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Ask 10 electrical contractors what business they are in, and nine of them will probably say something like, "We install and service electrical wiring (and/or) voice/data systems." A key nuance is missing here — these companies should see themselves as being in the business of profitably installing or servicing these systems. It's an important distinction to make, because with the proper training, many people can safely provide these services, but over time, only smart businesspeople can make money doing it.
With all of the focus on the technical complexities of electrical contracting, such as safely installing electrical systems, performing electrical design calculations and keeping up with changes in N.E. Code regulations, it's easy to overlook the business side of the electrical contracting equation.
An electrical contractor could be an absolute Einstein in the field and calculate conduit-fill rates while brushing his teeth in the morning, but if he can't make money doing it, then it's not a skill that will ensure his continued financial success. It reminds me of the time one of my sons asked a major league catcher who had caught both Roger Clemens and Kevin Appier (former Kansas City Royals starting pitcher now in the midst of a mediocre pitching career with the New York Mets) who was had a better fastball. "Kevin Appier throws pretty fast," he said. "But Roger Clemens knows how to pitch."
In other words, being able to throw a fastball 95 m.p.h.-plus, doesn't necessarily make you a major-league pitcher. If you don't know when to throw that fastball in a game or how to throw it consistently for strikes, you aren't going to have a whole lot of success in the big leagues.
The same goes for electrical contractors. If they can't run their business profitably, they won't be around long. Yet, plenty of electrical contractors of all sizes are equally adept on the job-site and back in the office on the business side. For instance, in this month's cover feature, "Intex on the fast track," Staff Writer Amy Fischbach explores the business philosophy that Keith Bell at Intex Electrical Contractors Inc., Forney, Texas, has used to build a $13 million-a-year electrical contracting business focusing on fast-track construction projects in the Dallas area. Key to Bell's success in completing fast-track jobs is "goal-based management" — setting realistic goals and then planning out the timelines that will meet those goals.
"I think the hardest thing that most contractors have to overcome is the ability to delegate," Bell said. "The key to learning that is learning how to manage with goals-based management. You establish the goals and then you hold someone accountable for achieving those goals. It's a no-brainer. It's not emotional. It's black and white… If you see that each task for each crew is completed each day, you'll wake up on the last day and as long as you didn't leave out anything within your critical path schedule, the job will be completed."
Bell like other electrical contractors as well as carpenters, plumbers, sheet rockers, masons, painters and other tradespeople on job-sites, are, in their purest form, entrepreneurs. They all have the technical skills to complete their part of construction project. But for all their ability to harness electricity and use it to power so much of our everyday lives, electrical contractors still have to know how to make a buck doing it.


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Items where Author is "Lebek, K."
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Robinson, J.E., Hull, T.R., Lebek, K., Stec, A.A., Galea, Edwin R. ORCID: 0000-0002-0001-6665, Mahalingam, Arun, Jia, Fuchen, Patel, Mayur and Persson, H. (2007) Assessment of the impact of computed and measured fire environments on building evacuation using bench and real scale test data. Interflam 2007 11th International Fire Science and Engineering Conference. Interscience Communications, Greenwich, pp. 873-884. ISBN 9780954121693

subset: commoncrawl


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Recycled Plastic and Plastic Waste to Oil Market to Reach a Value of ~US$ 100 Mn by 2027: Transparency Market Research
Nov, 2019|
We have a team of experienced consultants, efficient market researchers and dependable data providers who work in complete sync to provide comprehensive coverage and knowledge on various industries. We are more than just a market research firm, we are solution providers.
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We supplement traditional research methodologies with innovative approaches to offer evidence-based insights. We identify best practices to enable companies to achieve exceptional results. Through our latest research techniques, we demonstrate how top-performing companies achieve their targets. We offer fundamental insights to help you create winning strategies.
TMR's fundamental mission is to offer recommendations that not just match today's fast-evolving business trends, but also allow companies to capitalize on them. Furthermore, we offer suggestions that help enterprises identify and mitigate risks.
Nov, 2019|
Nov, 2019|
Nov, 2019|
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Nov, 2019|
new clients added each year
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4 Mn+
hours of research experience
countries covered
client queries handled each day


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The Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" pistol is the first military semiautomatic pistol to prove itself both rugged enough and reliable enough for field use, argues Massad Ayoob in his newly-released Greatest Handguns of the World, Vol. II.
But that's not all. Here are 5 more reasons why the Mauser C96 made the cut as one of the most important handguns of all time:
1. The 7.63mm Mauser C96 was the first pistol to lock its mechanism open automatically when it ran dry of cartridges, the better to facilitate reloading. Mauser set a standard for auto pistol design with this feature.
2. This 19th Century single action auto set early standards for handgun ergonomics, particularly when taken from "cocked and locked" carry to "Fire" mode.
3. When viewed from above, the C96 Mauser was a "Flat" pistol…"the shape of things to come" in semiautomatic pistol design and set the stage for the Luger, the Colt/Browning 1911, and all the others that followed to this day.
4. The Mauser C96 was carried and used in battle by a 23-year-old British cavalry Lieutenant by the name of Winston Churchill in the Battle of Omdurman. It was also carried by Lawrence of Arabia!
5. In WWI, 150,000 Mauser 96s were ordered by the Imperial German Army to supplement the Luger pistol. It had become abundantly clear that, in trench warfare, a handgun was a vital tool of close-quarter survival and the C96 filled the role.
To read more about the Mauser C96 pistol, and a whole host of other handguns that, according to Ayoob, "made a difference," get your copy of Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World, Vol. II.


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MOSCOW, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Russian energy company Gazprom said it set up a joint venture with independent gas producer Novatek for the production of LNG from the Yamal Peninsula.
"The joint venture will carry out pre-front end engineering and design studies, elaborate project documents, work out a plan for the liquefied natural gas plant construction and a joint program for development of the fields where the company will act as an operator for the facilities development and arrangement," Gazprom said in a statement.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding on LNG cooperation in April.
Gazprom officials in October met with authorities in the Yamal-Nenets area to launch production from the regional Bovanenkovo gas field in the Russian arctic. Gazprom estimates the field could produce as much as 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas by 2017 and eventually account for 25 percent of the gas monopoly's output.
Greenpeace campaigners expressed concern about the project.


