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SA Journal of Industrial Psychology
versão On-line ISSN 2071-0763
versão impressa ISSN 0258-5200
SA j. ind. Psychol. vol.35 no.1 Johannesburg Jan. 2009
The survey of perceived organisational support: which measure should we use?
Jody A. WorleyI; Dale R. FuquaII; Chan M. HellmanI
IDepartment of Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, USA
IISchool of Educational Studies, Oklahoma State University, USA
The psychometric properties of the original 36-item Survey of Perceived Organisational Support (SPOS) was examined along with a variety of shorter versions currently in use (16 items, eight items and three items). Factor analysis of the original SPOS measure is supportive of the original finding that the SPOS is unidimensional. Correlations among factor scores and SPOS scale scores suggest that either the eight-item or 16-item version would be just as effective as the 36-item version but even more efficient. Convergent validity results also indicate similar proportions of variance in versions of SPOS scores accounted for by selected organisational variables.
Keywords: organisational support; Survey of Perceived Organisational Support (SPOS); factor structure; employee perceptions; organisational behaviour
Since its emergence two decades ago, perceived organisational support (POS) continues to enjoy prominence as an important construct in understanding organisational behaviour. POS has been used to better understand the organisational commitment process within the framework of exchange theory (Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison & Sowa, 1986). Thus far, research has primarily targeted organisational outcomes such as commitment, turnover, global job satisfaction and performance (Eisenberger, Rhoades & Cameron, 1999; Rhoades, Eisenberger & Armeli, 2001; Settoon, Bennett & Liden, 1996; Shore & Wayne, 1993; Wayne, Shore & Liden, 1997). Eisenberger (2009) lists more than 275 published studies that have included the POS measure. Meta-analytic results (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002) have shown several antecedents to POS, including (a) perceptions of procedural or distributive justice and organisational politics (Cropanzano, Howes, Grandy & Toth, 1997; Moorman, Blakely & Niehoff, 1998), (b) job conditions such as autonomy and pay (Eisenberger et al., 1999), (c) supervisor support (Settoon et al., 1996; Wayne et al., 1997) and (d) human resource (HR) practices such as reward systems, decision-making opportunities and growth opportunities (Allen, Shore & Griffeth, 2003; Wayne et al., 1997).
POS reflects the general belief held by an employee that the organisation values his or her continued membership and is generally concerned about his or her well-being (Aselage & Eisenberger, 2003; Eisenberger et al., 1986; Rhoades et al., 2001). This operationalisation of POS denotes the possibility of two theoretically distinct components of POS. First, organisational support is a global belief that the organisation recognises and values employee contribution as reflected in tangible resources such as pay, rank, job enrichment, rewards or other forms of compensation and benefits (Eisenberger et al., 1986; Levinson, 1965; Sinclair & Tetrick, 1995; Wayne et al., 1997). This notion of organisational support suggests that perceived support would raise an employee's expectancy that the organisation would reward greater effort toward meeting organisational goals. The second component of organisational support is the belief that the organisation is concerned about the socioemotional well-being of employees. This aspect of organisational support reflects employee perceptions with regard to organisational policies and practices pertaining to time away from work for personal circumstances or family care.
In its original form, the Survey of Perceived Organisational Support (SPOS) consisted of 36 items and was argued to reflect a unidimensional construct. Given the benefits of considering POS in organisational research and its dimensionality it is not surprising that in the interest of time and space researchers often use fewer items. Indeed, a variety of shorter versions (16 items, eight items and three items) are being used. While the construct of POS is clearly helpful toward understanding the employee-organisational relationship, several measurement issues need to be resolved. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the various forms of the SPOS. Specifically, the underlying structure of the original 36-item SPOS was re-examined in an effort to further establish dimensionality. Furthermore, reliability analyses for the four versions of the SPOS were conducted as a means to compare the internal consistency across forms.
Factor structure of POS
In the original scale development study of SPOS conducted by Eisenberger et al. (1986), a principal components analysis (PCA) of individual responses to the original 36 items combined across nine organisations (n = 361) indicated a single factor accounting for 48.3% of the total variance, with an interitem reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.97, which is not surprising given the number of items. Eisenberger et al. (1986) included a second study using 17 SPOS items with the highest structure coefficients. The reduced number of SPOS items was subjected to factor analysis. While the criterion used to determine the number of factors was not reported, the dominant factor for the 17 SPOS items accounted for 50% of the total variance. Eisenberger's conclusion that the POS construct is unidimensional raises two questions: Firstly, what accounts for the other 50% of the total variance? Given the use of PCA, it is not surprising that the first component accounts for a large amount of variance relative to the subsequent components.
Secondly, the interpretation of Eisenberger's conclusion for dimensionality is further complicated because the criterion used to determine the number of components to retain was not reported. Nevertheless, Eisenberger et al. (1986) did subject the items to a second factor analysis with varimax rotation, using Kaiser normalisation with a two-factor solution, and reported that all 36 items loaded higher on the first single factor than on the possible second factor. Moreover, the smallest loading on this single factor was larger than the largest loading on the possible second factor.
Examining the dimensionality of SPOS, several studies have used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with maximum likelihood estimation to compare nested covariance models for the total variance explained and overall model fit (Eisenberger, Armeli, Rexwinkel, Lynch & Rhoades, 2001; Eisenberger, Cummings, Armeli & Lynch, 1997; Hutchison, 1997; Rhoades et al., 2001; Settoon et al., 1996; Shore & Tetrick, 1991). All of the studies that performed a CFA to confirm the underlying structure of the SPOS used a reduced number of the POS items, presumably based on the acceptance that the original set of 36 POS items formed a unidimensional scale. Shore and Tetrick (1991) conducted the only CFA study that included the 17 items that Eisenberger et al. (1986) recommended as a shorter version of the SPOS measure. Again, that recommendation was to use items with the highest loadings. All of the studies other than that of Shore and Tetrick (1991) used fewer than 17 of the original SPOS items. The majority of the studies did not indicate exactly which of the original items were used to develop the various shorter forms ranging from three items (Eisenberger, Stinglhamber, Vandenberghe, Sucharski & Rhoades, 2002) to the 17 used by Shore and Tetrick (1991). The presumption is that items with the highest loadings were selected from Eisenberger et al. (1986). Results from each of the studies consistently indicated a unidimensional POS construct. The limitation remains that none of the studies using the POS variable used all 36 of the SPOS items. Moreover, the items used were selected from the results of the original PCA that fit two theoretically distinct components of the construct on a single component that accounted for only 48.3% of the total variance.
