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You are here: Home : Topics A-Z : Auditing
New Audit Standard Encourages More Talking
The new standard could level the playing field between CFOs and other less-informed members of audit committees, an audit regulator says.
August 15, 2012
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) today approved a standard on how to help auditors and audit committees communicate better. While Auditing Standard No. 16 (dubbed Communication with Audit Committees) still has to be approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the formal adoption of the rule shows the importance the PCAOB is placing on the need for better communication to improve thetransparency and integrity of financial reporting by U.S. companies. Read more...
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Internal Audit's Approach to Risk Needs Upgrading
As internal audit takes on a greater role in evaluating business-relevant risks, audit chiefs say risk-assessment processes and other risk-related functions need enhancing. August 3, 2012
Suddenly, Audit Reports Get Sexy
Dull, uninformative audit reports have been part of the European accounting landscape for decades. Now international auditors will reveal a great deal more. June 27, 2012
Do Your Internal Auditors Have the Right Skills?
Companies are putting a premium on critical thinking and data-mining expertise. June 16, 2012
How to Prevent Workplace Fraud
Consider mandatory vacations and surprise audits to deter would-be fraudsters – and try to catch them in the act. May 16, 2012
Speaking of Fraud
Fraud-related tips reached an all-time high in the latest quarter. May 15, 2012
FASB Stands Pat on Reviled Tax Rule
Despite widespread opposition to the standard governing uncertain tax positions, FIN 48 won't go through the board's rulemaking process again. May 15, 2012
Transatlantic Divide Grows Over Audit Rotation
Europeans have a different tolerance level for mandatory auditor rotation practices than their U.S. peers, which could lead to a permanent divide in auditor practices globally. May 11, 2012
CFOs Warm to More Frequent Tax Talk
Internal tax advisers are front and center at C-suite doors on a more regular basis. May 3, 2012
Keep SEC as Investment Adviser Watchdog, Auditors Urge Congress
Costs for CPAs working for registered investment firms could surge if a self-regulatory organization takes over. April 27, 2012
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It looks like the next id Software game is going to be really big. While no one is sure yet if that also means big sales numbers, but the actual software size itself is large. While delivering the keynote at last week's annual QuakeCon, id co-founder John Carmack revealed the rather rotund shape of their new first-person shooter, "Rage." If you thought "L.A. Noire" had a large install, hold on to your extra Xbox 360 hard drive.
When "Rage" releases in October, Xbox 360 owners will have to make a decision. It's not a decision entirely unique to "Rage," but it will obviously be affected by the amount available space on your hard drive. According to Carmack, the game will release with a gigantic 22-gigabyte install size.
"L.A. Noire" released on the Xbox 360 on three separate discs, each disc containing around 6.6-gigabytes of data. Strangely, "Rage" is even bigger, but will apparently release on two discs for Xbox 360 (one blu-ray for PlayStation 3).
"On the 360 we don't have a partial install option; it's all or nothing, which is kind of unfortunate," Carmack said during the QuakeCon keynote. "It means you have to install 21 or 22GB of stuff, which takes a long time, but if you've got it and you play it on the 360 that's the way to go."
So to reiterate, it's not a mandatory install. As any 360 owner knows, you have the option to install a game to your system's hard drive. When a game's installed, it generally runs better – quieter, too – and it seems like Carmack is insinuating that "Rage" will perform better on the 360 if it's installed.

subset: commoncrawl


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– As of this past week, the plan to turn Roman Reigns babyface is scheduled to be fast-tracked. WWE officials are looking at him as being the new young golden boy of the promotion. On RAW this week they did nothing past put him in a position where his spear on Big Show was designed to make people pop.
Photo: WWE Superstar Roman Reigns' Mugshot
– Some fans may have noticed that Summer Rae's "Mean Girls" gimmick on NXT is similar to the mid-80's UWF version of Missy Hyatt and that's not a coincidence. Rae studied old tapes of the way Hyatt projected her character although the characters themselves are different. Dusty Rhodes knew this and the "First Lady of NXT" name they gave her specifically was modeled after Hyatt's "First Lady of Wrestling" name.
Hot Photos Of Summer Rae Showing Off Her Body In A Bikini
(Source: Wrestling Observer Newsletter)


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In rehearsals and on stage, violist Cameren Williams exudes poise and skill far beyond her 13 years.
But when the middle-schooler recently found out that she would be performing at New York's famed Carnegie Hall this month, her reaction was fairly typical.
"I screamed and I ran around the whole house," she said, a giant smile lighting up her face.
|Palm Beach Atlantic University Preparatory student Cameren Williams, left, receives instruction from her teacher, Belen Clifford, in Vera Lea Rinker Hall.
Williams, an eighth-grader at Bak Middle School of the Arts, was chosen to perform as a soloist in an international music competition at Carnegie Hall. The competition, sponsored by American Protégé, takes place on Sunday.
She plans to perform the first movement of "Concerto in C Minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach, the piece that she performed in her audition video.
Musical talent runs in Williams's blood. Her parents Erika and Eusebius Williams are both musicians, and her grandmother is a pianist and vocalist as well.
For the past several years, Williams has been involved in the Preparatory Department at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she trains with her teacher Belen Clifford. She also attends weekly rehearsals for the Broward County-based Florida Youth Orchestra.
Williams began playing violin in the orchestra program at U.B. Kinsey Elementary School and started lessons at age 8. Today, she says her instrument of choice is the viola.
"She loves the warm sound" of the viola, Clifford said. "She picked it up in less than a year. She's a true violist, in my opinion."
Williams said that she loves the instrument's versatility. "I like the way it makes me feel when I play," she said. "I can just close off from the rest of the world."
As the only violist scheduled to perform in the competition, she hopes that her performance will encourage others to consider playing the viola, she said.
She plans someday to attend a music conservatory or possibly a university like PBA, and she eventually hopes to join either the New York Philharmonic or the Cleveland Orchestra. She also is considering becoming a luthier, a person who makes and repairs string instruments.
As she prepares for her upcoming performance, she said that her mother has encouraged her.
"She says just play my best, and my best will sound good," she said.


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Season Preview
@StetsonMSoccer The Stetson men's soccer team opens the 2013 season, its sixth under the leadership of head coach T. Logan Fleck, at home this Friday at 5:00 p.m. The Hatters will look to use a healthy combination of experience and youth to challenge for its third Atlantic Sun Conference Championship this fall. "It brings energy," Fleck said of the team of having 14 new players on the roster. "The new players have come in and have tried to prove themselves. They're putting in a lot of effort, and pushing the older players. The energy has subsequently increased throughout the team." The Stetson squad isn't entirely new. The Hatters return 10 upperclassmen from last season's team, seven of which are seniors. Much of that experience can be found in the back. Starting with senior goalkeeper Andreas Schnabl, the Hatter defense will be leaned on for leadership in 2013.
Senior Andreas Schnabl
"They are your anchor," Fleck said of the back. "You weather the storms with your defense. Everyone looked at our attack over the years because that's the end that you see the result, but the backbone of your team is the defense. That can really keep you together." With returning seniors JJ Bostic, Evan Jimmo, Raffaele Centofanti, and Chris Aguirre, as well as veteran JJ Lofthouse-Smith and senior transfer Chase Rodgers, all available to spend time in the back, the 2013 version of the Hatters will get things started with defense. "There is certainly some familiarity in the returners, but there is also a lot of newness," Fleck continued. "Most of that is up top. They're still trying to figure things out. These guys are just starting to get to know each other, how they like the ball played, and where they should be running." Other than senior midfielder Steven Saballos and junior midfielder Dwight Lodge, it will be mostly newcomers seeing action through the midfield and forward positions. Junior Eli Beates was going play an integral role in the attack, but will start the season shelved with an injury. Stetson will look to improve on last year's record of 3-10-2 that saw that Hatters miss the A-Sun Tournament for the first time since 1997. The Hatters have won league championships in 2009 and 2005, and that's exactly what Fleck aspires to do again in 2013. "My expectations are always to go further than anyone thinks we can," Fleck concluded. "I tell my team all the time that I'm going to write some big check, so it's your job to cash them. I think the expectations stay high because the program is developing that way. I'm a very competitive person, and I want to see this program go to a point people don't think it can get."


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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – East Carolina junior kicker Warren Harvey has been named to the Lou Groza Placekicker Award Watch List, according to an announcement by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission Wednesday.
The award recognizes the top collegiate placekicker and is named for National Football League Hall of Fame kicker Lou "The Toe" Groza, who played 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
Harvey, who has garnered preseason All-Conference USA honors by Phil Steele's College Football Preview Magazine (fourth-team) and earned a spot on the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Placekicker Trophy Watch List, is the first Pirate to be named to the watch list since Michael Barbour in 2011.
A year ago Harvey earned all-conference honorable mention honors after converting all 50 PATs and 15-of-20 field goal attempts, which included a career-long 54-yarder at Southern Miss. He connected on a career-best eight PATs in the season finale against Marshall lifting ECU to a 65-59 double-overtime win.
The Greenville, N.C. native led the team with 95 points, scored a season-high 12 against Houston (4 PATs, 2 FGs) and ranked among league leaders in PAT percentage (1st), kick scoring (6th), field goal percentage (6th), field goals (t6th) and total scoring (9th).
Harvey along with Chris Boswell (Rice), Ty Long (UAB) and 2012 Groza winner Cairo Santos (Tulane) represent Conference USA among the 30-preseason honorees. Watch List selections were chosen based on statistics from the 2012 season and expectations for 2013.
Accomplishments for all the watch list nominees are tabulated throughout the season and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award announces its 20 semi-finalists November 4. From this list, a panel of over 300 experts selects the top three finalists for the award by November 25. That same voting group then chooses the national winner, which will be announced December 12 during the Home Depot College Football Awards, broadcast live from Orlando, Fla.


