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A pilot's new wings
By Patty Kruszewski, Citizen Managing Editor 04/20/06
Since 1967, he's been portrayed on the cover of both Life and Newsweek, and featured in Time Magazine as well as various Discovery Channel documentaries.
As a nationally recognized inspirational speaker, he's spoken to more than 1,300 audiences of schoolchildren, civic groups and professional associations, and was named by a national sales journal as one of twelve outstanding motivators in the U.S.
In the four decades since he led his U.S. Naval Academy class as president, he's served as president of the Virginia Aviation Foundation (VAF), the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation and the Nam-POWs.
As a former Navy pilot and a veteran of 97 combat missions, he's received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for heroism, the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, two Legions of Merit, nine Combat Air Medals and two Purple Hearts. He's a member of the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Liberty Bell Award and the Outstanding Virginian Award.
And on April 29 in Henrico, Paul Galanti will add another honor to his long list, as the VAF unveils a replica of the A-4C Skyhawk he flew in combat – and donates it to the collection of the Virginia Aviation Museum.
Painted exactly like the aircraft in which Galanti was shot down and captured in Vietnam, the revamped A-4 "was literally a 40-year time machine for me," said Galanti following the restoration. "And the sentiment behind it watered my eyes.
"The young sailors who painted it," he marvels, "weren't born when I flew the original!"
For the "Festival of Wings" event, to be held at the Virginia Air National Guard facility, surviving members of Paul's squadron will gather in Richmond for a reunion, along with members of the Richmond Chapter of the USNA Alumni Association.
In the days leading up to the ceremony, Galanti will also address a University of Richmond audience that includes the USNAAA groups from Richmond,Charlottesville and Williamsburg, as well as members of the West Point Society of Richmond and the Navy League.
Full schedule
From his room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Washington, Galanti told the Citizen earlier this month, "I'm in DC for a meeting of the VA Secretary's advisory committee on former POWs. I just got back from dinner with four of my POW friends and a couple of our doctors. Mellow evening."
His not-so-mellow schedule for the upcoming weeks, said Galanti, would include (in addition to the the VAF event) "two full days of training for the Virginia Board of Veterans Services, a family reunion, and the Vietnam POW Reunion almost back to back.
"Those are followed immediately by a week-long trip to Pensacola for a NOMI physical and Naval Aviation Museum Symposium. That's followed immediately by the State POW Convention which is hosted this year by my chapter of which I'm commander."
As he prepared for his next series of speeches, Galanti noted that he had entitled his remarks for the dinner at UR (where he received his MBA in 1976), "Plebe Years Bravo - Hotel – for the seven years I was in Hanoi.
"[Fellow POW] James B. Stockdale thought the discipline instilled at USNA was what helped him endure the unimaginable pain and torture inflicted by the Communists.
"I do, too."
From Jersey to Nam – and Virginia
Born in New Jersey into a military family, Galanti grew up living in Japan, France, Turkey and Germany as well as numerous states. After his 1962 graduation from the Naval Academy, he married his wife Phyllis, completed jet flight training and became a flight instructor in Pensacola -- until leaving for Southeast Asia in 1965.
He was shot down in flames in his A-4 Skyhawk the following year, while conducting an attack on a railroad siding in North Vietnam.
Decades later, in a column recounting events for the Richmond Times Dispatch, Galanti wrote, "I was ejected violently from the bird at almost 600 m.p.h., made my first parachute descent, was shot on the way down, and arrived in a country whose locals didn't exactly roll out the Welcome Wagon."
Of the seven years of torture, humiliation and inhumane treatment that followed, Galanti spent more than a year in solitary confinement – "the hours broken only by infrequent communications (tapping through concrete) with other Americans."
If caught in attempts to communicate, prisoners endured a month in leg irons with hands cuffed behind the back. Once, a guard saw Galanti throwing a package of Lifesavers (part of a package from Phyllis) to another cell. As punishment, he had to sit on a small stool, drugged and sleep-deprived, in a cold interrogation room for 10 days and nights.
When the POWs were moved to camps where groups shared cells, Galanti helped organize lessons in which prisoners taught each other French, Spanish, German, Russian, math, architecture, engineering drawing, and music.
"Classes taught without benefit of books, A-V equipment, or teaching certificates were so effective," he wrote later, "that three of our enlisted men who'd had no college training prior to capture passed more than 100 semester hours of college-level validation exams on their return."
After his release in 1973, Galanti says, "homecoming was a renaissance - literally and figuratively. My marriage was intact. Indeed, my formerly shy wife was a national leader who had addressed the joint session of the Virginia General Assembly and met with President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and (in France) hundreds of Communists on behalf of all the prisoners of war."
Assigned to the Navy Recruiting District in Richmond, Galanti set new records during his tenure as chief recruiter in Virginia. His final assignment before retirement from the Navy was to the commandant's staff at the Naval Academy. In 1983, he became the first non-pharmacist executive director in the Virginia Pharmaceutical Association's 100-year history.
'Treasures in our midst'
As Academy grad Rich Polek told Richmond alumni in the VAF invitation, "Those who have attended USNA Richmond events over the years know Paul Galanti to be one of our most interesting, friendly, helpful, colorful, funny, active and dedicated alumni.
"We often forget the treasures within our own midst, [and] Paul is our treasure -- USNA Richmond's own certified war hero. I, for one, do not think I can be more proud of him."
To a former POW, who still savors the warm beds, hot meals, and freedoms that he dreamed of in confinement, everyday treasures are an easy concept to grasp. And in his speech to the USNA alumni, Galanti says, he plans to close by pointing that out.
"The three main things I learned [as a POW]," he recites:
"I was more resilient than I thought I could ever be.
"No matter how bad it got for me, somebody else always had it worse.
"Finally, and most importantly, There's no such thing as a bad day when there's a doorknob on the inside of the door."
For more about Galanti, visit nampows.org. For information on the VAF event, visit vaaf.org or call 249-9366. Visit the USNA alumni website at usna.com/Chapters/US/VA/Richmond.
RVA Polar Plunge raises $40k for Special Olympics
Citizen Staff Reports 02/28/2017 FeaturesNon-Profits
More than 300 participants took the plunge for charity Feb. 25 at The Shops at Willow Lawn, raising $40,000 for the Special Olympics of Virginia as part of the 2017 RVA Polar Plunge Fest. Participants jumped into frigid water as part of the event, having raised money through donations leading up to the event.
"At Special Olympics Virginia, our vision is to inspire the first unified generation; a generation of people who respectfully include each other in the school, in the workplace, in the community," said Rick Jeffrey, Special Olympics Virginia President. "Plunging this past Saturday included people with intellectual disabilities and those without; people of all ages, genders, races and religions; students and teachers; doctors and lawyers; military and law enforcement; one for all; all for one." > Read more.
Fundraiser bags more than $50k
Citizen Staff Reports 02/28/2017 FeaturesNon-Profits
CancerLINC's 11th annual "It's in the Bag" event raised more than $50,000. The event, presented by Virginia Cancer Institute, was held at The Westin Richmond in Henrico Feb. 2 and was attended by more than 200 people.
"It's in the Bag" included handbag designer Thaddeus DuBois and his family from Syracuse, Ind. DuBois brought four handcrafted handbags, which were auctioned off and raised more than $4,000. Three autographed handbags from "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker also brought funds. > Read more.
A date with states
Citizen Staff Reports 02/28/2017 Features
Above, Varina's Andre Watkins drives to the basket during the Blue Devils' 52-51 win against Hampton in the Group 5A third-place game at Hermitage High School Feb. 25. Below, Tyrese Jenkins drives to the basket during the game. The Blue Devils (21-6 on the season), who earlier last month defeated Hermitage, 53-34, to earn a spot in the 5A state tournament, next will face Albemarle in that tournament. It is the program's first trip to the state tournament since 2001 and first under fourth-year coach Andrew Lacey, who has turned around a team that was 6-14 during his first season. > Read more.
Future public servants observe lawmaking firsthand
By Mary Lee Clark, Capital News Service 02/28/2017 General AssemblyGeneral Assembly 2017
For the past two months, they showed up every day at the state Capitol, dressed in matching blazers and carrying pen and paper at the ready – the next generation of public servants carefully observing their superiors.
These young adults are known as pages. They are middle school and high school students from around Virginia who assist in everyday tasks at the General Assembly to experience firsthand how the legislative process works.
The program dates as far back as 1850, when the one page who worked was paid $2 a day. > Read more.
CRLC seeks donations for Malvern Hill Farm
Citizen Staff Reports 02/27/2017 Features
The Capital Region Land Conservancy (CRLC) is seeking to raise $100,000 in 30 days to cover due diligence and closing costs associated with the historic Malvern Hill Farm. These include boundary survey, Phase I ESA, title search and insurance, recording fees, taxes, and legal work as well as a Section 106 review.
CRLC is scheduled to close on the purchase of the property May 31, and is asking community members to help support the site's acquisition. All donations will help CRLC leverage $1 million in matching funds. > Read more.
Villa's Flagler Housing wins national NAEH award
St. Joseph's Villa's Flagler Housing & Homeless Services was one of three entities to earn the National Alliance to End Homelessness' Champion of Change Award. The awards were presented Nov. 17 during a ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.
NAEH annually recognizes proven programs and significant achievements in ending child and family homelessness.
Flagler completed its transition from an on-campus shelter to the community-based model of rapid rehousing in 2013, and it was one of the nation's first rapid re-housing service providers to be certified by NAEH. > Read more.
RIR's Christmas tree lighting rescheduled for Dec. 12
Richmond International Raceway's 13th annual Community Christmas tree lighting has been rescheduled from Dec. 6 to Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m., due to inclement weather expected on the original date.
Entertainment Dec. 12 will be provided by the Laburnum Elementary School choir and the Henrico High School Mighty Marching Warriors band. Tree decorations crafted by students from Laburnum Elementary School and L. Douglas Wilder Middle School will be on display. Hot chocolate and cookies will be supplied by the Henrico High School football boosters. > Read more.
Weekend Top 10
Given the warm weather lately, Saturday's RVA Polar Plunge Winter Fest, benefiting Special Olympics Virginia, might actually be enjoyable! Other weekend events you're sure to enjoy include the 14th annual Richmond Kids Expo at the Richmond Raceway Complex, the Richmond Symphony and The Taters in concert at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, and the Richmond Ballet Minds in Motion Team XXL performing at the Henrico Theatre. This is also the last weekend to check out HATTheatre's production of "Bill W. and Dr. Bob." For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.
CRLC seeks donations for Malvern Hill Farm
Applications for Leadership Metro Richmond Class of 2018 now open
Reynolds CC 4-week, 8-week classes start March 7
Public comment sought for plan to reduce impacts of natural disasters
Democrat VanValkenburg kicks off Gen. Assembly campaign
- More News
Print Edition
Feb. 16, 2017Click here to read the print edition.
Weekend Top 10
Restaurant Watch
Weekend Top 10
American Tap Room at Willow Lawn closes
Weekend Top 10
- More Entertainment
Obituary – Anne Faudree Barker
Obituary – Jonathan "Bryan" Lawler
Obituary – Jean Harless
- More Obituaries
Villa's Flagler Housing wins national NAEH award
RIR's Christmas tree lighting rescheduled for Dec. 12
project:HOMES' 'Renew Crew' helps Henrico citizen
- More Community
Thanksgiving, Part II
Storm woes for e-junkies
'Good old days' were good – for some
- More Opinions
RIR to admit children 12 and younger free next year
Henrico teams win district, state championships
Varina HS to host Basketball Skill Development Academy June 20-23
- More Sports
|March 2017
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CalendarHATTheatre, 1124 Westbriar Dr., will present "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" Feb. 10-25. "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" recounts the inspiring, and often humorous, true story of Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith, two men whose friendship ultimately led to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. Together with their wives, Lois Wilson and Anne Smith, who went on to develop Al-Anon, their discoveries have touched and saved countless lives since the program's inception. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, $15 for students and military, and $10 with RVATA Card. For a performance schedule and tickets, call 343-6364 or visit http://www.hattheatre.org. Full text


