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Isotretinoin must not be used by female patients who are or may become pregnant. There is an extremely high risk that severe birth defects will result if pregnancy occurs while taking isotretinoin. If pregnancy does occur during treatment of a female patient who is taking isotretinoin, isotretinoin must be discontinued immediately, and she should be referred to an Obstetrician-Gynecologist experienced in reproductive toxicity for further evaluation and counseling. Because of isotretinoin's teratogenicity, it is approved for marketing only under a special restricted distribution program called iPLEDGE(TM). The prescriber, patient, and pharmacy must be registered and meet all of the requirements of iPLEDGE before distribution .
Isotretinoin is used to treat severe, disfiguring nodular acne. It should be used only after other acne medicines have been tried and have failed to help the acne. Isotretinoin may also be used to treat other skin diseases as determined by your doctor.
Isotretinoin must not be used to treat women who are able to bear children unless other forms of treatment have been tried first and have failed. Isotretinoin must not be taken during pregnancy because it causes birth defects in humans. If you are able to bear children, it is very important that you read, understand, and follow the pregnancy warnings for isotretinoin.
This medicine is available only under a registered distribution program called the iPLEDGE™ program.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, isotretinoin is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of isotretinoin in children younger than 12 years of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
This medicine should be used with caution in teenagers, especially those with bone problems or diseases.
Older adults
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of isotretinoin in the elderly. However, elderly patients may have a greater risk of problems and side effects when taking isotretinoin.
|Pregnancy Category
|All Trimesters
|Studies in animals or pregnant women have demonstrated positive evidence of fetal abnormalities. This drug should not be used in women who are or may become pregnant because the risk clearly outweighs any possible benefit.
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Other medicines
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
Other interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other medical problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Isotretinoin comes with a patient information form and Medication Guide. It is very important that you read and understand this information. Be sure to carefully follow these instructions and ask your doctor if you have any questions.
Women of reproductive age must sign up for a pregnancy risk program called iPLEDGE™ in order to receive their isotretinoin prescription each month. You can sign up on the internet (www.ipledge.com) or by telephone (1-866-495-0654). Be sure to ask your doctor if you have any questions about this program. It is very important that you understand and follow all of the requirements. You will not get another prescription unless you follow the instructions for the program.
Swallow the capsule whole with a full glass (8 ounces) of water or other liquid. Accutane® and its generic products should be taken with food. Absorica® may be taken with or without food. Do not crush, break, chew, or suck the capsule.
It is very important that you take isotretinoin only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
It is very important that you not share this medicine with anyone else because of the risk of birth defects and other serious side effects.
Absorica® oral capsules should not be substituted with other forms of isotretinoin (eg, Accutane®). Different brands may not work the same way. If you refill your medicine and it looks different, check with your pharmacist.
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
Missed dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
It is very important that your doctor check the progress of you or your child at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.
Isotretinoin causes birth defects in humans if taken during pregnancy. If you suspect that you may have become pregnant, stop taking this medicine and check with your doctor right away.
Using this medicine while you are pregnant can cause very serious birth defects. Use two forms of effective birth control to keep from getting pregnant one month before beginning treatment, while you are using this medicine (even if the medicine is temporarily stopped), and for at least one month after you stop taking the medicine. The most effective forms of birth control are hormone birth control pills, patches, shots, vaginal rings, or implants, an IUD, or a vasectomy (for men). One of these forms of birth control should be combined with a condom, a diaphragm, or a cervical cap.
Isotretinoin must not be taken by women of reproductive age unless two effective forms of birth control have been used for at least 1 month before the start of treatment. Contraception must be continued during the period of treatment, which is up to 20 weeks, and for 1 month after isotretinoin is stopped. Be sure you have discussed this information with your doctor.
If you are a woman who is able to have children, you must have 2 pregnancy tests before beginning treatment with isotretinoin to make sure you are not pregnant. The second pregnancy test must be taken at least 19 days after the first test and during the first 5 days of the menstrual period immediately prior to beginning treatment. In addition, you must have a pregnancy test each month while you are taking this medicine and 1 month after treatment is completed.
Do not take vitamin A or any vitamin supplement containing vitamin A while taking this medicine, unless otherwise directed by your doctor. To do so may increase the chance of side effects.
Do not take other medicines without checking first with your doctor. This includes vitamins, herbal products, and prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines. Some medicines or nutritional supplements (eg, St. John's wort) may cause your birth control pills to not work as well.
During the first 3 weeks you are taking isotretinoin, your skin may become irritated. Also, your acne may seem to get worse before it gets better. Check with your doctor if your skin condition does not improve within 1 to 2 months after starting this medicine or at any time your skin irritation becomes severe. Full improvement continues after you stop taking isotretinoin and may take up to 6 months. Your doctor can help you choose the right skin products to reduce skin dryness and irritation.
You or your child should not donate blood to a blood bank while using isotretinoin or for 30 days after you stop taking it. This is to prevent a pregnant patient from receiving blood that contains the medicine.
In some patients, isotretinoin may cause a decrease in night vision. This problem may occur suddenly. If it does occur, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are not able to see well. Also, check with your doctor.
Isotretinoin may cause dryness of the eyes. If you or your child wear contact lenses, your eyes may be more sensitive to them during the time you are taking isotretinoin and for up to 2 weeks after you stop taking it. To help relieve dryness of the eyes, check with your doctor about using a lubricating solution, such as artificial tears. If eye inflammation occurs, check with your doctor right away.
Isotretinoin may cause dryness of the mouth and nose. For temporary relief of mouth dryness, use sugarless candy or gum, melt bits of ice in your mouth, or use a saliva substitute. However, if dry mouth continues for more than 2 weeks, check with your medical doctor or dentist. Continuing dryness of the mouth may increase the chance of dental disease, including tooth decay, gum disease, and fungus infections.
Avoid overexposing your skin to sunlight, wind, or cold weather. Your skin will be more prone to sunburn, dryness, or irritation, especially during the first 2 or 3 weeks of treatment. However, you or your child should not stop taking this medicine unless the skin irritation becomes too severe. Do not use a sunlamp or tanning beds.
To help isotretinoin work properly, use sunscreen or sunblock lotions with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 on a regular basis. Also, wear protective clothing and hats.
Isotretinoin may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. If you, your child, or your caregiver notice any of these side effects, check with you doctor right away.
This medicine may increase pressure in your head. This may increase your risk of vision loss or serious brain problems. Check with your doctor right away if you have a bad headache, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, or seizures.
Serious skin reactions can occur with this medicine. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have any of the following symptoms while using this medicine: blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin, chills, diarrhea, itching, joint or muscle pain, rash, red skin lesions, often with a purple center, sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips, or unusual tiredness or weakness.
Isotretinoin may cause bone or muscle problems, including joint pain, muscle pain or stiffness, or difficulty moving. You may get hurt more easily during rough sports. You may heal more slowly. If this medicine is for your child, tell the doctor if you think your child is not growing properly.
It is very important that you or your child not use wax epilation to remove hair while you are taking isotretinoin and for 6 months after stopping it. Isotretinoin can increase your chance of scarring from wax epilation.
It is very important that you or your child not have any cosmetic procedures to smooth your skin (eg, dermabrasion, laser) while you are taking isotretinoin and for 6 months after stopping it. Isotretinoin can increase your chance of scarring from these procedures.
This medicine may affect blood sugar levels. If you or your child are diabetic and notice a change in the results of your blood or urine sugar tests, check with your doctor.
Pancreatitis may occur while you are using this medicine. Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have sudden and severe stomach pain, chills, constipation, nausea, vomiting, fever, or lightheadedness.
Isotretinoin may cause some people to have hearing problems within a few weeks after they start taking it. Check with your doctor right away if you or your child have hearing loss, a continuing ringing or buzzing, or any other unexplained noise in the ears.
Check with your doctor right away if you have pain or tenderness in the upper stomach, pale stools, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or yellow eyes or skin. These could be symptoms of a serious liver problem.
Tell your doctor right away if you or your child have abdominal or stomach pain, rectal bleeding, or severe diarrhea. These may be symptoms of a serious condition called inflammatory bowel disease.
This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, redness, soreness, or itching skin, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth while you are using this medicine.
This medicine contains FD&C Yellow No.5 (tartrazine) which may cause an allergic reaction, including asthma, in some people. This reaction is more often seen in people who also have an allergy to aspirin.
This medicine lowers the number of some types of blood cells in your body. Because of this, you or your child may bleed or get infections more easily. To help with these problems, avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Wash your hands often. Stay away from rough sports or other situations where you could be bruised, cut, or injured. Brush and floss your teeth gently. Be careful when using sharp objects, including razors and fingernail clippers.
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.