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GodisaGeek: "Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger) and Wataru Hokoyama (Africa) are also behind the music for the action RPG that you'll be able to experience in mere days. A meaty demo will be available to download via PlayStation Network on April 17."
Awesome! I have been very eager to try this out for a while now, also if it's like the Japanese demo you'll be able to carry your character over
Sweet! I get to try out the anticipated game for me this month, i hope i can transfer character and money to my retail copy. Gotta support the vita so it will grow


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Taiwan and China are not ready for higher-level political talks at the moment and should first focus on "softer" issues, such as cultural and educational exchanges, a local expert said yesterday.
China has held some political talks with Taiwan, but higher-level ones are not likely in the near future, Institute for National Policy Research president Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂), told a two-day international conference on the future of China that opened in Taipei yesterday.
The conference, co-hosted by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Taipei-based Institute for National Policy Research, invited experts from Taiwan and other countries such as the US, Australia and Singapore to discuss the decisions being made at the ongoing Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) 18th Party Congress and how they might affect policymaking in Beijing.
"It might be quite difficult to move toward the direction [of high-level political talks] so fast," Tien said on the sidelines of the conference.
The general direction and strategic plan of both Taiwan's and China's cross-strait policies are unlikely to change after the CCP concludes its congress, he said.
However, both sides need to first form a domestic consensus before moving forward on "sensitive issues," such as a cross-strait peace pact, he added.
Taiwan and China will first hold bilateral talks on cultural and educational exchanges, before progressing to more delicate areas, he said.
At the one-week congress in China that opened on Thursday last week, outgoing Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), who is also the CCP's general-secretary, is expected to hand over the leadership of the party to Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平). Xi is also tipped to be the next president.
Hu said at the opening of the congress that China should stick to the principle of "peaceful unification" with Taiwan under the "one country, two systems" (一國兩制) model.
Meanwhile, former US deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Randall Schriver said that China's new leaders would face extraordinary challenges.
Chinese leaders would prefer to focus on economic challenges, including how to rebalance their economy to a more consumer, domestic growth-driven model, "but they can't ignore what's going on in the region and in the world," he said at the sidelines of the conference.
Schriver said Chinese leaders "will have a lot on their plate," such as the tensions in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and trade friction between the US and China.
When asked how he thinks the territorial disputes in the East China Sea will play out, Schriver said that Japan's upcoming election and China's ongoing leadership transition meant that leaders are having a difficult time resisting nationalist sentiments.
"And that makes it very delicate," said Schriver, who is the president and chief executive of the Project 2049 Institute, a US-based non-profit research organization dedicated to the study of security trends in Asia.
He added that the biggest regional security concern is the ability of China and Japan to control the escalation of the issue and manage the crisis to prevent an accident in the disputed areas.
Asked about China's tight control over social media, Schriver said that the Chinese authorities' policy of restricting social media will inevitably fail.
"Ultimately this is a losing battle," he said.
People will figure out ways around the control and ways to talk about things that concern them, such as corruption and environmental problems, he said.
In response to a question on the recent protest over a chemical plant in China's coastal city of Ningbo, Schriver said that protests in China are diversifying, with more middle-class people taking to the streets.
"It has to be of concern to the authorities that this is not a single group of people that can be predictably relied upon to take to the streets and then be dealt with and then returned home. It's a very diverse and diffused group of people," he said.


