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Welcome to the third edition of my interview series. For this week, I interviewed the creative and talented Marquessa Matthews. Her sexy, romantic, thrilling, and relatable weekly fiction stories, always leave me wanting more! She has excellent taste in music as well. Please check-out her blog Simply Marquessa here.
- Please Tell Us About Yourself
My name is Marquessa Matthews and I'm from Montreal, QC, Canada.My day job is as a consultant but in the little free time that I have, you'll find me elbow deep in dirt in my vegetable garden in the summer, travelling in the spring, and probably shoveling myself out of six- foot snow drift in the winter. As with other writers with whom I've exchanged conversation with, I consider myself an introvert and an "observer." I love music and you'll always find me listening to something such as talk radio, my favorite tunes, or an audio-book.
2. When Did You Begin Writing and Blogging?
I taught myself to read at an early age and I think my love of words led me to want to write them. I would write little poems and short stories. Being in a French language program in primary school, I was lucky enough to have a great English teacher. She not only took an interest in my writing, but she frequently encouraged me with my writing projects. I continued to write, on and off, until university. Then, I had to put my pen down to tackle life's responsibilities.
I started 'blogging' as an experiment last year, when I decided it was time to pick my pen up again. I was researching creative writing courses and stumbled on a WordPress Writing 101 Course. I took it as a sign and I registered. I decided to tackle each day's assignment from a 'fictional' perspective and to see if 'blogging' and 'fiction writing' could be blended. Needless to say, the Writing 101 course, reignited my passion for playing with words.
"I decided to tackle each day's assignment from a 'fictional' perspective and to see if 'blogging' and 'fiction writing' could be blended. Needles to say, the Writing 101 course, reignited my passion for playing with words" – Marquessa Matthews
3. What Does Writing Mean to You? Why Do You Write?
Writing is extremely important to me and without it, I would feel like a fish out of water. Now that I've started writing again, I'm not sure how I went so long without writing. I write because I love to spin tales and be a puppet-master to the characters I create. There is also the fact that I've had certain 'characters' living rent-free in my head for a long time and they need to start paying rent in the form of novels!
4. Where Do You Find Your Inspiration and Motivation to Write?
I find inspiration in the day-to-day happenings of life. For me, inspiration can strike from a conversation I've had or overheard, from something I've seen, and from a place to which I have traveled – inspiration can come from about anywhere.
Creating a character, having them take on a life of their own and run away in a direction I never planned, motivates me. Jotting down an idea, crafting it, and then developing it into something beyond a flash fiction pieces motivates me.
Also, the readership that I have acquired inspires me. I don't pay a lot of attention to the number of 'follows' I receive. What I do pay attention, however, is the comments readers leave me. I love it when someone asks for more 'Ella,' for instance, or 'Alejandro.' I enjoy when readers give their reaction to what a character should have done on some of my #TeaserTuesdays. Also, I have always wanted to have my name on a cover of a book, I'm working on it!
"Creating a character, having them take on a life of their own and run away in a direction I never planned, motivates me." – Marquessa Matthews
5. Do You Find There Is a Time Of Day You Most Like to Write?
I'm a night owl so I always write at night, after dinner with music in the background. In the evening is when I receive my best ideas and the creative juices flow. On the weekends, I could easily break-out my moleskin notebook, my favorite pen, and write until after midnight, but I limit myself to a nightly one hour 'write.' If I'm editing a writing piece, I may give myself an hour and a half.
6. What Are Your most Current Writing projects? Any Hopeful Projects If You Aren't Working on Any?
I've been developing scenes around my characters of Delaney, Tyler and Alejandro and wrote many more scenes with them during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2015. My plan is to fill in the gaps during NaNoWriMo in 2016 so I can create a novella or novel.
The next project I have planned is an ongoing online story beginning in 2017 called We Can't Be Friends.I'll be introducing two new characters, Isabella and Peter, who will be totally different than the characters I'm writing about now. For We Can't Be Friends, I'm going to let the story develop organically.
I think it will be an excellent way to continue my nightly write when I need a change of pace from my main work-in-progress (WIP). I'm not technology savvy, but I'm thinking about having interested readers sign-up. Hopefully, I can do short weekly installments which readers will look forward to reading. Depending on how the installments go and the feedback I receive, the project could turn into a short story or a novella. If readers are interested, they can check-out the following link to receive a little backstory on Isabella and Peter.
" I'll be introducing two new characters, Isabelle and Peter, who will be totally different than the characters I'm writing about now. For We Can Be Friends, I'm going to let the story develop organically." – Marquessa Matthews
7. Have You Published Written Works or Are You Planning to Publish Works of Writing?
Hopefully, 2017 will be my year to become a published author. Who knows what will happen with the We Can't Be Friends online story!
8. Describe Your Writing Process?
I'm not sure I even have a 'writing process,' but I can tell you how I develop my stories. I usually get a spark (an idea) from a lyric or a phrase I've heard, or something funny which has happened. I jot the idea down on a Post-It and stick it to my 'writing wall;' I leave it there to marinate for a while. Then, when I sit down for my nightly write, I look at the 'writing wall' and write whatever comes to mind or I write the exact opposite of my idea to see what will happen when I do.
If I'm working on a fiction piece, I always write all the dialogue which comes to mind first, and then fill in the gaps when I'm editing. For me, editing usually means reading my writing aloud a few times, tying up loose ends, and removing inconsistencies.
If I'm writing a non-fiction piece, I decide on the message I want the reader to walk away with, then go back to the beginning and start writing and editing.
9. Do You Prefer Certain Areas of Writing or Reading and Styles or Genres?
I've always enjoyed women's fiction with a little romance thrown in for good measure, mainly the kind of fiction which could possibly happen in real life. Being of South American heritage, I've always leaned towards books with multicultural flavor. In university, a Caribbean literature course opened up my eyes to the world of anecdotal genres and culturally diverse characters. I enjoy novels that provide the perspective of more than one character, whether it's in first or third person. I will always prefer a paperback novel that I can take with me to the beach or pool, but also read on my tablet.
" . . .[W]hen I sit down for my nightly write, I look at the 'writing wall' and write whatever comes to mind or I write the exact opposite of my idea to see what will happen when I do." – Marquessa Matthews
10. Do You Have Any Helpful Advice for Other Writers?
I'm no expert but I think that I can make three suggestions:
- Develop a Daily Writing Habit (either in minutes or in word count): Fifteen minutes before going to bed or five-hundred words per day. You don't have to write a masterpiece. Practice the BIC method (butt in chair). Jot down an idea and free-write for a set amount of minutes or words, to your daily goal with no editing. You'll be amazed at what you can come up with in your writing.
- Try @NaNoWordSprints: I discovered word sprints last year and they are amazing to help ideas flow. If you can't join a live sprint, do an old sprint from on their YouTube channel. Pretend it's a live sprint and try the method out. I won NaNoWriMo in 2015 by achieving the fifty-thousand word word count, it was mainly due to word sprints.
- Read your work aloud, more than once: You'll catch all your grammar mistakes and wooden dialogue. Fix your issues before posting.
11. Is There Anything Else You Would Like To Share With Us You Think is Pertinent to Writing or Yourself?
I would say, prioritizing your writing goals is vital. I recently realized, though I love joining in on and participating in various writing and blogging prompts such as #MusicMonday, #WordlessWednesday and #TBT, the time spent working on and preparing for these prompts was time spent away from my work-in-progress. In 2017, I plan on taking a different approach to my blog space, especially by taking a hiatus for NaNoWriMo in November and re-blogging fiction from my archives.
12. Can You Please Share With Us A Few Links From Your Blog With Some of Your Favourite Pieces?
- One of my favorite fiction pieces so far is "San Juan" because it was the first one I wrote concerning Delaney and Alejandro.
- "If They Take Dogs and Jews, They'll Probably Take You" is my favorite non-fiction piece, showing how clueless a person can be with their (so-called)'helpful advice.'
- "Woman to Woman," shines a light on the toxicity of abusive relationships.
A Note From Marquessa:
Since I'll be taking a hiatus in November for NaNoWriMo, I have scheduled re-posts of a number of my fiction pieces so unfortunately, if readers are searching for a specific post, they won't find it at the moment (until November 2016).
Again here is the link to Simply Marquessa.
Thank you Marquessa for agreeing to be interviewed and providing such interesting and helpful information concerning yourself and your writing. I look forward to reading more of your fiction, especially with Delaney (she's my favourite) as well as reading your installments about Isabelle and Peter in your new project. Best of luck having your work published and with your writing goals.
If you liked this interview and would like to be interviewed as well about your writing, please reach me through my contact page.
©Mandibelle16.(2016) All Rights Reserved.


