344 879 4166 and they'll arrange everything. We're always here to help.
*Please do read our policy on turf returns. As a perishable product, it's subject to slightly different rules.
More information on our returns policy
Gardman Blacksmith Wall Basket 24
Product code: 00379223
£27.99 Privilege price £25.19
Save 10% today with our Privilege Club
Product Information
The Gardman Blacksmith Wall Basket now available from Notcutts is a classic wrought iron wall manger with a decorative twist to its design and comes with wall mounting eyelets.
The Blacksmith Wall Basket also comes omplete with co-co liner so it is ready to plant straight away to brighten up your garden.
Key Features
- H 35cm (14) x W 60cm (24) x D 30cm (12)
- Material: Made from black powder coated steel
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Recent reports had David Bowie slated to appear as legendary alter-ego Ziggy Stardust at this year's Coachella Festival, which takes place April 17-19 in Indio, California. However, according to a spokesperson for Bowie, the singer won't be assuming his early '70 glam-rock persona.
David Bowie is "not performing at Coachella this year," a representative from Isolar Managment told MusicRadar, putting to rest any performances, Ziggy Stardust or otherwise.
Bowie's laying low (pun intended)
The Coachella gig, had it happened, would have been Bowie's first true return to the stage since he cut short his 2004 world tour after experiencing chest pains during a performance in Germany, which led to an emergency angioplasty to repair a blocked artery.
Since that episode, he's made sporadic guest appearances, including one with Arcade Fire in 2005 and another with David Gilmour at the Royal Albert Hall in 2006.
Coachella officials tried to lure Bowie to headline last year's festival, but he refused, so they got Prince instead. It is said the organizers went all out to nab Bowie again this year.
Recording in Berlin
Speaking of low - or Low - as we were before, last week the Thin White Duke posted a message to his fans via Twitter that said, "Greetings from a snowy Berlin! Working on some new material."
That's all she wrote, but even still, this is great news for the millions of music lovers who embraced the groundbreaking albums of the mid-to-late '70s that Bowie recorded in that city. We can only hope he recaptures a trace of that same spirit.


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Dave Buonaguidi
'East Is Best'
Sold Out
- Print Information
- Artist Biography
Hackney-based artist Dave Buonaguidi creates work that provokes and stimulates a reaction. Working mostly with word-based prints, he unites his own photography, vintage maps and pop culture images with poignant reflections.
Dave has worked in advertising for over 30 years, founding St. Luke's, the world's first Co-operative ad agency and most recently Karmarama in 2000.
In 2003 he created the iconic MAKE TEA NOT WAR poster for the anti-war march. It now is part of the collection at the V&A and hangs in the Trento museum of modern art. He loves to make work that creates a reaction.
Notable works by the artist include Buonaguidi's London map series. In response to the divided London loyalties when it comes to the land on either side of the meandering river Thames, he has created a series of unique screenprints that best articulate Londoners' allegiances.
Each map has been individually sourced by the artist and is a genuine piece of cartographic history! No map is the same, and offers the owner an opportunity to own a one-off work by the artist.
- Shipping Information
Collection: Free collection from our London Gallery. UK: Royal Mail 1st Class - £8 Royal Mail Next Day - £11 Europe: Recorded Delivery - £14 Worldwide: Recorded Delivery - £18
- Framing Options
London For those available to visit our London gallery, Nelly offer a premium framing service. Please drop us an email or call the gallery on 0207 033 9683. Shipping Framing is currently unavailable for online orders at Nelly Duff.


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- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeWe've seen some pretty precariously perched eco-resorts here on Inhabitat, but never one that actually sits on the edge of a gigantic crater. Often referred to as the 8th world wonder of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is a lavish hotel located on the perimeter of a collapsed volcano in Tanzania. Guests are invited to relax in the the lap of luxury while peering out at spectacular views of the surrounding World Heritage site. But these accommodations don't come at a cost to the environment - Ngorongoro is celebrated for the responsible and sustainable measures it takes to preserve the animals and land that make it a truly one of a kind destination.1
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeWhile the word "safari" usually conjures up images of dusty tents and meager meals, that couldn't be further from the truth at Ngorongoro.2
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeDespite its secluded locale, the lodge is decked out with grand halls, opulent suites, chandelier–lit bathrooms and glamorous decor.3
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeAnd come dinnertime, you won't be roasting your morsels over a campfire.4
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeHungry guests are served at white tablecloth-lined tables with a carpet of rose petals under foot.5
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeDuring the day, though, get ready to get your hands dirty. The crater, whose walls are approximately 2,000 feet tall, is home to more than 25,000 animals and a bevy of gorgeous plants.6
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeProfessional Tanzanian rangers are available to take you around to see everything from rhinos to zebra to wildebeest and even lions.7
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeAfter experiencing the beauty of the crater, you may be wondering what the lodge is doing to make sure all of it stays that way.8
- Ngrongoro Crater LodgeSome of the sustainable measures the resort takes include energy saving bulbs, laundry dried by the sun and the wind, water flow meters to monitor monthly usage and reduce consumption levels and sending all used glass garbage to the Shanga River House to be melted and re-shaped into beads for jewelry and other goods. In addition, kitchen wet waste is collected by Catholic nuns for a piggery project which keeps their pigs happy and well-fed while also giving the lodge a great way to dispose of their garbage. Not the most conventional reuse project but effective nonetheless!9


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I want it, but I'm not going to bid any more.
eBay is selling a copy of Rock County Nebraska Centennial, 1888-1898. I have run the bid up to $74.29 on the darned thing, but someone has bid more. I'd love to have it, but $73.29 is my top bid. (Don't ask me why that's the magic number, but it is.)
It will be interesting to see how much it brings. My readers from Rock County may be surprised how much their centennial books are worth, if they are fortunate enough to own one.
I would be tempted to bid higher, but I'm getting ready to spend a small fortune on the accompanist's editions of the new hymnbook and liturgy for church. Unfortunately, that's going to deplete my library budget.
(I should add, for those who may be puzzled: I grew up in Rock County, Nebraska. I would know/know-of many of the people who are mentioned in the book.)
The final price for the Rock County Centennial book on eBay was $74.29.
The same book is currently selling at AbeBooks for $175.00.


