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The search for the next superintendent of the Springs School has begun. But finding a replacement for Dominic Mucci, who has been the district's interim, three-day-a-week superintendent this year, may not be necessary should he resubmit his application. That outcome seems all but certain.
At the Springs School Board meeting on Monday night, Kathee Burke Gonzalez, the board president, spoke in glowing terms of Mr. Mucci's tenure. Mr. Mucci, 60, was brought in back in July, ostensibly as a cost-savings measure. As an active retiree in the New York State Teachers Retirement System, he is working under a one-year waiver granted by the Education Department. His term is to expire on June 30.
"We're hoping that Dom is going to apply for the position again," Ms. Gonzalez said. She explained that Springs can apply for a second, and final, waiver for Mr. Mucci to stay on if the board can prove that his hire is in the "best educational interest of the district."
"We're very happy with the way the model has worked out," Ms. Gonzalez said. "There's a lot we've accomplished in the last six months: a new Web site, we ratified the teachers' contract, initiated a parent Google group, and next up, the 2013-14 budget." A budget workshop is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Prior to retiring, Mr. Mucci was the full-time superintendent in Springs from 1999 to 2002. Among other positions, he later oversaw the North Bellmore School District. In 2008, according to state records compiled by the Empire Center for New York State Policy, a project of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, that district paid him a salary of nearly $225,000.
Nevertheless, although many remain hopeful that Mr. Mucci will carry out another term, the district's attorney, Neil Block of Ingerman Smith, will coordinate a search to replace him. Applications are due in late February, with the first round of interviews scheduled for March. If necessary, a "meet the candidates" forum for parents, community, and staff will be held in April.
Also at the meeting, it was confirmed at the meeting that Eric Casale and Katherine Byrnes would stay on in their roles as principal and assistant principal, respectively. Both are full-time positions. Mr. Casale, reached by telephone, said he was hopeful that Mr. Mucci would reapply. "It's been a great learning experience working under him."
As for the man himself, Mr. Mucci expressed delight at the possibility of continuing his work. "I would certainly love to come back," he said, following a 14-hour workday. "There's really no place I'd rather be."


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Way to go admin!
I figured out a way to watch every Chiefs game on your computer for free in real-time. I watched the Chiefs/Bengals game today from the comfort of my couch. I will post the details tomorrow.
Way to go admin!
Waiting in a hurry, I had the game today but looking for a good alternative.
|Thumbs Up
|Received: 0
Given: 0
it will be nice to have an alternative
Official thread killer I have heard.
Paste this link into your browser to watch the Chiefs vs. Packers game:
Thanks a ton. Its been a while since I've seen a Chiefs game from my house.
Next play after I post this...Farve throws and INT.
If that link doesn't work for some of you or it starts buffering, then you can use sopcast.
Step 1: Download sopcast player if you haven't already.
Step 2: Paste this link into your browser:
Thanks...this is great.
The 49ers own my heart, but the Chiefs will always hold a better than neutral spot for giving my favorite player a place to leave with grace...
Resident Comedian/Statistician/Researcher/Diplomat

subset: commoncrawl


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With the announcement Facebook as made about opening up their chat service to outside connections, several developers are taking the opportunity to create their own scripts to interface with the service. One developer, Abhinav Singh has posted a tutorial about the sample application he's created to do just that.
Today facebook officially announced availability of it's chat through jabber/xmpp clients. This is a big win for XMPP, with almost 400 million new probable users adding into XMPP club. In this post, I will demonstrate how to connect to facebook chat servers using Jaxl client library in PHP. It can further be used to make custom chat bots for facebook.
He shows how to use the Jaxl library to make the connection, setting up some basic environment variables and making the connection to the server. The index.php file that comes with the library reads this config file and sends a default message to the server and returns the response.


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Gooods.eu offer womens and mens clothing online, including wedding dress, jeans, t-shirt, handbags with wholesale cheap prices sale. Save money and to get this season's hottest looks.
Package include:
1*USB Cable
Product show:
More details:
About Size: Size may be 2 cm/1 inch inaccuracy due to hand measure.These measurements are meant as a guide to help you select the correct size. Please take your own measurementsand choose your size accordingly. We can not accept responsibility for incorrect purchases.
About Color: The precise color of the clothing items may vary depending on the specific monitor,the settings and the lighting conditions.The items colors depicted should only be used as an approximate guide.
When you order from Banggood.com, you will receive a confirmation email. Once your order is shipped, you will be emailed the tracking information for your order's shipment. You can choose your preferred shipping method on the Order Information page during the checkout process.
The total time it takes to receive your order is shown below:
The total delivery time is calculated from the time your order is placed until the time it is delivered to you. Total delivery time is broken down into processing time and shipping time.
Processing time: The time it takes to prepare your item(s) to ship from our warehouse. This includes preparing your items, performing quality checks, and packing for shipment.
Shipping time: The time for your item(s) to tarvel from our warehouse to your destination.
Banggood.com offers four different international shipping methods:
NOTE: Netherlands Direct Mail has been combined into the Priority Direct Mail. If you are in a European country; simply choose Priority Direct Mail and it will be shipped via Netherlands Direct Mail.
*Expedited shipping can not be used for PO Box addresses
Shipping from your local warehouse is significantly faster. Some charges may apply.
In addition, the transit time depends on where you're located and where your package comes from. If you want to know more information, please contact the customer service. We will settle your problem as soon as possible. Enjoy shopping!


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Bad arguments against the existence of God
Bad arguments against the existence of God are those that most theists will easily rationalize their way out of. These may be logical fallacies, or paradoxes that theists can explain away.
Omniscience Versus Free Will
Some atheists will argue that since God supposedly knows everything, then everything is predestined. Since many theists do not accept the predestination doctrine, this appears to be a dilemma: either they must accept predestination or God is not omniscient.
Apologists who do not accept predestination may get out of this problem by arguing that God simply knows every possible outcome of every possible decision anyone can make, thus resolving the dilemma.
God allegedly knows every possible outcome. God does not know which outcome actually will happen Therefore God is not omniscient.
Not wanting there to be a god / Hating God
In The Last Word, Thomas Nagel wrote:
- "It isn't just that I don't believe in God and, naturally, hope that I'm right in my belief. It's that I hope there is no God! I don't want there to be a God; I don't want the universe to be like that."
This is not a valid reason for disbelief: God either exists or doesn't exist, regardless of what we want.
Similarly, maltheism - the idea that god is evil - requires the existence of god. 1. I hate God 2. Therefore, God does not exist
This argument is invalid due to the contradictory nature if hating something that does not exist.