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Help Monkey Kick Furball to the hills and beyond! How far can you get?
Have you ever seen free-running and parkour superstars like Sébastien Foucan and David Belle? The actions they perform are amazing feats of skill and bravery. Now you can perform those same feats without leaving your computer.
Free-run through challenging city environments and overcome all the obstacles in your way. Defy gravity and risk virtual life and limb in this fast-paced action game. Jump, grab and climb walls - and even do flips and somersaults, showing off for the camera to get a top score.
Remember, you're against the clock - so watch out for the time bonuses and do your best to get to the end of the parkour courses before time runs out!
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subset: commoncrawl


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The ultimate goal of sound and image reproduction is realism — the kind that creates suspension of disbelief in the listener or viewer. And nothing breaks the spell like background buzz during a quiet musical passage or a suspense-filled moment in a movie. No matter how good the reproduction technology is, interference can really spoil the experience.
While professionally balanced interfaces largely preclude noise problems, most audiophile and home theater systems consist mostly, if not entirely, of audio and video equipment with unbalanced inputs and outputs — a danger zone for signals. In all but the smallest systems, which use very short cables, noise problems are likely to exist. Nevertheless, there are ways to combat this problem and minimize its effects on your customer's audiovisual systems, which, in turn, improves their listening and viewing pleasure.
What's making all that noise?. Any signal accumulates noise as it flows through the equipment chain; and once it's contaminated, no process can remove the noise without degrading the original signal. Since the dynamic range of an entire system can be no better than its weakest link, noise must be avoided everywhere along the signal path. In most systems, the worst problem is not signal processing in the equipment itself but so-called pickup, or noise coupling, in the interconnect cables.
This noise is most often a mixture of 60 Hz harmonics and other high-frequency noises that normally exist on AC power lines. Since it couples to the audio or video signal path via grounded cables, this noise is usually referred to as "ground noise." This should not be confused with "random" noise, which manifests itself as a hiss in an audio system or granular movement (snow) in a video image. A predictable amount of random noise is inherent in all electronic devices and must be expected. Ground noise produces artifacts such as hum, buzz, clicks or pops in audio systems. In video systems, it generally produces horizontal bars (light or dark) or bands of specks that slowly move upward in the image.
Common-impedance coupling. There's a common misconception among many people that this noise is something airborne, picked up by cables, which can, therefore, be cured with more cable shielding. See Sidebar on page 24. However, in real-world AC-powered systems, small leakage or ground noise currents will always flow in any wire connecting two devices. The tiny voltage drop this creates is actually what causes 99% of consumer system noise.
As shown in Fig. 1 above, when two pieces of equipment are connected via an unbalanced interface, the noise current flows in the shield conductor of the cable. Because the shield has impedance, a small noise voltage drop appears across the length of the cable, according to Ohm's law. Since the cable shield is also part of the signal circuit, the noise voltage will be directly added to the signal at the receive end of the cable, which is the sum of all the voltages in the loop from point A to point C. Because the shield impedance is part of two circuits (noise current and signal current), this mechanism is called common-impedance coupling.
Suppose you have two devices connected by an RCA audio cable. Both devices have non-grounding type power cords, and their power-line capacitances cause a 300µA, 60 Hz noise current to flow between them through a typical 25-foot unbalanced cable. The cable has a foil shield and a 26-gauge drain wire, which makes its resistance (or 60 Hz impedance) about 1 ohm. Using Ohm's law, we calculate the resulting voltage drop to be 300µV. This noise level is only 60 dB below the nominal consumer signal reference level of 300mV. The high-frequency noise level may be even worse and more audible as buzz. Compare this to the 95 dB dynamic range of an ordinary audio CD and you can see how a musical recording wouldn't fade into "silence", but rather fade into a noise signal.
The magnitude of the noise current can be much higher if both devices are served by grounded type power cords. Referring to Fig. 1 again, consider that a significant voltage difference normally exists between outlet ground connections. Cumulative leakage currents and inductive coupling in the premises AC wiring system cause this voltage difference. It's not uncommon to have voltage differences of 100mV between the ground pins of two different receptacles.
And this voltage difference can get much higher between two outlets on different branch circuits. For two grounded devices, this voltage will be impressed across the length of the signal cable shield and be directly added to the signal. For 10mV of noise voltage, the noise would be only 30 dB below reference level.
In a standard video interface, reference level is 1V (peak-to-peak), including sync. The active range from reference black to reference white spans about 600mV (peak-to-peak). Since our previous noise voltage of 10mV (rms) equals about 30mV (peak-to-peak), our signal-to-60 Hz hum ratio would be 26 dB. This would cause a visible hum bar in a video display. Even higher voltage differences can result if one of the devices is connected to an outside ground point such as a separate earth ground or a CATV drop.
Pinpointing the source of the noise. Weeding out power-line noises such as hum and buzz from an audio or video system can be frustrating and time-consuming. The following method is safe, effective, easy to understand, and requires no test equipment other than your ears.
Gather data. The success of any troubleshooting process has a lot to do with how you think about the problem and what data you gather. Ask a lot of questions such as: Did the system ever work right in the first place? What are the symptoms that tell you it's not working now? When did it start working poorly or stop working altogether? What other symptoms showed up just before, just after, or at the same time as the failure? Gather as many clues as possible before you try to solve a problem. And write everything down. Imperfect recall wastes a lot of time.
Tinker a bit. Use the equipment's own controls, with some logic, to provide additional clues. For example, if the noise is unaffected by the setting of a volume control or selector, then it must be entering the signal path after that control. If the noise can be eliminated by turning the volume down or selecting another input, then noise must be entering the signal path before that control.
Use a visual aid. Sketch a block diagram of the system. Show all interconnecting cables and their approximate lengths. Mark any balanced inputs or outputs. Generally, stereo pairs can be indicated with a single line. Note any equipment grounded via a 3-prong AC plug, and any other grounds such as cable TV or DSS dishes.
Ground dummy tests. The term "dummy" refers to special adapters that don't pass a signal. Dummies allow the system to test itself and pinpoint the exact entry point of noise or interference. By temporarily placing the dummy at strategic locations in the interface, precise information about the nature of the problem is revealed. To review the requirements of a simple four-step "dummy" test procedure, go to www.jensentransformers.com/an/ts_guide.pdf. The tests can specifically identify common-impedance coupling in the cable, magnetic or electric field coupling to the cable, or common-impedance coupling inside equipment.
Dummies can be made from standard parts and wired as shown in Fig. 2 on page 23. Since a dummy doesn't pass a signal, it should be clearly marked so it doesn't accidentally permanently find its way into a system.
How do I get rid of this noise? When a system contains two or more ground connections, whether through power cords to safety ground or other grounded signal cables such as the CATV connection shown in Fig. 3 at left, a ground loop is formed. This ground loop provides a complete circuit path for ground noise current.
Because a voltage difference, which is often substantial, exists between the ground for CATV and the safety ground at the sub-woofer, a noise current will flow in the shield of all signal cables that are part of the loop. Common-impedance coupling then adds noise to the signal in these cables. In general, the noise added is directly proportional to the cable's length.
This sample system would probably exhibit a loud hum regardless of the input selected or the setting of the volume control because of ground noise current flow in the 20-foot cable. The hum might be slightly louder if the TV input was selected and the volume was turned up because the same ground noise current also flows in the 3-foot cable. Because the ground loop is a series circuit, opening the circuit at any point can interrupt current flow. You might be tempted to open the loop with a 3-to-2-prong adapter at the sub-woofer AC plug, but that creates an electrocution and fire hazard for which you would be legally liable.
There are two basic ways to reduce common-impedance coupling in unbalanced interfaces. You can either reduce the coupling impedance or reduce the circulating ground current.
Reduce coupling impedance. The cable's grounded conductor (typically the shield) is the most common impedance. You reduce it by following these steps:
Keep cables as short as possible. Longer cables increase the coupling impedance. Even short cables can produce severe coupling if ground currents are high. Never coil excess cable length.
Use cables with heavy, braided copper shields. Cables with shields of foil and thin-gauge drain wires increase coupling impedance.
Maintain good connections. Contact resistance is part of the common impedance. Connectors left undisturbed for long periods can develop high contact resistance. Hum, or other noise that changes when the connector is wiggled, indicates a poor contact. Use a good commercial contact fluid and/or gold-plated connectors.
Reduce the circulating ground current. Some tips for reducing circulating ground current include:
Don't add unnecessary ground connections. With rare exception, additional grounds increase ground noise currents. Of course, don't disconnect required safety grounds to reduce noise current either.
Use ground isolators at problem interfaces. Commercial isolators are available for audio, video and CATV signal paths as well as for digital interfaces.
Fig. 4 shows how a ground isolator breaks a ground loop. Since no current can flow between the insulated transformer windings, noise current can no longer add noise to the signal by flowing in the shield. A ground isolator cannot remove hum and buzz if it's placed randomly in the system: It must be installed at the interface where the noise is coupling. This is easily determined by the testing outlined earlier. High-performance ground isolators not only provide true audiophile signal quality, but also use internal shields to suppress ultrasonic and RF interference.
An audio isolator is a safe solution for the ground loop shown in Fig. 3. The isolator could be installed in the audio signal path either between the TV and the preamp or between the preamp and the sub-woofer. High-performance isolators should always be installed at the receive end of an interconnect cable.
Another safe solution is to break the ground loop by installing a CATV isolator at the antenna input of the TV. If the TV in Fig. 3 were driving a video projector equipped with a grounded type AC plug, the ground loop might cause hum bars in the display, especially if the video cable is long. Because the signal is baseband video (composite, component, or S-video), different types of isolators are required.
The only property of cable that significantly affects noise coupling is shield resistance. Expensive and exotic cables have no significant effect on hum and buzz problems. So rather than agonize over which cable makes the most improvement, prevent this unwanted coupling effect by installing a ground isolator.
Whitlock is president of Jensen Transformers, Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.
Sidebar: Coping With Fields
Magnetic or electric fields can sometimes induce noise in cables. Electric fields are generated around wiring or devices operating at high AC voltages. Their coupling is prevented by a conductive outer shield, which completely surrounds and covers the inner signal conductor in cables. Braided shields provide 80% to 95% coverage, which is adequate for all but extreme cases. Electric fields are rarely a problem in AV systems.
Magnetic fields are likewise generated around wiring or devices operating at high AC currents. Building wiring, power transformers, electric motors, and CRT displays are a few sources of strong AC magnetic fields. Ordinary cable shielding, whether copper braid or aluminum foil, has virtually no effect on audio-frequency magnetic fields. Increasing distance between signal cables and offending fields is the best cure for electric and magnetic field problems.