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Edwin DeJesus, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Dr. DeJesus is a graduate from the University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine training and Infectious Disease fellowship at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and is board certified in Infectious Diseases. He has been a fellow of the American College of Physicians since 1996.
Dr. DeJesus is the medical director for the Orlando Immunology Center (OIC) in downtown Orlando and maintains a secondary office with Infectious Disease Consultants (IDC) in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Since 1993, Dr. DeJesus has devoted most of his time to caring for HIV and hepatitis-infected patients. He is also deeply involved in HIV-related research: He is the principal investigator for the OIC Research Facility, where he oversees several phase 1-4 clinical trials. In this capacity, he has presented study results at major international conferences such as the International AIDS Conference, International AIDS Society Conference, Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.
Dr. DeJesus has remained highly active in Florida's Hispanic HIV community, where he has implemented and supported educational, preventative and research programs. He has participated as a guest speaker for community programs, medical forums and as part of the HIV and infectious diseases training of physicians in medical centers around the country.
Edwin DeJesus, M.D., F.A.C.P., has received research support from Abbott Laboratories, Achillion, Avexa, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman LaRoche Laboratories, Merck, Pfizer, Schering Plough, Taimed, Tobira, Tibotec and Vertex. He has been a consultant and received honorarium from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Tibotec and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. He has served on speakers bureaus for Gilead Sciences, Merck, Tibotec and Virco.

subset: commoncrawl


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Alaska Collections Lawyers
Find Alaska Collections Attorneys by City
Mark C. Manning
Anchorage, AK Collections Attorney
(907) 278-9794Alaska, 9th Circuit and U.S. Supreme CourtAlaska State Bar and The Maritime Law Association of the United States
Deidre Ganopole
Anchorage, AK Collections Attorney
(907) 279-9565Lewis & Clark Law SchoolAlaskaAlaska State Bar and Anchorage Bar Association
Gail Ballou
Fairbanks, AK Collections Attorney
(907) 456-6632Harvard Law SchoolAlaskaAlaska State Bar
The LII Lawyer Directory contains lawyers who have claimed their profiles and are actively seeking clients. Find more Alaska Collections Lawyers in the Justia Legal Services and Lawyers Directory which includes profiles of more than one million lawyers licensed to practice in the United States, in addition to profiles of legal aid, pro bono and legal service organizations.
Researching Attorney Discipline


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The mission of the Plymouth State University EcoHouse is to demonstrate environmentally sustainable technology in a residential setting, to provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities to PSU students and the surrounding region, to collect and disseminate information about sustainability, and to help others live in more sustainable ways.
EcoHouse is the home of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, Common Ground, and PSU's Office of Environmental Sustainability and its student staff. Brian Eisenhauer, current Director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, and Associate Professor of Sociology, and Steve Whitman, Geography faculty member, serve as co-directors of EcoHouse.
To achieve its mission PSU EcoHouse:
- Provides a home to involve students in a "green renovation" and installation of renewable energy systems.
- Provide a location for classes, workshops, seminars, demonstrations of how the average single family home can be retrofitted for sustainable design.
- Create a living laboratory for students and faculty to conduct experiments with sustainable design, alternative energy sources, and other technologies and ways of living.
- Provide a location for students to "educate" each other and the public by providing tours of the house and monitoring its energy use.
- Create a "home" and enhanced sense of identity for PSU students involved in environmental programs and activities.
EcoHouse is located "on the roundabout" in Plymouth. A general purpose room is available for meetings.
Developed through a University System of New Hampshire initiative on innovation and entrepreneurialism, EcoHouse will enable students to gain an understanding of smaller-scale environmental design features that are reasonable and within reach of the average family household. Students will learn important, widely-applicable skills, and engage in meaningful community outreach and service.
The first EcoHouse course, Sustainability in Residences, was at capacity in fall 2008. Since that time sections of that class have been offered every year, and other classes, such as Sustainable Structures, Introduction to Permaculture and others use EcoHouse as a "living-learning laboratory". Classwork has focused on issues around sustainability and individual residences, included guest speakers with sustainability expertise from around the region, and resulted in papers and presentations proposing the work needed to turn EcoHouse into an environmentally friendly building. In addition students have been given opportunities for hands on, experiential learning by completing projects at EcoHouse including participating in the design and installation of a solar hot water system, many renovations to the building, and establishing permaculture on the house grounds.
Since its inception EcoHouse has been an on-campus residence for students available through the Office of Residential Life, and residents pledge to live in environmentally appropriate ways and contribute to activities at EcoHouse.
We look forward to continuing successes at EcoHouse.


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Roberta Naas, atimelyperspective.com | October 29, 2013 |
Watches & Jewelry The Latest
The Grand Dome DT Vintage 1946 steel-cased watch from Dubey & Schaldenbrand is a beauty on the wrist.
The calendar indications on the Dubey & Schaldenbrand Grand Dome DT are very legible.
The moonphase indication of the automatic chronograph Grand Dome DT.
The movement of the Dubey & Schaldenbrand Grand Dome DT is intricately engraved and features the D logo prominently.
The watch is retro-chic yet boldly modern.
—ROBERTA NAAS, ATimelyPerspective.com
For about three weeks, I had the privilege of wearing the Grand Dome DT Vintage 1946 stainless steel watch from Dubey & Schaldenbrand. For those not as familiar with this approximately 67-year-old company, let us fill you in. The brand was founded in 1946 by master watchmaker Georges Dubey and Rene Schaldenbrand, who patented a few key ideas in watchmaking and forged ahead with the concept to create perfect mechanical masterpieces.
The brand was revived in 1995 by Cinette Robert, who opened her vault of historical mechanical movements that she had procured during the 1970s and '80s from a variety of Swiss manufactures. Her goal was to re-case the movements into new designs for collectors—remaining true to historical watchmaking creeds. When Robert sold the brand in 2009 to its current owner, many wondered if it could remain on its purist path. While Jonatan Gil opted to realign the brand's distribution internationally, and develop some more contemporary cases, he says he is still committed to making high-quality exclusive watches.
This brings us to today and to the watch I had three weeks to experience. The Grand Dome Vintage 1946 timepiece is created in a limited-edition of just 65 for worldwide distribution (to honor the 65th anniversary of the brand). It houses the Valjoux 7751 movement base that is entirely hand-finished, decorated and assembled at Dubey & Schaldenbrand's manufacture. The exquisitely engraved self-winding mechanical movement is decorated by hand.
The watch is a large, tonneau-shaped stepped case in steel with an ivory dial that offers full calendar (with date, day, and month indications), moonphase, and chronograph with two counters. While at first glance the case seems a bit large (it measures 37x52mm), it was perfect for my wrist, making a bold statement in vintage elegance. The dial, with its vertical arrangement of the functions, was easy to read and enjoyable to look at. Even better was the back of the watch, with an oscillating weight hand engraved with the Les Ponts-de-Martel coat of arms. The watch offers 48 hours of power reserve and the spherical convex crystal is anti-reflective on both sides.
At first glance of the watch, I was dubious if I would enjoy wearing it. Let's face it, I'm more informed than most when it comes to timepieces and am well aware of the history of the brand, and knew Cinette Robert. However, being a journalist means putting pre-conceived notions aside and looking objectively at the piece—which I did.
I enjoyed wearing it. It is bold, comfortable and functional, as well as being stylishly retro. The calendar indications are large enough to read easily and the watch keeps incredibly accurate time—even across the ocean with multiple time-zone changes. Additionally, this watch caught the attention of many people, including two top-level watch brand executives (at different brands) who insisted I take it off so they could have a closer look. Both were impressed, as were a few other executives I interacted with in the academic world upon my return from a lengthy business trip. Wearing a watch that people notice helps reinforce the concept of a watch as a statement piece.
Perhaps the only drawback to the watch that I experienced was that despite the hands having SuperLuminova, I found it difficult to tell time in bright sun and in darker atmospheres. Perhaps a few more coatings would work, or a change in hand color. However, overall, this watch packs a punch—especially for the retail price: $13,250.
Founder and editor-in-chief of ATimelyPerspective.com, Roberta Naas is a veteran award-winning journalist in the watch industry with more than 25 years of experience. She was the first woman watch editor in the US market—breaking in to an "all boys network" with a pioneering spirit that would be her signature to this day. Naas brings responsible, factual—yet always timely and insightful—reporting of the watch industry to the forefront.
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THE UNITED NATIONS -- President Barack Obama today urged Arab nations undergoing radical changes to commit to democracy and tolerance, which he said were not exclusively American or Western values but ones to which all successful nations must adhere.
He made his speech here at the United Nations General Assembly against a backdrop of spiking violence in the Middle East and a domestic election with a newfound focus on foreign policy.
On Tuesday, President Obama spoke to the United Nations general assembly in an emotional speech about the recent violence against Americans. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
Standing in front of the Assembly's familiar green marble, the president condemned the violent reaction across several Arab nations to a video featuring the prophet Mohammed that led to the deaths of U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three others.
But he said that in order to end such bloodshed, new leaders must support the principles of freedom and self-determination, which Obama called "universal values" -- no matter how tempting the thought of clamping down on protests or funneling anger towards a foreign target.
President Obama addresses the United Nations General Assembly, spotlighting the Arab Spring's impact while calling on world leaders to resist the temptations of cracking down on dissidence and harboring extremists.
"True democracy -- real freedom -- is hard work," he said. "Those in power have to resist the temptation to crack down on dissent. In hard economic times, countries may be tempted to rally the people around perceived enemies, at home and abroad, rather than focusing on the painstaking work of reform."
The president, who has been criticized by Republican presidential opponent Mitt Romney for not responding to the protests against the video forcefully enough, noted that real change would not come just through putting "more guards in front of an embassy or to put out statements of regret."
He added that leaders must respect freedom of speech, noting that while millions of Americans took offense to the anti-Muslim video, censuring such expression would be futile in today's information age, and responding with violence was unacceptable.
"In 2012, at a time when anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete. The question, then, is how we respond. And on this we must agree: There is no speech that justifies mindless violence."
Former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is a Romney campaign surrogate, joins The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd to talk about foreign policy and the differing views between Obama and Romney on it.
And Obama said that just as all nations should respect Muslim traditions, the inverse must also be true.
"The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied."
He continued, quoting Gandhi: 'Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit,'" he said, garnering applause at the last line.
Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images
President Barack Obama delivers his address during the 67th United Nations General Assembly meeting August 25 at the United Nations in New York.
As he prescribed broad solutions for the entire Middle East, the president also gave his vision for specific conflict-ridden countries, though he did not offer any new policies or changes to existing ones.
Obama said he was committed to stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. "The United States will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," he said.
And he repeated his call for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down, one year after he stood before the same assembly to urge U.N. Security Council sanctions against the country, which members China and Russia are still blocking.
He also reaffirmed his vision for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: "The road is hard but the destination is clear -- a secure, Jewish state of Israel; and an independent, prosperous Palestine."
While the president shied away from overtly political rhetoric, he did tout what he perceives as his accomplishments in foreign policy, an area seen as his strong suit but one which Romney has been increasingly critical.
"The war in Iraq is over, and our troops have come home. We have begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014. Al Qaeda has been weakened and Osama bin Laden is no more. Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals."
And the president urged listeners to put aside "political debates" and focus not on what divides the world but unites it.
"When you strip that all away, people everywhere long for the freedom to determine their destiny; the dignity that comes with work; the comfort that comes from faith; and the justice that exists when governments serve their people -- and not the other way around," he said.
"The United States of America will always stand up for these aspirations, for our own people, and all across the world."