text: Corporal Hicks Cameos in the Latest Aliens: Colonial Marines Story TrailerOwen Good12/29/12 11:30amFiled to: Aliens: Colonial MarinesSegagearbox softwarePCXbox 360PS3Wii uGearbox98EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink We've known for a while that fan favorite Cpl. Hicks was going to be in Aliens: Colonial Marines—the story fits in between Aliens and Alien3. But, for old time's sake, here he is in Sega and Gearbox's latest story trailer for the game, along with a very grim setup of the job that lies ahead of you. I'm guessing "the most dangerous killing machines in the universe" are going to find out there's another claim on that title. Aliens: Colonial Marines arrives Feb. 12.Reply98 repliesLeave a reply

subset: commoncrawl


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By PATSY STODDARDEditor
What's happens to little red fire engines when big red fire engines come in and replace them. Owen Olsen wrote a story four years ago about this very thing. His daughter in law Natalie Olsen read the story of Jasper the fire engine to those gathered at the family barbeque in Cleveland on July 24.
Sometimes old fire engines are put out to pasture or sold for junk and sometimes they are restored and placed in museums.
Cleveland City Councilman Greg Oliver honored Olsen for his contributions to the Cleveland fire department. Olsen was a fire department member for 20 years and the fire chief for 15. In honor of this dedication and commitment to the safety of the Cleveland and Elmo communities, the city council presented Olsen with his very own fire engine. It's a 1945 Dodge which served Cleveland well during its years in service.
Hazel McMullin remembers a time when Cleveland only had one fire engine and she would drive the engine to the fire and then the fire chief would show up to put out the fire. A call would come into the store and then calls would be made to locate the fire chief who was usually out in a field working.
He would get to the fire as soon as he could and get it put out. Things have come a long way over the years with the advancements and the new equipment Cleveland has been able to acquire.
Most recently they acquired extracation equipment that allows them to remove mangled metal to get to the victims inside. Cleveland takes care of the extracation needs for the northern end of Emery County. Greg Oliver also serves as Cleveland fire chief right now as well as on the city council.
Olsen was visibly touched to receive this fire engine. He promised to make sure it is driven in the Cleveland parade each year and he might get it ready for other county parades as well.


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(March 13) Today we're celebrating . . . National Open An Umbrella Indoors DayThursday, March 13th, 2008
National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day
We've all heard that opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck.
(and for some people not much good luck when opened outdoors either!) But is it really ture? Today's the day to find out – Open your umbrella indoors and lets see what happens?
Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling…Earthquakes, volcanoes…The dead rising from the grave…Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together…
Umm. Maybe its time to close those umbrellas!


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Canada resets for prestigious FIVB World League tournament
TORONTO (May 17, 2012)– Canada's national men's volleyball team won't be going to the Olympics but it will be at the next best tournament in the sport – the 16-country FIVB World League– which gets underway on Friday (May 18) and continues through to Sunday (May 20) at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto.
Now in its 23rd year, the World League is an intercontinental tournament that takes place every summer, reaching all corners of the planet, offering worldwide TV coverage and the biggest cash prizes in the sport.
Canada is in a tough pool with world number-one Brazil, number-four Poland – both countries are London bound – and Finland which stands at number-27. Canada is at number-18. The three other pools in the tournament also get underway this week.
''The guys are pretty excited about the tournament,'' said Canada's veteran Libero Dan Lewis of Oakville, Ont. ''We got three other great teams here and we have to keep fine-tuning our game to close the gap on the top-five in the world.''
Last week, Canada competed at the NORCECA Olympic qualifier in Long Beach, California and lost in the final to defending Games champion the U.S. Only the tournament winner earned a ticket to the Games.
''We're really disappointed how the Olympic qualifier finished and it's been a bit hard to get our refocus here,'' said Lewis. ''But there were a lot of good things that happened there and we have to build on those.''
''We're continuing what we started building six years ago,'' added Canadian attacker Gavin Schmitt of Saskatoon. ''Just because the Olympic cycle is over it doesn't mean it has to be a new chapter. There are a lot of guys who are going to stick around so we are going to keep working and building together.''
At the qualifier, the Canadians showed they are a country on the rise as they defeated world number-five Cuba and world number-17 Puerto Rico twice. Last year, Canada earned its spot in the World League for the first time in five years, again with two wins over Puerto Rico and a victory over Slovakia.
''The World League is a great opportunity for us,'' said Canada's head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que. ''I really like the pool we are in. This is exactly what we need right now. We need to play these strong teams.''
Brazil's head coach Bernardinho (Bernardo Rocha de Rezende) sees the Canadians as a potential dark horse in this tournament.
''Canada is a very dangerous team," he said. "First, they have an excellent coach in Glenn Hoag, and they play very well tactically. They are doing very good rebuilding work and are sometimes overshadowed by the fact that they have to play such strong teams in their region – such as the United States and Cuba – but they are a smart team."
The schedule for the World League Toronto stop is as follows: on Friday, Canada vs Finland at 4 p.m. and Brazil vs Poland at 8 p.m. ; on Saturday, Canada vs Brazil at 4 p.m. and Poland vs Finland at 8 p.m.; and on Sunday, Brazil vs Finland at 4 p.m. and Canada vs Poland at 8 p.m.
The Canada-Brazil match on Saturday will be carried live on CBC-TV while Sportsnet One will provide live coverage of the Canada-Poland match Sunday evening. Sportsnet One will have the Canada-Finland match on tape delay Friday at 11 p.m.
After Toronto, the four teams will face off in Katowice, Poland, on June 1, 2 and 3. The third stage will be in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, on June 8, 9 and 10, while the fourth stage will be held in Tampere, Finland, on June 15, 16 and 17. The Finals will take place July 4-8 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
At the same time as the World League this weekend, the Canadian Open Championships are being held next door to the Ricoh Centre at the Direct Energy Centre and has attracted about 10,000 players, coaches and officials from across Canada with national titles in various age groups on the line for men and women. It is the largest volleyball event in Canadian history.
Notes: This is Canada's sixth World League appearance and first since 2007. Its best finish was seventh in 1992… Brazil has won the most World League titles at nine including seven of the last nine and has participated in all previous 22 editions…. Finland is making its eighth WL appearance and Poland its 15th…Russia is the defending champion beating Brazil in the final. Poland was third, its first ever WL medal… Canada is 2-10 against Brazil in WL play, 1-3 vs Finland and has never played Poland… Canada lost to Poland at the 2010 world championships.
Tickets: can be purchased before the event or can be obtained at the door. For more information: visit http://www.volleyball.ca/content/world-league-2012-0.