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I've finally had a chance to look through the stack of magazines that accumulated while we were away and was surprised to find one of my recipes in the March/April edition of Simple and Delicious - a Taste of Home publication. It was a contest entry that took no prizes, but it's a nice recipe that's very easy to do and I do appreciate the "atta girl." I have a series of recipes that can be done in about 20 minutes. This is one of them. Shrimp can be used in place of chicken if you want a meatless entree. I round out the salad with tomato or egg flower soup for a more filling meal. You'll quickly see that this is a recipe that requires assembly, not cooking. One caution - dress the salad just before serving and don't drown the ingredients. The recipe makes more dressing than you'll need. Refrigerate unused dressing and use it as a dipping sauce. I'm quoted as saying "I serve this salad in lettuce leaves or in pita pockets to friends who enjoy something a bit out of the ordinary. This is fast, easy, a bit exotic and, best of all, delicious. If you like peanut butter, this is the chicken salad for you!" Sometimes I'm so full of it I can't stand myself. It must have been a peanut butter contest.
Asian Chicken Salad
3/4 cup reduced-fat sesame ginger salad dressing
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 to 3 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 packages (6 ounces each) ready-to-use grilled chicken breast strips
1 pound shelled, cooked shrimp
4 cups chopped cucumbers
1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup grated carrot
8 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves or 8 small pita pockets
Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
1) Combine salad dressing, peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well to combine.
2) Combine chicken or shrimp, cucumbers, sweet pepper, green onions and carrots in a large bowl. Chill until serving.
3) Just before serving, shake dressing and pout over the chicken or shrimp mixture. Serve on lettuce leaves or in warm pita pockets. Garnish with cilantro if using. Yield: 8 servings.


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Man dies in Tangipahoa Parish crash
Investigators say victim wasn't wearing seat belt
A 24-year-old man is dead after a crash in Tangipahoa Parish.
State police said the crash happened on Louisiana Highway 1062 north of Louisiana Highway 40 in Loranger about 7 p.m. Friday.
Investigators said Rowdy Dunnington was heading north in his car when the vehicle crossed the center line and hit a Toyota pickup heading south head-on.
The driver of the pickup, 56-year-old Jerry Schellhaas, was wearing a seat belt and escaped without injury.
Police said Dunnington was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene.
Investigators said the side airbags in Dunnington's car had already deployed in a previous crash and were not operable.
Officers said Schellhaas submitted to a breath-alcohol test and it did not detect any signs of alcohol in his system.
Police are still waiting on Dunnington's toxicology results.


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VAT refund campaign for community buildings
New proposal to help with the VAT bill on community building improvements Read more
Helping our communities thrive
New proposal to help with the VAT bill on community building improvements Read more
News of an exciting new project to help village and community halls save energy (and money) Read more
Rural organisations take note! The Prince's Countryside Fund is open for applications from Monday 7 September to Thursday 8 October. Read more
The Big Lottery Fund has just launched its £30m Help through Crisis Fund to improve the prospects of people currently living in crisis or at risk of crisis as a result of hardship. Read more
Grants of between £10,000 and £60,000 are available to help organisations working with young people cover their core operating costs in order to grow their impact.
Read more
The Office for Civil Society has made funding available for medium sized voluntary organisations to plan for and start to change the way they work. Read more
DECC has launched the 2015-16 Big Energy Saving Network, a £1m programme to support eligible third sector organisations and community groups, deliver help and advice to vulnerable consumers. Read more
Women and girls facing or affected by substance misuse, mental ill health and other complex issues such as domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and homelessness are to be supported by a £48.5m initiative announced today by the Big Lottery Fund. Read more
Grants are available for innovative projects helping individuals and microbusinesses across the UK to tackle their debts and manage their money wisely. Read more
The Small Grants Fund is intended to support services and providers, in particular smaller voluntary organisations, with a one off payment of up to £3,000, with an aim to reduce offending or supporting victims. Closes 30 June. Read more
The Childcare Investment Readiness Fund is a £500,000 pilot fund, managed by the Social Investment Business on behalf of the Dept for Education that aims to support early years and childcare social enterprises looking to expand their presence in… Read more
Not-for-profit organisations have until 1 September to apply for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to revitalise an historic public park or cemetery. Read more
Grants of up to £35,000 are available for projects that help people in disadvantaged communities develop, create or access the skills and opportunities they need to help themselves. Apply by 22 May. Read more
Community groups and not-for-profit organisations with an income of less than £350,000 a year (or an average of £350,000 over two years) can apply for a grant of between £5,000 and £50,000. Read more
Power to Change is an independent charitable trust endowed with £150m from the Big Lottery Fund to support community businesses across England. It aims to back people with the ambition and innovative ideas to build successful community enterprises. Read more
The Inspired Facilities grant scheme will close for review after the next deadline on Monday 11 January. Read more
If your project is located within 10 miles of the Viridor Landfill site at Squabb Wood (outside Romsey, postcode SO51 6GA), you might be eligible to apply for funding. Read more


text:
A request to order jailed actress Lindsay Lohan to be deposed in a lawsuit challenging strip searches of female inmates at the Century Regional Detention Facility was filed Monday in federal court.
Attorney Colleen Flynn said she is seeking to determine whether Lohan was subjected to a strip or visual body cavity search in a bus parking lot outside the Lynwood jail like its other inmates.
If Lohan was not subject to such a search, it would bolster a claim in the federal suit that such searches are not necessary for security reasons, Flynn said.
Flynn said she filed the ex parte motion because Lohan will no longer be reachable by a process server following her expected release from the jail next week for violating her probation in two driving under the influence cases.
The lawsuit against Sheriff Lee Baca claims the strip searches violate the inmates' Fourth Amendment guarantee against unlawful searches.
Steve Whitmore, a sheriff's department spokesman, said he wondered why Lohan was the target of the action among the about 60,000 women booked into the Los Angeles County jail system each year.
"On the surface of it, it seems like exploitation,'' Whitmore told the City News Service.
Whitmore declined to discuss the substance of the suit, citing department policy against discussing litigation.


text:
Imprints Classic Red 2 ft. 6 in. x 8 ft. Runner. Imprints Classic, where textiles meet fashion. Modern textile designs and today's hottest colors combine to meet the new evolution of this beautiful collection. Straight off the runway and into your home each rug is handmade in India of 100% virgin wool.
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text:
Sequester sparks workers' suit
Defense contractor L-3 Communications faces a class action lawsuit over its handling of layoffs at an Army airfield in Georgia, sparking renewed anger in Congress over an issue that first flared up during last year's presidential campaign.
Three former L-3 employees are suing the company, charging they were laid off without the 60 days of notice required under the federal WARN Act. It's a first test for the 1988 law since the Obama administration alerted contractors last year the federal government would pick up their legal costs if they were sued for WARN Act violations as a result of contracts modified or canceled under sequestration.
Story Continued Below
Already, the case is drawing the ire of the powerful Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, who's still seething after being outmaneuvered on the issue last year. "During the presidential campaign, the Obama White House foresaw sequestration triggering massive layoffs across the country," Rep. Buck McKeon said in a statement to POLITICO.
"Affected industries were bound by law to notify their workers ahead of sequestration layoffs," McKeon continued. "Instead, in the most cynical of moves, the White House offered taxpayer money to companies to stop them from issuing layoff notices, warnings due days before the election."
The California congressman, of course, had political motivations of his own: At the time, Lockheed Martin and other defense contractors were threatening to send pre-election WARN notices to tens of thousands of workers across the country — putting their entire workforces on alert even though only a fraction were ultimately at risk of being laid off.
The problem, they said, was that they didn't know which fraction.
On Capitol Hill, Republicans were counting on the blanket notices to reinforce the GOP narrative that the economy was sputtering under Obama in the final weeks before Election Day.
But contractors backed off after the White House Office of Management and Budget issued its memo, saying legal costs associated with the WARN Act could be passed on to the government — as long as the layoffs were the result of sequestration and companies followed other aspects of the law.
Throughout the squabbling, New York-headquartered L-3 stayed quiet — and had little to say about the lawsuit filed against it last week. "We haven't yet seen the suit and do not comment on matters of litigation," said spokeswoman Jennifer Barton.