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City Summary Archive
Fairbanks November 2012
In Fairbanks the average temperature for November was -8.8°F, a remarkable 11.4°F below the long-term mean. The lowest temperature for the month was -31°F on the 30th, while the highest temperature was 22°F on the 10th. With the exception of a couple days around the 10th, temperatures tended to be on the cold side throughout the month, and this resulted in the 6th coldest November on record. No new record temperature events were recorded.
Precipitation was below normal in November, with a total of 0.29", 0.38" below the expected value of 0.67". Snowfall totaled 4.2" for the month, 9.0" below normal. Fairbanks reported less than half the normal snowfall for the season. The mean wind speed was 2.5 mph, with a maximum gust of 24 mph on the 19th, blowing from a northeasterly direction.
Anchorage November 2012
Anchorage was cooler than normal in November, with an average temperature of 17.7°F, 4.5°F below the expected temperature. The maximum temperature (33°F) occurred on the 2nd and 11th, while the minimum temperature (2°F) occurred on the 21st. November temperatures tended to be colder than normal with the exception of a few days around the 13th.
Precipitation was very low at 0.23", only 20% of normal of 1.16". Snowfall totaled 3.3", 9.8" below the expected amount. Anchorage reported less than half the normal snowfall for the winter season so far. The average wind speed was 5.9 mph.
Barrow November 2012
Barrow experienced the eighth month in a row with above normal temperatures this November. The mean value was 5.9°F, a positive deviation of 5.2°F above the normal of 0.7°F. Temperatures tended at or above normal for the month. The lowest temperature (-16°F) occurred on the 22nd, while the highest temperature (29°F) was reported on the 8thand 9th.
Precipitation in Barrow (0.48") was heavy at 129% above the normal value of 0.21". Snowfall totaled 14.8", 9.1" above normal. Trace amounts or more of precipitation was recorded on 27 days of the month. The average wind speed was 10.1 mph, while the maximum gust (39 mph) occurred on the 13th, blowing from a westerly direction.
Delta Junction November 2012
In Delta Junction the mean temperature for November (-6.5°F) was an astounding 12.7°F below the long-term normal of 6.2°F. The highest temperature (20°F) was observed on the 11th, while the lowest temperature hit -34°F on the 30th. No new records were set, but temperatures stayed significantly below normal for nearly all of the month, with the exception of a week around the 11th.
Precipitation was very light with a reported total of 0.30", a mere 48% of the expected amount (0.63").
Juneau November 2012
The average temperature in Juneau for November was 29.7°F, 3.7°F below the long-term mean. This is also the seventh consecutive month with below normal temperatures. The maximum temperature of the month was 44°F on the 5th, while the minimum was 11°F and occurred on the 30th.
Total precipitation was lower than normal at 4.59"; this represents only 77% of the expected amount of 5.99". Total snowfall for the month was 15.4", 2.3" above normal. The average wind speed was 5.0 mph, and the maximum wind speed of 46 mph occurred on the 14th, blowing from an easterly direction.
Ketchikan November 2012
Ketchikan reported an average temperature this November of 39.9°F, 1.5°F above the long-term mean of 38.4°F. The maximum temperature for the month was 53°F, which occurred on the 4th, while the minimum (21°F) was reported on the 1st, and this was a new daily record low, the old record of 24°F was set in 1984. For most the rest of the month, temperatures stayed around normal.
Precipitation was near normal, totaling 17.11", or just 3% above of the long term mean of 16.63".
King Salmon November 2012
In King Salmon the average temperature for November was 15.2°F, a significant 7.7°F below the long-term mean of 22.9°F. Temperatures were below normal for most of the month with the exception of a about week around the 12th. The minimum temperature (-4°F) for the month was reported on the 23rd and the 29th, while the maximum temperature occurred on the 9th at 50°F, tying the daily record high set in 1993.
King Salmon experienced a greater than normal amount of precipitation with a total of 1.60", 0.21", or 15%, above the long-term mean. Total monthly snowfall was 2.9", 4.0" below normal. The average wind speed was 11.1 mph, and the highest gust of 44 mph occurred on the 2nd, blowing from a northerly direction.
Kodiak November 2012
Kodiak was slightly above normal for November, having a mean temperature of 34.4°F, 0.5°F above than the expected mean of 33.9°F. The maximum temperature for the month (46°F) was observed on the 11th and 12th, and the minimum temperature was 20°F, reported on the 1st. Temperatures were mixed throughout the month, but stayed near the normal range.
Precipitation was light at just 66% of normal with a total of 4.54", 2.33" under the normal amount of 6.87". The average wind speed was 12.9 mph, while the highest wind gust occurred on the 2nd at 63 mph, blowing from a northerly direction.
Nome November 2012
Nome had a mean temperature for November of 14.5°F, 2.4°F below the normal value of 16.9°F. The maximum temperature was reported at 31°F on the 9th and 10th. The minimum temperature for the month was observed on the 22nd at -6°F.
Like September and October, November had below normal precipitation with an astonishing low total of 0.02". This is just 2% of the normal amount of 1.22". Snowfall totaled 0.2", again just 2% of the normal of 12.1". The average monthly wind speed was 5.4 mph, while the maximum wind speed was 47 mph, and occurred on the 14th of the month, blowing from an easterly direction.


text:
žBallarus wrote:You know, I live in Jersey, and I can't remember the last time I saw a cow.
now this is the sole reason why children (not saying you are one) are getting dumber and dumber. They live most of their lives in cities, watching TV and eating pizza and when we ask them to draw a cow they draw a purple horse-ish silhouette