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Hi All,
I think the last time I posted here was a bit over a year ago, when I was finishing my PhD. So since then I've finished my PhD (in California), I was offered a position in industry (Clinical Development) and I moved to Europe. I've been in this position a year now, and I am seriously considering pursuing an Academic Career instead.
As a PhD student I had the opportunity to do some clinical research (similar to a Phase 1 clinical study) which I really enjoyed. Now my job is in Phase 1 clinical studies in industry, but of course there are many things that are different from clinical studies in academia. The politics in industry in Clin Development are horrible, don't know if they are any better in pre-clinical/research or in other companies. The head of the department I work in is not the best leader, needless to say some people have left because of him. I really don't feel like this company has the enviroment for me to reach my full potential, has no mentorship, or guidance for professional development. Hence I am tired of this job and the atmosphere here.
I don't know if I should try to find another job in a different company or try to go back to academia (here in Europe).
I really have that gut feeling that my true passion is in Academia. I am considering going back to Academia as a postdoc since I only have a year since I graduated from the PhD and I would need to have more publications to be able to apply for some assisstant faculty positions (at least that's my guess). On the other hand, maybe another company would be better and after some year in industry I could go back to academia as a professor, but since I am not in research in Industry (but rather in Development) I think that may be more difficult than for those who spend 10 years in industry research.
I'm also in a relationship, and he is finishing his PhD here in Europe (1-1.5 years more), which for now limits my options on where I can go. If I do a postdoc here, afterwards I might want to find a faculty position here, but faculty positions here are more scarce (I guess I would really have to network here while I'm a postdoc). I could potentially go back to the states where I know how the system works in Academia and maybe it would be easier for me.
Has anyone been in that situation? wanting to go back to Academia after a short period in Industry?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Submit your paper to J Biol Methods today!
Back to Academia after a Year in Industry?!
Started by MariCYP, Jan 06 2012 08:59 AMacademia industry postdoc assistant faculty pros and cons
1 reply to this topic
Posted 06 January 2012 - 08:59 AM
Posted 09 January 2012 - 04:43 PM
I have moved back and forth from academia to industry a couple times now. Academia can certainly offer more pleasant working conditions, but you really have to be certain that you will have a career at the end of doing a post-doc. As you make your decision, I recommend that you just assume that at the end of your post-doc you will have to look for a job in industry. From a career standpoint you might be better off staying on a standard career path, even if it means you need to change companies. The years of experience accumulate quickly and promotions will come.
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3 Climatic Classification of India - Optionals IAS Mains Geography: Physical Setting - India-Climatic Regions
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Maria Damanaki
European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Closing the door to illegal fishing
Seminar of the ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) Group of the European Parliament
Brussels, 23 March 2011
Mr Chairman, Honourable Members, ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for devoting your attention to illegal fishing today. I'd like to focus on three main issues.
So first, let us consider the direct and indirect economic costs of IUU fishing.
As you know, the Commission is deeply involved in the fight against IUU fishing. Why? Well, as I have often said, illegal fishing is a crime – a crime which, by undermining the sustainability of fish stocks and marine ecosystems, causes general disruption to marine life.
As stock levels keep declining, this crime ends up affecting the whole sector: in the first place law-abiding fishermen, but, in the long run, even those who currently profit from illegal activities.
Illegal fishing has been and still is one of the major threats to fish stocks, undermining the very foundation of any fisheries policy.
Calculating the economic impact of illegal fishing is difficult. Research done prior to 2010 suggests that IUU fishing was the second largest producer of fishery products in the world, worth approximately 10 billion Euros. This is an absolutely astonishing figure, making up almost 19% of worldwide catches.
Sadly, we have ourselves supported illegal fishing in the past: it has been estimated that 16% of EU imports – over 1 billion euro - came from illegal fisheries every year.
As a key player in world fisheries, the EU has now taken an active role against IUU fishing: at international level, by actively proposing and supporting measures to improve controls and identify offenders; and within the EU, by adopting the so-called IUU Regulation.
This regulation marks our commitment to fight illegal fishing and we take its proper implementation and functioning very seriously.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Proper implementation also means this: we must see to it that no EU subsidies go to EU operators who fish against the rules. We cannot grant public aid for something and then turn the other way if that same beneficiary goes against the rules somewhere else, with another vessel, or under another flag: that would make no sense.
The EU legislation adopted over the last few years already provides for clear responsibilities and obligations in this respect. Under the European Fisheries Fund rules, Member States are responsible for selecting projects and beneficiaries and for performing checks and audits on the projects themselves or on their financials. With that information, it is up to Member States to make sure that no aid is granted to unlawful operators.
On top of that, the IUU Regulation now forbids Member States to grant any public money, whether from national or EU sources, to operators whose vessels are listed on our "black list". The EU "black list" currently contains vessels listed as IUU by regional fisheries management organisations; but it can - and will - also include other vessels, flagged both EU and non-EU countries; and I promise you that EU vessels will not receive any favourable treatment.
A good example is this recent case: the French authorities have denied aid to a French owner to scrap a purse seiner. Why? Because the seiner's owner also owned another vessel - this one appearing on the black list of the ICCAT organisation!
On my request, Member States are ascertaining as we speak if any vessels flagged to third countries but owned by EU nationals are engaged in illegal activities. If so, they will have to sanction them, suspend any aid and put the vessels in question on the black list. Products from these vessels won't be landed onto EU territory anymore. Member States will report to the Commission on the outcome of all these investigations.
Finally, we have yet another instrument, the Control Regulation, which also enables the Commission to withdraw or suspend aid to Member States which fall short of their responsibilities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
You will agree with me that this is a very good start, but we can do even more. We could send an even clearer message that only those fishermen who fully comply with the rules can receive financial assistance from the EU.
One way to do that is introducing more stringent criteria for the selection of projects: these criteria should make sure that beneficiaries comply with all the rules of the common fisheries policy and that dishonest operators are excluded from EU funding. The link between IUU regulation and financial assistance would then be made upstream - already before the aid is allocated.
How can we do this?
Well, the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy is a perfect opportunity to do this: no EU funding should help or contribute to, directly or indirectly, IUU fishing. EU assistance should be governed by a single financial instrument and should be subject to a strong conditionality clause.
This requires additional eligibility and selection criteria for both projects and potential beneficiaries. To have their project selected for funding, for instance, vessel owners could be required to prove that none of their vessels are listed on our IUU vessel list. In addition, to be eligible beneficiaries would have to meet all obligations of the IUU Regulation for the whole period of project implementation. If not, payments would be suspended or withdrawn. Such conditionality will ensure that operators engaged in IUU fishing never benefit from EU funding.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The results of the IUU Regulation are already there.
Ninety of our trading partners are using the catch certification scheme.
EU Member States work with each other and with the Commission to control incoming trade and check that those declarations are indeed true.
Considering that this regulation entered into force just over a year ago, we expect its impact to grow even further in the coming years.
We are confident that closing one of the biggest markets in the world to IUU produce must damage illegal operators somehow - and that hopefully we are making a difference at global level.
However, we know that dishonest fishermen will continue to operate as long as they can and as long as it is profitable.
Illegal fishing is a global problem, affecting virtually all countries on all continents.
Putting an end to IUU fishing worldwide is therefore no easy task and it can only be done through an international effort.
I have an idea of what the next step should be - and I am determined to pursue it through the adequate regional fisheries organisations: in my opinion, we should adopt a worldwide catch certification system.
A global catch certification regime would be extremely effective. It will improve the control of fishing activities carried out in any waters, and of the produce marketed in all countries in the world. I believe such a worldwide programme would bring about a fair trade in fisheries products; it would foster an international commitment to combat this crime and would ultimately bring us closer to responsible fishing and sustainable world fisheries.
Thank you.
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QB, QB, and QB. OLB
I was stunned the other day listening to a season preview on nfl radio for the afc east. The talked about the jets and their perception was that our offensive line was great but we fell short because of a lack of talent in the skill positions. I know we're not great in skill positions but I feel we're serviceable there. My personal evaluation of the team is if we can fix the o line and outside linebacker positions that this team could be better than people think.
In your opinion what part of the team needs to be fixed most? The o li e or the skill positions?
QB, QB, and QB. OLB
When one team in your division has a Tom Brady, a Gronkowski, wes welker, a bill bellichick then you need an Adrian Peterson type of player to compete. We don't have that one guy that scares other teams on Offense. In addition we have a QB that has had a nervous breakdown and may be a Humpty Dumpty.
having a slightly above average QB that clearly couldn't stay healthy. We knew this in 2003 and did nothing major until 2009.
Clemens aside...
I say it falls on management. Yes we have no Qb..but teams that allow this? Management.
As for the rest of your post, you're partially correct. Bradway crippled this team when he gave Pennington that monster (at the time) contract in '03. Especially when you consider that he made that offer when Penny was coming off of the first of many injuries, that was a terrible move.
But one thing you can't fault Tanny for was the QB situation. In his first year as GM, he got Chad to take a big pay cut and then drafted Clemens. When Clemens bombed in 2007, he went after Favre in 2008. The year after that he drafted Sanchez.
You can blame him for not bringing in anyone to compete with Sanchez, but you can't argue that he aggressively tried to address the QB position multiple times.
Sorry for the mini rant but what's really wrong with the Jets is that the team has a majorly incompetent owner... one who hasn't got a clue or concept of what good management means. He has never managed anything succefully in his entire silver-spoon life. He meddles and dictates from behind the scenes and makes selling PSLs, tickets and making headlines his priority over anything else. For example, to believe that acquiring Tebow was not exclusively Woody's command is just delusional.
He is the reason for the team's inability to succeed just like Hess was the problem through the 70's - 90's.
The Jets didn't ruin Sanchez. When he came here in 2009, this team was built perfectly for a rookie QB: dominant O-Line, premiere running game, and a top-rated defense (the best in the league, in fact). You couldn't ask for a better situation.
The problem is the front office couldn't keep all of those pieces for long. Guys getting old, and cap constraints eventually catch up to you. The hope was by Year 3 and 4, Sanchez would mature and improve his game to the point where the team could lean on him...you know, the same way teams with great QBs often tend to do. They hoped our QB could keep us competitive through the lean cap years, and then 2014 and beyond could be the big push for a title.
Instead what we got were INTs left and right, butt-fumbles, and complete and utter ineptitude. That's all on Sanchez.
I was a big supporter of Sanchez up to this past season. But if you go back and watch that 2010 season, he really didn't play well for big parts of that year. The more I think about it, the more I think the talent on that team overcame Mark's many shortcomings.


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Just a quick update. Todaz (I am tzping on a German kezboard and donät have limited time, sorrz for some strange spellings) we caught a train from Amsterdam to Berlin to Dresden. We saw some beautiful territorz. We are convinced that Dresden is bz far the best citz we have been to zet. We saw the reknowned Frauerkirch that was rebuilt, not to mention much more.
We went to an organ concert in the building. It was reallz good, but the building was bz far the best part. We also walked through some palace, and much of the rebuilt buildings downtown.
In Berlin we saw the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. We had limited time on our lazover, so we made it quick.
We want to upload photos but we did not have time in Amsterdam (big line) and here in Dresden the computers wonät let us have access to our jump drive or camera. Sorrz.
Well, time for us to run. It is literallz ticking awaz! We are in Dresden until Fridaz when we head to Stuttgart-Bavaria!


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by John Calvin (compiled by John H. Kromminga)
Bible Text:
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came l out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. —Job 1:20, 21
This present text is as excellent as any in all the holy Scripture to show us what this word patience means. And it behooves us to be taught if we will have God to acknowledge us to be patient in our afflictions. We commonly say a man is patient although he has no true patience in him. For men call anyone patient who suffers adversity.
But let us hold this for a rule, that to be considered patient, it behooves us to moderate our sorrow. If there be any adversity, it must be assuaged by confidence that God does not cease to procure our welfare; and that we ought to be subject to him; and that it is reasonable that he should govern us according to his good pleasure. This is how patience manifests itself.
But there is nothing better or more necessary than to look in the mirror that is set before us here. We have seen that Job might have been overwhelmed by the report of so many evil tidings. But it is said that he arose and tore his clothes and sheared his head, and cast himself on the ground to humble himself before God.
Here we see first of all that those who are patient are sure to endure some grief and feel some sorrow and anguish; for if we were as stocks or stones it would be no virtue at all in us. We sometimes see a poor madman laugh and scorn the whole world, even when he is at death's door. But that is because he has no awareness of his misery. This does not deserve to be taken for patience; it is mere stupidity. Brute beasts sometimes have no feeling, but they are not patient for all that.
So then let us note that the word patience does not mean that men should become brutish, so that they should have no heaviness at all, or be burdened with grief when they feel adversities; but the virtue is when they moderate themselves, and so control themselves that they do not cease to glorify God in the midst of all their miseries, nor be so overburdened and swallowed up with sorrow and anguish as to give up altogether; but fight against their own passions until they are able to conform themselves to the will of God, and to conclude as Job does here, finally saying that God is righteous in every respect. —Sermons
John Calvin was the premier theologian of the Reformation, but also a pious and godly Christian pastor who endeavored throughout his life to point men and women to Christ. We are grateful to Reformation Heritage Books for permission to use John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart as our daily devotional for 2013 on the OPC Web site. You can currently obtain a printed copy of that book from Reformation Heritage Books.
Dr. Joel Beeke, who is editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, has this to say:
"Calvin shows us the piety of a Reformed theologian who speaks from the heart. Having tasted the goodness and grace of God in Jesus Christ, he pursued piety by seeking to know and do God's will every day. He communed with Christ, practicing repentance, self-denial, and cross-bearing. Moreover, his theology worked itself out in heart-felt, Christ-honoring piety. The selections of this devotional bear this out, and hopefully will be used by God to direct pious hearts in our own day."
These devotional readings from John Calvin were compiled by John H. Kromminga. Be sure to read his "Introduction" to John Calvin's Thine Is My Heart.


