text:
By Sam Mamudi
Are the bulls back in charge? Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 index are up roughly 0.4% ahead of Tuesday's bell.
Looking set for a particularly good day are shares of Coach (COH), up 13% after the handbag and accessories maker reported better-than-expected earnings on strong sales, and raised its dividend by 13%:
In the latest quarter to March, the company reported a 1 percent rise in same-store sales in North America. Overall sales in the region, including online sales, rose 7 percent.
International sales rose 6 percent to $382 million in the quarter, driven by a 40 percent rise in sales in China.
We've been bullish on Coach for a while now, most recently in a Barron's Take from mid-March (sub required).
Coach's healthy results are a good sign for its sector; rival Michael Kors' (KORS) stock is up 2.7%.
The biggest decliner on the S&P 500 before the bell is J.C. Penney (JCP), down 2.8% at the latest. The retailer has had what by its standards is a good April, rising about 2.9% as CEO Ron Johnson was fired and stories came out about its liquidity problems.
And finally, from The Wall Street Journal, some hopeful news about the financial services industry:
Seven large U.S. financial-services firms, including PNC Financial Services (PNC) Capital One Financial (COF) and Discover Financial Services (DFS), said they are scaling back the maximum bonuses awarded to executives who beat their performance targets, according to regulatory filings.
Late last year, the Federal Reserve began contacting banks about their compensation plans, said a person familiar with the phone calls. In regulatory filings, many of the firms cited the Fed as a reason for changes.


text:
ARSC T3D Users' Newsletter 85, May 3, 1996
How Much does that Division Cost?
The DEC Alpha processor is an IEEE processor. It supports both the formats and arithmetic functions as defined by the ANSI/IEEE STD 754-1985 document as produced by the Floating-Point Working Group of the Microprocessor Standards Subcommittee of the Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society. This document specifies what is colloquially called 'IEEE arithmetic'. I can U.S. mail copies of this document to whomever requests it.
The standard specifies that all operations should be computed with precision within 1/2 ulp (ulp - unit of least precision), provide 4 modes of rounding, implement special quantities of Infinity, NaNs and Signed Zero, produce correct signals at specified exceptions, and allow users to implement trap handlers when an exception occurs. The standard treats the four arithmetic functions of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as fundamental functions requiring the same precision from each function.
From the point of view of the hardware engineer, however, the four functions differ considerably in circuitry costs and execution speeds. Below is a table I've accumulated for these arithmetic functions on various machines:
<-----------execution speeds-----------> machine addition multiplication division Univac 1108 2.2 ms 3.0 ms 8.63 ms IBM 360/85 .38 ms 1.36 ms 1.64 ms CDC 6600 .4 ms 1. ms 2.9 ms VAX 11/750(inC) 10.6 ms 15.7 ms 15.7 ms Burroughs BSP 320 ns 320 ns 1280 ns Cray-1 75 ns 87.5 ns 362.5 ns CDC 205 5 cps 5 cps 54 cps Cray-XMP 6 cps 7 cps 29 cps intel 387 29-37 cps 32-57 cps 94 cps Cray T3D 6 cps 6 cps 61 cps ms = microseconds, ns = nanoseconds, cps = clock periodsCertainly as implemented, each operation takes varying time and underlying that they are implemented with varying amounts of silicon. Of course, it's the last bits of each result that are hardest to get correct and there were significant speed .vs. precision tradeoffs before the IEEE standard preempted them. For example, for the Cray-1 with only 48 bits in the mantissa, (52 for IEEE double precision) we had:
addition is chopped multiplication is "statistically" rounded division is a reciprocal followed by a multiply, (could be off by 2 ulps)But there are still tradeoffs to be made in the software for the most expensive operation, division. There are always several options:
- use 32 or 64 bits (except on the Cray vector machines)
- use optimized library functions
- do a non IEEE divide
a / b with a * ( 1. / b )either in the hardware or by the compiler, but there are times when the denominator is constant within a loop and then such a transformation seems reasonable:
do 10 i = 1, large_number a( i ) = b( i ) / scale 10 continuecould be replaced by:
qscale = 1.0 / scale do 10 i = 1, large_number a( i ) = b( i ) * qscale 10 continueHere we have a
of divisions being replaced by 1 division and a
of multiplications. The table below presents timings on a single T3D PE for 1 million "divisions" in a loop with various options:
varying denominators constant denominator -------------------- -------------------- f90 64 bits .549 .501 cft77 -o ieeedivide .543 .493 cft77 -o noieeedivide .543 .108 benchlib oneover_v function .336 not applicable f90 32 bits .305 .277Notes on the table:
- cf77/cft77 does not support 32 bit arithmetic (too bad!)
- The F90 compiler does not support the -onoieeedivide switch (too bad!!)
The benchlib routine oneover_v (newsletters #34 (5/5/95) and #74 (2/16/96) is a replacement for:
do i = 1, n a( i ) = 1.0 / b( i ) enddo as call oneover_v( n, a, b )
parameter( MAX = 1000000 ) real qieee( MAX ), qnoieee( MAX ), qbench( MAX ), num( MAX ) real*4 q32ieee( MAX ), rnum( MAX ) do i = 1, MAX qieee( i ) = ranf() qnoieee( i ) = qieee( i ) qbench( i ) = qieee( i ) q32ieee( i ) = qieee( i ) num( i ) = ranf() rnum( i ) = num( i ) enddo call ieee( MAX, num, qieee, tieee ) call noieee( MAX, num, qnoieee, tnoieee ) error1 = 0.0 do i = 1, MAX error1 = error1 + ( qieee( i ) - qnoieee( i ) ) ** 2 enddo call ieee32( MAX, rnum, q32ieee, t32ieee ) error2 = 0.0 do i = 1, MAX error2 = error2 + ( qieee( i ) - q32ieee( i ) ) ** 2 enddo call bench( MAX, num, qbench, tbench ) error3 = 0.0 do i = 1, MAX error3 = error3 + ( qieee( i ) - qbench( i ) ) ** 2 enddo write( 6, 601 ) MAX, tieee, tnoieee, t32ieee, tbench 601 format( i8, 4f6.3 ) write( 6, 602 ) MAX, sqrt(error1), sqrt(error2), sqrt(error3) 602 format( i8, 3e16.8 ) end real function second( ) second = dble( irtc( ) ) / 150000000.0 end subroutine ieee( length, num, q, time ) real q( length ), num( length ) time = second() do i = 1, length q( i ) = num( i ) / q( i ) enddo time = second() - time end subroutine ieee32( length, num, q, time ) real*4 q( length ), num( length ) time = second() do i = 1, length q( i ) = num( i ) / q( i ) enddo time = second() - time end subroutine bench( length, num, q, time ) real q( length ), num( length ) time = second() call oneover_v( length, q, q ) do i = 1, length q( i ) = num( i ) * q( i ) enddo time = second() - time end subroutine bench( length, num, q, time ) real q( length ), num( length ) time = second() call oneover_v( length, q, q ) do i = 1, length q( i ) = num( i ) * q( i ) enddo time = second() - time end
The Linpack Benchmark on the T3DOften times, Linpack is dismissed as a 'one loop benchmark' because all of the performance numbers are determined by a single nest of DO loops. That nest is the core of Gaussian Elimination and looks like:
do 30 j = kp1, n t = a(l,j) if (l .eq. k) go to 20 a(l,j) = a(k,j) a(k,j) = t 20 continue c call saxpy(n-k,t,a(k+1,k),1,a(k+1,j),1) do 21 i = 1, n-k a(k+i,j)=t*a(k+i,k)+a(k+i,j) 21 continue 30 continuewhere I have replaced the call to the saxpy BLAS1 routine with an equivalent DO loop, much like several inliners would do. But even with such a simple loop there are lots of possibly effective optimizations. Some of the possibilities I investigated were:
A. Asis - The source code from Oak Ridge National Labs without any modifications B. Libsci - The source code with the BLAS1 routines saxpy, sdot and isamax blas deleted, so that they will be supplied by the optimized versions in libsci.a. C. Libsci - The source code with the BLAS1 routines saxpy, sdot, and isamax and sgefa and sgesl of linpack deleted, so that they will be supplied by the optimized versions in libsci.a. (not an option on the T3D, as the linpack library is not part of libsci.a) D. Inline1 - Use either the cf77 inliner or vi inlining to replace calls to saxpy, sdot, and isamax. E. Inline2 - Use the cf77 inliner and fpp to replace the entire DO loop nest with a call to the BLAS2 routine SGERX. The above loop is replaced with: CDIR@ IVDEP DO 30 J = 1, N - KP1 + 1 T1U(J) = A(L,KP1+J-1) IF (L .NE. K) THEN A(L,KP1+J-1) = A(K,KP1+J-1) A(K,KP1+J-1) = T1U(J) ENDIF J3X = N - K 30 CONTINUE CALL SGERX@(J3X,N-KP1+1,1.,A(1+K,K),1,T1U,1,A(1+K,KP1),1,LDA) A simply remarkable transformation! F. Lapack Replace the calling sequence from the Linpack library routines of: call sgefa(a,lda,n,ipvt,info) call sgesl(a,lda,n,ipvt,b,0) with the equivalence sequence from Lapack library routines: call sgetrf( n, n, a, lda, ipvt, info ) call sgetrs( "n", n, 1, a, lda, ipvt, b, n, info )A summary of the performance of these methods is given below where the speed is given in MFLOPS for solving two systems of linear equations: 100x100 and 1000x1000.
<-----100x100 case-----> <----1000x1000 case----> T3D:1PE T3D:1PE Y-MP:M98 T3D:1PE T3D:1PE Y-MP:M98 rdahead rdahead A. original source 12.4 14.1 25.0 10.7 11.4 95.0 B. libsci blas (BLAS1 fcns) 13.8 20.4 47.0 25.2 28.3 118.2 C. libsci linpack 65.8 97.2 D. inline1 (BLAS1 fcns) 13.7 15.6 45.4 10.9 11.3 87.5 E. inline2 (BLAS2 fcns) 25.8 26.9 120.3 35.4 35.5 190.8 F. Lapack 35.7 36.9 125.0 67.1 67.3 266.7There are several notes to make about the results in the above table:
- Lapack is a good deal. If you're still back in the Stone Age using linpack routines, you are shooting yourself in the foot. The T3D Software Development Group took a courageous (but wise and correct) policy step in NOT providing the linpack library on the T3D.
- The T3D BLAS2 routine STRSM has a bug in it and originally the T3D aborts on the 1000x1000 case. But the beauty of working with a library like Lapack (or Linpack) is that you don't have to wait for the vendor to fix it. You can just go to the Oak Ridge National Labs anonymous ftp server (netlib2.cs.utk.edu) and get the source and compile it into your program as a replacement for the vendor's buggy version. Then if the vendor ever fixes the bug you can delete the linking to your source version.
Getting inlining to the SGER (or SGERX) level on the T3D isn't available on the T3D because the fpp pass of cf77 is only for the Cray Parallel Vector Processors (PVP). But at least in this case we can use the transformational abilities of fpp to produce code for the T3D with something like:
t3dline: -rm linpacks.j (export TARGET=cray-ymp; cf77 -c -Wd-e68 -Zp -J linpacks.f ) mv linpacks.j linpacksj.f (export TARGET=cray-t3d; cf77 -c linpacksj.f second.f ) mppldr -o inline linpacksj.o second.o inline > results.100.nrdw mppldr -D"rdahead=on" -o inline linpacksj.o second.o inline > results.100.rdwThe -J flag on the cf77 compiler is used to produce the source listing that goes into the T3D version of cf77 in the above makefile rule.
- With CRI's use of read ahead buffers on the T3E it's a good idea to run with and without them to get some experience on which applications will benefit.
Multiprocessors Efforts - Memory LimitationsOn the T3D we need to understand the uniprocessor results before we go on to the more challenging problem of using multiprocessors. The first question is: "What can Craft Fortran do for us?". We'll have to determine how to distribute the arrays to the multiple processors and then attack the above loop nest to share the work among the processors.
The array that matters for this application is the 2 dimensional coefficient matrix that describes the system of linear equations. The linpack benchmark overwrites this matrix with a factorization and then that factorization is used to solve for one right-hand side. I believe the only array distribution that makes sense for MPPs for this problem is the column cyclical distribution.
In Craft Fortran:
parameter( lda = 128 ) real a( lda, lda ) cdir$ shared aa( :, :block(1) )In High Performance Fortran:
parameter( lda = 128 ) real a( lda, lda ) !hpf$ distribute a( *, cyclic )This distribution (in ASCII) for a 16 by 16 matrix distributed on 4 processors looks like:
Column number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 16 ----------------------------------------------------------------- R 1 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 o 2 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 w 3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 4 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 n 5 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 u 6 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 m 7 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 b 8 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 e 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . r 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 14 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 15 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 16 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 . . . . pe0 pe1 pe2 pe3 -----------------------------------------------------------------This distribution has two features that no other distribution will have:
- Columns of the matrix will be completely contained on one processor. This will take advantage of the column orientation of the factorization and allow us to use cache efficiently on each processor.
- As the factorization proceeds, it updates submatrices of the full matrix from the entire matrix into smaller submatrices from the upper left corner to the lower right corner. With the cyclic distribution of columns, this means the work is load balanced as each PE will have approximately the same number of columns to update.
One more constraint has to be handled. For this distribution, Craft works only on arrays whose dimensions are powers of two. So for this problem we have:
the 100x100 problem is solved on a 128x128 array the 1000x1000 problem is solved on a 1024x1024 array the 2000x2000 problem is solved on a 2048x2048 array the 4000x4000 problem is solved on a 4096x4096 arrayUsing the CDIR$ MASTER/CDIR$ ENDMASTER directives we can use this distribution of arrays on any number of processors but keep all of the computation on a single processor. Of course, when PE0 needs an element located on another processor, that access will not be as fast as accessing a local element. But we still get the right answers, which is always a good start.
MFLOPS for a single PE computing the linpack solution on a problem distributed among many PEs # of PEs <-------------problem size-------------> that contain 100x100 1000x1000 2000x2000 4000x4000 the problem ------- --------- --------- --------- 1 9.58 2.76 too big too big 2 1.42 2.22 1.43 too big 4 1.46 1.47 1.47 too big 8 1.45 1.46 1.48 1.47 16 1.44 1.45 1.45 1.45 32 1.41 1.43 1.43 1.43The table shows decreasing performance as more and more of the problem is distributed off of PE0. And now we have the dubious distinction of having solved the largest linpack problem on a single Alpha processor at abysmal speed. Now that we understand the uniprocessor performance and the memory limitations, we can concentrate on getting multiprocessor speedup using Craft and HPF. Stay tuned in for the next newsletter.
Current Editors:
E-mail Subscriptions:
Ed Kornkven ARSC HPC Specialist ph: 907-450-8669 Kate Hedstrom ARSC Oceanographic Specialist ph: 907-450-8678 Arctic Region Supercomputing Center University of Alaska Fairbanks PO Box 756020 Fairbanks AK 99775-6020
Subscribe to (or unsubscribe from) the e-mail edition of the
ARSC HPC Users' Newsletter.
Back issues of the ASCII e-mail edition of the ARSC T3D/T3E/HPC Users' Newsletter are available by request. Please contact the editors.

