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Our 2018 Spring/Summer collection went live a few weeks back and as anticipated the Range has gone down really well with the return of some Day 1 designs and the addition of updated trims and details.
The new collection comprises of 2 Full Tracksuits, 4 Tees, 3 Vests, 3 Sweatshorts and a range of New Snapbacks & Trucker Hats with our Script Logo making a return to all Headwear pieces, a design we used on our 1st ever Hats.
If you're not a Subscriber to our Youtube channel and haven't already seen our behind The Scenes edit, check it out below with our models @mponde5 and @misshjfox

subset: commoncrawl


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Last week's most interesting tech news may just be the controversy brewing in the world of net neutrality where FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is looking to extend these principles to wireless networks. To me it makes sense that all networks should embrace net neutrality and subsequently charge users accordingly. In other words if I want to stream infinite amounts of music and videos, I should be allowed to as I realize I have to pay for my greater than average usage. Currently I use Skype video on an EVDO wireless network when no broadband alternatives exist and I am always fearful my carrier will shut me down for doing so. Why? Because the terms of service of many wireless carriers forbid VoIP and restrict the amount of bandwidth used per month. I would rather pay a few dollars more per month for EVDO and not live in fear. Moreover, if I want to see my family on Skype, I prefer to see them at the highest resolution and best quality possible and it upsets me that deep packet inspection tools are used by carriers to slow "undesirable" net traffic and in turn potentially reduce the clarity of video calls.
When I purchased an iPhone a while back I wanted it purely for web browsing but AT&T forced me to purchase a voice plan which cost me more than $40/per month. Did I feel like I was being ripped off? Sure. But I knew the phone was subsidized and moreover I knew telecom rules, rates and regulations in the US have often defied logic. For many years it cost much more to call someone one town over than it did to call someone across the country. Local calls while generally free cost the carrier money. In the nineties a thriving international callback business was launched when people realized they could call into the US from an international number and hang up and let a computer call them back from the US where rates were far cheaper. This International callback space preceded the IP communications market but similar to VoIP, it looked for opportunities to reduce phone rates by playing on the inconsistencies in international telecom rates and regulations.
Carriers have to deal with these inconsistencies while trying to generate profit in a world where VoIP has wreaked havoc on their ability to make money. Thankfully the cellular market exists because if it didn't, AT&T would be a very different company – perhaps more similar to Kodak as it watches its monopoly (duopoly, etc) position erode.
Part of the reason the FCC is talking about net neutrality principles has to do with Apple denying Google Voice into the app store. As most journalists know, you are better off getting information out of the CIA than you are out of Apple – when it doesn't want to comment that is. Google says Apple didn't approve of their application, Apple said it hasn't decided. I believe Apple realizes this application will cut into AT&T revenue, making it less feasible for it and other carriers to pay the hefty fees the iPhone commands from carriers. You may recall an application called Newber which was developed last year allowed the iPhone to have a second phone line and bypass calls which would normally ride on the AT&T wireless network. It should be no surprise that Apple didn't approve of this application either – or as they like to say about VoIP apps when the FCC asks, — "We are still considering it."
But back to the Apple/Google or should I say AT&T/Google controversy? Recently AT&T happened to point out that Google Voice doesn't adhere to net neutrality principles because it doesn't allow calls to areas of the countries where termination rates are high. Actually AT&T has a good point and while many "free press" advocates are complaining that this is not an apples to apples comparison because Google is not a telephone company.
While this is true, Google is not an underdog and it is difficult to feel sorry for a company which has a monopoly on web searching. Moreover, this dominant position has allowed the company to help wipe out much of the newspaper and magazine business which many argue is reducing the quality of articles consumers have access to. Amazingly Google can give things away all day long without affecting its stock price. They build browsers, operating systems, applications, services and all the while they don't have to make money from any of it – their core search business fuels the destruction of value in countless industries. In fact blogger Flourian Seroussi thinks Google is dumping and feels they need to be brought to justice.
The reason the newspaper discussion above is relevant is because Google seems to thrive on destroying business models as it looks for new ways to potentially generate revenue. These moves are all considered to be positive for consumers but in the newspaper and magazine example, there is little money left for serious investigative reporting at these organizations. I wonder if Google continues down its desired path, will it also reduce AT&T's ability to invest in its network? Likewise for other carriers worldwide.
Remember that $40/month I paid AT&T above? Some of it went to reinvesting in a faster network. I may not like to pay it but I do realize carriers need to make profit.
So yes, if Google wants the world to be utopian and fair then it needs to connect to all numbers as well. The company argues that it shouldn't need to do this but I find the argument less than convincing. One of the things which has bothered me about Skype and now Google Voice is that they tell you they aren't cannibalizing carrier revenue because you need a phone line to leverage these services. What they are doing however is cannibalizing the carrier's ability to make money as long-distance is where the profit lies.
Andy Abramson reminds us that AT&T actually had a service called CallVantage which was years ahead of most all other VoIP players and he further explains that AT&T could be in a much different position if they didn't kill this product. To me it is obvious that when AT&T put back the old Ma Bell back together they realized they were in a monopolistic position to control traffic and it was far better to control the pipes and make money from information providers than it was to rely on other carriers to uphold net neutrality principles. So killing CallVantage made sense to them at the time.
The challenge to AT&T now is what happens if the femtocell market becomes essential to their future? These devices take cell traffic off 3G and 4G networks and funnel it through devices which are connected to broadband lines – similar to how WiFi telephony works via local access points.
In other w
ords, perhaps AT&T will soon have to deal with net neutrality principles from an "information service" perspective – whether it wants to or not. And when it does, its perspective on net neutrality may begin to change.
There are no simple answers here but the ramifications wireless FCC changes could be tremendous, enabling consumers to take advantage of Google Voice on the iPhone today, perhaps at the expense of long-term investment in 4G networks worldwide.