text:
99942 Apophis
|Discovered by
|Roy A. Tucker
David J. Tholen
Fabrizio Bernardi
|Discovery site
|Kitt Peak[1]
|Discovery date
|June 19, 2004
|Named after
|Alternative names
|Minor planet category
|Aten PHA[1]
|Orbital characteristics[1]
|Epoch JD 2454383.5 (October 10, 2007)
|Semi-major axis
|Orbital period
|323.5148011 d (0.8857352528 a)
|Average orbital speed
|30.728 km/s
|Mean anomaly
|Longitude of ascending node
|Argument of perihelion
|Physical characteristics
|325±15 m[2]
|4×1010 kg (assumed)[3]
|Mean density
|~3.2 g/cm3[4]
|Escape velocity
|~0.52 km/h[5]
|Rotation period
|30.4 h[1][6]
|Spectral type
|Sq [6]
|Absolute magnitude (H)
|19.7 [1][6]
99942 Apophis (/əˈpɒfɪs/, previously known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) is a near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 because initial observations indicated a probability of up to 2.7% that it would hit Earth in 2029. Additional observations provided improved predictions that eliminated the possibility of an impact on Earth or the Moon in 2029. However, a possibility remained that during the 2029 close encounter with Earth, Apophis would pass through a gravitational keyhole, a small region no more than about 800 m (half a mile) wide,[7] that would set up a future impact on April 13, 2036. This possibility kept the asteroid at Level 1 on the Torino impact hazard scale until August 2006, when the probability that Apophis would pass through the keyhole was determined to be very small. During the short time when it had been most concerning, Apophis set the record for highest rating on the Torino Scale, reaching level 4.[8]
The diameter of Apophis is approximately 325 metres (1,066 ft).[2] As of May 6, 2013 (April 15, 2013 observation arc), the probability of an impact on April 13, 2036 has been eliminated.[3] Preliminary observations by Goldstone radar in January 2013 effectively ruled out the possibility of an Earth impact by Apophis in 2036.[9] Of objects not recently observed, there are about ten asteroids with a more notable Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale than Apophis.[10] On average, an asteroid the size of Apophis (325 meters) can be expected to impact Earth about every 80,000 years.[11]
- 1 Physical characteristics
- 2 Discovery and naming
- 3 Close approaches
- 4 Potential space missions
- 5 Proposed deflection strategies
- 6 Popular culture
- 7 References
- 8 External links
Physical characteristics[edit]
Based upon the observed brightness, Apophis's diameter was initially estimated at 450 metres (1,480 ft); a more refined estimate based on spectroscopic observations at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii by Binzel, Rivkin, Bus, and Tokunaga (2005) is 350 metres (1,150 ft). NASA's impact risk page lists the diameter at 330 metres (1,080 ft) and lists a mass of 4×1010 kg based on an assumed density of 2.6 g/cm3.[3] The mass estimate is somewhat rougher than the diameter estimate, but should be accurate to within a factor of three.[3]
During the 2029 approach, Apophis's brightness will peak at magnitude 3.4,[12] with a maximum angular speed of 42° per hour. The maximum apparent angular diameter will be ~2 arcseconds, so that it will be barely resolved by ground-based telescopes not equipped with adaptive optics.
Discovery and naming[edit]
Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, by Roy A. Tucker, David J. Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.[1] On December 21, 2004, Apophis passed 0.0963 AU (14,410,000 km; 8,950,000 mi) from Earth.[1] Precovery observations from March 15, 2004, were identified on December 27, and an improved orbit was computed.[13][14] Radar astrometry in January 2005 further refined the orbit.[15][16]
When first discovered, the object received the provisional designation 2004 MN4, and news and scientific articles about it referred to it by that name. When its orbit was sufficiently well calculated, it received the permanent number 99942 (on June 24, 2005). Receiving a permanent number made it eligible for naming, and it received the name "Apophis" on July 19, 2005.[17] Apophis is the Greek name of an enemy of the Ancient Egyptian sun-god Ra: Apep, the Uncreator, an evil serpent that dwells in the eternal darkness of the Duat and tries to swallow Ra during his nightly passage. Apep is held at bay by Set, the Ancient Egyptian god of storms and the desert. David J. Tholen and Tucker—two of the co-discoverers of the asteroid—are reportedly fans of the TV series Stargate SG-1. One of the show's persistent villains is an alien named Apophis. In the fictional world of the show, the alien's backstory was that he had lived on Earth during ancient times and had posed as a god, thereby giving rise to the myth of the Egyptian god of the same name.[17]
Close approaches[edit]
After the Minor Planet Center confirmed the June discovery of Apophis, an April 13, 2029 close approach was flagged by NASA's automatic Sentry system and NEODyS, a similar automatic program run by the University of Pisa and the University of Valladolid. On that date, it will become as bright as magnitude 3.4[12] (visible to the naked eye from rural as well as darker suburban areas, visible with binoculars from most locations).[18] The close approach will be visible from Europe, Africa, and western Asia. During the close approach in 2029 Earth will perturb Apophis from an Aten class orbit with a semi-major axis of 0.92 AU to an Apollo class orbit with a semi-major axis of 1.1 AU.
After Sentry and NEODyS announced the possible impact, additional observations decreased the uncertainty in Apophis's trajectory. As they did, the probability of an impact event temporarily climbed, peaking at 2.7% (1 in 37).[19]This probability, combined with its size, caused Apophis to be assessed at level 4 on the Torino Scale[8] and 1.10 on the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale, scales scientists use to represent how dangerous a given asteroid is to Earth. These are the highest values for which any object has been rated on either scale. The chance that there would be an impact in 2029 was eliminated by December 27, 2004.[14] The danger of a 2036 passage was lowered to level 0 on the Torino Scale in August 2006.[20] With a cumulative Palermo Scale rating of −3.2,[3] the risk of impact from Apophis is less than one thousandth the background hazard level.[3]
On April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass Earth within the orbits of geosynchronous communication satellites, but will come no closer than 19,400 miles (31,300 kilometers) above Earth's surface.[9] The 2029 pass will be much closer than had first been predicted. The pass in late March 2036 will be no closer than about 23 million kilometres (14×106 mi) — and will most likely miss Earth by something closer to 56 million kilometres (35×106 mi).[21]
2005 and 2011 observations[edit]
In July 2005, former Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart, as chairman of the B612 Foundation, formally asked NASA to investigate the possibility that the asteroid's post-2029 orbit could be in orbital resonance with Earth, which would increase the probability of future impacts. Schweickart also asked NASA to investigate whether a transponder should be placed on the asteroid to enable more accurate tracking of how its orbit is affected by the Yarkovsky effect.[22] On January 31, 2011, astronomers took the first new images of Apophis in more than 3 years.[23]
2013 refinement[edit]
The close approach in 2029 will substantially alter the object's orbit, making predictions beyond 2029 uncertain without higher-quality astrometry. "If we get radar ranging in 2013 [the next good opportunity], we should be able to predict the location of 2004 MN4 out to at least 2070.", according to Jon Giorgini of JPL.[24] Apophis passed within 0.0966 AU (14,450,000 km; 8,980,000 mi) of Earth in 2013, allowing astronomers to refine the trajectory for future close passes.[2][25][26] Just after the close approach on 9 January 2013,[25] the asteroid should peak at about apparent magnitude 15.7.[27] Goldstone observed Apophis during closest approach from January 3 through January 17.[28] Arecibo observed Apophis once it entered Arecibo's declination window after February 13, 2013.[28]
A NASA assessment as of 21 February 2013 that does not use the 2013 radar measurements gives an impact probability of 2.3 out of a million for 2068.[29] As of 6 May 2013, using observations through April 15, 2013, the odds of an impact on 12 April 2068 as calculated by the JPL Sentry risk table is 3.9 in a million (1 in 256,000).[3]
History of impact estimates[edit]
|This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2008)
|This article is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. (January 2013)
- The original NASA report on December 23, 2004, mentioned impact chances of "around 1 in 300" in 2029, which was widely reported in the media.[8] The actual NASA estimates at the time were 1 in 233; these resulted in a Torino scale rating of 2, the first time any asteroid had received a rating above 1.
- Later that day, based on a total of 64 observations, the estimates were changed to 1 in 62 (1.6%), resulting in an update to the initial report and an upgrade to a Torino scale rating of 4.
- On December 25, 2004, the chances were first reported as 1 in 42 (2.4%) and later that day (based on 101 observations) as 1 in 45 (2.2%). At the same time, the asteroid's estimated diameter was lowered from 440 m to 390 m and its mass from 1.2×1011 kg to 8.3×1010 kg.
- On December 26, 2004 (based on a total of 169 observations), the impact probability was still estimated as 1 in 45 (2.2%), the estimates for diameter and mass were lowered to 380 m and 7.5×1010 kg, respectively.
- On December 27, 2004 (based on a total of 176 observations), the impact probability was raised to 1 in 37 (2.7%); diameter was increased to 390 m, and mass to 7.9×1010 kg.
- On December 27, 2004, in the afternoon, a precovery increased the span of observations to 287 days, which eliminated the 2029 impact threat.[14] The cumulative impact probability was estimated to be around 0.004%, a risk lower than that of asteroid 2004 VD17, which once again became the greatest-risk object. A 2053 approach to Earth still poses a minor risk of impact, and Apophis was still rated at level one on the Torino scale for this orbit.
- On December 28, 2004, at 12:23 GMT and (based on a total of 139 observations), produced a value of one on the Torino scale for 2044-04-13.29 and 2053-04-13.51.
- By 01:10 GMT on December 29, 2004, the only pass rated 1 on the Torino scale was for 2053-04-13.51 based on 139 observations spanning 287.71 days (2004-Mar-15.1104 to 2004-Dec-27.8243). (As of February 2013[update] the 2053 risk is only 1 in 20 billion.)[3]
- By 19:18 GMT on December 29, 2004, this was still the case based upon 147 observations spanning 288.92 days (2004-Mar-15.1104 to 2004-Dec-29.02821), though the close encounters have changed and been reduced to 4 in total.
- By 13:46 GMT on December 30, 2004, no passes were rated above 0, based upon 157 observations spanning 289.33 days (2004-Mar-15.1104 to 2004-Dec-29.44434). The most dangerous pass was rated at 1 in 7,143,000.
- By 22:34 GMT on December 30, 2004, 157 observations spanning 289.33 days (2004-Mar-15.1104 to 2004-Dec-29.44434). One pass at 1 (Torino scale) 3 other passes.
- By 03:57 GMT on January 2, 2005, 182 observations spanning 290.97 days (2004-Mar-15.1104 to 2004-Dec-31.07992) One pass at 1 (Torino scale) 19 other passes.
- By 14:49 GMT on January 3, 2005, observations spanning 292.72 days (2004-Mar-15.1104 to 2005-Jan-01.82787) One pass at 1 (Torino scale) 15 other passes.
- Extremely precise radar observations at Arecibo Observatory in January 2005[15] refine the orbit further and show that the April 2029 close approach will occur at only 5.7 Earth radii,[16] approximately one-half the distance previously estimated.
- By February 6, 2005, Apophis (2004 MN4) had a 1 in 13,000 chance of impacting in April 2036.[30]
- Radar observation on August 7, 2005,[15] refines the orbit further and eliminates the possibility of an impact in 2035. Only the pass in 2036 remains at Torino Scale 1 (with a 1 in 5,560 chance of impact).[31]
- In October 2005 it is predicted that the asteroid will pass just below the altitude of geosynchronous satellites, which are at 35,786 kilometres (22,236 mi).[citation needed] Such a close approach by an asteroid is estimated to occur every 800 years or so.[32]
- Radar observation at Arecibo Observatory on May 6, 2006,[15] slightly lowered the Palermo scale rating, but the pass in 2036 remained at Torino Scale 1[33] despite the impact probability dropping by a factor of four.
- Additional observations through 2006 resulted in Apophis being lowered to Torino Scale 0 by August 5, 2006.[20] (The impact probability was 1 in 45,000.)[20]
- As of October 7, 2009, refinements to the precovery images of Apophis by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, the 90-inch Bok Telescope, and the Arecibo Observatory have generated a refined path that reduces the odds of an April 13, 2036 impact to about 1 in 250,000.[34]
- 2009-Apr-29: An animation is released[35] that shows how unmeasured physical parameters of Apophis bias the entire statistical uncertainty region. If Apophis is a retrograde rotator on the small, less-massive end of what is possible, the measurement uncertainty region will get pushed back such that the center of the distribution encounters Earth's orbit. This would result in an impact probability much higher than computed with the Standard Dynamical Model. Conversely, if Apophis is a small, less-massive prograde rotator, the uncertainty region is advanced along the orbit. Only the remote tails of the probability distribution could encounter Earth, producing a negligible impact probability
- Criticism of older published impact probabilities rests on the fact that important physical parameters such as mass and spin that affect its precise trajectory have not yet been accurately measured and hence there are no associated probability distributions. The Standard Dynamical Model used for making predictions simplifies calculations by assuming Earth is a point mass; this can introduce up to 2.9 Earth radii of prediction error for the 2036 approach, and Earth's oblateness must be considered for the 2029 passage to predict a potential impact reliably.[32] Additional factors that can greatly influence the predicted motion in ways that depend on unknown details, are the spin of the asteroid,[36] its precise mass, the way it reflects and absorbs sunlight, radiates heat, and the gravitational pull of other asteroids passing nearby.[32] Small uncertainties in the masses and positions of the planets and Sun can cause up to a 23 Earth radii of prediction error for Apophis by 2036.[32]
- A statistical impact risk analysis of the data up to January 2013 calculated that the odds of the 2036 impact at 7.07 in a billion, effectively ruling it out. The same study looked at the odds of an impact in 2068, which were calculated at 2.27 in a million.[37]