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Don't forget to feed the cat.
posted by Dean ASC at 10:33 AM
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text: Mallgarve 5m hill, Galway Islands Ireland at MountainViews.ie Guestuser: Login or enrol? Home Main Display Find a Walk Display INTRODUCTION New New Contributions Newsletters Challenge Walks News Tracks, Walks Upload a track Find a Walk SECONDARY OPTIONS: View all tracks secondary method View your tracks secondary method Challenge Challenge Walks Calendar Challenge Walks News Community Rising Summiteers Summiteers Hall of Records Irish Munroists Recent Contributors Contributors Hall of Fame Credits Lists, Completion & Awards Community Constitution Lists & Logs Irish County Highpoints Local 100 Irish Highest 100 Vandeleur-Lynams Arderins Arderin Begs Arderins + Arderin Begs Irish Best rated Irish 900 up Irish Island Munros All Twenty-Four Lists & Personal Log Log Analysis My Contributions & Profile Listing Programs Simple Irish Listings Simple Irish & British Listings More Guidelines Using the Service Comments Photos Statistics Conditions of Use Resources Links Motley Views General Forum Suggestions Forum Bibliography Welcome to MountainViews If you want to use the website often please enrol (quick and free) at top right. Overview Detail Legend Zoom: ?? Overlay features legend For more map options click on any overview map area or any detail map feature. Detail Map Features Showing 7 items: Doonawaul 12m, Illaunaleama 12m, Duck Island 10m, Ferroon Rocks 9m, Chapel Island 7m, Illaunamid 5m, Mallgarve 5m, Find Suggested WalksOpen walks finder Find hill, mountain, island, coastal feature. Videos (none available) Recent Contributions << Prev page 1 2 3 4 5 .. 22 Next page >> Mount Errigal Track 4006 David-Guenot a week ago My second ascent of Mount Errigal, via the "tourist route". 30 spent at the top for the clouds to clear -in va walk, Len: 5.0km, Climb: 538m, Area: Errigal, Donegal NW (Ireland) Errigal Camaderry South East Top: Glendalough Upper Lake Summit Comment sev 4 weeks ago Glendalough Upper Lake and the valley - view from south slope of Camaderry South East Top (Aug. 2010) The Light Forum: General BleckCra a month ago "... All social systems we've put into place are a mere sketch. One plus one equals two. That's all we've learned, but one plus one has never equaled two. There are, in fact, no numbers and no let... Seefin: "Megalithic Fallout Shelter" Summit Comment sev 4 weeks ago Wicklow Mountains - Megalithic tomb on Seefin Mt.http://youtu.be/u--BKEqB-JM Crockawama from the East Track 4005 David-Guenot a week ago Pretty tough-going once I left the track. Was appalled at the amount of litter I found along the latter. Stunning view... walk, Len: 4.4km, Climb: 211m, Area: Crockawama, Donegal NW (Ireland) Crockaw Skregmore: Incidental summit in the Reeks Summit Summary Collaborative entry Last edit by: Peter Walker 4 weeks ago Much climbed but little remembered, Skregmore is a victim of its location. One of the highest summits in Ireland but adjacent to still higher tops, impressively rocky but still far less dramatic t... Cnoc an Bhráca: The last hurrah of the high Reeks Summit Summary Collaborative entry Last edit by: Peter Walker a month ago Cnoc an Bhráca, together with its near neighbour Cnoc na DTarbh, are the last (relatively) high summits along the great ridge of the Eastern Reeks; beyond here the ground gradually declines to the... North Mournes loop Track 4004 David-Guenot a week ago walk, Len: 15.9km, Climb: 1047m, Area: Slieve Loughshannagh, Mourne Mountains (... Tievnabinnia: Bulky Sheeffrys summit Summit Summary Collaborative entry Last edit by: Peter Walker a month ago Tievnabinnia is the easternmost of the higher Sheeffry Hills, a distinctly bulky eminence where gently grassy upper slopes contrast with a series of steep corries to both north and south of its ge... Maumtrasna: A steep-sided fortress in the West Summit Summary Collaborative entry Last edit by: Peter Walker a month ago Maumtrasna is one of the most singular mountains in Ireland, a monumental sprawl of plateau plunging away in viciously steep slopes around almost all of its perimeter; these slopes are themselves ... Corn Hill: New Pathway around the Summit Summit Comment TommyMc a month ago A new pathway around the summit has been installed over the summer. Walkers are now met with a locked gate within circa 50 yards of the masts and trig point, but a new and quite attractive pathway... Rocky Mountain + Chimney Rock Mountain Track 4003 David-Guenot a week ago walk, Len: 14.3km, Climb: 706m, Area: Rocky Mountain, Mourne Mountains (Ireland... Most Recent Monthly Newsletter. Conditions and Info Use of MountainViews is governed by conditions. General information about the site is here. Opinions in material here are not necessarily endorsed by MountainViews. Hillwalking is a risk sport. Information in comments, walks or shared GPS tracks may not be accurate for example as regards safety or access permission. You are responsible for your safety and your permission to walk see conditions. Credits and list definitions are listed here Credits RSS Feed for Recent Items. Visit our Facebook page. Video display Galway Islands Area More detail Place count in area: 144, OSI/LPS Maps: 37, 38, 39, 44, 45, 46, 51, 51A, 52, MSW Highest place: Inishark Island, 96.6m Places in area Galway Islands:Aill Na Croise 4mAn Buachal 65mAn Cheathrú Lair (Inishbofin) (2) 89mAn Chnapach 16mAn Cró 9mAn tOileán Fada 5mAn tOileán Garbh 10mAn tOileán Gorm Theas 5mAn tOileán Gorm Thuaidh 5mAn tOileán Iarthach Theas 6mAn tOileán Iartharach Thiar 15mAn tOileán Iarthrach (1) 21mAn tOileán Mór (2) 14mAn tOileán Mór 7mAn tOileán Thuaidh 9mArd Oileán (1) 5mBior Beag 6mBior Mór 13mBoolard Island 23mBraadillaun 12mBrannock Island 14mCalf Islands 5mCarraig Iolar 5mCionlaí 3mClynagh Island 15mCruach na Caoile 2mCruachnait 30mCruagh Island 63mCrump Island 25mDaighinis 19mDavillaun 5mDeer island 5mDog Island (1) 5mDonee 5mDúilic 2mDún Godail 5mDún Mánas 5mDún na bhFál 12mDunmanus Island 5mEanach Mheáin 15mEeshal Island 12mFerroon Rocks 9mFiddaun Islands 9mFornais 27mFraochoileán 12mFraochoileán Beag 15mFreaghillaun North 8mFreaghillaun South 27mFriar Island 5mGlas Oileán 1mGlassillaun 13mGólam 25mGooreen (Omey Island) 26mGooreen Island 6mHare Island (1) 10mHigh Island (1) 5mHog Island (1) 15mIllaunmore (1) 12mIllaunnamweelin 5mIllaunnanima 12mInis an Ghainimh 8mInis Bearacháin 37mInis Bigir 6mInis Caorach (2) 10mInis Damhraí 3mInis Duga 12mInis Eirc 27mInis Leacan 13mInis Léith 6mInis Loiscthe 5mInis Mhic Cionaith 15mInis Ní 45mInis Srathair 5mInis Treabhair 14mInis Troighe 5mInisbroon 23mInishark Island 96.6mInishbearna 47mInishcorra 5mInisheer 57mInisheltia 12mInishgort (2) 22mInishlyon 43mInishmaan 79mInishskinnybeg 12mInishskinnymore 16mInishturk (2) 37mIsland Eddy 8mLeac Dearg 5mLeitir Mealláin 45mMaol an Eisc 5mMeall Garbh 5mMulroney's Island 5mMutton Island (1) 6mNa Beitheachta 5mNa Fioriúin 5mNa Rua-Oileán (1) 15mOileán Aimhréidh 4mOileán an Anama 14mOileán an Bhromaigh (2) 5mOileán an Chaisín 15mOileán an Chlaí 5mOileán an Cnoich 5mOileán an Mhadra (2) 5mOileán an Phocaide 9mOileán an Teampaill (2) 7mOileán an tSionnaigh (1) 5mOileán Cruachaite 5mOileán Domhain 3mOileán Finis 8mOileán Gharmna 53mOileán Imill 5mOileán Lachan 7mOileán Lachan (2) 10mOileán Máisean 14mOileán Meana 10mOileán Mhic Dara 27mOileán Mhuighinse 23mOileán Múscraí 6mOileán na Bó 5mOileán na Circe 6mOileán na Craoibhe 5mOileán na Cruach Beg 3mOileán na Cruaiche Mór 20mOileán na gCapaill (3) 4mOileán na gCapall 8mOileán na Léime 12mOileán na mBróg 3mOileán na Meannain 8mOileán na Muiríleach 5mOileán na nGeabhróg 5mOileán Ros an Locha 5mOileán Ura 9mOx Island 5mRabbit Island (1) 5mRock Island 10mRoeillaun (3) 13mRoeillaun (2) 5mRossroe Island 15mSceirde Beg 5mSceirde Mór 5mStraw Island 10mTawin Island 6mTurbot Island 13m Note: this list of places includes island features such as summits, but not islands as such. Centre on map. Mallgarve Island Meall Garbh A name in Irish Galway County, in Irish Islands List Landing grid ref.: L53300 41300Reachable "On Foot " N Height: 5m OS 1:50k Mapsheet: 44 Grid Reference: L53200 41300 Place visited by 0 members. Island visited by 0 members. I have visited this place: NO (You need to be a logged-in member to change this.) I have visited this island: NO (You need to be a logged-in member to change this.) More detail Longitude: -10.207921, Latitude: 53.401621 , Easting: 53200, Northing: 241300 ITM: 453182 741324, GPS IDs, 6 char: Mlgrv, 10 char: Mallgarve Trackback: https://mountainviews.ie/island/2311/?PHPSESSID=dsf8v8g7pi6qqu0r11oigdfd46 Rate Gallery COMMENTS for Meall Garbh 1 of 1 (No comments so far about Meall Garbh.) Some mapping: Open Street Map (Various variations used.) British summit data courtesy: Database of British & Irish Hills (Creative Commons Licence) MountainViews.ie, a Hill-walking Website for the island of Ireland. 11 Million Visitors Per Year. 1300 Contributors.