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School-level genetic variation predicts school-level verbal IQ scores: Results from a sample of American middle and high schools
Kevin M. Beaver, John Paul Wright (2011)
Research has consistently revealed that average IQ scores vary significantly across macro-level units, such as states and nations. The reason for this variation in IQ, however, has remained at the center of much controversy. One of the more provocative explanations is that IQ across macro-level units is the result of genetic differences, but empirical studies have yet to examine this possibility directly. The current study partially addresses this gap in the literature by examining whether average IQ scores across thirty-six schools are associated with differences in the allelic distributions of dopaminergic polymorphisms across schools. Analysis of data drawn from subjects (ages 12–19 years) participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health provides support in favor of this perspective, where variation in school-level IQ scores was predicted by school-level genetic variation. This association remained statistically significant even after controlling for the effects of race.
1. Introduction
Substantial variation exists across macro-level units for virtually every measurable characteristic. For example, research has revealed that indicators of wealth, measures of health, and crime rates vary significantly across neighborhoods, states, and nations (Beaver & Wright, 2011; Kanazawa, 2008; McDaniel, 2006; Pesta, McDaniel, & Bertsch, 2010). This same line of research has also documented that variation and inequality tend to be the most pronounced at the level of the nation. Stated simply, some nations are rich and others are poor; some nations are healthy and others are not; some nations have high rates of crime and others have low rates of crime (Braithwaite, 1989). The question that has plagued researchers, however, is what accounts for such disparities. Most of the explanations that have been advanced to explain nation-level differences have focused on culture, socialization, access to resources, and other socio-environmental factors (e.g., Diamond, 1997; Messner & Rosenfeld, 1994).
Perhaps the most controversial explanation for inequality across nations was advanced in Lynn and Vanhanen's (2002) book, IQ and a Wealth of Nations. In this book Lynn and Vanhanen empirically examined the association between the average IQ of the nation and measures of wealth. The result of their analyses revealed a statistically significant association, where nations with higher average IQ scores tended to have more wealth than nations with lower IQ scores. More recently, they expanded their analyses and examined whether nation-level IQ scores were related to other measures of inequalities, such as educational level, life expectancy, and literacy rates (Lynn & Vanhanen, 2006). Their results once again indicated a statistically significant association between IQ and an assortment of measures of inequality.
With evidence mounting in favor of the position that nation-level IQ scores are related to inequality across nations, the next logical question to ask is what accounts for variation in IQ across nations? Lynn and Vanhanen (2002, 2006) (see also Hart, 2007; Rushton, 1997) advanced a very provocative and controversial claim that variation in nation-level IQ scores is produced by genetic variation across nations. Much of the evidence that they cite and discuss in relation to this claim, however, centers on heritability estimates that were generated using data at the individual level. For example, Lynn and Vanhanen (2006) describe the results of twin studies showing that IQ is about .75, meaning that about 75% of the variance in IQ is due to genetic factors. Although the evidence indicating that variation in individual-level IQ scores is due largely to genetic factors is overwhelming, the connection between individual-level IQ scores and nation-level IQ scores is not entirely clear. Heritability estimates are point estimates that are designed to explain variance generated from individual scores and thus whether these results can be extrapolated to higher levels of aggregation remains to be determined.
The goal of the current study is to provide a partial test of Lynn and Vanhanen's (2002, 2006) thesis that variation in IQ scores at the nation level is the result of genetic differences. Our analysis focuses on examining whether polymorphisms in dopaminergic genes are related to IQ scores. We employed dopaminergic genes because prior research has provided some theoretical and empirical evidence linking the dopaminergic system, including dopaminergic polymorphisms, to cognitive abilities and IQ (Beaver, DeLisi, Vaughn, & Wright, 2010; Berman & Noble, 1995; Previc, 1999).
Due to data limitations we were unable to obtain data that included IQ scores at the nation level and genetic data at the nation level. We were, however, able to locate data that included IQ scores and DNA markers that could be aggregated to the school level. In this way, we were able to test whether variation in IQ scores at the school level was associated with variation in DNA markers that were aggregated to the school level. While using data aggregated to the school level cannot be considered a definitive test of Lynn and Vanhanen's hypotheses at the nation level, the results based on schools can be considered an initial test of their statements for two main reasons. First, schools, like nations, show tremendous variation in terms of health, wealth, crime, and even IQ (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994; Saab & Klinger, 2010; Weissberg, 2010). Second, Lynn and Vanhanen's (2002) arguments linking IQ to various outcomes have been shown to exist at levels of aggregation other than the nation, including the state level and the county level (Beaver & Wright, 2011; Kanazawa, 2008; McDaniel, 2006; Pesta et al., 2010). It is quite likely, then, that Lynn and Vanahanen's explanation may apply to all types of aggregate units of analysis, not just nations. We use this possibility as a springboard to provide the first partial test of Lynn and Vanhanen's provocative thesis that IQ varies across nations because of variation in genetic factors.
2. Method
2.1. Sample
Data for this study come from waves 1 and 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The Add Health is a four-wave study of a nationally representative sample of American youths who were enrolled in seventh through twelfth grades during the 1994–1995 school year (Udry, 2003). Multi-stage stratified sampling techniques were employed to select 132 middle and high schools included in the study. Students attending these schools were administered a self-report survey during a specified school day. More than 90,000 youths were included in the wave 1 in-school component of the Add Health study. A subsample of youths was then selected to be reinterviewed at their homes to gain more detailed information. Altogether, 20,745 adolescents participated in the wave 1 in-home component of the study (Harris, Florey, Tabor, Bearman, Jones, & Udry, 2003).
One of the distinguishing features of the Add Health data is that at wave 3 a subsample of respondents was genotyped. To be eligible for participation in the DNA subsample, respondents had to have a sibling who was also included in the study. If they were eligible, and if they agreed to participate, then they submitted samples of their buccal cells to be genotyped. Genotyping was conducted in coordination with the Institute of Behavioral Genetics in Boulder, Colorado and Add Health. In total, more than 2500 participants were included in the DNA subsample of the study (Harris, Halpern, Smolen, & Haberstick, 2006).
The final analytic sample consisted of only schools where there were at least 19 students who were included in the sample. In that way, the school-level estimates, which were based on aggregated individual-level scores, were less subject to variability associated with small sample sizes. After removing schools with less than 19 students, we were left with a final analytical sample of 1265 youths nested within 36 schools. Given that our analysis is based on a small sample size (N=36 schools), the power to detect small-to-moderate effect sizes is compromised. Any statistically significant effects that are detected will thus be moderate-to-large in magnitude.
2.2. Measures
2.2.1. School-level IQ scores
At wave 1, Add Health participants completed the Picture Vocabulary Test (PVT). The PVT is an abbreviated version of the full-length Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), a test used to assess verbal abilities and receptive vocabulary. The PVT measure has been used previously as a measure of IQ among researchers analyzing the Add Health data (Rowe, Jacobson, & Van den Oord, 1999). School-level IQ was estimated by aggregating and averaging individual PVT scores at the school level. A similar technique has been used previously to estimate county-level IQ (Beaver & Wright, 2011). The final score represents the average IQ score for respondents attending that school. The average school-level IQ was 99.08 with a standard deviation of 7.54.
2.2.2. School-level dopamine scores
To estimate school-level dopamine scores, we aggregated and averaged (at the school level) genotypic scores for three dopaminergic polymorphisms: one in the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1), one in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2/ANKK1), and one in the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4). Detailed information about the genotyping of these polymorphisms is available elsewhere (Beaver, Vaughn, Wright, DeLisi, & Howard, 2010; Hopfer, Timberlake, Haberstick, Lessem, Ehringer, Smolen et al., 2005). We used prior research examining the link between dopaminergic genes and cognitive abilities to determine which alleles should be coded as the risk alleles (Beaver, Vaughn et al., 2010). Briefly, respondents were genotyped for a 40 base pair variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) in the 3′ untranslated region of DAT1 (SLC6A3). For this polymorphism, the 10R allele was coded as the risk allele, while the 9R allele was coded as the non-risk allele. Following the lead of prior researchers (Hopfer et al., 2005), alleles other than the 9R and 10R were removed from the analysis. The second dopaminergic polymorphism included in the current study was the DRD2/ANKK1 TaqIA polymorphism. For DRD2/ANKK1, the A1 allele was scored as the risk allele and the A2 allele was scored as the non-risk allele. Last, DRD4 has a 48 base pair VNTR located at 11p15.5 on exon III. Two groups of alleles were created: one that included the 2R, 3R, 4R, 5R, and 6R alleles and one that included the 7R, 8R, 9R, and 10R alleles. The group of alleles that contained alleles of 7R or greater were coded as the risk alleles while the other group of alleles were coded as the non-risk alleles. All of the polymorphisms were coded codominantly, where the value indexed the number of risk alleles that each respondent possessed (0 risk alleles, 1 risk allele, or 2 risk alleles).
Following prior research indicating that the combination of genes (as opposed to each gene in isolation) tends to have the strongest and most consistent effects on human phenotypes (Belsky & Beaver, 2011; Li et al., 2010), we created an additive dopamine index (Beaver, Vaughn et al., 2010). To create this index, the scores for each of the three polymorphisms were summed at the individual level with values ranging between zero (0) and six. We then aggregated and averaged the individual-level dopamine scores for each school. The average school-level dopamine score was 2.54, with a standard deviation of 0.28.
2.2.3. Percentage African American
We included a measure of percentage African American in the analyses as a control variable. To create this measure, we aggregated and averaged scores on an individual-level self-reported race question, where 0=white and 1=African American. The resulting value indexed the percentage of African Americans who were attending the school.
2.3. Analytical strategy
The analysis for this study was conducted in two main steps. First, our analysis was focused on the interrelationships between IQ and dopaminergic polymorphisms at the individual-level. Specifically, we estimated the means and standard deviations for IQ by each genotype and we also examined the bivariate correlations between the dopaminergic genes and IQ scores. In addition, we examined whether IQ scores and dopaminergic scores varied across schools by calculating F-tests. The second step in the analysis was to estimate whether school-level dopamine scores predicted school-level IQ scores before and after controlling for percentage African American. To do so, we conducted ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models.
3. Results
The analysis begins by first estimating the association between each of the dopaminergic polymorphisms and individual-level IQ scores. Table 1 presents the means, standard deviations, sample sizes, and correlations for each of the genotypes. The results indicate that DAT1 and DRD2 maintain statistically significant and negative associations with IQ scores, while the effect of DRD4 on IQ is non-significant. To further explore the association between dopaminergic polymorphisms and IQ, we employed the additive dopamine scale as a predictor of IQ scores. The results of this analysis indicated a statistically significant and negative association between IQ and dopamine scores, where higher scores on the dopamine index correspond to lower IQ scores (r=−.15, p<.05, two-tailed test).
We continue our analysis of the individual-level data by examining whether IQ scores and dopamine scores vary significantly across the 36 schools. Our aggregate-level analyses hinge on significant variation across schools in both IQ and dopamine scores, otherwise it would be akin to trying to explain a constant with a constant, a variable with a constant, or a constant with a variable. The results of the F-tests revealed that IQ scores varied significantly across schools (F=11.227, p<.05) as do dopamine scores (F=2.239, p<.05). Fig. 1 reveals additional support that IQ scores and dopamine scores vary significantly across schools. The distributions in this figure reveal the scores for IQ and dopamine, respectively, across schools and clearly indicate a significant amount of dispersion for both variables.
The next set of analyses examines the association between school-level dopamine scores and school-level IQ. Model 1 in Table 2 shows the results of the bivariate analyses revealing a strong and statistically significant negative association between dopamine scores and IQ scores (as measured with a standardized regression coefficient [i.e., Beta]). Given that allelic distributions for certain genes and IQ scores both vary across race/ethnicity, it is possible that the results would be rendered spurious by the confounding effects of race. As a result, in Model 2 we introduce the percentage of African American variable. As can be seen, even after including race in the analysis, the partial correlation between school-level dopamine scores and school-level IQ scores remained large and statistically significant.
Last, to examine convergence in the results generated at the individual level with those generated at the school level, we plotted predicted IQ scores across scores on the dopamine scale index. The dopamine scale indexes were z-transformed so that the individual-level analysis could be compared with the school-level analysis. Fig. 2 portrays these plots and shows a high degree of convergence in the slopes and by implication the predicted values, where IQ scores decrease as the total number of risk alleles increases.
4. Discussion
Research has consistently revealed that IQ and other measures of cognitive abilities vary significantly across macro-level units of analysis, such as states, nations, and even schools. Although various explanations have been set forth to explain variation in IQ at the macro-level, the most controversial explanation is that genetic variation across macro-level units explains variation in IQ. To this point, however, empirical research had not directly examined this potential link. The current study partially addressed this gap in the literature by examining whether variation in IQ at the school level was associated with dopaminergic scores aggregated to the school-level. Analysis of data drawn from the Add Health revealed support in favor of this position, where schools that had higher dopamine scores were the same schools that had, on average, lower IQ scores.
Our results also examined the association between dopaminergic polymorphisms and IQ at the individual level. Consistent with prior research (e.g., Beaver, DeLisi et al., 2010; Berman & Noble, 1995), the associations between dopaminergic genes and individual-level IQ scores were either small and statistically significant or non-significant. Recall, however, that the association between school-level dopamine scores and school-level IQ scores was relatively large in magnitude, which necessarily begs the question of why the effects differed so markedly. While not exhaustive we offer two potential explanations. First, given the small sample size that was employed in the school-level analysis, our statistical power to detect small-to-moderate effect sizes was severely compromised and detecting large effect sizes could be due, in part, to methodological and statistical artifacts. We addressed this possibility by comparing the predicted values of IQ scores at the individual- and school-levels of analysis. The results of these models converged suggesting that the significant effects at the school-level are not solely due to a methodological or statistical artifact.
Second, it is well known that findings detected at one level of analysis cannot be extrapolated to other levels of aggregation (Piantadosi, Byar, & Green, 1988; Samuelson, 1955). This phenomenon is particularly salient in the social sciences where research often spans multiple units of analysis, but the effects can differ considerably among units of analysis (Kramer, 1983). Criminological research, for instance, consistently reveals a strong and robust association between poverty and crime rates among macrosocial units (e.g., states or neighborhoods), while the association between poverty and criminal involvement at the individual-level is weak and oftentimes non-significant. It is quite possible that this pattern also applies to genetic research, where the usual small effects of single genes detected at the individual level become much larger at higher levels of aggregation. Future research will need to explore this possibility in much greater detail.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to aggregate DNA markers to a unit of analysis higher than the individual. Moreover, this is the first study to our knowledge that has revealed that variation in aggregate IQ scores is associated with variation in aggregate DNA markers. These results are in line with Lynn and Vanhanen's (2002, 2006) (see also Hart, 2007; Rushton, 1997) thesis that the average IQ of nations is the result of genetic differences across those nations. Of course, the current study used schools, not nations, as the unit of analysis, meaning that the results reported here may not generalize to other levels of aggregation, including the nation level. There is good reason to believe, however, that the association between DNA and IQ would be even stronger at the nation level in comparison with the school level. There is much more variation in both genetic markers and IQ scores cross-nationally than there is across schools. Schools in the current study were all drawn from the same country (i.e., the United States) creating more genetic homogeneity among schools than there is among nations. Given that nations can vary quite drastically in terms of the allelic distributions of certain genes (Cavalli-Sforza, Menozzi, & Piazza, 1994), it stands to reason that this increased genetic variation would be able to explain more of the variance in IQ scores. Future research is needed to address this issue more fully and examine whether the link between DNA markers and IQ scores would be detected at other levels of aggregation.
The results of the current study provide some of the first evidence indicating that IQ scores across macro-level units are the result of genetic factors. As with all research, though, the current study is host to at least three limitations that need to be rectified in follow-up studies. First, only three dopaminergic genes were used to create the dopamine scale. Although the dopaminergic systemhas previously been linked to IQ (Beaver, DeLisi et al., 2010; Berman & Noble, 1995; Previc, 1999), future research would benefit by examining a broader range of genes from the dopaminergic system and other systems of genes that may be linked to IQ. Second, the data that were available only allowed for IQ and DNA to be aggregated to the school level. It would be interesting to examine what types of associations are visible at other levels of aggregation, including the neighborhood level, the state level, and the nation level. Third, the measure of IQ was based on scores garnered from the PVT, a test designed to assess verbal skills. Whether the results would be observed using different measures of IQ is an empirical question awaiting future research. Until these limitations are addressed, the results of the current study should be interpreted with caution. If future researchers are able to replicate these findings, then the results would begin to provide additional support that cross-national inequalities may be produced, in part, by genetic variation.