- On 9 January 2013, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced the Herschel Space Observatory made new thermal infrared observations of the asteroid as it approached Earth. The initial data shows the asteroid to be bigger than first estimated because it is now expected to be less reflective than originally thought.[2] The Herschel Space Observatory observations increased the diameter estimate by 20% from 270 to 325 meters, which translates into a 75% increase in the estimates of the asteroid's volume or mass.[2] Goldstone single-pixel observations of Apophis have ruled out the potential 2036 Earth impact.[9][21][38] Apophis will then come no closer than about 14 million miles — and more likely miss us by something closer to 35 million miles.[21] The radar astrometry is more precise than was expected.[21]
Possible impact effects[edit]
|This section is outdated. (September 2013)
The Sentry Risk Table estimates that Apophis would make atmospheric entry with 750 megatons of kinetic energy.[3] The impacts that created Meteor Crater or the Tunguska event are estimated to be in the 3–10 megaton range.[39] The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was the equivalent of roughly 200 megatons and the biggest hydrogen bomb ever exploded, the Tsar Bomba, was around 57 megatons. In comparison, the Chicxulub impact has been estimated to have released about as much energy as 100,000,000 megatons (100 teratons).
The exact effects of any impact would vary based on the asteroid's composition, and the location and angle of impact. Any impact would be extremely detrimental to an area of thousands of square kilometers, but would be unlikely to have long-lasting global effects, such as the initiation of an impact winter.[citation needed] Assuming Apophis is a 325-meter wide stony asteroid, if it were to impact into sedimentary rock, Apophis would create a 4.3 kilometers (2.7 mi) impact crater.[11]
In 2008, the B612 Foundation made estimates of Apophis's path if a 2036 Earth impact were to occur, as part of an effort to develop viable deflection strategies.[40] The result was a narrow corridor a few kilometers wide, called the "path of risk", extending across southern Russia, across the north Pacific (relatively close to the coastlines of California and Mexico), then right between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, crossing northern Colombia and Venezuela, ending in the Atlantic, just before reaching Africa.[41] Using the computer simulation tool NEOSim, it was estimated that the hypothetical impact of Apophis in countries such as Colombia and Venezuela, which were in the path of risk, could have more than 10 million casualties.[42] An impact in the Atlantic or Pacific oceans would produce a devastating tsunami.[43]
Potential space missions[edit]
Planetary Society competition[edit]
|This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2008)
In 2007, The Planetary Society, a California-based space advocacy group, organized a $50,000 competition to design an unmanned space probe that would 'shadow' Apophis for almost a year, taking measurements that would "determine whether it will impact Earth, thus helping governments decide whether to mount a deflection mission to alter its orbit". The society received 37 entries from 20 countries on 6 continents.
The commercial competition was won by a design called 'Foresight' created by SpaceWorks Enterprises, Inc.[44] SpaceWorks proposed a simple orbiter with only two instruments and a radio beacon at a cost of ~140 million USD, launched aboard a Minotaur IV between 2012 and 2014, to arrive at Apophis five to ten months later. It would then rendezvous with, observe, and track the asteroid. Foresight would orbit the asteroid to gather data with a multi-spectral imager for one month. It would then leave orbit and fly in formation with Apophis around the Sun at a range of two kilometers (1.2 miles). The spacecraft would use laser ranging to the asteroid and radio tracking from Earth for ten months to accurately determine the asteroid's orbit and how it might change.
Pharos, the winning student entry, would be an orbiter with four science instruments (a multi-spectral imager, near-infrared spectrometer, laser rangefinder, and magnetometer) that would rendezvous with and track Apophis. Earth-based tracking of the spacecraft would then allow precise tracking of the asteroid. The Pharos spacecraft would also carry four instrumented probes that it would launch individually over the course of two weeks. Accelerometers and temperature sensors on the probes would measure the seismic effects of successive probe impacts, a creative way to explore the interior structure and dynamics of the asteroid.
Second place, for $10,000, went to a European team led by Deimos Space S.L. of Madrid, Spain, in cooperation with EADS Astrium, Friedrichshafen, Germany; University of Stuttgart, Germany; and Università di Pisa, Italy. Juan L. Cano was principal investigator.
Another European team took home $5,000 for third place. Their team lead was EADS Astrium Ltd, United Kingdom, in conjunction with EADS Astrium SAS, France; IASF-Roma, INAF, Rome, Italy; Open University, UK; Rheinisches Institut für Umweltforschung, Germany; Royal Observatory of Belgium; and Telespazio, Italy. The principal investigator was Paolo D'Arrigo.
Two teams tied for second place in the Student Category: Monash University, Clayton Campus, Australia, with Dilani Kahawala as principal investigator; and University of Michigan, with Jeremy Hollander as principal investigator. Each second place team won $2,000. A team from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, under the leadership of Peter Weiss, received an honorable mention and $1,000 for the most innovative student proposal.
Don Quijote mission[edit]
Apophis is one of two asteroids under consideration by the European Space Agency as the target of its Don Quijote mission to study the effects of impacting an asteroid.[45]
Proposed deflection strategies[edit]
Studies by NASA, ESA,[46] and various research groups in addition to the Planetary Society contest teams,[47] have described a number of proposals for deflecting Apophis or similar objects, including gravitational tractor, kinetic impact, and nuclear bomb methods.
On December 30, 2009, Anatoly Perminov, the director of the Russian Federal Space Agency, said in an interview that Roscosmos will also study designs for a possible deflection mission to Apophis.[48]
On August 16, 2011, researchers at China's Tsinghua University proposed launching a mission to knock Apophis onto a safer course using an impactor spacecraft in a retrograde orbit, steered and powered by a solar sail. Instead of moving the asteroid on its potential resonant return to Earth, Shengping Gong and his team believe the secret is shifting the asteroid away from entering the gravitational keyhole in the first place.[49]
Popular culture[edit]
- In id Software's Rage the asteroid Apophis collides with Earth, nearly wiping out humanity and ushering in a post-apocalyptic age.[50]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 99942 Apophis (2004 MN4)". 2013-05-27 last obs. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
- ^ a b c d e f ESA (January 9, 2013). "Herschel intercepts asteroid Apophis". European Space Agency (ESA). Retrieved 2013-01-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) Earth Impact Risk Summary". NASA. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
- ^ Binzel, Richard P. (2007). "Can NEAs be Grouped by Their Common Physical Characteristics?". Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. aero.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-12.
- ^ assuming radius of 0.135 km and mass of 2.1e10 kg yields an escape velocity of 0.14 m/s or 0.52 km/h.
- ^ a b c "99942 Apophis". The Near-Earth Asteroids Data Base at E.A.R.N. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ David Noland (November 7, 2006). "5 Plans to Head Off the Apophis Killer Asteroid". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
- ^ a b c Don Yeomans, Steve Chesley and Paul Chodas (December 23, 2004). "Near-Earth Asteroid 2004 MN4 Reaches Highest Score To Date On Hazard Scale". NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-16. "Today's impact monitoring results indicate that the impact probability for April 13, 2029 has risen to about 1.6%, which for an object of this size corresponds to a rating of 4 on the ten-point Torino Scale."
- ^ a b c "NASA Rules Out Earth Impact in 2036 for Asteroid Apophis". NASA. January 10, 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ^ "Sentry Risk Table". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. 14 Oct 2011. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ a b Robert Marcus, H. Jay Melosh, and Gareth Collins (2010). "Earth Impact Effects Program". Imperial College London / Purdue University. Retrieved 2013-02-07. (solution using 330 meters, 2600 kg/m3, 12.6 km/s, 45 degrees)
- ^ a b "(99942) Apophis Ephemerides for 13 Apr 2029". NEODyS (Near Earth Objects - Dynamic Site). Retrieved 2011-05-05.
- ^ "MPEC 2004-Y70 : 2004 MN4". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2004-12-27.
- ^ a b c Don Yeomans, Paul Chodas and Steve Chesley (December 27, 2004). "Possibility of an Earth Impact in 2029 Ruled Out for Asteroid 2004 MN4". NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
- ^ a b c d "Scheduled Arecibo Radar Asteroid Observations". National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center.
- ^ a b c d Paul Chodas, Steve Chesley, Jon Giorgini and Don Yeomans (February 3, 2005). "Radar Observations Refine the Future Motion of Asteroid 2004 MN4". NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
- ^ a b Bill Cooke (August 18, 2005). "Asteroid Apophis set for a makeover". Astronomy Magazine. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ The astronomical magnitude scale. International Comet Quarterly
- ^ Dwayne Brown (Oct 7, 2009). "NASA Refines Asteroid Apophis' Path Toward Earth". NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
- ^ a b c "WayBack Machine archive from 5 Aug 2006". Wayback Machine. 2006-08-05. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ a b c d Kelly Beatty (January 9, 2013). "Asteroid Apophis Takes a Pass in 2036". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ^ David Morrison (July 22, 2005). "Schweickart Proposes Study of Impact Risk from Apophis (MN4)". NASA. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ "Hawaii astronomers keep tabs on asteroid Apophis". Astronomy Magazine. 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2011-03-10.
- ^ David Morrison (April 6, 2011). "Asteroid 2004 MN4 will come scarily close to Earth on April 13, 2029, but it will not hit.". Science@NASA.
- ^ a b "NEODyS : (99942) Apophis (Close Approaches)". NEODyS (Near Earth Objects — Dynamic Site). Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ^ Dan Vergano (2010-11-10). "Apophis asteroid encounter in 2013 should help answer impact worries". USA Today ScienceFair. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
- ^ "99942 Apophis Ephemerides for 9 Jan 2013". NEODyS (Near Earth Objects - Dynamic Site). Retrieved 2011-10-19.
- ^ a b Dr. Lance A. M. Benner (2013-01-07). "99942 Apophis 2013 Goldstone Radar Observations Planning". NASA/JPL Asteroid Radar Research. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
- ^ Apophis Risk Assessment Updated (February 21, 2013)
- ^ "WayBack Machine archive from 2 Feb 2005". Wayback Machine. 2005-02-05. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ "WayBack Machine archive from 18 Oct 2005". Wayback Machine. 2005-10-18. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ a b c d Predicting Apophis' Earth Encounters in 2029 and 2036
- ^ "WayBack Machine archive from 1 Jul 2006". Wayback Machine. 2006-07-01. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ Brown, Dwayne (2009-10-07). "NASA Refines Asteroid Apophis' Path Toward Earth". Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
- ^ Apophis Unknown Bias animation (NASA)
- ^ J. Giorgini. "Apophis Trajectory Change 2018-2036: Energy Reflection, Absorption, and Emission". NASA.
- ^ Yarkovsky-driven impact risk analysis for asteroid (99942) Apophis
- ^ Phil Plait (Jan 10, 2013). "Impact Threat from Near-Earth Asteroid Apophis in 2036 Now Ruled Out". Bad Astronomy blog. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ^ "Sandia supercomputers offer new explanation of Tunguska disaster". Sandia National Laboratories. December 17, 2007. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-29. "The asteroid that caused the extensive damage was much smaller than we had thought," says Sandia principal investigator Mark Boslough of the impact that occurred June 30, 1908."
- ^ Russell Schweickart, et al. "Threat Characterization: Trajectory dynamics (White Paper 39)" (PDF). Figure 4, pp. 9. B612 Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
- ^ Range of Possible Impact Points on April 13, 2036 in Scenarios for Dealing with Apophis, by Donald B. Gennery, presented at the Planetary Defense Conference. Washington, DC. March 5–8, 2007 (archived from the original on 2012-04-12).
- ^ Nick J. Baileya (2006). "Near Earth Object impact simulation tool for supporting the NEO mitigation decision making process". Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/S1743921307003614. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ David Noland (December 2006). "The Threat is Out There". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
- ^ Paul Rincon (2008-02-26). "US team wins asteroid competition". Retrieved 2009-03-25.
- ^ ESA - NEO - Don Quijote concept
- ^ Izzo, D. and Bourdoux, A. and Walker, R. and Ongaro, F. (2006). "Optimal Trajectories for the Impulsive Deflection of NEOs". Acta Astronautica 59: 294. Bibcode:2006AcAau..59..294I. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2006.02.002.
- ^ "Scenarios for Dealing with Apophis" (PDF). The Aerospace Corporation. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
- ^ ISACHENKOV, VLADIMIR (2009-12-30). "Russia may send spacecraft to knock away asteroid". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-31.[dead link]
- ^ "China Reveals Solar Sail Plan To Prevent Apophis Hitting Earth in 2036". Technology Review Physics arXiv Blog. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
- ^ "Rage Interview: We speak with id's Tim Willits about their new IP, Rage.". Gamespot.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to 99942 Apophis.
- Apophis Asteroid
- Asteroid Apophis orbit from recent observations, EPSC Abstracts Vol. 6, EPSC-DPS2011-1212, 2011, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011
- Diagrams and orbits of Apophis (Sormano Astronomical Observatory)
Risk assessment
- Apophis Orbital Prediction Page at NASA JPL
- 2004 MN4 page and 2004 MN4 impactor table from NEODyS.
- MBPL - Minor Body Priority List (technical List) at Sormano Observatory
- TECA - Table of Asteroids Next Closest Approaches to the Earth at Sormano Observatory
- Possibility of an Earth Impact in 2029 Ruled Out for Asteroid 2004 MN4 (JPL)
- Radar Observations Refine the Future Motion of Asteroid 2004 MN4 (JPL)
- Animation explaining how impact risk is determined from Impact Probability
|Preceded by
|Large NEO Earth close approach
(inside the orbit of the moon)
April 13, 2029
|Succeeded by