In the two decades since the development of the POS survey, the study by Self, Holt and Schaninger (2005) has been the only study to report the use of principal axis factor (PAF) analysis using oblique rotation to evaluate the factor structure of the POS items. Self et al. (2005) included 16 of the original 36 POS items in their study. In addition to the POS items, Self et al. (2005) developed 'work group support' items by substituting the word 'organisation' with 'work group' in each item. After subjecting the combined group of items from both measures to the PAF analysis using oblique rotation, the researchers retained factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0, which was consistent with their interpretation of the observed scree plot. Moreover, none of the cross-loadings was greater than 0.25 on the unintended factor. Self et al. (2005) also conducted a follow-up CFA to evaluate the underlying structure of the two 16-item measures using simultaneous estimation procedures for the variance-covariance matrixes. Specifically, they compared the overall fit of a single-factor versus a two-factor latent model to the responses (i.e. data) generated from the 32 items. Several reported that fit indexes met the conventional criterion for adequate model fit for the two-factor model.
The SPOS has been shown to be distinct from affective and continuance commitment (Eisenberger, Fasolo & Davis-LaMastro, 1990; Hutchison, 1997; Rhoades et al., 2001; Settoon et al., 1996; Shore & Tetrick, 1991; Shore & Wayne, 1993), effortreward expectancies (Eisenberger et al., 1990), perceived supervisory support (Hutchison, 1997; Kottke & Sharafinski, 1988), perceived team support (Bishop, Scott & Burroughs, 2000), work group support (Self et al., 2005) and leader-member exchange (Settoon et al., 1996; Wayne et al., 1997). Again support for both the unidimensional nature of the SPOS and its validity estimates relative to other important constructs allows organisational support to enjoy a growing place in organisational research.
The development of the SPOS began as an attempt to better understand organisational commitment processes and various aspects of commitment, such as absenteeism and turnover. Results from the initial principal components analysis indicated that the 36-item measure is reflective of a unidimensional POS construct. Several subsequent studies have examined the factor structure of the SPOS using a reduced number of items. However, not one study has attempted to examine the underlying factor structure of the complete SPOS (including all 36 original items) using principal axis factor analysis with oblique rotation. This approach would allow the linear combinations of items and resulting factors to be correlated, thus providing a greater likelihood of revealing the two theoretically distinct components of POS originally suggested by Eisenberger et al. (1986).
Research approach
The current study design involved subjecting all 36 of the individual POS item responses to a principal axis factor analysis followed by oblique rotation. This approach allows for an improvement in the interpretation of the factor structure, which addresses the first research question in this study. The use of orthogonal rotation as in the original study by Eisenberger et al. (1986) assumes that components or factors are uncorrelated. Many researchers would prefer to either test this assumption or to allow some minor correlations among factors. Because the conceptual development of POS considers two facets, a reasonable analytic strategy would allow for some correlation. Therefore, an oblique rotation method was used for interpreting the structure underlying the POS survey.
The study design also included an evaluation of the internal consistency reliability for four versions of the POS measure. The original version of the measure included 36 items, most of which are rarely used in practice. Most published studies that have included a measure of POS have used a shortened form that includes only about one-half of the original items. An even shorter version includes only eight items, and at least one study has reported a three-item measure of POS. Reliability analyses were conducted for each of these versions of POS.
Participants and procedure
The participants in this study were full-time employees from a large, metropolitan community college located in the Midwestern United States. A complete list (N = 868) of prospective participants was obtained from the human resources office. Prospective participants were predominately white (82%), their average age was 46 and their average length of employment was 12 years. Approximately 58% of prospective participants were nonacademic staff, while 32% were full-time faculty members and 10% were administrators. Participation in this study was voluntary, and participants were not compensated.
A simple random sample of all full-time employees was used to generate a sample of 450 full-time employees. The sample included faculty, staff and administrators who were invited to participate during the autumn of 2005. These employees were emailed an invitation to participate and an informed consent form for the web-based survey. Participants did not provide any information that could be used to identify individual respondents. Two follow-up email messages were sent to encourage completion of the survey by non-respondents. A total of 283 surveys were returned, but 17 records were identified as having substantial portions of the data missing. Therefore, a total of 266 completed surveys were returned, resulting in a response rate of 59.1%. The average age of the respondents was 48 years old. The average length of employment was 12 years. The employment positions represented within the respondent sample were similar to those of the total employee population with 43% nonacademic staff, 36% full-time faculty members, 12% administrators while 9% did not report their position.
Measuring instruments/methods of data gathering
In addition to the measure of POS, the analysis included three known correlates of POS as a means to assess the validity of each of the different POS versions (36 items, 16 items, eight items and three items). The known correlates are variables commonly used in organisational research studies that also include a measure of POS. Responses to each of the measures were obtained by using a Likert-type response format with response options ranging from 1 = 'strongly disagree' to 7 = 'strongly agree'.
The POS measure included all 36 items from the original SPOS (Eisenberger et al., 1986). A reliability and item analysis of the scores obtained in the original study indicated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.97, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.42 to 0.83. The mean and median item-total correlations were 0.67 and 0.66, respectively. In the original study, Eisenberger et al. (1986) used principal components analysis and reported that every one of the 36 items showed a strong loading on a single component accounting for 48.3% of the total variance with a possible second component accounting for 4.4% of the total variance.
In addition to the original 36-item instrument, a 17-item version of the POS survey was introduced by Eisenberger et al. (1986) by selecting high-loading items from the 36-item set. Later, 16-item and eight-item versions of the scale were also introduced by selecting high-loading items from the original survey of perceived organisational support. The eight-item scale follows the recommendation of Rhoades and Eisenberger (2002, p. 699): 'Because the original scale is unidimensional and has high internal reliability, the use of shorter versions does not appear problematic.' Although Eisenberger et al. (1986) do not refer to an eight-item version of the instrument, information about assessing POS available in Eisenberger (2009) requests that the 1986 article be referenced if the eight-item version is used. A three-item version of the POS measure has also been adapted from the original 36 items (Eisenberger et al., 2002). The internal consistency reliability (coefficient alpha) for the three-item measure was reported as α = 0.75 (Eisenberger et al., 2002).
Affective commitment in an organisational context refers to the emotional link between the individual and the organisation. Affective commitment was measured using the eight-item scale developed by Allen and Meyer (1990). The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) for the affective commitment scores reported in Allen and Meyer (1990) was 0.87. Sample items for the affective commitment measure include statements such as 'I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career with this organisation' and 'I enjoy discussing my organisation with people outside it.'