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Road Trip in Cali – Yosemite
Yosemite was one of the most beautiful parks that I have ever been to. Beautiful…and very, very crowded. Upon our arrival, we experienced traffic like you wouldn't believe. Similar to New Jersey, but with one-way roads and pullouts overflowed into traffic. "Want to check out that cool waterfall?" "Well you can't because thirty other people […]Read More


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YUI Weekly for December 14th, 2012
Welcome to YUI Weekly, the weekly roundup of news and announcements from the YUI team and community. If you have any interesting demos or links you'd like to share, leave a comment below or email contributions to email@example.com.
This week saw the official release of YUI 3.8, which introduces Y.Color, new templating utilties, observability in Attribute and Base, ScrollView enhancements, and much more. Happy upgrading!
In "YUI Moving from Builder to Shifter", Andrew Wooldridge gives an overview of Shifter, YUI's new Node.js-based build tool.
In this week's YUI Open Roundtable we discussed Promises, Open Sauce, performance benchmarking, Ticket #2532677, static analysis tools, Widget Popup, and more. You can find video of that meeting here, and check out the YUI Open Roundtable wiki for more details on previous and future Roundtables. We also created an Open Roundtable playlist on our YouTube channel.
New YUIConf 2012 videos this week: Douglas Crockford's keynote "Monads and Gonads" and Evan Goer's "Writing for Developers"
Daniel Barreiro (aka: Satyam) contributed a post to describe "The Flyweight Pattern" and introduce the FlyweightTreeManager and FWTreeView Gallery modules.
A user on Quora asked "How does YUI 3 achieve responsive web design?"
In "YUI From the Inside", YUI contributor Ryan Grove (@yaypie) praises the project for introducing more transparency and ease of contribution, which he requested a few months ago in "YUI from the Outside". Thanks Ryan!
Luke, Tilo, and Eric got together talk about issues around the
tapevent and the native DOM events it's built on.
Version bumps this week for the following YUI devtools: grover, shifter, yogi. Upgrade with
npm install -g shifter grover yogi.
New and Updated modules in the Gallery this week: alea, array-unnest, bottle, button-plugin, composite-image, datatable-paginator, datatable-selection, flyweight-tree, fwt-treeview, paginator-view, and weighted-list.
Reads of the Week (thanks to JavaScript Weekly)


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NHS 'Never Events', Legal Claims and the Fight for Improvement
The NHS has an unenviable task. Providing good healthcare to over 60 million of us throughout the UK requires immeasurable resources. The complexity of procedures and the high expectations of each of us given the vast advances in medicine also add to the responsibility the NHS has to bear.
The level of service received is monitored by internal reporting and external monitoring. The Government sets targets to help healthcare providers achieve a uniform service across the country. Despite best intentions, the standard does vary and it is so often seen that particularly good or bad care can be down to the actions of one person. In the case of good service, a clinician or nurse may stand out as they went the extra mile for the patient, something that as a patient, means so much when you are in need of care.
Just as the service can be great for a varying number of reasons, the service can also be a disappointment and cause for complaint or claim for a varying number of reasons.
The NHS has systems to monitor and address deficiencies in its service, the objective being to improve service for the population.
This article covers some of the various strategies employed by the NHS to deal with those deficiencies and problems and also how it deals with complaints.
Dissatisfaction can occur because of all sorts of reasons, for example long clinic waiting times, failures in surgical treatment or provision of the incorrect discharge medication.
You can read more about how to make a complaint within our article 'Raising A Complaint'.
Bigger problems, some of which may be referred to as 'Never Events' are more serious and trigger internal investigations.
Never Events
Never Events are medical situations or outcomes that usually represent a fundamental error that, by its very title, should never have happened. They are defined by NHS Improvement as serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if existing national guidance or safety recommendations have been implemented by healthcare providers.
Such examples are; equipment or material left in the body following surgery, operating on the wrong side or part of the body or receiving treatment that was meant for a different patient or placing a line or tube wrongly in a patient.
For a period of 6 months, between 1 April and 30 November 2017, 332 Never Events were reported by NHS England. By comparison, the period 1 April to 30 November 2016 had 270 incidents, indicating a concerning rise.
Trusts have to report Never Events centrally and these are then are published on the NHS Improvement website in the spirit of openness. Looking at the list, there are no particular hotspots, with events occurring throughout the country in hospitals large and small.
NHS Improvement (NHSI)
NHS Improvement is a central body set up to oversee the service of bodies providing NHS care. The NHSI aims to support healthcare providers on certain key elements including quality, finance and operational development. By identifying, amongst other things, 'Never Events' through a National Reporting and Learning System, the intention is that quality can be monitored and the appropriate support provided to Trusts to improve.
NHS Resolution & Legal Claims NHS Resolution is a central Government body set up to manage claims brought against NHS providers. Previously known as the NHS Litigation Authority, their role is to process claims and resolve issues in dispute. The change in name reflects an intention by the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to focus on the resolution of an issue rather than a prolonged dispute.
As this Government body sits centrally, it always had an additional advantage in being able to identify any common problems in the service or problems with particular Trusts, however, this part of the role now works in tandem with the fairly newly formed NHS Improvement.
Legal claims are inextricably linked to measures to monitor and improve service. Legal claims themselves are managed by NHS Resolution, often using Solicitors to process such claims. They will acknowledge when negligent service has led to recognisable injury or illness and look at compensation payments. During claim processing, they can make reports and recommendations to the NHS to improve problems in the service.
Professional Regulatory Bodies
Bodies such as the General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council also monitor service by supporting and monitoring their individual members. Such Bodies set ethical standards, maintain registers of practitioners and their specialisms and, in the case of the GMC conduct 'revalidation' checks every 5 years to check the particular practitioner is fit to practice in their chosen field. Regulatory Bodies also look into complaints from members of the public, some of which may lead to disciplinary hearings.
Final Word
The patients, ie all of us, are a tier of the monitoring system. By feeding back and complaining when necessary, we can all help to improve the service.
On the occasion when the problem is more serious, or you need help with a complaint or potential claim against a healthcare provider, contact us here at Battens.
We provide a comprehensive medical and clinical negligence service. We can help you pursue a legal claim against the healthcare provider concerned, to help you obtain compensation and move on from the incident.
Our specialist team is local to you and very experienced, specialising in clinical claims. We have offices located throughout Somerset and Dorset - from Bath to Weymouth and Wareham. We are highly sympathetic and make it a point to treat all our clients as individuals, not numbers. We also offer No Win, No Fee type fee arrangements in a lot of cases.
Click here for more information or contact email@example.com or 01935 846131.
For more related articles to this topic click here.
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Immunization Patient Registry with Integrated Technology (ImmPRINT) is a statewide population-based information system for all children born in Alabama since January 1, 1993. Vaccine histories are also available for patients of all ages if they have been to a county health department or see a private provider enrolled in ImmPRINT.
ImmPRINT Enrollment Benefits
- Print only ADPH approved Certificate of Immunization
- See Vaccine Forecaster to ensure the best medical decision
- Run HL7 Reports to ensure all vaccine administered is transmitted
Questions a provider is supposed to ask their EHR vendor prior to picking an EHR:
- Has the EHR passed Testing and signed DSA with ImmPRINT?
- Does the EHR product has bidirectional functionality?
- ImmPRINT requires real time transmission, what is the estimated time lag for data transmission?
- If needed, can the EHR transmit all the vaccine records present in the EHR prior to the interface setup?
- HL7 Interface Checklist for Providers
Healthcare Providers: Be the Boss of Your EHR!
- Providers pay their vendors for their EHR (Electronic Health Record).
- Provider/staff must verify what their vendor is doing or not doing.
- Provider/staff is the only entity that can ensure its vendor's compliance.
- IMM will support providers/staff to "Be the Boss" by scheduling a three-way conference call with the provider, the vendor, and the ImmPRINT staff. To schedule a conference call, email your request to email@example.com.
- "Be the Boss" Flyer
ImmPRINT Meaningful Use (MU)
Alabama Department of Public Health
Immunization Patient Resources with Integrated Technology (ImmPRINT)
Declaration of Readiness for Modified Stage 2 and Stage 3 Meaningful Use (MU)
Readiness Statement
ImmPRINT accepts electronic immunization data submissions from Eligible Professionals' (EPs) and Eligible Hospitals' (EHs) certified electronic health record (EHR), to fulfill the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and the MIPS Advancing Care Information Quality Payment Program for Public Health MU Reporting Objective - Immunization Registry Reporting.
Therefore, no Alabama EPs or EHs administering vaccines can receive exclusion to the Public Health Reporting MU Objective- Immunization Registry Reporting.
ImmPRINT accepts MU Exchange Standards listed below:
· MU Stage 2 HL7 Version 2.5.1
· MU Stage 3 HL7 Version 2.5.1
ImmPRINT currently is accepting Query/Response, Acknowledgement Messages, and National Drug Codes (NDC) for encountered vaccines. By 01/01/2018, ImmPRINT will implement the CDC HL7 2.5.1 Implementation Guide for Immunization Messaging, Release 1.5 and Addendum.
- ImmPRINT Login
- Onboarding Roadmap
- HL7 Master Guide
- HL7 Error Guide and FAQs
- Glossary
- ADPH Security Portal
- Onboarding Letter
- Switching Vendor Guidelines
- Data Sharing Agreement
ADPH has been requested by Alabama providers statewide to supply the list of EHR vendors who have signed the Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) for HL7 onboarding. ADPH is not endorsing any vendors, but simply providing the requested list. Since September 2016, the following vendors have signed the DSA and established unidirectional or bidirectional interface. Please click here to view the list.
Enhancements are scheduled to be implemented on the first Friday of each month. Please click on the link below to see the new enhancements.
ImmPRINT News
- Steps to Assigning Students Manually in ImmPRINT (for School Nurses)
- Steps to Assigning Students by Spreadsheet
- Example of ADPH approved COI printed from ImmPRINT.
- Exchange of Immunization Information and Operation of the Alabama Immunization Registry
- State Law Governing Exchange of Immunization Data
- Immunization data can be shared with other immunization data users, schools, day care, etc., without the patient's permission, to learn more see HIPAA Letter.
- Vaccine Coverage Rate Report Flyer
If you are a healthcare provider, school, or child care center and want to enroll, please view the map and contact your District Immunization Compliance Manager or email email@example.com
Page last updated: March 26, 2019