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Ill Communication
December 28, 2012
The Morning Heresy is your daily digest of news and links relevant to the secular and skeptic communities.
The Morning Heretic is ill today. Not in the Beastie Boys sense, but in the infection-by-microbe sense. But because I am so devoted to you, the reader, that I dragged by aching, coughing, overdramatic carcass to my office and honored my commitment to rounding up a bunch of links that, let's face it, you could have googled for yourself. Think nothing of it!
Looking to protest the Church's stance on gay marriage, many Dutch look to a website for help in being de-baptized.
An Italian priest, Father Piero Corsi, blames women who are the victims of domestic abuse for bringing violence on themselves for neglecting housework and the like.
CSI's Ben Radford takes to Yahoo News to round up the biggest "hooey" of 2012.
Simon Davis of CFI-DC (and spouse of its director Melody Hensley) embarks on a big project (an independent one, not for CFI) to plot the events related to the hubbub over feminism and misogyny in the secular movement in a timeline:
. . . someone some new to the topic will probably miss out on many of the key events through no fault of their own, with the subject appearing more unwieldy than it has to be. This has necessitated a chronological examination of the topic in it's entirety, that provides an accessible and meaningful summary.
Peter Higgs, of boson fame, sadly raises the tired canard of "fundamentalist" atheists, dissing Dawkins, et. al. Vlad Chituc reflects on Higgs' assertions:
I want to note that I agree with a lot of what Higgs says, but I've always found the idea of fundamentalist atheism to be clumsy. I don't know what fundamentalist atheism would even look like, but I think there are definitely fair comparisons to make. Groupthink, dogmatism, and intolerance are often products of our social psychology, and atheists as an organized group are not immune from a lot of that ugliness.
Keith Kloor at Discover is likewise sympathetic to Higgs, but also makes a good point about science and public policy:
Science and politics are entwined, whether we like it or not. . . . So we know there is no separating politics from science-related issues that have major policy implications. What we don't seem to know (or be capable of) is how to debate these issues without biting each other's heads off.
And speaking of Dawkins, he recently did a sit-down with Al-Jazeera.
Chris Stedman at the MSNBC website writes of the anti-atheist backlash that has appeared in a lot of the rhetoric following the Newtown atrocity.
Lawrence Krauss rejects the idea that we must all grieve massacres like that of Newtown with our hands held by clergy:
Let me be clear that there may be many grieving families in Newtown and around the country who have turned to their faith for solace in this difficult time. No caring person would begrudge them this right to ease their pain. But the question that needs to be asked is why, as a nation, do we have to institutionalize the notion that religion must play a central role at such times, with the president as the clergyman-in-chief?
Rob Boston sees the spats over gay marriage among religious leaders in Illinois to be a case in point as to why theology must have no role in policy.
Canada's Times Colonist takes a bemused look at all the "special days" with which we fill the calendar every year ("World Day of Snowman"??) but acknowledges the gravity of International Blasphemy Rights Day.
Jaron Lanier worries about the insidiousness of anonymity on the web, raising the specter of "social lasers of cruelty." I see that Lanier has a point, but he's a little overboard.
CFI's John Shook unearths a 2004 documentary on unbelief's history.
National Catholic Register: Blame secularism for the fiscal cliff crisis.
Camels with Hammers lays out four types of atheists.
"Dear Abby" offers this advice to an atheist who is uncomfortable being told folks will pray for them:
When someone offers to pray for you, it's usually because the person cares about you, knows you are sick and feels helpless to offer anything more to help. Accept it for what it is, and say thank you rather than tell the person that what they offered is, in your eyes, worthless. That's called being gracious — regardless of your religious or nonreligious convictions.
On New Year's Day, the Atlanta Freethought Society holds a blood drive.
Quote of the DayMore from Krauss:
Linking to a story or webpage does not imply endorsement by Paul or CFI. Not every use of quotation marks is ironic or sarcastic, but it often is.
I feel particularly sad for the grieving parents who might not be Christian, Jewish or Muslim. Besides learning that they are somehow lacking in empathy or goodness or the ability to heal, little guidance is being provided to those who among them have decided that they cannot believe in a sometimes violent and irascible God or who in fact have found their faith in God in question as a result of this tragedy. For these people, as for me, the thought that God has "called their children home" is simply offensive.
Follow CFI on Twitter: @center4inquiry
Got a tip for the Heresy? Send it to press(at)centerforinquiry.net!
The Morning Heresy: "I actually read it." - Hemant Mehta


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It's a Crizzmas miracle, y'all! (John Callahan's joke, not mine.) Bethlehem and Lancaster have been selected to keep more of their own taxes to finance infill development. It's a big win for Bethlehem in particular because they're right next to Allentown, and people were worried that the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) would diminish interest in redeveloping Bethlehem's brownfields.
I'm a big fan of the one-of-a-kind NIZ district Allentown politicians snuck into the 2009 PA Code, which has succeeded in spurring lots of urban infill development in its downtown, but I am less enthusiastic about the CRIZ that was modeled on it.
The slush fund nature of the NIZ, where a new Authority gets all the state and local taxes collected in a contiguous area except local property taxes, with few strings attached, seems to have worked strongly in Allentown's favor. To a large extent, Allentown may have just lucked out with a developer who's committed to good urbanism, but good ideas combined with a massive slush fund turned out to be a great combo, even as the process obsessives are having kidney stones over it.
The CRIZ is considerably weaker, but still a big win for cities. I think we should extend this deal to all the Cities of the Third Class now, before they all end up in Act 47. That's not how state opted to do it though, and two large (over 50K) third class cities per year will be selected to keep some more state taxes instead of pissing them away into the vasty emptiness.
I have a number of problems with Bethlehem's list of projects (contiguousness is paramount!), and haven't paid much attention to Lancaster's, but good for them. I hope the new Bethlehem Council members will revisit the list and make some better choices, or at least make the Martin Tower redevelopment plan contingent on more comprehensive redevelopment of the parking lots and other land parcels around it.
Allentown turned the money firehose on the most walkable areas of town, not on white elephant projects, and that's a key reason why it's been successful. People worried the new buildings would stay empty, but they were wrong, and J.B. Reilly's already leased all of his planned space to business tenants.


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#19 Monarchs Defeat Elon 4-3 to Remain Unbeaten
By ODU Athletics
Sept. 14, 2005
NORFOLK, VA--The 19th ranked Old Dominion University Soccer Monarchs ran their record to 3-0-1 on the season after defeating the Elon Phoenix 4-3 Wednesday night at the ODU Soccer Stadium. Brian Cvilikas (Highland Ranch, CO) notched two goals for the Monarchs on the evening. With the victory, ODU extended their home regular season unbeaten streak to 27 games. ODU is currently ranked 19th by College Soccer News, 22nd by the NSCAA coaches poll and 25th by Soccer America.
Freshman Trevor Banks (Madison, WI) scored the first Monarch goal in the 51st minute after CAA Co-Rookie of the Week Yomby William (Bafoussam, Cameroon) collected a deflected free kick and crossed it to an open Banks in the box. Cvilikas scored his first goal by heading in a free kick sent by A.J. Kulp (Ephrata, PA) in the 57th minute. Ado Fazlic (Richmond, VA) scored on a penalty kick in the 67th minute to give the Monarchs a 3-0 lead. Kiki Willis would get Elon on the board with a goal in the 74th minute off an assist from Matt Bengston. Cvilikas would score his second goal after receiving a through ball from Bobby Foglesong (Fredericksburg, VA) to give the Monarchs a three-goal cushion. Eric Sass and Bengston would net late goals for Elon to make the final score 4-3.
Old Dominion travels to #2 North Carolina Sunday at 2:00 p.m. followed by an intrastate showdown with #4 Virginia Wednesday night at the ODU Soccer Stadium. Game time is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Line Score ELON 0-3=3 ODU 0-4=4
50:16 ODU Trevor Banks, from Yomby William 56:27 ODU Brian Cvilikas, from AJ Kulp 66:17 ODU Ado Fazlic, unassisted (penalty kick) 73:57 ELON Kiki Willis, from Matt Bengston 82:51 ODU Brian Cvilikas, from Bobby Foglesong 84:32 ELON Eric Sass, from Brett Paschall 86:51 ELON Matt Bengston, unassisted
Shots: ELON (8), ODU (18) Corners: ELON (3), ODU (5) Saves: ELON-Taylor Saxe(5); ODU-John Connelly (3)


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The TARDIS is marooned onboard a seventeenth-century pirate-ship whose crew are being lured to their death by a beautiful Siren. When the Captain's son is taken, the implacable pirate must place his life in the Doctor's hands and with him, take an extraordinary leap of faith.
Episode #177 / Length: 45 minutes


