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Christine Benz: Hi, I'm Christine Benz, for Morningstar.com. The decision about whether to buy a traditional fund or an exchange-traded fund isn't black and white. I recently sat down with Joel Dickson, a senior investment strategist at Vanguard's investment strategy group to discuss some of the key factors to bear in mind when making that decision.
Joel, thank you so much for being here.
Joel Dickson: Thanks for having me.
Benz: We have seen this barrage of new exchange-traded funds. We've also seen a lot of investor dollars flowing into exchange-traded funds. So investors might naturally assume they want to be in the hot new vehicle versus a traditional index mutual fund. I'd like to talk through some of the key considerations that someone trying to make that decision should bear in mind. Let's talk about the key differences between those two vehicles.
Dickson: Yeah, actually in some ways I'd like to start with the similarities, and I have the saying that the F in ETF stands for fund. And in fact in many ways, ETFs and traditional mutual funds are very similar. Think of them as a diversified pool of assets for investors to access stocks and bonds and potentially other markets. You have a number of investors coming together. [Traditional funds and ETFs] tend to have the same regulatory and tax rules that they follow, by and large. There are some exceptions, but generally that's the case.
I think the main difference is that with the mutual fund portfolio, you as the investor pretty much interact directly with the portfolio; that is, you buy and sell from the fund. It might be through an intermediary like a financial advisor, but ultimately the interaction is at the fund level.
With an ETF, generally the interaction is on a brokerage or an exchange, and so it is another person buying and selling shares that occurs in terms of how investors interact. So they don't interact directly with the fund. And as such, then you have other considerations around trading. There are some tax issues, and there might be some cost issues that arise where there can be some little differences.
Benz: I'd like to home in on a few of those. The tax one has been widely touted as perhaps an advantage in the ETF column. Let's talk about considerations that investors should bear in mind. If they are looking at an investment for a taxable account, will the ETF always be a better choice?
Dickson: Not always, and to a certain extent, we need to, again, put this sort of in the context of what are the differences between ETFs and traditional index funds. Most ETFs are index-based portfolios. Traditional index funds historically have also been very tax-efficient in terms of providing low capital gains realizations relative to actively managed funds and so forth. So, a lot of the difference, if you will, between ETFs and index funds really isn't a difference. It's that they are both indexed portfolios and will tend to be fairly tax-efficient, all else equal, relative to more actively managed strategies.
Now that said, the ETF, again, I think sometimes is mistakenly thought of as tax-free, that it can never have capital gain distributions. But in fact, ETFs do and can. They follow the same tax rules as index mutual funds, but there are some mechanisms by which ETFs can try to lessen the tax impact in the portfolio, mainly through this process called in-kind redemptions, which is when redemptions occur from an ETF portfolio, they tend to be done in securities rather than cash and that can provide some tax advantages in the portfolio.
Benz: So they get rid of the shares that have the low cost basis?
Dickson: Exactly, but traditional mutual funds can do sort of an opposite trade as can ETFs, which is if there are losses in the portfolio, to realize those losses. Because one thing an in-kind redemption can't do is actually realize losses. But either through redemptions in traditional mutual fund share classes, where you sell the high cost basis lots, you would maximize the loss that you realize in that case. And that can offset capital gain. So it's a nice feature to have in the ETF, but it's not the be-all and end-all of tax management in an investment portfolio.
Benz: Let's talk about trading flexibility and trading costs. I think a lot of people look at ETFs as being more flexible because they do allow that intraday trading. That's something that you cannot do with a traditional index mutual fund. Let's talk about the whole realm of trading both cost and flexibility.
Dickson: So when we think about trading costs, it's not just sort of what you pay. It is also what commissions might be charged if you are buying it in a brokerage platform. It's what's the bid-ask spread in the marketplace--that is there is a market maker in between who is going to, in part of their normal market making activities, try to buy low and sell high. And what that means for an investor is if a market maker is going to sell you a position that you want to buy, it's going to be at a little bit of higher price than where they would purchase it from you, and that's what called the bid-ask spread.
And that can be anywhere from maybe a basis point or two to 15 or 20 basis points depending on how liquid that ETF is, both in terms of its own portfolio trading as well as the underlying securities that might make up the portfolio and how liquid those are. So, you have to take a total-cost mentality in thinking about what the true cost is of the ETF, and that would be not just the ongoing expense ratio of the ETF but also any transaction costs, which would be the commission, bid-ask spread, and so forth.
In terms of flexibility, I actually think that that's a bit of an interesting question. There's this notion that ETFs are more flexible because you can trade them at any time during the trading day, and that is certainly the case. I mean, if any time the market is open between 9:30 and 4:00, let's say in the U.S., you can usually trade that ETF. But in a certain context, you can trade a mutual fund anytime, 24 hours a day, online, you can go in.
While you won't necessarily get the price at that exact point in time, you know you will get the next net asset value as determined, usually at 4:00 the following day or that day, if it's a same-day transaction before 4:00, and you know with certainty you are going to get that. When you do a trade with an ETF, there might be what's called a premium or discount relative to the true underlying value of the securities, and so there can be an often small difference between that. And so you may pay up or you may get a little bit of a bargain. It's not always the case that you know that you're getting the true value of the portfolio even though you're getting certainty on price with the ETF. What you're getting with the mutual fund is the certainty of value at the time that it's determined.
Benz: I'd like to cover with you what I would call sort of creature comforts: how easy is it to own this thing and continued to invest in it. Let's compare and contrast ETFs and traditional index mutual funds from that standpoint?
Dickson: Right. So, a lot of this does come down to often subjective considerations in this decision.
Benz: What you care about?
Dickson: What you care about, exactly. If you want the control of the trading flexibility that an ETF may provide, then that might trump other small differences either in terms of cost or in terms of convenience features that might be available on the mutual fund side.
On the mutual fund side, one thing that has built up over the course of the decades of the mutual fund industry is not just the investment management pieces of mutual funds, but also the convenience features that shareholders have come to enjoy. You think about automatic investment or withdrawal programs. If you want to take $100 out of your bank account every week or every month, and have that invested in ABC Mutual Fund, you can do that very easily and automatically.
With an ETF that's often quite a bit harder to do because you need to get it into the brokerage account, and then you need to transact in the number of shares often of the ETF as opposed to dollars that you often transact in mutual funds. And that distinction means you have to do an extra step to get the money there and then put in the trade, so that it matches up with the amount of money that you want to put in and make sure that the type of trade that you're doing doesn't get you outside of that dollar amount that you want to invest.
So, it requires a little bit more handholding in terms of regular trading in the ETF versus the mutual fund which can often be quite convenient for investors making regular purchases or withdrawals.
Benz: How about dividend reinvestment?
Dickson: So, there is often a slight difference in dividend reinvestment at least in the U.S. On the mutual fund standpoint, if you decide you want reinvestment of your dividend and capital gains distributions, that's done pretty much automatically on the ex-distribution date, basically right as it's occurred, so that you're never out of the market, if you will.
Within ETF, typically when the distribution gets made, even if you have a dividend-reinvestment plan set up through your brokerage to reinvest the distributions, it's often not done until four or five days after the distribution is made. So, at least for that distribution amount, that's been out of the fund for that period. And even when it is put back into the fund, it is done through an open-market purchase in most cases. That is, the brokerage firm, if it's in a drip-type program, or you, if you've had it in a sweep account or some other money market account, must go out and purchase those shares to reinvest the distribution amounts. So, it's not an automatic book-keeping entry in the same way it often is for mutual funds.
Benz: Joel, there are lots of considerations here for people attempting to choose between ETFs and traditional index funds, thanks for walking us through them.
Dickson: Thanks for having me.