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It's Kingston Hot Time! Tonight live from the Club Zapata, Stuttgart (GER) with Mr. Vegas (JA), Skarra Mucci, Deebuzz and the host, Sentinel Sound.
We will start at around 11pm CET, when Daniel (Sentinel) will make the warmup. Curfew at 5 or 6am.
We are very proud to stream the show, so tune in and enjoy!
And btw: Sharing is Caring :)


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As the Falcons prepare to head to training camp with a defense that may not be much better than the one that gave up 20-point and 17-point leads in the postseason last year, a key piece of the puzzle may not be under contract when practice begins.
When Atlanta traded up to the 22nd spot to draft cornerback Desmond Trufant, the team landed in the slot that produced Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden's contract in 2012. And Weeden finagled three years of fully-guaranteed money plus $920,000 fully guaranteed in the fourth year of his deal.
That's nearly $170,000 more than the player taken before Weeden (Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones) received in fully-guaranteed money in the final year of his rookie contract.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Trufant's camp hopes to parlay the Weeden slot into a higher guaranteed payment than the player in front of him, Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, received. Several days ago, the Bengals split the fourth-year compensation for Eifert equally between a guaranteed base salary and a non-guaranteed roster bonus due early in the 2016 league year.
The team's simple response should be that Weeden plays quarterback, and that quarterbacks still get extra consideration in their rookie deals. Of course, if the simple response were going to work, it would have worked by now.
In a year that has seen multiple top-10 picks blink on the question of whether they'll get to double dip if they're cut within four years, Trufant could be digging in on this far more substantive question of whether he'll get as much of his fourth-year salary guaranteed as Weeden did last year. Which means it will be harder for the Falcons to get Trufant ready to step right in and to help fill the void created by the decision to release Dunta Robinson and to let Brent Grimes leave via free agency.


