text:
- Review
- Open Access
Accelerometer measurement of upper extremity movement after stroke: a systematic review of clinical studies
- Marika Noorkõiv1, 2Email author,
- Helen Rodgers1 and
- Christopher I Price1
© Noorkõiv et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
- Received: 29 May 2014
- Accepted: 2 October 2014
- Published: 9 October 2014
The aim of this review was to identify and summarise publications, which have reported clinical applications of upper limb accelerometry for stroke within free-living environments and make recommendations for future studies. Data was searched from MEDLINE®, Scopus, IEEExplore and Compendex databases. The final search was 31st October 2013. Any study was included which reported clinical assessments in parallel with accelerometry in a free-living hospital or home setting. Study quality is reflected by participant numbers, methodological approach, technical details of the equipment used, blinding of clinical measures, whether safety and compliance data was collected. First author screened articles for inclusion and inclusion of full text articles and data extraction was confirmed by the third author. Out of 1375 initial abstracts, 8 articles were included. All participants were stroke patients. Accelerometers were worn for either 24 hours or 3 days. Data were collected as summed acceleration counts over a specified time or as the duration of active/inactive periods. Activity in both arms was reported by all studies and the ratio of impaired to unimpaired arm activity was calculated in six studies. The correlation between clinical assessments and accelerometry was tested in five studies and significant correlations were found. The efficacy of a rehabilitation intervention was assessed using accelerometry by three studies: in two studies both accelerometry and clinical test scores detected a post-treatment difference but in one study accelerometry data did not change despite clinical test scores showing motor and functional improvements. Further research is needed to understand the additional value of accelerometry as a measure of upper limb use and function in a clinical context. A simple and easily interpretable accelerometry approach is required.
- Motion
- Technology
- Neurological conditions
Body worn motion sensors provide an opportunity for non-invasive, objective and accurate observation of patients' movements during research and clinical rehabilitation [1–6]. These range from simple physical activity monitors (e.g. pedometers) [1] to more complex instruments that can capture precise limb position in a three-dimensional space (e.g. a combined accelerometer-gyroscope-magnetic field) [2]. The continuous development of technology and data analysis methods has resulted in an increasing number of proof-of-concept and validation studies [3, 4]. However for motion sensor approaches to fully explore recovery mechanisms or assist clinicians during therapeutic decision-making, they must reflect patient activity in real world settings.
Being small, light and affordable, accelerometers are an attractive technology for measurement of upper extremity movement. As loss of arm function is common after stroke [5], they have already been used to record activity (i.e. the amount of use per time unit) [7] and/or discriminate active from inactive periods [6, 8]. Although the information derived from standard accelerometers is limited to changes in speed and direction, if therapeutic applications are demonstrated in hospital and home settings then a large number of patients could benefit.
A broad systematic review of accelerometer applications after stroke has previously reported that accelerometers yield valid and reliable data about the physical activity of patients, but the clinical implications were unclear because of the limited evidence available [9]. The search was undertaken in October 2008 and has not been repeated to include more recent publications which focus on clinically relevant outcomes. Subsequent studies have included a heterogeneous range of upper limb impairment and function measures, and used a variety of statistical approaches to examine for associations with different accelerometer data formats. Consequently it is difficult to appreciate the current state of development of clinical accelerometer applications.
The aim of this systematic review was to identify and summarise publications that have reported clinical applications of upper limb accelerometry amongst stroke populations within free-living hospital or home environments, and thereby make recommendations for future clinical practice and research. To maintain clinical relevance, we sought to include only studies from real-world settings which reported clinical assessments in parallel with motion data.
- (1)
What are the clinically relevant research applications of upper limb accelerometers in a free-living hospital or home environment?
- (2)
What types of accelerometers have been described and how were they used?
- (3)
How was data collected and analysed?
- (4)
How do the data measurements obtained relate to clinical assessments in a way that would be useful for clinicians and researchers?
The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed original studies that (1) used movement sensors in a stroke population from a free-living clinical or domiciliary setting, (2) created a kinematic description of upper limb movement from sensor data, (3) used stand-alone accelerometers which did not require an external reference point (e.g. an electromagnetic field), (4) compared the kinematic data with a clinical assessment of impairment or function. We did not include articles that reported data (1) only relating to validity, reliability or algorithm and/or sensor development without any clinical comparison, (2) from sensors used in a visual feedback system or video game, (3) reflecting modification of the accelerometer output by other devices (e.g. from a separate gyroscope), and (4) where movement was limited to a very specific environment, function and/or task e.g. during performance of a subset of upper limb motor tasks from the Fugl-Meyer Assessment [10] or only during reaching [7]. Due to the small number of publications anticipated, all research designs were included and study quality was not formally rated. However quality is reflected by the study information reported including participant numbers, population details provided, methodological approach taken, technical description of the equipment used, blinding of clinical measures and whether safety and compliance data were collected.
Upper limb accelerometry applications in clinical stroke research
Overview of the selected articles
Uswatte et al. (2006)[6]
Lang et al. (2007)[11]
Thrane et al. (2011)[12]
Van der Pas et al. (2011)[8]
Wang et al. (2011)[13]
Rand et al. (2012)[16]
Liao et al. (2012)[17]
Taub et al. (2013)[15]
To study the reliability and validity of the Motor Activity Log for assessing real-world quality of a movement scale (QOM) and amount of use scale (AOU) of the hemiparetic arm in stroke survivors.
To determine the amount of arm use in people with hemiparesis post stroke during inpatient rehabilitation. To examine the relationships between upper extremity use, impairments and activity limitations.
To investigate the correlations between arm motor impairment and real-world use. To analyse whether arm movement ratio (AMR) is correlated with impairment or duration of arm use. To assess the influence of motor impairment on self-care activities.
To test whether triaxial arm accelerometry is a valid method to measure the amount of upper extremity activity in the daily life of adult stroke survivors.
To investigate the criterion-related validity, responsiveness, and clinically important differences of the ABILHAND questionnaire in patients with stroke.
To determine the change in daily use of the upper and lower extremities of stroke patients during subacute rehabilitation.
To compare the effects of robot-assisted therapy on real-world arm activity and daily function in a dose-matched (in amount of hours) control treatment group.
To determine whether patients with functionless hands would improve everyday use using a combination of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and conventional techniques for regulating tone.
Study design
Multicenter clinical trial.
Cross-sectional study.
Cross-sectional concurrent validity study.
Validation and clinimetric study.
Observational cohort.
Prospective randomized controlled trial.
Case series.
Single-blinded (raters).
Not reported.
Blinded raters.
Safety data
Not reported.
Not reported.
Not reported.
Not reported.
Not reported.
Not reported.
Not reported.
Not reported.
Two-axial accelerometers (Manufacturing Technologies Inc., Fort Walton Beach, FL).
Uni-axial accelerometers (model 7164–2.4 Activity Monitors, MTI Health Services, FL).
Uni-axial ActiGraph GT1M Accelerometers (ActiGraph Inc., Pensacola, USA).
Tri-axial watch-like, water-resistant accelerometers (Actiwatch AW7a).
Accelerometers about the size of a large wristwatch. The type was not reported.
Tri-axial accelerometers (ActicalTM, Mini Mitter Co).
Tri-axial MicroMini-Motion logger (Ambulatory Monitoring, New York, NY, USA).
Accelerometers were not defined.
1 on each wrist.
1 on each wrist.
1 on each wrist.
1 around each wrist.
1 on each wrist.
1 on each wrist.
1 on each wrist.
1 on each arm.
Wearing time
3 days during all waking hours, except when in contact with water.
Single 24 h period, except for times when the devices would be exposed to water.
Single 24 h period.
Continuously for 3 days.
All day (not specified by authors for how long).
3 days on admission for rehabilitation and 3 weeks later prior to discharge. Could remove at night.
3 days before/after the intervention, except when in contact with large amounts of water.
3 days before and after each phase of the treatment.
62.2 ± 13.0
63.9 ± 14.8 (range: 39–94)
65 ± 14
59.4 ± 9.2 (range: 39–80)
55.26 ± 10.31
61.0 ± 13.3
55.51 ± 11.17
56.9 ± 9.8
Men (%)
Time since stroke
3-12 months
9.3 ± 4.2 days
10.6 ± 6 days
2.6 ± 1.6 years
17.57 ± 13.43 months
33.4 ± 2.7 days
23.90 ± 13.39 months
5.1 ± 6.8 years
Outside the laboratory.
During in-patient rehabilitation.
Normal community-dwelling activity.
Normal community-dwelling activity.
Normal community-dwelling activity.
Normal community-dwelling activity.
Normal community-dwelling activity.
Normal community-dwelling daily activity.
Accelerometer activity measures
The ratio of duration of more- to less-impaired arm activity. Duration of less-impaired-arm activity as a% of the recording period (the number of epochs in the less-impaired arm data with above-threshold values divided by the total number of epochs).
Duration of impaired and unimpaired upper extremity usage during a 24 hr period.
(1) Duration of arm use, (2) The ratio of arm use duration between the more and less affected arm (AMR).
(1) The total sum of acceleration counts during waking hours divided by the number of waking hours. (2) Bilateral arm activity: the ratio of the sum of daytime accele-ration of the impaired arm to the unimpaired arm.
Ratio of affected to unaffected arm recordings.
The mean activity counts for the upper extremity for 1) an entire day, 2) a PT session, 3) an OT session and 4) daily use not including the OT/PT sessions.
Ratio of mean activity between the impaired and unimpaired arm.
The ratio of more-affected to less-affected arm recordings.
Applications of accelerometers in the selected studies were grouped into four main categories: (1) description of upper limb usage after stroke [11]; (2) assessment of the effect of therapeutic interventions such as robot-assisted therapy [17], constraint-induced movement therapy [16] and sub-acute stroke rehabilitation [15]; (3) comparison of real-world upper limb use with various measures of upper limb impairment and function; and (4) examination of the reliability and validity of a specific clinical scale such as the ABILHAND questionnaire [13] and Motor Activity Log [14]. No studies were identified which used accelerometer output to modify a therapeutic intervention in the same cohort. Compliance with accelerometry was reported only in the study by Liao et al. [17]: "all 20 study participants completed the study and no discomfort when wearing the device was reported and overall compliance was good".
Accelerometer type, site and duration
Three studies used tri-axial accelerometers [8, 16, 17], one study two-axial [14], two studies uni-axial accelerometers [11, 12] and the type of the accelerometer were not reported by two studies [13, 15]. All participants wore accelerometers on both wrists for either a single 24 hr period [11–13] or 3 consecutive days [8, 14–17]. Only Lang et al. explained their choice of data collection period: "the 24 hour period was chosen because: 1) that is the length of the day, enabling to capture activity that might occur outside of the typical workday or therapy hours, and 2) people with hemiparesis and controls were less interested in participating or less-compliant with wearing them if they had to be worn for longer periods" [11].
Accelerometry data collection and analysis
Data were collected either as the summed acceleration counts over a specified time [8, 14, 16, 17], or as dichotomized data representing the duration of active and inactive periods [11, 12]. Different approaches were reported for defining a unit of arm activity, with data capture epochs varying from 1 second to 1 minute. Activity of both impaired and unimpaired upper extremities were measured and reported in all studies. A ratio of impaired to unimpaired arm activity was calculated for all studies except Rand et al. [16] and Lang et al. [12]. Two studies explained their choice for using a ratio as a main outcome measure: Liao et al. [17] chose arm activity ratio because the mean activity value of each arm would be subject to interference by other factors, such as walking pattern [18]; Uswatte et al. [14] explained that accelerometers were worn on both wrists during a trial of constraint induced movement therapy because a single unit on the impaired arm might cue use of that extremity and thereby confound measurement of treatment outcome and previous validation studies had suggested that the ratio of recordings controlled better for variations in overall levels of physical activity [1, 19].
In two studies the participants were asked to keep a diary to assist with accelerometry data analysis [8, 12]: Thrane et al. [12] asked participants to note in a diary when accelerometers were removed, travel and sleep in order to exclude these periods from analysis. Van der Pas et al. [8] asked participants to record times for going to sleep/getting up and trigger an event marker on the device. In the study by Rand et al. [16], a participant completed diary was not used but the activity counts of arm swing while walking were eliminated (5 consecutive steps or more in one epoch) to increase data specificity for goal directed hand usage.
Clinical measures vs. accelerometry data
Comparisons of accelerometer data and clinical scales
Uswatte et al. (2006)[16]
Lang et al. (2007)[10]
Thrane et al. (2011)[12]
Van der Pas et al. (2011)[8]
Wang et al. (2011)[13]
Rand et al. (2012)[16]
Liao et al. (2012)[17]
Taub et al. (2013)[15]
Statistical approach
Type 3,1 intraclass correlations.
Spearman correlation
Spearman correlation
Spearman correlation
Pearson correlations
Paired t-test
Paired t-test
Accelerometer data comparison
Duration of use
Duration of use Calculated AMR
Activity counts Calculated AMR
Calculated AMR
Activity counts, the upper extremity activity did not change.
Calculated AMR. The robot-assisted therapy group improved compared with the active control group: accelerometer F1,16=5.91, p=0.026, effect size r=0.26.
Calculated AMR. Improved from baseline to post-intervention: t=2.9, p=0.016, d'=1.2
Clinical Measures of Impairment
Shoulder flex r=0.30, p<0.05, elbow flex r=0.50, p=0.01, wrist ext r=0.63, p<0.01
Changed from baseline to post-intervention: t=6.1, p=0.001, d'=2.6.
The duration of use of the affected arm: r=0.60, p<0.001. AMR: r=-0.85, p<0.001
FMA improved: t=-2.9, p=0.005
The robot-assisted therapy group improved compared with the active control group: FMA F1,16=14.32, p=0.002, effect size r=0.46
Change in FMA from baseline to post-intervention t=4.0, p=0.005, d'=1.6
Modified Ashworth Scale
r=-0.31, n.s
Shoulder pain r=0.41, p<0.01
Composite light touch r=-0.15, n.s., joint position sense r=-0.03, n.s
Strength using a hand-held dynamometer
Shoulder flex r=0.34, p<0.01, elbow flex r=0.52, p<0.01, wrist ext r=0.37, p<0.01, grip r=0.42, p<0.01
Gait speed
Improved: t=-4.8, p<0.001
Clinical Measures of Function
r=0.40, p<0.01
Improved: t=-4.7, p<0.001
Motor r=0.67, p<0.01, UE r=0.58. p<0.01.
Improved: t=-7.6, p<0.001
The robot-assisted therapy group improved compared with the control group: FIM F1,16=0.03, p=0.88, effect size r=0.002
Function r=0.62, p<0.01; time r=-0.65, p<0.01
BBS improved: t=-6.4, p<0.001
6MWT improved: t=-4.8, p<0.001
Clinical Questionnaires
At baseline and post treatment: r=0.45–0.54, p<0.01.
The robot-assisted therapy group improved compared with the control group: F1,16=4.76, p=0.043, effect size r=0.22
AMR was correlated with QOM r=0.52, p<0.01 and AOU r=0.47, p<0.01. Less-impaired arm accelerometry was not correlated with QOM r=0.14, n.s. and AOU r=0.14, n.s.