subset: commoncrawl


text: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service April 1, 2012 CONUS_wet_poly vector digital data Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. FWS/OBS-79/31. Washington, D.C. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Habitat and Resouce Conservation http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/ This data set represents the extent, approximate location and type of wetlands and deepwater habitats in the conterminous United States. These data delineate the areal extent of wetlands and surface waters as defined by Cowardin et al. (1979). Certain wetland habitats are excluded from the National mapping program because of the limitations of aerial imagery as the primary data source used to detect wetlands. These habitats include seagrasses or submerged aquatic vegetation that are found in the intertidal and subtidal zones of estuaries and near shore coastal waters. Some deepwater reef communities (coral or tuberficid worm reefs) have also been excluded from the inventory. These habitats, because of their depth, go undetected by aerial imagery. By policy, the Service also excludes certain types of "farmed wetlands" as may be defined by the Food Security Act or that do not coincide with the Cowardin et al. definition. Contact the Service's Regional Wetland Coordinator for additional information on what types of farmed wetlands are included on wetland maps. The present goal of the Service is to provide the citizens of the United States and its Trust Territories with current geospatially referenced information on the status, extent, characteristics and functions of wetlands, riparian, deepwater and related aquatic habitats in priority areas to promote the understanding and conservation of these resources. The wetland maps were produced as topical overlays using U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps as the base. The hard copy product is a composite map showing topographic and planimetric features from the USGS map base and wetlands and deepwater habitats from the Service's topical overlay. Thus, the data are intended for use in publications, at a scale of 1:24,000 or smaller. Due to the scale, the primary intended use is for regional and watershed data display and analysis, rather than specific project data analysis. The map products were neither designed or intended to represent legal or regulatory products. Questions or comments regarding the interpretation or classification of wetlands or deepwater habitats can be addressed by visiting http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/FAQs.html These data were developed in conjunction with the publication Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.C. Golet, and E.T. LaRoe. 1979. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. FWS/OBS-79/31. Alpha-numeric map codes have been developed to correspond to the wetland and deepwater classifications described. These spatial data are not designed to stand alone. They form topical overlays to the U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000 or 1:25,000 scale topographic quadrangles. Note that coastline delineations were drawn to follow the extent of wetland or deepwater features as described by this project and may not match the coastline shown in other base maps. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this Federal Geographic Data Committee-compliant metadata file is intended to document the data set in nonproprietary form, as well as in Arc/INFO format, this metadata file may include some Arc/INFO-specific terminology. 1977 present ground condition Ongoing In Continuous Increments -127.982503 -65.272195 51.611788 22.725718 REQUIRED: Reference to a formally registered thesaurus or a similar authoritative source of theme keywords. Wetlands Deepwater habitats Hydrography Surface water Swamps, marshes, bogs, fens Conterminous United States United States Conterminous 48 states Lower 48 states Maine Vermont New Hampshire Connecticut Massachusetts Delaware Rhode Island New York New Jersey Pennsylvania West Virginia District of Columbia Virginia Maryland Ohio Indiana Michigan Illinois Wisconsin Iowa Missouri Minnesota Kansas Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Montana Colorado Utah Wyoming Texas Oklahoma New Mexico Arizona Nevada California Oregon Washington Idaho North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Alabama Florida Mississippi Louisiana Arkansas Kentucky Tennessee None None. Acknowledgement of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and (or) the National Wetlands Inventory would be appreciated in products derived from these data U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Standards and Support Team mailing and physical address 505 Science Drive Madison WI 53711 USA 608-238-9333 608-238-9334 firstname.lastname@example.com Topical overlay showing the extent and type of wetland and deepwater habitats. Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.2 (Build 3790) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 18.104.22.16800 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serivce, National Wetlands Inventory Various Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the Conterminous United States Version 1.0 Washington, D.C. USA U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The source data was checked using standard review procedures. Attributes were checked by using visual inspection as well as automated verification routines. Quality of the attribute information varies with age and mapping protocols used when individual maps were prepared All polygons are attributed. Polygon and chain-node topology are present. Every polygon has a label. This data set represents the extent of wetlands and deepwater habitats that can be determined with the use of remotely sensed data and within the timeframe for which the maps were produced. Wetlands are shown in all of the conterminous 48 states and the District of Columbia. The accuracy of image interpretation depends on the quality of the imagery, the experience of the image analysts, the amount and quality of the collateral data, and the amount of ground truth verification work conducted. There is a margin error inherent in the use of imagery, thus detailed on-the-ground inspection of any particular site, may result in revision of the wetland boundaries or classification, established through image analysis. Wetlands or other mapped features may have changed since the date or the imagery and/or field work. There may be occasional differences in polygon boundaries or classifications between the information depicted on the map and the actual conditions on site. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1977 to present Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the Conterminous United States National Wetlands Inventory Maps Washington, D.C. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1:24,000 and 1:25,000 Digital file and hard copy paper 1977 present ground condition Spatial information Original stable base hard copy maps of wetland and deepwater habitats were created based on USGS state and quadrangle boundaries. These maps were converted to digital files using various software packages (WAMS, ARC and others). The digital files were stored as ESRI Import/Export files corresponding to a single 1:24,000 USGS quadrangle. These digital files were imported and converted to ESRI Coverage format and checked for topological and attribute errors. All coverages were converted from a UTM map projection to an Alber's Equal Area map projection and the horizontal datum was converted from NAD27 to NAD83 were necessary. Polygons attributed as "Uplands" were removed from the dataset and polygons were merged at quadrangle boundaries where the quadrangle line divided polygons with the same attribute. The data was loaded into a seamless SDE geodatabase for the conterminous United States. These steps were conducted using both Arc Macro Language (AML) and ArcMap editing tools. All point data from the original ESRI Coverages were buffered by 11.28 meters (1/10 of an acre) and incorporated into this polygon feature class. Linear features from the original ESRI Coverages were merged at quadrangle boundaries where the quadrangle line divided lines with the same attribute. Linear data is stored in a separate feature class. Further data improvements included the conversion of all old wetland codes that contained 'OW' to the new code containing 'UB'. All polygons labeled as 'OUT', 'No Data' and 'NP' were removed from the database. NWI The file was converted to NAD83 in geographic coordinates, and saved in geodatabase format. 200401 Metadata imported. 20100903 08410200 Dataset copied. 20110204 12534000 Vector G-polygon 15448614 Albers Conical Equal Area 29.500000 45.500000 -96.000000 23.000000 0.000000 0.000000 coordinate pair 0.000156 0.000156 meters North American Datum of 1983 Geodetic Reference System 80 6378137.000000 298.257222 1.000000 Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates CONUS_wet_poly Reference: Cowardin et al. 1979 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service OBJECTID Internal feature number. ESRI Polygon 2-dimensional element. ESRI GIS software Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated. ATTRIBUTE Alphanumeric code identifying the wetland classification of the polygon. http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/wetlandcodes.html SHAPE Feature geometry. ESRI Coordinates defining the features. WETLAND_TYPE General description of the wetland classification. http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/MapperTips.html ACRES Area of the polygon in acres. Calculated in an Albers Equal Area projection using ESRI's geometry calculator. GLOBALID SHAPE_Length Length of feature in internal units. ESRI Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. SHAPE_Area Area of feature in internal units squared. ESRI Positive real numbers that are automatically generated. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Standards and Support Team mailing and physical address 505 Science Drive Madison WI 53711 USA 608-268-9333 608-238-9334 email@example.com Downloadable Data Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. No responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the use of these data. Shapefile or File Geodatabase http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/data/DataDownload.html CD-ROM or DVD tar There is no charge for the online option. Requests for large amounts of data are handled on a cost reimbursable basis. April 1, 2012 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service REQUIRED: The person responsible for the metadata information. National Standards and Support Team mailing and physical address 505 Science Drive Madison WI 53711 USA 608-238-9333 608-238-9334 firstname.lastname@example.com FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata FGDC-STD-001-1998 local time None Unclassified None http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/Data/metadata.html http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html ESRI Metadata Profile


text:
The beauty of the corner of the Sierra de Tramuntana mountains in Mallorca where the hotel Valldemossa is located is such that Frederic Chopin defined it as The Most Beautiful Place in the World. And he wasn't exaggerating. The surroundings chosen for this boutique Hotel, formerly heritage belonging to the Carthusian Monastery of Valldemossa, are like something out of a dream. A dream that captivated Rubén Darío, George Sand and many other figures who witnessed the magic of this place, a magic that is sure to captivate you too. From the very first moment you set eyes on it. Because the Hotel Valldemossa, set in the mountains amidst olive and orange trees cultivated by the hotel itself, is not just another luxury hotel. Which is why Relais&Chateaux includes it amongst its "chosen" establishments. Because this is a place you won't want to leave... Its unique, romantic environs, its impeccable service and facilities live up to the highest of expectations and the most demanding of dreams... Like yours, perhaps?
Hotel Features
12 rooms, Suite, Juniorsuite and doble superior. Open between march until november. Gourmet restaurant " Cartuja de Valldemossa " Hugh outdoorpool with sunbeds and sunloungers. Plethora of terraces and lawns. Hotel private parking. Outdoor swimming pool with bar service. 24 hour room service and reception National and international press free of charge Spa with indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi. Masages and beauty treatments. Pergola and private garden with fruit trees. Elevator. Meeting possibilities