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Sag Harbor Library
The John Jermain Library in Sag Harbor hosts Stories, Songs and Playtime every Thursday from 10:30-11:30 p.m. for children ages 1 to 4. On Fridays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. it's Playdough Time for ages 3 to 9, and on Monday, children of all ages are invited to a half-hour Pajama Story Time, starting at 6 p.m. Kids should wear pajamas and bring books home for their own bedtime.
Games Unplugged! is offered for an hour on Sunday afternoons, starting at 3:30, for children ages 3 to 9, who can challenge friends and family to a friendly board game competition. The library provides the games.
Rockin' and Rollin' at CMEE
"You won't be able to resist the urge to sing along pretending your hairbrush is a microphone," The Washington Post wrote of Joanie Leeds's CD "I'm a Rock Star." On Tuesday at the Children's Museum of the East End, families can see the musician live in concert with her band, the Nightlights, at the museum's first Twirligig Tuesday event.
Ms. Leeds plays everything from funk and blues to country, pop, and hip-hop, all with a family-friendly bent. Her outdoor concert at the museum in Bridgehampton is presented in collaboration with the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. The gate will open at 5:30 p.m. and the show will start at 6. Families have been encouraged to take a blanket and a picnic dinner. Tickets cost $17 in advance, or $15 for members of the museum.
Tickets will be $20 at the door. The museum has started to serve lunch in its lobby on weekdays through the summer. The cost is $15, including admission, or $5 for museum members.
Bay Street Kids
Only a few spots are left for the Bay Street Theatre Kids summer theater camps, July 30 to Aug. 3 and Aug. 6 to 10. Children ages 8 to 12 will work with seasoned professionals on improv, vocal instruction, dance, and more. The camps will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Studio 3 in Bridgehampton. One week of camp is $425, and two weeks are $800. Payment can be made at baystreet.org.
Fish and Ferns
Children have been invited to make a fish print T-shirt Saturday at 10 a.m. at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton, and to take a smock for the hands-on workshop, where they will learn about the variety of fish in local waters. There is a materials charge of $10 for T-shirt and supplies. Reservations are required, through email@example.com.
Children ages 5 to 8 can discover the beauty and diversity of ferns at 10 a.m. Sunday in Sapaponack, on a walk sponsored by the South Fork Natural History Museum. Kids will create artwork and do fern rubbings to learn the parts of the frond. Again, reservations can be made by e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com.
Juggling, Jokes, Arts and Crafts
The Education Center at Guild Hall will have a KidFest arts and crafts workshop from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday for children ages 5 and up. Tickets are $10, $8 for members. At 5 p.m., the Gizmo Guys will perform in the first of eight KidFest shows. Tickets cost $16 for adults and $13 for kids, or $14 and $11 for members, and can be purchased at GuildHall.org.
Wicked Workshop
A Class Act NY will visit Sag Harbor on Aug. 18, when an actor from the show "Wicked" will work on a song-and-dance combo and scene work from the show with children ages 7 to 16 of all skill levels. Feedback and coaching on audition technique will also be provided.
The cost for the workshop is $150. More information at email@example.com.
Amagansett Library
The library will host Ladybug, Ladybug! Story and Craft Time at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Monday at 3:30, a Cornell University professor will explain why ladybugs are so important to the environment, and will train volunteers for organized ladybug hunts Tuesday and July 31 at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett.
Children can help Cornell Cooperative Extension staff set up the library's discovery tank and learn about local marine life on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The tank will be on display all summer.
Free Fishing in Montauk
Children ages 6 to 18 can learn fishing techniques from experts on party boats in Montauk Tuesday through next Thursday and Aug. 14 to 16. Bait, fishing equipment, and personal flotation vests will be provided. Children can attend for free but must be accompanied by a $10 fee-paying adult. Sign-up is at the Montauk Chamber of Commerce office on Main Street.


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You are here
SBA to expand access to loan programs
WASHINGTON – Borrowers and lenders of loans backed by the Small Business Administration will have greater access to capital and less paperwork as a result of a proposed regulation aimed at streamlining the SBA application process.
The proposal will also strengthen oversight and the integrity of the agency's loan programs.
"Streamlining and simplifying has been a key focus of our agency over the last few years. The changes are the latest steps to reduce paperwork burden, with our eye on the larger goal of expanding access to capital and giving entrepreneurs and small business owners the financial resources to grow and create jobs," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "Specifically, these proposed regulations will provide greater access to capital through our two largest loan programs, while also reducing risk to taxpayer dollars."
The SBA proposes the new measures after extensive consultations with lenders and borrowers to identify the greatest challenges they face and find ways to reduce barriers to making and accessing loans, while still maintaining strict oversight.
Among the proposed changes are:
Eliminating the Personal Resource Test
A borrower will no longer be required to obtain a maximum level of personal finance resources for a 504 or 7(a) loan. This will streamline the loan process by eliminating complicated regulations used to determine the amount of collateral required.
The 504 Loan Program provides small businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing to acquire real estate and major fixed assets for expansion or modernization on a portion of project financing. The 7(a) loan program is SBA's primary program which guarantees a percentage of a loan up to $5 million. These loans can be used for just about every business purpose.
Revising the Rule on Affiliation
Revising this rule will open access to SBA loans to businesses that, under current rules, would not qualify as a small business under SBA's size standards by virtue of their association with other companies. It will also streamline 504 loan applications and reduce paperwork requirements for 504 and 7(a) loan applications.
Eliminating the Nine-Month Rule for the 504 Loan Program
Eliminating the Nine-Month rule removes a restriction that limits a business to include in its 504 project only expenses incurred nine months prior to submitting the loan application. The new rule would allow inclusion of expenses incurred at any time (e.g., projects put on hold for more than nine months due to a natural disaster).
Increasing Accountability of the Certified Development Companies' Board of Directors while Eliminating Requirements for Membership
Refocusing CDC corporate governance requirements will reinforce the importance of board accountability for CDC oversight for the 504 loan program and set in place measures to strengthen oversight in order to maintain program integrity.
For more information about the new rules and benefits, visit http://www.sba.gov/content/revised-oca-regulations-504-and-7a-loan-program.


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Arcion Therapeutics' Topical Gel Candidate, ARC-4558, Demonstrates Significant Pain Reduction in Phase 2b Trial for Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN)
BALTIMORE, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcion Therapeutics, a venture backed clinical stage biotechnology company developing topical therapies for chronic pain, today announced top-line results from a successful Phase 2b double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of its lead topical pain candidate, ARC-4558, in adult patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Arcion recently held an End of Phase 2 meeting with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the ARC-4558 program is now poised to enter Phase 3 studies. ARC-4558 is a 0.1% gel formulation of clonidine hydrochloride for topical administration.
The study results successfully demonstrated therapeutic potential for treating PDN with ARC-4558 by targeting abnormal nerve signaling at the level of the skin with a 0.1% topical gel formulation of clonidine. ARC-4558 was most effective in reducing pain in subjects with evidence of preserved nociceptors (nerve fibers responsible for pain signaling) in the skin. In subjects with at least minimal nociceptor function, ARC-4558 was significantly more effective in reducing pain than placebo (p<0.05). The significance of the response increased with higher levels of nociceptors in the subject's skin (p<0.005). ARC-4558 did not demonstrate efficacy in subjects lacking evidence of preserved nociceptor function.
The ITT (intent to treat) population was comprised of a mix of subjects in which about half had little or no nociceptor preservation and therefore the pooled results were not significant. Plasma levels of clonidine were consistently low or undetectable. No serious or severe adverse events were attributable to ARC-4558 treatment and the topical formulation was well-tolerated at the site of skin application.
"The top-line data reported today for ARC-4558 provide strong support for Arcion's fundamental approach of applying therapies topically to relieve neuropathic pain by targeting nerve signaling at the level of the skin," said James Campbell, M.D., President and CEO of Arcion. "Through this study, we identified a simple, predictive clinical test to identify non-responders to ARC-4558, which should enable us to optimize subject enrollment in future studies. Based on our successful End of Phase 2 meeting with the FDA, we believe ARC-4558 will be the first PDN treatment indicated to treat patients who have demonstrable functional nociceptors in the skin. The full Phase 2b results will be submitted for future peer review and we look forward to advancing the ARC-4558 program in Phase 3 studies."
Michael C. Rowbotham, M.D., Adjunct Professor of Neurology and Anesthesia and Director, UCSF Pain Clinical Research Center, commented, "Painful diabetic neuropathy is frequently a debilitating condition that severely impacts a patient's quality of life and ability to carry out normal day-to-day functions. There are approved therapies to control the pain, but issues of tolerability and efficacy seriously limit their usefulness. A novel mechanism-based topical treatment with a low liability of systemic side effects has promise to advance significantly the treatment of this condition and improve the quality of life for a large number of patients."
About the Phase 2b Trial
The Phase 2b study included an adaptive trial design and enrolled a total of 180 adult patients with PDN. Patients in the study applied ARC-4558 0.1% gel or placebo to the affected area three times a day (3.9 mg clonidine per day) for a 12-week treatment period. Patients were able to continue taking a stable dose of their existing pain medications. The primary endpoint of the study related to the change in pain at week 12 compared to baseline measured by the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS).
About ARC-4558
ARC-4558 is a 0.1% gel formulation of clonidine hydrochloride (HCL) for topical administration to the painful area in order to manage the neuropathic pain associated with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Topical clonidine, through its agonist effects on alpha2 (a2)-adrenergic receptors, is believed to reduce pain in PDN via local actions on the nociceptors that innervate the affected skin. Based on the results of clinical trials to-date, Arcion believes that ARC-4558 has a level of efficacy comparable to systemic therapies in the target population, but with substantially fewer side effects. The 0.1% gel formulation avoids the treatment area limitations and undesirable aesthetic and skin reaction issues associated with analgesic patches. Furthermore, the ARC-4558 gel has been shown to provide analgesia without numbing or anesthetizing the skin.
About Painful Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN)
Neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. According to 2008 estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 18 million people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes. Given a conservative estimate that 15% of people with diabetes have painful neuropathies, approximately 2.7 million Americans experience PDN. Patients with PDN often experience debilitating pain symptoms that affect day-to-day functioning and quality of life. How diabetes causes a length-dependent neuropathy is unknown. Arcion believes the PDN market is highly under-served by existing products and that there is a strong scientific rationale for developing a topical treatment for PDN that delivers analgesia in a way that avoids systemic side effects.
About Arcion
Arcion Therapeutics applies breakthroughs in neuroscience to advance the treatment of chronic pain. The company focuses on innovative topical treatments to provide pain relief with convenient application and reduced systemic side effects. Arcion's product pipeline comprises multiple candidates to treat neuropathic pain. www.arciontherapeutics.com
SOURCE Arcion Therapeutics, Inc.
Posted: July 2010