Bilateral arm activity (mean of 2 arms): MAL-26AOU Scale r=0.37, p<0.01. MAL-26AOU Scale r=0.37, p<0.01.
The robot-assisted therapy group improved compared with the control group: MAL AOU F1,16=9.39, p=0.007, effect size r=0.36, MAL QOM F1,16=13.48, p=0.002, effect size r=0.44
Change in FL-MAL Arm Use scale from baseline to post-intervention: t=7.4, p=0.001, effect size(d')=3.0
AMR: MAL-26AOU Scale r=0.60, p<0.001, MAL-26QOM Scale r=0.66, p<0.001.
Affected arm activity: MAL-26AOU Scale r=0.58, p<0.001, MAL-26QOM Scale r=0.65, p<0.001.
Consistent with studies in controlled settings, Thrane et al. [12] found a stronger correlation between a clinical assessment of impairment (Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and the movement duration ratio between the least affected and more affected arm (r = -0.851, p < 0.001) than between the FMA and raw accelerometer data (r = 0.601, p < 0.001). However Van der Pas et al. [8] found a high correlation between unilateral (affected arm) and bilateral (ratio) accelerometry (the number of counts per time unit representing movement 'intensity') and MAL-AOU (amount of use) and MAL-QOM (quality of movement) scales, suggesting that both unilateral and bilateral arm accelerometry are valid methods for assessing arm activity related to function in daily life of patients after stroke.
Thrane et al. [12] found a variation in arm movement ratio (AMR) from accelerometer readings especially in the upper range (less impairment) of FMA: in the FMA range of 43–47, the AMR varied from a normal level of 1.2 to 2.5, indicating 2.5 times greater movement of the less-affected arm which could indicate perceptual difficulties or "learned non-use" amongst some participants. No cofactors interfered with this relationship in the two-factor regression models (age, gender, days since stroke, initial stroke severity, apraxia, and lower extremity function). Hand dominance and choice of tasks could also explain AMR variations in subjects with the same level of motor function, however incomplete data prevented the authors from further exploration of this finding and the clinical implication is not clear [12].
The efficacy of an intervention was tested in three studies [15–17] where accelerometry and clinical tests data were collected in parallel. In two of these, the accelerometer data ratio between the impaired and unimpaired arm and clinical test scores both detected a difference from baseline to post-treatment [15, 17]. The FMA [15, 17], MAL [15, 17], Functional Independence Measure [17] and active range of motion of the upper limb [15] were used as outcome measures. However, in the study by Rand et al. [16], there was a discrepancy between the clinical test scores and accelerometry: clinical test scores showed motor and functional improvements while upper extremity accelerometry data (mean activity counts) did not change (Table 2). Although this discrepancy may reflect methodological factors, accelerometer data might be a better representation of real world activity, which is influenced by many more factors than just motor performance.
Measurement of upper extremity movement by accelerometry during day-to-day activities in hospital or at home has the potential to provide additional valuable information about recovery after stroke. The eight studies identified for the present review, including a large multicentre clinical trial (n = 222) [14] and a prospective randomised controlled trial (n = 20) [17], have demonstrated that accelerometry can be systematically applied as a method for measuring overall upper extremity activity. However it is still uncommon that motion sensors are used to inform the development of new clinical rehabilitation approaches.
Accelerometry data correlated well with the clinical tests of impairment and function, apart from measures which do not directly reflect upper limb motor function such as tone, sensation and mobility. Only the study by Rand et al. [16] reported that accelerometry failed to detect change in upper extremity usage after a rehabilitation programme whilst clinical tests showed a significant decrease in impairment and improved function. Interestingly, this was one of the two studies where the ratio of impaired to unimpaired arm usage was not calculated and reported the usage of impaired upper extremity only, but it should be also considered that rehabilitation approach, patient motivation and learned non-use might be reasons why clinical recovery is not reflected in daily upper limb activity [16]. Improvements in stand-alone clinical assessments without matching accelerometer readings might indicate that participants have not translated motor recovery into daily life. Rand et al. [16] suggested that the gap between the recovery of capacity (i.e. clinical measurements) and the lack of improvement in performance (i.e. daily use of the upper extremities according to accelerometer data) provides a useful guide for clinicians. If this is demonstrated by appropriately designed studies then feedback of accelerometer data to patients and clinicians may have a therapeutic role. Improving the interpretation of accelerometry data with clinical questionnaires (e.g. the Motor Activity Log and ABILHAND) could allow researchers to capture a wider spectrum of change in daily function for stroke patients receiving rehabilitative therapies [8, 13, 14, 17]. In several studies participants were asked to keep a diary describing their everyday activities such as periods of walking, sitting, driving car etc. [8, 12]. However, using activity log sheets in addition to accelerometry will set certain limitations for study recruitment due to the extra time, effort and motivation required from participants and researchers, and is only feasible if the participant can write, or a carer can reliably complete log sheets on their behalf.
Accelerometry data were collected either during 24 hours or 3 consecutive days, which was justified by only one author [11]. Other studies mostly referred to the published protocols by Uswatte et al. [1, 6] where data collection is over three consecutive days, possibly because the accelerometer continuous recording capacity is approximately 72 h. It is unclear how long accelerometry data should be collected for in order to obtain a meaningful description of upper extremity usage in a real-world environment [20, 21]. It has been suggested that 7 to 10 and 14 to 21 days of assessment are required to reliable observe (i.e. R = 0.80), total activity in healthy men and women, respectively [22]. In contrast, 21 to 28 days are required for reliable observation of non-occupational activity patterns in healthy men and women [22]. Measuring physical activity levels and patterns of patients during neurological rehabilitation will be more challenging, as the duration and amplitude of activities will be limited by changes in motor function [11]. In community settings it has been shown that adults participants are more active on Saturdays than Sundays [22, 23], and for a real-world examination of motor behaviour it would be important to balance the days of the week [21].
Further interpretation of data still has limitations, mainly because of contamination by other activities that did not include purposeful arm movement e.g. walking. Attempts have been made to overcome these limitations by using special data collection and analysis methods to prevent overestimation of upper extremity use. Most of the studies included in the present review defined upper extremity use as any time when accelerometer data suggested movement. However there were alternative approaches. Rand et al. [16] defined upper extremity usage as the number of activity counts during a specified time. Liao et al. [17] defined upper extremity usage as the area under the transducer signal curve proposing that this detected subtle change in hemiplegic arm activity and so was more appropriate for rehabilitation studies than a threshold approach [9, 24].
Six studies out of eight used the ratio of impaired to unimpaired arm as the outcome of upper extremity usage [8, 11–14, 17], three of the six studies reported the ratio only [13, 15, 17]. Whilst the ratio can aid correction for the variability in overall physical activity, its interpretation is limited if the absolute activity of impaired and unimpaired arms is not reported. For example, Lang et al. [11] found that the activity duration of the impaired arm was less than unimpaired, however, the usage of both was less than that of healthy controls. They also found that the hours of dominant and non-dominant upper extremity use were not different [11] and that affected and unaffected upper extremity use was positively correlated, supporting observations that upper extremities are most often used together to perform bimanual tasks during daily activity [11]. In addition, Van der Pas [8] found that movement of the affected arm after stroke was related to performance of functional activities when that arm was dominant pre-stroke. Therefore when upper extremity usage is reported as a ratio, the underlying data is still dependent upon intra- and inter-individual variations in bilateral upper extremity activity. The personal choice of tasks attempted will also influence conclusions which can be drawn when comparing between individuals in real-world settings, which has implications for use of accelerometry during rehabilitation programmes where patient and therapist select repetitive movements from a menu, e.g. [25].
The type of sensors varied from uni- to multiple-axis accelerometers. Although a strong positive correlation between the output from uniaxial and multiple axis accelerometers have been reported [2], the validity coefficients reported for multiple axis units have been higher than those reported for uniaxial models [2]. Importantly, it is impossible to calculate a minimal clinical difference for arm use by a uniaxial accelerometer because they only measure in a single plane of movement [9]. Thus, multiple axis accelerometers should be preferred to uniaxial devices.
Study limitations
Although we sought to identify studies in free-living rather than controlled laboratory settings, the patients included were still not typical of the stroke population, being younger than the average age of stroke occurrence in UK (~ 75 y) [26] and more often male. There was a tendency to use accelerometry amongst patients with moderate to mild impairment. Time since stroke varied across a large range and it is likely that contact with rehabilitation services would have varied similarly. There was no data safety or tolerance reported (except the comment by Liao et al. [17]). These factors reduce the relevance of current evidence for typical neurological rehabilitation populations. Identifying and overcoming difficulties that limit the use of real-world accelerometry across a whole range of patients will be a challenging but an important focus for future studies.
Clinical measures are still required to provide context for interpretation in case the individual's recovery is not reflected through real world accelerometer data e.g. due to learned non-use
The ratio between impaired and unimpaired sides is the standard approach for upper limb accelerometry but hand dominance might require further consideration depending upon individually chosen rehabilitation goals
Diaries should be used for at least a proportion of the monitoring period in order to relate individual accelerometer data to background levels of activity.
Simple, user-friendly cost-effective and easily interpretable upper limb accelerometry methods are still required if this is to be a useful tool to monitor patients' progress alongside clinical assessments of motor recovery.
Appendix 1: search strategy
MEDLINE: (stroke* and rehabilit* and accelerometer*).mp. [mp = title, abstract, original title, name of substance word, subject heading word, keyword heading word, protocol supplementary concept, rare disease supplementary concept, unique identifier]
Scopus: TITLE-ABS-KEY(stroke* AND rehabilit* AND accelerometer*)
IEEExplore: stroke* and rehabilit* and accelerometer*
Compendex: ((((stroke*) WN KY) AND ((rehabilit*) WN KY)) AND ((accelerometer*) WN KY))
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I cannot imagine a life without the presence of HIV/AIDS. It has always been around, and at 36 HIV/AIDS played a formative role in the politicization of my coming out at 18. Seeing that in writing is kind of shocking as I am now realizing that I am finally at an age where I have lived half of my life as an out queer man.
My first memory of HIV/AIDS is seeing photos of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt laid out on The Mall in Washington DC in October 1992. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran a front page story about the quilt, and I remember wondering what exactly it was about. I was too young and removed from the personal impact of HIV/AIDS to truly understand its significance.
About six months later, another front page story was run about the March on Washington for LGBT Rights. Featured on the cover was a young woman who went to my high school. She traveled to DC to participate in the March, and the Star-Tribune ran her story. She was the first out person I ever knew, and I only knew her through the paper. (She transferred schools shortly after the article ran.) I remember reading her say something about how the March is for human rights for all LGBT people, and that HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest issues of our community. While not out quite yet, it started to hit home: if I come out I will have to deal with HIV/AIDS.
Two months before I officially came out, I snuck away from my Catholic seminary to go to the LGBT Student Center at the University of Minnesota to do research on HIV/AIDS for a presentation for my speech class. I was nervous. It was my first time stepping in to a queer space, and I was terrified someone would confuse me for being gay. I was just not ready to acknowledge my queerness or to face the possibility that HIV/AIDS would become a major decision-making factor in my life. Still, I had to do "research", so I swallowed my anxiety and stepped inside.
The sheer number of safer sex posters adorning the walls told me immediately that HIV/AIDS was the LGBT communities number one issue. Things like workplace equality, gay marriage, gays in the military, and bullying were on the back burner. We were literally fighting for our lives, for our survival as a people. And we were doing it with an unparallelled urgency as the generations before me witnessed the death toll of AIDS.
On one level, it was overwhelmingly frightening. I was faced with mortality at 18, and I didn't want to confront what death meant for it also meant looking at how I lived. I was living a closeted life. I was hiding in the seminary. I was denying a whole piece of my self, compartmentalizing it until I thought it was suppressed and wouldn't show its face.
It was also liberating. Here I was in an office with other students that bravely confronted their own selves, their own lives, their own deaths. And they were laughing, studying, researching, supporting. They were living. It gave me hope and strength for my own coming out. I came out two months later after a few more trips to the LGBT Center, more conversations and research, and my final presentation to my speech class, of which I got an A.
The first question I was asked by a friend when I came out was, "Aren't you scared of getting AIDS?" I burst into tears on the phone. I couldn't carry on the conversation, so I hung up the phone. I knew I would have to face these questions, that they would be central to how people now viewed me. I also was fragile, broken, tempestuously young. I vacillated between crying and screaming each time I was asked that question, which was all too frequent.
I learned how to deal with that question in large part thanks to activism. I educated myself on safe sex practices, policies affecting LGBT lives that went beyond HIV/AIDS, roots of oppression and discrimination. I unearthed both through research and from living my life the interconnection between the numerous and deep layers of oppression. I found solidarity with other outsiders, with people on the margins, with those who have been the victim of American policy. It healed me.
On this World AIDS Day, the ocean wind carries these memories back to me. I cannot imagine a world without HIV/AIDS for HIV/AIDS is integral to my healing. As I reflect, a new wish emerges: I wish for others to find the healing they need and deserve.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi everybody!
I was interviewed by Bob Dumas from The Mahopac News about the book. The article is now available online. Check it out https://www.tapinto.net/towns/mahopac/articles/mahopac-grad-pens-teen-novel-inspired-by-local-events
My apologies to those of you who had trouble purchasing The Girls of Haviland in November. My good friend, Phyllis, was gracious enough to proofread it for me after she found a few errors in the book. I've had the book reprinted. The corrected version is now available at Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Girls-Haviland-Deborah-Rafferty-Oswald/dp/1548860085