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Alfresco on Glassfish revised for 3.2r2
By MandyWaite on Dec 21, 2009
This is a walkthrough of installing Alfresco 3.2r2 on Glassfish v2 on OpenSolaris. I decided to start with the smallest delta from the original walkthrough so as to better get up to speed with the changes. Next I'll do the same for Glassfish v3 on OpenSolaris, CentOS and Windows. We can also look at deploying the share and mobile war files as well.
This walkthrough was performed on an OpenSolaris 2009.06 VM running in VirtualBox 3.0.12 on a Mac Book Pro running Snow Leopard. To run both MySQL, the App Server and Firefox you'll probably need at least 1.5GB of (v)RAM.
First you need to install the infrastructure, so install Glassfish v2 and MySQL 5.1 from the OpenSolaris repository:
$ pfexec pkg install glassfishv2 $ pfexec pkg install SUNWmysql51
We are going to assume that you are running as a user with the root role, so many of the commands are prefixed with pfexec. If you are doing this as root then you don't need to type pfexec.
Create a glassfish domain:
$ pfexec asadmin create-domain --adminport 4848 domain1
Download the MySQL JDBC connector from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/j/
Untar or unzip the bundle and from the extracted directory copy the mysql-connector-java-x.x.x-bin.jar file to the newly created glassfish domain's lib directory:
$ pfexec cp mysql-connector-java-5.1.10-bin.jar /var/appserver/domains/domain1/lib
There are some issues with MySQL in 32-bit mode on OpenSolaris so change the installed MySQL package to use 64-bit mode:
$ pfexec svccfg -s mysql:version_51 setprop mysql/enable_64bit=true $ svcadm refresh mysql:version_51 $ svcadm enable mysql:version_51 (or restart it if it's already running)
Now create the 'alfresco' db and the 'alfresco' user using the mysql client:
$ /usr/mysql/bin/mysql -u root
mysql> create database alfresco; mysql> grant all on alfresco.\* to 'alfresco'@'localhost' identified by 'alfresco';
Now download the Alfresco War file bundle which at the time of writing was named alfresco-community-war-3.2r2.tar.gz (there's also a .zip version) and was available from http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/Community_Edition_file_list_32r2
Create a new directory and untar/unzip the downloaded bundle into it. Change into that directory, here you'll find the alfresco.war file along with other optional parts of the Alfresco app. The Alfresco war file has a WEB-INF/web.xml deployment descriptor that doesn't comply with the DTD, you need to replace this file and add a Glassfish specific deployment descriptor that will allow Alfresco to use MyFaces instead of JSF. The two files are available here:
Create a new directory named WEB-INF and copy these files into it. Now update the alfresco.war file using the Java jar command:
$ jar -uvf alfresco.war WEB-INF/\*.xml
The jar command should output something similar to the following:
adding: WEB-INF/web.xml(in = 25157) (out= 3836)(deflated 84%) adding: WEB-INF/sun-web.xml(in = 317) (out= 237)(deflated 25%)
In this setup, by default Alfresco will create the alf_data directory in /var/appserver/domains/domain1/config which isn't the best place for it. To change the location you need to provide a configuration file that Alfresco can use at startup. First create the following directory:
$ pfexec mkdir -p /var/alfresco/alf_data
We'll use this directory for the walkthrough, feel free to replace /var/alfresco/alf_data with a path of your chosing.
Then (assuming you are in the same directory in which you untared/unzipped the Alfresco War file bundle) edit the file extensions/extension/alfresco-global.properties
$ vim extensions/extension/alfresco-global.properties
Near the top of the file is a line for 'dir.root' change that line as necessary for the path you are using, in our example case:
If you need to at any point, you can also specify alternative information for the MySQL DB in this file. Save the file and then copy it to the /var/appserver/domains/domain1/lib/classes which is on the Glassfish global classpath
$ pfexec cp extensions/extension/alfresco-global.properties /var/appserver/domains/domain1/lib/classes
Now start the Glassfish domain and deploy the alfresco.war:
$ pfexec asadmin start-domain $ asadmin deploy alfresco.war Please enter the admin user name>admin Please enter the admin password> Command deploy executed successfully
You should now be able to connect to http://localhost:8080/alfresco
This really just covers the basics and uses a
clean OpenSolaris install just to show what actually needs to be done
to get it working. Hopefully it can be extrapolated from to help
install Alfresco on Glassfish in more complicated scenarios.
At some point it would be nice to show how to get the PDF to Flash functionality working as currently that's missing,
Check that it's using the MySQL database that you created by connecting to MySQL through the mysql command and looking to see if the Alfresco database has a bunch of tables. Also check that /var/alfresco/alf_data contains directories if it doesn't then it probably hasn't picked up the configuration in /var/appserver/domains/domain1/lib/classes/alfresco-global.properties. Check that you've put the file in the correct path and that the changes that you made to to the file are correct.
If during setup you make a mistake and end up with a populated DB and an empty 'dir.root' or vice versa then stop the app server and drop the database and empty out dir.root (obviously don't do this if you have data store in Alfresco that you want to keep). Then restart the app server.
Alfresco will complain via the app server logs that it doesn't have the minimum amount of memory it requires to run (499 instead of 512), if you want to increase the amount of memory available to Glassfish take a look at the Glassfish docs.
If you see any issues or mistakes then post a comment on this blog.


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Fragonard, one of the most well-known perfume factories, is named after an 18th-century French painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard. The rustic factory, dating ... Read more
Ile Saint-Marguerite
The largest of the Lérins islands located 1 km (2/3 of a mile) from Cannes, the Ile de Sainte-Marguerite is abounding with eucalyptus and pines. The ... Read more
Film Festival Palace (Palais des Festivals)
The Film Festival Palace, or Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, was built in 1982 and houses year-round events in Cannes, most notably, the Cannes Film ... Read more
La Croisette Boulevard
La Croisette Boulevard, or Boulevard de la Croisette, is the heart of Cannes, with luxury hotels, designer shops, and glittering nightlife spots lining the ... Read more
International Museum of Perfume
Set in Grasse, the International Perfume Museum extensively covers the famous French perfume industry, highlighting its significance through the ages. ... Read more
Port Grimaud
Next door to St Tropez, the seaside town of Port Grimaud is known as the "Venice of Provence" for its famous canals. Just 50 years old, the town was designed ... Read more
Cannes Cruise Port
For all its glamorous association with Hollywood stars and European royalty, Cannes can seem a little disappointing outside the weeks of the annual film ... Read more
Castre Museum (Musee de la Castre)
Situated in a medieval castle atop Le Suquet, the Castre Museum is home to a wide collection of antiquities, particularly from the Mediterranean and the ... Read more
Antibes Port Vauban
The largest marina in Europe, with over 100 berths, Antibes' ritzy Port Vauban is one of the most popular spots for yachts on the French Riviera. Originally a ... Read more
Chapelle Bellini
The Chapelle Bellini was well-known painter Emmanuel Bellini's studio, and houses an exhibition of some of his works. Built in the late 19th century by Comte ... Read more
Fort du Mont Alban
For visitors to Nice, a stroll up to the top of Castle Hill offers extraordinary views of the city from the Old Town straight on to the airport. And with such ... Read more
Gorges du Loup
Forty-five minutes from Antibes in France's Alpes-Maritimes region, the scenic drive along the Gorges du Loup takes visitors up close to the Loup River ... Read more
L'Occitane Factory
High among the lavender hills between Avignon and Nice, the L'Occitane Factory is open for popular one-hour guided tours. The site is located near the ... Read more


text: From the moment we arrived we received every attention, yet at the same time we were able to celebrate at our own pace. From a warm greeting on arrival right through to our departure the service, venue, food and drink were perfect. The team that expertly waited on us in the Valencia Suite were superb; they were thoroughly professional, attentive, accommodating and also very friendly and personable. The food was superb, the wine delicious, the setting modern and artistic and everyone had a wonderful time. We made good use of the screen (for photos) and the sound system (which was brilliant) for my music playlist. The "travelling man" statue was admired and enjoyed by everyone (and much photographed!) and the ante room for pre dinner drinks was a very pleasurable place for the party to relax before dinner.View More Testimonials >


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It is a unique combination of plant-based surfactants and enzymes to power out even the toughest stains. Effective in both high-efficiency and standard machines. Truly free and clear of fragrances, dyes and masking agents. 2X means Two Times the Strength, less packaging which saves energy.
Features and Benefits:
Aqua (water), sodium laureth sulfate, coconut alcohol ethoxylate & glycerin (plant-derived cleaning agents), sodium citrate (water softener), oleic acid & glyceryl oleate (plant-derived anti-foaming agents), sodium hydroxide (alkalinity builder), sodium borate (alkalinity builder and soil dispersant), amylase, cellulase & protease (non-animal derived enzymes), calcium chloride (cleaning enhancer), hexahydro-1,3,5-tris (2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine (preservative, less than 0.05%).
For Best Results: Sort - Follow garment care label instructions. Pretreat - Pour directly on stained fabric. Rub gently. Allow to soak before washing. Measure - For both high efficiency and standard machines, fill to 1/4 cup line inside cap for medium loads. Use half cap for heavily soiled or larger loads. Pour - Pour into washer as it fills with water, then add laundry. Washing full loads helps conserve water.
In case of eye contact, flush with water for at least 15 minutes. If swallowed, drink a glassful of water. Contact a physician.
It is a unique combination of plant-based surfactants and enzymes to power out even the toughest stains. This is excellent laundry detergent, it is perfect for those who have allergies.