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Don't forget to enter our contest for Fable II: Pub Games for XBLA.
Special thanks to GoDaddy.com for providing CAG Foreplay listeners with a code for domain names for only $6.95 a year. Just enter code "GAMER1" when you check out to get your savings.
Download - 75 minutes, 35MB
You can now subscribe to Foreplay on iTunes by clicking this link: CAG Foreplay on iTunes
You can also contact us with any questions or comments at firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Madden NFL 09 (Last Week) Dev. EA Tiburon Pub. Electronic Arts Systems: Everything... even the original Xbox MSRP: $59.99
Test your Madden IQ with adaptive game difficulties and... well, I really don't think I need (or want) to write much else. If you want an NFL football game, this is the one you can purchase. If you REALLY want to buy a whole lot of NFL football game, you can purchase the 20th Anniversary Edition which comes with NFL Head Coach 09 and Madden '93. And since this preview is coming out a week late... your copy of Madden has probably dropped 75% of its value already. - ship
Best Deal: Well, Toys R Us has that buy one, get one half off deal going if you want the Xbox 360 version.
Bangai-O Spirits (Last Week) Dev. Treasure Pub. D3 Publisher Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
Bangai-O Spirits is the sequel to the cult hit multi-directional shooter by Treasure that was released on the ill-fated Dreamcast. Featuring 4-player local co-op, over 160 levels, and a level editor that allows players to share creations online (and simply by playing a sound clip into the DS's mic), this is a title that has legs... huge, hovering mech legs. A must-buy for fans of Gunstar Heroes or the GameBoy Advance Astro Boy game. - ship
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Bangai-O Spirits.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
The Cheetah Girls: Passport to Stardom Dev. Disney Interactive Pub. Disney Interactive Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
This much-anticipated gaming sequel to the original TV movie "The Cheetah Girls One World" features the tween-stars Aqua, Chanel, and Dorinda. What can only be described as an adventure title, the gameplay involves dancing, pointing, clicking, depressing both the "A" and "B" buttons, as well as some "X" and "Y" action. Of course, the obligatory outfit customization also included. - mrs. ship
Best Deal: Best Buy is offering the new Cheetah Girls album for free with the purchase of The Cheetah Girls: Passport to Stardom.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
Purchase At Best Buy $29.99 (Free Cheetah Girls - One World album - $10 value)
Commando: Steel Disaster Dev. Mana Computer Software Pub. XS Games Systems: DS MSRP: $19.99
Is it a disaster to steal Metal Slug's art style and gameplay while causing a slight bit of confusion on whether this is a game in the "Commando" franchise? Who knows quite yet, but I'm always interested in a scrolling shooter that comes out at a budget price. Unfortunately, the game is single player only, but in keeping with the homage to Metal Slug, there are plenty of different weapons and vehicles to take out bumbling foot soldiers and screen-filling bosses alike. And in keeping with the homage to DS games, touch-screen mini-games make an appearance as well. - ship
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Commando: Steel Disaster.
Purchase At Gamestop $19.99
Imagine: Teacher (Last Week) Dev. Gevo Entertainment Pub. Ubi Soft Systems: DS MSRP: $29.99
The Imagine series has done relatively well for itself with it's target audience. I like that this title (along with, obviously, the veterinarian title) is that this career choice is one that is actually achievable with some hard work and higher-level education. I mean, I'm all for the whole "you can do anything you put your mind to" mantra, but the majority of the 12 year-old girls I know aren't the next Pink, so Rock Star is a bit out of the question. And with the way Britney Spears turned out, that's probably a good thing. But I digress. The gameplay in this one involves teaching mini-games that are more brain-training oriented, along with managing your class (Julie can't sit next to Stacey or they'll fight, etc...) and recruiting new students. I think the animation style and overall girliness of these titles make them decent buys for $30, although they'll most likely fall in price at some point. I just hope the nagging parents aren't included. - mrs. ship
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Imagine: Teacher.
Purchase At Amazon $29.99 (Free shipping)
PlayStation 2
Falling Stars Dev. Ivolgamus Pub. Agetec Systems: PS2 MSRP: $14.99
Falling Stars is an RPG title aimed at kids. The main character comes complete with a trainable pet that resembles the Disney alien, Stitch. There are mini-games weaved into the gameplay, along with customizable outfits. Since this title isn't really on the top of the new-release radar, there haven't been any in-depth reviews out but the few press scores available are decent. If you have a younger child that might enjoy some simplified RPG action, this title might be a consideration. - mrs. ship
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Falling Stars.
Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $15)
Shepherd's Crossing Dev. Pub. Valcon Systems: PS2 MSRP: $14.99
This title is obviously marketed toward the Harvest Moon audience, with the main aspect of the gameplay being growing your own crops. Then, you take your crops and trade them in for other stuff. This process continues until you've gathered enough products to attract a marmot to your farm. If this confuses you, join the club. As hazy as the game characteristics seem, the game also includes turned-base RPG action and quirky anime characters. I can't really tell you if this game is any good or not, but I can say it looks interesting enough that I'm willing to try it out. - mrs. ship
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Shepherd's Crossing.
Purchase At Amazon $14.99 (Free shipping on orders over $15)
Fading Shadows Dev. Ivolgamus Pub. Agetec Systems: PSP MSRP: $29.99
Puzzle adventure games are usually Ship's forte, so this title is definitely more up his alley. At the most simplistic level of description, the gameplay is guiding a ball out of each level. But, this game has a storyline that rivals that of most RPGs and looks fantastic graphically. You have to start thinking about things like what the ball you're guiding is made of – wood will float but metal doesn't. There are switches and bridges and wind-mills to maneuver through, and subtle changes in the beam of light that guides the ball allow for intricate movements. Overall, this game looks like a solid purchase. - mrs. ship
Best Deal: Fading Shadows is a GameStop exclusive... don't tell that to publisher's direct site though as Agetec is selling it for $10 cheaper.
Purchase At GameStop $29.99
Purchase At Agetec $19.99
Xbox 360
Smash Court Tennis 3 Dev. Namco Bandai Pub. Atari Systems: 360 MSRP: $39.99
Sporting a sizeable grouping of major players (Federer, Nadal, Sharapova, Henin, and more), Smash Court Tennis 3 tries once again volleys into the crowded tennis market by serving itself up at a budget price. Which, not coincidentally, was the first thought that went through my mind after giving this game some time at E3. It's not that this is a bad game; there's the ability to create your own character and a couple different play modes, it's just that it is, in fact, a budget title competing with very competent contemporaries that can now be had for less than $40. Game, Set, Match... other games. - ship
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Smash Court Tennis 3.
Purchase At Amazon $39.99 (Free shipping)
Too Human Dev. Silicon Knights Pub. Microsoft Systems: 360 MSRP: $59.99 A cyber-Nordic hack-n-slash/dress-'em-up made by a super nerd for fellow super nerds. Sign me up. I'm definitely geeked up to point my right analog stick at baddies and watch with glee as my super stylish warrior Heelys his way through swarms of ne'rdowells in a quest for stat points and a really cool hat... and maybe a matching belt... and some shiny shinguards. And of course on this
Best Deal: Toys R Us is selling Too Human for $50 and there is the buy one Xbox 360 game, get one half off deal this week as well. Fry's is also offering Too Human for $50, while Circuit City is giving away a $10 gift card with your purchase of the game. Both Amazon and GameStop are offering five free downloadable armor sets with the purchase of Too Human.
Purchase At Amazon $59.99 (Free shipping & 5 downloadable armor sets)
Purchase At GameStop $59.99 (5 downloadable armor sets)
Purchase At Toys R Us $49.99 (Buy 1, Get 1 50% off on Xbox 360 games)
Purchase At Circuit City $59.99 (Free $10 gift card)
Purchase At Fry's $49.99
Murder in the Abbey Dev. Alcachofa Soft Pub. Crimson Cow Systems: PC MSRP: $19.99
This is actually a really neat looking PC adventure title. Blending a two-dimensional aesthetic with whimsical character models, the artwork is quite stellar. This looks like a surprisingly quality adventure title released at a budget price. Nancy Drew fans (ahem... Mrs. Shipwreck) should take note. - Treehouse Gamer
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Murder in the Abbey.
Purchase At Amazon $19.99 (Free shipping on orders over $25)
Sam & Max: Season 2 Dev. TellTale Games Pub. TellTale Games Systems: PC MSRP: $34.95
Packed into this DVD-Rom are the five episodes of Sam & Max that consist of Season 2. Also included in the package are DVD-like special features including behind-the-scenes and developer's commentary. This is standard LucasArts-style fare. If you're a fan of old-school adventure games and tongue-in-cheek humor, then you should definitely check this out. - Treehouse Gamer
Best Deal: There don't seem to be any specific deals for Sam & Max: Season 2.
Purchase At TellTale Games $34.95
On The DL with the Shipwrecks
Break In (Last Week) Systems: Wii VC (TG-16) MSRP: $7
If you're in the mood for a pool title with 80s graphics, this game is for you! Of course, if I were going to play pool on the Wii, I'd want to use the Wii-mote action. That's just my, but I wouldn't pay $7 for an old pool game. - mrs. ship
Mega Man Systems: Wii VC (NES) MSRP: $5
Powered down and back to his beginnings, see what Mega Man was like before he sold out and went mainstream. None of that Mega Man is a boy in a suit ridiculousness here; we're talking about a time when men were robots and carried no-nonsense, applicable names given to them by either their inventors or evil geniuses. - ship
NEO Turf Masters Systems: Wii VC (NEOGEO) MSRP: $9
Because in the year 2008, you need to have the option to buy a golf game released in 1996 for $9. Also available on SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 in case you need two copies. - ship
Star Parodier (Last Week) Systems: Wii VC (TG-16 CD) MSRP: $9
Sometimes you don't feel like dealing with the harsh reality of battling through wave after wave of gritty, life-threatening alien fleets. Escape from it all in this brightly-colored and grin inducing parody of the Star Soldier series of SHMUPS. - ship
Midnight Pool Systems: WiiWare MSRP: $8
Let it all hang down in this WiiWare adaptation of Gameloft's original mobile phone game as you travel across America and play billiards both as and against a variety of yokels. Included in the game are 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and UK rules 9-Ball, as well as trick-shot challenges, so you could do a lot worse for an $8 drunken purchase. Don't plan to pocket any balls online though, as this is strictly a local affair so it will be up to the warm bodies in your living room to make it all peaches and cream. - ship
Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner (Last Week) Systems: WiiWare, PC MSRP: $10
Meet the lone resident of Strongbadia in glorious virtual 3-D form in this point and click adventure set in the Homestar Runner universe. Good for a few laughs if you enjoy Strong Bad's style of comedy. The whole gang has been rendered into 3-D models, but still retain the look and feel of their 2D origins... even the tire. - ship
Street Fighter Alpha (Last Week) Systems: PS3/PSP (PS1) MSRP: $5.99
Ryu, Ken, and the gang never can seem to settle their differences peacefully. - ship
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty Systems: PSN (PS3) MSRP: $14.99
An interesting experiment with a proven franchise: release a small, but high quality epilogue/prologue that fits between full retail products and make it available at a quarter of the price. So for $15, you can download 2.5 to 4 hours worth of new Ratchet adventures. If you haven't played through every other game in the series up to this point, it seems to me it may be a better value to pick up one of those games first, but if you celebrate the entire Ratchet catalog, I suppose you won't mind spending the cash on this one. - ship
Bionic Commando Rearmed (Last Week) Systems: PS3, 360 MSRP: $10
Swing, die, swing, die, swing die... ah, just how I remember it. And that's a good thing! - ship
Fable II Pub Games (Last Week) Systems: 360 MSRP: $10
An easy way to waste a few hours with three different gambling games, although Fortune's Tower is clearly the winner here. And with a little help of the "LB" button, you can be too. - ship
Galaga Legions Systems: XBLA MSRP: $10
The Pac-Man Championship Edition team returns with their updated take on killing waves of aliens. Guess what... those guys still really enjoy their fluorescents, so be ready for eye-watering hot magentas, shocking pinks, electric limes, and unmellow yellows as you pew-pew-pew your way through enemies who will lay down their lives in a Chinese diver-like pursuit of synchronized movements. - ship
Did we miss a good sale on a game? Did we miss previewing a game completely? Well, the only way that everyone can know a better deal is out there is to let us know about it. Post deals you've found or games that we missed in the thread so that CAGs can make sure they are getting the absolute best prices on new releases.