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Financial Psychopaths: They (we?) are everywhere.
Comment: For a firm, it is all about money. Those who can make money will be hired, regardless of potential character flaws. Just as it has been shown that some people with autism/asperger's are several standard deviations above the mean in terms of scientific abilities (if this is a gross misinterpretation, please forgive me), some people who are considered psychopaths will be the greatest money makers. The line between a Patrick Bateman and a Ray Dalio is thinner than many think. Article courtesy of CFA Magazine. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/9de78eea#/9de78eea/36
The Financial Psychopath Next Door
Rogue traders are disturbingly common
Modern investment theory is based on the premise that individuals are rational in their approach to financial decision making. Their key objective is to maximize wealth, and they are unbiased in their expectations regarding the future and always act in their own best interests. In reality, individuals sometimes make irrational decisions influenced by mental processes and emotional factors.
Traders in particular tend to be overconfident in their skills and their ability to influence the outcome of uncontrollable events, according to Victor Ricciardi, assistant professor of financial management at Goucher College and a specialist in behavioral finance. Traders often go through a period of time without any losses, and they convince themselves that the winning streak will continue. In gambling parlance, this behavior is known as "the hot hand fallacy." Interestingly, they are more apt to take profits than realize losses because losses affect their compensation, discredit them in front of their colleagues or can even cost them their job.
Taken to the extreme, some traders become compulsive gamblers. The behavior is often latent—neither they nor anyone else knows they have this propensity. They hide small losses and keep doubling their position to try to eliminate them. When those trades turn sour, they dig themselves into a deeper hole and deny any wrongdoing or failure. They rationalize by telling themselves that poor investment decisions are an occupational hazard. They lie to family members or others to conceal the extent of their involvement with gambling and commit forgery, fraud, theft, and embezzlement to support their habit.
Christopher Bayer is a psychologist who provides therapy to Wall Street professionals. He believes compulsive gamblers fight depression by gambling. Their actions give them a sense of power, control, invincibility, and grandiosity. They are attracted by the rush or high caused by increased levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and endorphins, in their brains.
Compulsive gamblers are not motivated by financial gain. They want to lose, and they brag about their losses. "People who have the most status in Gamblers Anonymous are those who have lost millions of dollars," he says. "The people who are the $2 horse players are considered chumps. It's a whole status system."
These "financial psychopaths" generally lack empathy and interest in what other people feel or think. At the same time, they display an abundance of charm, charisma, intelligence, credentials, an unparalleled capacity for lying, fabrication, and manipulation, and a drive for thrill seeking.
A financial psychopath can present as a perfect wellrounded job candidate, CEO, manager, co-worker, and team member because their destructive characteristics are practically invisible. They flourish in fast-paced industries and are experts in taking advantage of company systems and processes as well as exploiting communication weaknesses and promoting interpersonal conflicts.
Studies conducted by Canadian forensic psychologist Robert Hare indicate that about 1 percent of the general population can be categorized as psychopathic, but the prevalence rate in the financial services industry is 10 percent. And Christopher Bayer believes, based on his experience, that the rate is higher.
Yet these personality traits present a dilemma, adds Richard Peterson, managing partner of MarketPsych, which does psychological and behavioral finance training for portfolio managers, analysts, and financial advisors. "You wouldn't want to hire somebody who doesn't have many of these traits because it's a competitive business," he says. "You don't want to spend time moping about employees you have to lay off. You just have to lay people off and keep going."
Extreme risk taking/compulsive gambling is an addiction, and the first step to recovery is recognizing that a problem exists and that emotions impact behavior. An addict's confidence and ethics gradually erode to a point where the rules no longer apply. "This is happening unconsciously to most people," says Peterson. "By the time they become conscious again, they're in trouble—they've lost their job or maybe they're even in prison. It's too late."
One of Christopher Bayer's patients ran through his trading account on the New York Mercantile Exchange, gambling to the amount of more than US$2.5 million.
"It became quickly evident that this individual had no respect for money and he did not 'honor' his labor in making it. He was absolutely self-defeating," explains Bayer. "Professionally, my patient was an exceptionally gifted and talented trader, yet he was incorrigible, immature, and utterly irresponsible and just could never keep pace with his losses."
Compulsive gamblers can get help though 12-step programs, psychotropic medications, and psychotherapy. In this particular case, Bayer used books, poetry, and other materials to help foster relationships and increase awareness with this patient. Through historical research, the patient gained respect for the value of money and his "place in history as a trader." They also explored the need to hedge and protect his trades and build in a stop-loss model that had to be applied on every trade. The patient slowly dug himself out of the hole, but he will wrestle with a demon for the rest of his life.
An Ounce of Prevention
Ultimately, financial firms need to do a better job of screening job candidates. Their goal should be to hire people with good morals who are not obsessed with money and have interests outside of work. In addition to finding out whether candidates can build a financial model, employers need to get a feel for who candidates are as people. What do they do when they are out of the office? What do they value and believe in? What does money mean to them, and how do they perceive it? Peterson advises firms to explore a job candidate's propensity for extreme risk taking by presenting scenarios.
During the interview, candidates should be asked what they would do if their model continued to lose money over a period of months. "You create a series of psychological dilemmas for people and see how deep they'll dig that hole," says Peterson. "You gradually escalate severity to see how they respond. In the end, it has to get more and more uncomfortable."
Given the high stakes, firms need rigorous risk management controls and sophisticated analytics systems that can track employees' activities and uncover potential threats. This is a data-integration challenge. Traders use multiple platforms, including order management systems, e-mail, and telephone. Each has a different information flow and format, and they are distributed throughout the firm but not connected.
"You're talking about thousands of different applications and dozens of different systems," says Eli Bingham, forward-deployed engineer at Palantir, a technology company specializing in analytics. "One statistic I've heard is that the typical financial institution has one database for every eight employees."
Employees have access to particular applications, and they have certain privileges on them. Typically, traders have access to front-office features and functionality but not back-office features and functionality. Sometimes exceptions are granted, however, giving them access to both. The infamous rogue traders at UBS, Société Générale, and Barings understood the front-office and back-office procedures. Because they had access to both sets of systems, they could cover their tracks.
Firms such as JPMorgan use services such as Palantir to scrub through toxic accommodations where access to systems can present a risk to the organization. The system uses integrated data and analysis tools to allow an investigator to cross data sets, examine activity, and reveal suspicious employee behavior. It models an employee's behavior across all the different platforms and looks for deviations from the norm. Firms also can monitor when privileges become available to particular employees and detect anomalies within a population of employees that have more privileges. The system also can be used to monitor for intellectual property theft, data leakage, and malware.
In the past several years, reckless gambling and rogue trading have led to large financial losses, damage to reputations, and (in one case—see sidebar) the complete collapse of the institution. Financial institutions are well aware of the threat, especially from employees that have intimate knowledge of and access to front- and back-office systems. Mitigating the risk should be a top priority of CIOs and other senior executives. At the same time, employees also should be aware of this occupational hazard, check their own behavior, and get help before it is too late.
Sherree DeCovny is a freelance journalist specializing in finance and technology.