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Forty Under 40
Eric Logan, 37
Vice President, Business Strategy, Precision Castparts Corp.
The neighborhood where Eric Logan grew up, around East 123rd Street and Buckeye Road on Cleveland's East Side, isn't known as a cradle of successful executives. But he said he always believed that getting a good education would be help him beat the odds — and he was right.
"One of the biggest defining moments in my life was when a recruiter from an East Coast boarding school showed up," he said.
That school was the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Mr. Logan already had the academic chops he needed to get in, and the grades to provide a scholarship to boot.
Phillips Exeter was followed by Stanford University, and after earning his bachelor's degree in metallurgy, Mr. Logan wanted to come home. So, in 1997, he got a job at LTV Steel, where he could put his metallurgy degree to work and also help his hometown get its steel mill operating efficiently.
"I worked with Eric when he was first out of school; he was a very personable, energetic guy," recalls Matt Kremer, a former LTV employee who now is a quality manager at ArcelorMittal. "He's certainly done a lot since he left, though."
At LTV, Mr. Logan, 37, continued school at night until he earned his MBA at Case Western Reserve University, and then went into consulting at the Cleveland office of Booz Allen Hamilton.
Finally, in 2010, he joined Precision Castparts Corp., a forged castings company doing business worldwide. He joined as vice president of business strategy for the company's Forged Products Group in Beachwood, but also has been involved in its operations in West Virginia, as well as New Jersey, where he is general manager for Precision Castparts' McWilliams Forge Co.
But Mr. Logan said Cleveland is still home and he doesn't plan to change that. His hous is in Shaker Heights, only a few minutes from where Mr. Logan grew up. But it's a world away in other ways, he said.
Mr. Logan said the education that separates those two worlds was a family value. His great uncle, Preston Bowles, had been president of Alcorn A&M College in Mississippi and, though his single mom didn't have a college degree, she knew the value of one and wanted one for her son.
But, Mr. Logan said, it might just have been his grandfather, who also went to college, who convinced him to get a good education. Or else.
"My grandfather put the fear of God into me — and I grew up not wanting to let him down," Mr. Logan said.


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DAHLONEGA, G.A. - Host North Georgia followed up a three-goal first half with four in the second to run past Pfeiffer University 7-1 in women's soccer action on Wednesday afternoon. The Saints move to 8-1 overall with the win while sending the Lady Falcons to 4-4.
Kelly Penston put North Georgia on the board in the 14th minute followed by back-to-back tallies from Whitley Dover. Dover's first came in the 32nd minute while adding another 10 minutes later.
In the second half, Carolina Wallace and Elizabeth Buchanan registered goals in the 49th and 54th minutes before Pfeiffer got on the board with Aaliyah Jackson's league-leading sixth goal of the year. Kayla Croom and Sydney Reeder added late tallies for North Georgia.
The Saints led 36-10 in shots while forcing the Lady Falcons to make 11 saves, three by defenders on the goal line.
Pfeiffer returns to Conference Carolinas play on Homecoming Saturday taking on Erskine at 2:00 p.m.


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Enhanced by the beauty of natural wood and our special finishing process, our Shaker chairs reflect the simplicity and warmth of traditional Shaker style.
• Overall depth 23"
• Overall width 23"
• Overall height 45"
These are the special characteristics that make our chairs unique:
• Padded, cloth tape woven seat
• Graduated slats
• Epoxy glued
• Based on authentic Shaker design
Choices are the alternative selections you make for each furniture piece that make it uniquely yours. These selections help make your Shaker chairs truly custom and do not add to the cost.
Select your seat material
Options are additional elements you can consider when customizing your furniture. Options are discretionary and usually have an additional price.
In-home delivery / blanket wrapped service: furniture set up in room ready to use. No packing required. Pick-up based on available carrier schedules. Transit times are usually between 2 and 4 weeks depending on where you live.
Common carrier: furniture will be delivered to the curb in front of your home or office. Must be packed in boxes and/or crates. Some assembly may be required. Pick-up can take place anytime Monday through Friday. Transit time is usually between 3 and 7 business days depending on where you live.
Customer pick up: from loading dock at workshop. No packing required.
When you order, you will be quoted a price for the option you choose. To order, call 800-789-5188, use our contact form, or email email@example.com.
We'd like to hear from you, so call us at 800-789-5188, email email@example.com, or use our contact form. If you'd like samples, we can send a variety with a $200 deposit, refundable upon return of the samples.
Cash, checks, Visa, Discover, and Mastercard are accepted.


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Here, there, everywhere...and that's the problem. Not enough time to even do real long posts. I'll be back in full effect in March Chris. Expect a notice sometime in February of a special sneek peak at my new comic for only the select few that I have chosen, you being one of them.
Update Dedos bro.
Later,
First I was Zap Jones , then I was Highfalutin! Spartacus. Soon, I will finally be what I should have been all along...VND!!! Coming March 2002, 7 days a week!