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Gigabyte A75M-D2H and A75-UD4H Motherboard Review
If you know only three things about desktop computers, the fact that Gigabyte makes top end motherboards is probably one of them. The enthusiast has been able to count on Gigabyte to provide high end motherboard solutions with a multi-graphics interface and overclocking capabilities. Today's offerings are a bit different. They fall in the budget category and make a home for AMD's highly successful and innovative APUs, which are known to be more suited to the general computer user. What is different about these two offerings is that, while hovering around the $100 price mark, they retain a feature set that lets the user get some higher end graphic performance if they choose to. The question for these boards is, how many users will fit this profile? Let's take a look at the Gigabyte GA-A75-UD4H and GA-A75M-D2H.
Closer Look:
The retail packaging for the UD4H and the D2H are nearly identical except for the model number. They have a look that is reminiscent of the late 90s motherboard packaging and don't exactly jump out at you from the stacks on a retail shelf. That being said, the packaging does do a good job of explaining what the "Super 4" branding is about. The top of the box has an animated sports car with flames blowing back from the front tire. Below that, it tells us that we are dealing with a "Super 4" motherboard, followed by a prominently displayed badge touting a three-year warranty for those of us in the USA and Canada. Next up are some rows containing some of the features and attributes of the board, including an explanation of what this a "Super 4" motherboard: super-speed, super-safe, super-savings, and super-sound. In the lower right corner is an image of the corner of the box being peeled back to reveal the now well known "2 x PCB copper" that Gigabyte touts being used in its motherboards for better conductivity and heat dissipation. The bottom of the package goes into more detail about what the "Super 4" features are and tells us that this is a motherboard capable of AMD Vision's Dual Graphics feature. To the side we have three images illustrating the RDS MOSFET design, the 108 dB audio, and a very high level board layout. In a less prominent fashion, we learn that this board employs an 8+2 power phase design, is equipped with on/off charge, and has Dolby home theater sound.
The other sides of the package are duplicates of each other, with nothing that is not covered on the top of the box. Let's lift the lid and see what we have to work with here.
Keeping with the price point of the A75-UD4H, the accessory bundle is down to the bare essentials. You get a rear I/O shield, four SATA cables, an install driver disk, and a user's manual. Enough to get the job done, but no extras here.
The camera flash penetrates the mirrored anti-static bag and we get the first view of the UD4H with Gigabyte's signature powder blue and white color scheme we have seen in years past. Have a click and let's see what those thousand or so solder connections have attached to the UD4H.


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For people who live in a part of the country where basements are prevalent, below-ground rooms are still the dominant place for dedicated home theaters. A basement is a nearly perfect location for a theater or media room for lots of reasons. The sidewalls aren't usually shared with other rooms; if there are windows, they're small ones; they're generally not an open design, so acoustics are easier to control; and their out-of-the-way nature makes them great places for temporary escape.
That said, basements also include challenges that other rooms don't have.
The first thing to consider in a basement is moisture. "We look around for spots where there may have been leaks," says Dave Wexler of The Little Guys in Chicago, IL. He notes that newer homes usually don't have moisture issues, because new developments manage water better than older ones did.
Learn how smart moisture and leak detectors can help keep your basement dry, here.
If you've had moisture issues in the past, sump pumps, French drains, dehumidifiers and moisture blocking paints can all be used. A contractor will need to solve any potentially serious problems early on in the project.
Plumbing, exposed conduits, heating and air conditioning ducts all can get in the way of your audio and video gear. Often a heating duct crosses a ceiling area in exactly the place you need to hang the projector. A professional integrator will know whether the projector placement can be altered or if the duct needs to be moved. A projector with a liberal lens shift feature can be a problem solver.
Ceiling height can be a problem in many basements, especially where ceiling mounted projectors and tiered seating is in the plan. In a low ceilinged basement, the tight clearance can make it a challenge to put seats on risers, especially with a third tier, without getting the guests' heads too close to the ceiling or in the way of the projector's light.
Depending on what you want for your display, the basement entryway can be a challenge. If your stairs are narrow and have a low ceiling, it might be tough to get an 80- or 90-inch flat panel TV down there. Even harder will be a big–100 inches or larger–rigid projection screen. Rolled up fabric projection screens can easily be carried down any stairs.
What about windows? While basements don't normally have a lot of windows, if there are any, they need to be able to be covered so no light comes in to wash out the picture. Motorized window shades can work magic in this situation.
Insulation is also a concern—both for containing heat (if you live in a cold part of the country like I do) or to keep the audio in. "Given the opportunity, we use Acoustiblok," says Wexler. Acoustiblok is a viscoelastic polymer material that's applied to wall studs. It's excellent for soundproofing, but it can be expensive.
Because a basement will have very different temperature characteristics than the rest of the house, it's important to make sure it operates as a separate HVAC zone in the house.
Todd Anthony Puma of The Source Home Theater, says lighting is key in any theater, especially a basement. "The placement of lights is critical," says Puma, so the lighting is directed to where people need it and not onto the screen. "A lot of people want to do recessed lighting, but I recommend sconces. Recessed lighting can rattle [from bass notes] or leak light," he says. Puma also recommend LED path lighting around seats and stairs to prevent accidents in the dark.
Puma adds that remote controlled lighting makes a huge difference in people's enjoyment of a theater. First, there's the WOW factor of watching lights automatically go down while the picture and sound come on, but beyond that, remote controlled lighting allows you to activate different lighting scenes depending on the how the room is being used at the time—a music listening scene may set the sconces to partial illumination, while the movie scene turns them off entirely—and you won't have to get out of your chair to change them.
Another issue that Wexler sees with basements is fluctuating power. "Voltage stabilization is critical," he says, and recommends products from companies like Furman and Panamax to maintain a home theater's performance level. You don't want to see your picture go dim every time the air conditioning kicks in.
While a traditional rectangular room may be ideal for a dedicated theater, more families are designing their basement spaces as multipurpose rooms—often with open designs that aren't ideal for theaters. For this reason, Wexler says speaker positioning is sometimes an issue. "We use a lot of in-ceiling speakers for surround or rear channels," he says, "because sometimes walls aren't where you'd like them."
Whatever your basement, there's a solution that can turn that empty space into an impressive entertainment area.