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APNewsBreak: Army discharged Wis. kidnap suspect
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The woman charged with kidnapping her half sister's newborn this month had been discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve after about a year of service, military officials say.
Kristen Smith served in a Wisconsin-based unit from December 2011 until her removal in December 2012, the Army's Human Resources Command in Fort Knox, Ky., said this week following an inquiry from The Associated Press.
An involuntary discharge that early into an 8-year commitment signals major problems either with one's service or personal life, but the reason for Smith's cannot be divulged under Army policy, said Army Reserve spokesman Lt. Col. Matthew Lawrence. Such discharges are rare and typically done when soldiers fail to complete training, face legal issues or are seriously injured, he said.
In this Feb. 14, 2014 photo Kristen Smith, arrives for a hearing in Tipton, Iowa. A federal grand jury has indicted Smith, Wednesday, Feb. 19, on federal charges alleging that she kidnapped her half sister's newborn from Wisconsin and left him behind an Iowa gas station in freezing weather. (AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley)
"For one that early, there would be probably something administratively that would have forced their hand to discharge her," he said.
Army spokesman Ray Gall said her departure is considered an "entry-level discharge" since she had slightly less than one year of service. He said it was not the result of a crime or a court martial, but that he could not elaborate under Army policy.
Smith was federally indicted Wednesday in the Feb. 6 kidnapping of her newborn nephew. Investigators say Smith took him from a southern Wisconsin home where she was visiting her half sister, and then left him in freezing temperatures in Iowa. Police say the newborn was found alive 29 hours later.
Smith enrolled in the Army Reserve in Milwaukee and was assigned to the 102nd Military Police Company in Fond du Lac, Wis. Her contract was supposed to run through 2019.
After her unsuccessful military career, public records in Colorado and Texas showed that Smith nonetheless continued to falsely claim she was employed by the Army.
She's charged with forging Army documents that said she'd been ordered to duty in Kuwait so that she could break her apartment lease in Fort Worth, Texas. When she was arrested last year in Colorado, booking records show she listed her employer as the Army's military police.
After her discharge, Smith moved into a Fort Worth apartment complex in early 2013. By April, she'd opened bank accounts under two different names and Social Security numbers in Westworth Village, a town 7 miles away, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained under the public records law. She deposited bad checks, draining $6,600 before a bank investigator caught on and called police, the document says.
Westworth Village Police Detective Darren Clark obtained surveillance images of Smith cashing checks and went to the apartment complex. Assistant complex manager Tasha Davis identified Smith in the photos, and said Smith was already moving out after just a few months, the affidavit says.
Smith had recently given Davis two Army documents that ordered Smith to relocate to Virginia and then report to a six-month officer's training program in Kuwait. The documents qualified her for a military exemption in her lease — saving her from paying $3,033 in penalties.
But Clark determined the documents were fakes after learning of her discharge from the service, and Smith was charged with tampering with a government record. By then, she was gone.
"I would have never thought she would have been that type of person," Davis said.
Investigators say Smith moved to Aurora, Colo., and was arrested there in October. She was released on bond and ordered to appear in court in March to face extradition proceedings on the Texas warrant.
With that matter pending, the FBI says Smith traveled to the Town of Beloit, Wis., to visit her 18-year-old half sister Brianna Marshall and baby Kayden Powell, born Feb. 1.
The FBI says Smith left with Kayden early Feb. 6. Police contacted her as she was driving through Iowa and ordered her to stop for questioning. She denied knowledge of Kayden's whereabouts but was taken into custody on the Texas warrant. Police found the child alive the next day behind a gas station.
Smith, who has not responded to an interview request, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. She's expected to be transferred from an Iowa jail to Wisconsin before a court appearance Friday.
Follow Ryan J. Foley on Twitter at —https://twitter.com/rjfoley
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text: Back to News INTERVIEW WITH JURGEN KLINSMANN, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER HEAD COACH November 7, 2011 03:53 PM INTERVIEW PROVIDED BY SOCCER AMERICA COMMUNICATIONS Jurgen Klinsmann, whose playing career included winning the 1990 World Cup title with Germany, took a keen interest in American youth soccer when he moved to California upon his retirement in 1998. He became head coach of the U.S. national team in July and took time before the USA's November friendlies against France and Slovenia to discuss American youth soccer issues, including the parents' role, pay-to-play, differences between European and American youth clubs, college ball -- and he offers some advice to youth coaches. SOCCER AMERICA: You have spoken often about the value of unorganized soccer for children -- and you helped found an initiative (FD21) to promote that in Germany. Is there a way to increase the amount of soccer children play in the USA outside the club structure? JURGEN KLINSMANN: The keys for soccer development are for children to enjoy kicking a ball and enjoy playing soccer types of games. It does not take a soccer field or an organized team training to do this. But we may need to help our children learn what they can do on their own or with a few friends to enjoy kicking a ball and playing soccer. In other words, youth soccer training should include lots of fun -- "you can do this on your own" -- activities, including showing examples of how to have soccer-related fun in a backyard, the driveway, the schoolyard, a park, against a wall, or anywhere there is a small amount of space and a ball -- any kind of ball. In the USA, basketball is part of the culture. So young basketball players grow up learning how to play types of basketball games -- like 1-on-1, 21, H-O-R-S-E --- on their own and with small groups. We need to help our young soccer players to be able to do the same thing -- play on their own or with their friends or with their parents wherever they are with whatever ball is available. SOCCER AMERICA: A big change in children's sports is the declining role of schools' physical education and sports programs. Can you speak to that issue? JURGEN KLINSMANN: Of course I think it is too bad that physical education and sports programs are declining in schools. And I understand though do not necessarily agree with some of the reasons, primarily around setting priorities and budget cuts. So, as parents, we have a choice -- sit back and do nothing in the face of this decline or create alternative opportunities for our children. Actually, I do not think that we do have a choice. I think we have to create alternative opportunities for our children. It is part of their life-long education. We hear constantly about the problems of obesity and other health-related issues arising from a lack of exercise. What can we -- as parents -- do about it? Set an example. Be active with our children. Don't let them automatically watch TV or go into their rooms to play video games or go online. Encourage outdoor activities year round. Kick a ball in the backyard. Walk or ride a bike to the store instead of driving. Participate in a local community event instead of going to the movies. There are many active things we can do with our children and that they can do on their own, if we make this type of active lifestyle a family priority. SA: One of the huge flaws in American youth soccer is the high cost. (The more talented you are, the more it costs.) Why is this not the case in other countries, such as Germany, and do you see any solutions to the problem in the USA? JURGEN KLINSMANN: In European countries, there are two types of clubs: local soccer/sports clubs and professional soccer clubs, which may also include other sports. The local soccer/sports clubs usually serve people from youth through adulthood. So, there is a lifelong opportunity to participate and adult fees are helping reduce (though not eliminate) youth fees. Plus, the local soccer/sports clubs tend to play 10-month seasons based on local travel and local leagues, not regional leagues and big tournaments with high fees and long-distance travel as is common in the USA. Also, in Europe, the professional clubs have youth programs and they start signing up promising players at young ages and pay for their costs of training. So, the culture of sports participation and the professional club influence are much different and much stronger in Europe than currently in the USA. Going forward, MLS clubs will have more influence in the USA, including providing free opportunities to play for talented players. Plus, we may see more American youth clubs partnering with international clubs, which will pay for the training costs of talented young American players. Chelsea, for instance, is experimenting with this right now. Obviously, a big difference between the USA and European countries is that most promising young American soccer players will end up playing college soccer, while promising young European players have the goal of being professional players. There are many, many more college soccer programs in the USA than there are professional clubs in any European country. But colleges cannot pay for youth development programs like professional clubs can. So, in summary, there are significant differences between the European sports culture and the American sports culture, which will not dramatically change anytime soon and which do impact the costs associated with youth soccer. SA: Is the enormous geographic size of the USA a problem for the national team program as it scouts for talent and develops it? And if so, what are the solutions to overcoming the challenge? JURGEN KLINSMANN: I look at the size and diversity of the USA as providing us with a tremendous opportunity, not a problem. We are blessed with a large, relatively wealthy, sports-oriented population that has invested in soccer facilities and organizing soccer so that millions of youngsters are playing soccer year-round. And, more attention is now being paid to developing soccer programs for underserved populations and geographic areas. While we may have different and sometimes competing youth development soccer organizations, there are certainly opportunities for children to develop and play. In terms of scouting for talented players, youth clubs are doing it, youth organizations are doing it, colleges are doing it, professional teams are doing it, and our U.S. Soccer scouts are doing it. So, I think we are probably able to identify most of the very talented young players. There are also more comprehensive and more consistent training programs being made available across the country, for example the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and MLS academies. One trend I encourage, which has been successful in other large countries such as France and Germany that committed to youth development and which can now also be seen here in the USA, is to regionalize programs. This will cut down on costs, allow the youth players and their families to have more normal lifestyles, and provide for more development opportunities. SA: If a coach of an under-8 team came to you for advice, how would you respond? JURGEN KLINSMANN: Have fun! Let the children enjoy themselves! Help them learn the excitement they can experience kicking a ball and playing soccer-type games on their own, with their friends, and with their parents wherever they are with whatever ball they have available. (Part 2 of this interview will appear in Monday's Youth Soccer Insider.) (Mike Woitalla is the executive editor of Soccer America. His youth soccer articles are archived at YouthSoccerFun.com.) Post your response to the public Youth Soccer Insider blog. See what others are saying on the Youth Soccer Insider blog. FEEDBACK: Send comments to email@example.com. Please include your first and last name and hometown.