Organisational participation is a measure that refers to the level of desired organisational contribution and perceived involvement in decision making. Employees are asked how often their supervisor asks for their involvement and how often the employee wants to be asked by the supervisor for his or her involvement. This particular measure of organisational participation includes 27 items developed by Kahnweiler and Thompson (2000). The internal consistency reliability (coefficient alpha) for responses to the 27-item measure in the current study was α = 0.90.
Organisational communication was measured using a six-item scale that examines the degree to which communication flows freely between colleagues and between supervisors and subordinates (Seashore, Lawler, Mirvis & Camman, 1983, p. 101). High scores indicate a favourable perception of open communication.
The results of this study involve four related sets of analyses. The first analysis was a factor analysis examining the structure of the SPOS, specifically employing oblique rotational methods to determine whether more than one factor might emerge if the structures were allowed to correlate. Secondly, the internal consistency reliabilities of the full and reduced versions of the SPOS (i.e. 36-item, 16-item, eight-item and three-item versions) were examined and compared. Thirdly, the intercorrelations of the factor scores and the four SPOS versions were calculated. Fourthly, in order to explore the convergent validity of the scales, the validity of the four versions was compared in relation to the three variables often used in conjunction with the SPOS, namely affective commitment, organisational participation and organisational communication.
Initially, the correlation matrix for the 36 items was examined. Bartlett's test of sphericity for the correlation matrix was statistically significant [X2 (630) = 5694.003, p = .000]. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy was 0.952, a very high value supporting the use of factor analysis with the matrix. The individual SPOS item responses were then subjected to a PAF analysis with direct oblimin rotation, δ = 0.
Six factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0 were extracted by performing the PAF analysis on the correlations of the 36 items. The eigenvalues and variance accounted for by the initial factors are summarised in Table 1. Kaiser's rule is well known for producing too many factors (Stevens, 2002) and consequently, Cattell's (1966) scree plot was examined and clearly led to the conclusion that only one factor should be interpreted. The first eigenvalue was nearly nine times larger than the second, as the first factor extracted accounted for 44.14% of the variance and the second factor accounted for only 5.05% of the variance. A parallel analysis was performed (Horn, 1965) but produced somewhat ambiguous results regarding the second factor. Not only was the second factor of marginal size in terms of variance but it also correlated substantially with the first factor, r = 0.51, and was not conceptually meaningful in terms of the item content. This evidence offers support for a unidimensional structure, even when an oblique rotation was employed. This conclusion is supportive of the original finding by Eisenberger et al. (1986) that the SPOS is unidimensional.
The items for the single factor were examined in terms of structure coefficients and communalities. The following items were the only two that failed to reach structure coefficients above 0.40: Item 30 had a structure coefficient equal to 0.38 ('If the organisation earned a greater profit, it would consider increasing my salary'), and item 36 had a structure coefficient equal to 0.34 ('My supervisors are proud that I am a part of this organisation'). The communalities ranged from 0.12 to 0.72, with an average of 0.43. There were 29 communalities with a value greater than 0.30 and 10 communalities with a value greater than 0.50. Overall, these results seem to provide further support for the unidimensionality of the instrument. Before proceeding with the data analysis, factor scores for the SPOS were calculated for the sample on the single factor using the regression method.
Reliability analysis
A reliability analysis was conducted to examine the internal consistency reliability of the 36-item SPOS. The overall reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) for the 36 items was very high with α = 0.96. Item-total correlations for the total scale ranged from 0.33 to 0.83. The mean and median item-total correlations were 0.63 and 0.65 respectively. A reliability and item analysis of the scores obtained in the original study with the 36-item SPOS reported the internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) at 0.97, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.42 to 0.83. The mean and median item-total correlations in the original study were 0.67 and 0.66 respectively.
In addition to examining the internal consistency of the 36-item SPOS, reliability analyses were conducted for each of the three shorter versions of the SPOS: the 16-item version, the eightitem version and the three-item version. Cronbach's alpha for the 16 items was α = 0.95, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.50 to 0.86. The mean and median item-total correlations were 0.71 and 0.70 respectively. Cronbach's alpha for the eightitem version was α = 0.93, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.70 to 0.84. The mean and median item-total correlations were 0.75 and 0.73 respectively. Lastly, Cronbach's alpha for the three-item version of the SPOS was α = 0.81, with item-total correlations ranging from 0.64 to 0.67. The mean and median item-total correlations were 0.66 and 0.67 respectively.
Correlations among factor scores and SPOS scale scores
The correlation matrix of the single set of factor scores and the total scores for POS are presented in Table 2. As expected, large positive correlations were observed. The most notable pattern in Table 2 appears to be the somewhat smaller correlations of the three-item version of the SPOS with the factor scores and longer versions of the instrument. This is not unexpected given the lower reliability found for the three-item version in the preceding section.
Convergent validity of the SPOS scales
The relationships among the four forms of the SPOS and the selected organisational variables were examined by conducting a multiple regression analysis for each of the four versions of the SPOS separately. The total score for each version was regressed separately on a linear combination of three known correlates: affective commitment, organisational communication and organisational participation.
The 36-item SPOS total scores were predicted from a linear combination of affective commitment, organisational communication and organisational participation scores in a simultaneous equation. The regression equation with all the variables entered was statistically significant [F(3,255) = 77.54, p < .001) and substantially meaningful, accounting for approximately 47.7% of the variance in the SPOS scores. This analysis was repeated, in turn, for the 16-item, eight-item and three-item versions of the SPOS. The regression equation for the 16-item SPOS with all the variables entered was statistically significant [F(3,255) = 81.27, p < 0.001), accounting for approximately 48.9% of the variance in scale scores. Similarly, the regression equation for the eight-item scale with all the predictors entered was statistically significant [F(3,255) = 74.69, p < 0.001), accounting for approximately 46.8% of the variance scores. The regression equation for the three-item scale with all three predictors entered was also statistically significant [F(3,255) = 61.79, p < .001), accounting for approximately 42.1% of the variance in POS. The conclusion is that all four versions of the SPOS have significant convergent validity, relative to these three correlates. However, we do see a small relative decrease in the validity of the three-item version of the SPOS, at least relative to these three variables, almost 7% less shared variance than the 16-item version.
The results of the PAF factor analysis provide clear support for the unidimensionality of the 36-item SPOS. One large factor was found with 34 of the 36 items loading above the conventional criterion level of 0.40. The remaining two items both had structure coefficients above 0.30. The second factor consisted of only three items with loadings greater than 0.35, and all three items loaded higher on the first factor. The correlation between the first and second factor (r = 0.51) also lends some credibility to the unidimensionality of the 36-item scale. The importance of the single-factor finding is that it occurred even when oblique rotation was applied, an issue that has not been addressed in previous research regarding the instrument. The finding of a single factor here both confirms and extends previous research claiming a one-factor solution for the instrument (Eisenberger et al., 1986; Kottke & Sharafinski, 1988; Shore & Tetrick, 1991).