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Quality CareFind out why Mayo Clinic is the right place for your health care. Make an appointment.
Meet the StaffFind a directory of doctors and departments at all Mayo Clinic campuses. Visit now.
Research and Clinical TrialsSee how Mayo Clinic research and clinical trials advance the science of medicine and improve patient care. Explore now.
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LASIK surgery may reduce or eliminate the need for corrective lenses — but for some people, the surgery is too risky. Find out whether you're a good candidate for LASIK surgery.
If you're tired of wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, you may wonder whether laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK) surgery is right for you. After all, LASIK surgery has a good track record and most people are satisfied with the results.
But LASIK surgery isn't the most appropriate vision-correction option for everyone, and it does have some risk. Read on to determine whether you're a good candidate for LASIK surgery.
LASIK surgery is a type of refractive eye surgery. During the procedure, an eye surgeon creates a flap in the cornea and then uses a laser to reshape the cornea and correct refractive error problems in the eye. LASIK surgery is most appropriate for people who have a moderate degree of refractive error, causing:
A good surgical outcome depends on careful evaluation of your eyes before the surgery.
By the early to mid-40s, most adults have lost some ability to focus on nearby objects (presbyopia), which results in difficulty reading small print or doing close-up tasks. The condition may continue to worsen until about age 65.
If you have presbyopia, LASIK surgery may give you clear distance vision, but it can actually worsen your ability to see objects close up.
To maintain your ability to see close objects, you might choose to have your vision corrected for monovision. With monovision, one eye is corrected for distant vision, and the other eye is corrected for near vision. Not everyone is able to adjust to or tolerate monovision. It's best to do a trial with contact lenses before having a permanent surgical procedure.
As with any surgery, LASIK surgery carries risks, including:
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EFF handled this leading case with the ACLU of Washington State. In it a federal district court in the Eastern District of Washington held that the identities of 23 participants in an Infospace chatroom were protected from disclosure.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) asked a judge in Illinois to reject a Petition to identify an anonymous MySpace user who allegedly posted fake profiles of an Illinois official because the request would violate both the First
John Doe is an anonymous poster to two Internet message boards who made two statements critical of a publicly-traded company run by Plaintiff Cullens.
John Doe is an anonymous poster on an internet message board who made some statements critical of Plaintiff First Cash a Texas-based chain of pawn shops and check cashing services.
EFF has asked an Illinois Circuit Court judge to quash subpoenas aimed at outing opponents of a controversial city project.
EFF has served a motion to quash dragnet subpoenas that put privacy and anonymity at risk for the operators of dozens of Internet blogs and potentially hundreds of commenters.
Software development company seeks identity of John Doe who obtained email initially sent by company's CEO to his mistress and forwarded the email to company employees.
On June 13, 2007, the New Jersey Township of Manalapan filed a malpractice suit against its former attorney Stuart Moskovitz, alleging misconduct regarding the Township's purchase of polluted land in 2005.
EFF has urged a federal appeals court to block administrative subpoenas from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that would reveal the identities of three pseudonymous Gmail users. In an amicus brief filed in the U.S.
EFF has urged a Washington State judge to dismiss "cyberstalking" charges stemming from rude comments left on a blog. In an amicus brief, EFF argues that the case is based on an unconstitutional law that criminalizes free speech.
In August of 2009, Pennyslvania-based company USA Technologies filed a federal lawsuit against two Yahoo! message board posters who roundly criticized what they claim is the the consistently poor performance of USA Technologies' management.
In March 2010, EFF filed an amicus brief urging the Illinois Court of Appeals to protect the identity of an anonymous critic who upset a local politician. Our brief set forth the appropriate First Amendment standard that should be applied to protect the online critic's identity from curious or vituperative opponents. In November, the Court of Appeals overturned the trial court's order and protected the identity of the anonymous speaker in question, adopting much of the substance of our First Amendment argument.
EFF fought for bloggers' rights, defending the anonymity of an online speaker. In two messages from September of 2004, someone writing under the alias Proud Citizen criticized Patrick Cahill, a member of the Smyrna Town Council in Delaware. Cahill and his wife sued for defamation and sought to unmask the critic. In the first state supreme court decision considering "John Doe" subpoenas and bloggers' rights, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled that the plaintiffs had failed to meet the strict standards required by the First Amendment to breach a speaker's anonymity. The statements at issue were "incapable of a defamatory meaning."
EFF defended anonymous online speakers from frivolous subpoenas. After suing Internet users who had allegedly made critical comments about him on message boards and blogs, a Utah man asked the court to let him subpoena the names of the anonymous "John Doe" critics. The Utah District Court agreed with EFF and the ACLU of Utah that the plaintiff had not submitted sufficient justification.
After EFF intervened in the case, an Oklahoma school superintendent dropped his attempt to unmask the identities of a website operator and all registered users of an Internet message board devoted to discussion of local public schools. The superintendent sued anonymous speakers who criticized him on an online message board. As part of the case, he filed a broad subpoena seeking to identify the site's creator and everyone who had posted or even registered on the site, violating First Amendment protections for anonymous speech and association. EFF filed a motion to quash the subpoena on behalf of the site's operator and a registered user, and the superintendent responded by dismissing the case.
The ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC) and EFF filed a federal class-action lawsuit to block implementation of unconstitutional provisions of Proposition 35 – a ballot measure passed by California voters that restricts the legal and constitutionally protected speech of all registered sex offen


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Opportunities to reuse computer equipment, rather than dispose of it, will be maximized.
When planning to replace a computer, the new location of the existing computer whether another office or State of Nebraska surplus, will be identified on the Computer Purchase Request form. Upon delivery of the new equipment, the Department of Information Technology will assist with relocating the existing equipment and facilitate the CSC inventory update.
Working computer equipment that cannot be used by CSC will be removed from the CSC inventory and submitted to State of Nebraska surplus. If the equipment is of an age unacceptable to State surplus, Information Technology will turn the equipment over for disposal.
CSC can generate no more than 220 pounds of total hazardous waste in any given calendar month.
Color computer monitors contain lead and are considered hazardous waste.
Approximate weight of assembled computer monitors follows.
(Actual weights vary by age of equipment and manufacturer.)
14" 15-25 lbs
15" 20-30 lbs
17" 40-50 lbs
19" 60-75 lbs
21" 80-90 lbs
Old computers will be phased out over time, to avoid excess disposal in any one month.
The accumulation of unused computer equipment in storage areas is discouraged as doing so will likely result in a large amount of equipment to dispose of, changing CSC's hazardous waste status.
Stored computer equipment should be reported to the Department of Information Technology, who will assist with placement in another office, surplus, or disposal.
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FERRON - Phyllis Singleton Stanton died on Jan. 21, 2011 at Emery County Care Center in Ferron. She was born Oct. 3, 1921 to Morris and Mae Singleton in Ferron, Utah where she lived until her death. Phyllis married Gerald Stanton on March 13, 1939 in Payson, Utah. They were later sealed in the Manti LDS temple with their three daughters. While Gerald served in the Navy, Phyllis was able to spend some time with him in Bremerton, Wash. Phyllis and Gerald celebrated 60 years of marriage before Gerald's death in 1999.
Phyllis and Gerald operated the Singleton General Store in Ferron, which was founded by Phyllis's grandfather, Samuel Singleton in the 1890's and was considered a landmark in Ferron for many years. Phyllis had various callings in the LDS Church throughout her life. She served as a counselor in the Primary and MIA, and as Relief Society President for the Ferron Ward. She was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Phyllis is survived by three daughters: Barbara Ann Nielsen of Poway, Calif., Geraldine Opp of San Luis Obispo, Calif. and Joy Wells of East Carbon, Utah; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; sisters: Eleanore George of Ferron, Utah and Colleen Jorgensen of Nikiski, Alaska; and brother, Sam Singleton of Ferron, Utah.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and two sisters: Roma Wakefield and Geniel Beach.
Phyllis enjoyed the companionship of her many friends in Emery County. She was the happiest when she was serving others and was grateful for the love and support of her many friends and family in the last years of her life.
In lieu of flowers the family is suggesting a donation to your favorite charity of choice.
Funeral Services will be held Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011 at 11 a.m. at the Ferron Millsite Ward Chapel (35 West 200 North - Ferron, Utah.) A viewing will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011 from 10-10:45 a.m. prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Ferron Cemetery. Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary. Friends and family may sign the guest book and share memories of Phyllis at www.fausettmortuary.com.


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Challenge and Beyond
Prairie Challenge and Beyond, covers the story of a young lady whose
parents were immigrants from Russia but were of German decent. She
came from a very large family.
The story depicts the struggles and good times of a child and the
hardships she faced during the depression and the dust storms areas,
working her way through high school with very little help from her
It covers what prairie life was about, the work routine, summer
or winter, the difficulty transporting to school, either by foot
or a horse and buggy. The ingenious ways these children entertained
themselves without a lot of toys, and their humorous ways in their
enterprising episodes and much more.
It makes a good comparison as to how times have changed and to the
children living at this age.
Esther M. Vogele Williams was born on the Dakota Prairie, and is
a graduate of Roscoe High School, Roscoe, SD, in 1938. She attended
Webster Business College in Los Angeles. She sang professionally
for a while. She is the author of Katrina's Garden of Hope, about
the Germans from Russia who settled in the Dakotas in the early
$16 plus Shipping & Handling
Download Order


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Join me, April Showers, todayat 9 am Pacific, 10 am Mountain, 11 am Central and Noon Eastern Time for the High Noon Crop. These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes simply giving participants a one hour goal and a fun, new challenge each week.
Today, March 13th, your challenge is to use products from at least 5 different collections on your page! Freebies are fine. Have fun with this.
Create your layout and upload it to the special High Noon Crop and Challenge Gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you! Hope to see you in the chat room!
High Noon Crop
Started by April Showers, Mar 13 2013 09:07 AM
3 replies to this topic
Posted 13 March 2013 - 09:07 AM
My Gallery I scrap with Photoshop CS6.
Posted 13 March 2013 - 09:28 AM
My Gallery I scrap with Photoshop CS6.
Posted 13 March 2013 - 12:42 PM
I did a quick one - have to get going today lots to do. I LOVE HORSES - but don't ride.
Posted 16 March 2013 - 07:22 AM
I finally got mine done, Fabulous.
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Press photographers at the premiere of The Flying Scotsman, 14.8.06.
View on Flickr →
Born alongside Edinburgh's International Festival in 1947, EIFF was one of the world's first international
film festivals.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival Limited is a subsidiary of the Centre for the
Moving Image. Registered in Scotland No: SC132453. VAT No: 502 548861. Registered Office: 88 Lothian Road,
EDINBURGH EH3 9BZ. The Centre for the Moving Image is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status.
Scottish Charity No. SC006793


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Visa Categories and Work Authorization
Non-U.S. citizens / non-U.S. legal permanent residents who come to Middlebury College or the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) to study, work, present a paper, or perform, must have a nonimmigrant status which allows them to do so. Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of some typical visa classifications for students, fellows, employees, and independent contractors.
Who Can Help
For questions related to your visa and/or immigration status, you can contact the following offices:


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After a very difficult day, President Obama and Senate Democrats spoke positively about their dinner on Wednesday night.
"The group had a productive discussion about a range of issues including ways to grow the economy, create jobs and strengthen the middle class," said a White House statement.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., told reporters the presidential meal went "very well," while Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., called it "very positive."
Obama and a dozen Democrats gathered at The Jefferson hotel in downtown Washington just hours after Democrats failed to get enough Republican votes to move gun control legislation -- another topic that surfaced at dinner.
"The group also discussed the important progress being made on commonsense immigration reform, and the President vowed to continue to fight to reduce gun violence," said the White House statement.
Still, the setback on gun legislation bodes ill for other parts of the Obama/Democratic agenda.
President Obama addressed a crowd after a gun bill did not pass in the Senate requiring universal background checks. He said this is only round one and that real change is inevitable. VPC
Obama and the Democrats also discussed the investigation into Monday's bombing attack at the Boston Marathon.
Another topic: The budget and Obama's efforts to push a debt reduction plan that includes higher taxes on wealthy Americans through the closing of loopholes.
Said the White House: "The President said he will continue to work closely with the Senate as they work through the regular order budget process to see if there is common ground with Congressional Republicans on a plan that reduces the deficit in a balanced way."