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Orange Regional Medical Center707 East Main StreetMiddletown, NY 10940845-333-1000DirectionsThere are many surgical approaches to thyroid and parathyroid surgery, for example traditional or minimally invasive. It's important to know which approach best suits your particular case.
Typical surgical consultation begins with a thorough medical history exam. Your surgeon will review your radiology imaging: ultrasound, CT scan, etc. All of your recent laboratory tests will be reviewed as well. He/she may also decide to order more tests. A decision to proceed with surgery usually balances the benefits of surgery against the risks. Once the decision is made, your surgeon will discuss the type of the operation that he/she feels will serve you best, as well as any risks or potential complications. This is the time to inquire about the experience of a surgeon with a particular approach and his/her rate of complications. This is particularly important when it comes to thyroid cancer, because management of thyroid cancer gages very heavily on the success and the extent of initial operation.
The range of thyroid surgery extends from a lobectomy (removal of a half of a gland) to a subtotal thyroidectomy (leaving a strip of tissue next to the nerve) to a total thyroidectomy. In the United States, most thyroid cancer patients will undergo a total removal of the gland. Removal of a half of a thyroid is generally reserved for benign (non cancerous disease) or non-diagnostic preoperative biopsy. Patients with thyroid cancer may also require a neck dissection (removal of the lymph nodes) to increase their healing process as opposed to their cure rate. The size of the incision will depend on the surgical approach that the surgeon chooses to employ. Generally, patients with large glands; large nodules; Hashimoto's disease; thyroid cancer; heavy set neck and previous operations may not be candidates for a minimal access approach and may need a larger incision. A typical thyroid incision is about 2 to 3 inches, whereas a typical minimal access scar is between ¾ inch to 1 ½ inches. The duration of a thyroid/parathyroid surgery has many variables and your surgeon will discuss surgical time as it applies to your particular case.
Parathyroidectomy is a procedure used to remove a malfunctioning parathyroid gland. Most people (80 percent) will have one affected gland, however about 10 to 15 percent of patients will have four affected glands, and about two to five percent will have two glands. In the case of a well localized single gland disease, a small incision can be made. However, if a gland is not found on preoperative imaging or more than one gland is affected, a more involved exploration on both sides of the neck may be needed.
Rapid Parathyroid Hormone Assay is a blood test that is performed during thyroid/parathyroid surgery that assists the physician in determining if the surgery is successful. An elevated Parathyroid Hormone Level (PTH) indicates an issue with the thyroid/parathyroid and typically requires surgery to remove the affected nodule. During the patient's surgery, the diseased Parathyroid nodule is located and removed. After the removal, the patient's blood is drawn and analyzed. If the PTH level has dropped, it indicates that the surgery has been successful. If the PTH level has not changed it indicates that further exploration is needed. This technology, which until now was only available at major academic medical centers, assists surgeons with predicting and/or preventing post-op complications.
In the past, patients after thyroid/parathyroid surgery had been observed in the hospital for 24 hours. Today, many patients who undergo parathyroid and hemithyroid (half of the thyroid removed) surgery are sent home after a 6 hour observation. Some total thyroidectomy (complete removal of the thyroid) patients may be sent home the same day at the surgeon's discretion. Patients with associated medical problems, excessive intra-operative bleeding, potential calcium problems and extensive surgical excisions will have to stay at least 24 hours. Typically, patients are sent home with prescriptions for pain relievers, thyroid hormone (total thyroidectomy patients) and calcium supplements. Calcium supplements may be stopped within two weeks after surgery. The incision should not get wet for the first 48 hours after surgery. Skin sutures are removed one week after surgery. Patients will see their endocrinologist two weeks after surgery. Strenuous activities should be restricted for the first postoperative week. During the second week activities may be increased as tolerated. You should call your surgeon if you feel neck swelling; fever; nausea; vomiting; "crawling and tingling" sensation in the extremities; numbness around the lips or weakness as these may be signs of postoperative hypocalcemia.
The following is the list of possible complications that your surgeon will discuss with you: risk of bleeding; infection; scarring; swallowing; voice change or nerve injury, and a risk of calcium abnormalities after surgery. As with any other surgery, these risks are present but in experienced hands, the rate should be minute. For example, the risk of nerve injury should be between one and two percent. The risk of permanent calcium problems should be one to three out of every 1,000 patients. However, it is also important to realize that there are transient problems than may occur in a postoperative period, such as hypocalcemia (drop in calcium), dysphonia (voice change) or problems with swallowing. The risk of temporary hypocalcemia (calcium drop) that does require treatment can be as high as eight to eighteen percent, whereas about 80 perecent of patients may experience a drop in calcium that does not require any treatment. The rate of a subtle voice change may be as high as 80 percent immediately after surgery, but most people will recover within 3 months without any problems. Your surgeon will also discuss with you any additional treatment that may be needed, such as thyroid hormone replacement, vitamin D and iodine treatment (for thyroid cancer).
Find a physician that performs thyroid surgery - select 'Thyroid Surgery' in the 'Areas of Interest' pull down box or call the Orange Regional Health Connection at 1-888-321-ORMC(6762).
Orange Regional Medical Center
707 East Main Street
Middletown, NY 10940
Directions »
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707 East Main Street
Middletown, NY 10940
Orange Regional MedicalGroup - Monroe
475 Route 17M
Monroe, NY 10950
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Oleander poisoning occurs when someone eats the flowers or chews the leaves or stems of the oleander or yellow oleander plant.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Rosebay poisoning; Yellow oleander poisoning; Thevetia peruviana poisoning
Note: This list may not include all poisonous ingredients.
All parts of the oleander plant:
Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and throat:
Heart and blood:
Nervous system:
Note: Depression, loss of appetite, and halos are usually only seen in chronic overdose cases.
Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.
Determine the following information:
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
See: Poison control center - emergency number
The health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. You may receive:
How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.
Symptoms last for 1 - 3 days and may require a hospital stay. Death is unlikely.
Do not touch or eat any plant with which you are not familiar. Wash your hands after working in the garden or walking in the woods.
Graeme K. Toxic plant ingestions. In: Auerbach PS, ed. Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2011:chap 64.
Hostetler M, Schreiber S. Poisonous plants. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:chap 205.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch)
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2013 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


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text:
Dr. Ram Prakash
Musculoskeletal Injury Physiotherapy
Range Of Motion Exercise Treatment
Prolotherapy Treatment
Post Surgery Rehabilitation
Sensory Integration Therapy
Treatment Of Meniscus Injury
Neuro Physiotherapy Treatment
Computerised Traction Procedure
Column Traumatology Procedure
Pediatric Physiotherapist
Treatment of Mckinzie Treatment For Spine
Rf Neurotomy Procedure
Manual Therapy Treatment
Orthopedic Physiotherapy
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy
Treatment Of Lumbago
Rehabilitation Cardiopulmonary
Custom Splinting Bracing Procedure
Achilles Tendon Rupture Treatment
Submit Feedback
Submit a review for Muthu's PhysioYour feedback matters!
The best doctor nd my pain relief...I ll add u in my doc diaries. ! Thnk you dr.ram
I am 66 years old male. I have knee pain for more than 10 years. I could walk with some pain which was manageable. But now my knees are not following my wishes. The pain starts as soon as I start walking. Should I go for knee-replacement or there is some homeopathic medicine to make my life livable?
My sister is 11 years old, few weeks she was experiencing severe leg pain and hip pain and legs changing size (a kind of handicapped or twisted condition), Once the pain reduces the legs regain the normal posture. This condition repeated about 3 times till now. What is the reason for this. Medical practitioner of which department should be consulted in this case.
Have pain between the wrist and the thumb. While twisting getting pain. Not able to even eat the food.
What exercises can I do after a spinal microdisectomy? I had a microdisectomy on discs L5-S1, L4-L5, 5 years back. Im 25 now and just joined the gym. Am I allowed to do side bending with weights? What all exercises can I do? I make sure I do not lift weights that are more than 5 kg and do not bend forward or do any crunches or floor exercises.
I have lower back ache and was informed by doctor that due bad posture (i have a little bulging belly and sitting work) I am having disc problem. I have started brisk walking to help me in attaining good posture and to shed some weight. And also doing certain exercises recommended by doctor. This has reduced pain in my back. Please recommend some exercises for strengthening my lower back muscles and also advice some weight training exercises which would help in my case. Thanks.
Exercises for Sciatic pain from Piriformis Syndrome
Sciatica is a symptom. It consists of leg pain, which might feel like a bad leg cramp, or it can be excruciating, shooting pain that makes standing or sitting nearly impossible.
The pain might be worse when you sit, sneeze, or cough. Sciatica can occur suddenly or it can develop gradually.
- Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting
- Burning or tingling down the leg
- Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot
- A constant pain on one side of the rear
- A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up
Sciatica usually affects only one side of the lower body. Often, the pain extends from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also extend to the foot or toes.
For some people, the pain from sciatica can be severe and debilitating might include the inability to bend your knee or move your foot and toes.. For others, the sciatica pain might be infrequent and irritating, but has the potential to get worse.
Causes of Sciatic Pain:
- Slipped Disc: In majority of cases sciatica is caused by a herniated or "slipped" disc. This is when one of the discs that sit between the bones of the spine (the vertebrae) is damaged and presses on the nerves.
- Spondylolisthesis (a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over another one)
- Other causes include spinal stenosis (narrowing of the nerve passages in the spine), a spinal injury or infection, or a growth within the spine (such as a tumor).
- Other things that may make your back pain worse include being overweight, not exercising regularly, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a mattress that is too soft.
- Piriformis Syndrome: It is referred as neuritis of branches of the sciatic nerve caused by pressure of an injured or irritated piriformis muscle. Symptoms associated with piriformis syndrome typically consist of buttock pain that radiates into the hip, posterior aspect of the thigh, and the proximal portion of the lower leg.
- Piriformis syndrome typically does not result in neurological deficits such as decreased deep tendon reflexes and myotomal weakness.
Sciatica is diagnosed with a medical history and physical exam. Sometimes X-rays and other tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are done to help find the cause of the sciatica.
- X-ray- to look for fractures in the spine
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan - to create images of the structures of the back
- Nerve conduction velocity studies/electromyography - to examine how well electrical impulses travel through the sciatic nerve
- Myelogram using dye injected between the vertebrae - to determine if a vertebra or disc is causing the pain
Primary treatment consists of self-care and non-surgical strategies. The aim is to correct the underlying problem, restore function and prevent re-occurrence.
- Self-Care: Sciatica may resolve with rest, ice or heat, massage, pain relievers and gentle stretches. Muscle inflammation and pain can be reduced by application of an icepack for 20 minutes several times a day during the initial 2-3 days. Thereafter a hot pad may be applied to relax muscles. If the self-care exercises aren't working within the first couple of days you must consult your doctor.
- Medication: Over the counter Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can bring pain relief. Muscle relaxants may be prescribed for spasms.
- Physiotherapy: A normal schedule is recommended physical therapy can help you return to full activity as soon as possible and prevent re-injury. Physiotherapists will show you proper lifting techniques / postures, walking techniques, exercises to stretch and strengthen your back muscles.
- Massage, ultrasound, diathermy, heat and traction may also be recommended for some time.
Last week I fell frm stairs nd now right part of my back nd rib in d right front is paining I applied omnigel took aldigesic- sp twice for three days I do not have pain till I have medicine but after sometime d pain reoccurs while sleeping on d right part I do t feel much pain bug when I sleep on d left part I feel a type of pull and pain on d right affected area what should I do is an xray must which doctor should I go a normal physician or orthopedic doctor or should I continue more with d above medicine which I have bought frm a medical store.
It's observed that we notice back ache at least once in our life time
One in 3 all over world experience this problem
3 major cause we come across in the back ache are:
- Spondylitis inflammation at spinal canal
- Spondylolisthesis - slip disc
- Spondylosis - degenerative change
Ayurveda line of treatment works wonder in all major causes of back ache
It is also packed with patya- diatory intake
Local treatment of panchakarma and also other effective shamanoushadis where you can feel best pain manegment in day to day life style.
A poor posture like sitting or driving in a hunched position for too long can cause strain the neck muscles.