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Ewan on a rainy day
Ewan any day, but especially on a drenched day… yes. YES.
Ewan and his wife turned up at the Amelia premiere in New York last night – he said he agreed to do the movie because he and Hilary Swank have been friends for years.
Amelia of course is about Amelia Earhart, yet another Oscar bid from Swank who already has two while Annette Bening and so many others have none. And she's so overrated, non? But Amelia is getting very little buzz. And so far the critics haven't been kind. Some are predicting it'll be sh-ts at the box office.
Ewan meanwhile has a few more releases to promote including The Men Who Stare At Goats with George Clooney. Great interview recently with the LA Times during which he expresses his desire to work with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet and how he almost gave up acting after seeing Daniel Day-Lewis in In The Name Of The Father. Click here to read it.
Photos from Wenn.com and Richie Buxo/Splashnewsonline.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Actually, I suspect that e-week is exactly the demographics. Many ppl in that group do not care about the legality of such an action and yet, must have enough knowledge to get to warez.
If zip (or any) files are blocked, I like sending files encrypted, or merely scrambled.
You would be surprised how few email filters detect an attachment which is simply sent as Base64 or UUEncoded text, in the body. As it's not an attachment, it frequently gets ignored.
You would be surprised how few email filters detect an attachment which is simply sent as Base64 or UUEncoded text, in the body. As it's not an attachment, it frequently gets ignored.
Why would we be surprised? People who write e-mail filters have to balance between security and convenience of the user.
I mean, imagine a super complex e-mail filter program that blocked every conceivable way of sending an attachment. If I sent a letter to my mom asking her how her stay was in the hospital, and got someth
Gmail blocks sending attachments of "executable" files, which includes
On the other hand if you compress your archive using RAR, gmail cannot check the contents and thus does not complain about executable files.
You've answered your own question - most corporations and free email providers block executables.
Associating the name of a file with its content type is quite ludicrous; Apple used to do a better job of this with the file resources (the average user couldn't change file type - the name wasn't the type!) but with the transition to OS X (Unix) the metadata with files can be lost and is associated via file extension again.
This boils down to the fact that digital data is inherently untyped; there is no way to tell if something is *really* a word document, bitmap, executable, or a random collection of bits (you can use signatures in the data to help with this, but that's about it).
However, more on topic: I didn't know RAR files had "executable" content. If a file in a
Rar files are much better than zip files in that people can download (let's say) a
.rar that's been split into 15 parts.
ZIP has been able to do this since long before RAR has existed; it just wasn't very convenient. ARJ and loads of other archivers could do it conveniently, but ZIP became a de-facto standard on PR grounds, rather than technical ones. RAR is pretty much exactly the same as any number of formats that existed 15 years ago, but people are willing to adopt it because it's new and better, rathe
Why exactly does putting viruses into
This is the same thing that has been going of for a long time with viruses in compressed files.
What's next, complaining that there are viruses in tar files? Suggesting that propagation of viruses by usb-flash drives, DVD-RW's, SD camera memory and so on... are new vectors of propagation?
This seems like a really lousy way of trying to instill virus paranoia in people to sell more A/V software.
Then again, maybe my tinfoil hat is just a bit tight today. Does anyone think there is merit to this article?
I actually believe that if Windows didn't "Hide the file extension for known types", as is the default setting, viruses would be a much less serious issue. In other words, what they see for that file is "foto.jpg". They know what a jpg file is, and forget the Windows is actually hiding the true file extension. I think most people actually know that you shouldn't open an exe file from an unknown source, but hiding the file extension makes people forget.TFA says that the
.rar contains a file like foto.jpg.exe.
The OSS program ClamAV supports scanning of RAR files. If most anti-virus programs truly don't support RAR format, this is another big win for ClamAV. (I run it on my own server, and as part of an anti spam/virus email service and it runs flawlessly).
ClamAV just wins period. Not having to pay per-seat licensing is awesome. Never needing to track or renew a subscription is worth every penny you'll spend on Clam AV (umm...$0.00).
I can't think of any reason to run anything else for an email server. Am I missing something really big that ClamAV just can't do?
Am I missing something really big that ClamAV just can't do?
Get updates about a major new virus a week too late to do any good?
I was working for a client who had a vigorously-enforced anti-virus policy. Before anyone is allowed to connect to the network, the I/T security dept. has to verify that they have an anti-virus package installed, running and up-to-date. This policy created a bit of a problem when I showed up with my laptop running Debian Linux. I tried to argue that there are no Linux viruses in the wild and, further, that as a 100% Windows shop, even if my machine did have a virus, it wouldn't run on any of *theirs*. No luck. "NO AV, NO NETWORK," was the decision from on high.
Not expecting much, I ran "apt-cache search anti-virus" and was shocked to see that there were two different AV tools packaged by Debian, and that clamav even had the ability to scan local files on my system. I set it up to scan periodically, left "freshclam" set on the default update schedule (daily), showed the I/T security guy how it worked (and that it had found nothing), and he grudgingly allowed me on the network, convinced, I think, that my open source anti-virus tool *had* to be crap.
A couple of days later, I noticed that ClamAV had flagged a file in my mailbox as being infected. It was a document that the client's project manager had sent me -- from a machine running an up-to-date copy of Norton Anti-Virus Gold, Corporate Edition. I reported the incident and didn't think much of it. I figured the manager that sent it to me must not have had his AV software running (Lord knows if I ran Windows I'd be tempted to shut the CPU- and RAM-hogging thing down so I could get some work done).
Over the next two days, nearly all productive work in the I/T dept. ground to a halt, because by the time I got the infected document, almost the entire company was infected. I don't recall which virus it was (it didn't really interfere with anything I was doing), but I know they had a devil of a time getting it all cleaned up.
As it turned out, NONE of the three major commercial AV tools deployed at the company detected the new virus until about a week later.
I found out later that this experience is the rule, not the exception, with fast-moving new viruses. ClamAV is not only community-developed, but the databased is community-maintained as well, so whenever a sysadmin somewhere notices a new virus, it gets added to the database very quickly. The commercial AV vendors don't move as quickly, and consequently their tools often miss fast-spreading viruses long enough for them to become a problem.
ClamAV rocks.
Enable scanning of RAR archives. Due to license issues libclamav does not support RAR 3.0 archives (only the old 2.0 format is sup-ported). Because some users report stability problems with unrarlib it's disabled by default and must be enabled in the config file.
Default: disabled
If your firewall blocks ZIP files and RAR files, then how are you supposed to exchange groups of files with your friends efficiently?
Isn't the WHOLE POINT of having archive file software on your computer defeated by blocking content with these extensions?
Educate the users not to be morons. At our site, we've had trouble working with a university because our ISP removes
Now we use an ftp server. All because idiots click on attachments without thinking.
It's similar to the claims that international support in mozilla was a vulnerability. It isn't. the USER is the vulnerabitlity, educate the user and the vast majority of these problems will go away.
While I agree with you to some extent, you picked a really poor example there. The international characters in the URL toolbar are really very deceptive. Allow me to offer you two picture links.
Letter "a" [fileformat.info]
Letter "a" [fileformat.info]
Now you tell me which one is the cyrillic character, and which is the roman charact
If graphics hackers are so smart, why can't they get the bugs out of fresh paint?


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i have no one to mate with... im the only one of my frinds to have a tamagotchi and want to have more generations... will my tamagotchi lay an egg with out a mate abd before it dies? please please help
Started by zarfire__101 , Aug 26 2004 09:31 AM
Started26 Aug 2004
Last Post26 Aug 2004
Posted 26 August 2004 - 09:34 AM ( #2 )
Soon after your tamagotchi turns into an adult mrs.busybody the matchmaker will find you amate and then you can have babies. Read the manual.
Posted 26 August 2004 - 09:48 AM ( #3 )
ik that but i thought that it will automatically try to connect... ok well now i no what that means thank you


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I want to make text boxes similar to " http://www.maxwellsystems.com/ " has. You can see when you scroll over the "Maxwell Systems ProContractorMX" box or "Estimating for MEP" box that the text then scrolls up. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Even the name of the plugin (If thats what it is using).
Thank You!


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The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge will host a Nature Tots program from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday for children ages 3 to 5.
During Saturday's lesson, participants will learn about bison. Participants will read stories, go outside, make nature crafts and more. The program is free and open to the public. To register for or learn more about the program, contact Megan Wandag at (515) 994-3400 or megan email@example.com.


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It has been a LONG time, but continuing our look at Ngien's volume, we now turn to the meditation on blessings. Luther offers 7 images of evil and 7 images of blessing that are to guide our meditation. The first image is of "internal blessings" which are those blessings the believer possesses within themselves (beauty, strength, intelligence, etc.). These attributes are, as it were, "salted" with "the relics of the cross" in this world. "Evil," Ngien continues, "is the seasoning necessary to preserve the savor of blessing" (58). The second image is delineated as "the blessing before us." These are the future blessings in which we can find our comfort. Like Christ therefore, who for the sake of what was before him endured the cross, believers can rest in the blessings which are promised but not yet grasped.
Thirdly, Luther suggests the "blessing behind us." Since redemption is fundamentally God's work, truly by grace, the believer can boast in the work that God has done and continues to do. Next, Luther suggest the image of the "blessing beneath us." Like the third image, this image forces our mind and heart to the God who elects. "Beneath us," as it were, lie souls who were not saved – the damned. These images work together to turn our attention to the God who is both faithful as well as just. Meditating on both his goodness and his wrath keep the heart straight, turned to God as he has revealed himself.
The fifth and sixth images are the "blessing on our left hand," and the "blessing on our right hand," respective. The left hand depicts the enemies we will have in this life (enemies which Luther knew all too well). Meditation on the enemies who are richly blessed in this world gives us hope that God will all the more bless those who are truly faithful to him. Likewise, the right hand depicts the communion of saints in which you participate. In Luther's words,
Therefore, when we feel pain, when we suffer, when we die, let us turn to this, firmly believing and certain that it is not we alone, but Christ and the church who are in pain and suffering and dying with us. Christ does not want us to be alone on the road of death, from which all mortals shrink. Indeed, we set out upon the road of suffering and death accompanied by the entire church…All that remains for us now is to pray that our eyes, the eyes of our faith, may be opened that we may see the church around us" (63-64).
The last image Luther suggests is the "blessing above us." Christ's resurrection is the greatest blessing for the believer. Again, in Luther's words, "I am a sinner, but I am borne by his righteousness which is given to me. I am unclean, but his holiness is my sanctification, in which I ride gently. I am an ignorant fool, but his wisdom carries me forward. I deserve condemnation, but I am set free by his redemption, which is a safe wagon for me" (64). As the image "above us" calls us to set our mind and heart on heaven, it does so only after we have contemplated the reality of evil in our hearts, in the world and, for the damned, in eternity. Likewise, our meditation has focused on the givenness of God's grace, and therefore orients our hearts and minds to God, in Christ. Luther puts it well,
This, then, is the most sublime image, for in it we are lifted up not only above our evils, but even above our blessings, and we are set down in the midst of strange blessings gathered by the labors of another, whereas formerly we lay among evils that were also brought about by the sin of another and enlarged by our own (Rom. 5:17). We are set down, I say, in Christ's righteousness, with which he himself is righteous, because we cling to that righteousness where he himself is acceptable to God, intercedes for us as our mediator, and gives himself wholly to us as our high priest and protector" (65).
Any thoughts about this? I find Luther's work here to be incredibly realistic, if that makes sense. In other words, he does not offer a piety so focused on perfection that it makes no sense of sin and evil. On the contrary, Luther's account makes no sense without sin and evil around ever corner! This seems missing in the piety found in much of the church today. It is realistic but not lackadaisical.