The remaining three sets of analyses reveal several interesting results regarding the comparability of the 36-item, 16-item, eight-item and three-item versions of the SPOS that have been commonly applied in practice and research. Cronbach's alpha for these four versions were, respectively, α = 0.96, α = 0.95, α = 0.93, and α = 0.81. The 15-point drop in the internal consistency of the three-item version is notable. This reduction in the estimate of internal consistency reliability has inherent implications for validity. The internal consistency for the 36-item scale found with this sample is very close to the reliability estimate originally reported by Eisenberger et al. (1986). The 16-item and eight-item versions of the instrument produce similar levels of internal consistency reliability. The reliability estimate for the three-item version is much lower. On this basis alone, one might recommend against using the three-item version when the eight-item version and the 16-item version perform better. This adds clarification to the statement by Rhoades and Eisenberger (2002) that 'the use of shorter versions does not appear problematic' (p. 699) and affirms a recommended caution with use of an extreme reduction in the number of SPOS items (Hellman, Fuqua & Worley, 2006).
The correlations in Table 2 reveal several interesting coefficients relative to answering the question of whether or not the versions are interchangeable. First, the correlation between the eight-item and 16-item versions (r = 0.98) indicates that these two scales could be used almost interchangeably. These two versions also reproduce the 36-item version extremely well with strong positive correlations between the 36-item version and the eight-item (r = 0.94) and 16-item versions (r = 0.97), respectively. Based on these results one might conclude that either the eightitem or the 16-item version would be just as effective as the 36-item version. However, the three-item version correlated less with the 36-item full version, r = 0.85. Therefore, the three-item version shares about 16% less variance than did the eight-item version with the full 36-items.
Convergent validity with known correlates of perceived organisational support was expected given the reliabilities and the scale intercorrelations. When each of the four SPOS scales were predicted from a linear combination of the three known correlates of perceived organisational support (affective commitment, organisational communication and organisational participation) using a simultaneous multiple regression equation, the percentages of shared variance for the 36-item, 16-item, eight-item and three-item versions were, respectively, 48%, 49%, 47% and 42%. Five to seven percent less of the threeitem scale was overlapping with the linear combination of the three correlates. The other three versions shared very similar proportions of variance with the correlates.
All of these results must be understood in the context of some limitations of the sample used here. Certainly, reliability is greatly affected by the sample characteristics, as are both regression and correlation statistics. The sample involved in this study was from a single organisation of a particular kind (a community college) and the sample was geographically specific to one area. While subjects were initially randomly selected from the organisation for participation, there was a significant non-response rate, and the differences between the respondents and non-respondents are not known. The generalisabilty of these results remains an empirical question. The general results reported here have, at least in part, been very similar to those reported elsewhere for the SPOS (Rhoades & Eisenberger, 2002).
Results from the current analysis affirm that the SPOS is a unidimensional measure, even when the structures are allowed to correlate. The 36-item version of the SPOS is efficiently and efficaciously replaced by either the eight-item version or the 16-item version. Given the strength of relationship of these two shorter versions found here, we might recommend the eight-item version just for its efficiency. The lower reliability and, consequently, lower validity in many applications of the threeitem version of the SPOS seem to point to the conclusion that the use of this version is not justifiable, especially in light of the availability of the superior eight-item scale.
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Correspondence to:
Jody A. Worley
Postal address: Department of Human Relations, University of Oklahoma
4521 East 41st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135
e-mail: email@example.com
Received: 06 Oct. 2008
Accepted: 19 May 2009
Published: 24 July 2009
This article is available at: http://www.sajip.co.za
© 2009. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.


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Yup, the OK Apatosaurus is freakin' huge!/
How big did Apatosaurus get? Well, that gray silhouette that is being dwarfed in terms of bulk there is Supersaurus vivianae. So yeah, that's one big honk'in sauropod...
The genesis of this post comes courtesy of a Matt Wedel post over at the excellent SV-POW! blog, where he was taking a look at the size of the partial Apatosaurus specimen preserved in Oklahoma, specimen OMNH 1670. Matt took a measuring tape to the OMNH specimen himself, and it measures up at a whopping 135 cm (for those of you who don't know the metric system, 135 centimeters is equal to one really big vertebra...).
But Matt really caught my attention when he stated:
...so the big Oklahoma Apatosaurus was probably in Supersaurus territory, mass-wise, and may have rivaled some of the big titanosaurs.
Supersaurus is an animal near and dear to my heart - it's an animal I've literally shed blood over. Yes really. In addition to working with my coauthors on a description of the second specimen of Supersaurusj and a reassessment of diplodocid phylogeny, we also had to produce a full mount of the animal under exceedingly tight time constraints. As with many small museums this meant we all had to pitch in, and that included learning how to sculpt missing bones. Near the very end of the project, while getting by on little more than 2 hours of sleep and coffee doses that would kill a small horse, I had a very small boo-boo with a carving knife (see photographic evidence at right). No stitches were necessary, and thankfully no sauropods where injured in the process.
The end result of our work was a mount that received top billing in a temporary exhibit in Japan in summer 2006. While the estimated length of 34 meters and mass estimate of 36-40 tonnes is smaller than some of the more sensational numbers that have been floated in popular books (and of course the internet), we suggested in our paper that many of those estimates were, shall we say... extravagant. Supersaurus appears to be close to the longest animal whose length can be reliably estimated (read: not counting Amphiceolias fragilimus), though it was lighter than the giant titanosaurs.
Given my personal stake here I wasn't about to take Matt's vicious maligning of Supersaurus on faith. But - and this is the darndest thing about science - the facts are on his side. After scaling the fourth dorsal of Apatosaurus louisae up to the appropriate size, it turns out that the thing definitely is bulkier than Supersaurus.
And if you try it with the other species of Apatosaurus (to whit: A. ajax and A. excelsus), it turns out just as bad - or worse in the case of A. ajax, who seems to have a proportionately shorter D4, which in turn leads to a larger animal when it's scaled to 135 cm.
Of course Supersaurus still looks to be longer by a fair amount, in large part due to the highly elongate neck. But when it comes to moving the dial on a scale, it's clear that Apatosaurus is just more sauropod than Supersaurus. Oh well Jimbo, we'll always have Japan...

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Tickets are still available for the Tony Award-winning musical "Fiddler on the Roof" which will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, at the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center on the LeTourneau University campus. 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. in Longview. For more information, call the Belcher Center Box Office at (909) 233-3080 or visit www.BelcherCenter.com.