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Are you seeking ideas to integrate your social activities?
To be successful, no social media effort can truly exist as an island.
Today, more and more businesses are seeking ways to integrate components of social media to achieve optimal benefits.
In this post, I'll cover 26 tips, an A-Z guide, on ways to blend, mix it up, get the most bang—and create an integrated social media campaign.


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Do you know how to use your web browser in a secure manner? What is the benefit of adding that "s" after http? Are you aware of the security features on the email you use? What sensitive data do you keep about you or your community, and what would people have access to if your computer, laptop or mobile phone was stolen? This article provides a list of resources and solutions to help you and your community to stay safe online.
Read more in GenderIT.org .


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MOOSIC — A stellar pitching performance gave Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a chance for a much-needed win.
But two fielding miscues and missed opportunities at the plate cost the RailRiders dearly, as they dropped another tough game to Gwinnett, 3-1, in front of a crowd of 5,711 fans at PNC Field on Wednesday afternoon.
The RailRiders were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. They also got the leadoff batter on base in five innings, but only scored in one of them.
"The (lack of a) big hit is the key," manager Dave Miley said. "It was a close game and the opportunities were there. I'm a little disappointed in that."
Austin Romine led off the bottom of the second with a double down the left-field line and Corban Joseph moved him over to third on his groundout to first.
Rob Segedin plated Romine with a sharp single on a drawn-in infield off the arm of diving shortstop Ozzie Martinez. Martinez left the game on the play and was replaced by Elmer Reyes.
Gwinnett threatened in the fourth inning with two outs, as Joey Terdoslavich and Christian Bethancourt had back-to-back singles. But starting pitcher Matt Tracy worked out of it and got Reyes to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
The Braves got even in the fifth.
With one out and Edward Salcedo on second, Joe Leonard lined Tracy's 2-1 delivery to left fielder Tyler Dugas. Salcedo was being held up at third but the ball got under Dugas' glove, allowing Salcedo to score.
Antoan Richardson led off the bottom half of that inning with a single and moved up to second on Gus Schlosser's wild pitch. After a sacrifice bunt by Rob Refsnyder advanced Richardson to third, Schlosser threw another wild pitch and Richardson broke for home.
But the ball took a big hop off the backstop padding back to catcher Steven Lerud, who flipped it to Schlosser covering home and tagged Richardson out to prevent the score.
"That was definitely tough," Richardson said. "I probably should have got a better read on that ball, but your first instinct is always to go and get that go-ahead run, especially in a close ball game.
"Any time you're in a low-scoring game and it's going to be a pitcher's duel, you look for every opportunity to score and get to the next base."
Gwinnett grabbed the lead in the next inning. After Terdoslavich lined into a double play, Bethancourt hit a high fly ball into the left field bullpen for his fifth home run of the season to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
Like he did in the fifth, Richardson led off the eighth with a single. Refsnyder moved him into scoring position at second with a groundout.
Gwinnett then called on left-hander to Ryan Buchter to face fellow lefty Kyle Roller. The move paid off as Buchter froze Roller with a fastball on the outside corner for a called third strike. He followed that by getting Romine to groundout to third to end the inning.
"You have to give those guys credit, they made pitches all day long and sometimes, that's the way the ball's going to fall," Richardson said. "Every inning, we put pressure on them. We gave ourselves a chance to win."
With one out and runners on first and second in the top of the ninth inning, Tyler Pastornicky lined Jim Miller's delivery to right fielder Jose Pirela, but the ball went off his glove, fell in for a single and Lerud scored from second, giving the Braves a key insurance run.
"The third run is the one that hurt the most," Miley said. "In a close game, we should have been able to not give that run up if we make a play or two."
The RailRiders had a chance in the bottom of the ninth.
With pinch-hitter John Ryan Murphy on second with one out, Dugas walked to bring the potential game-winning run to the plate. But Carmen Angelini flew out to center and Carlos Fisher struck out Pirela for his first save of the season.
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Hi everyone,
Please share your ideas about image optimization...Thanks in advance..
It is a good idea to optimize only those images on websites that contain URLs of hyperlinks. There is no need to optimize all images on your web server. If the pictures have been placed on web pages about certain topics, rename them based on the chosen key terms then.
The next point is writing a few text lines around the images, they will help them get found when people use image search engines. Another idea is to use Alt attribute and even assign title tags to the pictures. Even putting images inside some relevant folders can help very mu
In image optimization, what you can do is you can use alt tag as main keyword, if you have option to use description you can use, these things would help in Image optimization as well.
Here is an article i recently wrote on Graphics, for additional resources on web tools and video tutorials visit www.webtoolson.com
Website Designing – using Graphics
Website graphics positively play a serious role in selling your web site which is surely an economical and effective method of boosting your sales. It is mostly accurate to say that that your graphics offers the potential client their first impression of your website and it's important that the same overall image of your site is the same. The overall quality and graphics positioning contained in your web site contribute to the attractiveness of your website. Quality and professional looking graphics will wholly contribute to the response to your web site if all else fails.
Obviously, in launching an internet site, you're attempting to the public in general if your site just informative or strictly for the purpose of sales. In either situation, the content of an internet site should be simply understood. a way to attain this can be by way of text with well positioned and relevant graphics, guaranteeing that the viewer's interest is controlled whilst you get your message across. The graphics ought to be complementary to the text and aid in conveying sites message. The visitor ought to be able to explore an online page and instantly grasp the message that is being conveyed, graphics along with their positioning play an important role in a web site style and purpose that may either build or break your web site.
Formatting Images
Mostly, formats used for web site graphics either are JPG or GIF, as they load faster than most others. The JPG format is principally used for pictures and therefore the GIF format is principally used for buttons, logos or menu bars. A word of warning concerning operating with graphics in JPG format. This format is a lossy compression, which implies that each time the image is edited and saved; it loses a little quantity of its quality. The simplest thing to avoid will be to often, edit the image within the native format of the image manipulation software you're using, and then to save the ultimate version in JPG format.
Whenever somebody visits an internet page, that website is downloaded onto their computer, which implies that the graphics too are downloaded. Two important factors come into effect here if the location contains large graphic files. The primary being that if the viewer is employing a slow net affiliation, the graphic can take a really long time to transfer, making the viewer to lose interest and doubtless leave the location. The second being that Graphics will use lots of bandwidth, which implies that if a lot of graphic files are being used, and the website becomes widespread, then the price of running that website might intensify. Therefore, if your graphics are above over 50kb, then seriously consider reducing their size. If this is the case stop thinking in terms of inches or centimeters and think in terms of pixels, since this is how your website is evaluated upon. Also screen resolution not being more than 96 pixels per inch on most computers; you don't necessarily need to use images with resolutions of 600 pixels per inch.
Websites that are professional with graphics are there to grab attention making your site stand out. They can definitely enhance the way your website looks whereby increasing their popularity which in turn would result in adding on to your revenue. Website with good professional graphics will enhance your viewers return to your site. On the other side badly positioned graphics coupled with bad graphics will be a definite put off, doing more harm than good. Graphic images of large sizes will definitely make your pages to load slower, resulting in losing viewers damaging business. Though working with graphics will be time consuming in the long run it's an art by itself and will pay rich dividend when used correctly.
Thanks, I learned many things from the above post.