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SW teams host B-Spring as busy week continues for area athletes
Spring has arrived, and the spring sports scene for Nolan County area athletes is really starting to heat up.Not only is Sweetwater hosting Big Spring in varsi-ty baseball and softball to-day, but this week features district golf, track and ten-nis competition as well.The Sweetwater boys golf team played the second 18-hole leg of its 54-hole district tournament Monday at Big Spring, and the girls are at Wylie today for the second 18-hole leg of their 54-hole event. The softball and baseball teams play host to Big Spring at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively, as they continue four-game home-stands that end on Friday.Highland and Blackwell track athletes are traveling to Bronte today for their district meet, while Roscoe is at Hamlin for its district meet on Thursday. The top athletes at district will go to area meets next week.Sweetwater's tennis team has its district tournament at Big Spring on Thursday and Friday, with hopes of advancing from there to the regional tournament at Lubbock later this month. Sweetwater's track teams are idle from competition this week while preparing for their district meet at Snyder next Tuesday and Wednesday.In baseball action today, Sweetwater and Big Spring are seeking their first district win while the softball team (2-2) has a chance move into undisputed second place with a victory over Big Spring (1-3). The softball game begins at 5 p.m. while the baseball game will start at 7 p.m.Also having district track meets this week are junior high teams from Sweetwa-ter, Highland, Blackwell and Roscoe as they wrap up their seasons.


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July 1944
Miss Wanda Guthrie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Guthrie, left Tuesday for Ft. Des Moines, Iowa, to begin training in the Air WACS. Miss Guthrie has a brother, George Guthrie, who is in the Merchant Marines.
Choose the plan that's right for you. Digital access or digital and print delivery.


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NASCAR had a real dilemma on its hands with this whole Jeff Gordon mess hanging over the season finale.
History suggested Gordon could have been suspended from Sunday's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway as punishment for intentionally wrecking Clint Bowyer at Phoenix, sparking a brawl in the garage. That's the punishment Kyle Busch got a year ago for retaliating against Ron Hornaday Jr. in a Truck Series event at Texas.
But was NASCAR seriously going to sit the four-time champion? From the season finale?
Nope. He instead got a $100,000 fine from NASCAR, which also docked him 25 points in the championship standings.
Maybe NASCAR should have also thanked him for triggering the fight and frenzied final sequence of events that had half the country talking about the series on Monday.
Even without that, the penalty was the right call by NASCAR, which walks a fine line between sport and entertainment – and has only itself to blame.
Some viewed Sunday as a black eye for NASCAR, but others were celebrating it as one of the best races of the season. It wasn't lost on Kevin Harvick, who snapped a 44-race losing streak with the victory.
"The sport was made on fights. We should have more fights," he said. "Fights are what made NASCAR what it is."
NASCAR heard the complaints from fans that drivers had become too corporate, the sport had strayed too far from its rough and tumble roots and scores were no longer settled at the track. The 2009 finale at Homestead was one of those throwback races, and the crowd roared as drivers used their cars to deliver old-school justice.
President Mike Helton said at the time: "We didn't certainly intend to make it too sterile, but the drivers were afraid to be themselves, and that's not good."
So NASCAR relaxed at the start of the next season, using a "Boys, Have At It" policy that allowed the drivers to police themselves.
The boys tested NASCAR just four races in when Carl Edwards waited 153 laps for his crew to fix his car for the sole purpose of getting back on the track at Atlanta to wreck Brad Keselowski. Edwards' high-speed contact sent Keselowski's car airborne, and there were immediate calls for Edwards to be suspended.
But doing so would have been the immediate end of the policy, and Edwards instead got off with a mere three races of probation. The boys have been allowed to have at it ever since.
There has been bumping and banging, and Tony Stewart's threats to wreck each and every driver who blocks him from now until the end of time. There's an occasional flare-up, an intentional act or two, and NASCAR intervenes when needed.
Gordon's decision to wreck Bowyer – he says Bowyer deserved it for a season's worth of misdeeds – is more like the Edwards incident. Or perhaps more like another incident last season, when Brian Vickers promised retaliation against Matt Kenseth and then rode Kenseth's back bumper until Kenseth turned into the wall. Vickers got no penalty.
Gordon, however, seemed to have zero regard for others on the track. The wreck also collected Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. Championship contender Keselowski had to dodge his way around it and the whole thing was a direct contributor to the last-lap wreck.
Standings with one to go
1. Brad Keselowski –
2. Jimmie Johnson -20
3. Kasey Kahne -50
4. Clint Bowyer -52
5. Denny Hamlin -62


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Hales' office hit with elections complaint
Supporters of the proposed Portland Public Water District have filed an elections complaint against Mayor Charlie Hales' office with the Oregon elections officials.The complaint charges the office violated state elections laws by using public resources to email a press release Tuesday criticizing their proposal, which will appear on the May 20 Primary election ballot.
From covering up an illegal attempt to divert restricted water funds, to retaliating against the whistleblower who exposed the scandal, to now using public resources for political purposes, Mayor Charlie Hales abuse of power continues unabated, co-chief petitioner Kent Craford said in a press release accompanying the release of the complaint.
The complaint accuses the office of violating the Hatch Act, which reads in part:
(2) No public employee shall solicit any money, influence, service or other thing of value or otherwise promote or oppose any political committee or promote or oppose the nomination or election of a candidate, the gathering of signatures on an initiative, referendum or recall petition, the adoption of a measure or the recall of a public office holder while on the job during work hours.
The measure would remove the Water Bureau and Bureau of Environmental Services from the control of the City council and give them to a independently elected board. The board would be created in the City Charter and the assets of both bureaus would continue to be owned by the city.
The complaint was signed by Craford and co-chief petitions Floy Jones and reads as follows:
February 12, 2014
Ms. Alana Cox
Compliance Specialist
Elections Division
Office of the Secretary of State
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 501
Salem, OR 97310
Dear Ms. Cox,
We write to bring an elections law violation to your attention, request your office immediately investigate and demand a halt to such further activity.
On Tuesday, February 11th, the spokesperson for City of Portland Mayor Charlie Hales issued the attached press release campaigning against the Portland Public Water District initiative, which will be on the ballot May 20. Mr. Haynes used City resources on City time for political purposes in clear violation of ORS 260.432.
We are requesting that your office investigate this matter. Should you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Kent Craford at 503-961-4191.
Kent Craford
Floy Jones
The press release can be read at portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/210547-68526-barbs-fly-ahead-of-ratepayer-court-hearing