text:
Years ago on the Zune HD we had a popular game called AudioSurf. It was at the time one of the first mobile music/rhythm games that allowed you to interact with your Zune's music in no other way. Fast forward to 2013 and while we don't have that game, we may have something even better coming: SongArc.
SongArc is a forthcoming, brand new title from two well-known developers: Turtle Games, who make the popular game Rum Run and András Velvárt, who is the mind behind SurfCube 3D Browser. It's yet another genius creation from the AppCampus Project (a joint venture between Microsoft, Aalto University and Nokia) and it should be coming out in the next month.
From the description of the game (and revealed in the above teaser video):
"SongArc is a music / rhythm game for Windows Phone, with a revolutionary gameplay that lets you get intimately close to the music and feel as if you were playing a real instrument. It allows you to play with any songs you have on your phone. If one of these songs doesn't have a Sheet for it yet, you can create your own, and even share it with others to play with."
We're really quite excited about the potential of this game, as Windows Phone needs a hit title that allows you to access your music library and engage in rapid thumb pressing akin to the standard Dance Dance Revolution.
We'll of course bring your more on SongArc as it nears release, but in the meantime you can follow the project yourself on Twitter (@SongArcGame) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/songarcgame).


text:
The library is the typical
spot for undergrads to escape the bustle and racket of college life and focus
on their work.
A few University of North
Florida anthropology students have found an even more secluded location to chip
away at their research. It's a place so quiet that the only souls around
haven't made a noise in decades.
Three UNF anthropolgy
seniors — Genevieve Day, Rissia Garcia,
and Karen Lowery — have been mapping the layout of the cemetery
attached to the historic United Methodist Church in Middleburg for the past few
months under the supervision of their faculty adviser, Dr. Gordon Rakita.
The cemetery has been in use
since the 1860s, and the students have been working to paint a clearer picture
of the grounds, which encompass about 670 occupied and 300 unfilled burial
To accomplish their goal,
they've studied headstone orientation, analyzed patterns in child burials and used
advanced equipment, such as ground-penetrating radar, to properly map the
grounds for an accurate depiction of how the cemetery has grown over the
Like any good hands-on learning
opportuntiy presented by the University, this is workwork the students would definitively want to put on a grad-school
application or job resume.
"I think these experiences are exactly
the sorts of things potential employers or graduate school programs are looking
for in candidates," Rakita said. "If you were going to hire someone or admit
them into your academic program, you would want to make sure they would be able
to actually do the things they'll need to do to be successful. It's one
thing to have an undergraduate degree listed on your resume — it's another
thing entirely when you have a grant proposal, publication, or field experience
listed. Those sorts of things are going to move a candidate to the top of
the list."
Rakita said the idea for the
project sprang from UNF's involvement and reputation in the Northeast Florida
community. The church, an idyllic, white single-steepled
building nestled in a corner off Main Street, has long catered to the burial
needs of the local community. But the passage of time had made it difficult to
accurately map the grounds.
caretaker Sandra Wilson said they wanted to ensure they didn't encroach on any
occupied plots when planning new burials.
"We knew the
University would have the equipment to help us out," Wilson said, as she probed
the leaf-matted cemetery ground with a long, thin metal rod used to detect
subterranean anomalies. "They can be more precise than we can be with this
Rakita answered their call
for assistance and worked with his students to turn the community exercise into
a full-fledged research project.
This experience will be
invaluable resume fodder to the undergrads who made the effort — and the drive
— for the past few months.
"One of the
wonderful things about working in the community is that students get to see how
the things they learn inside the classroom can actually be applied to
real-world problems," he said. " When the students are out in the cemetery,
they are surrounded by real-world examples. As they explore those examples
and try to make sense of the things we're seeing, they often have to integrate
our more theoretical classroom discussions with those real-world
experiences. This is often when students have "ah ha!" moments."
Day said she's enjoyed the
hands-on learning opportunity presented by the research. She was especially
excited to use the surveying technology in a real-world setting.
"That's how you can really
learn skills that will help you later on down the road," she said. "You can
learn about it in class, but it really helps to go out there and do it."
The showpiece of their
research has been the ground-penetrating radar, a piece of equipment that uses
radar pulses to depict the subterranean world. The images it presents are
detailed, and it doesn't disturb anything underground, making it a perfect tool
for professional anthropologists who want to keep their research intact.
They've also used equipment
familiar to many survey crews. Day and Garcia took turns using the stadia rod
and a total station tripod to measure distances across the cemetery.
Once they're finished, their
research will present an accurate map of the cemetery grounds down to the yard.
"We want to be as close as
possible," Garcia said. "It seems like a lot of work, and there's some
trial-and-error, but it's really enjoyable."
Wilson said she's overjoyed
about all the assistance she's received from UNF and is happy to chip in on the
work when she can. She even brought Rakita and his students individually
wrapped pieces of dark chocloate as they toiled away one afternoon.
"They've helped so much,"
Wilson said. "They're really great ambassadors for the University."


text:
Serenity Keychain
I don't care - I'm still free! You can't take my keys from me!
- Solid metal keychain Firefly-class mid-bulk transport replica (1/1600 scale)
- Built straight from the special-effects digital designs
- Pewter finish, and yet still "shiny"
"Midbulk transport. Standard radion-accelerator core. Classcode 03-K64. Firefly."
With a glance, River Tam was able to immediately identify the ship that would become the home for her brand new extended family. She would spend days luxuriating around the medical bay in a catatonic stupor, or wandering the decks in her bare feet, or braced against the bulkhead with a large tin of peaches. Yessir, for River, nothing said "comfort" better than Serenity.
It might not look like much to you - a simple traveller of the 'verse just trying to make an honest living, but the Firefly class freighter's got it where it counts. A simple design means parts and repairs are easy and cheap. Heck, you'd have to be just about the worst Captain alive if you can't scrape together enough freelance business to keep a Firefly in working order.
I tell you what - you've got the face of a man who's been out at the edges and peered out into the blackness and still kept your wits about you. I'll throw in this beautiful commemorative keychain. A scant two inches long, but just as solid and beautiful as the real thing. Just imagine that cute little guy dangling from your ignition mechanism as you go to full burn from the edge of the atmo? Yee haw! That'd be a thing a beauty, I can tell you.
What? Oh, you... only want the keychain? Oh. I... guess... sure, we can do that. Just go see Saffron over there - she'll take real good care a' you.


text:
04 March 2012
In My Mailbox (26)
Posted by JessiM at 8:00 AM
16 comments:
I didn't know Innocent Darkness was on NetGalley, I went to request it! @.
Lovely haul this week, happy reading! ^^
Here's my IMM. ♥
- 04 March, 2012 08:29
- Jessica said...
I'm looking forward to Something Like Normal, too. Can't wait to hear what you think about it!
- 04 March, 2012 08:49
- Tanya Patrice said...
These look like awesome reads - hope you love them all! I love Sara MacLean and hope to get my hands on A Rogue soon!
- 04 March, 2012 09:03
- Kristilyn (Reading In Winter) said...
Great books! I've had The Miseducation of Cameron Post on my "later" shelf at the library for a while. I look forward to reading it!
Happy reading! :)
- 04 March, 2012 09:50
- Molli @ Once Upon a Prologue said...
I have Kiss The Morning Star, as well! I really really can't wait to get to it. And I am supposed to be getting an ARC of Breaking Beautiful. For some reason that one just...CALLS to me. Happy reading, Jessi!
My IMM
- 04 March, 2012 11:32
- Alison said...
Great set! I enjoyed Miseducation. I'm curious about Destiny's Fire.
My IMM
- 04 March, 2012 12:04
- April Books & Wine said...
I LOVE all the romance ebooks. Seriously I wish more people read romance!
Happy reading :-)
- 04 March, 2012 13:05
- Stepping out of the Page said...
I really, really want 'How to Save a Life' - I have heard incredible things about it! I love the sound of Kiss The Morning Star too! I will be adding that one to my to-read! Enjoy your haul!
New to your blog & LOVE the theme!
Stephanie Follow back/Check out my latest post @ Stepping Out of the Page
- 04 March, 2012 13:25
Destiny's Fire was so so good. I hope you enjoy everything you got this week. Here's my IMM!
~Paige @ Comfort Books
- 04 March, 2012 13:36
- Myenchantedbookshelf said...
Wow - great IMM this week! You got some great stuff! I'm a sucker for romance as well; even though my blog is pretty much solely YA. New follower - feel free to check out my IMM:
- 04 March, 2012 14:18
- Celine said...
Innocent Darkness looks great! I really like steampunk books (:
I hope you enjoy all of your books.
Celine ~ Nyx Book Reviews
My IMM
- 04 March, 2012 14:46
- manda-rae said...
Something Like Normal catches my attention. I've heard good things about Destiny's Fire. Happy reading!
My IMM
- 04 March, 2012 16:23
Awesome haul!
I have The Miseducation of Cameron Post to read but haven't gotten to it yet. Something about too many books and not enough time...
Breaking Beautiful looks really good as well. I like the cover. Enjoy your books!
Jenny at Books to the Sky
- 04 March, 2012 17:47
I've been waiting for Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver and Fever by Lauren DeStefano, and today I got Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan, Very excited! Fractured light is excellent! TAG! You're it! You've been tagged to answer a few friendly questions. Check out the link! http://behindamillionandonepages.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/you-caught-me.html
- 04 March, 2012 22:24
- Danielle Chapman said...
What a nice looking haul! I will have to look some of these boos up, they sound good!
Thanks for sharing!
- 04 March, 2012 22:45
You got a lot of fabulous books! Breaking Beautiful is on my TBR list. It sounds really good. I need to get Destiny's Fire. I have heard it's awesome.
- 05 March, 2012 07:33