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Talk of the group's intention to build a new Mote aquarium, hotel and more has upset the group's schedule, and a meeting is planned
Weeks after their plans were leaked to the public, a group of developers will try on Friday to tamp down widespread speculation about their proposal to remake Sarasota's bayfront.
Talk of the group's intention to build a new, $100 million Mote aquarium, a hotel and a conference center has upset the group's schedule, resulting in a hastily arranged public meeting at a downtown restaurant.
The developers, led by capital investment firm Seven Holdings, have been working for months on the $200 million project in concert with major builders and architects. But the anonymous delivery of their plans to City Hall last month threw the group unexpectedly into the spotlight, and into open competition with other bayfront development proponents.
Friday's meeting was initially announced through email invitations. But Chris Cogan, a co-managing partner of Seven Holdings, said on Tuesday that it would be open to the public, though seating at the restaurant may be limited. Cogan said the plans that have been in circulation are incomplete, and he promised more information on Friday.
"Obviously, we've been circumvented in our plans," Cogan said. "We've been dealing with lot of political turmoil, but we're not going to let it deter us."
Sarasota city officials and representatives of Mote Marine Laboratory immediately distanced themselves from the proposal, which calls for both to be heavily involved.
Cogan said his group was working confidentially with its partners but was not trying to deceive anyone, and is eager to dispel what he calls "misconceptions" surrounding the Seven Holdings plan.
Even so, city commissioners were skeptical. The new proposal emerged just as city officials were beginning to warm up to the efforts of a group of bayfront development boosters from Visit Sarasota County.
Operating under the banner of "Bayfront 20:20," the group has emphasized wide-open discussion about the future of the downtown waterfront.
These efforts come years after the city's ambitious 2007 Cultural Park Concept Plan was sunk by the Great Recession, and it was only last month that Bayfront 20:20 received a tentative show of support from the City Commission. The appearance of a competing, privately backed development proposal irked some commissioners, who immediately sought to throw cold water on any notion of public financing.
Vice Mayor Susan Chapman said she planned to attend Friday's meeting to learn more about what the developers have in mind.
"I support a more public process than this group has used," Chapman said. "This bayfront is public property. The city spent over $400,000 on the cultural district master plan with public charrettes."
Chapman said she preferred the approach of the Visit Sarasota County group. "This Seven project seems to be working at cross-purposes with that plan," she said.
It was Chapman who first received a copy of the Seven Holdings plan, which was left anonymously at her office, she said.
Cogan said the document that reached City Hall last month was not meant to be released yet and was incomplete.
In particular, he stressed that no city cash or credit would be used in the project, which would be financed by a nonprofit corporation through the municipal bond market. The project would involve the city lending some of the bayfront property to the development, a prospect that city staff have said they never heard of.
But Cogan said the plans that have been released thus far do provide a general picture of the development's goals.
The project would put a new aquarium for Mote on the northern half of what is now the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall's parking lot. A 300-room hotel would go up at 10th Street and U.S. 41, along with a 1,600-space parking garage.
The Sarasota Lawn Bowling Club could be squeezed out by a 60,000 square-foot conference center and related developments, but Cogan said the developers would work with the club to relocate.
Apart from Seven Holdings, the development proposal involves an Arizona-based development group called Governmental Facilities Development Services, and firms such as Winegardner and Hammons, Inc. Hotels and Resorts, Core Construction and Hoyt Architects.
Friday's presentation, from 4 to 6 p.m., will be held at The Francis at Louis Modern, 1289 Palm Ave.
Cogan said the developers are planning more public meetings at larger venues.


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5.0 Mustang & Super FordsEvents
Mustang 45th Anniversary Show
The Mustang Club Of America Celebrates 45 Years Of The Ford Mustang At Barber Motorsports Park
Most of us aren't too excited about the idea of blowing out 45 candles on a birthday cake, but when it comes to celebrating 45 years of Mustangs, it's easy to get hyped up. Fortunately the Mustang Club of America provided the perfect venue to bust out that celebratory spirit-a 45th Anniversary show at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. This fittingly gorgeous facility provided a picturesque backdrop that brought Mustang fans from all over the globe together with their favorite cars and the company that produced them.
Some 2,300 Mustangs and 52,000 enthusiasts filled the Barber facility reaching a fitting crescendo on Friday April 17, the day the Mustang debuted 45 years ago. From the touching display of original Mustang owners, to the massive vendor area, to the flowing show fields, the 45th delivered a static show to behold. Moreover, the open-tracking, Mustang Challenge racing, and drifting exhibitions provided a welcome energy.
Overall, it was a Mustang event you'll regret missing. If you were there, you likely had the same trouble we did. Every few steps we had to stop and take a picture because we saw another cool, rare, or unusual Mustang. We can only give you a glimpse of the massive event here, but after you check these highlights, jump over to our website, and check out the hundreds of pictures in our photo gallery.


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They may be considered classics now, but all of these game series came from more humble beginnings.
I wish people would stop posting the games in the tags for lists like this. Otherwise, we know what games they're talking about and there's really no need to look at the article.
Would Mega Man count? Not like the 1st one was bad, but MM2 really made the franchise a contender.


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New videos released in med student disappearance | News
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Detroit Free Press) -- Irene Patrick anxiously paced her home Christmas Day, with one question in mind: Where was her daughter, Teleka?
It had been 20 days since anyone heard from her.
Teleka Patrick, 30, a first-year student in Western Michigan University's residency program, was last seen Dec. 5 in the parking lot of Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo, where she worked. Her car later was found in a ditch 100 miles away in Indiana.
According to investigators, Patrick vanished without a trace, leaving her family and friends searching for answers.
"She's one fine girl I'll love for the rest of my life. I just want the public to search in every corner, I am so distraught," Irene Patrick said Friday from her home in Kissimee, Fla. She's hired a private investigator to assist in the case, which is being handled by the Indiana State Police, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office and the FBI.
"The family is currently heavily involved in looking for evidence," Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said. "We're ...seeking out information and taking it in different directions. There isn't enough information to speculate."
Here's what authorities say they've pieced together so far in the time leading up to Patrick's disappearance:
After finishing her shift around 7 p.m.at Borgess, Patrick got a ride from a male co-worker to the downtown Radisson Hotel. She was seen on surveillance footage at the hotel wearing a black hoodie and black slacks, and attempted to check into a room. She had no identification, only cash and ended up leaving.
The hotel's shuttle service transported her back to the medical center to get her car, a light-gold 1997 Lexus ES 300, just after 8 p.m.
Her car was found in a ditch off of I-94, in Portage, Indiana, around 10 p.m. central standard time, after Indiana State Troopers had received a call about a vehicle driving erratically. The car contained her wallet and identification, but no car keys. The car had a flat tire, but was otherwise undamaged. She was reported missing the following morning, when she failed to arrive to work.
Indiana State Police took a bloodhound to the scene Dec. 12, which traced her steps back to the freeway and stopped.
The question, investigators say, is what caused her to drive more than 100 miles west without her cell phone, purse or alerting her friends and family. She had purchased an airline ticket to visit her parents in Florida and was supposed to arrive Dec. 23.
"There has to be some triggering event to make a person in their 30s leave their phone anywhere," said Carl Clatterbuck, the Kalamazoo private investigator hired by Taleka's mother. "Phones for anyone between the ages of 14 and 35 are a large part of their life, to leave it means that you're leaving all of your friends, relatives, all of your connection to the world. That suggested to me that she wanted to be away from something, and to not be tracked."
Clatterbuck said Teleka had received a phone call the day before she disappeared that may have agitated her, but he has been told that there was "nothing remarkable" to be seen in her phone records. Clatterbuck confirmed that she had an "on-again, off-again" boyfriend, but that he was not a suspect and that the two were on good terms. Teleka's ex-husband, Clatterbuck said, also is not a suspect as their relationship was ended in 2011.
However, YouTube videos surfaced this week of Teleka singing to a suspected love interest at her home in the Gull Run Apartments. One video, posted to an account titled "sandra3000cassie" in early November, shows a breakfast she had made for the person and her saying, "I just wanted to show you what I made, first I start with, if you were here, this is what would be your plate," panning to a table set for two, with orange juice, bacon, pancakes and omelets. In another video, she refers to the person she's addressing as "baby" or "love."
Watch excerpts of Taleka Patrick's videos here.
Irene Patrick said she didn't know to whom Teleka was referring in the videos.
"She didn't tell me about her private life, she was an adult," Irene Patrick said. "But I wish she had."
Patrick was raised in Queens, New York, where she attended the Bronx High School of Science with a scholarship offer from Harvard, her parents said. She attended Oakwood University in Alabama, and left Loma Linda University in California this past spring with her medical degree and doctorate in biochemistry. She had only moved to Kalamazoo six months ago, to begin a 4-year residency program for psychiatry at Western.
"People in the community spoke so highly of her," Irene Patrick said.
Clatterback said Patrick had no history of psychiatric issues.
He noted, however, that the residency program at Western is stressful.
"One of the components of that program is a lack of sleep," he said. "It's a standard first-year residency program. But we don't know what is agitating her, we don't know what was bothering her enough to want to go to the hotel."
The FBI is helping the other agencies publicize the case, said RFBI spokesman David Porter of the Detroit field office.
"It's been all over social media," Porter said.
According to the FBI's website, the poster has been shared nearly 3,500 times on Facebook. A Twitter account, @FindTeleka, has garnered nearly 1,000 followers. A fundraiser titled #FindTeleka on gofundme.com has raised nearly $35,000 from almost 500 separate donations that will go toward search efforts.
The case has been featured on Nancy Grace, Good Morning America and CNN.
Irene Patrick said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming, even receiving a message from a woman who had lost her husband to cancer at Borgess. The woman described how Patrick provided her great comfort during that difficult period.
"Tears were drawn to my eyes when I read that," Irene Patrick said. "She's one fine girl I'll love for the rest of my life. I just want the public to search in every corner, I am so distraught."
Anyone who has information on Teleka's dissapearance is asked to call the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's office at 269-383-8748 or Indiana State Police at 219-696-6242.
By Contact Emma Ockerman, Detroit Free Press.