text:
Found this really cool video, granted it's from last year, but I think everyone should have a look at it.
A good 12 years for Science 😛
…I've been seeing it every day for two years and it still looks amazing!
…I remember how hard is was to get the drivers working for an Nvidia card!
Looks promising
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
A really cool movie:
…more clips on RSA's channel.


text:
Inserts a translation using the results from Bing Translator.http://bingtranslator.codeplex.com/
|bing windows-live-writer
Syntax Higlighter plugin for Windows Live Writer. It uses syntax higlighter 2.0 ([urlhttp://alexgorbatchev.com/wiki/SyntaxHighlighter])live-writer live-writer-plugin windows-live-writer wlw wlw-plugins
HiglightMe For Windows Live Writer. Windows Live Writer Plugin For Syntax Highlighting.code-hilight syntax-highlighting windows-live-writer wlw wlw-plugins
A collection of miscellaneous plugins for Windows Live Writer that use exploratory "hacks" to get around limitations in the Windows Live Writer API.windows-live-writer blogging code-snippet digg digg-this
The Text Template Plugin for Windows Live Writer provides a means to store and re-use common "snips" or templates. Common terms, emotes/moods, links, images, etc can all be stored, viewed, sorted, searched and re-used.wlw live-writer livewriter plugin windows-live-writer
The Related Post Plugin for Windows Live Writer provides a simple way to insert links to other blogs & and their posts.wlw live-writer plugin windows-live-writer
This Windows Live Writer plugin allows you to select a Favorite (Bookmark) and insert it into your blog entry.blog live-writer plugin windows-live-writer wlw wlw-plugins
SyntaxHighlighter for Windows Live Writer is a plugin that inserts code with tags for SyntaxHighlighter(http://code.google.com/p/syntaxhighlighter/). This plugin includes resource of ja-JP(Japan language).windows-live-writer live-writer-plugin script
Live Writer Picasa Plugin is a plugin for Windows Live Writer that allows you to embed photos from your Picasa Web Albums into your blog posts. Live Writer Picasa Plugin is written in C#.2011 blog gadget gafgagadgda gfgas
This project is an open place for all developers who want to share their Microsoft Windows Live Writer Plugins with others.blogging live-writer livewriter wlw keyvan-nayyeri live myfav
Delicious Bookmarks inserts an Unordered list of bookmarks into Windows Live Writer, from your delicious account. It can be filtered to just a single tag and remembers the last time it was run. You'll no longer need to manually copy each link over. It's developed in C#delicious windows-live-writer wlw wlw-plugins
Windows Live Writer Code Colorizer is a Windows Live Writer plug-in that provides the means to insert and colorize source code.
xPollinate is a Windows Live Writer plugin that enables you to cross post your blog entries to other blogs, as well as social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook via Ping.FM. Use it to reach more audiences, or even to create backups of your blog posts.blogging social-networking windows-live-writer wlw wlw-plugins
A code snippet plugin for Windows Live Writer with support for Syntaxhighlighter as well as good support for snippet indentation.plugin windows-live-writer wlw blog code-snippet syntaxhighlighter
Enables syntax highlighting of source code samples in your blog posts using Alex Gorbatchev's SyntaxHighlighter. The project has two parts BlogEngine.net integration components with SyntaxHighligher and Windows Live Writer SourceCode plugin.syntax-highlighting windows-live-writer
WLWBackup is a backup utility for Windows Live Writer. This includes blog settings, posts and plugins.backup blog live-writer wlw
Allows you to include up to three files for publishing in a post using Windows Live Writer.live-writer plugin upload windows-live-writer
Clipboard Live enhances the pasting abilities in Windows Live Writer. Copy and Paste Images, HTML pages, Web Images, Visual Studio Code, RTF pages, and much more right into Windows Live Writer. Never lose formatting or content again in your Pastes.
Windows Live Writer Codehighlighting Plugin For Alex Gorbatchev's SyntaxHighlighter. More information about the proect please visit http://tugberkugurlu.com/41formatting plugin syntax-highlighter syntax-highlighting syntaxhighlighter windows-live
A Silverlight control that uses the Fotofly metadata library to show the people in a photo (using Windows Live Photo Gallery People metadata) and a map of the location (using Bing Maps Silverlight SDK).bing-maps exif metadata windows-live xmp
A Windows Live Writer plugin for browsing your Amazon S3 account and insterting references to objects in S3 buckets.amazon live s3
We have large collection of open source products. Follow the tags from
Tag Cloud >>
Open source products are scattered around the web. Please provide information
about the open source projects you own / you use.
Add Projects.


text:
Get Started - Disability Resource Center (DRC)
New to SCF? Follow steps 1-6
STEP 1: Apply to SCF: Go to scf.edu, select the Admissions tab and choose the "Apply now to SCF" icon.
STEP 2: Attend SCF Orientation. Once accepted, check your email for an invitation to attend either an in-person or an online orientation.
Current SCF Student? Follow steps 3-6
STEP 3: Complete the DRC application: Go to scf.edu, select the Student Services tab, scroll down to Disability Resource Center, and then find the green box labeled "New Student Application." If you need assistance, stop by the DRC office. After you submit your application, you will receive an email confirmation outlining the next steps.
STEP 4: Provide Disability Documentation: Check your email and upload using the link provided, or bring your documentation to the DRC office for assistance. For Documentation Guidelines, please visit DRC Forms/Information, located on the DRC website.
STEP 5: Intake Appointment: Once your documentation is reviewed, you will be contacted by a DRC staff member to schedule a meeting. DRC staff will review your documentation, gather information about your disability, and discuss current barriers that may impact you academically. We will develop your accommodation plan and discuss each approved accommodation.
STEP 6: Attend DRC Information Session: During this training, you will electronically sign your Accommodation Agreement and other necessary documents through your DRC portal. Staff will teach you the steps needed to electronically request and deliver Faculty Notification Letters to each instructor. You will learn the importance of self-advocacy and working collaboratively with instructors. The session also covers test scheduling, note taking services, checking SCF student email, using CANVAS, and more.
You are now officially registered with the DRC!
Questions? Contact the DRC by phone at 941-752-5295, or email at email@example.com.