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Now, obviously we never want to hear that someone feels unwell after eating one of our products. We have a formal complaint tracking system for this. However I did want to clarify our gluten free status, the strict testing and ingredient sourcing protocols we have in place and our 22 year commitment as a dedicated, family run gluten free company. This did not go well. Twitter's 140 character limit is not the best method to explain something to someone who is feeling unwell and angry. I want to expand on what I posted on Twitter in a form that allows for some continuity and clarity.
One of the things that I tweeted was
"We guarantee our product to be gluten free to < 5ppm (which is the limit of science)"The reply to this was that this tweet was proof that we were not gluten free and that we shouldn't be allowed to label our products gluten free. I won't refer to this twitter conversation any more but if you feel you'd like to judge our response, our Twitter account is public and we stand behind everything thing we said.
So let's talk about PPM. What does it mean? What's safe? What are the rules? What's the science behind testing?
Warning: Science & Math Ahead
What does PPM mean?
PPM is short for Parts Per Million. OK most everyone knows that. But what does it -really- mean. A million is a pretty big number but it's helpful if we break it down to a real world example.
So 1ppm is 1 ounce in 1 million ounces or 1 gram in 1 million grams. Hmmm, that's not easy. It becomes a bit easier when you convert that to pounds and kilograms
1ppm = 1 ounce in 62,000 pounds (31.25 tons)
1ppm = 1 gram in 1000 kilograms (1 metric tonne)
Now -that- starts to show you the kind of numbers we are dealing with here.
Let's give you an actual example. A standard grain car contains about 80 tons (160,000 pounds) or 72.6 metric tonnes (72600 kilograms)*.
To find out what 1ppm of -something- in that grain car would be, all we need to do is run a calculation.
1 ppm X ppm
31.25tons = 80tons
If 1 ppm is 1 ounce in 31 tons, 1 ppm in a grain car looks like this:
2.56 ounces per 160,000lb
72.6 grams per 72,600kg
Probably the easiest way to think of what 1ppm means is this:
1ppm = 1 You in a room with a Million people.
or maybe
1ppm = 1 needle in a haystack of a million pieces of hay.
It's very small indeed.
The Rules
For many years, the Codex Alimentarius had a standard of 200ppm and this was widely accepted in Europe and the UK.
Until 13 days ago, the US had -NO- regulations as to what constituted a gluten free product. Let me repeat that. There were no regulations governing gluten free products in the US. Until August 2, 2013.
Up until last year, Canada (where we are based) had an informal limit of 20ppm for product labelled gluten free, although the regulations explicitly said "none". The 20ppm was what was referred to as the "enforcement threshold". That is, if a product tested higher than 20ppm and was labelled gluten free it was subject to a recall. These guidelines were the strictest in the world and have been in place for at least 15 years and maybe longer. This is the regulatory environment Kinnikinnick "grew up" in.
Fortunately, things have started to become clearer world wide.
Last year Canada released the new guidance for gluten free labeling which basically formalized and clarified the pre-existing rules.
Since 2008, the Codex has an updated standard to set a threshold of 20ppm. (pdf)
In August 2013, after 9 years of deliberation and consultation (and I expect a good deal of lobbying), the FDA finally released the rules for what is allowed to be labeled gluten free. Companies have 1 year to comply.
One note on Oats and gluten free. While the new US regulations allow them, both Canada & the Codex do NOT allow Oats or products containing oats to be labeled gluten free. These agencies recognize that oats can be tolerated by most but not all people who are intolerant to gluten. This is a position we also take and we do not use oats in any of our products.
Because of the major uncertainty, especially in the US, about what gluten free actually meant, several celiac support groups drew up their own guidelines and created gluten free certification programs. The allowable PPM for certification from these groups ranges from 10-20ppm. While this filled a void, we choose to certify our own products.
Some of you may say "well, why would we trust you over a certification organization?" The answer is simple, if a company does not comply with a certification organization standards (ie: tests over 10 or 20ppm) then they risk being dropped by the certification organization (although I expect there is a process to "fix things" to retain status). Because we label our products with our own logo which claims <5ppm we are legally bound to provide that. There are no certification organization bodies that can claim that. There are a couple of companies who claim 100% gluten free but we'll get to why that is unsupportable shortly.
What's Safe.
Here's a good question. How much gluten is safe for the general celiac population. There's not an easy answer. It used to be extraordinarily confusing for consumers,but in recent years things have started to become clearer.
As of August 2013, at last, the consensus of governments, science, support groups and certification organizations has set the safe maximum level to be somewhere between 10-20ppm.
These numbers come with one caveat, especially at the 20ppm level. This is safe for the -average- celiac to consume and cause no damage. This does not mean -you- won't react to 20ppm. This is why some certification organizations have chosen to have a 10ppm standard. And remember, 20ppm per product is additive. This is up to 20ppm -per product- you eat per day. If you eat a lot of products in a day that are at or near 20ppm, even "average" celiacs may be getting enough to cause a problem.
This is why we have chosen the < 5ppm standard.
The Science of testing for gluten (and why claims of 100% gluten free are unsupportable)
Before we get to the < 5ppm standard, it might be helpful for a quick refresher on our standards. For a complete overview please see our post Gluten Testing and Our New Lab Tested Gluten Free Logo
I'll summarize some important points from that post:
- In general, all the tests on the market today are looking for gliadin, which is a protein in wheat. This protein is most commonly referred to as gluten.
- It's important to realize that for testing, gliadin & gluten are not the same thing. A gliadin result of 5ppm means it contains 10ppm gluten.
- The Level of detection of gluten is different than the level of quantification (translation: you can tell gluten is in something at a lower level than you can accurately say how much there is)
- The only accepted & verified test for determination of gluten is Enzyme-linked Immunoassay (ELISA) R5 Mendez Method.
- The most sensitive test available to science (that is recognized) is the R5 ELISA Quantitative test, with a Limit of detection of 1.5ppm gliadin/3ppm gluten.
- We use both the R5 ELISA Quantitative (how much) test and the R5 ELISA Qualitative (yes/no) test which has a limit of detection of 2.5ppm gliadin/5ppm gluten.
- The large majority of our suppliers are dedicated gluten free. For those that aren't, where alternatives are not possible, we have extensive documentation on their procedures and rigorous testing of every lot.
- We test both incoming ingredients and finished products using both the qualitative and quantitative tests depending on the ingredient.
- All our finished products must test below 2.5ppm gliadin/5ppm gluten.
< 5 ppm and the real world.
Let take an example of a gluten free bread by Brand X. We'll say that 1 slice of our example bread is approximately 1 ounce or 28 grams. (your brand may be heavier & denser ;)
How much gluten would be in the product under the 20, 10 & 5ppm standards.
I'm only going to work in grams because there's really no useful measure below ounce.
So using our example above we know that 1ppm = 1 gram in 1000 kilograms.
20ppm = 20grams in 1000 kilograms or 20000mg in 1000000000mg = 0.00002
10ppm = 10grams in 1000 kilograms or 10000mg in 1000000000mg = 0.00001
5ppm = 5grams in 1000 kilograms or 5000mg in 1000000000mg = 0.000005
So for a 28 gram sample (28000 millgrams) we get the following totals.
20ppm = 0.56mg gluten/28 gram serving
10ppm = 0.28mg gluten/28 gram serving
5ppm = 0.14mg gluten/28 gram serving****
(ok for those of you who still want ounces - 5 ppm = 0.0000128oz/1 oz serving)
Now even at 20ppm, 0.56mg is not very much. About the weight of half of an eyelash. Or perhaps 1 crystal of granulated sugar. Or a grain of sand. It's a truly tiny amount. But our bodies ("our" being us celiacs) are truly remarkable and this tiny amount can cause issues for some people. Based on our current knowledge ("our" being Science's) very few would react to 0.28mg and virtually none to 0.14mg.
But here's the thing. You'll notice I've added **** to the 5ppm amount calculation.
Update: I just received and email from our QA lab manager saying "hey, we haven't used quick tests for finished products for quite a while."
Here's what he had to say:
For finished products we use microwell strip format ELISA with heated cocktail extraction based on AOAC Official First Action Method No. 2012.01.
As a routine procedure we use the kit in a screening mode by running a 5 ppm standard alongside the samples and then comparing optical densities of the sample wells to that of the 5 ppm well using a spectrophotometer. If we were to encounter a positive sample that tests above 5 ppm we would build a full scale calibration curve with 5 standards.
It's more time consuming (1.5 hrs just for the assay), but ensures better detection and/or quantification of glidain in heat treated foods.
(I actually knew this but yesterday had me linking to the post from 18 months ago and that's how we -used- to do it)
Now I'll translate. Turns out that heat treated products (ie: any baked goods) are much harder to test because heat treatment changes the protein structure. Quick tests can't properly do the job. Even the sensitive test has challenges and the samples require extra, specialized processing (the heated cocktail extraction thing)
Another point to make. Every test we do takes an minimum 90 minutes.This stuff is not easy or cheap folks.
Here's the really important thing. The reason for this post. If we say our products are guaranteed to < 5ppm, this does -not- mean there is 0.14mg of gluten in it. (or rather less than 0.14mg) It means this:
- We have researched our suppliers products, procedures and standards.
- We have tested incoming ingredients.
- We have made our products in our 2 dedicated facilities (where staff are forbidden to even bring gluten containing bread to lunch).
- We have regularly verified our testing results with outside labs.
- We have tested our finished products to have < 5ppm gluten.
What I can tell you is that our products are the gluten free-est gluten free products around*.
* If some other manufacturer wants to dispute that I'm fine with that. Just post your testing and protocols for everyone to see, like we do. As a celiac of 16 years and gluten free consumer, I really wish you would.
Jay Bigam
Executive VP


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Hi everyone,
DD is 5 mts and wont be introducing solids for another while yet but need to get some information.
DD is EBF and I want to continue until the 1yr mark. I want to go down the route of BLS -[spoonfree zone], so solid food from the start, no purees etc.
Has anyone else gone down this route?What types of food are you offering to start with and How much to start with?
I presume any liquid type foods [cereals, yogurt etc] are left until baby can fed themselves??
Anything to avoid? and does the food have to be finger size or specific size?