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For quite some time, the Church and our allies have been warning that there are grave threats to religious liberty, presented by such developments as the redefinition of marriage, the advance of "gender theory", and the defensive entrenchment of the pro-abortion mindset.
In response to our warnings, we have been widely ridiculed. Elite academics, media pundits, and combox denizens pooh-pooh our concerns as mere sensationalist fantasies. Interestingly, amongst the denials, you can frequently hear a subtle undertone, as if to say "of course your fears of religious persecution are ridiculous (but in any event you are bigots who deserve it because of the immemorial oppression by Christians against [insert your favored group here])".
Well, for those who have eyes unclouded by ideology, our concerns are becoming even more difficult to deny. Some recent events give a good general picture of what the persecution will look like.
Excluded from economic activity
Last week, a decision was handed down by the Supreme Court of New Mexico that points the way that our courts will handle cases of religious liberty. The case involved a photographer who declined to take pictures of a "commitment ceremony" for a lesbian couple (New Mexico does not recognize same-sex "marriage", but this event was tantamount to a wedding). Her reason was that participating in such an event would violate her Christian religious beliefs. The lesbian couple then chose to sue the photographer for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The lower court, and ultimately the New Mexico Supreme Court found that the photographer had violated the state's anti-discrimination statute, and levied a fine against her. While the result is troublesome enough, the language in the concurring opinion is truly chilling to hear. Having lectured at length about the Supreme Court's decisions on civil rights cases, the concurring judges ended with this:
All of which, I assume, is little comfort to the Huguenins, who now are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives. Though the rule of law requires it, the result is sobering. It will no doubt leave a tangible mark on the Huguenins and others of similar views.
The Huguenins are free to think, to say, to believe, as they wish; they may pray to the God of their choice and follow those commandments in their personal lives wherever they lead… But there is a price, one that we all have to pay somewhere in our civic life.
So we can now be compelled by law to compromise our most sacred religious beliefs, as the price of being American citizens. The court's message is clear — keep your religious beliefs behind closed doors, and don't dare to try to live in accordance with them in the public square.
In other words, conform or be cast out.
Disqualified from public office
A second example of the coming persecution happened recently in San Antonio, Texas. A bill was introduced that would affect eligibility to serve in public office in that city. The bill states, in part:
No person shall be appointed to a position if the city council finds that such person has, prior to such proposed appointment, engaged in discrimination or demonstrated a bias, by word or deed, against any person, group or organization on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, age or disability.
This is another chilling development. Apparently, all candidates for any kind of position with the city government will be required to pass a test to ensure that they have never uttered a statement that might be construed as "bias" by a bunch of local politicians. So, for example, if you have ever expressed a faith-based belief about such issues as the immorality of homosexual behavior, opposing the re-definition of marriage, casting doubts upon the notion of "transgender rights", or even on the evil of abortion, you might be declared ineligible to hold public office.
In other words, conform or be cast out.
The Return of the Penal Laws
Those of Irish heritage will recall the infamous days of the Penal Laws, which systematically excluded Catholics from full participation in society — owning property, serving in the government, and certain professions were all banned for Catholics. Some of these laws carried over into the United States in the colonial and post-revolutionary era. Similar laws (like the Alien and Sedition Acts and the anti-Communist bills of the McCarthy era) have been passed at various times in our history to penalize unpopular opinions. Yet all of these efforts to suppress dissent were eventually rejected as inconsistent with the American dedication to liberty.
But our nation is now returning to that ugly path. The way is now becoming clear to placing religious believers in an ideological ghetto, if they fail to adhere to the modern view of sexuality. This will be done in gentle, seemingly-reasonable, gradual and incremental steps. Courts and legislatures will claim that they are merely extending the reach of previous decisions, and executive agencies will say they are just applying the law as they interpret it.
Sadly, many religious people will choose to conform, as the Israelites did during their captivity in Babylon. But make no mistake, the remnant will feel the effects of the coming persecution.
Tags: Religious Liberty


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and in an instant the troubleshooting thread is no longer relevant or emailing support for that reason.
and in an instant the troubleshooting thread is no longer relevant or emailing support for that reason.
thanks sooo much. this is awesome. I have a 3ds max class and the final obviously needs to be in max not maya...you just made my life a little easier. now i can create all of my morph layers in zbrush....much faster......thanks again
Also if you follow the way Jeremy Ernst is handling facial on GOW3, blendshapes are not a problem because it gets baked back to joints in the end and the other shapes never make it into the engine. Check out the GDC lecture. It's very easy to reproduce if you have some sort of insight into rigging. My only problem is the Blendshape aspect crashes Maya 2011 on OSX but not on Win7.Originally Posted by Jerick
Anyway, this is a great feature.
It was crashing because of some history BS! Rock on Zbrush Blendshape plug in
Last edited by MatthewTardiff; 05-01-11 at 06:58 PM. Reason: Crash Problem Solved
thanks zbrush
That's cool!


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The biggest issue in the U.S. farm bill has little to do with agriculture and everything to do with partisan politics and the role of government in caring for the poor: food stamps.
It has a catchier name now, SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The mark-up of the $500 billion measure approved 36-10 by the House Agriculture Committee last week cuts $20.5 billion in food assistance over 10 years to rein in SNAP's growth. The program, which serves 47 million Americans, averages $70 billion a year, about 70 percent of farm bill spending and eclipsing the crop insurance program.
Predictably, Republicans say the cuts to SNAP should be bigger while Democrats argue they're too big.
The program has doubled since the recession hit in 2008 and Congress approved a temporary expansion of the program, which expires later this year.
The Trust for America's Health issued a statement criticizing the cuts, saying they would damage the nation's health and noting a competing Senate Agriculture Committee measure makes much smaller cuts.
"That said, if the nation continues to underfund vital public health programs, we will never achieve long-term fiscal stability as it will be impossible to help people get/stay healthy, happy and productive," the statement said.
Jeffrey Levi, executive director of the trust called the cuts "disproportionate" and "deplorable," noting nearly half the beneficiaries are children.
The cuts, he said, would take 3 million people off the eligibility list and deny 280,000 children school meals.
Agriculture Chairman Frank D. Lucas, R-Okla., disagreed.
"I like to think we have a well-balanced bill and that we can draw from all sides," he told Roll Call. "The extremes will never support us. I think we have enough of a coalition."
Ranking Democrat Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota said lawmakers have to recognize SNAP needs to be modified.
"We have the middle ground. I worked with Frank on this. He thinks he has what he needs to get the bill through his caucus."
In addition to the SNAP cuts, the farm bill cuts direct payments to farmers, who get some $5 billion whether or not they grow corn, soybeans, wheat and other crops mainly in the Midwest and Plains. Some of the money will go toward trimming the deficit but the rest goes to new subsidies for southern crops: peanuts, cotton and rice. A late amendment also preserved the Christmas tree-promotion program, which would raise $2 million annually at 15 cents a tree for a program similar to those for beef and milk.
Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., admits the bill is far from perfect but sees it as a good compromise.
"The fact that Democrats and Republicans could come together with a 36-10 vote meant that we have to compromise on some things," Bustos told saukvalley.com.
"Whenever I talk with farmers, their No. 1 concern is that they want certainty. Our bill does that. It gives farmers certainty. When we have severe weather, they can deal with that."
The omnibus farm bill requires reauthorization every five years. In addition to SNAP, crop insurance and crop subsidies, it covers trade and marketing, rural development, conservation and agriculture research.
The last farm bill -- the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 -- increased spending by $288 billion and provided increased subsidies for such things as biofuels, which the World Bank has blamed for increased food prices worldwide. It initially was to expire last year but was extended through Sept. 30 in the deal that averted the so-called fiscal cliff.