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Staff Profile – Joe!
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Ali |
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We've introduced the ladies of our Three's Company customer service team, Melissa and Kerstin. Now it is time to meet the ringleader aka Jack Tripper aka John Ritter aka…Joe!
Where are you from? Nebraska! The great land of beef, corn, and Football – with a capital F.
Where do you live now? Last year I moved from a fabulous sprawling penthouse in Oakland to an equally lovely shoebox in SF. It's all about location, baby!
How did you get interested in design? I worked at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for years and found myself attending as many architecture and design lectures I could get into. It is fascinating for me to learn about the process a designer goes through in order to realize their ideas. It is also interesting for me to see how people can interpret the same object in so many different ways. I think that's where the line often blurs between art and function.
What's your favorite DP product and why? Love my Area Jewel duvet and Area Theo coverlet. I always tell people its my 'fancy' bedding.
What do you like most about our company? I mostly work here for the free food. People say we have a Read the rest of this entry »


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Phillips 2b
Dunn 1b
Votto LF (kept there in 2006 when AD was moved to 1b)
EE 3b
Hamilton CF
Mez C
Bruce RF
Cozart SS
Phillips 2b
Dunn 1b
Votto LF (kept there in 2006 when AD was moved to 1b)
EE 3b
Hamilton CF
Mez C
Bruce RF
Cozart SS
Me too for sure. Crazy the power bats that have come through here though. We kept the NL bats for sure.
Get MLBtraderumors Reds updates on Facebook.
Yeah, the staff ERA for that lineup would be mid 5's.
There is a certain amount of revisionist history thrown out when discussing Zach Stewart. The Reds did not include Stewart in the deal because they looked into a crystal ball and saw that he would never reach the expectations that virtually everyone who saw him pitch in 2009 projected. They included him because that was what it took to complete the deal. They were willing to take the risk and once the deal was made, the Reds could only sit back and watch from a distance after surrendering their top prospect and let history run its course. It was a chance they were willing to take.
Lets not change who Stewart was on the day they traded him. He was the Reds top prospect and one of the better arms they had drafted/developed in years. What happened after that had nothing to do with the Reds or what they were giving up. There were key executives in the Reds organization who were visibly shaken by this trade at the time it was announced because of the fact that they had given up Stewart. I remember vividly speaking to one top player development exec that afternoon and voicing my surprise at the deal and he just shook his head with a look of disbelief.
I saw Stewart pitch that season and he had the most dominant look of any Reds minor leaguer I have seen. What happened after that, I am not sure. The Stewart I saw, with a 93-94 mph fastball and a lethal slider, was one heck of a prospect to give up. Your top prospect is your top prospect. That's what they gave up to complete the deal. There were no scouts at that time yelling "the king has no clothes" when the Stewart discussions were happening. Everyone saw the same thing.
Yeah he was a good prospect. You also have to give up value to get value. But let's not act like he was Homer Bailey circa 2005.
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
I always saw a back-end of the bullpen pitcher when I watched Stewart. A mid-rotation starter was a possibility, too. The 2009 version of Stewart was one of the most overrated Reds minor leaguers I had seen in a long time.
Get MLBtraderumors Reds updates on Facebook.
Yep, Reds gave up their top prospect arm at the time, but prospects are just that, prospects. Delmon Young, IIRC, was overall #1 prospect. He had amazing skills his rookie year. Not much since. Stuff happens. Stewart could have turned into a Cy Young winner, but he hasn't.
That's why Walt is paid the big bucks. We, OTOH, get t micromanage his every move. It will be interesting to see how Choo works out this year and the reaction on this board if he does/does not work out.
No prospect is a guarantee, obviously. My point is, the Reds were willing to trade their top prospect to close out the deal. Whether he went on to win Cy Youngs or to do what he has actually done (or not done), they were rolling the dice. Folks who want to make it sound like they somehow knew that Stewart was over-rated or whatever, that's not the case. They knew there was a chance they were going to get burned. As you might recall, they reportedly first offered Yonder Alonso instead, who was thought of pretty darn highly at that time.
Yes, there were people that saw his future as a reliever, but there was no one that I ever talked to that thought he "would not pan out." He was universally viewed by the Reds as their top prospect. Period.
In fact here's what Sickels said about Stewart at the time:
7) Zach Stewart, RHP, Grade B-: Strong arm, command issues, could move fast in the pen. Maybe a C+?
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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Full-time: Spain, well, Spained Uruguay into submission in the second half. They did not appear to miss Xavi or Xabi Alonso at all. Cazorla was very impressive while Iniesta was irrepressible . As hard as Uruguay tried to catch Spain out on the counterattack they simply didn't see enough of the ball to test Spain's defence on enough occasions. Isco looked impressive on his Spain debut too – the fact that he replaced Iniesta and Spain's level did not dip, tells us a great deal about his quality. But Cesc Fábregas's pass for Pedro's second and Spain's third goal was the standout moment for me. A delicious little pass.
Ah, and here's an answer for what Puyol received at half-time for his 100th cap. "The animal is the Oryx and is the 'national animal' of Qatar," writes Alister Elder. Apologies for my ignorance. I'm sure Puyol will cherish his little Oryx for many years to come. Thanks for your emails. Goodnight.
90+ 3 min: The corner is cleared and the whistle is blown to put an end to a very entertaining friendly.
90+2 min: Isco is good. Very good. He shows incredible skill and balance on the left-hand side of the 18-yard box to send two Uruguay defenders the wrong way with a turbo-charged Cruyff turn before squaring intelligently into the six-yard box where a collection of legs diverts the ball away for corner.
90 min: Villa dances his way into the Uruguay box and stings the embarrassed palms of Muslera with a powerful right-footed strike. The goalkeeeper concedes a corner, which comes to nothing. To be fair to Muslera, that shocking error aside in the first half, he's done all right.
88 min: Suárez almost picks out Forlán at the backpost but Chelsea's Azpicueta, who has had a very tidy game tonight, jumps in front of him and uses his chest to calmly bring the ball down before clearing the danger.
85 min: Suárez is sent clean through but is adjudged to be offside. He isn't. Poor old Luis. If Uruguay score my prediction will have been spot on. I have no money riding on it because unlike Ray Winstone, I don't believe that "it matters more when there's money on it". I just like being right.
81 min: More Puyol love: "It's pretty hard to beat Sid Lowe's touching description of Carles Puyol - that he plays with his heart on his sleeve and his hair in his eyes. Try to imagine Carragher with that hair, brilliant, " writes Mark Jelbert. "By the way, given the love you showed for Qatar early on, you must be particularly loving the ExxonMobil ads all over the shop?" Don't get me started Mark. Spain, are turning the screw here. They have worn Uruguay out in the last five minutes with about 300 passes. It takes a clear push in the back from Gargano on Villa to win back possession. No foul given, either.
80 min: There have been a few more substitutions but in trying to come up with that shoddy analogy below I missed them. Although I did see that Pedro was one of the Spain players who went off and Monreal, Arsenal's new left back, is on too.
78 min: I've just watched that Spain goal again. The pass from Fábregas drew Muslera out of his goal like kids bouncing a ball on a front window would draw a short-fused fella out of his house.
Goal! Spain 3-1 Uruguay (Pedro 74) This is all about the pass from Fábregas. David Villa picked the ball up on the left and sprints towards the 18-yard box, Fábregas overlaps on the left and Villa shifts the ball on to him. The Barça midfielder switches the ball back on to his right foot and curls a delicious ball between the defence and Muslera that couldn't have been any more perfect, for Pedro to finish first time with his right foot from six yards. Wonderful.
72 min: Suárez (Luis that is) must be one of the most difficult players to play against in world football at the moment. He doesn't give you a minute. It's just taken Alba and Piqué 30 seconds of lung-busting wrestling to dispossess him.
69 min: A few substitutions: Rios for Perez in Uruguay's midfield. Forlán for Cavani in Uruguay's attack. And Mario Suárez, who replaced Alonso in the squad, for Cazorla in Spain's midfield.
67 min: The game has become a little bit more stretched, with Uruguay still looking dangerous on the break and Spain's midfield looking to play more direct passes through to Pedro and Suárez from a little deeper than they have done thus far.
64 min: Suárez gives his bionic hips a chance to swivel by finding a bit of space on the left wing. He checks back and then spins at double-quick speed aiming for the touchline but cuts it back into the box before he runs out of space. He's fantastic in tight areas. For all his good work, his intended targets have all galloped on past where he put the ball, though.
60 min: David Villa is a foot away from putting Spain 3-1 up after taking advantage of a slip from a Uruguay defender and pouncing onto the loose ball. He is closed down as he enters the box, before shifting the ball onto his right foot and trying to curl the ball around his defender and into the top right corner, but his radar is just out.
59 min: Isco has come on for Iniesta. No pressure son.
57 min: Cavani forces Valdes into a fingertip save after breaking free down the inside-right channel. Meanwhile, there's another tasty challange in midfield that bubbles up into a bit of group pushing and shoving. This is almost feisty. Almost.
55 min: Alba is booked after taking umbrage at another robust challenge from a Uruguay player. It was Perez, on this occasion. He was booked for the challenge but it doesn't stop Ramos having his tuppence worth and seeing yellow for the trouble.
53 min: Spain sprung into life given half a sniff of a chance there. That makes a mockery of my thoughts of them being a bit toothless in the first half. That was razor sharp play.
Pedro puts Spain 2-1 up!
Goal! Spain 2-1 Uruguay (Pedro 51) Godin ambles out of defence and takes the kind of heavy touch that Jason Lee made his own. The ball is stolen away by Busquets, who shifts it on to Pique, who then plays a delightfully weighted ball through to Pedro in the inside-right channel, he takes one touch inside the box and finishes clinically with his right foot across Muslera and into the corner. Uruguay were punished ruthlessy there.