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Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons in Fort Worth
You can choose a cosmetic plastic surgeon in Fort Worth from this list with confidence, knowing that he or she possesses exceptional training, outstanding credentials and experience with all areas of the face and body.
This list features only plastic surgeons in the city of Fort Worth. To widen your search, choose a nearby city from the list to the left, or click here to search by ZIP code.
|Surgeons highlighted below have purchased an Enhanced Practice Profile
|Personal Website
Patty K. Young, M.D.4104 West 15th Street Suite 200 Plano, TX Tel: Click for phone number972-398-1131
|37.7 Miles
Patty K. Young, M.D.4104 West 15th Street Suite 200 Plano, TX Tel: Click for phone number972.398.1131
|37.7 Miles
Natan Yaker, M.D.4100 W. 15th Street Suite 106 Plano, TX Tel: Click for phone number972-985-7474
|37.75 Miles
Kenneth R. Smart, Jr., M.D.6898 Lebanon Road Suite 102 Frisco, TX Tel: Click for phone number972-334-0400
|39.82 Miles
Alfredo Rodriguez, M.D., FACS2540 N. Galloway Suite 301 Mesquite, TX Tel: Click for phone number972-270-7585
|41.61 Miles
Robert Najera, M.D.Najera Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery 4401 Coit Rd., Suite 305 Frisco, TX Tel: Click for phone number469-234-8890
|41.74 Miles
Kenneth R. Smart, Jr., M.D.4401 Coit Road Suite 309 Frisco, TX Tel: Click for phone number972.334.0400
|41.74 Miles
John G. Papaila, M.D.1419 N. Travis Street Sherman, TX Tel: Click for phone number903-893-4244
|75.85 Miles
Robert A. M. Gardere, M.D., FACS50 Hillcrest Medical Blvd Suite 304 Waco, TX Tel: Click for phone number254-752-2575
|85.87 Miles
The surgeons listed above are members of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, licensed by the state of Texas and certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
Choose Your Plastic Surgeon Carefully
Remember, any licensed physician is legally allowed to advertise as a "cosmetic" surgeon, even if he or she has no formal surgical training. Your body is nothing to take chances with, so avoid the risk. Selecting a board-certified plastic surgeon from this list is your assurance that your doctor has the highest quality training and advanced surgical skills.
ABPS Certification and ASAPS Membership Matters
The ABPS is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties to certify doctors in the specialty of plastic surgery. Following medical school, ABPS-certified plastic surgeons must have completed a minimum of 5 years of surgical training, including an accredited plastic surgery residency program. Members of ASAPS must be in at least their third year of active practice following ABPS certification.


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Istanbul Tourist Pass: 3 or 7-Day City Pass
Duration: 7 days
Explore Istanbul at your own pace with a 3 or 7-day Istanbul Tourist Pass, providing access to Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, and much more. Cruise…


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Brought to you by Steve Strauss
June 2012
Have Some Fun
In my last blog, I shared how to think like a banker so as to up your chances of getting a conventional bank loan. Today I would like to drill down a bit more into a very specific sort of loan – one made in conjunction with The Small Business Administration.
What if I were to tell you that there is an agency of the United States government whose sole job is to help you succeed in your business? Would you like that? And what if I further told you that said agency has a yearly budget of over $1 billion and that it facilitates in excess of 50,000 small business loans a year, totaling more than $15 billion? Do you think that may help you get your business funded?
Of course we are talking about the Small Business Administration. In many ways, the SBA is one of the best friends your business can have, but this is even truer when it comes to funding. SBA loans have helped millions of entrepreneurs start and grow their business and it can help you too.
The first thing to understand about SBA loans is that the SBA does not make loans, as strange as that sounds. What the SBA does is guarantee loans. By offering a loan guarantee to a bank, the SBA makes it easier for that bank to make more loans since the bank is assured of repayment; if the borrower is unable to repay the loan, the U.S. government will. That is a fine incentive for making more loans.
How much does the SBA guarantee? Traditionally, SBA loan guarantees worked this way:
- Loans up to $50,000 – SBA guarantees 50% of the loan
- Loans up to $150,000 – SBA guarantees 85% of the loan
- Loans above $150,000 – SBA guarantees 75% of the loan
A big change resulting from the 2009 stimulus law is that the SBA now has the right to guarantee up to 90% of all loans. Sometimes the SBA does in fact guarantee that much, but not always. As they say, "your results may vary."
The core loan the SBA makes, its basic, mainstay loan program, is the 7(a) loan. 7(a) loans can be used for all sorts of things – startups, working capital, equipment, furniture, and real estate even. The length of the loan can be anywhere for 10 to 25 years, and loan amount have recently been raised to $5 million.
But this is just one type of loan. There are many others fo other purposes. Check out this site.
There really is not a lot of difference between applying for an SBA loan and a conventional business loans. You will need to provide extensive documentation as to your need and use of the monies and you will need to make a great impression. The main difference is that here, you will need to fill out SBA forms in addition to whatever else the lender typically requires. The basic SBA forms that you should expect to encounter, among others, are these:
- Form 4: Application for Business Loan
- Form 4A: Schedule of Collateral
- Form 413: Personal Financial Statement
- Form 912: Statement of Personal History
- Form 1846: Statement Regarding Lobbying
One last note: Aside from more lenient underwriting criteria, one other good thing about SBA loans is that you may not need collateral to get one. According to the SBA, "To the extent that worthwhile assets are available, adequate collateral is required as security on all SBA loans. However, SBA will generally not decline a loan where inadequacy of collateral is the only unfavorable factor."
(For even more business tips and strategies, check out our podcast on iTunes, Small Business Success with Steve Strauss, Powered by Greatland.)
Motivation 1
In my last blog, I discussed why having fun at work means, ironically, that usually more work gets done. Having a great culture is a mighty motivator for employees, but of course it is not the only one. Essentially, there are two other ways to motivate employees: with money and without money. In this blog I am going to discuss ways to motivate with money (which is not always as easy as it sounds). In my next blog, we will look at non-financial motivators.
It is no secret that money motivates people, you know that, I know that, we all know that. Holding sales contests, offering bonuses, dangling raises—these are tried-and-true ways to motivate people. The benefits package you offer is another financial motivator, but this begs the question: Why does it take money to motivate an employee?
The answer is that the possibility of making more money transforms the employee into an entrepreneur, and entrepreneurship is based on the premise that hard work and ingenuity will be rewarded. Isn't that how you think? "If I implement that plan, we could increase sales by 10 percent!" Well, that is precisely what an employee thinks when offered a money motivator. "If I sell more than anyone else this month, I win that trip to Hawaii!" So the secret to motivating with money is to tap into this mind-set for mutual benefit.
First, you can always link an employee's pay to performance. That is exactly how commissioned salespeople work. Similarly, you could link bonuses to desired outcomes. For example, you might offer your director of operations a nice bonus if he can reduce overhead by 10 percent for the year. A manager might get 10 percent of any increased revenues for his store for the month. There are many ways to structure such a compensation program.
But remember, when creating a money-motivated system, it is important that the reward be linked to an outcome that the employee can control. The director of operations can directly affect overhead, but he or she cannot increase sales, so a reward based on increased sales would not work for him or her and in fact may be counter-productive. If the reward is based on overall company performance, the employee will be motivated to try harder only if he or she can affect that performance. As long as the reward and the desired action are linked, the motivation will be there.
Finally, let's look at contests. Contests have been used to motivate employees for ages, and for a good reason – they work. Contests build excitement and create desired behaviors and outcomes. The secret is that the best contests:
- Use realistic and achievable goals
- Are limited to a short period of time
- Have desirable prizes
- Link rewards to performance, and
- Have uncomplicated rules
So yes, motivating with money works, and works well, but fortunately, it is not the only way to motivate people. Read my next blog to get some good ideas of non-financial motivators.
Motivation 2
Employees who are disengaged are so for a reason. The Gallup Organization's annual survey of employment found that employees are unmotivated when they do not know what is expected of them, when they feel stagnant in their work, and when they do not feel appreciated. People lose enthusiasm for a job when it becomes boring and routine, when bosses are clueless, and when their employer seems to care more about money than people.
If you want to motivate employees without money, the first thing you need to do is engage them. You need to learn what excites the problematic employee and try and incorporate that into their work. What motivates people is feeling appreciated as individuals and contributing what they have to offer.
Indeed, there are many simple ways to motivate people, to have them feel appreciated, without spending a lot of money:
Show your appreciation. Thanking employees for a job well done is so simple yet so effective. Thanks can take many forms. It could be a pat on the back from a manager, a call from the president, a special parking spot for a week, a night out with your team, increased territory, a massage and facial, or a round of golf. FedEx inscribes the names of special employees' children on the nose of new planes to thank the employee for a job well done. How often do you see a plaque naming the employee of the month?
Recognize employees. Letting everyone know that a team member did a great job works wonders. A survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources found that for 68% of employees, being appreciated is important to job satisfaction. At Blanchard Training in Escondido, California, praise from customers and managers is reprinted in the company newsletter. What about sending a press release regarding an accomplishment to your trade journal?
Ask for input. Listening to employee ideas and taking action on them makes people feel as if they are part of a team and that what they say makes a difference. At Grumman Corporation in New York, employees whose suggestions are implemented receive gift certificates. Fel-Pro in Skokie, Illinois, has a yearly drawing for $1,000 for all employees who participated in the employee suggestion program.
Offer freebies. Employees who do something above and beyond the call of duty can be given an afternoon off, a gift certificate to Nordstrom, or tickets to a sporting event. At H. B. Fuller Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, employees get a paid day off on their birthday. Mary Kay Cosmetics gives the birthday girl a lunch voucher for two.
Make your business a special place to work. What about having a massage therapist come by every other week for complimentary 15-minute back massages at employees' desks? What about an in-house yoga class? Have a yearly picnic with spouses and children. Organize a rafting trip down the river. None of these ideas costs a lot, but all would be appreciated, and appreciation is motivation.
The thing about non-monetary rewards is that you need to be creative. Take suggestions. A few changes can reap tremendous rewards.
What Kind of Boss Are You?
All month, we have been looking at what makes for an enjoyable workplace: culture, fun, bonuses, giving thanks, etc. But maybe the most important factor that goes into the 'good place to work' equation is whether you are a good boss or a bad boss.
I recently heard this great, great-boss story:
A woman was about to start a new job when an unexpected medical emergency came up and she had to schedule significant surgery right before starting the new position. So she called up her boss-to-be and explained the situation. But rather than being upset, or calling the new job off, he arranged it so that she would start the job on disability leave and thereby get her salary to kick-in.
When her first check arrived two weeks later, it turned out that it was for her full salary and not the partial disability salary she expected. She called the boss to say that a mistake had been made, but he said no, that they decided to pay her normally. He wished her a speedy recovery and said that they hope to see her soon. Of course she is so grateful that she says they will have a loyal employee forever.
Isn't that one of the main benefits of being a great boss – you get to create a happy and productive workplace? Yes, being a good boss sometimes costs more and requires greater patience, but the payoffs far outweigh any burdens:
- You make more money. Studies show that happy employees create happy customers and happy customers create happy bank accounts
- You instill loyalty and hard work. People like to work for people they like, and will work harder and better. They will also have a better attitude and be willing to go the extra mile
- You can sleep at night: I can tell you that, having once had a boss threaten to put his cigarette out in my forehead because I didn't hit my numbers that month, I don't know how some of these people live with themselves. But the opposite is true too – good bosses set great examples.
And the thing is, it is not that difficult to be a good boss. It is really a matter of trying to do the right thing. How about the boss who offered an employee all of the available overtime work one month because he knew she was in a bad financial situation? It didn't cost him anything but it sure did gain him a lot. Or the boss who made sure that the pregnant cashier was able to sit down while doing her job?
Little things go a long way in the workplace. Good bosses are fair, they trust their staff, they challenge you to do your best, they listen, and they are respectful.
And just maybe, they give folks that extra Friday off here and there during the summer.