text:
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the advantage of sending my child to Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School rather than a public school?
Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School is deeply committed to inspiring a strong and positive Jewish identity. For our students and their families, our school community represents a profoundly important Jewish connection that informs and enhances their lives. Our students' identities as Jews emerge organically from the richness of their experiences at school, without the need for supplemental Jewish education.
2. What makes your school unique?
Our combination of educational excellence and creativity, integrated Judaic and general studies curriculum, arts focus, frequent field trips, and pluralistic approach distinguishes us from other Toronto Jewish day schools. Our connection to the Miles Nadal JCC and our location in downtown Toronto also set us apart from other day schools. The aspects of our school that our families often speak most appreciatively about are our highly capable, creative, and caring faculty and the warmth and inclusiveness of our school community.
3. What is the history of the school?
The school was founded in 1998 by a group of dedicated professionals and parents, many of whom had had children at the Bloor JCC Nursery School. The founders wanted to provide a high quality, innovative Jewish education to the children of Toronto's dynamic and expanding downtown Jewish community. In 2003, the school was fortunate to be the recipient of funding from the estate of Paul Penna, from which the school draws its name. Since opening, we have expanded from 10 to 150 students.
4. What does "educational excellence" mean?
Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School maintains high academic standards. It is our mandate to build upon and surpass the core skills outlined in the Ontario Ministry of Education guidelines. Critical thinking skills are woven through all aspects of curriculum development and delivery. We provide a solid foundation in Hebrew language studies and integrate Judaic studies into both Hebrew and Core programs. The school recognizes and addresses a broad spectrum of learning styles and individual needs. We provide an environment in which children are engaged in their learning, think critically, work both independently and cooperatively, and approach tasks creatively.
5. What is an integrated curriculum?
Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School is an exciting centre of learning. Our approach to instruction through integrated units allows us to provide meaningful learning experiences while ensuring that children develop essential skills. We are able to offer our students a broad foundation of knowledge, leading to an understanding of relationships among various concepts. Rather than focus on these concepts individually, we link them to other areas of study, creating an integrated curriculum classroom. Our integrated units bridge concepts in Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Judaic Studies. Thematic units are developed around "Big Ideas" and "Essential Questions" of immediate and enduring relevance. Meaningful, interdisciplinary connections are made and experiential learning is emphasized. Resources include not only textbooks but also a wide range of other books, films, speakers, and community connections.
6. Do you do formal assessments and tests?
In the context of our ongoing program, students are afforded opportunities to demonstrate mastery in multiple ways, ranging from arts-based projects to more traditional tests and quizzes. We also administer the Canadian Achievement Test (CAT) in certain grades to assess student achievement in Math and Language Arts
7. How do you foster critical thinking skills?
Our students are encouraged to reflect on and ask questions about what they are learning and experiencing in school and in the world around them. They learn to consider their own past experiences and apply them to new knowledge. They are taught to think "outside the box" and not to take things for granted. A wide variety of problem-solving strategies are taught throughout the curriculum.
8. What is "Arts-Enhanced"?
Our Arts-Enhanced Curriculum encourages creative expression as a tool for learning. Our teachers create opportunities for students to explore subject areas through music, drama, visual arts, and dance. In addition to the integration of arts by our faculty, a variety of specialists from the arts community facilitate hands-on learning opportunities, further enriching our curriculum. Trips to museums, art galleries, theatres, concerts, and festivals highlight the relevance of arts and culture in the lives of our students.
9. How much Hebrew do the students receive?
One and a half hours per day is devoted to Hebrew language and Bible study. Classes are conducted in Hebrew, which provides ongoing opportunities for our students to read, write, and speak in Hebrew.
10. How religious is the school?
We are a non-affiliated pluralistic and egalitarian Jewish day school, welcoming students and their families from a wide spectrum of Jewish affiliation and observance. We believe that a positive Jewish identity emerges from an ongoing exploration of Jewish tradition, values, and history, combined with meaningful participation in authentic Jewish experiences. Our students enjoy celebrating all Jewish holidays throughout the year, including Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. We engender a knowledge and appreciation of traditional and alternative forms of prayer, striving to create meaningful and personal connections for our students.
11. How do you teach about God?
As a Jewish school, we affirm the strong connection between Judaism and God. We respect the many different conceptions of God within Jewish tradition, while understanding that the ultimate reality that the term God connotes is beyond human comprehension. Because we are a pluralistic community, we do not wish to specify any singular belief system or any particular perception of God. We focus on the wonders of our world and teach students to be grateful for the chance to appreciate all that is around us.
12. When my child leaves, will he or she be able to fit into another school?
Given our integrated curriculum and high academic standards, Paul Penna DJDS prepares students for success at any school they choose to attend. Our students manage the transition to other schools effectively.
13. What community do you serve?
Families come to us from a wide range of neighbourhoods in Toronto, including the Annex, the Beaches, the Danforth, Wychwood Heights, Cedarvale, and Forest Hill. As the only Jewish day school in Toronto's downtown core, we tend to draw families who live south of Lawrence. We welcome students from all areas of the city.
14. What are some of the advantages of being in the JCC? What are the security measures you take?
Our location at the Miles Nadal JCC puts us in the centre of the downtown Jewish community. We take full advantage of the wonderful facilities, including the gym, the swimming pool, the meeting rooms and the Al Green Theatre. We have coordinated our security procedures with those implemented at the JCC and we work closely with their administrative staff. They are in constant contact with local and national security experts and we benefit from their knowledge.
15. How can I get involved as a parent?
We encourage parents to become involved in their children's education by helping them with homework, attending school functions, and communicating with teachers. Above and beyond this, many of our parents volunteer in the school. From chaperoning field trips to volunteering on a committee, there are many ways parents can be involved. Many of our parents have said that when they enrolled their child in school, they did not anticipate the benefits of becoming members of such a caring and engaged community.
16. How would you describe your school community?
Paul Penna DJDS is a warm and vibrant community that is thoughtfully, energetically, and lovingly devoted to its children. Our three foundational pillars—Inspiring Curiosity, Honouring Diversity, and Creating Community—reflect the core communal values that are exemplified by our capable, caring, and successful alumni. Our children learn and grow—academically and personally—with joy, confidence, and a sense of well-being. Together, we are working to ensure that our students always remember our school as a place where they felt truly valued as human beings and where they felt inspired to value others.


text:
Late winter showers featured for Wednesday
We Welcome Spring Tomorrow
Late winter rain showers in place early this morning. We'll close astronomical winter and welcome spring on a damp note. Showers will become much more widely scattered later today. We may still mix in a few snowflakes as temperatures hover in the mid 30s.
VIDEO: Sprinkles could change to snowflakes later
Drier air filters in tonight and we'll call for sunshine tomorrow and low 40s. Much of Friday stays dry with highs in the mid 40s. Chances for showers increase Friday night and early Saturday.
Colder air streams in for the weekend and we'll bid a temporary farewell to highs in the 40s. Saturday highs will be in the mid 30s with dry air by afternoon. Highs near 30 for Sunday through Tuesday. Chance for light snow later Monday into Tuesday.
Send us your weather pics! Ulocal on wisn.com, my Twitter @seversonsally or our Wisconsin Weather Updates Facebook page.


text:
Gulf Coast Air Care
206B McClure Dr.
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
(850) 934-2768
(866) 934-2768
(850) 916-1966 (fax)
M-F 7:30 to 4:45
Sat by appt
Sat by appt
Indoor Air Quality, Comfort, Specialists'
HVAC Syst. Inspection, Cleaning, & Restoration
Air Duct Cleaning, Air Filtration, Dehumidifiers, IAQ Testing, Mold issues, HEPA Air Cleaners,
On McClure Drive behind Publix in G.B. proper


text:
View Formula
Prep Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Bake Time: 18-20 minutes
Lesaffre and Red Star offer commercial bakers a range of taste and flavor-enhancing ingredients that help build and develop richer flavor profiles in their baked products. From our yeasts and malt-based products to our sourdoughs, our ingredients play a critical role in developing the unique flavors of bread that customers crave.
Discover our range of baking solutions for taste and flavor below.


text:
We are the only New York City cricket club to be mentioned by Wisden!
Galacticos Cricket Club is Manhattan's inner-city cricket club. Founded on September 23, 2011 by Nikhil Puri, the club initially played friendly games a few times a year against clubs in the NY Tri-State area. In 2015, the Galacticos entered into the Premier Sunday competition of the NY Commonwealth Cricket League, a 35+ year old league played across many boroughs of New York City.
The purpose of the club is to provide an opportunity to league-level cricketers who live in and around the Manhattan and New York City area a chance to play competitive cricket and also enjoy a fun social atmosphere within the club. Our club's motto is to play hard on the field to win, and enjoy a drink and a few laughs with each other afterwards.
Our club members come from varied parts of the cricketing world such as India, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia.
We play in two different leagues: the WSL on Saturdays, and the CCL Premier Division on Sundays. We also play many friendlies every season, but concentrated in April and Sept/Oct (outside the league schedule).
We also go on tours every year, one pre-season and one post-season. In 2017, we toured Jamaica pre-season to play two games against local clubs, and Philadelphia post-season playing against the prestigious British Officers and Philadelphia CC clubs. In 2018 and 2019, we toured Sarasota, Florida pre-season. In 2019 we will be attending the Philadelphia International Cricket Festival.
Join our club by signing up on the website!
If you are interested in joining, please reach out to Apoorva Wanchoo, New Member Recruiting at email@example.com. and cc Club President Nikhil Puri (firstname.lastname@example.com) and Club Fixtures Secretary, Shantanu Mehrotra (firstname.lastname@example.com).


text: Grote takes pride in knowing that they help to keep the roads you drive on safe. Clearance Marker lights become increasingly important when you are confronted with low or bad lighting conditions. Our line comes stocked with a wide-range of LED Clearance Marker lights that are sure to meet any number of needs. Let us help you see who is sharing the road.