text:
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SuSu and Charles "Pug" Ravenel's lovely South of Broad garden set the scene for the Spoleto Traces after party Saturday night. Large, pink Japanese lanterns lit the tree-draped lawn as the Ravenels in addition to co-hosts Bobbi and Don Bernstein and Amy and Philip Blumenthal greeted guests. A lovely spread of appetizers, including the quirky miniature chicken 'n waffles, were passed courtesy of Cru Cafe. But the highlight of the evening was when the incredible cast of Traces arrived.
Fresh off their 8 p.m. performance, the athletic seven mingled in chatting with their American, Quebecois, and Chinese accents. The gathered, who had caught the earlier performance, were visibly impressed by the stellar troupe, asking questions regarding their circus and gymnastics training. Xia Zhengqi shared that he had been selected at age nine to train with a Chinese circus troupe and prior to joining Les 7 Doigts de la Main, had performed with Cirque du Soleil for three years. The performance earlier had actually been sans one of the seven performers and Zhengqi and cast member Bradley Henderson confirmed that the acrobat had been injured in an earlier show. But they shrugged it off. Such is the life of a modern day circus member. Luckily, the party gave the performers a chance to relax after another night of death-defying leaping, flipping, spinning, and juggling.


text:
Puzzle Levels
Download a FREE Solution for your puzzles!
Munchkin Quest 2: Looking for Trouble
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|Steve Jackson Games
|Card Games, Strategy Games
Product Description
This is NOT a stand alone game, you need a copy of Munchkin Quest Board Gameto play this expansion.
Maker: Steve Jackson Games
Ages: 12+
Players: 2-6
Playing Time: 3 hours
Trouble means gold. Trouble means leveling up. And now you can look for trouble with up to six players. More help against the monsters! More friends to backstab! More competition for the loot! Whoops, forget we said that last bit.
And now the dungeon has Traps. Axes and arrows, flames and falling rocks . . . Maybe you can dodge. Maybe you can push your buddy in front of you.
Explore 18 new rooms . . . the Tomb Room! The Doom Room! The Chamber of Horrors! If you survive, spend your gold at Ye Swankie Donjon Shoppe . . . or Ye Cheape Donjon Shoppe, if you're not picky. Shake off those pesky monsters in the Sun Room, and get healed at the Temple of Generic Niceness.
And new monsters! Flee the stomping power of Bigfoot! Fear the tiny terror that is the Fright Sprite! Fight the sticky menace of the Gummi Golem! Plus more weapons, scrolls, and potions to equip your character, new curses to inflict on your fellow munchkins, and a new kind of passageway that lets you grab gold between rooms.
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Main Content
- Imported
- Reef plaid screen print
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Discover a selection of top forums mega uncharted on the internet. Come to share your passion on forums mega uncharted and meet other fans of mega uncharted. Then, why don't you create your own forum of mega uncharted ?
Created your own anime/manga, Want to make roleplays with your characters, crossovers. Or just rp with existing characters, Mega anime rp central is the place you!
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Free forum : Crews backed by enormous mega-corporations roam the galaxy. In pursuit of their own goals these brave adventures set forth to find their place among the stars.
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The unOfficial Dueling Nexus Forum. Dedicated to the sharing of deck profiles, deck ideas, and other yugioh related topics. Come in and play Yu-Gi-Oh! with us!
dueling, nexus, forums, official, dedicated, sharing, deck, profiles, ideas, yugioh, topics, play, yu-gi-oh!, hand, pokemon, network, #mega, capitalg, azneyes, slaydra, simplyunlucky, opening, youtube, yuginono, duelist, duel, game
A Pathfinder Strategic Role-playing Game
#uncharted, territories, pathfinder, strategic, role-playing, game
The ultimate sizeroleplay community of all sizes
Mega Man: Super Fighting Robot is finally in its closed beta testing phase. As beta testers, your input is extremely valuable. Discuss anything about the game here.
#mega, beta, tester's, club, super, fighting, robot, finally, closed, testing, phase, testers, input, extremely, valuable, discuss, game
This is the dark future of New World of Darkness. Set in the district of New Babylon. A New frontier within the Mega Cities of 2095. Genre Cyber Punk/Sci-fi Horror.
babylon:, world, darkness, this, dark, future, district, babylon, frontier, within, #mega, cities, 2095, genre, cyber, punk/sci-fi, horror
lets not start with a blank bit of paper, lets learn from each other
australian, #mega, organisers, event
Free forum : Commonwealth, the Neutral Zone.
Mass Enthusiasts of German Autos, or MEGA, is a regional car club dedicated to advancing the ownership experience for local owners of Audi, BMW, Benz, Porsche, & VWs
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Tempat berhimpunnya owner-owner motor SYM VTS/GTS/EVO/BONUS/SYMPHONY untuk membincangkan hal-hal teknikal dan aktiviti.
force, motor, untuk, membincangkan, hal-hal, teknikal, aktiviti, #mega, fortune, symphony, bonus, malaysia, otai, smbc, rider
This is a forum for the ESO guild, Assassins of Old. We are on Xbox One, US mega server.


text:
by HP
Apr 01, 2014
Developers need to improve their mobile measurement savvy. Many application development professionals have little to no skills in collecting real-time and operational metrics; that's usually been the province of infrastructure and operations pros. But such thinking is both antiquated and dangerous. As requirements elicitation shifts from long textual requirements documents and lengthy analysis phases into a feedback-driven, probe-sense-respond way of working, analytics and multivariate tests become critical concepts that developers need to master. Experiment with analytic frameworks to open developers' eyes to the value of feedback; in the process, you'll set the stage for faster releases and better results.
HP is the sponsor of this material. By submitting your information you agree to be contacted by HP on topics of interest. Before deciding please review HP's privacy statement.
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text: Expect Oregon to rise in the computer rankings and move up in the BCS atleast over Notre Dame. And for those that say the Ducks can't play defense, read the articles where it states how many pro scouts attended the USC vs Oregon game. Lot's of pro talent on both sides of the ball and maybe even a Heisman winner. And remember, this was the first game that the 1st string played the second half. The D is better than you think.