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At least cancer may give me a few more years to live.
... my dental hygienist will kill me if she has to scrape any more Starbucks stains off my teeth.
No worries, the article clearly said "coffee."
forget the stains, acidic drinks pull calcium off of your teeth
Maybe calcium protects against oral cancer?
...but what does it increase the chances of? Well, besides drug (caffeine) addiction?
Come on, there's always a catch...
Come on, there's always a catch...
don't be so negative there is no catch drinking coffee coffee doesn't have a catch I drink lots of coffee and I don't have any side-effects I think you are being paranoid ha ha I'm not going to have oral cancer and you are just mad about it why don't you chill out and have a cup of coffee like everyone else I think I need another cup of coffee what the hell is this slashdot says I have to wait 30 seconds to post aaahhhh *click* *click* *click* ahhh still 28 more seconds
Be careful, Cornholio! You're gonna kill yourself bouncing off all those walls!
...but what does it increase the chances of? Well, besides drug (caffeine) addiction?
I'll bet the rate of cancer morbidity among heroin users is extremely low.
The catch is this is American style drip brewed coffee. I'd be curious to see if this same finding is true for French Press or Espresso, which previously have been found to contain oils that are cancer causing, but these are removed in filtered coffee. Perhaps they counteract each other. Also I'd be curious if they used teabags or a tea ball in their research (that didn't find results in favor or against), which would be similar to filtered vs unfiltered coffee.
Based on the residue left on the cup, I would assume that espresso retains the oils, you can usually see any oily residue floating on the top of a short black.
One possible 'catch' is that caffeine can be a trigger for migraine apparently. I am currently trialling an exclusion diet for migraine management and one of the restrictions is no more than one serve of caffeine or chocolate per day - and a 'serve' is smaller than you'd think.
Ironically, one of the medications my husband used to be prescribed for migraine was a product called Cafergot, to be taken at the onset of a migraine, it used caffeine to carry ergot directly to the brain for faster uptake in order t
I like coffee. I REALLY LIKE COFFEE. I drink a lot of coffee. SURE I PEE A LOT, and YES well MAYBE but not REALLY, Iâ(TM)m NOT HIGH STRUNG. I just tell MY FRIENDS to MELLOW THE FUCK OUT. Itâ(TM)s not me, itâ(TM)s you. YOU MOTHER FUCKER. Not me, you. I love coffee. HOW FAST ARE WE GOING? I have things to do. Good bye⦠SERIOUSLY, GOOD FUCKING BYE. Good bye. I love coffee. Or is it cocaine, Iâ(TM)m not sure. Or maybe Iâ(TM)m a crack head? HELLO! HELLO! Yellow mellow. Coffee? Did someone say coffee? I love coffee. Mostly triple espressos, no water no ice. LOVE the drip. I LOVE THE FUCKING DRIP. Coffee that is.
Maybe you confused your cocaine for your creamer mix or sugar. I keep mine next to each other bye the coffee machine too. Easy mistake.
22% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
74% of people get that statistic wrong 100% of the time.
Google "Relative risk"
As a rule of thumb, just ignore anything with an RR<2 (200%).
Anyone good with statistics? Sounds to me like 49% is actually bad, I mean, 51% of the people in this study got cancer.
I *hope* you're being facetious....
If a human's risk of developing oral cancer at some point in his lifetime is 2 in 100,000, then drinking 4+ cups of coffee per day reduces that risk to essentially 1 per 100,000.
You're welcome.
If 100 out of 10000 non-coffee-drinkers got cancer (1%) and 51 out of 10000 coffee drinkers got cancer (0.51%) that's a 49% decrease.
You sure it doesn't mean that those with the physical constitution to withstand 4 cups of coffee are resistant to oral cancers?
These studies are meaningless.
You will discover the meaning only if you drink coffee. No, I mean lots of coffee... you should strive to get over the 4 cups.
This. There is a reason 2/3s~ of the human race don't get cancer. Hint, it isn't because they were lucky.
Most people develop and destroy minor cancers throughout their entire life, a little known fact that seems to be forgotten by the majority.
These people, even exposed to high numbers of carcinogens still don't develop full-on cancers.
That is a genetic reason and one we still don't fully understand yet, that is different even from diet. (but diet does increase your defences too)
No, Petri-dish tests aren
This. There is a reason 2/3s~ of the human race don't get cancer. Hint, it isn't because they were lucky.
That should be simple to test, by checking if four cups of coffee only lowers oral cancer or other types of cancer too. If it only lowers oral cancer but mysteriously no others, then this lowering effect has nothing to do with your "physical constitution".
Cancer rates are not entirely genetic, that much is already extremely well-established
Most people develop and destroy minor cancers throughout their entire life, a little known fact that seems to be forgotten by the majority.
Yep. Say hello to cancer caused by AIDS because your white cells can't fight off the cancer as it normally does.
Bacteria and fungi have a balance, I believe that's true. They compete for resources. But bacteria and viruses? Viruses don't compete for resources, they just splice in host cells dna.
You sure it doesn't mean that those with the physical constitution to withstand 4 cups of coffee are resistant to oral cancers?
Withstand four cups of coffee?? That doesn't make sense at all, most coffee drinkers I know drink at least that much, and most non-coffee drinkers I know don't drink it because they just don't like the taste. The only people I know who hold it down to two cups are older folks; caffiene makes them shake.
And yes, correlation doesn't prove causation, but the fact that it's cancers of b
I find that changing relative risk to absolute risk makes the wow factor of these studies go down considerably. The absolute risk is of getting oral cancers and dying from them can be derived from the abstract:
Among 968,432 men and women who were cancer free at enrollment, 868 deaths due to oral/pharyngeal cancer occurred during 26 years of follow-up.
So the 26-year absolute risk of death due to oral/pharyngeal cancer in this study was about 1 in 1,000 (one thousand). Assuming an even spread across the years, that's also about 1 in 30,000 for any given year.
Drinking greater than 4 cups of coffee a day has a relative risk of about 0.5, so that's about 1 in 2,000 over 26 years (a difference of 0.045%), or about 1 in 60,000 in any given year (a difference of 0.0017%).
Note that this risk reduction is associated with death due specifically to oral/pharyngeal cancer, not the cancer alone -- it does not follow from these results that drinking coffee reduces your risk of getting cancer. If you get oral/pharyngeal cancer, but die from being impaled by an angry unicorn, it doesn't count for the purposes of this result / association.
Drinking cyanide daily would also lower oral cancer death rates...
Note that this risk reduction is associated with death due specifically to oral/pharyngeal cancer, not the cancer alone -- it does not follow from these results that drinking coffee reduces your risk of getting cancer. If you get oral/pharyngeal cancer, but die from being impaled by an angry unicorn, it doesn't count for the purposes of this result / association.
Thank you! A beacon of logic in an attic of doubt and uncertainty.
In order to assess the risk, we need to compare the total risk of drinking coffee with the total risk of not drinking coffee. Just examining and comparing one aspect is not enough - we need to take everything into account.
I've been considering starting to drink coffee now that I'm getting older (>50 yrs), and have been doing a bunch of research on it. I've found a number of benefits in the literature to drinking coffee; for example, it lowers the risk of kidney stones (surprising, in my view).
I have not found any long-term health disadvantages to drinking coffee (setting aside obvious short-term effects), and the number of benefits is surprising. I'm not ready to consider coffee as "safe" quite yet, but so far as I can tell it's a good bet.
We need a study of the total risk associated with drinking coffee, in the manner that we have total risks associated with smoking and drinking.
A 26 year study, following 968,432 people and these guys draw a conclusion revolving around coffee and a cancer involving 0.09% of the people in the study?
That's some serious barrel scraping on that data set.
That said, it's one more argument to use when my wife complains that I drink too much coffee. Go science!
Four cups a day That's the addict limit.
I think everyone knows that in the long run, this does more harm than good. *Much more harm*.
Four cups a day That's the addict limit.
Daily use of any amount of an addictive substance will cause addiction.
I think everyone knows that in the long run, this does more harm than good.
I can cite studies that show all sorts of beneficial effects of coffee, but I have yet to run across a single one that shows deleterious effects. You got a citation, coward?
....coffee is good for us again? Or maybe at least until next week, when the media sensationalizes some stupid study that shows drinking ten or more cups of coffee a day increases our 1 in 10^8 chance of developing some condition by 10%.
... How many Norwegians [satwcomic.com] have oral cancer.
Or all the other people on this list of heavy coffee consumers.
sorry slashdot ate my link:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/foo_cof_con-food-coffee-consumption [nationmaster.com]
Furthermore, I would like to know who paid for this study.
Maybe you should get another cup... or maybe you had too much and the jitters kept you from reading and digesting the summary, which stated right up front that it's the American Cancer Society?
There is a huge industry around coffee abuse.
How could one abuse coffee? Inject it intraveniously?
How could one abuse coffee? Inject it intraveniously?
Intravenous coffee seems like a damn good idea to me most mornings.
Every day, about 310,000,000 Americans do not get cancer of any kind.
The Sun also rises every day.
Therefore, we can conclude with 95% confidence that Sunrise prevents cancer.
Repeat: Correlation does not imply causation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation [wikipedia.org]
But it does waggle its eyebrows suggestively and gesture furtively while mouthing "look over there!"
It's the same thing as with wine. Drinking some wine everyday isn't good for your heart because the wine is good for you. It's because of the antioxidants that were in the grapes.
That's not what the Mayo Clinic [mayoclinic.com] says. It does say that antioxidants are good for the heart, but it says grape juice is possibly as good.
Does grape juice offer the same heart benefits as red wine?
from Martha Grogan, M.D.
Not scientifically proven, in other words.
It is by coffee alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of the arabica bean that the thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking. The shaking becomes a warning. It is by coffee alone I set my mind in motion.
... Time to drink tea
"How many teamsters does it take to screw in a light bulb?" "FIFTEEN!! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"


text:
Eden Prairie, MN (December 30, 2013) – The Minnesota Vikings have relieved Leslie Frazier of his head coaching duties.
"We have tremendous respect and appreciation for Leslie and what he has done for the Minnesota Vikings," said Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. "He stepped in and established a strong positive culture here and he has been the consummate professional as our head coach and in this community. Making this change is difficult, but what we determined is best for the organization."
"Unfortunately, we did not achieve consistent success and did not achieve the progress we expected," said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman. "We believe a coaching change is needed to help build a successful team moving forward."
There will be a 2:00 p.m. press conference held at the Winter Park Fieldhouse.