"Fiddler on the Roof" has been lauded by critics again and again, and has won the hearts of people all around the world. It is a story of family, of hope, of love and acceptance. Filled with a rousing, heartwarming score, which includes "Tradition," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "If I Were a Rich Man" and "Sunrise, Sunset," this musical is a timeless classic that has woven music, dance poignancy and laughter into an electrifying and unforgettable experience.
The Belcher Center's 2012-2013 Performance Series season is underwritten by Martin Midstream Partners. Marquee sponsors include Transet and Network Communications, and the show sponsor is The Longview News-Journal.
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Glory 14: Bonjasky Bows Out!
Monday, 10 March 2014 | Carl
Source: www.liverkick.com
Last night at GLORY 14 Zagreb we saw Remy Bonjasky's career end in a fashion that would have made Harmonica from "Once Upon a Time in the West" feel uneasy. Remy Bonjasky's career has cemented him as one of the all-time greats in Heavyweight Kickboxing, with three K-1 World Grand Prix victories under his belt. That puts him in the same category as fighters like Peter Aerts and Ernesto Hoost and Sem Schilt, as multi-time K-1 World Grand Prix champions who have nothing left to prove to the world. He belongs in the same breath as those fighters, yet it feels like he's not taken as seriously by many.
Peter Aerts had a huge retirement ceremony at GLORY 13, with lots of fanfare and respect thrown his way, while Remy Bonjasky's retirement was far more subdued, with Remy standing in the ring after his fight with Cro Cop being assailed by boos from the Zagreb crowd. There was no ceremony, no balloons, no post-fight interview on the broadcast, and there was no confetti, just a chorus of boos both in the arena and around the world from fans of Mirko Cro Cop who felt that Cro Cop was robbed. All of this while a three-time K-1 World Grand Prix Champion stood in the ring for the last time with tears in his eyes.
This wouldn't be the first time in Remy Bonjasky's career that things wouldn't go his way, in fact, it would be one of many incidents where things went horribly wrong for the Flying Dutchman. This is the same Remy Bonjasky that Saduharu Tanikawa, Stefan Leko and Badr Hari had dubbed as an "actor" in the ring. In the fight with Leko in 2007 there were multiple low blows delivered to Remy Bonjasky, who then took time to recover, leading to Leko and Tanikawa believing that he was faking his injury in the ring and that he wasn't good for K-1. Then came 2008 where Badr Hari became frustrated in the K-1 World Grand Prix Finals, pushed Bonjasky over and stomped him on the head, leading to a disqualification in the biggest fight of the year.
Bonjasky would never live that moment down, which sounds ridiculous, Bonjasky had done nothing wrong. He was an actor for taking that DQ win, he was a fraud and he was afraid of Badr Hari. His family received multiple death threats after the incident in K-1 from both fans and alleged friends of Badr Hari. After running into Semmy Schilt in the K-1 World Grand Prix 2009 Bonjasky was forced into retirement by a recurring eye injury, a detached retina, that left his vision in question. With limited peripheral vision it would be difficult for Bonjasky to be able to participate in such a tough sport as Kickboxing, making it hard to see strikes coming at him, but he still came back. He still fought with limited vision.
For years he had discussed wanting to have a retirement fight, one last fight to go out on, but with Kickboxing in the state that it was, no one was willing to give Bonjasky a big payday for his retirement, as they felt his retirement was simply not worth the attention or the budget, that fans wouldn't care. Things started to turn around when GLORY started booking events and that they wanted the Flying Gentleman to help bolster their Heavyweight division, seeing the addition of Bonjasky as instant-credibility. Things were alright for Bonjasky in the beginning, but it was clear that things had changed in those years off.
After last night's win over Mirko Cro Cop Remy Bonjasky will walk away from GLORY with a record of 3-3, his storied career ending with a whimper, not a bang. Regardless of who you thought won between Cro Cop and Bonjasky, isn't it safe to say that it is unfair to Bonjasky to boo him out of the arena for his last fight? This was known to be Bonjasky's retirement fight for a while, why was it kept under wraps like that? Where was the big ceremony for Bonjasky? Why did he have to fight Mirko in his last fight in Mirko's home town?
Remy Bonjasky has worked hard to earn the respect of the Kickboxing world, but it seems like it never came, even in his last fight. I hope that the years remember Remy Bonjasky for what he was; a dynamic fighter with great defenses, better kicks and the ability to feel a fighter out and to catch them off guard with a flying knee or kick from out of nowhere. He was one of the few men who would not only win the K-1 World Grand Prix once, but to win it multiple times and he has wins over some of the toughest Heavyweight Kickboxers to ever walk this earth. Last night felt like the Cro Cop show when it didn't need to be just about Cro Cop.


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The budget situation today looks hugely worse than it did two years ago. The reason for the deterioration is not that the country has suddenly embarked on a massive new round of social spending, undertaken another major military adventure or even emptied the coffers through tax breaks. The reason that the deficit situation looks hugely worse than it did two years ago is that the $8 trillion housing bubble that had been driving the economy finally collapsed and threw the country into the worst downturn since the Great Depression.
The tragedy in this story is that the collapse of the bubble and its devastating consequences were entirely predictable. Had policymakers recognized the housing bubble and its dangers, they could have easily taken measures to avert this disaster, preventing the surge in unemployment, the flood of foreclosures and the huge budget deficits that characterize this downturn.
Unfortunately, the sociology of the economics profession and economic policy-making is structured so that the voices of those who raised concerns about the housing bubble were largely excluded from public debate. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan and other leading lights of the economics profession insisted that everything was fine. As a result, nearly all the properly credentialed "experts" marched in lockstep behind their leaders, also insisting that everything was fine.
Remarkably, even after this collapse, nothing has changed in the structure of debates over economic policy. Nearly every day of the week an organization in Washington sponsors a policy session on the budget deficit or some other important economic topic and every last "expert" is among that distinguished group that somehow could not see an $8 trillion housing bubble.
This would be like hosting a session on the future of US military involvement in Iraq in which every participant had confidently predicted in 2003 that the United States would cakewalk to an easy victory. Even the Republicans wouldn't be foolish enough to host a panel like this. Yet, there seems to be a bipartisan consensus that completely missing the biggest economic calamity in almost 80 years doesn't call into question your competence as an economic analyst.
This should scare people. There is no reason to believe that people who were incapable if independent analysis before the bubble collapsed are now capable of thinking for themselves. In other words, the vast majority of the so-called experts who pontificate on economic policy are still people who are more accustomed to deferring to authority than doing their own analysis. This means that a great deal of silliness is likely to be perpetuated, just as was the case before the housing bubble collapsed.