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Monday, June 10, 2013
Freebies - Men
7 comments:
- Janet Ghio said...
I love the third guy-despite his ears! Always wonderful to get vintage photos of men to use!!
- June 10, 2013 at 5:06 PM
- teri flemal said...
I love looking at old pictures of men. I like to decide if I'd be attracted to them, LOL. That guy with the ears -- not so much, haha.
- June 10, 2013 at 8:02 PM
- peggy gatto said...
you are toooooo generous and I thank you!!!
- June 10, 2013 at 9:09 PM
- Sarah said...
Thanks so much. I needed a few more good men...for a project...LOL.
- June 10, 2013 at 10:48 PM
- Rebeca Trevino said...
who knew?
- June 11, 2013 at 9:48 AM
- Martina2801 said...
Wonderful new freebies, Elizabeth! Thank you very much!!!
I hope you are well and you enjoy the season?
Have a good week my dear.
Hugs and smile
MARTINA oxo
- June 11, 2013 at 11:26 AM
- Shopgirl said...
Thank you so much. I may use one or more of these photos for a story I am writing. I love these photos, we hardly ever see such wonderful pictures of men and I just love everything about these. You share such wonderful things, Thank you again. Hugs, Mary
- June 11, 2013 at 7:47 PM


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The Green Monster Bus has teamed up with the David Ortiz Children's Fund! The mission of the GMB Crew is to make an impact through travel; every dollar donated through our platform will go directly to DOCF. Our goal is to raise $10,000 or $1 for every mile of our journey. With your help, we will use this money to support the cost of 2 life changing surgeries.
About the DOCF
"The David Ortiz Children's Fund is committed to helping children in New England and the Dominican Republic who do not have access to the critical pediatric services they need. They are proud to partner with Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and World Pediatric Project through its work with CEDIMAT to fulfill its mission. Working together, they're increasing the number of children receiving lifesaving surgeries. To date [the DOCF] has netted more than $2 million for children in need and saved over 500 lives in the Dominican Republic and has helped countless others in the New England area."
For more information and to read patient stories, please go to the DOCF website.
For more information and to read patient stories, please go to the DOCF website.


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DUBUQUE — The mother of a student who was killed at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School will spoke about mental health and gun safety in Dubuque on Thursday.
Nicole Hockley's son, Dylan, died in a shooting at the school nearly two years ago.
Dylan was one of twenty first-graders and six adults killed at the elementary school in Newton, Connecticut in December 2012
Read more at http://www.kcrg.com/subject/news/mother-of-sandy-hook-shooting-victim-speaks-about-mental-health-in-dubuque-20141030#KEl3VzFD8IjRKkTZ.99


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Finish Pure Dishwasher Salt - 3kg
Softens water and protects against limescale, spots and watermarks
£2.49 Was: £2.99 Saving: 16%
Find your Baumatic dishwasher spares and make your appliance happy again. We've got everything from replacement heating elements to Baumatic dishwasher basket wheels. To see all the spare parts that are made to fit your dishwasher please select your model number from the menu.