text:
great looking car like the vids , and and the mt rally look
" The center differential allows the power from the motor to be transerred to the front and rear diffs independently from one another. When the rear wheels are under more load than the front wheels, more power will be transferred to the front wheels. This is very beneficial on rough terrain and makes hard acceleration from low speeds easier to control by keeping the nose down. "
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
A few things came in today. Time to install.
STRC Center Shaft, and Electronics Plate (GM), Outerwears Shroud. Not even sure if the electronics plate will fix, haven't even looked.
I honestly don't know much about the Reedy 3500kv 4 pole Motor. I'll give it a shot and see if my temps are any better. Didn't pay much for it, if it doesn't work out I have other places for it
Just bought a ET-3s ESC off Ebay. Been waiting for about a month for them to show up at JennysRC, I buy lots from them. Ordered up a Protoform Body, the DP8 1/8 GT Body. AKA Racing 17mm adapters (I need the HR ones for my other RC and want them to be black on the Rally).
Also got some STRC Castors and F/R Carriers in my cart in Gun Metal . Just sitting here telling myself I don't need them, and I have some perfectly good aluminum parts here from my Sl4sh PE I pulled off LOL. But I really want that Gun Metal theme all the way through. Will see......
Last edited by Stephan81; 12-03-2012 at 08:14 PM.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Here we go. Shroud installed. Hopefully keeps out a lot of the tiny rocks and dirt etc... Also got the center shaft and elec plate installed. The plate fits perfectly. I'll take it out of course as I run the VXL3's as it has mounting tabs. Once I get a MMP in there I'll use that plate.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
makes me wanna buy one and call it mini XO-1 cause i like to set-up mine onroad.
Car looks really good!
Did you run those Street Fighters or Sweep tires yet? I want to hear what you think of both before I go out and buy a new set of tires/wheels.
I also bought 17mm adapters. What tire/wheel setup is closest size to the stock ones?
I haven't run them yet, pretty cold up here and really raining a lot. I don't get to run much this time of the year.
The sweep tires are closest to stock size from the sets that I have. They are going to look sick with the protoform body Can't wait until it gets here
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
you can use the stock rally body mounts, its adjustable.
Wow, that was one of the quickest packages I have ever gotten from the States.
DP8 Body
AKA 17mm Adapters
I will be painting the body up tonight or over the weekend here. I took it out of the package, sat it on the mounts on the rally. Wheel wells look like a perfect match and looks like the body is ment for it Can't wait to see it painted/mounted.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
That body is going to look great with the sweeps!
Gives you an idea of what it will look like and the fitment. Abviously I need to bring the front and rear mounts down some more. I could probably use a few mm's of offset. Not sure what these HR 17mm adapters are and the AKA. It's pretty close though and still will look good, will see how it looks all painted up and lowered.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
looks like your almost set for some speed run. i dont know how low the xo-1 shock towers are but i order them along with the revo shocks with spare set of springs (blue/silver)
Nice progression on your build up.Looking forward to seeing your paint work and finished fit. How tall are those tires?
I actually have one of those bodies sitting on my shelf. It was from my GTP2E. I test fitted it on my rally when I first got it and it was perfect.
Just a tip with that body, never pick it up from the front (the body by itself). The weight of the back of the body is enough to flex the hood area right where the wheel wells are and they will crack. Happened the FIRST time I took the body off and turned to set it down. I was not impressed. Its a nice looking body though and would probably be great for high speed runs.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
Ya it seems pretty flimsy and fragile in certain areas for sure.
I ended up painted it all black, waiting for it to dry. I had major issues with masking it with what I wanted. I have always had issues when there is lots of bumps etc ... in the body and I am not the greatest when it comes to painting. Pretty much played it safe, all black and i'll maybe stick a couple decals on it. I still think that will look great even though it's not what I wanted to do with it and at $43 for a shell I didn't want it to look like you know what. Pics later.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Here we go, pretty simple but overall looks good. Still need to ream the body, and mount it where I want it, still need to lower those front mounts and maybe the rear a tiny bit. Calling it a night.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Oh man dude I love that body. Ugh!! Those body & wheels belong together. I can't wait to see it mounted up.
Good job my friend!!
Weak Revenge
Strong Forgive
Intelligent Ignore
That body is amazing! I might have to get one too. What is the difference between the adapters you had before and the AKA?
Thanks guys. Can't wait for better weather. I believe they are the same SH302. Only difference is color. I wanted them black and I am going to take the HR blue adapters for my rusty for when I run 1/8 buggy wheels. I'll install the AKA adapters today.
Overall I mean the body looks really good. But I really did want to do more with it with masking it, also want to tint the windows. The last 2 bodys I tried window tint on though, the paint/tint ended up soaking/eating right through my body paint, for example one body I did it on was white, well there was black mixed in with the white like the paint almost acted as a alchol and ate right through the coats of paint.
edit: Almost forgot about the wing for the body. Ill do that up today sometime.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Sometime's to much stuff going on paint wise really detract's from the look of the body. look's like something you would see in a real life 1:1.
*Proud Husband of United state's Air Force wife.*
Mounted up. Used a stock sl4sh mount on the back flipped around with the smallest body post I had in my parts bin (removed the stock post the sl4sh came with). Front has the stock rally mounts as low as they will go. Might chop them down a tiny bit just to lower it one more hole.
Going to install the adapters next and cut/paint up the wing.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Is there any way to get a little more offset?
It looks great! just seems like a little more offset would look nice
Yup, there is a set of +6mm offset adapters made by Integy I ordered up a set a while back and didn't notice when ordering they were the ones for the Revo and not the Sl4sh. Oops!! Was looking at them today on Ebay
I just wonder what quality is like LOL.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
nothing like a freshly painted body
heres my body that i'm going to use
i also seen this on ebay....what u think?
^^ that looks spectacular that first body! What is it??
The Scalpel body I think is for a very wide tire and wheel combo and perhaps overly wide for the Rally?
That's the Protoform PF8 Body I believe. Looks awesome dude, I like it. The second body I do not like at all.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Ran 4 packs through today. Went out first time with 3, came back charged em up and got one pack in, now getting ready for the boys Xmas concert. I will post some vids up later and hopefully get out tonight and burn another 2-3 packs with the launch ramp and take more vids. Might as well take advantage of the half decent weather we had today.
On another note, today was the first chance I had to run the Outerwears Shroud. Pretty pleased with it. I ran in wet grass, some little puddles, dirt, and on road. Usually the chassis would of been caked with rocks and leaves and in need of a cleaning for sure. Here's the chassis after 4 hard run packs
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Here's a little vid from today. Sorry I don't have a camera man LOL. I will have to bring the wife or boy out to operate the cam. Nothing special in the vid. Just some WOT runs and drifting by the cam, I was trying to get as close as possible to it. Hard to tell but a few times I am just inches from it hehe!!
I promise better vids to come, it's late now so no bash tonight with the Launch Ramp. Maybe some jumping vids tomorrow after work. I do plan on making a " movie " using editing software and music with jumps, slo mo drifts etc... I'm going to do my best to film all my bashing and compile a 5-7minute movie with the best footage, as I am sure some of my other RC's will be involved as well. Just gotta learn the program which I am messing around with now.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
i'm glad you get to test run it. looks fun!!! cant wait for mine.
Video looks good, so does your rig mate.
Rock n Rolla !
Thanks guys! I appreciate the comments.
A little update, haven't been able to get out and run the Rally and take vids since my last videos. Weather hasn't been good and busy with work. With that being said I did order up a couple things
STRC Castor Blocks (GunMetal)
STRC Front Carriers (GunMetal)
STRC Rear Carriers (GunMetal)
17mm adapter w/6mm offset (GunMetal/Black)
TBone F/R Bumpers
Last edited by Stephan81; 12-16-2012 at 07:10 PM.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Well, still waiting on the STRC/Tbone/and 17mm adapters. Just ordered up a set of Avid Bearings as well for the Rally and a set for my Rustler.
A little update, totally forgot I had these tires/wheels in my parts bin lol. I had pretty much given up mounting them. Dumbest setup ever these 2 piece foams are. After watching a how to vid by Jang today I got motivated to mount these up. Read up on these and it's quite common these are a PAIN to mount. Took me about an hour, but I am happy with the end result.
AKA 17mm Adapters and OFNA Tires w/OFNA 17mm Wheels (they are pretty much perfect in size)
Last edited by Stephan81; 12-20-2012 at 11:30 PM.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Those tires & wheels go really well with the after market body. Pain in the rear to mount?? Man that sucks cuz they look so good. Nice work my friend.
Weak Revenge
Strong Forgive
Intelligent Ignore
Yeah they were a pain man, a nightmare. I will never buy them again, and I am interested to see how the foams hold up once they are run. Will see I guess, they look awesome IMO, BUT. I wish I would of went black instead of the orange. And there is no way I am going to remount them so I can dye LOL.
Tbone stuff and Integy 17mm 6mm offset adapter came in today.
Also got another set of new stock tires in today. I will be dying these wheels black. I can swap them from this car or to rally #2.
Last edited by Stephan81; 12-24-2012 at 07:21 PM.
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de
Still waiting on parts. Haven't had time to install the stuff I recently got. With that being said another order has been placed.
STRC Front Tower (GunMetal)
STRC Rear Tower (GunMetal)
Was wanting to order the Kingheadz Mount, but it's currently out of stock. Soon I guess
R4lly GT8 | Backsl4sh | Sl4sh MT | Sl4sh | P4de


text:
P. Schrager @PSchrags
Here's what I know on CLE situation-- Chud is HC, Norv is coming with him, Norv's son Scott Turner is too...D will move to a 3-4 scheme.
Browns draft will be very interesting to see.
Given this long search and the the unique fit required, I think the odds are good we either get exactly what we need or everything goes instantly to pot. At least. I don't see long muddle-through years ahead.
Damn it! I wanted Norv. What the hell are we doing? Still interviewing every scrub on the planet this week?
While I am upset, I knew we had no shot at getting Norv to come here. No reason to be disappointed.
There was no way Norv was comin here. Everyone knows Rex is one and done and at this point, Bill Walsh in his prime couldn't save him.
We are going to be bottom feeders with Jim Zorn or Cam Cameron. Because neither one of them will get any other offers.
Norv was always a pipe dream.
Who are we going to get to run this "attack" offense? What OC wants to be saddled with Sanchez and Tebow? It is a joke.
Put whatever spin you want on it but we have been passed over for the Jags and the Browns in the same day.
Last edited by DDNYjets; 01-10-2013 at 11:23 PM.
As far as being passed over - who gives a damn. The laughingstock of last year's draft was the Seahawks, but they sure got things right.
For anyone to think that the Jets job is somehow second class - to me that's a joke. The best teams don't have openings If you want to be a GM you go wherever you sense a fit. And when is the last time GM was a one-and-done job?? Any candidate knows that they've got a much longer leash than Rex, so I find that whole line of argument ridiculously overblown.
Coaches want to join a NFL team not a circus.
Maybe we will end up with a "underdog" GM who got passed over himself and he will end up being a great fit. There is a chance. But it is very hard to have faith in this franchise now. My biggest fear is we waste the next 2 or 3 years with Rex and end up right back to where we are now.
Do you really believe this offense is going to get fixed with him as the HC?
That 'circus' thing is played out too. Zzzzzzz
No one had a problem when the Jets were playing well and winning in 2009/10.
But when the losing starts everyone piles on, don't they? Getting Tebow was a dumb move and the dummy most responsible for that is now gone.
Parcells came here after Kotite - was happy to take the job. Team was an even bigger joke and mess back then.


text:
In what looks likely to be a first for Birr Castle Demesne, it's probable Dubliner Carmel Lynch discovered the first sighting of an oil beetle in Ireland on castle grounds on Easter Sunday.
The healthcare administration worker from Terenure enjoys visiting Birr Castle Demesne throughout the year. On Easter Sunday she was wandering around the grounds with two others when they came across what she described as an enormous beetle lumbering across a grass path at one of the bridges crossing the Little Brosna river on the property.
"He was enormous - two, maybe three inches long," Carmel told the Offaly Independent. "He looked initiatlly like a very large ant. There were three of us and none of us had seen anything like him before."
On her return to Dublin Carmel set about comparing the picture she took of the beetle to online images. She guessed the creature she'd seen was an oil beetle - or Meloe proscarabaeus to give it its Latin name. Naturalist and conservationalist Eithne Viney confirmed that as fact the next day, and also confirmed that no sighting of the beetle has been reported to date in Ireland.
Carmel has now reported her find to the National Biodiversity Data Centre, which is the national organisation for the collection, collation, management, analysis and dissemination of data on Ireland's biological diversity.