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The second season of the Women's Super League (WSL) kicked off on Sunday with expectations high after a successful inaugural year. In 2011, riding a post-World Cup wave of popularity, attendances at matches shot up and viewing figures on ESPN were on a par with the men's Scottish Premier League. Speaking at an event to launch the WSL, the FA's Head of the National Game, Kelly Simmons, spoke of the improvement in the level of competition, saying, "We're really happy with year one, we made a lot of progress, put in a lot of building blocks and the players have made it competitive and compelling."
Yet coverage of women's football in the national press and by national broadcasters is minimal. Hope Powell, coach of the English women's football team bemoaned the lack of attention given to women's football on the international scene. Powell said: "Whenever we go abroad, or we're at European finals or World Cup finals, we get zero coverage."
Given that women's football has become the third largest sport in the country in terms of participation, surely this should be represented in the national media? However, the only newspaper that gives any kind of coverage to women's football is the Sunday Mirror, which offers a small section previewing the day's matches. Can more be done to give women's football a place in the national media? Not according to Mick Dennis, football writer on the Daily Express and previous sports editor of the Evening Standard, who said, "To me, it's a bogus equation. Even if women's football is the third most popular sport in the country, the level of attendance at women's football matches rivals that of the games in the Ryman Premier League, which also don't have their fixtures and results put on the sports pages."
Yet perhaps the future of covering women's football does not lie within the parameters of traditional media. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have changed the landscape of news reportage. This phenomenon was seen in last year's Women's World Cup final. At its peak the game was the most Tweeted about event in the world with 7,196 Tweets per second.
With this in mind, each of the eight teams in the WSL has a digital ambassador. The designated player will display their unique Twitter handle on the sleeve of their shirts in order to encourage fans to get in touch.
But will the gimmick pay off? The sustainability of the WSL has supported by a £3 million investment by the FA and four commercial sponsors have been brought on board. Yet the women's game remains at a semi-professional basis with little chance of women having the chance to go full-time. The only professional women's football league in America is currently suspended due to a court case and when Fulham Ladies FC tried to go professional in 2000, the experiment failed within six years. But as Simmons points out, "The problem with Fulham is that they tried to go it alone. What we are doing is trying to build things up slowly, making sure that clubs have the right infrastructure, rather than just handing all the money over to the players."
The eight digital ambassadors are:
Arsenal - Stephanie Houghton @stephhoughton2http://twitter.com/#!/stephhoughton2
Birmingham - Laura Bassett @laurabassett6
Bristol Academy - Siobhan Chamberlain @Sio_Chamberlain
Chelsea - Claire Rafferty @clrafferty1
Doncaster Belles - Julie-Ann Russell @Juuulie_Ann
Everton - Jill Scott @JillScott12
Lincoln - Megan Harris @MegsHarris7
Liverpool - Aroon Clansey @AroonClansey


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Hamilton County is home to a slew of groups that rescue animals and offer adoptions, but there are four facilities that specialize in offering animals for adoption.
The groups take animals from a variety of sources, but adoptions are open to anyone who meets certain qualifications and pays the varying pet adoption fees.
In Chattanooga, the two big players are Hamilton County Humane Educational Society and McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center.
The Humane Society has been around since 1940, and its facility was renovated in 2009. The society collects surrendered and stray animals from all of unincorporated Hamilton County and several outlying communities.
The McKamey Center opened in 2008 and has a contract with Chattanooga to collect unwanted pets and offer adoptions.
All the organizations have charitable arms that welcome donations of goods, money and time.
In addition to the shelters, there are a handful of rescue groups that foster unwanted animals then offer the pets for adoption. Contact information for those rescue groups can be found at the shelters.
Hamilton County Humane Educational Society
212 N. Highland Park Ave.
Chattanooga, TN 37404
Open: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday; noon-4 p.m. Friday.
McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center
4500 N. Access Road
Chattanooga, TN 37415
Open: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 1-7 p.m. Sunday; appointments only Monday and Tuesday.
City of East Ridge Animal Services
1015 Yale St.
East Ridge, TN 37412
Open: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday
Pet Placement Center
5975 Dayton Blvd.
Chattanooga, TN 37415
Open: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday
Wally's Friends
(A low-cost spay and neuter clinic for cats and dogs, but not a shelter.)
155 Unaka St.
Red Bank, TN 37415
Open: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, appointments required.


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"I said I've got the greatest shooting backcourt that's ever played the game. Call my bluff."
Those were Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson's words following his team's 100-91 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He was referring, of course, to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who combined for 56 points on Wednesday.
Thompson was spectacular. He scored 34 points and connected on 8 of 9 three-point attempts. Curry scored 22 points, but it took him 20 shots to get there.
Jackson has at least some authority on the topic of great shooting backcourts. He played in one of the best with Reggie Miller in Indiana in the 1990s. There are other duos that must be taken into account as well: Steve Nash and Raja Bell in Phoenix, Gary Payton and Brent Barry in Seattle, John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek in Utah.
Whether or not Curry and Thompson are at the top of the heap, they've at least earned a place in the conversation. It was Curry on Monday and Thompson on Wednesday that powered Golden State's offense.
If one of them is hot, the Warriors can stay in most games. When they're both knocking down shots, they're nearly unbeatable.
LeBron turns up the pressure: LeBron James did not score a single point in the second half of the Miami Heat's 115-78 Wednesday blowout of the Chicago Bulls. In previous years, that stat would have set off a round of discussions about his ability to perform in crunch time. This time, it was because he didn't have to. James' 19 first-half points were enough to lead the Heat to a 55-41 lead at halftime, and the team's bench was able to extend it in the second half.
Technically speaking: The Heat and Bulls combined for nine technical fouls, the most in a playoff game since the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers on May 7, 1995. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson were ejected during the same play in the fourth quarter. Tom Thibodeau wasn't pleased, but one Heat fan was.
Spo loses trophy, gets win: George Karl won the 2013 Coach of the Year Award, after leading the Denver Nuggets to a 57-25 regular-season record. Miami's Erik Spoelstra came in second, but that didn't faze him. "I'm not very superstitious, but all coaches and I think you guys understand that award," he told USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt. "It's not quite as definitive as the (Sports Illustrated cover) jinx, but it's pretty close."
Homecourt shifts in all series: With the Warriors' win on Wednesday, all four second-round series are now tied 1-1 after two games. The Heat, Spurs, Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder now must each win at least one game on the road.
Next up:
There are no games scheduled for Thursday. On Friday, the Bulls and Heat travel to Chicago for Game 3 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The Spurs and Warriors follow at 10:30, also on ESPN.
Check out the entire second-round playoff schedule.


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An upscale restaurant/bar on Granada Boulevard that established a reputation for its hip, retro vibe when it opened here a few years ago is undergoing a makeover.
ORMOND BEACH — An upscale restaurant/bar on Granada Boulevard that established a reputation for its hip, retro vibe when it opened here a few years ago is undergoing a makeover to give it a new look, new menu, and beginning next month, a new name.
The outdoor tiki bar at Caffeine Bistro, which closed in March for renovations, has reopened and is now covered and upgraded.
Now it's the inside restaurant's turn. The restaurant space is being gutted and extensively renovated and is expected to reopen next month when Caffeine will officially change its name to Grind Gastropub & Kona Tiki Bar.
"It's such a great venue, but by sheer virtue of being such a great place to come and drink, it lost its personality as a restaurant," said Kevin Wakefield, who took over as the operating manager at Caffeine in November. "Ormond Beach doesn't have enough good restaurants, much less great restaurants."
He added, "We will be a true gastropub, which is a pub that features fine dining. Think of fine dining in your favorite neighborhood pub."
The concept of gastropubs, which originated in the United Kingdom more than a decade ago, has been gaining popularity with eateries now using the term to describe themselves throughout Europe and the United States.
Todd Chapdelaine, has been hired as the new executive chef at Caffeine to create a new menu to go along with the restaurant/bar's upcoming name change.
"The goal is to take the gastropub style food — everyday norm on the pub food, burger heavy to the 2.5-inch bone-in steak — and put a serious twist on it," said Chapdelaine, who is returning to the kitchen after five years of working the front-end of local restaurants.
"Instead of grilled grouper, you'd get a sweet potato and russet potato encrusted grouper with a fresh Florida vegetable remoulade over the top," he said.
Chapdelaine said the new menu will feature dishes from a wide variety of European and pan-Asian styles.
Grind will offer menu items specific to its outside and inside venues in addition to items that will be available in both settings.
Wakefield, a 1993 graduate of Deltona High School, has run bars and restaurants for about 20 years and has also worked as a professional photographer, he said. He was a bartender at Caffeine Bistro for about a year when he talked with the retaurant's owner Bill Jones about taking over the establishment and making some changes.
The outside makeover includes a tall, peaked thatched roof over the tiki bar, which was lengthened and expanded to accommodate more beer taps. Large televisions were added. It still features the wood deck, tall carved tiki statues and string lights of Easter Island heads all up against the side of 1924-built carriage house.
An uncovered area sits between the tiki bar and restaurant building and includes a new music stage. Wakefield said he plans to provide live music entertainment on a daily basis.
Inside, the building still has a large Italian wine cellar-style banquet room that can seat up to 50 persons and a smaller private room that is being renovated with a "Brat Pack" theme and pop art.
"We have two great concepts, inside and out. If one mood doesn't suit you, we have another. We'll try and contrast music styles and events," Wakefield said.