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The basic story on the budget deficit is very simple: We need badly need large budget deficits in the short term. They are the only force that can sustain demand in the economy after the collapse of housing construction and the loss of the consumption that had been supported by $8 trillion in illusory housing bubble wealth.
In the longer term, we will need to reduce our trade deficit to replace this demand, but this can only be brought about by a reduction in the value of the dollar against the currencies of our trading partners. If our budget experts had been capable of independent thinking before the crash, they would have pointed out the over-valued dollar as a main cause of imbalances in the US economy. Unfortunately, most of them are still incapable of recognizing the obvious.
The other big oversight that the budget experts commit is the failure to recognize the positive role that moderate rates of inflation can play in our economic recovery. Sustained inflation in the range of 3 to 4 percent will be the quickest way to rebuild the balance sheets of households who saw most or all of their wealth disappear with the bursting of the bubble.
Modest inflation will also help to erode the debt burden the government was forced to take on due to the housing crash. For those old enough to remember, inflation was also a major factor in reducing the burden of the huge debt that the country incurred as a result of World War II.
Of course in the long term, if we don't fix health care then the deficits will be unbearable, but this calls for discussions of health care, not budget deficits. If we don't fix health care, the economy will be wrecked regardless of what we do with the budget.
But, we won't get a more serious discussion of these issues until we have budget experts who actually form independent assessments of the economy. As it stands, the debate is dominated by a follow-the-leader crew who could not see an $8 trillion housing bubble.


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The more finals games I watch, the more I think that DeShawn Stevenson would fit very well with the Knicks next year. His contract is up with Dallas after this season and I'd love to have him in New York. He'd provide some of that defensive toughness and veteran leadership that we need off the bench. He's more then held his own defending against LeBron James and Dwyane wade. In game 4, he even showed that he can hit his 3's when his number is called, but that's gravy. I think Stevenson would be a great fit because of his defensive versatility, being able to guard the 2 and 3 and probably the 1 if needed, and because of his toughness. I'd much rather have him playing significant minutes over Mr "Offensive Foul" Bill Walker. I don't know why D'Antoni loves Walker. He's athletic and had some good games but for the most part I think he sucks and he's not a great defender. Right now look at the roster, there's talent but there are no blue collar defensive stoppers. Stevenson's only 30 so I don't know if he'd accept the veteran minimum or maybe a small mid level exemption, the circumstances under which he'd have to come to New York, but if we could get him I think he'd be a very valuable bench piece to have on next years Knick team.
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THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Pizzeria Uno Chicago Bar & Grill
3501 Connecticut Ave., NW Send to Phone
202-966-3225 | Make Restaurant Reservations
OpenLunch & Dinner daily
Open late
- Parking available
- Dress code: Casual
- Full bar
- Kid-friendly
- Outdoor dining
* Click here for rating key
THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Pizzeria Uno Chicago Bar & Grill Restaurant Review: Families and singles gravitate here, but probably for different reasons. The bar area makes for great singles bonding; the dining area offers families easy eating with the kids. The menu is geared to be easy on the budget, too, which everyone appreciates. Their lunch specials, served up pronto, make this a perfect destination for quick bites. But if you want to settle down to something, consider one of their deep dish pizzas, a concept created by Pizzeria Uno many decades ago. We love their Chicago classic (the small is more than enough for one), the pie that made them famous. Youll also find thin-crust pizzas, big sandwiches, pasta dishes, and meaty entrées such as steak, ribs, and chicken parmesan. Kids have their own menu, with a pizza, of course. And desserts are such all-American sweets as brownies, cheesecake, cake, and apple pie.
GAYOT's Annual Restaurant Awards honor America's best chefs, as well as promising newcomers and a top restaurateur.


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Ed Garza
Trustee - District 7
Edward D. Garza attended the University of Texas at Austin, studying Business Administration for two years before transferring to Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning (1992) and a Master of Science in Land and Real Estate Development (1994). In 2004 Garza was given the Distinguished Alumni Award by the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University.
Garza is an independent consultant specializing in urban planning, public policy, real estate development and investment. Prior to his current role, Garza held leadership positions for local and global planning, design, and management firms. In his professional role, Garza has brought vision and strategic planning to downtowns, master planned communities, urban villages, waterfronts, deserts, neighborhoods and transportation networks in places around the world. Garza has also held adjunct professor positions at the University of Texas at San Antonio and St. Mary's University.
Garza has served on numerous corporate and governing boards including the Texas A&M University Foundation, San Antonio chapter of American Institute of Architects, San Antonio Historic Design and Review Board, CPS Energy, San Antonio Water Systems, City South Management Authority, National League of Cities, Fannie Mae Advisory Board, NALEO, and Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
Garza served eight years as a municipal elected official. In 2001 at the age of 32, Garza became San Antonio's youngest mayor in the city's history. He served the maximum, two terms as Mayor of San Antonio and prior to that served two terms as a City Council representative. Garza was elected in an unprecedented fashion by garnering a cross-section of political, geographic and socio-economic support; based on his platform of sustainable economic growth, modernization of the city's governance structure and balance sustainable growth for the city's under-invested southern sector.
The hallmark of Garza's administration for economic development and balanced growth was the successful partnership with the state of Texas, in luring Toyota to invest over a billion dollars in a new manufacturing facility in south San Antonio. The combination of Toyota's (5,000 plus) high paying jobs and a new Texas A&M University campus have become the economic drivers in Garza's urban regeneration vision for San Antonio's long neglected southern sector, today known as City South.
In 2009, Garza was once again elected by voters to serve on the San Antonio Independent School District Board of Trustees. Garza ran on a vision to rebuild an aging urban school district based on high academic achievement, "back to basics" discipline/core values, and leadership/character development; with the vision to transform SAISD into a national model urban school district by 2020.
Garza has received numerous awards and citations. He has been featured in the New York Time's, Wall Street Journal, Texas Monthly, Urban Land Magazine, and CNN and listed in Hispanic Business magazine as a "most influential" Hispanic leader. Garza has testified before Congress and given presentations and key note speeches to groups including the National Security Agency, U.S. Embassy's International Initiative (Argentina, China and Mexico), International Rotary, Urban Land Institute, and American Institute of Architects, National League of Cities, International Downtown Association, and International Council of Shopping Centers.
Garza is married to Anna Laura and both are members of St. Paul Catholic Church. The Garza's are active members in the Jefferson - Woodlawn Lake neighborhood and have devoted time and resources to various non-profile organizations including the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio Children's Shelter and Urban Youth Soccer Academy of San Antonio.
His term expires in 2021.