text:
Scotland will welcome a sports psychologist into their camp later this week in an effort to exorcise the mental demons that seemingly take occupation whenever the All Blacks are the opposition.
The hosts will also look to their Australian skills coach Scott Johnson to provide some insight into what sort of mentality has to be adopted to beat the All Blacks. Johnson is the globe-trotting maverick who, as a former head coach of Wales, once described New Zealand as a "poxy little island in the Pacific''.
He and Scotland's Australian defence coach Matt Taylor know how to prepare the underdog, sniff out weakness and get under the All Blacks' skin - skills that will be vital reckons Scotland coach Andy Robinson.
"[Sports psychologist] Floyd Woodrow has been working with us and he joins us again on Thursday,'' said Robinson. "But we have two Australians in the management and they have been involved in teams that have beaten New Zealand. The approach they take to taking on New Zealand and the rivalry they have ... it comes through.
"What is key for us is having that belief in each other and that the players understand their roles, they go out and execute their roles and not hold anything back.''
The Scots, lovers of history and those who defy it, are acutely aware that in more than 100 years of trying, they are yet to beat the All Blacks. Such bare facts are not easy to digest or ignore and Scottish teams in the past have often been beaten by the All Blacks long before kick-off.
Robinson has named what he hopes is a side with the requisite physicality and wider skills to make Monday morning's (NZT) encounter a lively and engaging contest. The enormous locking duo of Richie Gray and Jim Hamilton have been passed fit to provide an abundance of clobber to the pack.
Mike Blair and Greig Laidlaw are a talented, ball-playing inside duo and in Stuart Hogg and Tim Visser there is strike power in the back three. The key to Scotland's chances doesn't necessarily lie in selection, though.
The right bodies can be put in the right jerseys, but that won't be enough. Scotland need belief they can compete, belief they can actually win and the mental strength to not be overwhelmed by the weight of occasion should they have even a sniff of a chance to win.
Earlier this year, the Irish, who share a similarly barren history against the All Blacks, played to the cusp of a victory and then imploded. They felt the pressure, tightened, lost focus and, in a flash, felt their hearts break as Daniel Carter nailed his late dropped goal.
For the Scots to be challenging that deep into the contest they know they have to blitz the opening 20 minutes - something they have failed to do in their previous two clashes against the All Blacks.
"We know the history and we know New Zealand will be physical,'' Robinson said. "A key component for us is what happens in the tackle contest and two years ago a number of our players experienced the ferocity of New Zealand in the tackle contest and their ability to execute turnovers.
"They scored four tries when we had the ball and it is important for us that we control the ball and control the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes.''
Scotland: Stuart Hogg; Sean Lamont, Nick de Luca, Matt Scott, Tim Visser; Greig Laidlaw, Mike Blair; Kelly Brown (capt), Ross Rennie, Alasdair Strokosch; Jim Hamilton, Richie Gray; Geoff Cross, Ross Ford, Ryan Grant. Res: Scott Lawson, Allan Jacobsen, Kyle Traynor, Alastair Kellock, David Denton, Henry Pyrgos, Ruaridh Jackson.


text:
Submission + - Drones, Computer Viruses and Blowback
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Michael Crowley writes that using drones rather than soldiers to kill bad guys is appealing for many reasons, including cost, relative precision and reduction of risk to American troops but there's plenty of evidence that drones antagonize local populations and create more enemies over the long term than we kill in the short term. The failed 2010 Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad has said that about the U.S. drone campaign in Pakistan and the Washington Post has described how drone strikes may be breeding sympathy for al-Qaeda in Yemen. "It is the politically advantageous thing to do--low cost, no U.S. casualties, gives the appearance of toughness. It plays well domestically and it is unpopular only in other countries," says Dennis Blair, director of national intelligence until May of 2010. "Any damage it does to the national interest only shows up over the long term." Now there's another component to the new warfare that threatens blowback: cyberwar. Like drones, cyberweapons are relatively cheap and do their work without putting American troops in harm's way. The blowback comes when those viruses get loose and inflict unintended damage or provide templates to terrorists or enemy nations that some experts think could lead to disaster and argue that cyberweapons are like bioweapons, demanding international treaties to govern their use. "We may indeed be at a critical moment in history, when the planet's prospects could be markedly improved by an international treaty on cyberweapons, and the cultivation of an attendant norm against cyberwar," writes Richard Wright. "The ideal nation to lead the world toward this goal would be the most powerful nation on earth, especially if that nation had a pretty clean record on the cyberweapons front. A few years ago, America seemed to fit that description. But it doesn't now.""


text:
Cream-Style Soup Mix Recipe
Popular Videos
- 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
- 1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon dried celery flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. Use as a substitute for half of a 10-3/4-oz. can of condensed cream of chicken, mushroom or celery soup.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk 2/3 cup water and 3 tablespoons soup mix. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, whisking occasionally.
- For mushroom soup, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sauteed sliced mushrooms. For celery soup, add 1/8 teaspoon celery salt or one sauteed sliced or chopped celery rib.
- Homemade Cream-Style Soup Mix may be used to prepare the following recipes: Grilled Chicken with Cream Sauce and Seafood Thermidor. Yield: 3 cups (16 batches).
Reviews forCream-Style Soup Mix
My Review
Average Rating
"Just curious as to how this is so much better than the canned I variety -- hasn't anyone ever read the ingredients in chicken bouillon granules??"
"I predict this powdered soup starter will become a staple in my pantry. I hate using "canned" soups in recipes because of sodium, fat, etc. (not to mention preservative) contents. This is a much healthier version and I don't have to worry about using it for meals I prepare for my gluten-free friends!"
"What a great idea, especially because my favorite cream soup is now up to $1.65 per can. This sounds like a good alternative. Just had to say thanks to DeAnn from Worthington OH - I grew up there. :-)"
"Good. Can tweak seasonings and salt as desired. Thickens very well. I quit buying the canned stuff."
"Very nice. It thickened well and tasted good. Next time I will use reduced sodium boullion."
"I love to keep this on hand. I have opening a can of soup just to use half; this makes life much easier."
"This recipe is just what I have been looking for. It starts out thin but thickens up nicely. For a can of soup mix, I use 1 1/3 cup of water to 1/3 cup of mix. Such a useful recipe. Makes your dishes so much tastier and fresher."
"Very confused! How much soup does this recipe make? In others I have seen to use like 2T of this recipe added to other ingredients. Seems like this is a good base."


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BEVERLY HILLS (WWJ) – A 10-year-old boy says three teenagers pulled a gun on him during recess at a high-end summer camp in Beverly Hills.
As WWJ Newsradio 950's Marie Osborne reports, the mother is so shaken by the incident she did not want her name revealed. She just wants to sound a warning to parents they need to check safety procedures at summer camps.
The mother said her son and another boy approached three teens during a recess at Camp Beverly Hills Club Monday afternoon offering a game of basketball, when one of the teenagers pulled a gun. Her son says the gunman told them not to move and fired the gun in the air. After asking for the shoes of one of the boys, the teens reportedly called them "suckers" and ran off.
"My son and the other boy went up to the counselor to tell him that there were three teenagers in the park with a gun and the counselor did nothing. He continued on with recess."
The mother said police were not called in for a while and parents were not notified of the incident.
"I'm most upset about how it was handled. How it took so long to call police, the fact that they never called the parents of the two boys in the incident and I want other parents to know."
The mother said when she confronted the camp owner, he offered her future camp privileges for free, promising to change camp policies. Meantime, the boys are cooperating with police, trying to identify the teenagers involved.
"He actually described the gun to the detective. It was a black gun. The detective asked him if it had a yellow tip, he said no, it's a black gun with two, with red stripes on each side."
Beverly Hills police would not comment on the ongoing investigation. An attorney for the club says the club has taken every precaution to protect the children.


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Blanche Wills
A celebration of life service for Blanche M. Russey Wills, age 76, of Malvern, Arkansas who died Sunday, January 12, 2014 in the Arkansas Hospice Hospital Hot Springs, Arkansas will be held Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 2:00 pm in First Baptist Church with Rev. C. D. Hart, Sr. pastor officiating.
Burial will be in Paradise Cemetery with services provided by Brandon's Mortuary, Inc.
Visitation will be Friday, January 17, 2014 from 5 until 6 PM at First Baptist Church 220 Vine Street Malvern, Arkansas.
Online guest registry at http://www.brandonsmortuary.com


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CHAMPAIGN — Illinois had talked about approaching Tuesday's game with maturity, avoiding an emotional letdown and taking Norfolk State seriously.
The only thing that went according to plan was the outcome.
A day after ascending to No. 10 in the AP poll and 3 days after beating a previously undefeated Gonzaga, Illinois (11-0) looked more like the underdog Tuesday night in a 64-54 victory over the Spartans.
"Over the course of 40 minutes, I don't think our effort, energy level, our focus was where it has been," coach John Groce said.
Illinois shot a season low 35 percent (21 of 60), made only 6 of 23 3-pointers and hit only 16 of 27 free throws, allowing the Spartans to stay in the game from start to nearly the finish.
"I want to give them credit in the second half," Groce said. "I thought we competed on the defensive end. We found a way to grind it out."
The Illini are developing some unsettling patterns.
After beating Butler to win the Maui Invitational, Illinois struggled upon returning home to squeak by Gardner-Webb. And now after beating then-No. 10 Gonzaga, the Illini were sluggish against the Spartans (6-6) at Assembly Hall.
"I better figure it out," Groce said. "I have to do a better job of getting them ready to play."
After scoring 35 points against Gonzaga to earn national player of the week honors, Brandon Paul scored 14 points on 3 of 10 shooting. He was 0-for-4 in the second half.
There were aspects of the game Groce did like, though.
The Illini held Norfolk State to 38.2 percent shooting and they grabbed 17 offensive rebounds out of 43 total boards.
Illinois went up by 10, 39-29, in the second half by starting with a 7-0 run but the Spartans' shot their way back into the game. D.J. Richardson scored on a driving layup and Sam McLaurin and Nnanna Egwu each made two free throws to go up 60-52 with 31 seconds to play.
"You can look at it as the last 8 minutes you really amped it up," Groce said. "Or you can flip the coin and say, 'Shouldn't they be playing that hard all the time?' It's a catch 22."
The game saw two collisions that saw Illini players flattened on the court.
Point guard Tracy Abrams appeared to injure his right ankle as he limped off the court after colliding in midair with a Norfolk State player with 3:23 remaining. He later returned.
Richardson returned in the second half to score seven of his 11 points after he was knocked down running into a Norfolk State player and hurting his shoulder late in the first half.
Star of the game: Brandon Paul, Illinois 14 points
Bertrand watch: 9 points, 7 rebounds
Up next: Eastern Kentucky at Illinois, 5 p.m. Sunday (ESPNU)