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Sheriff: 5 snowboarders killed in Colo. avalanche
GEORGETOWN, Colo. Five snowboarders were killed Saturday afternoon in a backcountry avalanche on Colorado's Loveland Pass, authorities said.
Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger said in a statement that six snowboarders were caught in the slide. The condition of the lone survivor was not released.
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed a highway as many skiers were headed home from nearby Arapahoe Basin ski resort.
Lisa Clarke Devore, who was headed back to Denver from the resort, told The Associated Press she saw a fire truck and ambulance on the pass, as well two search dogs headed into the area of the slide. She says she saw several ambulances, including one towing snowmobiles, driving toward the pass.
The pass, elevation of 11,990 feet, is popular among backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
On Thursday, a 38-year-old snowboarder died in an avalanche south of Vail Pass. Eagle County sheriff's officials said the man and another snowboarder likely triggered the slide after a friend on a snowmobile dropped them off at the top of Avalanche Bowl.
Nationwide, more than 18 people have died in avalanches this season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
U.S. avalanche deaths climbed steeply around 1990 to an average of around 24 a year as new gear became available for backcountry travel. Until then, avalanches rarely claimed more than a handful of lives each season in records going back to 1950.


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The night we have all been waiting for Fashion's Night Out!
Monica Botkier had a vintage night out at Nine West's New Vintage America Collection store in Soho! Monica Botkier collaborated with style editor Kate Ciepluch to create a beautiful vintage inspired handbag collection for the stores grand opening.
One of our favorite bloggers, Saucy Glossie was corresponding live from the New Vintage America Collection store in partnership with BigLive and interviewed both Kate and Monica on their collaboration.
The evening was filled with incredible style and an exciting fun atmosphere ending with an amazing visit to see Aimee Song from Song of Style at Joe's Jeans!
Here are some of Monica's favorite #FNO moments!


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Your live bloggers for this game will be an amalgamation of veteran Deadspin commenters: Stev D, ArkansasFred, dont-forget-where-you-came-from-cheese-mac, and David Hume. They canceled several party invitations for this. The hope you appreciate the sacrifice.
Our strike team has drawn the Verne Lundquist/Bill Raftery match-up. Always entertaining. Lundquist's labored breathing and Raftery's schizo outbursts always make for great entertainment especially if the game gets out of hand. Here are a few fun facts and things to look out for. Enjoy the game!
Among active coaches, Pitino has the third-highest winning percentage in NCAA Tournament games. He also has the most expensive cologne collection.
Player to watch: Morehead State forward Maze Stallworth. A Kentucky native who attracted no interest from either of the state's top two programs. Bonus points: He is sober and not behind the wheel of a $150,000.00 Bentley.
Unfortunately for Alabama State, The Basketball Spirits were not looking down on Chief Walkswithmanysyllables.
Thankfully for Bob Jones University, Morehead State is here to divert your attention away from all the blow job jokes. They still have the market covered on threatening to arrest homosexual alumni for stepping foot on campus, though.
For all you Birdwatchers out there: stop looking at penises. Its Eagles vs. Cardinals; Slice of American Pie vs. Flashy Plumage. I think we all know who wins that battle.
Louisville U and Morehead State are both located in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Kentucky's status as a commonwealth indicates historic recognition of the fact that they are *independent as fuck *and will tar and feather your Tory-loving ass.
Kentucky has a widely recognized reputation as a haven for thoroughbred racing, bluegrass music and bourbon whiskey. From this perspective, Louisville U is ideally located. The Makers Mark, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and the Jim Beam (Knob Creek, Booker's, Baker's etc) family distilleries are less than a 90 minute drive from Louisville proper and offer tours and tasting. All of which makes Kentucky's choice of Milk as the state beverage appallingly shameful and a perpetual embarrassment.
Conservative Republican Jim Bunning has served as Kentucky's junior Senator for over a decade. When reached for comment regarding this match-up, he cited Louisville's stifling pressure defense asked if we¹d like to see his collection of the shrunken heads of former interns.
After being unceremoniously dumped on his ass in 2001, Former UL coach Denny Crum, like countless other unemployed layabouts, gave in to the siren call of playing cards for profit. Crum became a professional poker player and currently hosts a poker tournament, the bizarrely-named Denny Crum Poker Open.
Louisville is the alma mater of numerous professional basketball players including former NBA player and NJ Nets coach Butch Beard, which, coincidentally is the working title for Danielle Fishel's forthcoming autobiography.
Everyone on Deadspin is a lawyer!
Morehead State is located on the edge of the Daniel Boone National Forest. For those of you who also went to 10th grade American History after getting baked at lunch, Daniel Boone was a legendary frontiersman and one of the original settlers of the first permanent settlement in Kentucky. His reputation claims that he was an excellent shot, but, unfortunately, functionally illiterate. The irony of this being mentioned in a college basketball preview is not lost on the author.