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|Yoshino Cherry Tree in Autumn.
Dear Reader,
It has been a week and an ongoing cold since I've last written.
I returned home from Poets on the Coast, inspired and strong. I went for a 13 mile mountain bike ride, felt incredible, but kept having what I was a bad allergy attack, then wham, the next day I'm down for the count. A bad virus that has been with me since last Tuesday. Way too long to feel bad and have no energy.
That said, from my bed and laptop, I've been getting things done. But what do I really want to do? Write. Return to my writing life already in progress... So with that, let's head to the confessional so I can tell you what I'm doing, how I'm feeling, and maybe inspire you to connect with your writing self because I believe the fall is a magical time...
To the confessional--
I confess September begins my writing life.
My daughter returns to school. The weather whispers cool. The leaves begin to change and all I want to do is listen to Everything But the Girl's Language of Love (I confess I'm listening to it as I type this).
Normally by this time, my office is clean, my writing studio has blue hydrangeas in it with a bowl of nonpareils. But because of this cold, papers, books, life is all over the place.
But I'm healing and I'm scheduling writing days on the calendar. And once they are scheduled, I can't change them. It's a rule. A writer's rule. Put your writing first or it will elude you. It will be the cat you can never get back in the house. It will be the bird that circles, but never lands. It will be the cloud that you will never touch.
Writing must be a priority or you will lose it. You will lose.
I confess I left Poets on the Coast very inspired and with the urge to write.
Meeting other writers and artists is one of the easiest ways to be inspired.
I also left with a huge realization that I want a cool pencil case!
I confess I've gone back to organizing my time by Focus days, Admin days & Fun/Spirit Days.
Focus days: I write.
Admin days: I do all the stuff I have to do--pay bills, run errands, submit, paid work--to have time to write.
Fun/Spirit days: I do all the things that fill me up or that I want to do-- hang with the family, go to an art gallery, read, sit and watch the world go by.
I confess there's a concern I now have on my mind that has nothing to do with poetry, but with being a home owner in a rural community.
Basically, our home was built near/on a county easement and if they expand the road to make it wider, we could lose a good portion of our garden, my yoshino cherry tree (see page 37 in Letters from the Emily Dickinson Room) and possible, our garage. (Oh I wish I were kidding!) Anyway, we've had a lot of unexpected expenses in the last year, so we can't afford for this if it happens.
So if you are the praying type or the meditating type or the type that sends good thoughts-- if you could add my family and I to your prayers and thoughts, especially regarding this project, that our home, garden, driveway, and garage will not be affected by whatever happens. Thank you.
I confess I believe in prayers and good energy. And many times they are what keep me sane.
I confess while the possibility of wider road is a kind of dark cloud I'm trying not to think about and hope for the best (--um, I remind myself that FEAR stands for Future Events Appearing Real), I'm actually thankful for my life, my family and my friends.
Thankful for what I do have, thankful for what they can't touch, thankful for people, not things. And I can take a nod from poet Mizuta Masahide-- if our garage goes, I'll have a better view of the moon.
Original Haiku--
Barn's burnt down –
I can see the moon.
17th Century samurai and poet Mizuta Masahide
Life, it all depends how you look at it.


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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) - Indiana State picked the perfect night to play the perfect game.
The defense smothered Doug McDermott, shut down one of the nation's highest-scoring teams and made it look easier than anybody could have anticipated.
Jake Odum finished with 22 points, five assists and four steals Wednesday night, leading the unranked Sycamores to a stunning 76-57 win over No. 16 Creighton in a game that wasn't even that close.
``I don't know if we can play any better,' Indiana State coach Greg Lansing said. ``We played well at both ends of the floor. I know Creighton didn't play very well, but our guys followed the game plan perfectly and we really gave them a run, and I still think that's one of the best teams in the country.'
It was sure hard to tell on a night nobody will soon forget in Terre Haute.
Indiana State (15-8, 8-4 Missouri Valley Conference) earned the school's 1,400th victory, beat a Top 25 team at home for the first time since upsetting Butler in December 2006 and watched Odum, a local kid, become the 35th member of the school's 1,000-point club. Creighton also was the highest-ranked team to come to town since then-No. 12 Tulsa visited on Feb. 2, 1985, and the Bluejays went home with their most lopsided loss all season.
Yet the most important part might be this: Indiana State has won three of its last four and has moved within one game of the league-leading Bluejays.
How did they do it?
With good old-fashioned in-your-face basketball.
``It's the best (defense) we've seen this year,' coach Greg McDermott said. ``They kept us in front of them and they didn't really expose themselves when they did help. They outrebounded us on the backboard, and I'll have to take a look at the tape, but I thought some of our shots were ill-advised.'
On a normal night, McDermott's son probably would have bailed out Creighton (20-4, 9-3).
But the star forward, who came into the game averaging 24.0 points, never had a chance. He scored only eight points on 3 of 9 shooting in the first half and managed only one shot and no points over the final 20 minutes. The only other time he finished with fewer than 10 points this season was Nov. 14 against Alabama-Birmingham.
Without McDermott, the Bluejays were erratic. Only one player, backup Will Artino, reached double figures. He had 13 points.
Creighton, the nation's best shooting team, shot just 41.7 percent from the field and wound up with a season-low point total, easily exceeding its previous worst (64) in a loss at Wichita State. Without a late scoring flurry, it would have been even worse for a team that was averaging 79.0 points.
``They were the better team tonight, there was no question,' McDermott said. ``We were flat and they were outstanding.'
At times, Indiana State was virtually flawless.
Odum scored 16 points, dished out four assists and made 5 of 6 from the field during a first half that the Sycamores didn't even commit a turnover. They finished with only five turnovers.
Unlike McDermott, Odum had plenty of help. R.J. Mahurin made three 3-pointers and finished with 17 points. Manny Arop, the transfer from Gonzaga, scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
About the only thing that didn't go right was that Odum finished two assists short of No. 400, but nobody was going to quibble about that, especially the students who meandered onto the floor at game's end and shared some hugs with the Indiana State players.
``I said it couple times out there and Manny did also about finishing the game off,' Odum said. ``Earlier in the season, we didn't quite finish games, we let teams battle back and a team like Creighton you can't let them get going.'
They didn't.
The Sycamores took control with runs of 12-2 and 7-2 late in the first half to take a 35-24 halftime lead and never gave Creighton a chance in the second half.
Mahurin opened the second half with a four-point play, the fifth of his career. After a dunk from Creighton, Odum answered with a layup and a jumper. Devonte Brown then scored on a layup and Mahurin closed out the 13-3 spurt with another 3 to give the Sycamores a 48-27 lead.
Indiana State extended the lead to 70-42, with 4:36 to go, and Creighton never cut the deficit to single digits in the second half.
``That's the leading offense team in the country and we really played well against them,' Lansing said. ``We wanted to make it awfully difficult for them to get an easy look, take a contested shot and only give them one. They only had six offensive rebounds. I know they didn't play their best but our defense was awfully locked in tonight and that was by every guy they played.'


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Curtis Glencross knows people are upset. It's kind of hard to ignore.
Because, first-hand, he's heard the gripes.
"You see a few fans once in a while that give the odd comment," the Calgary Flames left-winger said after Monday morning's skate at the WinSport Ice Complex. "Or they know that you're (standing) there and they're talking behind you. But you can't let that stuff bother you."
Backlash, however, is not behind them, even if the collective bargaining agreement between the National Hockey League has been, more or less, put to bed.
The work stoppage did tarnish the league.
To what extent is unknown.
"Us as players, we're hockey fans, too," said Glencross. "We love the game and we're disappointed there was a lockout, too. We're sorry this happened. Every business has their ups and downs."
Added Chris Butler: "I understand a lot of the frustration. We're going to have to do a lot of work in the community, talk to a lot of people and try to almost grow the game again from the ground up. I certainly understand the frustration, but I've been blessed to play in two great hockey cities (Buffalo and Calgary). Fans are great and they love the game and I hope they come back, but, to be honest, I'll understand if they don't want to come back."
Michael Cammalleri said he hasn't experienced "much negativity" in person, but the magic of social media has kept him aware of the unhappiness.
Is it going to be easy to bring back the disgruntled ones?
"I don't know," said Cammalleri. "I'm not going to speculate. We're real excited to play and I hope that people can find all the joy in our great game that they always have."
So how do you try to win them over?
"How about just the product?" replied Cammalleri. "I understand — and we understand — that fans are frustrated and unhappy with the process. And I understand that it's not an easy thing to understand . . . but we're going to be back on the ice with the best product we can and we're going to appreciate all the support we do get."
Working against league momentum, says Washington Capitals veteran Karl Alzner, is the abbreviated schedule.
"I think the fact that there's only half a season left," said Alzner, "it'll make it really easy for some of the fans to be like, 'You know what? I'm just not going to come. We'll see how I feel next year and then I'll decide.' There's only 40 or 50 games, it'll make it easier for people to just sit out a few. Which is going to suck."
According to Lee Stempniak, the process — of healing, of rebuilding — should begin with an apology. Henrik Karlsson said players are "once again" in a position of looking for forgiveness.
"I don't know how they're going to react now," said Karlsson. "It hasn't been good for the sport. No winners, only losers. But hopefully we can leave this behind us. We should be happy now the deal's done and we're going to be back to battling again."
While the players were clearly thrilled Monday to be on the cusp of resuming their careers, their enthusiasm was tempered by the knowledge of the damage done.
"At some point (early in negotiations), somebody asked me, 'What does a win look like?' " said Cammalleri. "And my answer was, 'We've already lost.' So I think that was accurate, that nobody really wins in this situation.
"I think it was a shame that it had to take place."
Follow Scott Cruickshank on Twitter/CruickshankCH