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With the NFL season heading toward it's end, and only one Cougar left playing as of today, I figured I would give you all an end of the year update on how the numerous Coug alums did in the NFL this year
• Marcus Trufant, Seattle
Marcus continues to be the brightest ex-Coug star in the league. 85 tackles, 7 INT's and 2 TD's including the absolutely beautiful 78 yard pick six in the Playoff win over Washington.
• Jason David, New Orleans
Jason's first year as a Saint was a good one. Granted, everyone ganged up on him after He GOT burned like a joint against his former team, the Colts, but Jason finished the year with 51 tackles, 3 picks and 2 forced fumbles.
• Jason Hanson, Detroit
The N-F-L's oldest Coug spent his 16th year still being one the top Kickers in the league. Jason kicked 82 percent this year with a longest of 53.
• Rian Lindell, Buffalo
Another great year, his 8th, for the Vancouver, WA native. 88 percent from the field with a long of 52.
• Hamza Abdullah, Denver
3rd year in the league, Played in 11 games, Recorded 48 Tackles and Two Forced Fumbles, Still is yet to get an INT in the League.
• Karl Paymah, Denver
Denver's other coug was contributor for the Brocs as well. With 22 tackles and two INT's.
• Erik Coleman, NY Jets
Erik had a dissapopinting 4th year with an absolutely piss-poor Jets team. His 51 tackles were less than half of last years total. And he's still on my shit list for naming his JUCO instead of Wazzu during intros on Monday Night Football a couple years back.
• Rob Meier, Jacksonville
Good 8th year for the big Canuck! 27 tackles and 4 sacks. One of those sacks came in the big Playoff win over Pittsburgh.
• Lamont Thompson, Jacksonville
The former Titan started the year with the Dolphins. Lucky for him he was a mid-season trade to the Jags, where he was a quiet contributor.
• Cory Withrow, San Diego
Cory had a decent year playing in 14 games and staring 4, and he's the only Cougar playing in a Conference championship game as the Chargers upset the Colts today.
• Troy Bienemann, Arizona
Big Troy had a decent year, playing in all 16 games for the Cards and picking up his first NFL Touchdown week 15 vs the Saints.
• Devard Darling, Baltimore
Devard's 4th year was his most productive yet, playing in all 16 games and snagging the First 3 TD's of his career. He also had 326 receiving yards on the year. Perhaps a new coach in Baltimore could mean more PT for Devard.
• Tyron Brackenridge, Kansas City
Tyron was a contributor on a KC defense that struggled at times, picking up 25 tackles and a forced fumble in 13 games.
• Jerome Harrison, Cleveland
I still think Jerome can be a great back in this league, but he spent his second year much like his first, riding the pine as the third stringer in Cleveland. Jerome is still without his first NFL TD.
• Eric Frampton, Minnesota
Eric had a quiet rookie year splitting time with Detroit and Minnesota and grabbing 14 tackles on the year.
• Jason Hill, San Francisco VERY quiet rookie year for Jason, played in 5 games and only caught one ball.
• Steve Gleason, New Orleans
The man who's blocked punt last year single-handedly sparked the Saints big resurgence sat all of this year with a knee injury. Turns out he was better off at home since the Saints were god awful this year.
• Raonall Smith, St. Louis
Raonall only got to play in 4 games for the Rams before a Knee injury put him out.
• Kyle Basler, Cleveland
Kyle didn't play this year being left on NON-Injury Reserve by the Browns
• Cody Boyd, Washington
• Mkristo Bruce, Oakland
• Steve Dildine, San Francisco


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In today's Teen Book Battle I'm pulling a couple of awesome titles from the Juvenile shelves. Meet our contenders:
On the left we have The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.
On the right we have N.E.R.D.S.: National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society.
The Mysterious Benedict Society introduces us to the orphaned urchin Reynie Muldoon, whose life as a weird outcast seems firmly established until he happens across an advertisement seeking gifted and talented children. The advertisement brings him to a test that changes his life and gives him some clever friends that will help uncover a treacherous plot at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Using quick thinking, strategic problem solving, a few codes and a bit of luck the gang puts their smarts to the test!
N.E.R.D.S. introduces us to the golden boy turned outcast Jackson Jones. Jackson used to be one of the cool kids, popular, lucky and witty- often at the expense of other classmates. Unfortunately for Jackson his days as the favored jock come to an end and he is re-branded an outcast. While he is out of the spotlight Jackson begins to notice other kids that seem to be pretty invisible and when he follows them he uncovers N.E.R.D.S.
Both books have elements of James Bond for tweenagers. The Mysterious Benedict Society takes a more serious approach, while N.E.R.D.S. is laugh-out-loud funny at times. Both books are quite marvelous in their own ways, for a younger tween I'd suggest N.E.R.D.S. and for anyone older The Mysterious Benedict Society is an excellent choice!!