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Losing weight is America's most popular New Year's resolution. And many people stick to their resolutions -- well, at least for the first month or so. With more than one-third of adults and nearly 20 percent of youth considered obese in the United States, it's no wonder we all want to shed a few pounds. We know that eating better (more fresh fruits and veggies) and getting a minimum of 30 minutes (60 for kids) of exercise each day can help us reach a healthier weight, but how does our environment impact our health and wellness plans?
Actually, quite a bit. Did you know that access to parks and green spaces increase physical fitness? Seems obvious, right, but now there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that parks are good for your health. Gallup's Well-Being Index found that people who live in close proximity to parks have fewer headaches, lower obesity rates and even as many as 25 percent fewer heart attacks. Another study found that greener (more trees and vegetation) neighborhoods are correlated with lower body mass indices among children. And in one town, it was discovered that for every dollar invested in trails, there was a medical cost savings of $3.
Not only does access to parks, playgrounds and green space increase our likelihood of being physically fit, but the prevalence of parks and green spaces in our communities has also been associated with lower rates of asthma among children, higher property values and even crime reduction.
Unfortunately, just as obesity is not evenly distributed across socioeconomic lines, neither is park access. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 50 percent of young people have parks or playground areas, community centers, sidewalks or walking paths in their neighborhoods. If you look behind that statistic, you will see the disparities: 70 percent of African-American and 80 percent of Latino neighborhoods lack parks and recreational facilities.
The Trust for Public land released a report on the status of urban parks in America's largest 40 cities. San Francisco, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. are providing the vast majority (more than 90 percent) of residents with easy access to parks. On the other hand, in cities like Louisville and San Antonio, less than one-third of the population is able to walk to a park. Other cities in Texas are not fairing so well, either. Yet, the Lone Star State is poised to cut its parks' budget so deeply that seven state parks may need to close their doors.
So, what's being done to increase access to green space for our increasingly urban population? Yesterday, I was honored to share the virtual stage with presenters from the National Park Service and the National Recreation and Park Association on a CDC Division of Community Health webinar, Advancing Community Health Through the Use of Parks and Recreational Facilities. We discussed the public benefits of parks and green spaces. I learned of an effort in the Bronx to convert an old cement factory into a park. The new park has given area residents access to the Bronx River, which now teems with paddlers. Also in New York City, an old railroad line bridging a river was converted into a trail for hikers wishing to cross the waterway on foot.
During the webinar, I had the chance to tell participants about important work being done in the Los Angeles area by the San Gabriel Mountains Forever campaign. The campaign, which includes the Sierra Club, is working to expand wilderness and scenic river designations and establish a National Recreation Area (the other NRA) in the San Gabriel Mountains to protect the landscape and provide recreational opportunities for the Los Angeles community. The establishment of the NRA would improve guest services and make the San Gabriel Mountains eligible for LA's "Transit to Trails" program, which increases park access for millions by providing busing services for underserved communities to visit the park.
We've got a long way to go to green our communities and ensure equal access to the outdoors across America. Supporting funding for parks and green spaces, like the San Gabriel Mountains National Recreation Area, is critical to improving the health and wellness of so many of our communities. Besides, our parks are one investment that pays dividends.
For more by Jackie Ostfeld, click here.
For more on personal health, click here.


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Ella – Not a dull moment
Lovely blue-eyed Ella is just 22 years old and always ready for a night on the town. She really loves dining out and she also thinks that one of her greatest skills, in performing her job as an escort, is her ability to be a good listener. She thinks of it, in fact, as a similar job to those that provide counseling and therapy. She thinks that stress relief is one of the most important things a woman can offer a man, so women shouldn't be demanding and hard to please. This is why she enjoys meeting new people and getting to know them. When she is not working, she likes to do charity and volunteer work. She considers this to be very important and hopes that she can encourage others to do the same. Ella believes that booking an escort is like taking a mix between a vacation and a sexy therapy session that lasts for as long as you book it. She also has a positive outlook on life and is very patient. She is also able to go the extra mile in order to make her clients happy. She believes a proper lady should not be tasking to handle and should serve as a trophy that pleases her man every single time he wants her to. Ella is low maintenance when it comes to attention so you would not have to be worried about being in awkward dull situations.


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Types of Financial Aid
Nebraska Methodist College students receive over $16 million in financial aid each year. Funding for this assistance comes from a variety of sources and selection criteria can vary.
Types of Aid
- Scholarships: These funds do not have to be repaid and are based on an eligibility factor outside of, or in addition to, financial need.
- Grants: These funds do not have to be repaid and typically are based on some definition of financial need.
- Loans: Money that students or parents must repay after graduation. Federal Student Loans and Private Educations Loans are available.
- Federal Work Study: Money for work performed, generally on-campus, but some off-campus positions are also available.
Categories of Aid
Financial aid awards fall into two broad categories - need-based and non-need-based:
- Need-based awards consider the student's financial situation in determining eligibility. Need is usually determined by the results of the FAFSA, however, certain organizations or agencies may consider different or additional criteria.
- Non-need-based awards may consider academic qualifications (such as academic program, grade level, or grade point average) or other factors such as community service, participation in campus organizations, leadership, religious affiliation, residency status, or other qualifications.
Sources of Aid
There are at least three different sources of aid:
- Institutional: These funds come from Nebraska Methodist College and the Methodist Hospital Foundation.
- Government: The federal government is by far our largest source of aid at NMC. State governments also provide funding for education.
- Private: Funds provided by foundations, associations, banks, corporations, employers, churches, and other sources.


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Nancy Christie is the author of the fiction collection, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories, and two short story e-books, Annabelle and Alice in Wonderland (all published by Pixel Hall Press). Her short stories can also be found in literary publications such as EWR: Short Stories, Hypertext, Full of Crow, Fiction365, Red Fez, Wanderings, The Chaffin Journal and others. The founder of "Celebrate Short Fiction" Day, Christie is currently working on several other book projects, including a novel and a book for writers. Charles Weinblatt interviews for Author Publishing and Book Marketing:
CW: Tell us about yourself. NC: I wish I had an unusual childhood or had spent my adult years in some exotic locale but the fact is I am living in the same area where I was born, have lived in the same house for about 35 years now and although I have a passport, I have only pulled it out for domestic travel. I am a writer—plain and simple. I've been writing for 50 years now—that's because I started in second grade!—and can't imagine not writing. I'm a professional writer by trade (marketing and corporate work primarily with some magazine articles thrown in) and a fiction writer by preference, which means that there isn't a snippet of conversation overheard or a physical contact witnessed that doesn't get stuck somewhere in my fiction writer's brain to be pulled out and used in one way or another.
CW: Give us an overview of your writing/books. NC: My first book, The Gifts of Change, is an inspirational book about making the most of the changes that come into your life—even if you didn't want them. That book was inspired by my mother's cancer diagnosis and a number of other changes and challenges that came into my life—some desired, others, not so much. My second and current book, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories, is a short fiction collection about characters who, whether by accident or design, find themselves traveling left of center. Unable or unwilling to seize control over their lives, they allow fate to dictate the path they take—often with disastrous results. So, in a way, both books deal with change—just from different perspectives.
CW: Who/what was your biggest inspiration? NC: I don't know that I could point to any one person or event. I was always a bit of a loner and loved to read, and fortunately my parents indulged me in that. I had wonderful teachers who emphasized writing skills—spelling, grammar, and punctuation—as well as content. And then there are authors whose work is so compelling and creative that I can't help wanting to write as well as they do, and give to others what they have given to me: journeys to places—some real, some imagined—full of fascinating characters.
CW: What has been your greatest challenge? NC: Time, for one thing. In addition to my professional work, I am caregiving for my father, and that takes up a fair bit of time, although I am glad to be able to do it and even happier that, at 92, he is still so vibrant and in good spirits. And of course, the self-doubt, the inevitable comparisons with other writers, the fear that I won't be able to live up to the good reviews with my next project—or worse, that the good reviews I have already received are all the good reviews that I am going to get!
CW: What do you most want readers to take from your book(s)? NC: A sense of sympathy and understanding for those who are struggling through life. It's so easy to sit in judgment or say that we would never make the choices that others have made that led them down that path of destruction but we don't really know that for certain, do we?So rather than be afflicted with that most dangerous of all viruses—superiority—we should instead be compassionate. It's that whole "there but for the grace of God" thing…
CW: Are you actively trying to have your books made into a play or a movie? NC: That is my plan for 2015. I have heard about certain actors who are buying movie rights to books and so intend to pursue that possibility.
CW: What's next for you as an author? NC: I'm working on a second collection as well as a novel that I want to pitch. But my first goal is to find an agent. (Don't all writers say that?) My first two books were un-agented, but I think it's time to get an expert on board and take over that part of my career.
CW: How did you pick a publisher or decide to self-publish? Do you have an agent? NC: I didn't want to self-publish—I have neither the time nor funds to purse that path and know full well that there is more to self-publishing than just getting the book printed. For my first book, I was encouraged by the comments I received from agents—they loved the book but since I was an unknown, passed on representing me—so I researched publishers who handled first-time un-agented authors, and found my publisher relatively quickly. With Traveling Left of Center, I had already connected with Pixel Hall Press who published two of the short stories in e-book format, and so it was a natural step to work with them to publish the entire collection.
CW: Do you have suggestions to other writers about the writing process and publishing? NC: It's a business. Treat it like one. Yes, you need to be a good writer but if you plan on being published, you also have to be a good business owner. Your book is your product. Know how to market it. Do your advance work. Expect to spend time and money doing what you need to do to get it out there. Nobody else is going to do it for you.
CW: How do you market yourself and your books? NC: I have done some in-person events—not as many as with my first book simply because I can't travel as much with my other obligations. I blog, I do the whole social media thing, did some virtual tours and plan to do more, participate in interviews, request reviews and then, when I get them, make sure I get the word out. I send out press releases, update my book's web page every time there is something interesting to share—basically, I do everything I can think of, and then read articles and blog posts to find even more suggestions that I need to incorporate in my marketing.
CW: Where can someone buy your books? NC: Everywhere and anywhere—from bricks-and-mortar stores like Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Powell's and other indie booksellers to online retailers like Amazon.
CW: What would you like your Writer's Epitaph to say? NC: Fiction writer.
CW: I'm pretty sure that's already been accomplished exceedingly well.
You can read my reviews of Nancy Christie books at The New York Journal of Books, here:


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/5/2011 (3086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WINNIPEG - Portage Avenue and Main Street have reopened to traffic as NHL fans drift from the city's marquee intersection to The Forks to continue celebrations of the league's return.
About 1000 people were gathered at Portage and Main during the event's peak late Tuesday morning, but most left after the press conference ended.
Dozens stood behind the intersection's concrete barricades, while many more watched the NHL's press conference on the big screen at the small park formerly known as Canwest Place.
After a morning of honks and hoots, the crowd stood silent as the press conference began.
True North head Mark Chipman got a huge round of applause, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman got a loud, sustained boo and Premier Greg Selinger may have earned the warmest applause of his career.
Crowds stood on planters or perched atop the median and Starbucks handed out small white chocolate lattes. Fans struggled against the wind and the spitting rain to hold up a banner reading "A whiteout can fix any mistake. Go Jets Go."
After the press conference ended, many office staff returned to work, leaving a relatively small crowd gathered at the intersection, watching kids, young adults and even a couple of gentlemen with gray hair play a game of street hockey.
One fan sported a spikey white wig and most are wearing their Jets paraphernalia. As businessmen on smoke breaks looked on, motorists honked at the group of fans in front of the Bank of Montreal standing on the World War 1 statue.
"It's the Jets, man, nothing bigger than the jets," said Cassidy Dankochik, 18, who took the day off from his job at Gimli's New Iceland Heritage Museum. "The Jets come back and Vancouver wins the cup all in one year and we can hate each other next year!"
Two longtime fans, JP Jamieson and Neal Einarson, plunked two old, red metal chairs from the Winnipeg Arena down at Portage and Main to celebrate early today.
When the Jets left in 1996, they spent years arguing over which team to cheer for. Einarson chose the Minnesota Wild and Jamieson chose pretty much any othe Canadian team, even though he'd spent his boyhood hating the Oilers, the Flames and any other Winnipeg rivals.
"Not having a team to cheer for for years killed me," said Einarson.
Being known as the city with only a Vancouver farm team was a psycological wound for the city.
"We were as bad as Regina or Saskatoon," said Jamieson.
The duo said they hoped and expected the new Jets would attract a certain kind of player, one more intersted in the craft of hockey and winning games than being a millionaire party boy.
"If they want to go clubbing, Winnipeg isn't exactly the place," joked Jamieson, who is on summer break from a teaching job in China.
The duo are chipping in for season tickets with two other friends and hope Winnipeggers do the same. Just as Atlanta has now twice lost an NHL team, Winnipeg could, too.
"I hope we are smart enough not to let it happen again," said Jamieson. "In five years, we could be in the same spot."
Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said the force's crowd-management team will not tolerate criminal activity like property damage at the celebrations.
"We're encouraging people to attend to the Forks for the celebration, not Portage and Main. For safety concerns and just practicality, Portage and Main is not the best place for that," said Michalyshen.
He said there are uniform members who could be sent to various locations in response to the celebrations. Police could also ticket people who commit infractions under the Liquor Control Act and Highway Traffic Act, said Michalyshen.
"This is about public safety, we don't want to damper any celebrations but we're not going to be tolerating any criminal activity of any kind, and those individuals will be swiftly dealt with."
Updated on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 10:03 AM CDT: Adds quote.
1:12 PM: Updated
1:28 PM: Updated.
2:10 PM: Intersection reopens
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i should check this out 'cause my guys are always finding new ways to bleed…
Do you have an emergency kit if a need arises? Have you ever gone somewhere with your family, and some accidentally falls and scrapes their knee? You are outside, and you have no access to a bathroom with running water? As a Mom of two boys, this was a frequent occurrence for us. We also travel on vacation, and there isn't always a store in a convenient location. You certainly don't want to let dirt and grime get ground into the wound, but you have nothing in your purse to clean it up with. So how do you get around this? The best way to solve this dilemma is to create an emergency kit that can be taken with you in the car or camper. I found that it can be a quick item to put together, which will save you in the long run. My son plays baseball, and our emergency kit has come in handy for some of the fans. You also never know when you are out and about, and someone you don't know needs a hand.
So to create your emergency kit, you will need the following items:
- A zippered cooler bag. I chose one in red because it's easy to locate when you are in a hurry
- Pain reliever of your choice. We keep both acetaminophen and ibuprofen in our bag for the adults. I also keep junior strength ibuprofen on hand for the kids
- Benadryl in 3 forms: tablets for the adults, liquid for the kids, and cream for bug bites(we use generic brands for all our items)
- Sunburn gel
- Antiseptic wash
- Gas relief pills
- Anti-diarrheal pills
- Antibiotic cream
- Oral thermometer
- Plastic liquid medication cups
- Safety pins
- Bug spray
- Anti-bacterial wipes/wet wipes
- Purse packs of tissues
I also keep the following bandaging supplies in the kit:
- Gauze pads
- Rolled gauze
- Bandage tape
- Band-Aids
- Bandage scissors
- Instant cold pack
- Ace bandage
Each year at time change, I look through the bag for expired items and dispose of them. I also make a list of things to add, and decide on things to remove. At my next shopping trip, I refill the items so that my kit is always updated and ready to go.
As you can see, a few minutes of planning can help you to care for your loved ones or perfect strangers in case of an emergency. We don't always like to think in these terms, but it's always great to be prepared. I hope that you will stop back and let me know if you were able to make your own portable emergency kit.
*Disclaimer: All the products used in this post are items that my family and I have always used. I did not receive compensation, nor was I solicited by these manufacturers to mention their products*
Tags : Emergency, First Aid Kits, Preparedness


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Shadowland combines multimedia, projected shadow play, and front-of-screen choreography in a wild evening of storytelling that is uniquely Pilobolus. The first shadow theater event of its kind to tour the globe, Pilobolus has performed Shadowland in 32 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and The Americas where it has been seen by more than 1,000,000 fans. Pilobolus pioneered this new form of shadow theater in advertisements for Hyundai and at the 79th Annual Academy Awards where it performed, through shadow, iconic images of the films nominated for Best Picture. Shadowland is a natural evolution of Pilobolus's groundbreaking experiments in shadow creation. Developed in 2009 by Pilobolus's directors and dancers in collaboration with the lead writer for SpongeBob SquarePants, Steven Banks, and with music by American musician, producer, and film composer David Poe, Shadowland is a universal and intimately portrayed experience that is both intensely dramatic and comedic.
- Sat May 5 – 7:30pm
Tickets here
Pilobolus offers a Movement Workshop on May 3. More info here.