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The lights are on
Are you wondering how your favorite Nintendo title is faring with fans? Nintendo has released an updated list of software sales for its biggest titles.
Alongside this morning's financial report for the year ending March 31, 2014, we have a new understanding of what fans are interested in across Nintendo's current and legacy platforms.
Wii U
Our TakeThere are a few takeaways from this. First, comparing Wii software sales to Wii U data is staggering, even when adjusted for time since release. Of note, Pikmin 3 has not sold 1 million copies yet.
Second, Pokémon seems to be on a decline, with X & Y a positive uptick. Black and White 2 didn't even chart on Nintendo's top DS titles sold, selling just under 8 million units. This leaves a range of 10 million between the current top performer (Diamond and Pearl) and the lowest (Black and White 2). It shows that projecting sales for the series in challenging, and that fans aren't guaranteed to purchase ever Pokémon title on name alone.
Despite saturation, Mario is still extremely popular across formats and genres. Whether 3D, 2D, or in another galaxy, the mustachioed hero still brings in the fans.
As for Mario Kart 8? If Nintendo hits its projections and sells 3 million Wii Us this year, the most copies it could sell are just over 9 million. 100 percent attach rates don't happen, though.
Needs moaaar Pokemon.
I really want to get a Wii U, I really do. But I don't wants its support to suddenly drop. Come on Nintendo!
You think the WiiU's first party title numbers are bad, look at games like AC and CoD numbers on the system.
Are people really acting like it's a surprise that Pikmin 3 hasn't sold a million copies yet? Pikmin 2 only sold 1.2 mil on a console with over 20 million user base. It's a niche franchise, stop acting like it's on the level of other games. Heck the Metroid Prime games didn't even hit two million


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That is absolutely incredible! If you'd like, you could post a guide to help other make something similar.
How does it perform if placed up side down? I mean, the back of the hand facing upwards.Great project.
can pablo send me the instructions to build this??i want to make it like crazy.....
i need information for whole circuit to start build this stuff.
Quote from: johngr on Jan 28, 2013, 04:34 pmi need information for whole circuit to start build this stuff.Getting a bit off pablo's thread topic, but you can see how to get a servo running here and here. Here is how to deal with power to servos, and to run lots of servos, have a look at this.


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WASHINGTON — A respiratory virus that was unknown to doctors until 2001 and that has no treatment causes the same severity of illness in young children as the flu, according to the largest study to estimate the infection's US prevalence.
The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that one of every 1,000 children under age 5 is hospitalized each year because of human metapneumovirus, the same rate as that for flu. MPV also occurs during the winter and shares the same symptoms as the flu, the study said.
The virus, which can lead to bronchitis and pneumonia, is often misdiagnosed because there is no quick test to distinguish it from flu and other respiratory viruses, said senior study author John Williams. There's no vaccine or drug against the virus, and children often are given antibiotics or flu medicines such as Tamiflu by mistake, he said.
''We're still learning so much about disease,'' said Williams, an associate professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, said in a Monday interview. ''Here's a virus that was unknown 10 years ago and turns out to be one of the most common causes of severe respiratory infection.''
MPV may be the reason that the flu vaccine appears to fail in some people who may in fact have the virus, not the flu, Williams said.
Researchers in the study used the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's New Vaccine Surveillance Network to identify children younger than 5 with MPV in three US counties from 2003 through 2009.
They found that 200 of 3,490 hospitalized children, or 6 percent; 222 of 3,257 children in outpatient clinics; and 224 of 3,001 children in the emergency rooms, or 7 percent, had MPV.
About 40 percent of the children hospitalized with the virus had an underlying condition such as premature birth or asthma, the study found.
The researchers estimated that about 20,000 kids under 5 are hospitalized each year in the United States because of this virus, which also causes 1 million outpatient clinic visits and 263,000 emergency room visits, the authors wrote. Those estimates are similar to the flu rates for children under 5 in the United States, he said.
Knowing the frequency and severity of the disease adds urgency to developing a vaccine against the virus as well as a test that allows doctors and hospitals to check for the virus, Williams said. A vaccine against MPV is a minimum 5 to 10 years away, he said. Williams's lab is among a handful of research centers working on a potential vaccine, he said.


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You Want to do Something Interesting and Productive?… Join Clubs!
Every one of us joins the undergraduate/graduate programs with different thoughts and different purposes. It is beautiful to be diverse. It's even more beautiful to find out, that people with diverse background, interests and aims possess some commonalities as well. All of us love to feel worthy and be productive. I believe it's a precious […]Read the rest of this entry »