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Archives: 50 years later, Don Meredith still has a song in his heart
Editor's note: This story first appeared in the Nov. 26, 2009 editions of The Dallas Morning News
SANTA FE, N.M. - Smiling, he rises from his chair. His hair is gray and his legs are creaky, but there's no mistaking it.
It's Don Meredith.
"Hello, hello!" the supposedly reclusive ex-Cowboys quarterback bellows to his invited guest, a reporter no less.
So many questions beg, but Meredith, 71, just wants to be himself. Share witticisms. Croon country tunes. Raise his Snapple to offer a, well, colorful toast.
Football doesn't enter the banter until Meredith is told of a nearing anniversary. On Nov. 28, 1959, he signed a personal services contract to play for a proposed NFL team that had no nickname, no coach and no other players.
From this seed sprouted the Dallas Cowboys.
"Son of a gun," Meredith chuckles. "I didn't know what 50 years felt like, but now I do."
In that other lifetime he was Dandy Don, the captivating SMU All-American from nearby Mount Vernon. He led the Cowboys to the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championship games, then rather inexplicably retired in 1969, at age 31.
Next he was Monday Night Football's "Irrepressible One," as booth-mate Howard Cosell called him. Millions tuned in to hear Meredith needle Cosell, rhapsodize about parents Jeff and Hazel and Mount Vernon and belt "The Party's Over."
But after the 1984 season, he virtually vanished to Santa Fe and semi-retirement with his wife, Susan. He since has given few interviews, adding mystery and intrigue to an already compelling Texas folk tale.
But for Don and Susan, now married 37 years, the mystery is why anyone would begrudge them a normal life after Don's high-profile careers.
"After he retired from Monday Night, we took up tennis and golf, maybe watched a few Super Bowls because we had parties," Susan says. "Football kind of went away."
Ex-teammates don't seem surprised. Meredith was the guy who sang in huddles, read Hemingway, shot mid-70s in golf and strummed and sipped with Willie Nelson.
Over the decades, teammates grew used to his sporadic attendance at alumni functions, but his most recent absence was conspicuous. Meredith was the only living Ring of Honor member unable to attend the Sept. 20 christening of Cowboys Stadium.
He has emphysema. Oxygen therapy makes it difficult to leave home, so he sits in his den, conquering backgammon challengers. On this day he tests his visitor by playing a country song on his laptop.
"Know who that is?"
"That's Jeff and Hazel's baby boy."
The tune is "Travelin' Man," one of two that Meredith recorded in 1965. Laughing, he taps his feet and sings duet with his 27-year-old self.
I'm a travelin' man
Just a rollin' stone
These wanderin' feet
Have got to roam ...
Joseph Donald Meredith's adventurous path traces to April 10, 1938, the day he was born in Mount Vernon, 100 miles northeast of Dallas.
At 2,700, the town's population has doubled since Joe Don and older brother Billy Jack starred for the Tigers in the '50s. Hazel died in 1988, Jeff in 1991, but the family presence remains.
"Don Meredith Boyhood Home" reads a curbside sign at 616 S. Kaufman, where Hazel swung a tire from a pecan tree so her boys could hone their passing.
Town square fixture Meredith Dry Goods was where Jeff perched 6-year-old Don near the door and taught him to greet every customer by name.
Two billboards direct Interstate 30 motorists to the Don Meredith Exhibit, in the former fire station. The museum's 2006 opening coincided with Don's 50th high school reunion.
"He sat here on a tall stool for a good two hours, signing autographs," Mayor J.D. Baumgardner says. "Had 'em three-deep clear out to the curb."
Museum visitors learn that Meredith was salutatorian, acted in the school play and probably was most skilled in basketball.
As a 6-3 junior, he scorched Dallas' 1954 Dr Pepper Tournament with records of 52 points against Adamson and 164 points in five games. Mount Vernon toppled big-city Crozier Tech and Woodrow Wilson en route to the title.
In football, Don wore No. 88 like Billy Jack, who went on to play at TCU. Don's jersey, letter jacket, ABC blazer and 1971 sportscasting Emmy are among the exhibit's many artifacts. For decades, Don had kept most of them in storage.
That love I've had
Has set me free
And a travelin' man
It's made out of me ...
Contrary to perception, the Merediths don't live in a steel fortress guarded by a moat and Dobermans.
They reside in a two-story adobe in southern Santa Fe. Toy poodle Moses and spaniel-poodle mix Beau briefly sniff newcomers' shoes.
The home has little evidence of Don's playing days. The only photo of him in his No. 17 Cowboys uniform hangs in the master bedroom, above one of Susan during her modeling days.
"We were both 23, though we didn't know each other," says Susan, adding with a laugh, "That's better than we look now. Holy moly."
Don shows no inclination to talk sports until his visitor pulls out a folder full of 1950s and '60s newspaper stories. Thumbing through the pages, Meredith reads the headlines aloud.
"Brings back some old memories, boy I'm telling you," he says. "It does, it does. I thank you, thank you."
After noting Don's thin necktie in a photo of him signing with SMU, Susan exclaims: "Look, that's your real nose! You hadn't had 14 nose breaks." To which Don cracks: "I was almost too pretty to be a boy. That's what my mother said."
Dallas might have daunted some small-town kids, but for the thespian quarterback it became center stage.
The city had no major professional teams, sportswriters showered superlatives and "Southern Meredith University" regularly drew 50,000 fans to the Cotton Bowl.
And would you believe it? During Meredith's senior season, word came that Dallas might get pro football. Not just one team, but two.
SMU alumnus Lamar Hunt was forming the American Football League and would own the Dallas Texans. Dallasites Clint Murchison Jr. and Bedford Wynne applied for an NFL expansion team.
Naturally, both organizations coveted Meredith as a cornerstone and box-office draw. On Nov. 22, 1959, six days before Meredith's college finale at TCU, the Texans made him their No. 1 draft pick.
Meredith was engaged to Mustangs cheerleader Lynne Shamburger and had been accepted to SMU law school. Hunt invited Don and Billy Jack to his mansion for barbecued burgers.
Oops. Hunt forgot starter fluid, so he had the Meredith boys gather mimosa leaves. The backyard soiree failed to kindle Don's interest in the Texans.
Shortly before midnight on Nov. 28, hours after losing to TCU, Meredith signed a five-year, $150,000 personal services deal with Murchison.
"The contract read, 'If we get a National Football League franchise, we'd like for you to play quarterback,' " Meredith recalls. "I couldn't understand pro football, the idea that they were going to pay you money to play."
Indeed, times were simpler. The News' story on the Dec. 20 Meredith-Shamburger wedding said the couple would honeymoon in Hawaii and live at 6617 Preston Road.
When Tom Landry was hired as the proposed team's coach on Dec. 28, he quipped, "All we've got is a coach and a pitcher, but that's a start."
When the sun goes down
And the shadows fall
The night winds howl
A lonesome call ...
On Jan. 28, 1960, NFL owners awarded Dallas its franchise. The $600,000 expansion fee was just four times what was owed the quarterback.
Heck, Meredith would even get to play home games in the familiar, friendly Cotton Bowl.
But on the first day of training camp, wide-eyed Meredith found the Cowboys' roster mostly composed of fellow rookies and other teams' scarred and tattooed castoffs. Cigarettes and alcohol were prevalent.
"I'd never tried either," he says. "I was introduced and really happy with both."
He remains grateful to veteran quarterback Eddie LeBaron, who tutored Meredith and took the brunt of punishment during the 0-11-1 first season: "Old Eddie. In some ways, he was more my coach than Coach Landry."
Gradually, Meredith earned playing time, not all of it valuable. In a 1962 home game, Pittsburgh's 6-6, 305-pound Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb mashed Meredith's right ankle like an accordion.
Asked about the injury today, Meredith lifts his pants leg. His ankle bone is golf ball-sized. Susan says he has had multiple ankle and toe surgeries.
"It really wasn't that bad; it just didn't get any better," Don says. "It isn't in pain now, so I'm happy about that."
He became starter in 1963, a year that also brought his first divorce, cascades of boos and a 4-10 finish.
Edgy Dallas no longer was just a college sports town. Perhaps some fans found entitlement in the flasks they snuck in. Some construed Meredith's easy nature as apathy.
"I can take boos for a bad game," Meredith told The News in 1964. "But I hate to think they're booing me because they think I'm dogging it."
Meredith quelled critics by earning NFL Player of the Year honors in 1966 and taking the Cowboys to the '66 and '67 title games. But losing to Green Bay by seven and four points, respectively, tormented the Dallas organization.
Then Cleveland upset the Cowboys in the first round of the 1968 playoffs, with Landry benching Meredith after two costly third-quarter interceptions.
Still, Meredith's July 5, 1969, retirement shocked many in Dallas, the city that once unconditionally adored him.
That day he said he no longer was fully committed and didn't want to shortchange anyone. But for 40 years, many have wondered whether the Meredith-Landry relationship soured, or whether Meredith simply tired of public criticism.
Neither was the decisive factor, Meredith says now. He says his second marriage was failing and he had three young children.
"All sorts of things were going around on my personal life. It just wasn't working, so I decided, 'Hell, I might as well try something else.' "
He tried working as a stockbroker until the Monday Night opportunity came in 1970, but it is little known that Meredith approached Cowboys president Tex Schramm about a comeback. He says he was surprised and hurt by Schramm's unenthusiastic response.
I'm up at dawn
Be on my way
Mister travelin' man
Where you gonna be today? ...
Meredith says he harbors no what-ifs about his Cowboys career. But it remains a painful subject for some of his teammates.
"He took too much of the blame, and I think the press blamed him way too much," says Lee Roy Jordan, a Cowboys Ring of Honor linebacker from 1963 to 1976.
"I'm disappointed that we - the coaching staff and all of us other players - didn't take a more responsible role in taking on some of that negative press."
Jordan contends that if Meredith had played longer, the transition would have been smoother for quarterbacks Craig Morton and Roger Staubach.
Jordan says he means no disrespect to Morton, but he believes that with Meredith, Dallas would have won the 1970 season's Super Bowl.
Instead, Baltimore prevailed in that infamous "Stupor Bowl" V, 16-13, despite committing seven turnovers to the Cowboys' four.
"Oh, yeah," concurs Staubach. "Meredith would have won Super Bowls eventually, if he had stayed."
Staubach was finishing his Navy service when he learned of Meredith's retirement. Weeks earlier, Meredith had invited Staubach to his house during a Cowboys quarterback camp. Staubach played behind Morton in 1969 and most of 1970 before leading Dallas to the '71 Super Bowl title. Even then, he felt he had inherited Meredith's era.
"Literally, I almost felt guilty being the quarterback," Staubach says. "That's how much the team admired him. Those guys, to a man, loved Don Meredith."
Yes, he was free-spirited, nocturnal and favored J&B Scotch, much like his NFL hero Bobby Layne. But former Cowboys running back Walt Garrison calls Meredith a shrewd play-caller and uncanny leader.
"People are so stupid," Garrison says. "Meredith took us to the big game twice, with not the best talent. We had great players, but we didn't have the nucleus Staubach had when he came in."
Jordan says Landry appointed him as Meredith's road roommate, bodyguard and chaperon from 1965 through '68. He is proud that Meredith still calls him "Roomie."
The only drawback, Jordan says, is the all-too-vivid memory of Meredith enduring broken ribs, a collapsed lung, at least two concussions - and jeers.
"He got beat up bad, man. He was the toughest son of a gun I've ever seen, and I think I've seen a lot of them."
Their careers didn't cross, but Staubach says Meredith often encouraged him. As the man who glamorized the Cowboys quarterback position, Meredith knew its burdens, perhaps more so than any of his successors. In August, Staubach offered to fly Don and Susan to late-Cowboys receiver Bob Hayes' Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. They regretfully declined.
"I was going to have him on stage," Staubach says. "I was going to point to him and say, 'This is the guy who really should be up here for Bob.' "
In hindsight, Jordan says Meredith's retirement "probably ended up being the right step for him at that time of his life."
It allowed Meredith to join Monday Night Football and meet Susan a year later.
"The brightest ray of sunshine that you could have in a guy's life, she has been it for him," Jordan says. "She has stabilized Don's life, guided and helped him."
Last month, Jordan and his wife, Biddie, traveled to Santa Fe to visit and ask a favor.
Would Don consent to being honored next April 28 in Dallas, at a luncheon benefiting the Greater Dallas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association? Meredith, who has had family and friends afflicted with the disease, agreed.
Jordan says "A Tribute to Don Meredith: An American Champion" has had an outpouring of commitments from Cowboys spanning the franchise's half-century.
"It's going to be a tribute like you've never seen," says Jordan, voice cracking. "I love that guy so much.
"He has been such an important part of my life."
I walk alone
Under windswept skies
For a travelin' man
Alone till he dies
The song's last verse evokes an "aw" from Susan. Don laughs.
His recall is patchy these days, but he can describe the moment and date, April 17, 1971, of first seeing Susan, walking along New York's Third Avenue.
"I thought I was seeing a miracle. Then, after we met, I wondered where she'd been when I really needed her." They since have spent only 24 nights apart.
Of the 914 men who have worn a Cowboys uniform, there have been more acclaimed players than The Original. But none have been more well-known, eclectic or enigmatic.
Troy Aikman is having a solid broadcasting career, but Meredith attained cult status during 170 Monday Night episodes, plus the '75, '77 and '85 Super Bowls.
Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin have danced with the stars, but Meredith remains the only Dallas Cowboy to guest-host The Tonight Show, on July 30, 1975.
Don and Susan joke that he tanked the monologue because reading cue cards wasn't his nature.
He saved face by trading barbs with guest and pal Burt Reynolds.
In those days, the Merediths spent more time in their second home, in Palm Springs, Calif. Next-door neighbor Dinah Shore had him co-host her show for a year.
He endorsed Lipton tea, had a recurring role in TV's Police Story and starred in the '76 movie Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free.
Of course, Garrison likes to tease that the flick wasn't actually released. It escaped.
Meredith hasn't conversed with many sportswriters in the last quarter-century, but he did perform Neil Simon's Odd Couple on stage with Monday Night partner Frank Gifford. Along the way, Don and Susan took up painting and traveled the world.
It's been quite a journey for Jeff and Hazel's baby boy. Meredith, wearing his Mount Vernon class ring, retrieves a photo of his parents from a bookcase.
"Isn't that a great picture? I'm very thankful. I'm very thankful about where I'm from and who I am."
Though he has been somewhat homebound since his minor stroke five years ago, he channels his competitiveness into FreeCell, a computer-based card game similar to solitaire.
The statistics show that Meredith has won 18,339 of 21,959 attempts, or 83 percent. Not to brag, mind you, but his top winning streak is 40 games.
The visitor asks if the Merediths would mind posing for a photo.
"Only if she'll sit on my lap," Don says.
At interview's end, Meredith asks for the reporter's notebook.
He draws a flower, sings "Yellow Rose of Texas" and signs his handiwork.
One last thing. Susan asks Don to play the song from the other side of his 45 rpm record. It is more cheery, she notes. More like him.
Meredith melody, past and present, again fills the room.
Them that ain't got it can't loo-oose
I'm servin' notice on the bloo-ues
I ain't gonna try to build my fortunes high
For them that ain't got it can't lose