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Creative coding; discovery and joy
While I've spent the majority of the last decade thoroughly entrenched in the industry, the past few months of 2012 have seen me experiment a bit with the world beyond game design. During this break from the games biz I've been playing around with hardware hacking, interactive and generative installations and artwork, and delving into some theory on larger questions of art, design, and technology. As such, the following post deviates a little bit from the usual games-world content.
The use of the word "creative", especially in the context of something like "industry creatives vs. non-creatives", has always struck me as problematic. That notwithstanding, "creative coding" is something of a useful idea. There should be a distinct difference in the way programming is taught to artists from the way programming is taught to aspiring engineers, and creative coding ideally is a reflection of this.
Creative coding is about building something that is in the end usually non-practical. It requires practical components to be coherent and useable, but is most often not about building something that is explicitly utilitarian.
I've had a chance to participate in quite a few classes on this subject during my time off this year as well as in 2011. In these classes, most of the students in these classes are new to programming and come from various backgrounds in design or the arts. Processing, being extremely visual, is the natural choice. Nonetheless, I am often stunned at the failure of these classes to realize their potential.
At their best, they teach the basic concepts of programming in an exploratory, visual way. But most of the courses I've experienced this year were excrutiating live coding example after example after example, or long discussions and explanations on the technical nature of the issues at hand. These discussions are all eventually crucial to be sure, but they are not the way to introduce these ideas to design students in something like Processing.
What these classes should be about, before anything else, is the joy – the joy of exploration and discovery.
I keep coming back to this video, years later, to explain to people what I mean about joy. One of the game designers I admire the most, Steph Thirion, used to teach classes on creative coding. This particular video was using footage of the results from a 6 hour crash course with students who had no programming experience. They began with the source code for a simple breakout clone provided by Thirion, and ended up with this beautiful montage.
The wonderful thing about the computational, the generative, the procedural, is that things emerge that often cannot be accurately predicted by the person responsible for the underlying logic.
When you have a system and logic as a starting point, with creative expression as a goal, all it takes is a tiny bit of context followed by experimentation. You learn something new – "I didn't know THAT would happen!" – and your brain follows up with "What if I do THIS…?" Its something like Jon Blow's explanations on 'letting the game design itself' – its a process of taking a step, seeing something new, and taking another step, and something emerges in and of itself.
It's also analagous to design thinking in general: design has long been discussed as an exploration-focused domain, rather than a problem or solution-focused one. Problems and solutions emerge and evolve together.
There is a joy to this process. There is a beauty to this process. It makes people feel wonder and want to understand and explore more. And for people who already have a design background, its familiar. This joy is why I started programming in the first place. Exploration is the key, and Thirion gets it – this video still gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.
Hiding, Discovering; Beacons of Hope
While in New York over the holidays, the brothers Ma had the opportunity to head over to Eyebeam to take part in a playtest of a new installation game by Doug Wilson, called Beacons of Hope. I met Doug last summer in Denmark, where I had a chance to try some of his games and pick his mad-genius brain. In a Copenhagen university garage, he shared his idea for Beacons of Hope with me; it sounded inspired. We rode the E train and walked through a light drizzle to Chelsea.
Beacons of Hope is a quaint-sounding name for a game, especially for something as ostensibly experimental as this one, but it resonates meaningfully with the gameplay experience.
The short version of how it works is this: you stumble around in complete darkness with a dozen or so similarly hapless participants, tripping on makeshift barriers and groping helplessly. Meanwhile, motion-triggered flashes of red light from PlayStation Move controllers held by "monsters" briefly illuminate the space as they stalk and eliminate other players from the game by grabbing them. The players' goal is to find three hidden "beacons", (also PS Move controllers) which can shine a bright white light at the press of a button.
If all three beacons are found and triggered together, the monsters are defeated and the players win the round. If all players are eliminated, or they don't discover the beacons in time, they lose. Any motion registered by the different controllers results in a cacophony of melodic and dissonant sounds, allowing players to get an idea of the current game situation by listening closely.
The game is creepy, confounding, occasionally thrilling, and like much of Doug's work, social.
Winnitron SH COMPLETE
The Shanghai Winnitron is finally, unofficially, complete. We'll be having an official launch worthy of the Winnitron's greatness soon with Arcade!
Final physical work was done about a week or two ago. The Brothers Ma and R3 in the space.
Winnitron Shanghai, WIP
So we're in the midst of building Shanghai's very own Winnitron for our friend R3's bar Arcade.
We had a chance to mess around with the Winnitron 1000 at GDC earlier this year. The Winnitron project captures perfectly both what is most fun and nostalgic about bygone eras of arcade games and also the independent, artistic, creative spirit of independent game developers. We instantly knew we had to make one for Shanghai.
We started planning in the spring along with our colleague Han Ling Quan. Shortly afterwards we decided to collaborate with R3 as the bar he was opening sounded like it was created with the Winnitron in mind. In short, perfect timing.
The Winnitron SH started coming together mid-summer and we're putting the finishing touches on it now, with the help of the bar's designers and contractors, and of course the Bit Collective guys, especially Kert Gartner, who has been supporting us every step of the way.
We're almost finished! The cabinet is in the space now, LEDs and monitor in place, and the PC and electronics are just waiting for the final panel.
Chinese studios, creative freedom
Several months back I had a chance to sit down with Wesley Bao of Coconut Island at their office in downtown Shanghai. They hosted Shanghai's Global Game Jam earlier this year and I was intrigued by their approach and values as an indie studio – they seemed to set Wesley and his colleagues apart from the vast majority of the game development scene across China.
Coconut Island is odd for a homegrown studio – they target the international market almost exclusively, avoiding the Chinese market wherever they can. Is this the only way to have a "creative" independent studio in China?
Kill Screen posted my article and interview with Wesley here.


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From the moment Lily Strang was born, she has been fighting a battle.
From the moment Lily Strang was born, she has been fighting a battle. It's a battle that would make grown men tremble, but has shone a light on the remarkable courage and determination of a 6-year-old from Sturgis.
Lily's battle is with Fanconi Anemia, a genetic disease that is noted for a defect in a cluster of proteins that are responsible for DNA repair. Only 1 in 130,000 people are born with FA. The disease caused Lily to be born undersized and without thumbs. It can also lead to bone marrow failure and leukemia quite commonly.
When it was discovered that Lily was headed toward bone marrow failure and developed early stage leukemia it was decided that she would need to undergo a bone marrow transplant. She and her mother, Erin Furr, would head to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for the transplant and spent the next five months there.
In February, the pair returned to Sturgis after a successful transplant, which got rid of her leukemia cells and all abnormal cells present in her bone marrow. They were greeted with open arms by the community, as they were escorted by police and fire department vehicles past a line of people showing their support.
With their return to Sturgis complete, Furr said Lily is doing well despite having a long road of challenges still ahead of her.
"She seems to be thriving at home. Having siblings to play with definitely helps her be a kid again," Furr said.
Precautions with Lily's weakened immune system had to be taken however and she is under restrictions in terms of her contact with germ carriers. Furr said that it's worth it though, being back home and somewhat isolated as long as they get to be with their family.
Lily gets to venture outside for an hour at a time after 4 p.m. That is due to the dangers that sun exposure poses to her weakened condition. She wears a surgical mask to prevent inhaling mold and fungus spores, but that doesn't prevent her from enjoying the fresh air.
As much as the trips outside help Lily's moral, Furr said that she still misses school and her classmates. In February, Lily's principal arranged a video call Lily through Skype and walked her around the school just to say hello to everyone. Furr said that it was an amazing experience for Lily and that the community support has continued to be tremendous.
"I've never seen anything like it," Furr said. "It's like one of those Lifetime movies where the town rallies around a little girl battling an illness ... and it's really happened here. She doesn't quite grasp the concept of how many people follow her and support her, but what she does understand makes her proud and helps her get through knowing that so many people are cheering her on and love her."
Lily will get to return a little bit of love to the Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati as donations for the charity will be collected around Sturgis until the end of April. They're collecting batteries, unopened toys, puzzles, board games, DVDs, Wii or Xbox 360 games and canned food for the charity.
Ronald McDonald House frequently visited Lily's hospital to make snacks and meals for the families staying there and had lots of activities for the kids to entertain themselves with.
"These things all help to give a little bit of a positive spin on a really hard time for kids and parents at the House. Please consider donating. Any small amount helps," Furr said.
Drop off locations for donations can be found at Trio's Deli, Panache the Salon and Blue Ray Beach.
For now, Lily remains somewhat isolated in her home as her immune system continues to get better. She still faces all the threats and problems that her disease creates, but recovering from the transplant is just one more step in her long journey.
"She will face many challenges medically still from the Fanconi Anemia, but this hurdle that she's jumped over is a huge one and will change her life so much," Furr said.
Despite everything that she's been through, she still hopes to attend school next fall.
Follow Justin Wright on Twitter, @jwrightSJ.