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What about an old fashioned typewriter?
My point is: stop being obsessed with technology: anyone in the third world can have a photocopy of a picture of a keyboad, and probably has the motivation to try and learn with it. Once a week, use a real machine to test their progress if you have to. (Yes I have visited third world countries).
stop being obsessed with technology
I think the whole point is to learn technology, otherwise, what's the point.
Technology for technology sake is never the answer - old school devices still rule, there is usually never a need for fancy modern devices, they just make thinks easier and more convenient if you happen to have money (and in this case electricity)
No - the point is to learn typing. Once you learn to type you can efficiently learn the technology of the limited computers. Frankly - the only class that has any value to me from high school was my freshman year typing class taught on an old IBM Selectric typewriter. Heck - the description in the summary is begging for a typewriter.
Technology for technology sake is never the answer - old school devices still rule, there is usually never a need for fancy modern devices, they just make thinks easier and more convenient if you happen to have money (and in this case electricity)
I agree with you (wrt mechanical typewriters). I see a problems of logistics though (speaking from personal experience since I learned on a mechanical typewriter). You need paper (lots of it the better), ribbons and white-outs. It takes practice, practice and practice, with the actual output available for grading. Hammering at the keys, hitting an empty rubber drum won't tell the student whether he's making typing mistakes.
Another anecdote from 20+ years ago: I grew up using the hunt-and-peck method, and then I took a typing class my first semester in high school. The class used powered, mechanical typewriters with the correction ribbon removed so we wouldn't be tempted to backspace; our exercises were timed, and we had to start with a fresh piece of paper to fix any mistakes.
I was doing very poorly in the class, so one afternoon I took the bold step of covering my hands with a piece of blank paper. This forced me to visualiz
For that matter, let them learn with a real PS/2 keyboard - just not connected to anything. That would still be quite useful for the look and feel part.
[Otherwise, PS2 keyboards are easy to interface and power - you could build something cheap ($10) out of a PIC and a 1 line LCD display]
My mother, now aged 85, learned to type using a printed picture of a keyboard, and exercises very similar to "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing". Its true there is no record of what keys you actually press, etc, but she could type a lot faster than I ever could, and is using an IPad as I type this.
My point is: stop being obsessed with technology: anyone in the third world can have a photocopy of a picture of a keyboad, and probably has the motivation to try and learn with it. Once a week, use a real machine to test their progress if you have to. (Yes I have visited third world countries).
That won't work. I speak from personal experience (borned & raised in a third world country). I learned typing with a mechanical typewriter. You have to have a physical feedback from the type writer to develop the necessary muscle memory.
You also need paper to see that you are typing, and to see if you are doing it right or wrong. And when you commit errors, you need to see how often you made them and where on the keyboard layout. Finally you develop the speed to type with a high degree of correctnes
What about an old fashioned typewriter?
The summary says: " I considered using typewriters but they are in limited supply on the market."
So...exactly how did that get modded 'insightful'?
What about an old fashioned typewriter?
I learned on regular typewriters in middle school in the late 80's. Worked fine for me. Of course he's got to buy ink and paper. If he could find them, he could probably get used typewriters free. Brother still makes electric typewriters, but that doesn't really solve the problem.
If you just want to learn to type, you could possibly provision some purely-mechanical keyboards.
The displays would not need to be particularly high-tech; you could go with a hemp or wood pulp WOD (write only display) that works by mechanically striking the pulp with an embossed pigment delivery die.
Heck, you can even pair them up and monitor each other.
"I considered using typewriters but they are in limited supply on the market"
" I also considered OLPC but it is double my anticipated budget."
"Do you have other suggestions?"
You don't even need the LCD. There is no reason for the student to review their results real-time. Just a simple circuit to read the keypresses and store them for later retrieval. You could probably operate the device on a watch battery for a year.
Indeed... buy it now... $9.99
Pair typing. It's agile and totally moar extream.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y2zo0JN2HE [youtube.com]
Considering that (at least in China) sub-$50 Android tablets with capacitive screens are already here
The problem with trying to type (or to game) on a tablet with a capacitive touch screen is that most such screens have no texture to indicate the positions of the keys. A touch typist positions his hands relative to the keys by feeling the bumps on the F and J keys and the edges of the other keys, and he can't do that on a typical tablet [pineight.com].
Go to the district in Dhaka in that sells used stuff. Buy some manual typewriters. They, obviously, do not need electricity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd9As_DlH6E [youtube.com]
Benkyo benkyo benkyo!!
Question: "... I considered using typewriters but they are in limited supply on the market.
Slashdot: "Typewriters"
Exactly. My experience is in the sub-continent is that nothing usable gets thrown out or, if it does, someone grabs it from the trash and makes use of it.
about 500 students
The students will be given job placement opportunities at a local firm in the city once they reach a certain proficiency
OK huge call center moving in
The problem: limited electricity, limited computers,
The solution seems obvious, ask the call center how they're dealing with having limited electricity and limited computers. If the problems seem insurmountable to them, then your problem doesn't matter because the call center will not be opening. If they have a solution, presumably you can copy their solution.
Also some simple math here... you've got 500 students and 12 computers. Hmm. You can't really "practice" for too long at a time, even under ideal conditions. So 500 / 12 computers = 41 students per computer. Probably the best way to do this is 48 half hour practice sessions per day. So some kids session will be from 2:30 am to 3 am local, so what, welcome to transcontinental call center operations, he's gonna have to get used to it sooner or later.
Frankly, the biggest call center problem isn't slow typing. As long as the kids know the alphabet and numbers before learning to type, you'll be OK.
The students do not live in the city. They live in a village. They will move from the village to the city where the call center is located once they learn how to type. I imagine there is much less trouble getting a reliable supply of electricity in the city. The call center also, presumably, has a larger budget.
I think he should put the financial burden on the "local firm". If they want a work force, supply the education center. If the "local firm" works in unbalanced shifts, maybe let the classes run in the "down" shift. That shift might actually be during the day...I am not sure of the market of the "local firm", so I don't know for sure.
Mod UP! This is the next best alternative to mechanical keyboards.
You can plug a USB keyboard into any recent Android phone or tablet. Obviously, you can charge them when you have power and use them for many hours. If you look around, you should be able to get a Coby or other Chinese Android tablet and a cheap full-size USB keyboard close to your price range (you also need a USB-to-Go cable, but they are less than $1). I've used them and they are perfectly fine tablets. Students can also use them for reading books.
There are also some typing tutors, although more geare
You have effectively eliminated all of the commercial solutions with your boundary conditions. You indicate that you don't have reliable power - that means you need a power generation device - or a power storage device - as part of your kit, or a device which does not require external power, but you have ruled out typewriters.
You have $50, total, per piece, into which you would like to provide a monitor of some type. Given that you need a display device, a power supply, and a usable input interface, you have nearly priced yourself out of the market with this parameter alone. To that you need to add a keyboard and an interface (a raspberry pi would work) to the display. But even at the rock bottom price of a Pi, you've in for $30-35 between these two devices.
I suppose if you can come up with a display with a DVI or HDMI input, plus a power supply, for under $20, you can get close. With the world market these days, if you need it to be cheaper than a COTS solution (commercial off the shelf) - you need a different budget or enough units to justify hardware production runs.
Have you considered seeing if Dell will ship you a crate of 6 year old laptops for $40 a piece, and you can throw away or keep for salvage the ones which don't work?
New alphasmarts are hilariously overpriced; but used ones can easily be a factor of ten cheaper, so that isn't a bad route to go down. You'll need to fleabay or otherwise scrounge; but you can get them at pleasingly low prices.
Another option, if the locals have some TVs, might be 'famiclones' or their slightly more modern ilk. The ones that just have controllers are no good; but there is a genre of 'c64' styled keyboard-based ones. RF and/or composite out to a TV, keyboard, usually some sort of BASIC or other typing environment of some degree of not-entirely-useless. Nasty; but cheap, cheap, cheap at the right dodgy flea market.
It's a bit above your $50 price tag, but moments googling "typing tutor toy" [google.com] took a total of 0.8 seconds to complete and brought me this solution [amazon.com] not far from your price range.
I had something like this as the oldest of 8 kids, the batteries were C or D and lasted for months/years. It was sturdy enough to easily endure the abuse that 8 kids put it through. We weren't "nice" to it.
Limited supply or not, manual typewriters are the right answer for several reasons:
1. From the submission, it seems that everything else that is not in limited supply is too expensive in either cash terms or electricity usage.
2. High technology devices are more likely to fail, and if they fail, are much more difficult (or impossible) to fix.
3. Even if the limited electricity supply goes away, a manual typewriter still works.
4. A decently constructed manual typewriter will outlast any electronic device.
Parallax Propeller would be a good CPU for this. It has ready-made libraries for PS/2 peripherals and LCDs, including video output if you'd need that. A project like this would run on a few dozen milliamps at 5V. A single solar battery charging a car battery could easily supply a few full classrooms of those.
I just checked eBay, and there are still plenty of Handspring Visors left for sale cheap. Those things go a very long time on a pair of AAA cells. You don't want the color model, you want the black-and-white that takes AAA cells.
Then for a keyboard:
http://www.amazon.com/LandWare-GoType-Keyboard-Handspring-Visor/dp/B00004TF4V [amazon.com]
Finally, buy a stack of NiMH AAA cells and some chargers.
These should suffice for learning. The keyboard is a little bit small, but I was able to type on it, and my hands are not small.
I don't know if there are any actual typing tutorial programs, but you might be able to get a college student to write one for you as a project.
I do remember that there is at least one "typing speed" program for PalmOS. It was intended for users to test their writing speed using the stylus, but it should work for typing.
I know you said you can't afford OLPC computers. You could try just asking people to donate them, and see if you get any.
I used to have an OLPC and I gave it to a school in India. Before I handed it over, I bought a $10 USB keyboard, a USB mouse, and I installed a program called "Typing Turtle". Also, I bought an an SD card, and installed a copy of Wikipedia for Schools [schools-wikipedia.org] on it (this is a collection of Wikipedia articles, vetted to remove any vandalism, and indexed so you can use them as pure static web pa
Seriously people, stop suggesting typewriters - they're a bitch to repair assuming you can get parts, which you probably can't, are way overbuilt for what he requires of them and, at this point, probably cost more than his $50 budget anyway; all he needs is a qwerty layout with error-checking to make sure the kids are on the right track.
Just because something is mechanical or non-powered doesn't mean it's simpler, easier, or cheaper. Try to answer his actual question without getting all condescending about it.
Toys R Us has a $20 CDN toy laptop with QWERTY keyboard:
http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=11495909 [toysrus.ca]
add 2 sets of rechargeable batteries: $2*6 = $12
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__25023__Turnigy_AA_LSD_2400mAh_Low_Self_Discharge_ready_to_use_.html [hobbyking.com]
and a charger: $6
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__27991__NiZN_AA_1_5A_Battery_Charger.html [hobbyking.com]
You can charge the batteries when you have power.
Alternatively reduce the number of batteries and chargers to less than 1 set per computer and pool the leftover $$$ to get a solar panel to power a charging station
Posted this elsewhere deep in a thread... wanted to make sure you saw it:
I suggest:
50% of your students get OLPC @ 100$; 50% get a 5$ disconnected keyboard. They rotate between exercises.
Or 1/3rd get OLPC and 2/3rds with disconnected keyboards, and rotate. Every third exercise they're on the real keyboard.
"How many teamsters does it take to screw in a light bulb?" "FIFTEEN!! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"


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Hey, I'm trying to pass get variables through an https ssl secured url to generate xml data so I can parse it and I'm not sure how to get it working. I have the following code,
I have the url set up like this,
$xml = '
weight_system="IMPERIAL" shipper_number="000222000" destination_postal_code="'.$data5['zip'].'" service_type="1"
$xml2 = '
total_pieces="'.$value.'" total_weight="'.$weight.'"
$token = 'token';
$base_url = 'https://www.shippingco.com/XML/RatingXML.jsp';
$request_url = $base_url . '?' . http_build_query(array(
'shipment' => '<shipment ' . $xml . '><total ' . $xml2 . '/></shipment>',
'token' => $token
and I have an example of the xml data here,
<rating xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="http://www.shippingco.com/XML/rating.xsd">
<rate weight="5.0" weight_unit="lb" zone="3" transit_time="1" transit_time_guaranteed="false" estimated_delivery_date="2013-07-26" base_charge="11.05" freight_charge="11.05"residential_address_charge="2.75" net_charge="13.80" fuel_surcharge_rate="15.8" fuel_surcharge="1.75" subtotal_charge="15.55" on_hst_charge="2.02" total_charge="17.57"/>
I have an RSA key, SSL cert, CA bundle and a password and need to use that information to authenticate with the https url. What is the best working way to accomplish this and is there a tutorial on how to do this step by step?