What is a School Board?
The SAISD Board of Trustees, composed of seven District residents, is the school system's policy-making body. Each trustee represents one of seven single-member districts and is elected by voters of that district. Single-member districts were implemented in 1986. Trustees serve four-year terms
The Board's major duties include:
- Adopting goals and objectives for the District
- Reviewing and acting on policies
- Adopting an annual budget and setting the tax rate
- Electing school personnel as recommended by the superintendent
- Reporting to the public on the District's progress


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As the year draws to a close and the holiday spirit abounds, employers can anticipate reviewing year-end figures to determine who goes on the naughty or nice list. Whether erring on the side of Scrooge or St. Nick, here are a few points on bonuses and gifts that employers should keep in mind.
1. Employees must report bonuses as taxable income. Bonuses are considered taxable income to be included on an employee's Form W-2. Federal, state and local income taxes and FICA taxes must be withheld, the Social Security portion of which is subject to an annual compensation limit, which for 2013 is $113,700. Employers should also be mindful whether they agreed to a gross-up arrangement with the employee as the employer will have to pay the entire bonus amount and the tax as well.
2. Employers may deduct bonuses under certain circumstances. Bonuses can generally be deducted by the employer if they are ordinary and necessary business expenses. Namely, bonuses must be reasonable, as additional pay for services performed rather than as a gift, and paid or incurred in the year in which the deduction is claimed. An "ordinary" expense is one that is common and accepted in your trade or business. A "necessary" expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your trade or business. An expense does not have to be indispensable in order to be "necessary." Of note, employers can also deduct the costs of a holiday party for employees as a business entertainment cost.
3. Gift cards are taxable as income unless de minimis. Most gift cards and gift certificates to employees that are redeemable for general merchandise or have a cash equivalent value are taxable as income. Gifts from employers are taxable because ultimately an employer does not provide the gift out of disinterested generosity, but rather to reward past performance or to provide an incentive for future performance. There are, however, de minimis fringe benefits (property or service given where the value is so small that accounting for it is unreasonable or administratively impracticable) that do not constitute taxable income. Nevertheless, de minimis fringe benefits do not cover cash no matter how small the amount. For example, giving a low-cost theater ticket to an employee may not be taxable, but giving the employee the cash for the ticket would be.
4. Bonuses may be earned pro rata. If the terms of a bonus plan are definite, a promise to pay a bonus as an incentive for continued service may constitute an enforceable contract, rather than a mere gratuity. But, where an employer has full discretion whether to issue a bonus and the amount of the bonus, or the terms of the bonus plan are indefinite, a bonus will likely be construed as a gratuity. If a promise to pay a bonus is enforceable, employees in most jurisdictions are entitled to a pro rata share of the bonus if terminated without cause before the distribution of bonuses. Ordinarily, an employee who voluntarily terminates employment is not entitled to any portion of a bonus. Depending on the jurisdiction, an employer may avoid liability to pay a bonus when an employee is discharged before bonuses are distributed if a bonus plan states an employee forfeits his or her bonus if terminated with or without cause prior to the end of the fiscal year.
5. Identify fair bonus practices. Like all compensation, bonuses are subject to equal pay and anti-discrimination laws. To maintain fairness and guard against discrimination, bonuses should be based on objective, identified factors. In addition to an appearance of fairness, disclosing these factors well in advance of year's end will motivate employees to achieve benchmarks the employer considers valuable.
Richard Y. Hu and Rachel L. Schaller are associate attorneys at Shefsky & Froelich Ltd. in Chicago. Comment below or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.


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Professional Development
Exemplars offers a wide range of professional development opportunities.
Sessions are designed to meet the specific needs of teachers, team leaders and administrators in both schools and districts.
By creating a hands-on experience where participants learn by doing, Exemplars professional development workshops and Institutes demonstrate how to use assessment results to guide instruction, improve student performance and meet today's standards.
Sessions focus on integrating authentic math problem solving, inquiry-based science and student communication in the classroom.


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By DAMON LAWRENCE
The defendants in former constable Mark Patton's lawsuit are asking for more time to comply with a chancellor's order to turn over phone records and other correspondence.
"The phone carriers forced us to file that motion, and I don't think Mr. Cawood necessarily opposes that motion as long as we get it to him in time for trial," Roane County Attorney Tom McFarland said of Patton's attorney.
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Sport in Taupo
Sport isn't always the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Taupo, but in reality Taupo is sportperson's paradise.
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Whether as a spectator or participant, the great Lake Taupo and the surrounding area offers unparalleled opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of sport.
The most obvious class of sport in Taupo is water sport. Visitors to the area can rent boats and jet skis for the purpose of water-skiing, tubing, or just a cruise around the lake. Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are also available for hire from the Taupo waterfront.
For another form of skiing, the snow fields of Mt Ruapehu are just over an hour's drive from town. There's also ample opportunity to get out by mountain bike on Taupo's many surrounding trails. For those with a competitive spirit, regular races take place throughout the year.
Golf is another popular Taupo sporting venture. From the manicured courses winding through Taupo's surrounding hills, to mini-golf in town, to the lakefront chipping contest; there is ample opportunity to test every aspect of your golf game – and even win a few prizes along the way.
Without a doubt, however, the ultimate in Taupo sport is for the endurance athletes and their fans. The Taupo-Rotorua 100k Flyer takes place annually, with road cyclists traversing the course between the two popular tourist centres. Additionally, Taupo plays host to two official Ironman events each year, representing the ultimate in elite endurance event performance. The Half Ironman takes place in December, and every March, thousands of athletes and spectators descend on Taupo for New Zealand's only Ironman qualification event.
At the end of a long day, participants and fans alike need a quiet place to rest their sore muscles (or cheering voices). For this, there's no better place than The Cove, Taupo's luxury lakefront accommodation. Take in the views as you soak in your private balcony spa pool and toast a job well done.
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The Cove on The Lake
The Cove is luxurious motel accommodation situated on the edge of Lake Taupo. Comprised of 12 spacious 1x bedroom suites each with thermally heated spa pool on private balcony and with five budget studio units also there is choice for all travellers.


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We are seeking males and females to participate in a paid online focus group about exercise.
The focus group will involve participating in an online bulletin board over a four week period.
The focus group will take place between August 2nd and August 31st.
Those who participate in this focus group will be paid $500 for their time and opinions.
If you are interested in participating in this paid focus group, please complete the online questionnaire which is located at the link provided below.
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When retired Master Sgt. Sheryl A. Webb left the U.S. Army in 1997, she was scarcely aware of services that U.S. Veterans Administration hospitals offered specifically for women.