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Butler County Board of Trustees welcomed broker Tom Murry from Insurance Center Inc., (ICI) to give an update
As part of their annual property and liability insurance renewal, which will take place on Sept. 1, the Butler County Board of Trustees welcomed broker Tom Murry from Insurance Center Inc., (ICI) to give an update.
"The college has been partnering with ICI for several years now," began Murry. "Next month, we will be able to present the board with premiums for the year and ask for your approval."
He went on to explain the different coverages provided for the college.
"Property is the second largest premium cost in your program," he explained. "In the current market conditions, it has the fewest insurance companies interested in offering coverage. This is due to our geographic location, which is one of the highest risks in the United States for tornados, winds and hail. EMC insures approximately 350 schools in Kansas and 50 percent of all community colleges. They have been he most dependable and committed market in the state. They will be offering a renewal and it may be as much as 10 percent, but our goal would be far less than that."
Murry, who has been in the business for quite some time, is familiar with insurance in Kansas.
"Through the years, I have seen many companies come into Kansas, see a hail storm or high winds and then turn around and leave," he explained. "The only one that has not been profitable insurance wise are the companies insuring schools because of the roofs. We haven't been terribly creative as an industry, but we've been talking a little more aggressive in their management. We've been discussing what we can do with roof design and even deductibles because as an insurance company, we're never going to collect enough premium to cover all the roofs of a facility."
Murry then moved onto the largest premium for the college.
"Worker's compensation is the largest premium line," said Murry. "The good news is with our risk management tools and accident fund's aggressive strategies, the college's current experience mod is .75, which that you're 25 percent less cost than the average. This has a compounding effect on cost savings. It makes you much more attractive to the insurance market."
Overall, the college fared favorably.
"Business auto is the third largest premium cost," Murry went on. "This has a five-year loss history of $44,275 at a 27.9 percent loss ratio to 25 claims. General liability has nine claims totaling $8,912 with a five-year history of 25 percent. You've done the best in excess liability with linebacker (public officials) and law enforcement at a zero loss ratio for the past five years."
"The facility's department heads have been very proactive on talking to staff, encouraging training and awareness," said Vice President for Finance Kent Williams.
The Trustees will revisit the issue of insurance during their August meeting.
The Trustees also:
• held an election of officers with the results as follows: Chairman: Tom McKibban; Vice Chair: Jim Howell; Secretary/ Treasurer: Ken Bohon: KACCT Delegate/Alternate: Ron Englebrecht as delegate, Dr. Greg Joyce alternate; Board Audit Committee: Jim Howell; Board of Finance: Ron Englebrecht appointed; Board liaison: Candace Kunkel; and Education board facility: Greg Joyce and Tom McKibban.
• approved the employee group health insurance renewal rates.
• approved the revision of the purchasing policy for the use of purchasing cards.
• approved information technology institute certificates of completion.
• affirmed Law Kingdon as design firm for the BOE Student Union.
• approved the board of conflict of interest policy.
• affirmed the ACCT standards of Good Practice.
• approved the purchase of 46 Dell laptop computers and 40 AC adapters and power cords in the amount of $35,538.76 in conjunction with the Carl Perkins Grant.
• accepted the resignation of Marcy Aycock, director of Early College Health Science Academy.
• accepted the resignation of Laura Hamlin, instructor of nursing.
• accepted the resignation of Jason Santangelo, assistant baseball coach.
• accepted the retirement of Don Gronau, professor of agriculture.
Kari Adams can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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WOODINVILLE, WA -- Today, Precor held the official grand opening of its new manufacturing plant in Whitsett, NC. The facility recently received a Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design (LEED) Commercial Interiors (CI) Gold Certification for the office space area of the plant.
The $26 million, 236,000-square-foot plant will manufacture commercial strength equipment, including the newest Precor single station C-Line machines as well as Icarian plate-loaded, functional and multi-station machines. It replaces a smaller facility in Valencia, CA. The plant employs 71 people, but Precor plans to double that number in the next few years.
The process for obtaining LEED certification is based on the accumulation of points in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environment quality.
To achieve LEED CI Gold Certification, Precor installed low-flow fixtures to reduce water consumption by 42 percent, high efficiency HVAC units for heating and cooling, and CO2 monitors in the space to detect low levels and automatically provide more fresh air to occupants when necessary via the HVAC system. The company also reduced connected lighting power density by 38 percent. Ninety percent of equipment and appliances installed at the plant have an Energy Star rating. The project recycled or diverted 80 percent of on-site generated construction waste from landfills.
The U.S. Green Building Council gives out the LEED certifications, which are the nation's premier program for design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. It is the recognized system for certifying green interiors that promote healthy, productive places to work, are less costly to operate and maintain and have a reduced environmental footprint.
"This distinguished award is the result of more than 18 months of preparing, planning and execution by our developers, architects, contractors and Precor," Paul Byrne, Precor president, said in a statement from the company. "Together, we were able to deliver this project on time and under budget."
In addition to LEED CI Gold, Precor also ensured that the high bay lighting fixtures at its plant contain T5HO fluorescent bulbs, which results in increased energy efficiency and better overall lighting. The company also recycles corrugated paper, wood pallets, aluminum shavings, and steel and metal scraps.


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A better way to control your Milight and Limitlessled lights.
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#389 (-12%) - dell.com
Title: Dell Official Site - The Power To Do More | Dell
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CARSON CITY, Nev. -- The number of Nevadans filing initial claims for jobless benefits fell in September to the lowest level in five years.
The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation says the 13,932 initial claims filed last month are the lowest since before the recession began in 2007. September's filings compare with 16,693 initial claims filed in the same month last year.
Initial claims peaked in December 2008 at 34,414.
State economist Bill Anderson notes that while the news is encouraging, the decline is not enough to signal a trend because initial claims typically drop in September.
The agency will release its full report on September unemployment numbers Friday.
Nevada has had the nation's highest jobless rate since May 2010.


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WOLFKING TROOPER Laser Gaming Mouse Review
When it comes to computers, more specifically gaming, there is one thing that will set you apart from the rest of the guys on the server. That critical thing is reaction time and one of the biggest factors in poor reaction time, is having a slow and inaccurate mouse, causing you to die at a higher percentage rate in the game. There is a lot of competition in the gaming peripheral business and that gives us many options to choose from. The newest technology is laser mice, which allows for better precision and highly adjustable DPI (Dots Per Inch) for faster control.
One of these mice is the WOLFKING TROOPER Laser Gaming Mouse, which we are going to take a look at today. The WOLFKING TROOPER has a maximum resolution of 2200dpi. For those of you asking what dpi is, it is "Dots Per Inch". The higher the dpi, the more precise your movements are. The TROOPER also allows you to select rapid fire rates from one to four shots per mouse click. All that in a nice, inexpensive package? Well let's take a look and see for ourselves.
Closer Look:
The WOLFKING TROOPER Laser Gaming Mouse comes boxed in a nice package that lets you take a look at the mouse without having to guess before buying. The front and back have the Wolfking Combat Wolf design, while pointing out key features of the WOLFKING TROOPER to potential buyers.
The sides of the box display the specifications of the device, as well as a neat feature that the TROOPER has - adjustable rate of fire. We will get more into that feature during the testing phase of this review.
Once you open the box and remove the items, you find the WOLFKING TROOPER Laser Gaming Mouse itself, a quick start guide and a driver CD. The CD only contains the drivers and electronic version of the manual. This is a plug and play device which requires no software that needs configuring. All functions are contained on the WOLFKING TROOPER itself.
Now that everything is unpacked, let's dig deeper into what makes this thing tick.


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You are here: Social Security Administration > Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis > Research and Analysis by Author > Vincent J. Olive
Research and Analysis by Vincent J. Olive
State-Chartered Credit Unions, 1965
from Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 30, No. 2 (released February 1967)
State-Chartered Credit Unions in 1963
from Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 27, No. 11 (released November 1964)