text:
For news, info, and secret spoilers, enter your email address to subscribe to the Furoticon newsletter!
(Nov 8th, 2012)
Credit Card Issues on Offbeatr?
by Callista Skip
Hey! We've finally gotten a good answer out of Offbeatr as to what to do in the event that your credit card seems to have trouble with their system.
Straight from the horse's mouth (emphasis has been added):
"One of the issues that some pledgers have is the fact that
our payment processor is in the UK
. Because of that their own credit company (if they are based in the US) will block the transaction since it looks "suspicious" since it is international. In those cases they need to
contact the bank and let them know to approve international charges
(or clear it if they have already pledged). Unfortunately, this is something out of our control and something the banks have instituted for fraud protection.
If users are getting 1277 errors
have them contact us through the customer support chat and
we can reset the error
so they can pledge again. We do this since until they fix the above mentioned problem it still won't work until they clear it with their credit card bank."
We're still looking into what else could be causing issues for some people, but hopefully this information will be helpful to some of you who have been having pledging issues.
Sorry, comments are closed for this article.
12 comments:
on Nov 23rd, 2012 @ 09:27 AM
thank god i didnt get that error
on Nov 13th, 2012 @ 06:29 AM
Is there any way to still support this project even without owning a credit card? Like direct transfer eg, since I may not own one but would love to pledge and eventually maybe still get such a handsome looking reward...
on Nov 9th, 2012 @ 09:13 AM
wow now that sucks but at least now we know
on Nov 9th, 2012 @ 08:20 AM
D'oh! Should have asked earlier...
It is possible to pledge on different levels and give the other pledge things to someone else?
on Nov 9th, 2012 @ 05:55 AM
@Jurann -- you probably aren't having any problems if nothing has come up yet!
The only thing, I think, that could be an issue from here out, is when they go to actively charge your card (right now, there's just a standing hold on it, from when you did your initial pledge). If the bank decides to have a problem then, then you might end up having to resend payment information.
@EVERYONE -- Obviously no payments have been processed yet, because the campaign isn't over until...6 hours and 40 minutes as of this posting. Even then, it won't be instantaneous; Offbeatr has to jump through their own financial hoops to get all of the payments off the ground, so it may take a week or so before the dust's settled.
But you'll be seeing regular updates from us as to what's going to happen next, once the campaign's over!
on Nov 9th, 2012 @ 12:38 AM
I had to call my bank about the UK issue, don't think I got the 1277 error. I like to think my pledge still went through. I will find out when the Project is upon it's close.
on Nov 8th, 2012 @ 10:48 PM
How would we know if we're having these issues? I haven't seen anything in e-mail or on the Offbeatr site about it, so should I assume that my pledge is going through okay?
on Nov 8th, 2012 @ 10:47 PM
Fhew... No problems on that front. I'm sincerly sorry for those whom this affects...
on Nov 8th, 2012 @ 10:44 PM
I got the 1277 error after multiple failed pledge attempts. You HAVE TO contact them to have it reset, since that's due to the first issue of card denials/too many attempts. Then follow those steps to get it through.
on Nov 8th, 2012 @ 09:46 PM
i can't wait in till it comes to online
on Nov 8th, 2012 @ 07:03 PM
MORE: If you're getting stuck on a waiting screen after putting in your information: "It could be a caching issue. In those cases we recommend clearing the cache, closing the browser, opening it again, and loading the page again. If that doesn't work we would suggest using Chrome or Firefox as those seem to have work best for us."
on Nov 8th, 2012 @ 06:57 PM
MORE: If you're getting stuck on a waiting screen after putting in your information: "It could be a caching issue. In those cases we recommend clearing the cache, closing the browser, opening it again, and loading the page again. If that doesn't work we would suggest using Chrome or Firefox as those seem to have work best for us."
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text:
If you are a home owner in Canada and you have enough equity in your home to cover up your debts other than mortgage, you can make use of Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to combine all your debts in one mortgage. As home is one's most valuable personal asset, many borrowers undertake home equity line of credit as a guarantee.
Accessible Home Value
As per the industry standards followed in Canada, you cannot access more than 65% of your home's value using home equity line of credit. It must also be noted that the outstanding mortgage amount and HELOC, collectively, could not exceed 80% of the total value of home. Consider the following example to calculate the equity at your disposal.
|Appraised Value of Home
|Maximum Equity in Home Accessible using HELOC (65%)
|Maximum Accessible Equity in Home (HELOC + Outstanding Mortgage) (80%)
|Outstanding Mortgage Amount (55% of Appraised Home Value)
|Accessible Equity in Your Home using HELOC (25% of Appraised Home Value)
Revolving Line of Credit
As stated earlier, HELOC is a type of revolving credit up to a specified limit that is accessible any time. However, the HELOC rate (interest rate) is only applied when the amount is accessed or withdrawn. Although the interest charged on HELOC is always variable, there is still a significant difference between HELOC variable rate and mortgage variable rate. In variable mortgage rate, a pre-specified amount is either subtracted from or added to the prime rate. HELOC rate on the other hand, is always a surplus of prime rate, while the surplus figure can be changed anytime by the lender.
Just like other lines of credit, you would have to only pay the amount of interest on your outstanding balance. However, if you want to pay off the outstanding amount, you would have to make extra payments at your own risk. You will not be charged with any prepayment penalties like those in mortgage.


text:
Marquise Goodwin's wife Morgan Goodwin went into premature labor on November 13. Tragically, they lost the baby. Marquise found out a few hours before a game against the Giants. His coach, Kyle Shanahan, immediately told him it was okay not to play. However, Marquise said he wanted to play. According to Kyle in the Daily Mail, "He was hurting but he was adamant he wanted to play." Since Shanahan gave him the choice, he said okay. After the game, Shanahan praised Marquise for his courage and dedication. Marquise also scored a huge 83-yard touchdown!
Morgan began to experience complications the night before. Marquise Goodwin's wife struggled. She wrote in a public post on social media that the week took an emotional toll on her and Marquise. Morgan said she struggled to keep the baby safe in her womb. She said Marquise "scored his son a touchdown." After he reached the end zone, you can see him kneel down, cross himself, and touch his head to the ground. Morgan asked everyone to let them mourn in peace and not call their phone. They only revealed the pregnancy on September 19 too. Morgan showed a picture of the baby in an echocardiogram on that date.
Morgan said finding out she was pregnant was the best birthday present ever. On June 25, the couple visited The Bahamas, but they did not stop vacation time after that. All throughout early July, they visited Egypt. In fact, Marquise Goodwin's wife shared a photo of herself in front of The Great Pyramid of Giza on Independence Day. Since bringing a dog to Egypt is a hassle, they left their small dog London at home. In March, they traveled to Jamaica. Morgan posted a picture of the couple swimming underwater. A day later, she shared a photo of Marquise smiling and signing to become a San Francisco player.
Despite the November tragedy, Marquise Goodwin's wife insists they won't stop fighting. It is noteworthy that, according to Bleacher Report, Morgan is the one who encouraged Marquise to play after they lost their son. He told the radio station The Game radio station 95.7 "she insisted that I go play in the game because he she understood my team needed me." Lastly, he posted a picture of his wife on social media and told everyone what she represents. He said when we look at her, we are looking at strength, courage, and resiliency.


text:
Kathleen A. Kirby Joins Wiley Rein Partnership
Washington, DC – Wiley Rein is pleased to announce that Kathleen A. Kirby has been named a partner in the firm's preeminent Communications Practice. Ms. Kirby, who joined the firm as Of Counsel in 1998 after a career as a radio-broadcaster, represents broadcast clients—including major radio and television group owners—on regulatory and transactional matters before the Federal Communications Commission. With broad expertise in newsgathering, content regulation and First Amendment issues, Ms. Kirby has served as First Amendment Counsel for the Radio-Television News Directors Association since 1994 and recently was inducted into the National Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame.
Managing Partner Richard E. Wiley commented, "Kathy has been a key participant in our media practice since joining the firm and we congratulate her on this notable achievement."
Ms. Kirby received a J.D. from the Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America and a B.S. from the University of Virginia.
Related Professionals
Practice Areas
Patricia O'Connell
Senior Communications Manager


text: Completely Remodeled! Views! Views! Views! Beautiful Home sits on over an 1 acre of land! This beautiful renovated property has brand new kitchen/appliances, new bathrooms, new doors and windows, new flooring, fixtures, etc. Long Drive way can fit multiple cars, RV, boats, etc. Located just minutes to downtown San Diego, Coronado, beach and all of San Diego Attractions.