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Skip to comments.Cowboys release shaky Vanderjagt, sign Gramatica
Posted on 11/27/2006 3:15:02 PM PST by bkwells
Cowboys release shaky Vanderjagt, sign Gramatica
Mike Vanderjagt's short, but rocky tenure as the Cowboys' kicker is over.
ESPN's Ed Werder reports that Dallas has released Vanderjagt and signed Martin Gramatica to replace him.
The most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history, Vanderjagt, who signed a three-year contract worth nearly $6 million as an unrestricted free agent this spring, has converted only 13 of 18 field goals. That's only two fewer misses in 11 games than the nine-year veteran had in the past three seasons combined.
In his eight seasons with the Colts, a tenure sometimes marked by petulance and marred by a long-standing feud with quarterback Peyton Manning, he converted 87.5 percent of his field goal attempts.
Well he had a better season than UF's kicker, but that's about it.
Field goal kickers are ALL pussies!
A stunning development. I guess the 'Boys don't want to risk losing any games, which I can understand ... but Gramatica?! This Bucs fans remembers all too way "Automatica's" fall from grace.
It's remarkable. That one missed kick has just ruined him.
Thirteen? I would have thought it was lower than that. His accuracy is atrocious.
make that "all too well ..."
Actually, he's very accurate, he can hit an upright from 40 yards every time.
Did you see him on Thanksgiving? He barely made that easy chip-shot FG ... then Romo joked with him on the way to the sideline and he was in no mood. He's clearly lost it.
Color me shocked. It was clear he had lost his confidence, but the Cowboys had spent a lot of money on him.
Holy Crap!!!
I did not see that coming...
Unfortunately for them, Gramatica is just as shaky....
Neither did I. He must be just as bad in practice for the Tuna to cut him loose.
Nick Novak of the Redskins is 5 for 10. Is there a place kicker rehab place anywhere? Lou Groza clinic?
Yeah Slump Buster. I'd like to see you in a fight against say, Vanderjagt, Hunter Smith or maybe Todd Sauerbrun. When was the last time you saw a game...1980?
Missing 2 FG's at the Indy game didn't help him either...
yeah especially bad in practice.
So who in the NFL needs a kicker badly?
I think it was also his short kickoffs that doomed him. Parcells doesn't want to have two kickers, so if Vanderjagt couldn't even kick off decently, he was of little use.
I like Romo.
Every time the camera catches him, he has a big smile on his face. He is having fun just being on the field (and not a bad season, now).
Pre or post-roid Sauerbrun?
Nope. He was lucky his teammates bailed him out.
...but usually the highest scorers of anyone on the team. Go figure!
I know. He's hit it from 20 yard too.
He better not be expecting another big pay day.
Another team will sign him within the next two days.
no but employment would probably be nice at this point.....
At least the one thing the Lions have is a decent kicker.
No doubt. Perhaps he needs to go to a team that's already out of it so there won't be any pressure kicks.
I saw it in the pre-season. There was a game when he missed nearly every FG attempt. He made one, only after a challenge was issued by the opposition on a previous play.
They sure did... Did you catch the press conference afterwards? Parcells said that before the season started Vandy said not to worry about the kicking game... he paused and then added "I'm telling you that I am now worried about our kicker." I think it took them this long to find a decent replacement.
Gramatica better not cost the 'boys a game!
This guy's status is falling faster than Culpepper's.
He's a Canuck, so he could just go somewhere in the CFL.
Much the same way a hockey goalie can loose his confidence. If you have the proven skill then the rest of it is in the mind.
He deserves better.
Or at least the next best thing.
Careful, George Blanda just might kick your ass.
That old bastard was tough.
I think he's talked about doing just that. I'm sure Peyton Manning is laughing his ass off at the news.
maybe after the season, but he must have really been regressing in practice as well.....
Do you think that Culpepper is in for a problem getting his starter's job back next summer?
I do if Harrington hangs around....
I think we learned Thursday that the problems in Detroit had nothing to do with Harrington.
No question about it. The Dolphins are going to have to make a decision this off season because they're paying Culpepper a lot of money.
Yeah but I knew that all along :)
Here's one for you....
Who is more incompetent: Isiah Thomas as a GM or Matt Millen?
I hope they front-loaded that signing bonus....
Gee...do you think in retrospect Saban wishes he'd gambled on Drew Brees' shoulder?
You could have them switch jobs and they still couldn't do a worse job.
I know the Chargers are playing great and Rivers looks good but imagine if Brees was still there.
I remember when the NFL teams imported all these foreign soccer players to replace the straight-on kickers--"whee! I keecks a touchdown!</P>
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Showing 97-137 of 137 items found in Places to Stay
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Holiday Inn Express Rolling Meadows - Schaumburg
Complimentary local shuttle, full hot breafast buffet, outdoor pool, fitness center, business center, complimentary wireless high-speed Internet.
CITY:Rolling Meadows
Holiday Inn Rolling Meadows-Schaumburg
Complimentary shuttle within 5 miles, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet throughout, indoor Polynesian atrium with tropical gardens and waterfalls, 2 indoor pools, 2 Jacuzzi's, tiki bar, basketball court, volleyball court and arcade area.
CITY:Rolling Meadows
Extended StayAmerica Chicago - Rolling Meadows
Welcome to Extended StayAmerica Chicago - Rolling Meadows - Schaumburg Convention Center. Our hotel is designed especially for longer stays with studios featuring fully-equipped kitchens and plenty of work space, as well as amenities you won't find in a typical room.
CITY:Rolling Meadows
Motel 6 - Chicago/Rolling Meadows
Located just off Highway 53 North in the hear of the Rolling Meadows business district. Arlington Park Racecourse - 1 mile, Woodfield Mall - 5 miles. Complimentary morning coffee, swimming pool. WiFi available in all rooms. Motel 6 offers clean comfortable rooms and great service at the lowest price of any national chain.
CITY:Rolling Meadows
Holiday Inn Express - Vernon Hills
Just minutes from the shores of Lake Michigan, this hotel is conveniently located less than 25 miles from Chicago's O'Hare Airport and the Great Lakes Naval Base. Families staying at our hotel will enjoy exploring Lake County with attractions including Six Flags Great America. This hotel offers one and two-room suites which all include a free hot breakfast buffet, free high speed wireless Internet access and a complimentary Manager's Reception Monday - Thursday. Relax in the indoor pool or work out in the fitness center. Two meeting rooms totaling 1200 sq. ft. accommodating 75 people are also available for special events or meetings.
CITY:Vernon Hills
Boutique all-suite hotel features the "Phi" Bistro & Bar with a full-service Starbucks coffee bar through the "We Proudly Brew" program and room service for breakfast and dinner, indoor heated pool, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour business center and wireless Internet access. Guest suites are 25% larger than standard hotel room & include 32" flat-panel TV, MP3-player alarm clocks, spa-inspired showers, sofa sleepers (most suites) and work desks with smart lamps. Within 1 mile of over 200 stores, fine and casual dining and much more.
CITY:Vernon Hills
This campground has been family owned and operated since 1939. This is a great place to spend some quality family time or just to get away for some fishing, swimming and picnicking. All of the campsites have water, electricity, and fire rings. Campers can use the swimming pool, kiddie pool, hot tub, laundry facilities, rent a row or paddle boat, watch a movie Friday and Saturday nights at the outdoor movie theatre or play a round of mini golf. There are also family activities including Bingo, ceramics, crafts, pool games and story time. The campground also has 2 basketball courts, a baseball field, playground and a teen recreational center with video games. Come for a day, a week, a month or stay all season.
This campground has been family owned and operated since 1939. This is a great place to spend some quality family time or just to get away for some fishing, swimming and picnicking. All of the campsites have water, electricity, and fire rings. Campers can use the swimming pool, kiddie pool, hot tub, laundry facilities, rent a row or paddle boat, watch a movie Friday and Saturday nights at the outdoor movie theatre or play a round of mini golf. There are also family activities including Bingo, ceramics, crafts, pool games and story time. The campground also has 2 basketball courts, a baseball field, playground and a teen recreational center with video games. Come for a day, a week, a month or stay all season.
This affordable, extended stay hotel is situated on a 200 acre Championship Golf Estate. An 80-room all-suite hotel, some with full kitchens and fireplaces, offering great amenities including in-room microwaves, mini refrigerators, cable television with HBO, Nintendo games and coffee maker. Relax in the heated indoor pool or Jacuzzi, work out in the fitness area, play a game of tennis or practice on the driving range and wake up to a complimentary full hot breakfast buffet.
A romantic, rustic, waterfront B&B. Lakeview breakfasts and sunsets, a swimming pool, wildlife, and watersports produce an atmosphere of a small resort. Full breakfast.
Candlewood Suites Chicago-Waukegan
Candlewood Suites is carefully designed with spacious rooms, queen size beds, full kitchens and business desk with executive chair. Among all amenities included in the rate are fitness center, laundry facility, local calls, high speed internet and more.
If you're looking for a clean, quiet room with a friendly and helpful staff, Econo Lodge is the place to stay. With the newly-remodelled rooms full of amenities, your stay is sure to be comfortable and enjoyable! Rooms feature 56-channel cable televisions, king and queen beds, and free local calls. Rollaways and cribs are available, along with a complimentary continental breakfast.
Holiday Inn Express and Suites - Waukegan
Elegant hotel with two bedroom suites, executive suites and jacuzzi featured rooms. Guests will enjoy the large heated indoor pool, 24-hour fitness center and an extended size breakfast room with a complimentary continental breakfast. Each room offers a microwave, refrigerator, free internet and HD TV with complimentary HBO. Conveniently close to Six Flags Great America, Great Lakes Naval Base and Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall. Business travelers looking for lodging will be pleased by our accommodations located near businesses including CDW, Abbott, Baxter, Akzo Nobel and HSBC and our business services which include three large meeting rooms, catering services, 24-hour business center and free high-speed wireless internet.
Residence Inn by Marriott, Chicago Waukegan/Gurnee
This home away from home offers suites with 50% more space than ordinary hotel rooms. These versatile suites offer separate living, dining and sleeping areas, fully equipped kitchens and a comfortable work area including free high-speed Internet, desk-level outlet and voice mail. Free buffet breakfast and a free dinner social Monday-Thursday offered to all guests. Work out in the on-site fitness center or attend a meeting in the 644 sq ft. meeting room. Close to the Great Lakes Navy Base, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills and a variety of shops and restaurants.
Courtyard by Marriott, Chicago Waukegan/Gurnee
Located in the Fountain Square Plaza, is near the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Abbott and Cardinal Health and minutes from Six Flags. Relax and get ready for the day in one of 137 spacious guest rooms or 12 suites. Enjoy high-speed Internet access, premium pay movies and free in-room coffee - plus an indoor heated pool and hot tub. Start the day at the Courtyard Café with a hot breakfast buffet or grab a snack from "The Market" which offers a variety of food and beverages 24/7. Use the business center to charge your phone, plug in a laptop or fax/print documents. The 1,284 sq ft of meeting space is available for small meetings and social events. Hotel offers shuttles to Navy Graduation.
Full service hotel with banquet facilities, meeting rooms, a lounge and a restaurant serving all day. This hotel is located close to Six Flags Great America/Hurricane Harbor, offering packages to the park and discounted tickets and near the Great Lakes Naval Training Command, offering transportation for graduation with special rates for Navy families. Free continental breakfast, high speed wired and wireless internet access, room service, business center, heated indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, gift shop and exercise room available for all guests
This hotel is conveniently located just minutes from the Naval Station Great Lakes, Six Flags Great America, The Botanic Gardens, Gurnee Mills outlet mall and Lake Michigan. This hotel offers many fine features and amenities, including free deluxe continental breakfast, free coffee, and free wireless high-speed Internet access. The surrounding area boasts a variety of entertainment venues, restaurants and cocktail lounges. Business travelers will welcome additional conveniences like the public computer with Internet access, in-room desks, and access to copy and fax services.
A 4-time Quality Excellence Award Winner, this hotel is spacious and built for comfort. Each of the suites have a full kitchen, complete with microwave and full size refrigerator. Catch up on work on the large executive desk with two phone lines and free high speed Internet. Relax in the overstuffed recliner while enjoying cable TV, listening to your MP3 or watching movies that can be borrowed from the free DVD library. Work off some stress in the Fitness Center or visit the on-site convenient store, Candlewood Cupboard, where meals and snacks can be purchased.
84 spacious and newly renovated rooms. Conveniently located 3 miles from Great Lakes Naval Station, Waukegan Industrial Park, Gurnee Mills, Lake Michigan, Six Flags Great America and many more attractions.
America's Best Value Inn & Suites - Waukegan
Indoor Heated Pool, Free Wireless Internet, Free Continental Breakfast, all rooms with refrigerator, iron/ironing board, hair dryer, and coffee makers.
Newly Renovated Hotel Property, Outdoor Pool, Free High Speed Wireless Internet, Free Coffee, Pets Are Welcome, 3 Miles From Six Flags Great America, The Great Lakes Naval Training Center And Gurnee Mills Mall.
Newly Renovated Hotel Property, Outdoor Pool, Free High Speed Wireless Internet, Free Coffee, Pets Are Welcome, 3 Miles From Six Flags Great America, The Great Lakes Naval Training Center And Gurnee Mills Mall.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Chicago Waukegan/Gurnee
Among hotels in the Chicago Waukegan/Gurnee area, the SpringHill Suites by Marriott is a breath of fresh air. As the first SpringHill Suites in North America featuring the new A.I.R. design package, we invite you to celebrate travel life at this smart and stylish all-suite hotel offering a fresh perspective that turns everyday trips into memorable experiences. You'll find plenty of room to make yourself at home with up to 25% more space than a traditional hotel.
Americas Best Value Inn & Suites - Waukegan/Gurnee
This hotel is known for its friendly, spacious and comfortable environment and is located a few miles from Six Flags, Gurnee Mills, Great Lakes Naval Training Center, downtown Waukegan, area attractions and the best sport facilities.
Hotel amenities include fully equipped kitchens, large work spaces with 2 phone lines, personalized voicemail, on-site business services, and more.
CITY:West Dundee
Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Elgin/West Dundee
Relax in one of our spacious guest rooms featuring a comfortable sitting area, large work desk, two phones with dataports, DSL line, and in-room coffee.
CITY:West Dundee
Located in a historic 28-room mansion.
CITY:West Dundee
Candlewood Suites-Northbrook Wheeling
An extended stay property for the leisure or business traveler. Full kitchens, free local calls, free high speed internet access; weekly maid service, complimentary guest laundry, comfortable accessible rooms.
Best Western Palwaukee Inn-Wheeling
Stay with us at our 3-Diamond rated facility a member of the largest hotel chain in the world. We are conveniently located, offer competitive affordable rates-WIFI included and complimentary continental breakfast. We have all the amenities to meet the needs of any traveler.
Queen Anne style B & B, 2 blocks from Historic Square and Woodstock Opera House. Intimate Victorian atmosphere, elegant amenities, full gourmet breakfast. All non-smoking rooms with private baths. Central air, heat, sprinkler system. Check website.
Motel with 62 rooms. Standard rooms, presidential suites and jacuzzi theme suites.
45 room hotel with many amenities, located in historic Woodstock, Illinois. Close to many attractions in and around Woodstock.
Fifty-room hotel. Minutes from downtown Woodstock.
Royal Victorian Manor Bed and Breakfast is an 1894 Victorian home that has evolved to offer the perfect combination of modern amenities while maintaining its original majestic qualities. Featured as the "The Cherry Street Inn" in the movie "Groundhog Day" (1992), this majestic painted lady is designed to cater to the discerning traveler. Located in Woodstock, Illinois, the Manor is celebrated as a historic and cultural vacation retreat.
Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus (LUREC)
Encompassed in 100 acres of lush greenery, Loyola University Retreat and Ecology Campus provides a serene setting for overnight retreats, meetings, team building, classes, and private/community events. Open year-round, the campus can accommodate groups of 12-200 guests. Facility highlights include one of the largest challenge courses in the state, culinary team building, farm workshops, comfortable housing/meeting spaces, sustainable dining options, a fire pit, basketball/ tennis courts, and hiking trails. Loyola is committed to maintaining the biodiversity of the campus and encourages sustainability, conservation, and restoration efforts.
Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center
Nestled along the coastline of Lake Michigan on 4,100 acres of natural beauty in a protected state park, the Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center will sweep you away from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life and into a scenic paradise. The resort is the only hotel in the state of Illinois located directly on Lake Michigan. Many of the 92 guestrooms and suites, have lakeviews. We also offer 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a full-service restaurant and lounge, a full-service health club and Jacuzzi.
This hotel features cozy accommodations, an award-winning breakfast buffet and great rates. This smoke-free hotel is an ideal destination for business and leisure travelers alike. When it's time to relax, guests at the hotel enjoy a heated indoor pool, spa, on-site fitness center (7am-10pm) and game room. Additional amenities include laundry facilities and free Internet access. Children under 18 stay free with an adult. Located along the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan, this Six Flags Great American hotel is a great option for a vacation or business trip. The hotel is less than one mile from the pristine shoreline, and is likewise convenient to great shopping and dining in the area.
Illinois Beach Resort & Conference Center
Resort located on the shores of Lake Michigan. 92 guestrooms and suites, many with Lakeviews. 12,000 square feet of Meeting and Event space. Full-service Restaurant and Lounge serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Full-service Health Club with heated
Illnois Beach Resort and Conference
92 total rooms. Four suites. Indoor pool. On-site health club. Room service. Two bonfire pits, sand volleyball court,seasonal tent, private beach, bike rentals. Located near Gurnee Mills, Six Flags Great America, Naval Station Great Lakes, located in state park
An 84 room hotel located in the heart of downtown Zion, within walking distance of the Cancer Treatment Center of America, 1/2 mile from Zion Solutions, and only 15 minutes from NTC Great Lakes. The hotel offers a selection of King and Queen rooms, Extended Stay Suites with fully equipped kitchens, as well as King Suites with separate living and sleeping areas, custom linens and Decor, Business Center, Meeting and Training Rooms, Large (250 person) Banquet Hall. All rooms are equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, coffeemaker and flat panel TV.