48 min: Lugano gets involved in some old-school Uruguayan stuff again, clattering, I think, Cazorla and grinning a bit demonically afterwards.
45 min: Peep! It was Juan Mata who was replaced by Villa. That should give Spain a focal point in attack, at last. They badly lacked that in the first half. But hey, they're Spain, they can do what they want.
Carlos Puyol has just been presented with a trophy by some Qatari dignitaries to commemorate his 100th cap. It appears to be a solid metal deer/bull. Well, it looks like a fictional being anyway. He'll get plenty of time to study the trophy and figure out what it is on the bench as he has been replaced by his Barça team-mate Gerard Piqué. David Villa is on as well, although I didn't see who went off as I was too busy looking at the weird gong being handed to Puyol.
Maybe John, maybe.
Herman Hooker writes: "This picture of Puyol will speak for him … the man is a legend."
I don't think my Jamie Carragher comparison is unfair at all, having seen that. Carragher admitted that he would not go out with a wallet when he was out with his mates in case they thought he was being a bit too flash.
Half-time: Peep! That was an entertaining half. Spain's possession play has been effective only to a point; namely the Uruguay 18-yard box. Meanwhile, the South American champions have been very effective on the counterattack if not a little wasteful in possession. Your emails/tweets (if there are any) to follow.
45 min: Fábregas shapes to shoot but it is Ramos who tries to 'Ronaldo' it over the wall … but it slams into an unlucky Uruguay defender's forehead and bounces away to safety.
42 min: Suárez has just tried to score from within the Uruguay half. It was nowhere near and gave possession away needlessly. But the fact that he had a go made the crowd scream … in a very polite way of course. Spain are pop-pop-popping the ball around again confidently. Iniesta is head and shoulders above his team-mates in terms of making things tick. His brain could find space in solid cube. Meanwhile, Lugano has clattered Fábregas and Pedro and been lucky not to have received a yellow card, the sly old dog. Free-kick to Spain 20 yards from goal just left of centre …
39 min: "If your comparison of Puyol to Carragher has anything to do with their relative aptitude at playing football, then I think you're being unfair to the Catalan defender. Puyol has never had to rely on the mercy and kindness of refs who nostalgically accept shirt tugs, trips, and shoulder barges as relics to be cherished from a bygone era. It's not that Puyol hasn't committed such acts, it's just that Carra seemingly has to do them. Also, in the leadership department, if Carragher were really like Puyol, then we would not have had to put up with Terry for so long. Puyol is the only leader who can out-JT JT. Recall the tunnel footage prior to a Barca-Chelsea match where Puyol wins a staredown between the two," writes Daniel Finucane. I think comparing anyone to JT is unfair Daniel, hence why I opted for Carra. Also, I've never seen Puyol dress up in his full kit and take credit for a Barcelona victory he took no part in.
37 min: Mata tests the questionable palms of Muslera for the first time since Spain's goal, but on this occasion they stand up to the strike, which was hit crisply from 20 yards.
34 min: Uruguay almost make it 2-1 moments later. But Cavani is tackled expertly Azpicueta, who nicks the ball away from him with his left foot before setting Spain away again. Uruguay look dangerous on the break. Suárez isn't seeing much of the ball, but he is allowing Cavani and Cristian Rodriguez the chance to find space, much in the way he has done for Sturridge at Liverpool in recent games.
Uruguay equalise!
Goal! Spain 1-1 Uruguay (Cristian Rodriguez 31) This is a wonderfully taken goal. The Atletico Madrid winger receives a zipped-in pass from Lodeiro on the edge of the 18-yard box where he has Puyol breathing down his neck. He dampens the ball brilliantly with his left foot and accelerates away from the Spain centre-back into the box before finishing into the bottom-right corner confidently with his right foot.
27 min: Puyol is half a yard away from scoring on his 100th appearance for Spain. Fábregas whipped in a delicious cross that the big man, all hair and arms and legs as he throws himself at the ball, diverts into the goal with his left foot only to be flagged offside. Boo!
25 min: "Although I'm sure they (we?) wouldn't admit it, I'm fairly sure you also have a 'very polite-looking, posh' readership, with maybe not 'swish', but probably 'comfortable' surroundings. Not that the ugly spectre of 'class', and 'middle', would ever rear its head on a Guardian blog, of course,' writes Captain Corduroy, ensuring 'class' and 'middle' rears its ugly head in this Guardian blog for a second time in one half of football.
22 min: Busquets (who else?) receives the first booking of the game. He's very unfortunate, to be fair, winning the ball, from the side by my reckoning, but the referee adjudges it to be a tackle from behind on Perez, I think. The Uruguay free-kick comes to nought.
19 min: Spain win a corner, which Uruguay do a very good impression of Aston Villa's backline in trying to defend. The result is that Mata hooks the ball back over his shoulder and Puyol, unmarked and only eight yards from goal, somehow manages to head the ball away from goal as if trying to show the Uruguay defence how they should do it.
18 min: Cavani goes close after racing on to a hopeful ball over the top of the Spain defence but, under pressure, he stabs the ball straight at Valdes, who rushes out well to narrow the angle on the edge of the box.
Goal! Spain 1-0 Uruguay (Fábregas 15) Muslera, in the Uruguay goal, has had an absolute shocker. Fábregas picks the ball up off Mata with nobody near him 35 yards from goal. With no pressure on the ball he has a speculative punt, the ball swerving a bit from left to right, only for Muslera to let it slap his palms and bounce pitifully into the net behind him. For shame Muslera, for shame.
11 min: Uruguay have been wasteful in possession thus far, Pereira particularly, hoiking balls up from the left full-back area straight out of play down the left wing. Spain increase the tempo, working their way through the Uruguay midfield with pretty triangles, only to find that there is no outlet at the end of it. Fábregas playing as an auxiliary midfielder in the buildup rather than as a striker. I shan't call him a false nine, I'm not football hip enough.
9 min: The unlikely figure of Busquets has the first shot of the match, from just outside the 18-yard box, pouncing on a loose ball and striking low towards the bottom left-hand corner, which Muslera does well to get his body behind.
7 min: The match has dropped in tempo since the opening exchanges. Much of that is down to the fact that Uruguay have taken control and are more than happy to keep possession just in front of their own 18-yard box. It is so very quiet in Qatar. Are you listening Fifa?
5 min: "So it looks to me like there are more players from Chelsea (2) than from Madrid (1) in Spain's XI (11). Barca has seven (7). What do you think the madridistas think of this?" asks Asher Klein. I'd say they would be a little miffed. Only a little bit, mind.
3 min: Iniesta has a few silky touches to set the tone for Spain, who look controlled from the start. But it is Uruguay who have the first real chance of the match, with Suárez, predictably involved, bustling his way through Spain's backline after some good link-up play with Cavani, only for Puyol to make a very well-timed last-ditch tackle as the striker cut into the box on the inside-right channel.
1 min: A ripple of applause that wouldn't be out of place at a primary school egg and spoon race greets the whistle. Yup, Qatar is a real hot bed of sport.
I now have pictures of a very polite-looking, posh crowd in a swish -looking ground.
Bad news for Spain fans: Coates is not playing at centre-back so Fábregas et al will not be afforded the chance to do what Oldham did to him and tear him a new one.
Right, I'm back with some team news. Although, it's only the starting XIs. I imagine both of these will be 4-3-3s, although Rodriguez's selection for Uruguay suggests it could be a 4-4-2. Tactics!
Spain: Valdes, Azpilicueta, Ramos, Puyol, Alba, Iniesta, Busquets, Cazorla, Pedro, Fabregas, Mata.
Uruguay: Muslera; Pereira, Lugano, Godin, Caceres; Gonzalez, Diego Perez, Lodeiro, Cristian Rodriguez, Cavani, Suarez.
So no start for Isco, which is a little disappointing, but Arsenal's Santi Cazorla gets the chance to try to feed through passes to the the fella who used to do his job at Arsenal, Mr Fábregas.
While for Uruguay Diego Forlán loses out to Rodriguez, perhaps because the Atlético Madrid winger is better than him.
Evening. This was supposed to have been played in Portugal until Qatar stumped up €4m to take it to Doha. That's Qatar that doesn't have a minimum wage but is happy to wear a glamour-friendly like a big shiny medallion round its neck and expect the world to coo in appreciation. Let's hope the players don't have their passports taken off them. Click here and here for further reading.
Anyway, serious stuff aside, in pure footballing terms this has the potential to be a corker. It's the South American champions versus the European and world champions. The counterattacking prowess of Uruguay's Cavani, Suárez and Forlán versus Spain's ball-hogging brilliance.
And while the Spain coach, Vicente Del Bosque, will have to replace Xabi Alonso and Xavi, who are both injured, I don't expect to see him experiment tactically. He's won everything with his current system and Spain haven't lost a match since they were mugged in west London in November 2011. So why would he? Like a cuddly old mechanic, he'll just replace a couple of parts in his reliable engine, turn on the ignition, grumble to himself at the mild inconvenience, and sit back for the ride. It will be interesting to see how Málaga's brilliant little playmaker, Isco, fares if he plays. He has been outstanding in La Liga this season and, at just 20 years of age, surely stands a good chance of being Spain's chief string-puller when the current generation shuffle off into retirement. Oh, and the Spanish Jamie Carragher, Carlos Puyol, will win his 100th cap tonight too.
As for Uruguay, as much as I'd like them to, they probably won't start with Suárez in goal. Oscar Tabarez likes to experiment with maverick tactical changes and formations (he's used the full Jonathan Wilson/Michael Cox back catalogue in the last year alone) but, alas, the pesky menace will likely be up front with Cavani and Forlán in a 4-3-3 as he looks to find a little consistency. They've lost three of their last four World Cup qualifiers and risk missing out on the party in Rio in 2014.
If this friendly is played with any kind of gusto – and the fact that Suárez will be on the pitch suggests it probably will be – it should at least match BBC2's Eggheads for 6pm Wednesday evening entertainment.
Prediction: Uruguay 2-3 Spain
I'll be back with proper team news at about 5.30pm.
Gregg will be here shortly.