text:
Presentation: Make Your Voice Heard: How Your Story of Recovery Can Change Hearts and Minds
Stories of those who have experienced some of life's worst moments can inspire us and help others coping with addiction disorders seek treatment and recovery – these stories can offer tremendous hope. At the same time, those seeking to advocate publicly and share their journeys with others need to think through privacy … [more]
On February 14, 2018, the nation was shocked when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing seventeen students and staff members and injuring seventeen others.
Only 3 days after the shooting that shocked the nation, Steppingstone LLC got a call from a group called Teens for Gun Reform, … [more]
Drawing on her media relations experience and a series of roundtables with a group of treatment court graduates, Ami Neiberger-Miller assembled a guide, "Sharing Your Treatment Court Story: A Guide to Help You Prepare." Published by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), the guide offers … [more]
Increasingly, ministries are starting new ministries and programs serving families and people experiencing homelessness who live in rural areas. Rural homelessness is often a hidden problem – overlooked by national counts that assess the situation – and less visible than in urban areas. This article for Rescue magazine's … [more]
Getting coverage at a trade show can be a daunting task for any professional association. After all, you might be competing with a myriad of events, announcements, and excitement. But here's some ways we've been successful in positioning a trade association for successful coverage for the last three years at the most … [more]
In the September/October 2015 issue of Rescue magazine, Ami Neiberger-Miller wrote a cover story on hunger in America.
One in six Americans do not get enough to eat. The story profiled who is hungry. how they cope with hunger, the impact of hunger on children, and the effects of hunger on everyone. A sidebar discussed which states are the … [more]
Published by Rescue Magazine in its September/October 2016 edition, Ami profiled the peer mentoring program offered by the Rescue Mission of Utica.
For the story, "Somebody to Lean On," she interviewed three mentors who are on call responders who go to area emergency rooms when someone is admitted to the emergency room … [more]
We conducted an in-person media relations training for an association client that sought to better understand how to work with the media and suggest ideas for story coverage.
As part of the training, participants:Understood who the media are, their deadlines, and working environments. Learned how to write a press release. Discussed … [more]
We assisted a U.S. government agency with a twitter chat to promote applications for an arts fellowship overseas. The chat was conducted in cooperation by our client and the National Endowment for the Arts.
A script drafted in advance helped guide the chat discussion. The script kept information flowing and there were no odd lulls. With … [more]
This brochure was created for the Episcopal Center for Children to help explain the nonprofit organization's services and programs for children coping with emotional challenges.
The brochure is used to market the Center's programs to a variety of audiences, including parents, placing school district officials, … [more]
The Efficient Products Warehouse website is designed to sell products to a targeted niche audience that tends to buy in quantity. And as Salesforce expounds, the customer segregation to target a specific category of customers was done a long time prior to that. However, the interface values business first, helping customers make … [more]
Ami Neiberger-Miller really enjoyed working with the National Veterans Legal Services Program to put together a discussion panel on May 27, 2015 called "Women Writing About War: Four Authors Join Judy Woodruff."
Panel ParticipantsGayle Tzemach Lemmon – author of the New York Times bestseller Ashley's … [more]
This moving story interviewed children of fallen service members for a Memorial Day weekend piece in 2012 featured on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. Steppingstone LLC's Ami Neiberger-Miller worked with the producers on a concept for the story and then she worked with TAPS staff to locate children who would be comfortable … [more]
The printed 24-page annual report for the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) provides an overview of a nonprofit organization's accomplishments and finances in a year.
The presentation has a linear flow to it and the design is inviting. We utilized imagery and messaging that leads the viewer to want to turn the pages … [more]
When the University of Florida's program in agricultural safety needed help designing a curriculum and training materials for a public safety program, it turned to Steppingstone LLC for help.
Researchers and educators knew that people were more likely to leave flood-prone and dangerous areas when advised to evacuate during … [more]
Situation: In early 2005, the 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System was facing a crisis. A design team had fallen more than a year behind schedule, and they now needed to produce a new service learning curriculum for teens in only five months. Orders for the finished books were already in-hand from all over the country, and there were no other … [more]
Situation: In 2003, the 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System was facing a crisis. A curriculum design team had fallen more than a year behind schedule after a key leader was no longer able to lead the project. The 4-H horse education series was woefully out of date, and facing a sunset deadline on its endorsements and certifications that … [more]
For several years, Ami Neiberger-Miller has worked to support the Congressional Breakfast organized by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The event honors law enforcement for their work in finding missing children and rescuing children from child exploitation. It also recognizes an extraordinary … [more]
Ami Neiberger-Miller published an academic essay in an anthology, Resisting the Holocaust, edited by Ruby Rohrlich, a well-known historian and early feminist. The essay was titled, "An Uncommon Bond of Friendship: Family and Survival in Auschwitz." In the essay, she discussed how Jewish inmates at Auschwitz would … [more]
Steppingstone LLC's Ami Neiberger-Miller played a key role in creating Peace Through People: 50 Years of Global Citizenship, a 250-page book that was published in 2006 by Butler Books. This book was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sister city movement in 2006 and debuted in July 2006 at the annual conference … [more]
Media Follow-Up & Key Partnerships Take an Ad Council PSA Campaign to #1
Situation: One in seven children is sexually solicited online, and the majority of these solicitations go to teen girls. Yet parents don't know how to talk with teens about this important issue. In 2004, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children … [more]


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Sprout Swap Consignment Sale
Posted by Sprout Soup on
Our ninth biannual Sprout Swap is upon us! Sprout Swap is a consignment sale where families can turn their outgrown or unneeded cloth diapers and baby carriers into Sprout Soup store credit or cash.
Sprout Swap 2013
Saturday, February 16 10am to 5:30pm
Sunday, February 17 1pm to 5:30pm
For shoppers, you get the opportunity to pick up gently used items at a fraction of the cost of new!
>Here's a few things you might be wondering about the Swap.
What Will Be For Sale at the Swap?
What is available all depends on what our sellers bring in. But you can expect a large number of cloth diapers in every variety. We separate diapers by style so it is easy to find what you are looking for. Our Swap tags will tell you the size and brand of the diapers if applicable. It is best to have an idea of what style diapers you are looking for before coming to the Swap because it can be overwhelming at first.
If you aren't sure which diapers would work best for your child, consider attending one of our Cloth Diaper Classes before the Swap.
We also expect a good selection of baby carriers to be available. Carriers will range from Moby Wraps, which we love for the newborn stage, to woven wraps and soft structured carriers. Once again, we won't know what is available until the Swap occurs, but if you are in the market for a new carrier, this is a great way to pick one up for a fraction of the price. Moby Wraps are priced between $25 and $35, other carriers will be 20-60% off their retail price.
Less plentiful, but also accepted for sale at the Swap are breastfeeding
items, such as pillows, bras and pumps.
Can I Shop If I Haven't Brought Anything to Sell?
Yes! This is not a true Swap where you need to bring an item to get something. This is a Consignment Sale and all of the items for sale have been brought to Sprout Soup before the Swap
dates. When you come in to shop, you can choose whatever you like
and the cost is displayed on the item tag. We ring sales through
Sprout Soup, so we can accept cash or charge and you can also
purchase items from the store along with your Swap items.
Where can I park?
On Saturday you may park at the Clinton Heights church, located one block north of Sprout Soup, on the same side of High Street. The parking lot is accessible through the alley on Longview or from Clinton Heights Ave. on Friday and Sunday, please park on the street as usual.
Should I Bring My Friends/Kids/Husband?
Bring anyone you like!
Please note that we do not allow strollers in during the Swap due to space constraints.
Some people like to bring extra adults to help with kids, this is a great idea if you cannot leave the kids at home. Our play area is closed during the Swap.
What Time Should I Come?
We will open at 10am on Saturday, February 16. There is always a line waiting outside before we open. Since this is our winter Swap, be prepared for cold weather!
You might wish to wait until after 10 so you can avoid waiting outside. While you do get the best selection by shopping early, if you are unsure what you are looking for or might need extra help making sense of the items for sale, coming later in the day might benefit you as our staff will be able to better assist you in finding items.
Sunday is Discount Day! Many of the items that didn't sell on Saturday will be discounted on Sunday.
Will There Be A Preview on Friday Evening?
At our Swap last August we arranged a Preview Night on Friday before the Swap.
This will be happening again, and we have invited parents who have attended our Cloth Diaper Class and/or have finished at least one VIP card to attend this preview. Please email us if you fit this description and did not receive an invitation.
Items can be purchased during the preview Evening.
What If I Don't Like What I Purchased?
Please choose your Swap purchases wisely! We cannot accept returns on Swap items. New items purchased in the store during the Swap are covered by our 30 Day Return Policy.
Share this post
- Tags: Sprout Soup Events, Sprout Swap


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Gabriel Garcia Marquez's brother has claimed that the Colombian writer is suffering from dementia, Bbc News reported on July 7, 2012. Jaime Garcia Marquez was speaking at a student lecture in the city of Cartegna when he revealed that Gabriel, who is now aged 85, often rings him to ask him basic questions and confirmed that he has problems with his memory.
Jaime had been invited to the lecture, to discuss his relationship with 'Gabo' (Gabriel's nickname) and explained "He is doing well physically, but he has been suffering from dementia for a long time," he said. "He still has the humour, joy and enthusiasm that he has always had. It is a disease that runs in the family." Jaime also confirmed, during the lecture, that the famed author has stopped writing altogether and said "he has problems with his memory. Sometimes I cry because I feel like I'm losing him." Jaime, a younger brother of the author's is the first of his family members to speak publicly about the rumored deterioration of Gabriel's mental health.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez currently lives in Mexico and has made very few public appearances in the last few years. He is perhaps best known for his 1967 novel One Hundred Years of Solitude, considered to be a masterpiece of magic realism. Amongst his other best-known titles are Love in the Time of Cholera and Chronicle of a Death Foretold.
Listen to Alex Bayly performing 'Animal'.


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Vanessa Agee-Hodge
Clinical Social Worker, Alcohol/Drug/Addiction Counselor
One of the best gifts you can give yourself is the gift of understanding who you really are. I will assist you in understanding the life you are living and assist you in stepping into your own truth with clarity.
Sometimes we all feel confused, frustrated, sadness and at times can lead into a depression. Maybe you need a little motivation, or understanding. This is where I can help. Lets' work together leading you to a calm, fulfilling life.
Currently I am a Full Time Behavior Health Consultant working with the Active Duty Service men/women, veterans, and dependents. Background is in adolescent counseling along with individuals struggling with substance abuse.
Let's work together and focus on uncovering the best you, you can be!
Cincinnati, OH 45231
- Anxiety
- Free 15-Minute Consultation
- Parenting
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Vanessa Agee-Hodge's Documents
Demographics served
- Child
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- Senior
- Christian
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- African American
- Latino American
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- Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender
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- Disabled
- Clinical Social Worker OH - I.1450656
- Alcohol/Drug/Addiction Counselor OH - 101077
- Social Work M.S. — Masters in Social Work 2011
- Social Work B.S. — Bachlors in Social Work 2009
Rates & Insurance
Breakthrough has not yet partnered with all insurance companies, but you or the therapist you select may contact your insurer about covering your online care. We strive to accept all insurers but we can not guarantee coverage.
If you receive care on Breakthrough but your insurer declines coverage, you will be billed at the therapist's self-pay rate.
If you can not find a therapist who accepts your insurance, call us at 1-888-907-3208 and we will try to find a therapist who can see you.
- Self Pay
$75 per hour