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NETGEAR for
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Cable modem and WiFi router = WiFi happiness.
Get the new, faster speeds cable providers are offering without taking on their cable modem rental fees. This 2-in-1 WiFi router and DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem unleashes 8x faster download speeds—up to 340 Mbps—faster, smoother WiFi, and works with all major cable Internet providers.
With the DOCSIS 3.0 platform, you're finally geared up for the latest, fastest speeds cable providers are bringing to the home. Combined with superior WiFi range and performance, the 2-in-1 N300 cable modem takes your connected home to the next speed level, providing smooth HD streaming, uninterrupted online gaming, and fast, reliable internet for all the devices in your home.
N300 WIFI—Faster downloads, Internet gaming, and HD streaming
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Upstairs, downstairs, in the kitchen, in the office, even in the garage. At NETGEAR, we know you want and need great WiFi in every room of the house. The N300 Cable Modem delivers—with enhanced range powerful enough for medium homes.
RANGE—For medium-sized homes
Easily add USB hard drives via a USB port and then wirelessly access them. Play music on your DLNA game console. Watch stored videos and view photos on DLNA TVs. With the N300 WiFi Cable Modem Router, sharing across your network is quick, easy, and perfectly designed for your media-rich world.
WIRELESS-N—Email, chat, surf, music, video
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Use Push 'N' Connect to add devices to your WiFi network with a push of a button. And the simple browser-based installation with no CD makes router installation easy using an iPad, tablet, smartphone, or computer.
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Works with cable Internet providers like Comcast XFINITY®, Time Warner Cable®, Cox, Cablevision & more (not compatible with Cable bundled voice services). Please check your cable Internet service provider web site for data speed tier compatibility.
Maintain high security across your network to help ensure your privacy & family is safe while online. Whether it's preventing phishing or just limiting access for kids & guests, NETGEAR has you covered.
Secure WiFi connections—High level wireless security with WPA/WPA2
† Maximum rate is derived from DOCSIS® 3.0 specifications and actual throughput will vary depending on the MSO provisioning and speed tier subscription.
‡ Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate and wireless coverage.
Customer-owned modems may not be compatible with certain cable networks. Please check with your cable provider to confirm this NETGEAR modem is allowed on your cable network. This product not compatible with cable bundled voice services.
* Equipment rental fees vary by service providers.
Is your Cable Internet Service Provider charging you every month just to use their modem? Reduce your bill and bring-your-own-modem. The N300 is compatible with most major cable service providers.
With two Gigabit Ethernet ports, you can connect your console directly to the N300 for the highest wired speed possible—ensuring a smooth, uninterrupted gaming experience.
This 2-in-1 router and modem allows you to eliminate the need for two separate boxes cluttering your shelf. Additionally the narrow profile of the N300 lets you tuck it away behind other components and keep everything looking neat and organized.
"The ability to streamline bandwidth in such a way as to triple my download throughput, plus the easy setup, extras like the USB port, and good throughput for a single-band router, make the C3000 an excellent device."
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Justin Glass swung the shotgun from his shoulder and held it to his eye, ready.
The clay disk sailed over damp green grass and exploded into bits.
"Yeah! That's the way to do it!" his father, David Glass, yelled. All around them stood the men of the industry - rig managers, roughnecks, drill bit salesmen and oil company executives. They had all turned out on this drizzly Saturday morning to shoot skeet and celebrate.
Oil has hovered around $100 a barrel for almost a year, the Eagle Ford Shale play is booming and, for the men of the oil field, nothing was as sweet as shooting guns and trading salty jokes in the middle of an oil boom the likes of which hasn't been seen in South Texas since the Austin Chalk was drilled in the 1970s - the likes of which they never thought they would see again.
They thought it would never happen, but Eagle Ford Shale wells are dotting the landscape. Some of the wells are producing more than 1,000 barrels a day when they first start flowing.
After years of an industry marching steadily toward decline, the U.S. oil field has come back with a roar.
The Glass family is lucky. They all work in the oil field - and have for three generations - and they're from Victoria. Unlike the rest of the people coming to work the Eagle Ford, for once the job is in their backyard.
Oil is their way of life. It determines whether they live high on the hog or scrimp and scrape to get by.
The Glass family has ridden high on the booms and come crashing down in the busts time and again, but they have stayed in the oil field because it's the life they love, the only life they've known.
Oil is what fuels their livelihood and, right now, with the Eagle Ford Shale, the living is good.
Angela Glass cheered as a shotgun shell exploded and another clay tablet shattered.
"Nice job, honey," she said. A petite woman with a thick rope of blonde hair and blue eyes framed by long lashes and black mascara, Angela was one of the few women out in the field that day.
She and Justin married six months ago, and though she grew up in the oil field, she is still learning the ins and outs of being an oil-field wife.
She fits in with the crowd, laughing and joking with the men.
The night before the third annual American Petroleum Institute Skeet Shoot, a charity event, the Victoria chapter of the association had a party at The Barn, a honky tonk dance hall just outside of Victoria.
The men there were from all over, twirling the soft accents of Mississippi and Louisiana drawls and the twang of Arkansas across the floor.
Angela's tennis shoes squeaked a little as she and her husband moved across the dance floor, but Justin moved smoothly enough in his leather-soled cowboy boots to make up for her stumbling.
A tall, brawny man with dark hair and eyes and a serious face that will light up suddenly when he smiles, Justin kept a firm hand on her back and steered her around the room through the crowd of swaying couples.
"This is what we do, you know, when we're out on the road," he said, looking down at his wife. "You fit in here."
The old code of the oil-field wife required that she was always understanding and didn't ask a lot of questions or resent when he was out of town for a business trip, or out with the guys to blow off steam.
"It's difficult for people who have relationships in the oil field because you have to learn to trust when they're gone. Justin's father was in the field for 38 years, so obviously she trusted him," Angela said.
Angela decided she wouldn't take things the way her mother-in-law did.
When she heard that Justin was going on a business trip to Las Vegas, her mother-in-law told her that, of course, wives weren't allowed on these kinds of trips.
"She told me that wives don't go. That's how she did it, what was expected then. But I'm not going to stay home when I've got the chance to go with him to Vegas," Angela said.
She has to work to be patient when Justin can't talk during the day or when a job takes him out on the road for days and weeks at a time.
She and Justin grew up together because their families both worked in the oil field. That's how they met.
"But some things have changed," she said, smiling at Justin.
Justin knows how important that is; he's seen plenty of marriages break apart when the long hours, the stress and the time on the road drive a couple apart.
His uncle, Roy Williams, came home after 24 years of marriage to find his wife standing in the kitchen, saying she was done.
Even as his first marriage was crumbling, Williams never thought of giving it up.
"I guess it get's in your blood. I can't imagine doing anything else. Wouldn't want to," he said. "I missed a lot of my children growing up because I was on the road all of the time. I missed a lot of ball games and stuff like that. What's good about my home life now is that my wife is in the oil field and she understands. When I'm gone three weeks, she understands," he said, grinning at his wife, Justin's aunt, Cathy Glass Williams.
It takes effort to keep it together, to make a marriage work. He and Angela sit down with their planners and map out when they will be together and when they'll have to be apart, charting everything out as far in advance as possible. They talk on the phone every night when he's on the road, and as often as possible during the day.
Justin's first marriage failed, too. In fact, the oil field is riddled with broken families and relationships that disintegrated into ash.
The Eagle Ford Shale isn't the biggest field in America right now - that distinction belongs to the Bakken Shale in North Dakota - but the Eagle Ford is booming.
West Texas oil is also experiencing an oil production renaissance as they harness hydraulic fracturing used to get Eagle Ford wells flowing to haul crude oil from the region's dense rock formation. But the Eagle Ford Shale is still one of the busiest plays. It has brought oil-field workers from across the country to the Crossroads.
The newcomers are eager to bring in some of the money that companies are willing to shell out to get experienced hands on their rigs and driving their trucks.
David Glass, Justin's father, was more interested in agriculture when he was in high school, but when he got married at 18 in 1976 he needed a job then and there.
A family friend grasped his hand in the reception line after the wedding.
"Do you want to go work?" he asked. "If you want to go to work in the oil field, I've got a job for you as soon as you can start."
That was how you got the job back then - by knowing somebody. Sometimes, if you were looking for work, you'd go down to the local beer joint and scrawl your name and number onto a wall.
Much of it depended on who you knew and whether you had a good reputation to carry out there with you.
The 1970s marked the last great oil boom America saw.
Oil was thriving, flooding the market. Prices were good because of tensions with the Middle East and plays in Texas were reviving an industry that had seemed to be in the decline only a decade before.