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About Dr. Sreedevi Marakatham
Sreedevi Marakatham, MD, attended medical school at the University of Kerala in Kerala, India, followed by a three-year residency at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. During her residency program, she continued her education and training in outpatient and inpatient care, critical care units, and emergency care. Dr. Marakatham also completed a rotation at the Kingsbrook Centers attached nursing home, gaining valuable experience in Geriatric care. In her third and final Kingsbrook residency, Dr. Marakatham took the lead as Chief Medical Resident.
Her work experience and special interest in treating people with chronic health conditions brought her to Texas where she practices at the Dallas Lung Institute. Dr. Marakatham served at Community Oriented Primary Care, part of the Parkland Health and Hospital System. As Attending Physician in the Adult Module, she provided comprehensive primary care, health screening, immunizations, and treated people with acute and chronic medical conditions. While working in primary care, she saw a high volume of chronic pulmonary patients and was excited to find the Lung Institutes treatment options for patients with lung disease. Listed below are Dr. Marakathams board certification information, educational and work record, and various professional and academic honors. https://lunginstitute.com/about/sreedevi-marakatham-md/
The Lung Institute
International Headquarters:
201 E. Kennedy Blvd. Suite 700
Tampa, FL 33602
Treatment Facilities:
Tampa | Nashville | Scottsdale | Pittsburgh | Dallas
Questions & Answers
Q: Why do you offer two kinds of stem cell treatments for lung disease? What determines which treatment is best for an individual? And how do you determine if a patient is a good candidate?
The Lung institute offers two different stem cell treatment procedures, venous and bone marrow. In the venous procedure, stem cells are harvested from peripheral blood and in the bone marrow procedure, stem cells are harvested from the bone marrow. We review the patients medical history and records to determine which procedure is best for the patient. For example, for a patient on blood thinners, bone marrow procedure may not be a good option. Our patient coordinators can guide the patient in the initial screening process and our physicians can help the patient to select their best option.
Q: Is your venous treatment basically the same as a PRP treatment?
PRP stands for platelet rich plasma and our venous treatment is a combination of stem cells from the peripheral blood and PRP which contains anti-inflammatory factors as well as various growth factors.
Q: If a patient has prostate cancer that is not at the stage where treatment is imperative would stem cell treatments be advisable or not? What about patients with other cancers that might be in remission? No chemo or radiation is taking place if that is important.
We review each patients medical history and records carefully before proceeding with the stem cell treatment. In general, we recommend five-year cancer free period for most cancers except certain skin cancers, before proceeding with stem cell treatment. But because of their tendency to spread to bone, any patient with history of prostate cancer or breast cancer, we exclude them from getting bone marrow procedure, but the patient can do venous treatment if he or she has been in remission for the past 5 years at least.
Q:Are the treatments for IPF and COPD the same?
The stem cell treatment we offer is the same for IPF and COPD both are aimed at calming chronic inflammation and slowing the progression of the lung disease.
Q: The first time I got treatment, several supplements were recommended to me. The second time, I was told only to nebulize glutathione every other day. I felt the supplements were giving me more energy and stamina so I am continuing them. Is there any reason not to? Also, is there a reason not to nebulize the glutathione daily? I find it helps my breathing.
There is no reason not to continue using the supplements if they help you. We have stopped recommending the supplements as part of our overall protocol because it is ultimately up to the patient as to whether they would like to utilize them and how much benefit they may gain from the supplement usage. Regarding glutathione, daily use may lead to some irritation of the airways so we typically recommend use every other day to prevent any negative side effects.
Q: Can you explain what l-glutathione plus is and why you recommend it.
Glutathione (reduced glutathione, y-glutamylcysteinylglycine, GSH) as part of the protocols is utilized for its antioxidant and mucolytic properties. It is a primary factor in the bodys ability to deal with oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been shown to play a major role in the pathogenesis of COPD.
As a potent antioxidant it helps improve host defenses and oxygenation. Typically the mucus produced in the airway is cleared by ciliary transport and cough but this is not the case in chronic lung disease. Excess mucus in the airway lumen can result in measurable mechanical obstruction of the small airways and can impact disease pathogenesis and prognosis of airway disease, especially in COPD and can be associated with chronic expectoration, increased hospitalizations and respiratory infection related mortality.
Many of our patients noted the day after their first treatment with glutathione their breathing felt easier and oxygen levels as measured by finger pulse oximeter were elevated.
Bronchospasm has been noted in some asthmatic patients and it is felt that these patients may be sensitive to sulfites. We do not use glutathione in patients with an asthma diagnosis.
Q: You changed from adipose to bone marrow. Was it because of FDA restrictions or is bone marrow more effective or easier to extract? Do you use a local anesthetic or is a patient actually put under?
The primary reason for the change from adipose to bone marrow was because the research shows and we have found that bone marrow offers the most complete mixture of regenerative components to promote healing of the lungs. This includes the two main types of stem cells, hematopoietic and mesenchymal, and some signaling factors found in platelet rich plasma. Our procedures are all done on an outpatient basis with local anesthetic only. Using certain techniques, our providers are able to minimize discomfort resulting in patients reporting very little pain during or after the bone marrow harvest procedure.
Q: To what do you attribute some patients doing so well when they get treatment and others seeming not to get much benefit at all?
We are not exactly sure why some patients are doing so well and some not getting much benefit after the stem cell treatment. From our observation, we see that most patients who do not seem to respond well with stem cell treatment are in the advanced stages of lung disease.
Q: If a person has had stents implanted, is it still okay to get stem cell treatment?
Coronary stents are not a contraindication for stem cell treatment. We have had many patients with stents who had stem cell treatment without any complication.
Q: Do you see the cost of treatments going down in the future? Do you think insurance will eventually cover treatments? Any thoughts on the FDA's proposed regulations on adult stem cell therapies?
The cost of current treatment protocols may go down in the future because the field is ever progressing so newer technologies will likely be available as time goes on. I do not believe insurance will cover treatments in the immediate future because we still have a long way to go before they see the long term studies demonstrating the cost benefit to them for covering these treatments. I believe a persons own stem cells should not be regulated like a drug, however I do believe that there should be more quality oversight of stem cell clinics to ensure patient safety and efficacy of treatments are being monitored effectively. It is imperative that stem cell clinics and regulation agencies work together to provide access to care for those suffering now, while providing a path to continually improve efficacy and develop efficient and safe technologies.


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SYRACUSE Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York will officially open the doors to its new Ronald McDonald House this month. A public open house will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20. The community is invited to tour the new, larger house located at 1100 E. Genesee St. in Syracuse.
"We are excited to open our doors and welcome families into the new Central New York Ronald McDonald House," said Beth Trunfio, executive director for Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY. "It has taken many hearts to build this home and it wouldn't have been possible without the tremendous support from the community, volunteers and our donors, who have helped to make this dream a reality."
The new house is 100-percent accessible and will allow the organization to meet diverse needs and offer expanded services for new populations of guest families. The house features an elevator, guest rooms with private baths, a large family centered kitchen, a private registration area for guest families and a community room.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY operates the CNY Ronald McDonald House 24 hours a day year-round as a "home away from home" for families whose children are hospitalized with serious illnesses or injuries.
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Recent News
June 07, 2010
State Officials Spread Word on How to Spot Elder Abuse
Experts from the Department of Health and Senior Services will host a series of meetings this month to discuss ways you can help an elderly person avoid becoming a victim of abuse.
The presentations, prompted by World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, will focus on how to spot elder abuse and how to report it to authorities.
Abuse of the elderly is a growing problem in Missouri, where officials last year received an average of 85 reports a day of abuse, neglect or exploitation.
Of the 30,871 reports the department received in 2009, about 10 percent involved financial exploitation. Financial exploitation occurs when an elderly or disabled adult's resources are diverted for another person's gain.
Margaret Donnelly, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), said the elderly are often prime targets because they may need help with daily tasks and might be socially isolated. But they often have significant assets. Elder abuse can go unnoticed because it is often hidden from view.
"We can reduce such abuses and the toll they take on seniors if victims' neighbors, friends and relatives know the signs," Donnelly said. "These can range from obvious problems such as bruises, soiled clothing or unsafe living conditions to more subtle concerns such as unpaid bills, weight loss or depression."
Other signs of neglect or abuse include a senior's lack of necessities, such as food, or problems with utilities or medication, Donnelly said. Elder abuse tends to be underreported because the victim often has an emotional bond with the perpetrator.
The consequences of abuse can be especially serious for older adults because their bones are more brittle and recuperation takes longer. Even a relatively minor injury can cause serious and permanent damage.
The presentations on elder abuse are already scheduled at senior centers and senior housing complexes from St. Joseph to Chillicothe to St. Louis. The meetings are scheduled from June 9 through June 28. See below for a complete listing.
Donnelly urged Missourians to join the rest of the world in donning purple on June 15 to raise awareness of elder abuse.
To raise awareness further, the National Council on Elder Abuse will run a 15-second informational piece featuring actor William Mapother on U.S. movie screens. Mapother plays Ethan Rom on the TV show "Lost." The announcements will run until June 24.
In Missouri, the Department of Health and Senior Services receives and investigates reports of abuse and neglect of the elderly and persons with disabilities. Anyone who suspects a senior or disabled Missourian is being abused, neglected or exploited should call the department's toll-free hotline at 1-800-392-0210.
List of elder abuse presentations by DHSS staff in June:
9:00 a.m. June 9
South County Senior Center
9415 Gentry
St. Louis
Presenters: Jennifer Indelicato and Karen Siegel
10:15 a.m. June 9
West County Senior Center
14535 Manchester
Presenter: Helga Werth-Morgan
12:30 p.m. June 9
Clinton Senior Center
970 E. Sedalia Ave.
Presenter: Wanda Staley
10:00 a.m. June 15
Green Lantern Senior Center
506 S. Linn Ave.
Presenter: Karen Klearman
10:45 a.m. June 15
Southside Senior Center
2215 S. Fremont
Presenter: Randy Weaver
11:00 a.m. June 15
Nodaway Senior Center
1210 E. 1st St.
Presenter: Karen Worthington
11:00 a.m. June 15
St. Clair County Senior Center
120 Pine St.
Presenter: Wanda Staley
11:30 a.m. June 15
Slater Senior Center
123 Main St.
Presenters: Christy Thorp and Kim Chastine
12:30 p.m. June 15
Hickory County Senior Center
Hwy. 54
Presenter: Wanda Staley
11:30 a.m. June 16
Warsaw Senior Center
920 Gunstock
Presenters: Renee Mazurek or Deana Schlesselman
11 a.m. June 17
Cameron Nutrition Site
315 E. 3rd
Presenter: Karen Worthington
11 a.m. June 17
Cole Camp Senior Center
206 Jungle St.
Cole Camp
Presenter: Renee Mazurek or Deana Schlesselman
11:30 a.m. June 18
Concordia Senior Center
710 Main St.
Presenters: Christine Walther and Deana Schlesselman
10:45 a.m. June 22
Mercer County Senior Center
110 Broadway
Presenter: Christal Reeter
11:00 a.m. June 22
Washington Senior Center
1459 W. 5th St.
Presenter: Teresa Gentry
11:30 a.m. June 22
Calvin Senior Center
1412 N. 3rd St.
St. Joseph
Presenter: Haley Ludington
11:30 a.m. June 23
Wesley Towers (senior housing complex)
1002 Francis St.
St. Joseph
Presenter: Kim Piper
11:15 a.m. June 25
Stockton Senior Center
510 E. Hwy. 32
Presenter: Wanda Staley
11:30 a.m. June 25
Grand River Multipurpose Center
440 Locust
Presenter: Jamie Wes
11:00 a.m. June 28
Sullivan Senior Center
730 W. Main St.
Presenter: Teresa Gentry