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SpacePak AC-WPAK-90
90,000 BTU Hydronic Heating Coil for 3 to 3.5 Ton SpacePak Air Handlers
We Install Too!
Equipment installation now available in your area.
90,000 BTU Hydronic Heating Coil for 3 to 3.5 Ton SpacePak Air Handlers
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The SpacePak Model WPAK Hydronic Heating Coil is designed to mount directly to both horizontal and vertical SpacePak high-velocity air handlers. Plugs are conveniently located to remove trapped air or purge water from the system for maintenance or shutdowns. Sheet metal return air ducts can be attached directly to coil cabinet, or use of the removable return air panel allows assembly of flexible return air duct.
While the horizontal SpacePak air handlers come with a removable return air panel, vertical models do not and and would require an additional return air duct adaptor to complete the installation. For this hydronic heating coil the correct adaptor would be the SpacePak AC-WRDA-90, and can be found by clicking on the Accessories tab above.
Heat is provided by matching the hydronic heating coil with a water heater or boiler, but which one? There are 4 main factors when considering which water heater or boiler to select:
Most residential boilers that utilize radiator or baseboard heat have an exiting water temperature of 180° F (120° F if using in-floor heating). Since exiting water temperature is the same in most residential boilers, the next factor to look at is the water flow capacity of the boiler, usually in gallons per minute. At a constant 180° F, the more gallons per minute, or GPM, that a boiler is capable of, the greater the heating BTU output will be for your hydronic heating coil. One thing to keep in mind is that the heater coil can not exceed its maximum heating BTU output, regardless of which boiler is connected to it. Additionally, a boiler will only provide a maximum heating BTU no greater than its net water rating, regardless of hydronic heater coil it is connected to.
For the optimaly matched boilers or water heaters for this hydronic heater coil, please click the "Accessories" tab at the top of the page.
Standard Features
For more information, visit www.SpacePak.com.
|Nominal Heating Capacity
|90000 BTU/Hr
|Water Connection- Inlet
|7/8 inches
|Water Connection- Outlet
|7/8 inches
|33 Inches
|10 1/2 Inches
|14 Inches


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At UFP Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPT), a filing with the SEC revealed that on Monday, Director Robert W. Pierce Jr. purchased 12,000 shares of UFPT, at a cost of $16.52 each, for a total investment of $198,200. UFP Technologies Inc. is trading up about 1.8% on the day Wednesday. Before this latest buy, Pierce Jr. made one other purchase in the past twelve months, buying $3,160 shares for a cost of $15.72 a piece.
And on Friday, Director Matthew Strobeck purchased $170,785 worth of Metabolix Inc (MBLX), purchasing 155,000 shares at a cost of $1.10 each. Before this latest buy, Strobeck bought MBLX on 2 other occasions during the past twelve months, for a total cost of $531,460 at an average of $2.66 per share. Metabolix Inc is trading up about 22.8% on the day Wednesday. Strobeck was up about 29.8% on the purchase at the high point of today's trading session, with MBLX trading as high as $1.43 at last check today.
For MarketNewsVideo.com, I'm Sayoko Murase.


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|Note from "Stooge"
Giving away two $20.00 US PSN Codes in celebration of Demon's Souls going on sale on PSN this coming Tuesday. Details on how to enter here : http://demonssouls.wikidot.com/giveaway
|Note from "Stooge"
<IRC User> I wonder how long you'll last in this community Berto.
<IRC User> Probably not for long.
[13:02] <@IRC User> I've pretty much been trained to expect somebody to be kicked when berto says "..."
mmghouse wrote:Yeah, I just automatically discounted myself as a mod. That's a hell of a deal people are passing up. I think a lot of the forum members have DeS already so they just sort of phased it out? IDK.
Bahd_Monkey wrote:YEAH! Natalie is my great friend and, hardcore into JRPGs. I posted the contest on Facebook to get more entries. Looks like it totally paid off.
Now don't been mean to her, she's a very quick learner!
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Conference on tsunami debris to be held
TOKYO (The Yomiuri Shimbun.) — A conference will be held in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday to examine the problem of debris swept into the ocean by the tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Tokyo conference of the Marine Litter Summit will feature a report on the large quantity of plastic fragments drifting amid other debris like wood and fishing equipment by Azusa Kojima, secretary and director of the Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN), a general incorporated association.
Kojima, 56, traveled in late June to Montague Island, an uninhabited island in the Bay of Alaska, under the guidance of a local environmental protection organization. Debris apparently from Japan, including pipes for oyster cultivation and plastic containers for kerosene, was scattered about. There was also a great deal of plastic that had broken into pieces only a few centimeters across.
More than 25,000 cubic meters of debris is estimated to have reached the island. U.S. authorities have said it will all be removed manually and disposed of off the island.
According to the Environment Ministry, approximately 5 million tons of debris was swept into the ocean by the March 2011 tsunami, including roofs and cars. Of the amount, about 1.5 million tons of wooden debris and other items did not sink to the sea floor, but drifted instead. About 220,000 tons of debris was believed to have reached various parts of North America by October this year.
Prof. Shigeru Fujieda of Kagoshima University, an expert in marine debris, accompanied Kojima on her survey. "Debris that drifted from Japan has accumulated in the eddy of the current off northeastern Hawaii," Fujieda said. "Plastic debris that flows out of the eddy will continue to be carried to places like Hawaii and Alaska."
Substances are often used in the manufacture of plastic goods that, if consumed by fish, could cause reproductive abnormalities or interfere with immune cell development. The substances could also become more concentrated as they are swallowed by different organisms along the food chain.
"Human beings could consume chemical substances while eating fish," Kojima said. "I want to look at ways Japan can provide support for the cleanup."
* = Required information


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In addition, a 1.3.2 patch for the game will be out tomorrow. The continuous support is part of Relic's plan to improve its patch pipeline over the original Dawn of War. nope The 1.3.2. patch notes follow:
- Adjusted the Orbital Bombardment ability to increase damage. Outer radius increased to 150 from 100.
- Fixed an issue in the campaign where one point was getting auto-allocated at level-up if the player resumed an old campaign.
- Made changes to the Mekboy mines. The mines now do drastically less damage and suppress infantry.
- Adjusted lighting on 6P Tiber Outpost.
- Fixed an issue where Guardian squads would switch to melee stance if upgraded with a Warlock, then with Battle Equipment.
- Regenerated AI tuning data.


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Videos From 'The Simpsons Take The Bowl' Musical Event
Posted on Monday, September 15th, 2014 by Germain Lussier
Even the creators of The Simpsons know we love the old stuff. Specifically, the first 10 to 12 seasons. That's the period in which Matt Groening's iconic yellow family took the world by storm and became a television institution. Since then many fans have fallen off the show, citing a decline in quality, and maybe that decline is a fact. But The Simpsons endures. This year is the 25th anniversary of the show, making it the longest-running sitcom in U.S. history.
To celebrate the anniversary, The Simpsons took over legendary Los Angeles concert venue The Hollywood Bowl for a three night concert event called The Simpsons Take the Bowl. Hosted by Hank Azaria (the voice of Moe, Ape, Chief Wiggum and many others), the event featured a slew of guest stars performing songs and score from The Simpsons, with a strong focus on the early years. Mainly, songs from the 1997 album Songs in the Key of Springfield, including The Monorail Song, Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart, The Stonecutters Song, Happy Birthday Lisa and others. This being Hollywood, there were some references to The Simpsons Movie, too, and Hans Zimmer live-conducting the score to the Oscar-nominated short, The Longest Daycare.
Basically, if you loved The Simpsons as a child or adult, it was a simply fantastic evening of entertainment. And, if you couldn't be there, several of the numbers from the evening have been uploaded online. Check them out below. Read More »