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Stage review
Katori Hall's 'The Mountaintop' reaches beyond expected historyJanuary 27, 2014 11:59 PM
Let us now praise famous men -- that's a favorite approach to the lives of the great, and Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the greatest, joining Nelson Mandela as titans of the epochal 20th-century revolution in race relations.
Or, let us find their feet of clay and take them down -- that's another favorite way to approach the great. Who is without sin?
Or, let's just make of them whatever our agenda demands.
The possibilities are many.
But in "The Mountaintop," playwright Katori Hall takes none of these well-worn paths. In her imaginative drama of King, just 39, on the eve of his April 4, 1968, assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn., she starts with documentary fact, spins it into reasonable speculation, and then takes a leap you can hardly see coming.
The result is far more challenging and even exhilarating than you probably expect, especially in the somber, respectful vicinity of King's holiday and during the awkwardly named Black History Month (it's really American history, right?).
The peripheral result is that any responsible theater critic is prevented from discussing the play's true dramatic heart, for fear of depriving those who will see the play of the pleasure of discovery. Even by saying what I have, I may have gone too far.
For a successful demonstration of this critical tact, see Sharon Eberson's interview ("Weight of history: 'The Mountaintop' is a fictional account of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Last Night," Jan. 16) with the play's director and two actors, giving lots of information without giving away wh at it shouldn't. To appreciate that as fully as it deserves, you need to read the preview after you see the play.
Not that I'm here to persuade you to see "The Mountaintop." I don't think that's a critic's job. But I would like to persuade you not to give it a pass because you fear (reasonably enough) that it's just another exercise in the praise of famous men or discovery of feet of clay.
It certainly starts out that way. On a stormy night, King arrives alone in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel, a triumph of bland midcentury mid-American motel beige by the dean of Pittsburgh set designers, Tony Ferrieri. Apparently the set is a scrupulous re-creation of that actual twin-bedded room, but just because it's "real" doesn't mean it isn't also mythic in its perfect realization of a time, place and zeitgeist.
King is struggling with dissension in his movement over his linking civil rights with protest against both economic oppression and the Vietnam War. The turnout at that day's protest was disappointing. He's struggling with the speech for the next day. He misses his family. And when is his associate coming back with some cigarettes?
Enter Camae, a hotel maid, a young black woman only recently hired. She's smarter than conventional expectation. She has some cigarettes, and (not at all incidentally) she's pretty and very flirtatious. It's funny. Although this is all darkened with our knowledge of what will happen tomorrow, we think we can imagine what's coming.
Eventually the play tackles heavy questions of destiny and dualism. Is this a morality play? A mystery play (in the medieval sense)? After all, there is that title .... But that's as far as I can go.
The play isn't perfect, of course, veering eventually toward the history lesson school, although Patrick Weishampel's multimedia design is a rush for those who remember much of what it portrays. Ryan Rumery's sound (complete with bomb-like premonitory thunder) and Ange Vesco's costumes are pitch perfect, and Betsy Adams' lights get to show off -- as does Mr. Ferrieri's set, it turns out. In a way, the set replicates the play.
Peter Flynn's directorial hand is firm and expansive, as we see mainly in the wonderful performances of Albert Jones and Bianca Laverne Jones (no relation). Mr. Jones has the first requirement of any King, which is that rich voice, hinting of the sonority of the famous speeches. But he also has the active intelligence to follow the twists of the text from present circumstances to religious testimony, from sociological insight to future dreams.
Ms. Jones has to be a bit of a chameleon or, rather, an unfolding series of layers, retaining one character as she reveals another. She is also the main source of the play's considerable humor. It's an enticing performance.
We can thank them and playwright Hall for this escape from the mundane. As King is larger than prosaic life, so is "The Mountaintop," which justifies the implications of its name.
By the way, for Mr. Ferrieri, "Mountaintop" is the 500th stage design in a 35-year career. He is one of the treasures of Pittsburgh theater.
Senior theater critic Christopher Rawson: 412-216-1944.


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Rookie Camp for Phillies Prospects
Posted on 11 Jan 2011 by Christopher Rowe.
Tramon Williams and Riley Cooper... it came down to this Philadelphia had spent the past week talking about nothing but E-A-G-L-E-S and how far they might go in the NFL postseason. Could the Eagles make a push for the Super Bowl in a "weak NFC" or would they have to struggle every week to squeeze past another opponent? Well the Green Bay Packers seemed to answer those questions as a...


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Israelis are continuing to buy gas masks in record numbers in preparation for a possible chemical weapons attack emanating from across the border in neighbouring Syria. The Israel Postal Service indicated that requests for masks were up four-fold on Sunday.
Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews author, speaker Kevin Zadai
Exclusive: David Rives notes Cambrian explosion casts doubt on entire evolutionary story
Exclusive: Richard Rives asks why Christian leaders won't admit the obvious
Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews ministers Ken, Trudi Blount
Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews powerful but anonymous medical minister
Exclusive: David Rives notes God's love of diversity in natural world
Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews Mark Virkler and daughter Charity
Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews prophetic healing artist Theresa Dedmon
God's unfolding plans for Israel and His purposes
Exclusive: Richard Rives warns against falling prey to definition of sin
Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews author, teacher, minister Joan Hunter
Exclusive: David Rives offers testable hypotheses supported by data from Bible-believers
Exclusive: Richard Rives notes Ten Commandments were once placed in public buildings for a reason
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Exclusive: David Rives notes random chance could never form something as complex as a working eye
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Exclusive: Sid Roth interviews charismatic revivalist Bill Johnson
What happens when ordinary believers minister to the world
Exclusive: Richard Rives warns about influence of non-biblical traditions on contemporary worship
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Exclusive: Richard Rives reminds we can't be blessed when disregarding God's word
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Joel Richardson explains latest frightening developments in Turkey
Exclusive: David Rives notes complex process could not have 'happened' through trial and error


text: Yesterday I had 3 jakes run off my longbeard before I could pull the trigger [:@]. To day I only heard 2 birds gobble on the roost. One gobbled on the ground and I hit him with some loud sharp cutts from my box call, he answered back I waited 5 min. and I gave him more of the same from my glass call. The whole woods exploded. 3 hens came out and looked at my dekes and started to putt, they busted. 1 flew and the other 2 ran off, I went right into the fighting purrs as they busted. The 3 jakes came out and headed for my strutter, they were almost there when 2 longbeards came out ant ran after them, they were about half way there when 2 more longbeards came at them from across the field at my dekes. The fight was on, feather flew, gobbling, yelping, fightin purrs you name it was happening. 7 Toms after my strutter and each other. This bird never broke strut all the way across the field until he got to the fight, then his days ended. 22#, 10-3/8 beard, 3/4 spurs.