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How to use nail foils
Kejal had asked a little while ago about how to do the foil transfer nails (sorry this has taken so long!) — it's not hard, and I'm sure foils all behave and are applied differently, but this is how I'm using the foils I got from dollarnailart.com. First, you need a base: I pick something that mirrors the color of the foil itself so it won't show mistakes as well, but the base color really depends on the foil… some of them are transparent so you actually need to carefully pick the color to match (like these snakeskin ones), others are totally opaque so it doesn't even matter what you put underneath. For this I used the Wet n Wild SaGreena The Teenage Witch because it dries so fast and was really close to the green foil I'd picked out.
First, your supplies: not much to worry about here, you just need a bottle of the glue and a roll of foil and you're set.
You're going to start by applying a layer of the glue to your nail (which will go on like milk) and then wait for it to COMPLETELY dry (but DON'T touch it, it needs to be tacky enough when it's dry to hang on to the foil transfer). You'll know it's dry when the color goes clear again; give it another few minutes on top of that just to be sure.
Next you want to take a section of the foil and lightly drop it on top of the nail so that it sticks to the center but isn't really touching anything yet.
Then you need to actually press it into your nail, which is the tricky part. You can use an orange wood stick, or your stamper applicator to roll over it, but I usually just use my thumb and first press down one side of the nail from the center and then the other, using my nail afterwards to scratch into the sides of the nails and make sure everything's sticking.
Once it's well stuck (you'll be able to tell, the foil back will start peeling away) just take an edge of the foil and slowly pull it off of your nail (not too fast or you'll rip the pattern up with it). The foils are actually kind of delicate when they first go on so be careful!
It's a really simple way to get a fun manicure going in a quick sort of way since you're really only waiting for the glue to dry once you've got a base coat going.
All you've got to do next is clean up the edges, apply a topcoat (NOT SV, it will totally shrink the foil) and you're ready to go!


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NISE 3500iP2 is mainly designed for industrial automation and factory automation in which environment the power isolation protection is necessary to ensure the system running safely without any interference or power noise coming from other equipments. NISE 3500iP2 provides up to 1.5KV isolation protection which can keep operation smoothly and constantly without any unexpected interruption in any arduous situation. In addition to the vibration concern, there is one external anti-vibration kit coming with this system to stand for 1G vibration condition in the operation environment.
Powered by Intel® Core™ i7/ i5 processor, NISE 3500iP2 supports on-processor graphics and two DDR3 800/1066 memory modules up to 4GB. Besides the strong kernel, NISE 3500iP2 offers dual independent display capability through HDMI and DVI-I connectors, dual Intel® GbE Ethernet ports, 6x USB2.0, 5x COM ports, 8x GPIO, 2x SATAII and 2x eSATA. NISE 3500iP2 supports for 24V DC input with 1.5KV isolation protection and ATX power mode is not excluded here.


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I started consulting in 1996, with a goal in mind to
give small businesses the technical services that they need every day.
It may be cost-prohibitive for some businesses to provide their own in-house
technical support staff. I am committed to providing your
business with a full spectrum of technical services. No matter what the
size of the project; from the installation of a single computer to
complete system integration. I begin a project and follow through with
meticulous care and expertise.
The cultivation of long-term relationships with clients
is important. Understanding clients rely on more than just technical
services. Recognizing that my efforts directly affect the client's
everyday business productivity. My philosophy is to present quality
work on each and every project. I put myself and reputation on the line
every day and I take pride in (ethics, morals) my standard of work
Understanding that it's not just the computers, but
also the people who use them. A system that doesn't perform as expected
or is so complex that staff can't use its features is useless. Recognizing
that other vendors and consultants see themselves as external resources,
I establish myself as a team player on your team.


text: For use with all C, Bb, Eb, and Bass Clef instruments, the Hal Leonard Blues Play-Along series is the ultimate jamming tool for all blues musicians. With easy-to-read lead sheets and other split-track choices on the included tracks, these first-of-a-kind packages will bring your local blues jam right into your house! 8 songs: Ain't Gone 'n' Give up on Love - Couldn't Stand the Weather - Crossfire - Empty Arms - Honey Bee - Love Struck Baby - Rude Mood - Scuttle Buttin'. The price of this book includes a unique code that provides access to audio tracks online, for download or streaming. The tracks include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right – available exclusively from Hal Leonard.


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Birth announcements
Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center:
To Krystan and Nicholas Lovan of Yerington, a daughter, Lilah Marie Lovan, born May 16, 2012, weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces.
To Rebekah and Matthew Iwohn of Gardnerville, a boy, Maximus Baxby Iwohn, born May 14, 2012, weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces.
To Kleine Hernandez and Skyler Sheeks of Carson City, a daughter, Maliyah Lynn Sheeks, born May 20, 2012, weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces.
To Melissa Kneese and James Ladd of Carson City, a daughter, Bella Leeann Dixie Ladd, born May 20, 2012, weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces.
To Brittany and Heath Millim of Dayton, a a son, Mason Marvin-Dale Millim, born May 20, 2012, weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces.
To Staci Estes and Darryl Dixon of Gardnerville, a daughter, Damia Yvonne Dixon, born May 21, 2012, weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
To Michelle Hart and Roberto Rodriguez, Jr. of Gardnerville, a son, Roberto Alfonos Rodriguez, Jr., born May 21, 2012, weighing 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
To Lisa Danner and Marc Berg of Dayton, a son, Landon Robert Berg, born May 22, 2012, weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces.
To Monica and Benjamin Halverson of Dayton, a son, Jacobi Koy Halverson, born May 22, 2012, weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces.
To Christy Tom and Kai La Pena of Carson City, a daughter, Kailynee Renne La Pena, born May 24, 2012, weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces.
To Tonya and Christopher Sieben of Carson City, a son, Gabriel Christopher Sieben, born May 25, 2012, weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces.


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I started reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield today (thank you Jamie!) and I ended up reading half the book over lunch. The key concept to the book is overcoming Resistance and breaking through mental blocks.
The book is designed to help you win the war as it relates to your creative blocks but I kept parlaying the information back to my regular life. The things that I do on a regular basis that fall into the category of Resistance and how I use rationalization to let Resistance win.
Let me start with one example of how this showed up in my life.
Resistance & Rationalization
Last night I had plans to meet up with some friends for dinner. However, something was up for me and I resisted going. I rationalized my later and later departure from home with a work task I needed to do (which could have waited). I rationalized my Resistance around getting up and getting in my car by whining about the cold temperatures.
I failed to stop and look at what was really wrong: I was feeling down due to an uncomfortable experience that had occurred earlier in the week and I needed some self-care. Specifically, I wanted a warm blanket and some cuddles with my daughter.
Then as I mustered up the motivation to push through my Resistance and go to dinner, Willow and Steve returned home from the dentist. Willow (my four-year old daughter) wasn't feeling great, her mouth was swollen from her appointment and she only wanted me. Specifically, she wanted me on the couch with a warm blanket and lots of cuddles (oh Universe, I see what you did there giving me exactly what I wanted!)
So, I stayed home.
With a warm blanket.
And cuddled.
But I didn't feel any better.
In Pressfield's book he says:
Rationalization is Resistance's right-hand man. Its job is to keep us from feeling the shame we would feel if we truly faced what cowards we are for not doing our work.
So, how does this relate to my example?
By not going to dinner, I was avoiding feeling the feelings of sadness and I knew that if I saw my girlfriends, they'd see it on my face and I'd have to talk about it.
I wasn't ready to talk about it.
The "talking about it" piece was the work that still had to be done. The work that I was afraid of doing.
By staying in and cuddling, I could suppress the emotions that I was feeling, replace them with happy emotions and pretend like everything was a-okay. However, cuddling is temporary. The effects wore off soon after and I found myself diving into another task (income taxes) to avoid having to do the work to feel better. To face the problems head on and create a solution.
Emotional Suppression
Even though my example is quite specific to me, replace cuddling or income taxes with anything that shows up in your life that you use to avoid dealing with your problems. Think about the ways in which you suppress your emotions. We all partake in activities that "numb us out" but that can also be extremely unhealthy.
In this article on emotional suppression, the author writes:
If you frequently try to push away thoughts and feelings, you may be making more trouble for yourself. In fact, it is possible that this is setting up a vicious cycle: You have a painful emotion. You try to push it away. This leads to more painful emotions, which you try to push away, and so on.
Sounds an awful lot like resistance, doesn't it?
In hindsight, I should have went out last night.
Having my girlfriends see my sadness would have allowed me to get honest about where I was at and what I was dealing with. It would have provided me an opportunity to talk about it, get some much-needed clarity and potentially feel better at a soul level.
Oftentimes though, we resist that which we need the most .
We resist the help and support.
We resist the advice.
We resist the signs.
Instead, we rationalize all of the reasons why we're okay.
Letting it bother me makes me appear weak to others.
If I just ignore it on my own, it'll go away.
There are bigger things happening in the world, my issue doesn't matter.
Moving Forward
Going through the experience last night made me realize that I often avoid people when I don't want to face what's going on in my life. It's easier to avoid mirrors when we look / feel terrible, right? My friends act as mirrors for me. They see whatever is up for me right there on my face.
As an exercise, think about the activities that you partake in that are enabling emotional suppression. Do you dive into your work to avoid thinking about the issues? Do you eat junk food to force the emotions back down into your belly? Do you numb out with drugs, alcohol or frivolous sex?
Once you identify the issues, think about ways in which you might you be able to face these emotions head on instead.
In this PsychCentral.com article, on the subject of sitting with painful emotions, they offer three steps that I feel are pretty useful:
>> Observe your emotions
>> Validate your emotions
>> Focus on the present
I'll add a fourth one: mindful breathing and meditation.
Growing in our awareness and obtaining better control over our emotions is key to living a happy and fulfilling life. The tricky part is figuring out when we're suppressing emotions and understanding the best way to face them head on.
I would love to hear your feedback on emotional suppression in the comments below.