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Parents often say, "I hope when my child goes off to college or moves out they make the right decisions." Or "I hope they can take care of themselves."
What I would say to those parents is- it is the early lessons they learn from us that allow them to succeed in life.
This is not an article coming from an academic but rather a parent that wants the best for her own children and who was a child and has grown into an adult and observed hundreds of others move through these stages with varying degrees of success.
First of all, the truth is that the earlier we start teaching our children important lessons and give them responsibility, the easier it will be to continue those lessons as our children reache their teenage years and approach their twenties.
If we want to raise a child that will be a responsible, productive adult, who can take care of themself, we need to start paying attention to the messages we are giving our children even when they are very young.
Of course, we should put having fun and allowing kids to explore their worlds first, but we should be slowly introducing money management, teamwork, household responsibility, ownership and social cooperation to our children.
Start Teaching Lessons Early
By the time your child is 3 you can already have them help you with easy tasks around the house. When you are doing laundry, allow your child to help you. Let them help carry the clothes or put them in the dryer or help you pour the detergent in the washer. It is fun to help mom at that age and without even saying anything you are starting to lay the foundation for teamwork, cooperation and household responsibility.
Even my 18 month old helps clean up toys and throws a tissue in the trashcan for me when I ask. You can see the sense of pride at having accomplished the task when he runs back to me after throwing the trash away.
I recommend becoming aware of the lessons you want to teach your child once you have a baby and realize that, once they are interacting and walking around, you can be teaching them bigger lessons. Of course, even a baby is learning every second- they are learning about love, how to get what they need, how to soothe themselves and how to do new things. But once your child is between 1 to 2 years old you can start having them help you clean up their toys or carry the wipes. Any small job will give them pride in helping out.
As your child gets a little older, between 2 and 3 years old, you can have them cleaning up more of their own toys and being a helper when you clean. And once your child is between 3 and 4 you can start having them clean up their toys and start helping around the house. Have them put napkins out at mealtime and get their own cup (if in a low floor cabinet) for you to fill. You can involve them in helping with a cause when you volunteer your time or food, or money. Let them know what you are doing and, if possible, let them participate in some small way (let them fold fliers or go to see the animals you help) that is appropriate for their age.
Once your child is between 4 and 5, give them weekly, small chores to help at home. Let them bring their clothes to the laundry room or set the table every night. I find a chores chart is perfect to begin using by about 4 years old. Of course it will depend on the child,however, it will help your child feel a sense of accomplishment and putting the sticker on the chart or other item can be fun for them.
Introduce Chores and Allowance
As your kids get a bit bigger, in Kindergarten or Grade School, you can begin giving them set chores every week around the house. If you were considering a small allowance, I would recommend starting by 4 or 5 as well. I will have other articles about money matters and will discuss allowances further. In general, I like the concept that you give your child an allowance and you have them split it between 3 containers, labeled spend, save and donate. And every time they are given an allowance they spilt it between the 3 containers. This is a great tool to begin teaching your kids about the importance of saving money, making a choice about how to spend their own money and the importance of donating some of their money.
Introduce Volunteering or Helping Others
By 4 or 5 you can also let them think about who or what they would want to help or volunteer for (ex. Do they think we should help other kids in need, or animals or older people?) Once they decide, think of a way for the family to go help out that cause (you can call a local non-profit and ask for ways you and your kids can help). You do not want to force this but if they think it sounds fun or they like the idea, you should use that as a way to get them involved, even if only 2 times a year.
Language- What you Say is What You Get
It is also important to be aware of the language we use when talking about housework, yard work, chores, money, helping others, and teamwork. We are our children's first teachers and we have an opportunity to teach them throughout life if we honor that responsibility and privilege with respect.
We may not feel like doing laundry or dishes, or vacuuming or saving money, but if are positive or explain the necessity of those chores and saving to our kids, as they grow, they will be more likely to help with important work around the house. After a long day or week, it might be easy to complain about the extra work, but if you can stay positive or focus on the necessity of it, you will soon find you have others in your family that will help you and one day be responsible for the laundry or dishes.
If you want your kids to do chores as they get older, be mindful of how you approach the chores and remember that your attitude will affect their feelings about chores now or in a year or two.
Get Your Child Involved in a team Sport or Activity
It is important for children to be able to play alone and do things by themselves. Yet, it is also important that your child learns to play with or work with others. Through out school, our kids will have to work alongside others, and often in teams, to complete a project and later, when they enter the work force. Most adults have to work with others every day.
In order to foster teamwork and getting along with others, I would recommend signing your child up for a team sport or activity they have expressed interest in, such as Soccer, T-ball, Dance, Gymnastics, Basketball, or another activity. Or have them involved in group activities with their peers, such as doing a large art mural or something in an art class or with friends.
Kids not only learn how to take turns, work together and follow instructions, but they are usually learning or improving a set of skills. They are also gaining pride in their growing skills and in either playing well or completing something such as a piece of art or a dance routine. And, of course, any physical activity is a great way to keep their bodies moving and teach them the importance of getting out and getting moving.


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You and your physician have something in common: As a patient, the things that make you happy about your health care are the same things that please your doctor; likewise, the same situations frustrate you both. It all boils down to time together focused on your care ― versus obstacles to that shared time.
A new study of physician attitudes shows doctors who feel they give their patients quality care are most satisfied in their work. And most often that happens when they get to spend time with their patients ― just what patients seem to want as well. So it follows that obstacles to a quality relationship and quality care trample that satisfaction for doctors.
Texas Medical Association's (TMA's) Texas Medicine magazine highlights the yearlong RAND Corp. study of physician professional satisfaction, ending September 2013. "Factors Affecting Physician Professional Satisfaction and Their Implications for Patient Care, Health Systems, and Health Policy" highlights information gathered from 30 physician practices in Texas and five other states (Colorado, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin). The American Medical Association sponsored the study.
"To put it simply, if physicians feel they're giving high-quality care to their patients, they have a high level of satisfaction," said TMA President Stephen L. Brotherton, MD. He says the RAND study exposes a pervasive feeling of resentment among physicians over the barriers to providing quality care. That can happen if the doctor does not have a stake in practice management and business decisions, the practice lacks economic sustainability, or the doctor does not enjoy a personal rapport with patients.
RAND surveyed 30 medical practices in six states, using questionnaires, one-on-one interviews, and full surveys. RAND asked the practices about their organizational structure, electronic health record (EHR) use and capabilities, and participation in innovative payment models.
What RAND found was that physicians' greatest frustrations stem from administrative and financial burdens insurance companies place on physicians, including when payers hinder the quality of care they provide due either to denying medically necessary services or to requiring preauthorizations; and EHRs because they increase physicians' workload and drive a wedge between them and patients. (Any patient who has described symptoms to the doctor while he or she types on the computer instead of making eye contact, can relate.)
"Physicians undergo years of extensive training and education only to be relegated to the level of a clerk," said Dr. Brotherton. "The study tells us physicians are spending way too much time inputting data in EHRs, dealing with insurance company hassles, and handling other administrative duties."
"Often, [health insurance] regulations interfere with my ability to provide what I feel is quality care for my patients," said Tina Philip, DO, one of three doctors in a small Pflugerville, Texas, primary care practice. "Obtaining approvals for imaging studies or prior authorizations for medications is an inefficient use of time for me and my office staff and further delays care for the patient."
Many physician respondents are upset at the emphasis that their health plans' pay structure places on volume of care rather than quality, although some physicians indicate satisfaction with that setup.
Among the RAND study's conclusions:
- Reducing the cumulative burden of rules and regulations may improve professional satisfaction and enhance physicians' ability to focus on patient care;
- Excessive productivity quotas and limits on time spent with each patient are major sources of physician dissatisfaction. The cumulative pressures associated with workload were described as a "treadmill" and as being "relentless," sentiments especially common among primary care physicians;
- Physicians describe the cumulative burden of rules and regulations as overwhelming, draining time and resources from patient care; and
- Better EHR usability should be an industry-wide priority and a precondition for EHR certification.
Travis Bias, DO, Dr. Philip's practice partner, is hopeful this study can improve care for patients and professional satisfaction for their physicians. "Adequately addressing the problems detailed in the report will result in happier physicians and patients. Organized medicine can use the information from the study to focus on advocacy efforts and policy development that could reduce early retirement and burnout among physicians," he said.
"Ultimately, most physicians went into medicine to care for patients. When there are so many roadblocks in the way of rules, regulations, and what amounts to busy work, it gets in the way of physicians providing care to their patients, which is what all of us would rather spend our time doing," Dr. Philip said.
Maybe physicians ― and patients ― have cause to be optimistic. Doctors surveyed said they still experience moments of joy when spending time interacting with their patients, but they also want to influence the practice environment and care decisions, and a stable revenue stream.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 47,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical societies around the state. TMA's key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
Click here to follow TMA on Twitter . Or visit TMA on Facebook.


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(34) Sheila, November 21, 2011 3:37 PM
Don't abandon the "Struggle" ...
The Torah is not "conditional" secular literature. It is the Word of G-D. We who worship the G-D of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are required to honor HIS Word. Do we get a "Pass" on the difficult issues? No! We obediently "struggle" with those issues until we get them right. Let us not abandon that "Struggle."
(33) rivka, September 5, 2011 1:11 PM
not just ethiopians and russians
words can be wonderful! but actions speak louder. when the mainstream jewish community organizations start reflecting multi-ethnic jews in their publicity, on their boards, etc., then perhaps we will feel more accepted and included in the jewish story. trying loving us up close, we are not all immigrants and converts. some of us were born in canada and the united states and not converts (shocking).
(32) Pauline, August 28, 2011 8:56 PM
My father taught that charity begins at home.
He did this by word and deed. He said anyone can give to a stranger, it takes real character to be able to give to, say, your "dead beat brother in law" who's always been scum (my nicer word then his) to everyone. But, he said that family comes first, then next closest community (Jewish people), and then ever expanding. It is much harder, but more of a priority. Family should help family. Period. And, immediate family, extended family, all Jews, then all humanity, are family. I think there is something in Judaism about this too...no? My father, who was a very busy man, made time to practiced this. Always being generous with his time, money, and deeds to all, particularly family, even when many just came to expected/demand it and never so much as said thank you.
(31) Willy, August 26, 2011 5:34 AM
I use to work in an store. One day an man with autism came in to get an coke. He pulled out his EBT card and we were unable to use it due to machine being down. While he had the money in cash this was an hard choice for him to make. I turned around and seen the problem he was having seen the amount and paid for it myself. after we slowed down my coworker looked at me and asked why did you pay he had the money. I explained that the money was for his cigarettes and his EBT is for his food. This is how his world functions.So by paying for it myself it kept his world intact. This I know because I have an autistic son. there is no greater joy than helping people out. those who don't do this I feel sorry for. In the scriptures G-D asked Cain where is thy brother Abel. His reply" am I my brothers keeper" my answer to this is YES. I don't have much but I thank G-D when I am able to help no matter how small it may be. I only wish more people would realize this. Just think how much better the world would be. thanks
(30) Ann, August 15, 2011 3:33 PM
Patience and Tolerance