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5700 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton, FL 33496
Real Estate In Woodfield Country Club Florida For Sale
Home Florida Palm Beach County Boca Raton Woodfield Country Club 5700 Hamilton Way
The moment you enter the grounds of this Tuscan inspired 4 bedroom, 3 and 1/2 bathroom estate home, you will not want to leave. Incorporating the elegance and splendor of Old World Italy with all the modern conveniences of today, the home's expansive kitchen, which opens to the inviting family room, is ready for your most elegant meals or casual midnight snacks. Escape to your own private theatre showcasing a 75" smart TV, 9 reclining leather chairs, sound-proof paneling and state-of-the-art 8 speaker sound system. Unwind with breathtaking sunsets overlooking the serene lake vista from your spacious backyard, featuring a renovated free-form heated pool along with a 6-person whirlpool spa.
Amanda Zuckerman
MV Realty Broker
LISTED FOR SALE: Apr 17, 2017
5 bed • 4.0 bath • 4,011 sf • 1 story
Listing Status: Active
Listing: Mitchell B Greenberg, Bex Realty, LLC
MLS No: RX-10326479
DOM: +799 days
Front Exposure: NE
Private Pool
Last Updated: May 31, 2017
Calusa Elementary School (A)
Omni Middle School (A)
Spanish River Community High School (A)
Development Amenities
Country Club, Exercise Room, Golf Course, Pool, Basketball, Biking, Game Room, Billiards, Cabana, Guard Gate, Tennis, and Activity Room
Championship Golf Course
Community Restrictions
Pet weight restrictions, No Trucks or RVs allowed, Buyer Approval Needed, Interview Required, Other Restrictions Apply, Tennant Approval required, and Property Ok to Lease
Pet Restrictions
Woodfield Country Club allows pets, but has restrictions.
5700 Hamilton Way
- Taxes: $16,561
- Tax Assessment: $821,196
- Acres: 0.33
- Year Built: 1987
- Subdivision: Woodfield Country Club
- Prop. Type: Home
- Bedrooms: 5
- Bathrooms: 4.0
- Area: 4,011 sf
- Development: Woodfield Country Club
- City: Boca Raton
- County: Palm Beach
- Zip: 33496
5700 Hamilton Way.
This endearing property is located at 5700 Hamilton Way, Boca Raton in Palm Beach County. This home in the Woodfield Country Club neighborhood and was built in 1987. The home contains 5 bedrooms and 4.0 bathrooms. The property is registered as a RESIDENTIAL: SINGLE FAMILY and offers 4,011 square feet sitting on a 0.33 acre lot. This residence is a great illustration for people wanting real estate in Woodfield Country Club Florida for sale. If you have young children, the house is assigned to Calusa Elementary School, which is an A rated school. The middle school is Omni Middle School, which has an A-rating, and the high school is the A-graded Spanish River Community High School.
Financial History
- SALE: Mar-2012 $975,000 - Fassberg Steven M
- SALE: Mar-2012 $975,000 -
- MORTGAGE: Jan-2013 $400,000 - Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc
- No recent foreclosures recorded.
Similar Homes For Sale in Woodfield Country Club
Buying or selling a home in Boca Raton? Get in touch for expert advice, pricing, showings, and more.
- IDX information regarding 5700 Hamilton Way and real estate in Woodfield Country Club Florida for sale is provided exclusively for consumer's personal, non-commercial use. It may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and the data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate. All listings featuring the BMLS logo are provided by BeachesMLS Inc. This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed. © Copyright 2013 Beaches Multiple Listing Service, Inc.
- Unless otherwise noted, all property information regarding homes for sale Boca Raton Florida and real estate in Woodfield Country Club Florida for sale is obtained from public records and/or provided by MVRealty.


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Community Coffee on 10/27 CANCELLED
Posted 10/25/17
Due to a scheduling conflict, the Community Coffee that was to be held on Friday, October 27th is cancelled. The next Community Coffee will be on Friday, December 1st at 8:00am in the Cafeteria. We apologize for the cancellation and hope to see you at our next coffee in December.


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Three Bazaar Pileup
It's a little too late to be telling you that the Hungarian United Church's annual Hungarian Bazaar has the best all-around food (sweets, savory treats, selection) that we've encountered in all our years of prowling Montreal's bazaars. (Hopefully, you noticed our "heads-up" from a couple of weeks back and took up the recommendation.) But it's not too late to remind you to get out there and take in the city's full array of seasonal fairs, bazaars, salons, souks, and other festive occasions. You never know what you might find.
In that very spirit, we crisscrossed the city in the AEBmobile last Saturday, hitting three bazaars (and one Expozine!) in the space of half a day. Not all bazaars are created equal, of course, and some are more festive than others. We were sorry to have missed the Bottle Raffle (a.k.a., the Booze Raffle) at one Westmount bazaar (although they did have some pretty cool books about drinking),
fig. a: yeah, sure it is
but at another bazaar we found an impressive display of wooden chairs for sale.
fig. b: bazaar activity
They looked like they were trying to clamber toward the windows to make a break for it, so we helped liberate a few of them.
When we got to the Hungarian United Church, there were sure signs that this was going to be another good year.
fig. c: sign of hope
This year we didn't find the Sausage Man--the master sausage-maker who used to hold court at the back of the auditorium with hundreds upon hundreds of freshly smoked Hungarian sausages--but the kitchen was busy pumping out the hot lunches, and if you didn't want the authentic goulash with galuska, you had the option of the tasty debreceni sausage plate with sauerkraut and paprika potatoes. They also had the loveliest sweet palacsinta crêpes on offer. It's a good thing the palacsinta were so unbelievably delicate, though, because this year's baked goods and desserts table was mighty impressive.
Michelle went straight for the doughnuts, and good thing, too, because not only were they astoundingly tasty--in the same major league as my grandmother's--but they were selling fast. Two cups of coffee and a few of those sugar-dusted delicacies later, we were in a state of grace. We found ourselves gazing around absent-mindedly, taking in the scene, giddy with satisfaction. "Like my grandma's. Just like my grandma's," I found myself muttering.
And it was then, and only then, that we really noticed the layer cake that was holding court on the desserts table from the lofty perch of its cake stand. C. noted that it looked like the real thing, like a homemade Hungarian nut torte (not as many layers, perhaps, but just as much technique). She went over to purchase a piece, and thank the Lord that she did. That slice of walnut cake, was the moistest, most luxurious cake any of us had had in a long time. And all of a sudden, C. found herself having a Proustian moment of her own: "Tastes just like my grandmother's," she said.
When we woke up out of our second paprika- & sugar-induced stupor, I decided I had to tell the Pastry Ladies just how much we'd enjoyed their treats. I went up and talked to one of the women at the desserts table, and it turned out the walnut cake was her family recipe. I must have really been waxing poetic, because she took me for one of her own. "Are you Hungarian?," the Cake Lady asked. "No, Slovak," I replied. "But my grandmother's family was originally from Hungary." She just nodded knowingly.
When I told her the doughnuts tasted like my Baba's, she told me that I should go and tell the woman who'd made them. So I did. Turns out the Doughnut Lady was working a table near the back of the auditorium. When I told her I that I'd loved her doughnuts, she was thrilled. "Oh, thank you, thank you..." When I told her that they'd reminded me of my grandmother's, she touched my cheek and nearly started crying. Let me tell you, that's an experience you won't get at Tim's.
What's the point of all this? What's the point of torturing you with all these delicious and highly sentimental details after the fact? Well, if you're the kind of Montrealer who misses the good, old days when top-notch Eastern European pastries were easy to come by, there's hope. Many of these delicacies are still around, you just have to know where to find them. You may not be able to find quite the selection you once found along the Main, but you just might find exactly what you're looking for at your local bazaar. And if the sound of authentic Hungarian walnut cakes and doughnuts appeals to you, well, the ladies at the Hungarian United Church have been known to take special orders (!).
You can order Hungarian cakes and pastries from Carol Pisimisi ("the Cake Lady") at (514) 683-5978, or you can call the Hungarian United Church directly at (514) 737-8457 to inquire about cakes, pastries, and doughnuts, or upcoming food-related church events.
fig. d: Hungarian doughnut
I mean, just look at that beauty. Don't you owe it to yourself?


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Coffee (and other scents) in the air
Based on the construction and openings going on, I suspect Redwood City must have crossed some critical threshold in terms of average income or population. We've gone from one Starbucks and one Starbucks counter (at Safeway) to three standalone stores and two counters (one in Target). (I suspect that there's a law of Starbucks to be formulated here.) Whole Foods has started renovating the former Albertson's at El Camino Real and Jefferson Avenue, while Trader Joe's is building a new store just north of the Redwood City–San Carlos border. Pasta Pomodoro and T-Mobile have opened new sites as well.
It looks like everything should be ready by mid-fall. A year past that, the downtown cinemas should open (which will be one of the few Peninsula theatre complexes within easy walking distance of the San Francisco–San Jose Caltrain line). If there is restaurant development to match, Redwood City could be a very interesting small downtown in two years. But right now it's changing enough that I'll be driving to Menlo Park a lot less often.


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Jan 13
We announced last year of the imminent arrival of our ladies tweed shooting garments and are happy to say they have arrived and images are now available.
The garments can be bought in this new tweed or alternatively you can purchase in any of our other tweeds with a making time of just 6 weeks. We are sure that for many shoot organisers this will be an ideal outfit for their female staff and can easily be coordinated with the chaps by using a common tweed.We will of course be holding fabric in stock to make all the extra's like hats, coats and many other requests.