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Top Reasons for VP Engineering to Embed MySQL
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MySQL is the world's most popular open source database software, with over 12 million active installations and over 2000 ISV / OEM customers. It's designed to help keep product costs low over products' lifecycle but also offers the performance, reliability and scalability necessary for even the most demanding applications, including Telco, Network Management and many of the world's largest Web properties. And, MySQL is now backed by Oracle, the world's leading database company.
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Make best use of your scarce engineering resources by focusing them on building your core product(s) rather than building and maintaining a proprietary database.
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Accelerate your time to market by embedding MySQL, a proven relational database, rather than building your own. In addition, by using a full-featured RDBMS from the start, you can easily add more sophisticated data capabilities to your product over time, and keep pace with your customers' growth. This helps avoid the difficult and expensive task of migrating your products and customers to another database.
4. Platform Independence
MySQL is available on over 20 platforms making it a good fit for OEMs, ISVs, VARs who want the freedom to deploy on multiple operating systems and hardware platforms.
5. Standards-based
MySQL provides support for ANSI SQL standards and includes drivers for ODBC, JDBC, and .Net. and provides support for popular programming languages including C, C++, C#, Java, PHP, Perl, Python, and Ruby.
6. Open Source
With access to the MySQL source code, you have the flexibility to tailor MySQL to your specific needs. Developers also benefit from one of the world's largest and most active open source ecosystems.
7. Trusted, secure and reliable
With over 70,000 downloads every day and over 12 million installations, MySQL benefits from the testing and feedback of its large installed base.
8. 24x7 Support
Get global, 24 x 7 support from Oracle, the world's largest database company, and directly from the source - from the engineers who develop MySQL Enterprise. They are ready to help you with your toughest technical questions when you need it.
9. Zero Administration
ISVs can deploy MySQL as a Zero Administration RDBMS that does not require a dedicated DBA or any administration apart from the embedding application's administration. This makes MySQL an ideal fit for software application and hardware appliance vendors who want to appeal to small to mid-sized businesses and keep their product support costs low
10. Small Footprint
MySQL is a good fit for deeply embedded applications with a footprint of less than 2 MB. MySQL runs silently, so your customers are unaware that a database is embedded within your application.
11. Easy to Use
MySQL is recognized for its superior ease of use. The fact that users can get MySQL up and running in minutes rather than days enables organizations to develop and deploy database applications much faster than with other databases.
12. High Performance
According to independent benchmarks, MySQL is a recognized leader in both pure performance and price/performance tests.
13. Flexibility
MySQL's Storage Engine Architecture provides ISVs the flexibility to choose purpose-built storage engines for OLTP, read-intensive applications, high availability, and more.
14. Scalability
MySQL replication enables you to cost-effectively scale-out your database environment to increase throughput and scalability by easily adding more MySQL servers on low-cost commodity hardware.
15. Make Reporting and Analysis Easy
Embedding a full-featured RDBMS as opposed to a flat file data store enables you to add comprehensive reporting and Business Intelligence functionality.
16. Win Competitive Comparisons
Gain market share with a scalable and full-featured product by embedding a RDBMS with superior performance and reliability.
17. Deliver a "Database Included" Product
By embedding MySQL, you can deliver enterprise applications to the SMB market with no additional requirements for end-users to buy database licenses.
18. Deliver a Better "Out-of-the-Box" Experience
Customers will have a better "Out-of-the-Box" experience with a "database included" product. A pre-configured, pre-tuned, and pre-optimized database relieves customers and your support organization of that burden, and speeds application deployment. In addition, your customers are spared the additional time and expense of acquiring a database.
19. Reduce COGS (Cost of Goods Sold)
MySQL is a cost-effective database solution with licensing terms that can be tailored to meet the unique requirements of OEMs, ISVs and VARs interested in embedding or bundling a database.
20. Enter New Markets
Meet the requirements of a new class of customers by delivering a solution that can capture the extremely high volumes of data required to perform real-time reporting and analysis.
21. Extend Product Line
Deliver new products that include a database to capture, store and report on data.


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There are many signs of a lake here that should of eroded away in the Martian wind that are very delicate indicators, so we must conclude that this was a lake in the recent and not distant past.This of course defies current claimate models for Mars as we are presuming that Mars has been unable to host liquid water for billions of years!
@ Grotto Productions: Ahahahaha - you nailed it.
Impreprex, sorry dude, they just don't get it unless you use puppets. :)
It's hard to stitch a sky in. There are indeed raw images of the sky on the NASA/JPL site. The sky varies from butterscotch, to an aqua blue/green - if that helps. But go check out the raw images: mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multi < img src='/images/external_link.png' alt='Will open in a new tab or window' /> media/raw/?s= Will open in a new tab or window
We want to see mars's sky!!!
Listen. It's very simple. I am a regular dude who likes computers and Mars. The raw images are on the main NASA site. I download the images and stitch them together and share because people have been complaining that there haven't been enough images available to the public (stitched mosaics, panoramas - not just raw images). I see this, and it irks me. So I make these bigger images our of the smaller ones. It's a hobby. Just like how I create music. How do you not understand? And to everyone else who reads my comment right here - there's more context to the conversation via snapshot comments between nasgaar and I. Just see for yourself. Are we clear yet, man?
not to be offensive.. how do we know you do not work for NASA..? IMJUSTSAYING..


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text:
Brake Energy Regeneration.
Every time you brake, kinetic energy is generated and until recently this energy went unused. Brake Energy Regeneration takes advantage of this long-overlooked potential. It harnesses the coasting energy that is generated whenever you brake or take your foot off the accelerator and turns it into electricity.
This electricity is then used to charge the car battery. The intelligent energy management system means that the alternator no longer needs to run permanently, which reduces the strain on the generator. The result is reduced fuel consumption and increased performance – classic BMW EfficientDynamics.