There were more rigs jutting into the skyline and pumping hydrocarbons from the ground than had ever been seen in this country.
Not everyone lived like they were a character from the TV show "Dallas," but, with an oil-field job, you lived well.
Glass took the job.
Since then, he has worked in every part of the oil field, and there are a million different parts. It takes all of them working together to keep the oil flowing from the ground to a gas tank.
He and his father started a business, Superior Wireline Inc., striking out on their own in 1982.
That was when the American Petroleum Institute held numerous annual events in town, when the South Texas Oil and Gas Exposition drew hundreds of industry insiders from across the country.
They filled the Victoria Community Center with all of the latest gear.
Oil derricks protruded up into the sky in the parking lot, and men in suits and cowboy hats, or freshly starched dress shirts and crisply ironed jeans and bolo ties, clasped hands, talked business, promised to meet up later in the one show in the state that offered a bigger draw - the annual oil show in West Texas.
Then the boom went bust. The industry stumbled as oil prices dropped to almost nothing, $8 a barrel, seemingly overnight.
In fact, the signs that the boom was waning had been there with declines in production, but it still took those in the industry by surprise.
"I guess you could say we didn't know any better," David Glass said, with a wry gruff laugh.
The last show was in 1985. Victoria became a ghost town for the industry.
"There were a lot of us that were still in the oil field and we tried to have an oil show, but there wasn't anybody to have a show for. It was all gone," David Glass said.
Glass and his father struggled to hold onto their business, to keep it alive and pay their employees, but by 1987, they knew they weren't going to make it.
It got to the point that if they went out on a job and blew a tire, they had already lost any chance of making a profit. They might not even be able to get the truck towed home.
When some buyers turned up, they sold the business.
Glass and his father managed to get jobs after selling, but his father had lost his retirement - his life's savings - in the bust, and he had to work the rest of his life, Glass said.
They were employed in almost every facet of the business to make it through the bust.
"We were lucky, though, because we had good reputations and people knew us so at least we got something," David Glass said.
The skeet shoot was almost rained out. After months of drought that cracked the earth open, a silver wall of water kept the API members huddled in the tan metal shack on Hester's Shooting Range, while rain drummed on the rattling metal roof and lightning split the sky.
"Don't worry," one man said, when someone asked whether they were going to be able to shoot that day. "That man in the White House hasn't been able to stop us, so neither will a little rain!"
That got a laugh.
Right now, the oil field is at an interesting point. As an industry, it is seeing the kind of action it hasn't in years.
Tensions with Iran, concern over the dangers of deep water drilling in the wake of the British Petroleum Gulf Coast oil spill, all of this has given the mainland plays more attention and more power than they have seen in decades.
Texas is on track to issue the most oil and gas drilling permits in a single year since 1985, the year just before the entire oil industry crumbled and oil sank to less than $10 a barrel.
On top of that, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that the United States exported more gasoline, diesel and other fuels than it imported in 2011, the first time this has happened since 1949.
At the same time, the political climate is running against them. The BP oil spill hurt public perception of the industry and caused President Barack Obama to place a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The industry has known government incentives and tax breaks for years, but in early March the president, in an election year when the haves and have nots keep rising to the surface as an issue, called for Congress to end oil company tax breaks.
When they get together, they talk about the president's agenda.
They firmly believe that in his moves to delay the Keystone XL Pipeline from being laid and his embrace of alternative energy, he is trying to kill the oil industry.
That's a slap in the face to these men because they and their families live and die by the price of oil and risk their lives to bring oil out of the ground and into gas tanks and the other mechanisms that power lives across this country.
David Glass saw a man die on a rig once, a friend.
He was killed instantly by a heavy steel cable. Glass's face went ruddy and he pressed his lips together as he spoke. Remembering, his brown eyes grew cloudy, darkened and fixed as if he was trying to see something from a long way off.
"It was a freak accident that killed a young man. He's here, right here one second and then he's gone. It wasn't even really that he wasn't paying attention. It's bad. It's horrible," he said, with a sharp shake of his head.
Working in the oil field is dangerous. That's something anyone who's been in it any length of time won't hesitate to tell you. They'll follow it up with reassurances - the accidents don't happen as often these days. Safety is their top priority. A lot has changed, but it is still one of the most dangerous jobs, and the increase in drilling has meant a natural increase in accidents.
There were seven oil-field deaths in South Texas in 2011 alone, up from three in 2007, just before the boom began. A Yorktown man, Adam Weise, was killed when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded into a ball of fire in the Gulf of Mexico.
Death stalks the people in this field. If you sit down and ask, nearly everyone has a story. John Braudway, an oil-field consultant from Karnes City, still can't bear to talk about the day his friend was killed on a rig. It's been decades, but the memory pulls the smile from his face, revealing furrows of age on his handsome head.
"That's not a story I tell," Braudway said, the words coming out quiet and careful, like someone dropping stones into water, trying to avoid the inevitable ripples.
That's what they all say.
The National Occupational Research Agenda Oil and Gas Extraction Council, a council made up of industry stakeholders and researchers, began meeting in 2008 to understand why so many were dying in the oil field.
Of an estimated 422,000 oil and gas workers in the country, 710 workers were killed between 2003 and 2009, more than eight times higher than the average fatality rate for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But those in the oil field say the benefits outweigh the risks when a play is hot.
The money is the best some of them will ever make. The average oil-field worker gets about $100,000 a year right now, Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman recently said at the Victoria Energy Summit.
With so many different plays across the country, experienced workers are hard to come by, so those familiar with the field are in a good position to choose where they work.
At the same time, this means a lot of the guys going out to work don't have any experience at all, and a lot can happen while you're trying to learn the business.
The deaths are caused when workers are struck by flying debris, moving rig equipment and blowouts.
As the Eagle Ford Shale play has continued to thrive, the injuries and deaths have increased as well.
An injury can mean the loss of your hand or your foot, a limb put in the wrong place at the wrong time and lopped off. Then you aren't able to do the work you once did without all of your digits, hobbling around on a new prosthetic leg.
The play is being drilled in a low pressure area, so there isn't as much danger of blowouts, the kind that lead to columns of flame in the sky, like in the movies, but there are still dangers from hydrogen sulfide, which can seep up and kill a worker after just a few breaths.
Every few months a worker dies on an Eagle Ford Shale rig site - the risk is just a part of the job.
Still, this doesn't deter them. David Glass and his sons will keep working and saving and celebrating a little when the money rolls in.
Oil has been good to David Glass, but he warned all three of his boys to stay away from the business.
"It's too much up and down in this industry," Glass said, glancing at his eldest son, Justin, who looks like a younger version of himself. He paused, pulling at his bristly, well-kept blonde mustache, sprinkled with gray. "It's feast or famine."
All three of his sons work in the oil field now.
"When you start a boom, you don't realize how good it is until it goes bust, and then the high rolling goes away and you know what you've lost. Yeah, it's like they say, you don't know what you love until you lose it," Justin Glass said.
The entire industry weathered its way through the following decades.
Sometimes there would be a boom, a flurry of excitement over some play or other. But it never lasted long, a couple of years and the play was all played out.
But not the Eagle Ford. The Eagle Ford Shale play is a phenomenon with no end in sight; at least that's what David Glass believes
People in the oil field believe this could be a boom that keeps on going. Some say it'll last 10 years, some say 25.
The Pearsall Shale formation lies 2,000 feet below the Eagle Ford Shale and the formation, rich in natural gas, may be the next big play, Braudway, a longtime energy insider, said. There's also a formation between the Eagle Ford Shale and the Pearsall Shale that is stirring up a flurry of interest among those in the oil field.
Still, booms are as reliable as gravity. Everything that goes up must come down, and this boom will end; it's just a question of when.
The people of the oil field believed the last big boom of the 1970s would never end. Then it did, and cars were plastered with those famous bumper stickers saying, "Oh Lord, Please Give Us One More Boom - I Promise Not to Screw it Up This Time."
Glass has faith. Right now, he believes this will last for years to come - oil gushing up from the ground in his own backyard. He never imagined there'd be something like this - no one did. He's being careful, though. He and his wife are treating all of their children to a cruise next year, but he's not getting extravagant, buying Cadillacs or diamonds.
He's always reminding his sons to be cautious, too - if he's learned anything, oil isn't something you can count on. But talking about the Eagle Ford, his eyes gleam, and he shakes his head in disbelief.
"It's unlike any boom I've ever seen," David Glass said. "It's amazing."
To read the series so far, click below:
Part 5: Man of Oil