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People: Wiz Khalifa, Snooki, Ben Affleck, Meryl Streep, Lada Gaga
Share with others:
He liked it, and so he put a ring on it!
Awesomely tattooed Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa popped the question Thursday to his eye-catching ladylove, Amber Rose, and they're proudly parading around a blingy photo that clearly spells out her answer, E! News reports.
The two took to Twitter Thursday to share the news.
"She Said Yes!!!" the rapper wrote and included a pic of his fiancee's hand flashing a gorgeous and blinding engagement ring.
A few minutes later, Rose tweeted, "He has made me the Happiest Woman in the World!!!!"
The groom-to-be, apparently, still couldn't contain his excitement, because shortly afterward he wrote, "Love Is Everywhere."
Snooki is pregnant with her and boyfriend Jionni LaValle's first baby!
"She's about three to four months along," a source tells E! News.
The 24-year-old "Jersey Shore" star (real name Nicole Polizzi) is hoping to turn the pregnancy into moneymaking marketing deals, according to the New York Post.
Snooki has always said she dreamed of being a mom one day. "I want two, a boy and a girl," she said in August 2010. "I'm going to name them Isabella and Frankie."
Ben Affleck is using Facebook to announce the birth of his son with wife Jennifer Garner, the Associated Press reports.
The actor posted on his timeline that he and Garner are "happy" about the arrival of Samuel Garner Affleck, born Feb. 27. He describes the baby as "healthy."
This is the couple's third child and first son. Samuel joins sisters Violet, 6, and Seraphina, 3.
Affleck and Garner were married in 2005.
Actress Meryl Streep has donated $10,000 to a Rhode Island scholarship fund in honor of fellow Oscar nominee Viola Davis, the Associated Press reports.
Davis established the fund with her sister in 1988.
First Published 2012-03-01 23:51:08


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Trim Press
Final Product
170 TON Trim Press for Appliance Industry
Our Mission
A major appliance manufacturer contacted Neff to build a press for trimming out inner door appliance panels. They needed a large bed area with ram control system.
Our Solution
Neff Press Inc® designed and manufactured (1) 150ton four post press with the following specifications: Overall system footprint 120″ x 72" x 140″ Tall. 96″ x 60″ between the posts, with 29″ daylight, and 13″ stroke. The press was capable of cycling every 3.5 seconds and used a floor-mounted 50hp power unit. The design called for split removable bushings on the pins as well an 8 point lube system, and die safety block integrated into the control system.
The press controls system consisted of an Allen Bradley Control Logix with a 10 slot rack, Ethernet module, (2) 16 point discrete input modules, (2) 16 point relay output modules, and (1) 8 point analog input module. We used linear transducers and pressure transducers for feedback, diagnostics, and calibration. This system also included an energy saver program as well as a multiple counters. Neff provided light curtains with fixed mesh on the sides. We also supplied English and Spanish language MMI screens.
Neff was responsible and provide the transportation, rigging, installation, and training on-site in Mexico.


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School is out and summer is officially underway. Who says you have to go far to enjoy your summer vacation. Simply Superior Auto Body has compiled a list of family favorites right here in our own backyard.
Contra Costa Canal Trail
One of the most popular trails in the Park District system, the Contra Costa Canal Trail is a paved pathway suitable for bikers, runners, equestrians and even those in need of wheelchair access. This trail provides a safe off-road corridor connecting Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and Concord.
Meandering along the Contra Costa Canal, following a horseshoe-shaped path through central Contra Costa County, the trail intercepts a number of local parks in Pleasant Hill (Las Juntas Park), Walnut Creek (Larkey Park, Heather Farm Park), and Concord (Lime Ridge). It makes for a great family outing if you like hiking or enjoying nature on a leisurely stroll.
Concord Pavilion
Concord Pavilion (formerly known as Sleep Train Pavilion and Chronicle Pavilion) is an amphitheatre located in Concord, California. It is owned by the City of Concord and operated by Live Nation.[2] The Pavilion has a capacity of 12,500 people and is home to many concerts and local community events (including an annual jazz festival). So if music and live entertainment are on your bucket list this summer, we recommend checking out this season's schedule.
Waterworld California
If things feel like they are heating up during your vacation this summer, take a meander over to Waterworld California. Pools, slides and are just some of the great amenities this waterpark in Concord offers. Waterworld California even offers Season Passes for those who will be attending often this summer
Indoor Miniature Golf
Grab your family and head to a totally cool and unique miniature golf adventure. Ghost Golf is an indoor, fully-themed miniature golf course set in a creepy old haunted graveyard. We are the only course that uses mini golf to lure you through a Haunted Attraction. You are basically playing mini golf in a haunted house! It is scary fun for your entire family and friends.
These are just a few options in the Concord area. We have a ton to offer from the youngest of your clan to the most mature.
If you are setting out on the road for a family summer fun road trip and need Simply Superior Auto Body to assist you with any regular maintenance or to inspect your vehicle's safety features before you set out on the road, give us a call today at 925.326.4861.
Safe travels to you all.
Simply Superior Auto Body
2110 Market St.
Concord, CA 94520
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 7:30am-5:30pm; Sat., by appointment only


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Hellooooooo everyone, and happy Sunday!
Are you crying yet because the weekend is almost over?
Me too.
But never fear, because here I am with a Sunday cook-up to make the last remaining hours of your weekend a little bit sweeter. Today I've made the lovely Laura's PB&J slice which – spoiler alert – is totally amazing. Let's just take a second to appreciate that this recipe is raw, vegan, dairy free, gluten free and free from refined sugars. Say hello to you new favourite guilt-free snack!


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Report: Building Contractors Number 1 Local Ad Category
Restaurants is still the most widely searched local business category according to YP's Q2 Local Insights report. However restaurants doesn't even show up in the top 10 when it comes to advertising spend.
According to YP data, the following list represents the most searched local categories overall. The list is a blended average of both online and mobile searches. The associated percentage figure reflects search query growth vs. Q1:
- Restaurants (3%)
- Physicians & Surgeons (57%)
- Financial Services (6%)
- Real Estate (30%)
- Beauty Services (34%)
- Auto Parts & Supplies (11%)
- Auto Repair (10%)
- Legal Services (68%)
- Materials, Equipment & Supplies (12%)
- Building Contractors (12%)
The data were gathered from "600 million searches and over 10.6 billion impressions in Q1 2013 across the YP Local Ad Network's 300+ online, mobile and tablet publishers." The report compares the top five categories in mobile (left) vs. online (right). Restaurants and real estate are present on both lists, though in different order:
Beyond the most searched categories, the fastest-growing local search headings are weddings, air travel and legal. That appears to be generally consistent across both online and mobile platforms.
In terms of overall ad revenue, however, the list is quite different than the most-searched categories lists above. The following are the local business headings spending the most money on advertising (blending traditional and digital):
- Building Contractors
- Legal Services
- Dentists
- Physicians & Surgeons
- Auto Repair & Service
- Materials, Equipment, & Supplies
- Auto Parts & Supplies
- Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors
- Financial Services
- Maintenance & Cleaning Services
Overall YP said that 35 percent of the queries across its ad network are now coming from mobile devices.
We're listening.
Have something to say about this article? Share it with us on Facebook, Twitter or our LinkedIn Group.


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TAG: The Mobile Assassination Game, a play on the 80's cult classic movie, is an intersection of social meets mobile meets good ol' fashioned competition. TAG is a unique mobile game that allows players to track & tag their targets on their mobile phones using location & social tools such as foursquare. It's a fun way to meet, interact, and enhance social experiences. Game play ranges from corporate team building, to networking events, to college orientations, to a fun game among friends. Players can socialize their "tagshot" on Facebook & Twitter to show off their domination.
Key features include:
+ Location Based Gaming With Your Friends
+ Augmented Reality 1st Person Shooting
+ Social Sharing with Facebook and Twitter
+ foursquare Checkin and Target Mapping
TAG: The Mobile Assassination Game is a product of viaPlace LLC
To learn more visit: www.tagmobilegame.com


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Discussion in 'General Gallery' started by PlasticSpanner, Apr 26, 2006.
Any comments appreciated! :thumbup:
ok chris why isnt this in the d/s gallery!!!...... love the shot, and with good tones, well captured :thumbup:
Wow I love that! where was it taken?
Taken this evening at Hale Cemetary an the way home from work.
I do have some for the DS too! :hail:
Thanks! :thumbup:
Love it! :thumbup:
Great texture!
Thanks Chris.
This part of the headstone is actually just 2 inches tall and very weathered.
Great job Chris! Bump the contrast up, brightness down and stick a diffuse glow on and post it in the DS gallery!! Maybe a feathered oval selection and vignette effect too! lol Nice capture.
Separate names with a comma.


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Colloquialisms & British Slang
This is a past event
9:10-10:00am: Colloquial expressions, British slang and phrasal verbs
Essential for anyone who lives or studies in England: Get ready for an amazing journey into the mysterious world of colloquial expressions, British slang and phrasal verbs! By the end of the class you will become a happy and confident user of the new language in a variety of contexts.
The seminar includes:
-Lots of essential, concrete, language and/or skills help
-Exercises you can take and practise at home
-Practice opportunities
-Common errors and error correction (and audio recording of session for -your personal revision)
-Tips for impressing your colleagues, clients, friends and family!
-Paper materials containing all the presented language to take home
-Audio recordings of the sessions for your later personal revision
-Light refreshments
Classes take place in the 'Yellow' and 'Green' rooms at St Pauls on Hills Road, CB2 1JP in Cambridge. :-)
The highly experienced teacher is friendly and patient but wants all her students to be the best English users they can be so prepare for some challenge! ;-)
Cost: £10 per class. Pay less for several classes, complete days or weeks!
Please contact me for help with payment if you want to book multiple classes or if you have a problem with PayPal (payment is in advance).
Part of the RealEnglish: Intensive19 course. You don't need to be doing the course to join in the activities but if you'd like to, have a look at the course information and download the schedule: www.cambridge1english.com/real-english-intensive-courses.
If you'd like to attend specific days or weeks, book on here or contact me! [masked]/WhatsApp:[masked]! :-)
Thanks and see you there! :-)
Beth Jones
Academic Director
WhatsApp +44 [masked]
Attendees (1)
Go to Attendee List


text: San Francisco Hotel ReviewsSince our grand opening in 2008, guests have been raving about InterContinental San Francisco hotel. From our distinctively modern, 32-story glass tower construction to our contemporary décor and premium amenities and facilities, InterContinental San Francisco has earned a reputation for setting the standard in luxury accommodations in San Francisco, CA. Read what guests are saying about us or post your own hotel reviews.