text:
Newmoney Allstarz - Feelin Like Gettin Money Freestyle [Unsigned Hype]
Ric reports "QUIC N TEAZ THE NEWEST SHIT COMIN OUT OF STATEN ISLAND (STATEN ISLAND WE BACK)"
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text:
crackerjack needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 36 designs submitted by 12 freelance designers.
Itchy Bottoms Soap Co.
This small company was named in good fun after my family and their often too obvious sensitive skin! The products we offer were formulated for them and we decided to try to share them with others. I am looking for a logo that I can print on business cards and "thank you for your purchase" notes and perhaps other forms of advertising in the future. These soaps are vegan and all-natural.
Individuals, vegan or not, with sensitive skin. Anyone in need of unscented soaps for other reasons.
For colors, I like dark green or red. For the art work, I just do not want anything too absurd which could be easy with this company name. Keep it fun. If a tag-line will fit in the design I would like it to say " all-natural, vegan products" or " all natural, vegan products for sensitive skin". I also would like the company name included. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
This morning, I had a couple of free hours before taking a trip to my mother's where I'll have no internet access. Well, that's not exactly true. She has dial up access, which means waiting quite a while for pages to load. But I digress…
I didn't want to get out a bunch of binders or anything so I decided that I would do some "cold call" type of research. I went to the Kentucky Digital Library and decided to search their copies of the Adair County News for any articles with the name "Stephens" in them. As I was clicking through the options, I came across a marriage listing for Laura Ellen (Bennett) George and Uriah Stephens.
Laura Ellen was the sister of my great-grandfather and Uriah was the brother of my greatgreat-grandmother. I've always found this marriage to be interesting as it was one of multiple times that my great-grandfather and great-grandmother's ancestral lines intersected. Now I'll have an exact date and the name of a minister that I can research. Perhaps I'll be able to find some church records!
I'm often surprised by the things that I find when I "surf" a site without looking for a specific record. If I choose a site and just look for a surname, or even for a county, it's not unusual to find something unexpected!


text:
Pat Moore of Newington writes: "In 2003 our ski club traveled to Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais. There are many beautiful towns in Switzerland, but Zermatt is easily my favorite. Combustion engines are banned in the town and only small electric commercial vehicles are allowed. Visitors arrive by train from the town of Tasch. On our first morning in Zermatt we opened the curtains in our hotel room to this spectacular view of sunrise on the Matterhorn. Easily the dominant feature of the region, the Matterhorn wasn't successfully climbed until 1865. The Matterhorn Museum has a letter from Teddy Roosevelt to his sister recounting his successful ascent. An added bonus of a trip to Zermatt is that you can ascend the Klein Matterhorn cable car and ski down the backside into Cervinia
Pat Moore
Copyright © 2019, Los Angeles Times


text:
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Multilevel mixture IRT simulation
Mplus Discussion
Latent Variable Mixture Modeling
posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 - 8:57 am
Dear Mplus users,
1. I am trying to running example 10.5 monte carlo study. But I want this data include a covariate variable. (for example a gender variable: 600 females in latent class 1, 400 males in latent class 2; 400 females in latent class 2 and 600 males in latent class 1=2000 observations totaly gender splþt is 50% and . How can I add such a variable in this study?
2. Another question is: Which prior paramter used for this simulation study? Can we generate response patterns in this example based on item response model? Because I want to item diffuculties differ between latent classes.
Thank you.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 - 12:10 pm
First, note that this is an advanced analysis that calls for experience with Mplus Monte Carlo simulations.
1. You add a binary x variable (see UG chapter 11 for how to do that) which influences the latent class variable ("c ON x").
2. You can use parameter values from a real-data analysis.
posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2014 - 4:34 am
Dear Bengt Muthen,
I try to fit my data to the multilevel mixture item response model. For this reason I used example 10.5. I guess the syntax is for 1-PL model or Rasch model. I have now class spesicific item diffuculties.
I want to use these parameter for differential item functioning detection. But I wonder that these item diffuculties directly comparable? Should I bring the parameters the same scale?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, April 08, 2014 - 8:29 am
Ex 10.5 uses a 2PL model.
To have a comparable latent variable scale you need to start with equality of loadings and thresholds across the classes. Then you can free up some of those equalities to capture DIF.
posted on Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 2:39 am
Dear Muthen,
For multilevel mixture irt model I generated the data in C#.
I generated two student latent classes and two school latent classes. The diffuculty parameters differ across student latent classes, so I generate 20 diffuculty parameters for student class one and 20 parameters for student class two.
For dif detection,
Student class 1 school class 1 ,I use the first 20 diffuculty parameters.
Student class 1 school class 2, I use the first 20 diffuculty parameters but only some of them differ.
Student class 2 school class 1 I use second 20 diffuculty parameters.
Student class 2 school class 2 I use second 20 diffuculty parameters but only some of them differ.
For analyzing the simulated data I use example 10.5. I wonder that in output the threshols are so.
1 1;1 2; 2 1 and 2 2. Which is school class and which is student class. How is the order?
In my output 1 1 and 2 2 were almost same estimated.. And 1 2 and 2 1 were almost same estimated.
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, September 18, 2014 - 11:05 am
The order of the thresholds corresponds to the order of the categorical latent variables in the CLASSES statement.
posted on Thursday, December 03, 2015 - 5:30 pm
Dear Dr Muthen,
Is there anyway to simulate a multilevel IRT model and run the simulation data using single level IRT simultaneously?
Linda K. Muthen
posted on Thursday, December 03, 2015 - 5:56 pm
You would need to do this in two steps. First generate and save the data. Second, analyze the date using TYPE=MONTECARLO.
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Pyroxenite is a type of intrusive igneous rock that is predominantly composed of pyroxenes. Relatively rare, when pyroxenite does occur it is typically found in dark-colored layers, sheets, veins, narrow dikes, and similar discrete forms. Some of the more notable occurrences of pyroxenite are located in Canada, Ireland, South Africa, and the Pyrenees mountain range. Most of the pyroxenite rocks found in these locations and elsewhere have been named for the chief pyroxene they contain. Some examples of this convention include bronzitite, which is dominated by hypersthene, a mineral that often exhibits a bronze-like luster, and diopsidite, in which the mineral diopside is the most abundant pyroxene.
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Eating smarter will help you hit your health and fitness goals faster – but which diet is the ideal one for you? Coach's sister title Men's Fitness assesses the evidence and asks the experts so you can make the right nutritional decisions.
The Theory
The catch-all name for the traditional diet eaten by the populations of Italy, Greece and southern France and Spain. Obviously, the cuisine varies by region, but it usually includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, cereal grains, olive oil and fish, along with moderate amounts of red wine and limited sugar.
The Evidence
Solid. This one's been around for a while. A 2011 review of studies found that the Mediterranean diet is probably more effective than a low-fat diet in lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol and blood pressure, while a 2015 study found that adherence to the diet lowers your overall stroke risk. If your main concern is fat loss, though, you might want to look elsewhere: a 2016 review found that it's no more successful than other diets.
The Good
It's not a difficult diet to follow, and the food recommendations still allow for social eating with minimal hardship. It also shares a few similarities with the currently popular Sirt diet, which suggests that the protective effects of red wine and olive oil (among other things) are actually related to a little-researched class of proteins called sirtuins, discovered only in 2005. Put it this way: you're unlikely to do yourself any harm following this one, even though the mechanisms aren't clear.
The Bad
Though there's a decent amount of evidence to support the diet, some studies are confounded by lifestyle factors. There's an argument that the benefits arise from actually living in Mediterranean countries, which comes with more social support and less stress than the typical British office-worker grind. You might also need to be picky about your olive oil and greens: the traditional kind are grown in the mountains and tend to be very antioxidant-heavy, which might complicate matters.
Eat More Of These
The Mediterranean diet isn't very prescriptive, especially as there is a great range in the kind of foods eaten around the Med, but for a start you'll want to up the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat. No need to get fancy with the types involved – just make sure you have a portion with every meal.
You should also up your intake of seafood, especially oily fish, and legumes like beans and lentils. Nuts and seeds, wholegrain carbs and tubers like sweet potatoes should all also feature regularly on your menu, and make sure everything is drizzled with olive oil. OK, maybe not everything.
Avoid These
Nothing is explicitly outlawed with the Mediterranean diet but when it comes to meat you should aim for poultry and fish over red meat, and all meat should be eaten in moderation. The same goes for dairy and eggs, and you should avoid added sugars and processed foods where possible.
The Expert Verdict
The Mediterranean diet ticks all the right boxes for dietitian Chloe Miles of the British Dietetic Association. "The diet encourages plenty of fruit and vegetables, beans and pulses, fish, wholegrain cereals, and modest amounts of olive oil and low-fat dairy. It has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and it may also help you maintain a healthy weight."