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Karen Angelo
Can companies be economically successful and environmentally friendly?
In the 1980s, the answer from most companies was 'no.' Federal regulations that set standards for environmental protection weren't enough to reverse decades of uncontrolled pollution that damaged the environment and put workers at risk. The answer? Change the mindset. Don't just control pollution, prevent it.
This was the revolutionary thinking behind the creation of the Department of Work Environment which celebrated its 25-year anniversary with a symposium on Oct. 19. Graduates of the program are trained in designing systems of production that are inherently safe for workers and the environment while supporting a sustainable economy.
"Today, many companies have experienced the business benefits of having healthier employees, generating less toxic waste and marketing green products," says Prof. Emeritus David Wegman, founding chair of the Work Environment department. "But back in the 1980s, the idea that economic development and environmental quality could co-exist was suspect from industry and some in government. Since then, it's been proven that teaching professionals how to design healthy, sustainable workplaces is a successful strategy that protects human health and the environment as well as the bottom line."
More than 170 alumni, friends, faculty and staff attended the daylong celebration that included a symposium featuring keynote speaker John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NIOSH has provided UMass Lowell student scholarship funds for nearly 20 years.
"The event was a huge success as our past and present partners in business, industry and academia came together to exchange ideas, share the latest research and reunite with colleagues," says current Chair of the Work Environment Department David Kriebel. "We're very proud of our alumni who work all over the world in leadership positions in major corporations, universities, governments and advocacy organizations. They are all truly making a difference to create a safer, healthier world."
At the symposium, an alumni panel discussion included speakers James Giordani, manager of health, safety and environmental at Genzyme; Sarah Gibson, an attorney who works with teachers and their unions to improve the environment in schools; and Leslie MacDonald, captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and a senior scientist at NIOSH.
Vice President and Senior Scientist at Staples Roger McFadden discussed environmentally sustainable industries and how to provide the right education for the future.
The dinner keynote speaker featured Chairman of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board Rafael Moure-Eraso, emeritus professor of Work Environment.


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STREATOR, Ill. — Mr. William R. Spaulding, 69, of Streator, Ill., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, at Rivershores Care Center.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home, 1009 E. Bluff St., Marseilles, with the Rev. Greg Nicholl officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Seals-Campbell Funeral Home, Marseilles, is in charge of arrangements. For additional information, call the funeral home at (815) 795-5151 or log onto www.sealscampbell.com.