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Pearls always give nobility to the image of the wearer not depending on the situation, either being worn on the evening or during the daily routine. This idea was being laid as the basis by Sophie Breitmeyer, the designer who created a wonderful and refined collection of pendant and earring for Winterson.
Sophie Breitmeyer used Japanese Akoya Pearl, one of the very first pearls to be cultured in Japan. Luxury and at the same time simple these items are very beautiful. 18ct gold, pink rubies, blue sapphires, garnets make the perfect ensemble implementing this collection. In my opinion these jewels will please even the most exacting customers.
VIA: Sophie Breitmeyer & Winterson.
Filed under: Earrings, Fine Jewelry, Gold, Pearl, Pendants Sophie Breitmeyer for Winterson


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Today's NaPoWriMo prompt is to recreate a myth in a poem. The A to Z Challenge quote from GoodReads has an author with a P in their name. Also, thank you to Bikurgurl for hosting last week's #100WordWednesday.
" I moan with pleasure.
"Did you just have a foodgasm?" he asks, wiping ricotta from his lips.
"Where have you been all my life?" I ask the beautiful panini."
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss
There are those who believe the Greek gods left,
Went away, didn't return, disappeared.
Where there was greed, pride, avarice, lust, and war,
There was no longer, because these gods were,
Never gods, more like spoiled children who were —
Tolerated for a while until the —
God who is the God, decide that they,
Need find another place to play, beyond —
Olympus, and Athens, and Rome — and then,
Came the Popes and the Cardinals, more sin.
They had always been there, but now they —
We're warriors and wise men, judges and —
The Greco-Roman gods and goddesses,
We're invisible, ethereal, just air.
It's what becomes of beings that 'are,'
But aren't real, they're missing a certain —
Quality that means that in some form they're —
Alive; full of heart, blood, bone, marrow, soul.
But these gods were but mythology so they,
Faded as much mythology does.
Legends of all kinds and all cultures who
Have been, before and after them, or so —
I was told, 'til I began to see such surreal —
Things in town, at dinner talking with —
My dad, about life, and school and then,
Beside us was this old man; and his eyes,
We're blue and twinkled, he had such,
Vigor for his age, he smiled at me while he —
Talked to his friends, other gods he said.
Not the God, but gods, he said who had been,
To me they were all invisible; he said —
Long ago in Greece and Rome, he was king.
As Zeus or Jupiter, but now they —
All blended into humans, they had their —
Special places where they could go, greeting —
Their old friends and eating what gods do.
He ate panini, talking loudly,
Today it was Aphrodite, he also —
Said he was eating Ambrosia, the food,
Gods required, and an extra plate lay,
Near his hand, licked clean; he said that his son,
Apollo, had been there, eating with him.
He calls me granddaughter and one day —
The old man gave me a small piece of his,
Panini he loved, saying it was 'good.'
Said it was in my blood, so I ate and —
The amazing delicious panini,
Became a hunger inside me for more and —
More, until I no longer visited the,
Restaurant with my folks or my friends,
But to eat with the old man and our kind.
Who no longer rule, but have special spots,
In restaurants such as this, where myth,
And reality meet, somehow they reform.
Because at tonight's feast I find them all,
Gods, goddesses, of mythology lost.
©Mandibelle16. (2017) All Rights Reserved.


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text: When i iniciate alien swarm the mouse works perfectly but when i go to the menu where we choose the team members and the weapons configs; etc... the mouse don´t move, i´ve tried with other mouses still with no sucess, only the very old versions of AS seem to do not have this prob. Help!!


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Camp Dietler is Peaceful Valley's "patrol cooking camp." Here, troops will participate in a back-to-basics style of camping that gives Camp Dietler its bold and exciting character. Scouts will pitch their own tents, cook food as a patrol and learn how to work as a team to make their week successful. Camp Dietler will take your Scouts in and show them the true meaning of outdoor camping while preparing them to take on any challenge nature can throw their way.
Not sure your troop has enough experience for something like this? Don't worry; our staff is here to help! All activities are done under the watchful eye of our trained staff, who will be on hand all week to assist you and your Scouts. We also provide patrol boxes and cooking gear, so minimal equipment is needed on your part to have a great time at camp. Tents are not provided.
Scouts will start their day preparing breakfast in the campsite and conducting a flag ceremony. From there, its off to merit badge sessions, and with over 20 different ones to pick from, the morning will be packed full of fun! Around midday Scouts take a quick break to prepare lunch, and then it is right back out for more merit badges!
As the afternoon starts winding down, Scouts will spend time as patrols working on pioneering projects or running an orienteering course. Evening is greeted with a wonderful dinner prepared by the Scouts, along with participate in various evening activities, ranging from scavenger hunts based upon Scouting skills to a camp-wide outpost, during which everyone sleeps out under the stars for a night at one of our themed sites.
Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch has partnered with one of Colorado's premier rafting companies, River Runners, to provide units or individuals attending Camp Cris Dobbins or Camp Dietler the opportunity to raft down the Arkansas River as part of their summer camp experience! This takes place on Friday, so Scouts don't have to worry about missing merit badge classes.
Mission: Adventure is an opportunity for older Scouts who have been to summer camp in previous years, and are looking for an even more hardcore summer camp experience. Scouts will work on intense backcountry skills in the areas of first aid, wilderness survival, fire safety, forestry, backpacking, cooking, orienteering, and more. Scouts from both Dietler and Dobbins will join together in this class to explore the far reaches of Peaceful Valley and experience all that the area has to offer, including a day trip to climb Pikes Peak.
Scouts should not be the only ones having fun at camp! Camp Dietler offers a wide variety of activities for adult leaders to participate in. Surf the web on our wireless high speed Internet, relax with a cup of coffee around the commissary, and participate in various training programs like Aquatics Supervision and Climb on Safely. You can also work on earning your Scoutmaster Challenge patch by completing a list of fun requirements designed to keep adults active throughout the week. This program is open to all adult leaders.
Camp life is based around the Dietler Commissary. From here, troops pickup meals, gather for merit badges and sign up for outposts. Campsites come equipped with canvas tents and wooden platforms, and under staff supervision, Scouts arrange these into patrol campsites at the start of each week. Each campsite has its own latrine equipped with pit toilets, showers, and hand washing stations. Each patrol in your troop will be issued a patrol box at the start of the week, equipped with everything they will need to cook their meals.
Camp Dietler and Camp Dobbins share a heated pool, man-made lake, and brand new shooting facilities, to provide your Scouts with even more opportunities during their week at camp.
Please click on the Register Now button.


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From Openmoko
|Wishes warning! This article or section documents one or more OpenMoko Wish List items, the features described here may or may not be implemented in the future.
Games on OpenMoko
This is the page to centralize the suggestions for creating games on the OpenMoko device.
Existing game concepts that could be realized
- Simple Flash games like Squares2 are often very addicting and good for short playing sessions. Other examples: Bejewelled, Zoo Keeper, Flash Element TD , ...
- A classic shooter can work well with continous fire and touchscreen controls. An example is Kenta Cho's Java version of Noiz2
- Same is true for a 3D shooter with no/seldom used additional controls. For example a combat flying game like Hunt for the Red Baron. You can control the speed with a slider, shoot rockets and drop bombs with special buttons but those are things you only need from time to time. Most of the time you are shooting continously and aiming which can be done in the corner of the touchscreen (so it doesn't obstruct your view).
- Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan/Elite Beat Agents - Rhythm-based touching of circles and paths on the screen is a great concept and shouldn't be that difficult to pull off if you leave out some of the great presentation.
- Pac Pix - The necessary shape-recognition would probably be difficult to manage with a small budget but the general idea is quite cool.
- Kirby Canvas Curse - Again, not easy to do with a small budget.
Candidates for porting/cross compiling
- Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Very possible, in fact the author of the Palm & GP2X ports of the game is already interested in OpenMoko.
- Gloop Zero - A little like physics-based Lemmings. Get the liquid from one part of the level to another with tools like path-drawing, bombs, anti-gravity...
- Plazmoids! - A space game with screen-size levels. Move your ship around by touching where it should go. Collect the plazmoids (asteroids) by catching them in your elastic tractor beam (lots of simple physics again), shoot enemies with a button or double tap.
- Legacy (and successor The Quest) - Classic first person turn based RPG. Movement and menus can completely be controlled with the touchscreen.
- Warfare Inc. - A full real time strategy game is no problem with a touchscreen. In fact, it's a lot of fun!
- Heroes of Might and Magic maybe can be port this Pocket Heroes for PocketPC
- Command & Conquer and Red Alert - FreeRA or FreeCNC
- Acedior - A classic graphic adventure game.
- Frozen Bubble
- GJeweled
- Bridge Builder
- Pipe Dreams
- ScummVM
- Gem Drop
- that addictive Photo game where you have to spot the 5 differences in x seconds
- Checkers, Chess, Minesweeper (interesting touchscreen variation: 3D Mines by Toyspring, Solitaire, Mahjong, Connect Four, Tic-tac-toe, Black Jack
- Creating a Nethack port could be done. Tony said on the list: "I'm not entirely sure yet. I imagine I'll first do a text port with a "portal" view (in which you only see a part of the screen at a time), and a user-selected font size. Then I'd try a tiles-based port. It all depends on how readable the text is on the small screen."
- MAME - Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. This versatile emulator turns a given platform into a powerful gaming system. It has been ported to WinCE and many UNIX flavors as well. It would be wonderul to have this on the OpenMoko.
- Gnome Sudoku
- gPlanarity would be a nice stylus game.
General ideas about games on OpenMoko
- A easy network library for Bluetooth and/or GPRS connectivity.
- Every turn-based game should be possible with on screen buttons.
- Action games should need only one main control action most of the time such as moving somewhere on a 2D plane, aiming in 3D, drawing a path. Special items and actions are possible but should only be needed from time to time. There is no solution for first person shooter type games where you move and aim independently.
- The finger getting into the way of seeing what's going on is a problem. Most games would probably need a stylus. Games with first person aiming can be controlled with a thumb in one corner of the screen, however you'd probably need one of them thumbstraps they make for the DS so that your thumb glides over the screen with ease.
- GPS can be used for location based games. An example is Tron. Links to location-based/Alternate Reality games in these del.icio.us pages
- Bluetooth controllers should be supported. I am especially thinking about the Nintendo Wii remote.
- If version 2 of the hardware has an accelerometer a tilt maze ball game is possible.
What is not possible without magic tricks / an external controller:
- Classic first person shooters, action adventures, jump 'n' runs
- Emulators for classic systems
- Network lip for easy Bluetooth and/or GPRS connections.
- Bluetooth controllers should be supported. I am especially thinking about the Nintendo Wii remote.
- If version 2 of the hardware has an accelerometer a tilt maze ball game is possible.


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