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I started cosplaying (not very well xDD) in 2003 and have loved it ever since!
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*~*~*~*~And thanks so much to Jason (i360.com) for upgrading me to Celestial! You're awesome. Much love!*~*~*~*~*~
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Mayor Don Wesely today presented the Mayor's Award of Excellence for November to Julie Watson, an office assistant in the Parks and Recreation Department. The award, presented at the beginning of today's City Council meeting, recognizes city employees who consistently provide exemplary service and work that demonstrates personal commitment to the city.
Watson has been with Parks and Recreation since August of 1991. She was nominated in the category of customer relations by Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Johnson, who said he receives many positive comments about Watson's professionalism and her positive customer service attitude.
Watson was responsible for planning and coordinating the Nickelodeon Big Help program in Lincoln, which brought volunteers together to work on a project supporting children. She worked with several community agencies and youth groups to pulverize trees into wood chips and to paint parking posts at Pioneers Park.
"Coordination of the event was in Lynn's words, 'seamless and flawless,'" Wesely said. "The event attracted more than 800 participants due to Julie's efforts. Julie regularly promotes the department's projects and programs and consistently works to enhance communication between divisions and departments."
In addition to customer relations, the other categories in which employees can be nominated are productivity, loss prevention, safety and valor. All city employees are eligible for the award except for elected officials and some managers. Individuals or teams can be nominated by supervisors, peers, subordinates and the general public.
Nomination forms are available from department heads, employee bulletin boards or the Personnel Department, which oversees the awards program. All nominations are reviewed by a committee, which includes a representative with each union and a non-union representative appointed by the Mayor. Award winners receive a $100 U.S. savings bond, a day off with pay and a plaque. Monthly winners are eligible to receive the annual award, which comes with a $500 U.S. savings bond, two days off with pay and a plaque.


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Monday, October 4, 2010
The Power Of A Voice
Ten years earlier, I had been up all night, uncomfortably spooning with my wife in a lazy-boy recliner in my son's hospital room, waiting anxiously for morning to come. Neither of us wanted to leave Cole's side. Neither of us wanted morning to come, either. Morning would bring surgeons and specialists who would transport my son to the operating room, to debulk and biopsy a neck mass discovered the day prior. A day prior that was filled with haunting, harrowing memories of being told, after several emergency CT scans, that my son had something "seriously wrong." The news of the tumors in his neck and chest, accompanied by swollen lymph nodes, had collapsed our world.
Finally, five a.m. arrived. The early light of another day, confirmation that the world wouldn't stop with our sorrow, began slivering between the room's vertical blinds. I rolled off the lazy-boy, covering my wife with our shared blanket, before gingerly tiptoeing to the crib. I watched my son's chest rise and fall, his complacent, peaceful face giving no indication of the cellular war raging in his tiny body.
I was mesmerized, surrounded by my son's clouds of pure innocence, as I clung to the bars of his crib, trying to make reason with this path my son was suddenly placed upon. I listened to his steady breathing. I watched his little eyelids flutter. I wondered at the shadows of beautiful angles that his bent limbs created under his blanket. No different than the day before and, yet, the knowledge of his devastating illness now changed everything.
Suddenly, around 6 a.m., the room's phone screamed out, ringing to interrupt my trance.
"Hello," I answered, supposing it was someone from the hospital's staff.
"Hello, Jim," the familiar voice spoke, "it's Father Tom." Of course, I knew it was Father Tom. He needed no introduction to my ears, ever. Just hearing his calm voice, resonating with love and concern, wrapped a blanket of comfort around my aching heart. He continued. "I'm calling to see if you or Karen need anything." I should have expected our beloved priest to be checking in with us during our turmoil. Just not this early.
"Father Tom," I whispered into the phone, "we're okay. We have a tough day ahead of us, though. Please just keep Cole in your thoughts and prayers through the day and we'll let you know, as soon as surgery is over, what we are facing."
"Jim," he spoke again, his voice steady and strong, "I don't think you understand. I'm downstairs in your hospital lobby. I'm on my way up to your room but wondered if you or Karen needed some coffee or a bagel, even."
"What, Father Tom?" I asked, confused. "You mean you are here? Right now? In the Children's Hospital?" The hospital was at least two hours from our home, which meant that he would have had to have left by 4:00 a.m. to get to us at this time.
"You don't think I would stay away on a day like today, do you, Jim?" he asked. I couldn't answer, my wonder and thankfulness of his presence choking my words. A few moments of silence followed as he waited patiently for my answer. "No," I finally said, before continuing, "and Father Tom, thank you."
With that phone call, on that fateful day, Father Tom's voice ingrained itself into my memory.
And from that simple phone call, Father Tom's magnificent voice continued to harmonize much of the discord in my life. That day alone, in which Cole came through his surgery, Father Tom stood in a circle with us in the family room, hands joined, offering that consoling voice in prayer and reassurance. Later, when I asked him "Why? Why? Why?" my son was chosen to bear his burden, to have to fight for his life at a young age of two, his voice cracked, one of only a few times I have heard this. "I can't answer that, Jim," he had said, "but I can only pray that at some point in Cole's life, on his journey, the answers of why will become more evident." Yes, Father Tom, I can see some of those answers already.
Through those trying years, including an additional year of chemotherapy for Cole when he came out of remission and my mother's eventual death from leukemia, Father Tom, his voice in tow, continued to grace all of our lives. Whether at our home for lunch or dinner, or whether a Sunday morning sermon, his distinguished, distinctive voice, with its classy delivery, never failed me. Even before delivering my mother's eulogy, he approached me. "The grace of God is with you," he had said, clasping my face between his hands at her funeral, "you will do your mother proud as she sits there on your shoulder with you."
Unfortunately, as with our Catholic religion, priests can be reassigned to another parish after several years of service, and this was no different for Father Tom. He moved over an hour away, assigned to another parish, too far for us to travel for services . We did surprise him one Sunday but, otherwise, relied on emails, phone calls, and rare dinners to catch up. It wasn't the same.
I had lost my spiritual guidance, of sorts. I missed the power of his voice and wise words. And I missed my friend.
Thankfully, though, Father Tom informed our family at the beginning of this past summer that he would be returning to our area, to a parish just twenty minutes from our home-base parish. I couldn't wait for the day to arrive.
Today, finally, was that day. Today, on this gloriously cold, autumn day, I was blessed to sit in church, beside my healthy son, my lovely daughters, and my beautiful wife, listening to the voice of an angel.
The missing voice that I couldn't replace in my life.
The voice of Father Tom.
As always, big thanks for reading. Anybody's voice in your life that you rely/relied on? See you midweek...
21 comments:
- Lynda Halliger-Otvos said...
Beautifully told; thank you.
- October 4, 2010 at 7:29 AM
- Pissed Off Patient said...
Powerfully told.
So glad Cole is okay.
- October 4, 2010 at 8:26 AM
- Heather said...
We had a similar situation with Jack's first surgery. Our friend, and pastor, arrived to sit with us in the hospital at O'Dark Thirty.
God, clearly gives these men a powerful heart full of love. This is a huge blessing for US! ;)
Give Cole a hug from Jack!
- October 4, 2010 at 8:42 AM
- rlbates said...
- October 4, 2010 at 9:37 AM
- littlepretendnurse said...
What a blessing! Again, a tender mercy! Have a great week.
- October 4, 2010 at 9:46 AM
- littlepretendnurse said...
What a blessing! Again, a tender mercy! Have a great week.
- October 4, 2010 at 9:47 AM
- Katie said...
This brought a great smile to my face. I tease that I have a goal of being able to identify the entire campus by voice, so I don't have to get up and nonchalantly walk through the kitchen every time someone comes into our apartment. The regular visitors I know, but one day I heard a familiar voice and couldn't place it. However, just hearing it made me excited and left me with a sudden, overwhelming desire to investigate. I was glad I did.
Then there's the sound of my dad's voice... When Jess and I were in a MVA a year ago, I didn't cry on the scene, when talking to the responders, when calling for a ride back, nothing. Calm, cool, and collected. Then I called Dad. Over the phone he knows I'm upset before I do. It's down-right annoying. But a blessing, too.
Thank you for representing the church well. :-)
<>< Katie
- October 4, 2010 at 12:35 PM
This was beautiful and made me cry. Thank you!
- October 4, 2010 at 1:07 PM
awesome resonating post Jim!!
- October 4, 2010 at 2:45 PM
- Kate said...
There are those voices. The ones that ground us. Mine's name is Jim and he's no longer here to talk me through The Crazy, but just remembering it helps sometimes.
- October 4, 2010 at 4:45 PM
- Karen said...
This, to me, is one of your most moving stories. Bless Fr. Tom for the Godly, unselfish man he is. I'm glad he'll soon be physically closer to you and your family.
- October 4, 2010 at 9:00 PM
- 911RN said...
Beautiful writing- such a heartfelt story- unabashed honesty oozed from each and every line!
I am happy for you that you have the powerful voice of your spiritual compass back in your life... closer to home.
God Bless Father Tom.
- October 4, 2010 at 9:11 PM
- Empress Bee (of the High Sea) said...
i am so happy for you that he is nearby now. what a blessing...
beautifully told, as always.
smiles, bee
- October 4, 2010 at 11:25 PM
- SeaSpray said...
Oh Jim ...so beautifully written.
I am so sorry you all had to go through that. You certainly have been blessed to have Father Tom in your lives and I am sure that goes both ways.
Your post also brings out the importance of having an extended family ..being part of the church. And of course ..extended families can come to us in other ways too.
Your priest sounds like a wonderful, compassionate man. I think it helps to have a constant in our lives ..special people that minister to or mentor us. And we pass it on too. Hopefully the ripple of good continues forward.
I know how you felt hearing his voice. Although my situation was hardly as serious.
It was back in 04 when all this urology stuff was new and I had gotten the 1st stone and stent and stent out 2 weeks later. That night I had the most excruciating pain, was so scared (I didn't know 3 more stones were left and stuck) and had gotten sick and was crying when I called the uro doc a second time. He yelled at me "GO to the ER then!", and so on top of all that ..I thought I did something wrong by calling him.
Anyway ..our church has an internet prayer chain and so while en route ..I called the church. I knew they'd be having their Wednesday nite service and hoped someone could pick up in the office to take my request.
Pastor Tom answered. He was so kind and he even prayed with me on the spot. Mr SeaSpray was driving, I was writhing with intense kidney stone pain ..my eyes were closed with the cell phone pressed up against my ear as I absorbed his deep ..soothing ..and authoritative voice. Hearing his voice and knowing he cared enough to stop what he was doing to pray with me and his words - the prayer ..was like a healing balm being poured over my head ..enveloping my body. His words caused me to feel safer and it his presence over the phone caused me to feel peace amidst the raging storm of physical assault going on to my mind and body. I will never forget those moments in the car and the impact Pastor Tom had on my mind, body and spirit that night.
I'm so glad your son is well now.
Thank you for this post.
- October 5, 2010 at 1:49 PM
Thank you...I've been reading your posts with eagerness for some time now, but this is one that made me glad I have my own versions of Fr. Tom in my life. May the Lord continue to bless you with words that touch hearts.
- October 5, 2010 at 1:53 PM
- Rositta said...
That is a beautiful story Jim you are lucky to someone like Father Tom in your life. As an aside, I had to check out a Greek ER yesterday, nothing like the one you work in sadly. Have a great day...ciao
- October 8, 2010 at 4:05 AM
- Smalltown RN said...
this story hit very close to home and brought a tear to my eye. Angst and joy all mixed together....a story well told Doc!
- October 9, 2010 at 2:08 PM
- jessica said...
what a wonderful post jim. your posts never fail to touch my heart and bring my emotions to the surface. i have a son who is 2 1/2 and i could not imagine being in your shoes, thank God for your Father Tom.
- October 10, 2010 at 6:52 AM
What a blessing! Fr. Jim married all of my sisters and buried both of my parents, which was a blessing and a comfort to our family. May we all have someone in our lives who we can rejoice with in glad times and seek solace with in sad times.
- October 12, 2010 at 7:49 PM
I love your story, enriched by the Catholic faith.
- November 8, 2010 at 7:40 AM
I recently found your blog and have been reading feverishly ever since. However this post made me stop and literally cry. To be blessed the way you are is an immeasurable blessing. I wish I had the kind of support you do.
You are a very talented writer and I'm sure an even more talented compassionate physician
May the Lord continue to bless you and yours
- January 28, 2011 at 1:42 PM