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Sunrise Beach couple among thousands of Missourians struggling with Second Injury Fund
The Missouri Second Injury Fund is "on life support," said Attorney General Chris Koster in a statement earlier this year during the Missouri Chamber Day at the Capitol. A fund that has helped thousands of previously injured workers in its almost 70-year existence has unpaid bills piling up against it to the tune of more than $14 million and its debt is continuing to amass, according to Koster.
A Sunrise Beach man, Allen Robinette, is one of hundreds of citizens around the state who are caught up in this issue with the Second Injury Fund (SIF), which is currently delinquent in payments to hundreds of Missourians.
According to the state website, the SIF compensates injured employees when a current work-related injury combines with a prior disability to create an increased combined disability with the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Robinette and wife Chris are seeking to receive payments for his 100 percent permanent disability that was vetted in a multi-year process - all after his condition possibly worsened due to state regulations on his medical care.
While the state treasurer is the custodian of the SIF, the state attorney general defends the claims made against the Fund and obtains the treasurer's authority to settle cases for it.
It is Missouri businesses, however, that fund it, paying a surcharge on all workers' compensation and self-insurance policies in order to fund the SIF. According to information prepared by the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the surcharge percentage ranged from 1 to nearly 5 percent over the years.
The surcharge used to be an adjustable percentage of their premium that was set depending on the SIF's annual expenditures. In 2005, however, the state legislature passed SB 1 which permanently capped the surcharge at 3 percent.
"By 2005, the SIF had $25 million in reserve. The surcharge was 3.5 percent that year and netted another $9 million surplus," Koster said. "But rather than allowing the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to make the appropriate actuarial adjustments to equalize the SIF's costs and coverage, the General Assembly voted that spring to permanently cap the surcharge at 3 percent."
The fiscal note attached to the bill at the time, however, predicted that the cap would lead to the SIF's insolvency, Koster said.
That prediction appears to be coming true, and is why Robinette and so many others are not only not receiving their disability checks but are also potentially owed back pay with interest.
Robinette's disability payment was court-approved in November 2011 at $256 per week, dating back to the time of his on-the-job injury in 2007. But on Dec. 23, 2011, he received a letter from the attorney general's office stating that while his claim was scheduled for payment from the Fund on Dec. 26, the SIF was "unable to make that payment."
According to Robinette, he is owed about $50,000 in back pay, not counting the interest since the time that he was scheduled to receive payments and did not get anything.
By 2008, the SIF's annual expenditures had increased to $74 million while its revenue dropped to $56 million, eating quickly into the large reserve that had existed.
"As Attorney General, my only recourse to preserve the dwindling Fund has been to triage the claims against it," Koster said.
This has included lowering the settlement authority for meritorious claims from $60,000 to $40,000. Despite this effort, the SIF's balance fell to $4 million by the end of 2009, according to Koster.
At that point, Koster said his office stopped all settlement negotiations and required every claimant to prove their case in court no matter how meritorious the claim was.
"That delayed the inevitable, but the decision has caused an accrual of interest on the Fund's debt - your debt - at a statutory rate of 9 percent," Koster said in this February speech to the Missouri Chamber.
Since then, Koster has also laid off approximately one-third of the staff and attorneys that defend the SIF.
According to Koster, two actuarial studies have confirmed that the 3 percent surcharge does not support the coverage provided by the SIF. Nevertheless, the General Assembly did not address the issue in either the 2010 or 2011 legislative sessions.
Koster's office then stopped paying new permanent total disability awards in March 2011 so that the SIF could build up enough revenue to pay its ongoing, pre-existing obligations, he said.
As of Feb. 1, 2012, the SIF had unpaid bills of more than $14 million that had mounted up since last May due to the cost of judgements to 184 claimants who received total disability awards in the 10 months since March 2011 and who are owed regular payments, according to Koster. That approximately $14.5 million of debt is accruing interest at 9 percent, meaning $1.3 million a year in interest on those 10 months alone.
"In human terms, 184 Missourians - unable to work because of their disabilities - have never received any of the benefits guaranteed them by the General Assembly and the business community, and adjudicated by Missouri's courts," Koster said. "And none of those numbers contemplate the more than 29,000 new claims filed against the fund that have yet to be litigated, and whose expenses have yet to be realized."
The number of disabled Missourians who have finalized claims but are not receiving payments for their permanent disability is now more than 380, according to the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.
One of those Missourians is Robinette.
Born with a hearing issue, Robinette has needed hearing aids almost of his life. The condition worsening over time, he had to have a cochlear implant in 2006.
He had long worked as a truck driver until his hearing loss became too severe and made him high risk. Then in 2007 at another job, Robinette fell in snow and ice and hurt his shoulder, tearing his rotary cup.
"I had never had a problem with it before," he said.
Eight months and four orthopedic specialists later, trying to find someone who could help him, Robinette said he was told that his condition had worsened since the initial injury and that he needed a shoulder replacement. However because of the duration of time since the initial injury, he said he was told that state regulations now considered it a pre-existing injury.
He was not eligible to have the surgery paid for, according to Robinette, but couldn't go back to the same manual labor work he had been doing without it. Plus, doctors considered him too young - he was then in his early 60s - to have a shoulder replacement.
The process to try to get total disability through the Second Injury Fund began at this point in 2009 and included a procedure to scrape it out, reviews by more doctors, attempts at physical rehabilitation and testing to try to find something else he would be qualified to do, Robinette said.
None of it panned out, and finally an administrative law judge for the Division of Workers Compensation ruled in his favor.
When he contacted his attorney to find out why he wasn't getting paid, they eventually learned of the financial troubles of the SIF and that he was one of many who were not getting the help they had been awarded.
Since then, Robinette said he has been "in limbo."
Still in pain from the injury, he has regular shots in his shoulder and neck. Prescribed different medications for his health, he has been limiting what he takes to try to avoid racking up bills he can't pay because he can't work.
Robinette and Chris were married in November. She works three days a week.
Together they live in a small apartment in Sunrise Beach, their limited income having to stretch to meet rent, car payments, insurance and their daily needs. High gas prices aren't helping either, said Chris.
"We have to watch our budget. We have to watch what we do very closely," she said. "Allen is really, really frustrated because this has been going on so long."
"It's tough," he said. "We're just trying to survive. That's all."
According to Robinette, this issue was on the agenda for the state legislature this past spring.
"They were supposed to vote on it to bring it up to date, but instead they threw it out; they pushed it to the side. They didn't want to deal with," he said.
But Chris is hopeful that the legislature will act in the fall session which starts Monday, Sept. 10.
Robinette has less faith.
"I don't trust my state representatives anymore," he said. "They should have done something about this years ago."
The two are going up to the Capitol on Tuesday, Sept. 11 for Second Fund Injury Day to raise awareness of the problem.
"Some people consider it (disability) a hand out, but it's not a hand out. It's all legit. He was hurt on the job and disabled," Chris said. "We want to get the point across. Let's get this taken care of. There are people here that need it."
Turning 65 in December, Robinette may soon become eligible for the shoulder replacement under Medicaid, but it is likely too little, too late to help him get back to work, he said.
With the SIF taking in $43 million a year in revenue, taxed with $77 million a year in expenses, having $160 million in unrealized liabilities and only $9 million in the bank, Koster said, "The Plaintiffs' bar has begun to seek writs of mandamus directly against the State Treasurer, and we have exhausted nearly all our legal options to stop them. Under these conditions, there's a genuine probability that the SIF won't even have the money to pay for the attorneys to defend the Fund, ultimately leading to a flood of frivolous default judgments that will exponentially increase SIF liabilities. Once the run on the bank begins, there will be no mechanism to stop it and no amount of lawyering or legislative self-denial will be able to save the SIF from complete collapse."
Of three options - continuing on as it has, phasing out the fund or recapitalize the Fund.
"All things being equal, I would choose (phasing out the SIF)," Koster said. "The General Assembly has proven that government should not be in the insurance business. The legislature has made basic pricing decisions regarding the SIF that no responsible businessperson would make, these decisions have bankrupted the Fund in just a few short years, and yet, faced directly with the clarity of this error, the legislature has been completely unable to correct its course."
Insurance premiums, he added, should be priced by actuaries in the private sector, not politicians.
But, Koster acknowledged that winding down the SIF is unlikely in the "current political climate" because, he said, it would mean requiring businesses to pay market rates and to pay their bills on time.
That leaves the option of recapitalizing the Fund. If that happens, Koster recommended the SIF's surcharge be based upon actuarial evidence and mathematical fact, not a three-fourths vote of elected officials as currently proposed.
He also said the General Assembly should legislate a "reasonable period of time" to bring the SIF back to solvency.
"Recapitalizing the Fund demands a long-term commitment and a willingness to face the economic realities around us," Koster said.
According to the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, a surcharge of 5.8 percent - nearly double its capped rate - is estimated to be necessary to bring the Fund up to meet its current obligations. In addition to permanent total disability claims, compensation of partial disabilities, death compensation, medical expenses, supplemental wage loss replacement and physical rehabilitation are all benefits to injured workers that could be in jeopardy if something is not done.