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|Pacific Northwest Sea Run Forum No such thing as rainbow trout, only landlocked steelhead
|Topic Review (Newest First)
Times and Places
Thanks to all of you. I don't think I can hit all the secret places but is sure is great to get all these replies. I intend to make it up that way and I have read about many of these places. I have developed a couple of flies that some friends of mine have been using up on the Frasier River and they keep me busy tying them. I hope to try them up on the Rogue or Deschutes in the next season. Steelies are what I am after, but the Salmon would surely be a great thing too. Any time for both where you can get good action?
Rob obviously knows hish Deschutes.
My time on the Descht's is quite limited, but many of the International Spey Board folks work this river like it was Nirvana. With the comment about 'good tires' Rob told me that he'd been there and done that. The access road he's talking about is something else! Pick-up guys put on 12-15 ply tires; tells you something.
Another river for volume of fish (not the size of the Descht's - and the Klikitat was, and remains, one of my best all time "secret rivers.") is the Rogue. Aug-Sept fish the Agness area; fish out the gazonga. October-November we're awash in fish above Medford.
Want to tangle with Mr. Salmon .... ? March-May we have a spring run of salmon that (by actual count) exceeded 30,000 each of the past two years. Where are all these fish you ask? How about as close as 15 minutes north of downtown Medford. Many a morning I've hit the river at day break, fish til about 8am, at my office by 830-quarter to 9. Even done a couple of 'long lunchs.' Bank folk think it's a 'kick' as the winner of pick a number between, gets dinner, or two or three.
Second Salmon run in our area is Sept-November with the fall Chnks and then the Coho's over lapping the summer run steelhead. Never use less than 10# Ultra main line for 'tippet' material; God only knows what you'll hook.
The Deschutes In the areas where it is accessible there is virtually no private property. If you were to base your week out of the town of maupin you'd have 30 miles downstream to fish via gravel/paved access road (good tires an absolute must!!!!!!!!!!) and about 8 miles upstream. There is a nice little flyshop that has everything you need in town.
Within a 2 hour drive there are two other excellent steelhead rivers.
1. The John Day river which I know nothing about except that it has a remarkable run of all wild summer steelhead. A friend of mone was up there in November somewhere and had a 40fish day on a floating like and skaters.
2. the Klickitat (in Washington) Which although is very mysterious and does not giv up it's fish easily is an absolutely wonderful river with lots of easy public access. it is in a breathtaking canyon and it's steelhead are amazingly strong and often big by summer run standards.
Appreciation for comments
Thanks for the reply. I am planning on coming on up this fall, and doing just what you have said. I will probably try the many rivers that I can. I plan on at least a week or more..... Can you go wrong on any of the bigger rivers? One other question is ( how much is private? )
Well, As Fred said this is a good question. I'd be willing to bet that you'll get lots of feedback.
This is my recomendation book a 1 day guided trip with John Hazel on the Deschutes river in Early to Mid October, then spend the rest of the week fishing the Deschutes on your own.
This is assuming you are at least moderatly healthy and the thought of wading in some reletively powerful currects is ok. (not suggesting anything unsafe is necessary, just that it's a big river and some slots have some current. The Deschutes in October is about as about as close as you can get to a sure thing. If you spent a week there i'd guess that hooking 10 Steelhead is VERY likely and the potential for hooking substantially more than that exsists.
Also you should know that October is a time of plenty in the Northwest. Every river that has summer steelhead will be in it's prime time. So you could spend a few days on the Deschutes then go exploring.
Feel free to ask more questions!! thats why we all come here to share information and learn
Time of year?
No, the time of year doesn't make to much difference to me, just a chance to get few steelheads on line, and go home with some memories! State doesn't matter to me either. I love both of the Pacific northwest states and have relatives in both.... Once a person gets the fever to go for these fish on a fly and lands one on his own tied flys. Well I sure everyone has been there! Getting to the age where I can travel a little and want to get the most out of life! Fall fishing would be my preferred time though!
Gad! This could turn into a bragging contest.
Good question but first what time of the year are you talking about? Would make a huge difference on what's in the river or where in the river system to look for the little buggers.
Pick a river for someone new!
I have just started steelhead fishing. I have been fly fishing for about 40 years but never got a chance to go for the Steelies, Until last year. Fished for 5 days with no hook ups. Didn't feel to bad, because the pros I went with, didn't get hook up either! I used to be stationed with the Coast Guard in the Sound area of Washington and fished for some of the Salmon in the area with some guide friends of mine. But this was not on a fly!
What area or river in Oregon or Washington would be a good bet to start up on and for a week fishing trip!
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Participants in the freshman seminar, "How the Body Shapes the Way the Brain Works," designed Lego robots that would respond to light, enhancing the students' understanding of the adaptability of the mind. The seminar investigates how behaviors are explained by feedback among the brain, the body and the environment.
Photos: John Jameson
Freshmen form bonds in seminars
Princeton's first-year students are learning about relationships and building their own through the Freshman Seminar Program.
Among the topics they are covering this fall are the links between the body and the brain, the influence of a global upbringing on issues of identity, the negotiation of differences within political movements and the ties between universities and the common good. They also are forging bonds with their classmates in an academic experience that students typically consider one of their best at Princeton.
Freshman seminars stress close interaction with faculty members in small-group settings, with an emphasis on inquiry that will set the course for the students' years at Princeton. Some 450 students are enrolled in 36 seminars this fall; another 41 seminars will be offered in the spring.
Each seminar is hosted by a residential college. Class discussions often continue in informal settings both on and off campus, through meals, guest lectures, field trips and other activities.
The Nov. 3 issue of the Princeton Weekly Bulletin includes stories on four of this fall's freshman seminars.
Featured Story
Pondering the differences between minds and machines
Posted November 13, 2008; 10:13 a.m.
From the Nov. 3, 2008, Princeton Weekly Bulletin
Princeton neuroscientist Asif Ghazanfar is asking students in his freshman seminar to do nothing less than rethink the way the brain and body interact and to deeply consider a new science underlying what he calls "the biology of thought."
Students started from scratch with a 577-piece robotics kit and used software to train the machines to respond to a changing environment, a process that tested the students' problem-solving abilities.
The subject is dense, almost intimidating in its complexity. Known as "the embodiment hypothesis," it represents a radical shift in thinking about the brain and combines elements of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, psychology and philosophy in its approach.
But what the students were doing under Ghazanfar's supervision on a golden autumn afternoon looked suspiciously like fun.
Armed with what were 577-piece Lego MINDSTORMS kits at the semester's start, five teams of three students each were showing off the fruits of their labors -- boxy and bulbous robotic creations -- one by one. These pint-size machines, some called "Teddy" and "Fluffy" and others nameless, spun, cavorted and sidled up to light sources when prompted. The students, clumped in a corner of a classroom in Chancellor Green, collectively "ooh"-ed and "aah"-ed as their programmed creations worked their way over a plastic grid. They coaxed them on when they hesitated. They cheered when they met their mark.
Asif Ghazanfar, an assistant professor of psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, is using robotics and intensive discussions to teach his students the tenets of a new science underlying what he calls "the biology of thought."
Ghazanfar, an assistant professor of psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, quietly took it all in, making few remarks. The demonstrations -- in which the freshmen had to program and build robots to respond to light -- were designed to test the students' problem-solving abilities. They also were intended to probe the students' fledgling understanding of new concepts of how the mind adapts to a changing environment.
When they were finished, Ghazanfar shuttled the group to a seminar room deep in the confines of Firestone Library. Here he moved them through a different journey. Over the span of two hours, the students traversed a trail offering intellectual rather than physical challenges. Can machines ever be considered "intelligent" or "alive"? Is the human brain somehow special? How do our minds work, and why do we solve problems so differently from each other? They laughed, gasped, debated and drank it in as each asked a question in turn, based on readings in assigned texts.
"You're exhausted by the end of the class," said Robert Klein, a freshman who is considering studying electrical engineering. The robot he designed with his team, which he tested in his dorm room, spoke with a British accent, saying, "Light!" and "Yes, yes, yes!" as it raced toward a lit bulb. Keeping in mind what they were reading about the interplay between the body and the mind, Klein and his team tried to keep their robot simple, modeling it on an insect brain.
In the class, titled "How the Body Shapes the Way the Brain Works," Ghazanfar is giving the students a new toolbox with which to view reality. Traditional ideas about how people interact with the world assume that behavior is controlled by the brain and ignore how body states -- postures, emotions, fatigue -- may be affecting mental processes. The new hypothesis suggests that behaviors are best explained by constant feedback among the brain, the body and the environment.
"Most of the time we think of our behaviors as emanating from the brain, and that it controls everything," said Ghazanfar, who studies primate communication and its neurobiology. "But it is so much more complicated than that. The bodies we operate in the world influence our brain and vice versa. The environments we operate in provide, in turn, scaffolds for such brain-body interactions."
He has asked the students to work with robots to show them how much the field of artificial intelligence has changed. In the past, scientists trying to simulate the human brain imagined it as a disembodied computer calculating rational thought. Those systems failed, however, at solving even the simplest of tasks performed by the human brain, such as recognizing faces. Now, scientists working to recreate an electronic version of the human mind are building autonomous robots that can operate in the real, unpredictable world. "They've realized you cannot separate the brain from the body to be successful in an environment," he said.
Students in the freshman seminar collectively cheered on specially designed robots as they explored new concepts of how the mind adapts to a changing environment.
The readings helped focus the discussion. One student asked: If experience is so central to learning, as some adherents of the new hypothesis suggest, how is it that someone like Albert Einstein could develop theories about events he couldn't possibly have experienced, such as light moving at high speeds? After a few students chimed in, Ghazanfar suggested that Einstein employed mental scaffolding to help himself, imagining himself straddling a beam of light and hurtling through space. Another asked which of two subjects would be a preferable companion -- a brain-damaged human described in one of their texts or a moderately gifted robot. The student who asked the question said she would choose the robot. The class was divided on that one.
By acting more as a mediator, Ghazanfar lets the students discover how the brain works on their own. "Many times these questions are unanswerable or currently under investigation," said Sean Sketch, a freshman who hopes to study mechanical engineering. "In this case, everyone's thoughts are purely speculation or opinion, and Professor Ghazanfar doesn't get in the way of our debate. It is this open class style that fosters our genuine curiosity about the subject."
The seminar, which is designated as the Shelly and Michael Kassen '76 Freshman Seminar in the Life Sciences, has exceeded all of Sketch's expectations. "I'll never forget this course, simply because I've never had anything like it," he said. "For me, it epitomizes what the learning process should be -- self-motivated and, for lack of a better word, fun."
Five teams of students in the freshman seminar designed different robots all responding differently and sometimes unexpectedly to cues of bright and dim lights.


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Weather Prognosis
If it rains at midnight can we expect sunny weather in 72 hours?
Is This Entry Abusive?
| nene from United States
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|I think maybe because it is a change that it eill be sunny or it might stiil be raining. If the weather man said that it might be a change of rain for a little while and then when it is lunch time it will stop raining and if we go out side and it is still raining that means that the wweather man was wrong and they didnt proble know the right weather


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In order to help you avoid the disappointing outcomes that can come with fitness and health club memberships, BistroMD's fitness expert, Sean, is giving you tips on what to look for, what you should know, and why certain things should matter before you sign the dotted line.
"State of the Art" Could Come Straight From Your Wallet
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In order to avoid this hidden fitness and health club cost, Sean recommends finding a company-sponsored gym, asking your health insurance for a gym/fitness center stipend, or consulting a personal trainer to come into your home.
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Know Your Goals and Research Your Options
Health and fitness clubs are tailored to specific needs and their establishments are built around certain requirements.
If you have a specific fitness goal in mind, or have a personal preference on what kind of features you want out of your workout, it's important to have these things established before you start visiting health and fitness clubs.
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Know the Difference Between Wellness and Fitness
Fitness centers are more basic than wellness centers, and it's important that you know how to make this distinction.
"Health and fitness clubs can be very different, so it's important to compare the differences before you spend the money," says Sean. "Health clubs offer a little more variety than fitness clubs, because of their emphasis on both physical and mental health."
To fit into this broad spectrum of health, most wellness-based centers place more emphasis on relaxation techniques, educational seminars, yoga classes, and include added benefits like massages and day spas.
"Health and wellness centers focus a lot on mental health and mental relaxation techniques, rather than strictly focusing on physical activity," says Sean.
If your goals are more weighted toward aerobics, resistance training, and endurance, a gym may be a better option for you.
"Fitness centers are usually more like gyms, and have a better selection of equipment if your goals are to tone and build strength," says Sean. "Generally, they are cheaper, but they usually don't offer a wide variety of classes, or added benefits like massages. Choosing between a health club and a fitness club really just depends on what you need and want."
The process of finding a fitness and health club may not always be easy, but by following these tips, and knowing what to look for, you will be on your way to a glorious and healthy new lifestyle.
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