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Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
Industry News Desk
Cisco Looking Better than Expected
CEO John Chambers called the economy "challenging"
By: Maureen O'Gara
Nov. 19, 2012 07:00 AM
Cisco, the networking king and economic bellwether, cleared better-than-expected earnings of $2.09 billion, or 39 cents a share, up 10.6% year-over-year, in its first fiscal quarter, which closed at the end of October. Revenues were up 5.5% to $11.9 billion despite depressed demand in key markets like Europe, down 10%, and long-term threats from widgetry like software-defined networking.
CEO John Chambers called the economy "challenging."
Cisco's core switching and routing sales, representing 47% of revenue, both declined 2% year-over-year, to $3.6 billion and $2.1 billion respectively.
Switching was hit by slowing in the public sector and developed countries. The routing segment was hurt by weakness in service providers, especially in EMEA, although Cisco did see double-digit growth in edge routing.
Europe was down 10% and government sales down 6%.
Still Cisco beat estimates of 46 cents on $11.8 billion but expects flat earnings and slower revenue growth this quarter. Cisco figures Europe will get worse before it gets better but is seeing an improvement in the US.
Cisco managed to meet reduced expectations by cutting costs, eliminating jobs, shutting lines of business and cutting prices to ward off competitors like Arista and HP. It realized a gross margin of 62.7% of revenue.
Service provider video rose 30% to $1.1 billion. Collaboration technologies fell 8% to $1 billion. Wireless product sales rose 38%. Data center sales rose 61%, security technology sales rose 6%. All other goods were down 12%.
Enterprise sales were down 1%, sales to the public sector were off 6%. Commercial sales, including consumer goods, rose 1%, and sales to service providers rose 3%.
CEO John Chambers said the US, where Cisco was able to close more big deals in the quarter, will have to pull the world out of its stupor. Asia, up 7%, and the developing world can't do it. US GDP growth needs to get above 2% because otherwise "there will be no job growth in the US." And that depends on Washington working together.
If the White House doesn't relent on revenue repatriation, Chambers said Cisco would spend its massive cash horde overseas.
Cisco expects to return earnings per share, excluding items, of 47 cents-48 cents, excluding one-time charges, in its fiscal second quarter, which runs until the end of January, on revenue growth of 3.5%-5.5%, compared to 11.5% a year ago. The Street figures revenues will be up 4.5% to $12.04 billion.
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SANDUSKY — Cedar Point has two new rides ready for families and fun.
The Sandusky amusement park unveiled its new Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles rides as part of its annual media preview on May 8.
The new rides show pieces of a remodeled Gemini midway. The park officials wanted to transform the site, making it a fun and comfortable place to hang out, not just plop down a couple new rides, said Jason McClure, vice president and general manager at Cedar Point.
Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles are "a lot of fun, good family attractions with a little bit of kick as well," McClure said. Park staff hear a lot from families whose children have outgrown the junior rides but are not yet ready for Millennium Force, he said.
"Most importantly our guests want to have experiences with their children, that's what these rides are about," McClure said. "Both these rides have that. They've got that thrill factor there as well as being a family attraction."
To evaluate Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles, The Morning Journal recruited test riders who work with real eagles, raptors, reptiles and forest critters that are hurt or no longer able to live in the wild.
Heather Yount, 29, Melissa Dodge, 25, and Sammie Villa, 23, are wildlife rehabilitation specialists for Back to the Wild, a center that cares for injured animals in rural Margaretta Township outside Castalia.
The three have studied biology and zoology and have worked for years caring for creatures that are not like family pets.
"They're wild through — it's all genetics," Yount said.
When the animals watch their human caretakers, it's not because of affection. Rather the animals follow their instincts looking for ways to escape.
"To them, we're still predators," Yount said.
Lake Erie Eagles has eight rider cars, with half of them painted with the recognizable white head of a bald eagle. The other half are painted brown.
"It looks like they have golden eagles too," Yount said.
"They're probably supposed to be immature," Dodge said, referring to the brown coloration that can last for years on younger eagles.
The cars are attached to the ride arms with steel cables. As seen from overhead, the ride turns counterclockwise, spinning the cars.
Passengers use a hand-controlled paddle like a rudder to control the angle of flight as the cars spin around.
The paddle action is easy to steer and the ride glides well, the riders said.
Bald eagles and other raptors have tremendous crushing power with their talons. The test riders said the Lake Erie Eagles cars are much easier to deal with than the real-life birds.
"That was so much fun; amazing," Villa said about the ride.
"It was actually more fun than it looked like it was going to be," Yount said. "It gives a good spin with just enough excitement."
"I made myself a little dizzy there," Dodge said.
On Pipe Scream riders sit in a passenger carriage with six rows of seats. The carriage spins clockwise as it moves back and forth over a hilly track that resembles a giant skateboard half pipe.
"It was really fun," Villa said.
"I think that's my favorite non-real-roller coaster ride," Yount said.
"It's like a perfect roller coaster if you don't want a thrill-ride roller coaster, but just want to go moving fast a little bit," Dodge said.
Dodge and Yount ranked the Maverick and Raptor as their favorite Cedar Point rides, while Villa said the Top Thrill Dragster is her favorite. The new rides are not as intense as those larger coasters, but the test crew said they definitely would go on each of them again.
Each one summarized a favorite quality of the new pair.
"I like that both of them spin," Yount said. "I love rides that have a spinning effect in them.
"I like that there's something that everybody can enjoy about them," Dodge said. "They're not too crazy but they're not too kiddie-ride."
"I like that they're more on the mellow side," Villa said. "It's like the palette cleanser when you're done with roller coasters."


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Just because the Christmas holiday season is over, it doesn't mean that kids of all ages have forgotten about model trains. A large number of model railroad enthusiasts are still playing with, looking for and collecting toys and trains.
There will be a lot of model trains and a lot of toys on display and for sale when Greenberg's Train & Toy Show visits the area for a two-day stop at the Reading Expo Center in Berks County.
The show will have a wide variety of toys for sale: space toys, Thomas the Tank Engine items, dolls, collectible bears, Barbie, Matchbox, action figures, die-cast models, wrestling stars, Pokemon figures and much more. And, there will be an amazing array of toy trains.
The event will feature 11operating train displays, including Royersford Modular Model Railroaders's HO layout, Delaware Valley Hi-Railers' O gauge layout, Lebanon Valley Rail's Z, N, O and HO scale layout, Southeast Pennsylvania Garden Railway Society's G gauge layout and Reading Company Technical & Historical Society's HO scale layout.
Also featured will be Lehigh Valley Hi-Railers' O gauge layout, Capital PenNScalers N-Trak's N scale layout, Allegheny Western Lines HO layout, Strasburg Model Railroad Club HO scale layout, PennLUG LEGO train layout and East Penn Traction Club HO and O scale layout.
Other special attractions will be the "Roaming Railroad", which is a riding train for kids and adults, and the Winners Circle Racing's "Interactive R/C Car Racetrack", which is one of the country's most advanced model racing tracks.
This weekend's show will also offer free clinics on a wide variety of topics, including track work, using accessories and using a digital command control. There will be a large number of dealers with toys, trains, accessories and hobby publications. Other features include hourly door prizes.
What: Greenberg's Great Train & Collectible Toy Show
When: Feb. 16 and 17, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day
Where: Reading Expo Center, 2525 North 12th Street, Reading
Tickets: Adults, $7 (good for both days); children (12 and under) free
Information: 630-279-4087 or www.greenbergshows.com


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Firefighters work to determine cause of Gwinnett County house fires | News
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- Gwinnett County fire crews are working to determine the cause of two separate house fires in Duluth and Buford.
One fire is at 4745 Fairway View Court NW in Duluth, where flames were coming from the back of a two-story home when firefighters arrived around 6:00 p.m.
No injuries were caused by the fire. The cause is still unknown.
The second fire, at 208 Brookcliff Drive NE in Buford burned an attic and top floor of a two-story wood frame and brick home. When crews arrived around 5:45 p.m., they found flames going through the roof.
There was nobody home when the fire started, and investigations continue to try and determine the cause of the fire. The fire department reported that it looks as though the fire began in a second-floor bedroom on the home's left side.
Upon attack, firefighters entered the home to fight from inside. However, they had to back out because of intense heat and flames. The fire was already running the roof line as crews fought the flames from outside.
After additional attack with hoses and a ladder, they got the fire under control and re-entered the home to extinguish the fire and overhaul damage.
The main level and basement were damaged by water and smoke.
As with the fire in Duluth, this incident caused no injuries.


text:
News Feature
Originally published in Compass, June 26, 2014
Opera House Arts adds second performance of West Side Story
Opera House Arts added a previously unscheduled public concert at its Burnt Cove Church performance hall on Tuesday, July 8, at 7 p.m. Soprano and former Maine Public Broadcasting Network radio personality Suzanne Nance will lead a quartet of accomplished opera singers including John McVeigh (tenor), Eric McKeever (baritone), and Grace Valdes (mezzo soprano) in a concert version of Bernstein and Sondheim's classic 1955 musical West Side Story, according to a news release.
West Side Story was selected and is being produced—with musical director Peter Szep and script and direction by OHA's executive director Linda Nelson—as an integrated component of OHA's Shakespeare in Stonington 2014 special repertory offerings. The concert at the church is an unexpected second performance of OHA's 15th anniversary gala benefit on July 7, which sold out in record time.
The 1870 Burnt Cove Church is located at 17 Airport Road in Stonington, just off Route 15A behind Burnt Cove Market. Audience members are advised to car pool and to be prepared to walk. Accessible parking and entrance to the church is available. Facilities at the church are limited to port-a-potties.
Reserved seat tickets for the July 8 performance are available on a first come, first serve basis at operahousearts.org or by calling 367-2788.