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Hearing loss is not being able to hear sound in one or both ears. Infants may lose all of their hearing or just part of it.
Alternative Names
Deafness – infants; Hearing impairment – infants; Conductive hearing loss – infants; Sensorineural hearing loss – infants; Central hearing loss – infants
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Although it is not common, some infants may have some hearing loss at birth. Hearing loss can also develop in children who had normal hearing as infants.
- The loss can occur in one or both ears. It may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. Profound hearing loss is what most people call deafness.
- Sometimes hearing loss gets worse over time. Other times it stays stable and does not get worse.
Risk factors for infant hearing loss include:
- Family history of hearing loss
- Low birth weight
Hearing loss may occur when there is a problem in the outer or middle ear. These problems may slow or prevent sound waves from passing through. They include:
- Birth defects that cause changes in the structure of the ear canal or middle ear
- Buildup of ear wax
- Buildup of fluid behind the eardrum
- Injury to or rupture of the eardrum
- Objects stuck in the ear canal
- Scar on the eardrum from many infections
Another type of hearing loss is due to a problem with the inner ear. It may occur when the tiny hair cells (nerve endings) that move sound through the ear are damaged. This type of hearing loss can be caused by:
- Exposure to certain toxic chemicals or medications while in the womb or after birth
- Genetic disorders
- Infections the mother passes to her baby in the womb (such as
toxoplasmosis, measles, or herpes)
- Infections that can damage the brain after birth, such as meningitis or measles
- Problems with the structure of the inner ear
- Tumors
Central hearing loss results from damage to the auditory nerve itself, or the brain pathways that lead to the nerve. Central hearing loss is rare in infants and children.
Signs of hearing loss in infants vary by age. For example:
- A newborn baby with hearing loss may not startle when there is a loud noise nearby.
- Older infants, who should respond to familiar voices, may show no reaction when spoken to.
- Children should be using single words by 15 months, and simple 2-word sentences by age 2. If they do not reach these milestones, the cause may be hearing loss.
Some children may not be diagnosed with hearing loss until they are in school. This is true even if they were born with hearing loss. Inattention and falling behind in class work may be signs of undiagnosed hearing loss.
Signs and tests
Hearing loss makes a baby unable to hear sounds below a certain level. A baby with normal hearing will hear sounds below that level.
The health care provider will examine your child. The exam may show bone problems or signs of genetic changes that may cause hearing loss.
The doctor will use an instrument called an otoscope to see inside the baby's ear canal. This allows the doctor to see the eardrum and find problems that may cause hearing loss.
Two common tests are used to screen newborn infants for hearing loss:
- Auditory brain stem response (ABR) test. This test uses patches, called electrodes, to see how the auditory nerve reacts to sound.
- Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) test. Microphones placed into the baby's ears detect nearby sounds. The sounds should echo in the ear canal. If there is no echo, it is a sign of hearing loss.
Older babies and young children can be taught to respond to sounds through play. These tests, known as visual response audiometry and play audiometry, can better determine the child's range of hearing.
Over 30 states in the United States require newborn hearing screenings. Treating hearing loss early can allow many infants to develop normal language skills without delay. In infants born with hearing loss, treatments should start as early as age 6 months.
Treatment depends on the baby's overall health and the cause of hearing loss. Treatment may include:
Speech therapy
Learning sign language
Cochlear implant (for those with profound sensorineural hearing loss)
Treating the cause of hearing loss may include:
- Medications for infections
- Ear tubes for repeated ear infections
Surgery to correct structural problems
Expectations (prognosis)
It is often possible to treat hearing loss that is caused by problems in the middle ear with medicines or surgery. There is no cure for hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or nerves.
How well your baby does depends on the cause and severity of the hearing loss. Advances in hearing aids and other devices, as well as speech therapy allow many children to develop normal language skills at the same age as their peers with normal hearing. Even infants with profound hearing loss can do well with the right combination of treatments.
If the baby has a disorder that affects more than hearing, the outlook depends on what other symptoms and problems the baby has.
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if your baby or young child displays signs of hearing loss, such as not reacting to loud noises, not making or mimicking noises, or not speaking at the expected age.
If your child has a cochlear implant, call your health care provider immediately if your child develops a fever, stiff neck, headache, or an ear infection.
It is not possible to prevent all cases of hearing loss in infants.
Women who are planning to become pregnant should make sure they are current on all vaccinations.
Pregnant women should check with their doctor before taking any medications. If you are pregnant, avoid activities that can expose your baby to dangerous infections such as toxoplasmosis.
If you or your partner has a family history of hearing loss, you may want to get genetic counseling before becoming pregnant.


text:
I am playing around with some simple USB HID game devices. Hardware es essentially the same as my C64 USB keyboard.
1) Is there some tool that can show the HID report descriptor received when plugging in a device? I would like to use this to examine the report descriptor of some commercial HID devices (game-pads, joysticks, etc.) to get some better understanding of the HID report descriptor. Tool should run on either Windows XP or Linux.
2) What is the most simple report descriptor for a two-axis digital joystick with one button? (old C64/Atari joystick). I looked at the Atari style joystick/controller to USB adapter by Raphaël Assénat, but this seems much more complicated than what I need.
3) If I want to have two joysticks connected to one controller, would you suggest a single report defining four different axis, or should this be done as two (identical) reports (one for each joystick)? I see that most multi-axis joysticks define the X and Y axis and the throttle and rudder. But ideally my setup has two X-axes and two Y-axis (one of each for each joystick). And also one button for each joystick.