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Gynecomastia is defined as benign, excess breast tissue development in male individuals. Recent studies have reported an overall incidence of 32 - 36 %, and up to 64.6 % in adolescent boys. The incidence of bilateral involvement also varies in the literature from 25 -75 percent of patients. The underlying cause seems to be an increase in the ratio of estrogen to androgen activity. Photo credit
In general physiologic gynecomastia can be observed in three peaks during life.
- The neonatal period: 60-90% of infants have transient gynecomastia due to transplacental transfer of maternal estrogens.
- Puberty: 48-64% of boys at puberty have gynecomastia. Usually peak age of onset is between 13 and 14 years, followed by a decline in late teenage years.
- Late in life: The highest prevalence of gynecomastia is seen among men aged 50-80 years.
Pathologic gynecomastia occurs as a result of various metabolic disorders (alcoholic cirrhosis), endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, adrenal cortical hyperplasia), acquired hypogonadal states (orchitis, testicular trauma), congenital hypogonadal states (Klinefelter syndrome, congenital anorchia), and increased estrogen states (bronchogenic carcinoma, testicular tumors). (Table 1--MedScape article)
Pharmacologic gynecomastia occurs by several mechanisms, including increased direct estrogenic activity, increased secretion of estrogen, decreased testosterone synthesis, and decreased androgen sensitivity. There are also many drugs with poorly understood mechanisms that are associated with gynecomastia. (Table 2--MedScape article)
Clinical evaluation of patients with gynecomastia is very important. However, further workup is rarely indicated. History should include age, duration and onset of breast enlargement, symptoms of pain or tenderness, medications and recreational drug use, and psychological and social effects. A review of systems that covers all the above mentioned causes should be obtained. Physical examination of the breasts should involve assessment for glandular or fat predominance (by the pinch test), degree of glandular ptosis, skin excess, nodules/masses, and nipple abnormalities or discharge. Glandular or parenchymal tissue is characterized by rubbery breast tissue that is mobile and extends from a subareolar, centric position. Breast cancer accounts for 0.2% of all malignancies in men and generally presents as a unilateral firm mass, often eccentric in location rather than centered beneath the areola. This should be remembered if any suspicious nodules or masses are found. These may have abnormal firmness, overlying skin ulceration, eccentric location, or abnormal nipple discharge. The normal male breast is typically flat with some fullness around the nipple-areola complex. The nipple-areola complex is normally 2 - 4 cm in diameter (average, 2.8 cm) and located over the fourth intercostal space. Nipple to sternal notch distance is, on average, 20 cm. A muscular male chest may exhibit superior fullness with a transition to a flat inferior chest near the inframammary fold. Completion of the physical examination should in particular assess for testicular enlargement/atrophy and asymmetry, thyromegaly, hepatomegaly, pulmonary abnormalities, and abdominal masses. Additional diagnostic testing should be individualized to address abnormalities identified in the history or physical examination.
The majority of patients with gynecomastia require no treatment other than removal of the precipitating cause. If it is drug-induced, it may regress if the offending medication is stopped. Treatment of hyperthyroidism, correction of hypogonadism and surgical removal of testicular, adrenal or other causative tumors can also lead to regression. Treatment for gynecomastia is indicated in cases where it produces significant pain, embarrassment or emotional discomfort and therefore interfering with the patient's life. A patient should consider proceeding with surgical management once diagnosis of gynecomastia is established of nonphysiologic causes or of duration greater than approximately 12 months, because hypertrophic breast tissue beyond this stage usually becomes irreversibly fibrotic.
Classification of gynecomastia as defined by Rod Rohrich, MD & others is based on the amount and character of breast hypertrophy and the degree of ptosis.
Grade I patients --minimal hypertrophy (less than 250 gm of breast tissue).
- Grade IA--primarily fatty breast tissue. Suction-assisted lipectomy can be used with great success.
- Grade IB--primarily fibrous breast tissue
- Grade IIA--primarily fatty breast tissue. Suction-assisted lipectomy can be used with great success.
- Grade IIB--primarily fibrous breast tissue
Grade IV --severe hypertrophy (more than 500 gm of breast
tissue), grade 2 or 3 ptosis
Ultrasound-assisted liposuction is effective in all grades of gynecomastia. Usually, no further treatment is needed in grade I or II gynecomastia. Often, single ultrasound-assisted liposuction treatment is all that is necessary for grades III and IV, especially in those with mild ptosis and good skin quality. If removal of redundant skin and/or resistant lipodystrophy is still required after ultrasound-assisted liposuction, a staged excision is delayed for 6 to 9 months to allow for maximal skin retraction and healing, thus potentially allowing down staging of the magnitude of the excisional technique (and therefore minimizing scarring)
Classification and Management of Gynecomastia: Defining the Role of Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction.;Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 111(2):909-923, February 2003; Rohrich, Rod J. M.D.; Ha, Richard Y. M.D.; Kenkel, Jeffrey M. M.D.; Adams, William P. Jr., M.D.
Breast Cancer in a Patient with Gynecomastia; Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 84(6):976-979, December 1989; Fodor, Peter Bela M.D.
Management of Gynaecomastia: An Update ; Int J Clin Pract. 2007; 61(7):1209-1215.; P. Gikas, MD; Kefah Mokbel, MS, FRCS (also a MedScape article)
Gynecomastia--eMedicine article by Ali Fawzi, MD


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MONDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2008: Virgin Blue's international airline Pacific Blue (Aust) will take off from Brisbane International Airport at 9.35am today on route to Port Moresby, heralding the beginning of regular services between Australia and Papua New Guinea for the airline.
Pacific Blue will operate four direct return flights a week (Mon, Wed, Fri and Sun) between Brisbane and PNG, in future under code-share^ with Airlines PNG, using a modern fleet of Boeing 737-800 jet aircraft.
Fares from Brisbane start from AUD$289* (inclusive of taxes) with convenient connections available from Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and soon New Zealand. Fares from Port Moresby start from PGK599* including taxes.
Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said with Pacific Blue already successfully serving five Pacific Island destinations with its tried and tested business model, commencing services to PNG was a logical decision and a natural fit for the airline.
"There has been a strong economic and cultural relationship between Australia and PNG for years and the launch of our services to and from Papua New Guinea can only strengthen the connection between our two countries.
"We have no doubt the additional schedule choices Pacific Blue offers, as well as everyday low fare options and exceptional Guest service, will appeal to the leisure and VFR markets as well as to business travellers who make up 35% of all travellers ex-Australia.
"As with other Pacific Island nations we service these flights will certainly bring significant benefits to the people and economy of PNG through increased tourism spurred on by real competition and access to affordable airfares."
Airlines PNG Chief Executive Officer, John Fitzgerald, added, "Since late 2005, Airlines PNG has already brought significant competition to international routes between Papua New Guinea and Australia. We're pleased that the commencement of Pacific Blue operations will introduce a strong and successful regional competitor onto the Brisbane route.
"We are awaiting approval from PNG's competition regulator, following which I am sure that we can look forward to a long and productive Codeshare partnership with Pacific Blue – a partnership that will see sustainable competition produce benefits for travellers between the two countries with greater choice in terms of product, schedules and air fares."
Being a little over three hours flight time from Brisbane, not only is Papua New Guinea one of Australia's closest neighbours, it has much to offer with its rich culture and historically significant attractions such as the Kokoda Track as well as its unique and unspoiled landscape.
Leisure and adventure travellers to PNG are spoilt for choice with the rugged mountain terrain and deep cave systems offering wonderful exploration opportunities for walkers, cavers and climbers along with canoeing, kayaking and fishing on the river and delta system. Papua New Guinea also enjoys some of the world's best diving around its warm coastal waters, with striking coral reefs around the mainland coast and the islands of the Bismarck Sea and the Milne Bay area.
Onboard today's launch flight will be Virgin Blue Chief Commercial Officer, Stefan Pichler, as well as Airlines PNG Chairman, Simon Wild, who will be accompanied by the airline's "ambassador" Ryan Pini. Ryan is a national hero in PNG – having won the Commonwealth Games 100 metres butterfly event in Melbourne in 2006 and reaching the final of that event at the Beijing Olympics this year.
A number of Virgin Blue team members from Brisbane will also be on the first Pacific Blue flight to Port Moresby including Pacific Games gold medalist and track and field Olympian, Ann Mooney, who has previously represented Papua New Guinea in the 1999 and 2007 South Pacific Games and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Ms Mooney was also Miss Charity Queen in the Miss PNG Red Cross Quest 1996 and Miss PNG runner up in the 1996 Miss PNG Quest.
Guests on the inaugural flight from Australia will enjoy a rock-star farewell from Brisbane International Airport with a cake, balloons and ribbon cutting along with a traditional Papua New Guinean dancer.
Dignitaries from the Papua New Guinea Government, Tourism Offices and Airlines PNG will greet the arriving flight into Port Moresby at 12.55pm today with a special welcome function at the airport to mark this historical occasion.
About Virgin Blue Group
Multi award winning airline Virgin Blue and international carriers Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue currently operate a fleet of 72 modern Boeing 737 and Embraer E-Jet aircraft flying to 26 Australian and eight international destinations including New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands. Virgin Blue was the first airline in the world to launch a Government-certified carbon offset program, where Guests can offset the carbon emissions from their flights. Virgin Blue Group has also announced plans to launch Australia's newest international airline, V Australia, set to commence flights between Australia and the USA from 2009, subject to regulatory approvals.
* All fares are one way for flights booked on the internet. Fees for bookings via the Virgin Blue Guest Contact Centre apply. A credit card fee applies to all bookings. Seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or during peak periods.
^ Subject to regulatory approvals.