That was well before women became the fastest growing demographic group within the U.S. veteran population, and before VA hospital officials made a concerted effort to get the word out about its women's services.
On Friday, Webb marveled as she walked through the Women Veteran's Clinic inside the new $4.7 million Fort Meade VA Outpatient clinic.
The 13,300-square-foot Fort Meade outpatient clinic, the sixth community based health facility in the VA Maryland Health Care System, officially opened its women's clinic on Friday. The overall clinic is slated to be dedicated Monday, and will provide local health services to more than 80,000 veterans living in Anne Arundel and Howard counties, officials said.
The clinic provides veterans with outpatient medical care, preventive health and education services, screenings, social work and mental health clinics, as well as referrals to specialized programs and inpatient services.
It's slated to join the other five Maryland facilities in providing three-dimensional mammogram screenings — the VA system is the first in the state to offer such mammograms and the first VA system in the country to provide the technology to veterans, officials said.
The women's clinic is also slated to provide such services as infertility treatments, fibroid testing, menopausal care and osteoporosis care.
"When I first got out and filed for VA compensation, I had to go before a board of doctors, and there was nothing set up per se, like this area here," said Webb, 69, of Elkridge, noting the facilities inside the women's clinic at Fort Meade. "There weren't places specifically for women to come in and be seen and talk to a bunch of women (about) problems pertinent to women.
"I know some of my soldiers had issues and weren't comfortable" about speaking on the matters to men, Webb said, adding that sometimes the issues were psychological in nature.
The VA actually created its Women Veterans Health Program in 1988. At that time, however, only 4.4 percent of veterans were women, VA officials said. As of 2011, women make up 10 percent (2.2 million) of the veteran population, according officials using its most recent figures available.
Women make up nearly 11.6 percent of veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, VA officials said, and he number of women veterans is expected to grow to about 15 percent by 2035, according to a 2011 study by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Rebecca Gonzalez, women's health nurse practitioner for the VA Maryland Health Care System, said spreading the word about women's services can be a challenge.
"A lot of veteran women don't know that there is women's health care available, and there's been a great push in the last six years to get that message out," Gonzalez said. "Not that it didn't happen before, but especially in the last six years or so, because there have been more of an influx of women veterans coming to the fore. We want to make sure we've got everything available to them."
Gonzalez said, currently, there are two models of care women can access via the VA: They can have either one provider performing gender-specific care as well as primary care, or they can have one doctor for each discipline.
Dr. Martin Garcia-Bunuel, a VA Maryland Health Care System primary care physician, said the VA system now actively recruits doctors, nurse practitioners and staff that have background and interest in providing care to both genders.
"Especially from a clinical perspective and a primary care perspective, we have shifted our recruiting and specifically look for primary care providers that have … training and expertise in taking care of women, Garcia-Bunuel said. "We've been looking at this for quite a few years.
He said over the past five to 10 years, the VA has looked, "very specifically at everything from our facilities to how we set up our clinics for privacy to be warm and friendly to female veterans. ... Now it's just the standard of what we do."
Gonzalez said as the female veteran population grows, and the nation as a whole grows accustomed to the idea of women veterans, medical services for women veterans will become more prevalent.
"A lot of the time people don't put together in their minds 'veteran' and 'women,'" Gonzalez said. "Usually when they say the word, 'veteran,' they think of a man. I go out and say, 'I'm a women's health nurse practitioner at the VA Medical Center,' and the general public is like, 'Really?' And I say, 'Yes, there are women veterans.'"


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Nature Bulbs10:42
Pretty handmade nature bulbs by Land-Rich Brooklyn, NY (via A Cup of Jo ). Id love some to hang on my Christmas tree. But sadly they are ...
Did I tell you I got a Christmas tree? My first ever Christmas tree, I feel so grown up! No more just throwing some tinsel around, I actually have a tree to celebrate Christmas the grown-ups way.
22 comments
Wow, these are so lovely. I will have to keep these in mind for next year!ReplyDelete
These are just gorgeous - what a fabulous idea!ReplyDelete
visit me @ www.friendinfashion.blogspot.com
Oooh. I like these a lot!ReplyDelete
oh i want some !!!ReplyDelete
so very pretty <3
- AnonymousWednesday, December 16, 2009
it's amazing how they can stuff those huge things through in there. very pretty.ReplyDelete
These are beautiful bulbs! I want to make someReplyDelete
They look absolutely amazing :)ReplyDelete
Oh and of course congrats inn
getting a christmas tree ^.^
They are gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Oh, this is a great idea!ReplyDelete
I'm fan of having natural christmas decorations. This year, I'm making small, hanging vases out of old jars and using fresh flowers instead of the regular decorations.
That, and paper. I love paper decorations too. :)
- AnonymousWednesday, December 16, 2009
Oh these are so pretty!ReplyDelete
You could make these yourself! Just get some glass decorations, take the top off and voila...! That's my plan anyway.ReplyDelete
I love them! My tree is too small for any more decorations, but I don't see why these couldn't be hung around the house year-round :)ReplyDelete
oh my goodness, this is soooo lovely!ReplyDelete
these are wonderful! I saw them on Cup Of Jo andReplyDelete
instantly loved them.
I wish i had found them earlier to give to my mum for christmas.
A stunning not kitschy christmas decoration
they sell similar glass bulbs at Spotlight atm with half price on all Christmas products, they come in 6. Just bought them today! so precious, reminds me of those ships in bottles, just a Christmas version. Awesome idea!ReplyDelete
GASP! I LOVE this idea!ReplyDelete
you could totally make these. i've bought plain glass bulbs at michael's craft store and filled them with odds and ends and you could definitely do something nature-y. love this.ReplyDelete
what a great idea, I love themReplyDelete
Great idea and nice DIY project.ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing.
Just discovered your blog and it's pretty amazing, very fresh and clever <3
Happy New year
I love the idea! It is such a shame its past Christmas before I found this blog!ReplyDelete


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Josie Pearson, who broke her neck in car accident aged 17, set three new world records to take Great Britain's gold medal haul at the Olympic Stadium into double figures by winning the discus title.
The 26-year-old had to give up wheelchair racing after being told the risk of further injury was too great and only took up throwing 18 months ago. But the Bristol-born athlete launched the disc out to 6.38, 6.54 and then 6.58 metres with her first three throws of the competition, extending the F51 record on each occasion.
With the competition also including F52 and 53 athletes, the distances were converted into points, with Pearson's 1122 putting her 242 clear of the rest of the field. Such was her dominance any of her six throws would have been good enough to win the gold.
After Jonnie Peacock, David Weir and Hannah Cockroft ensured last night live up to its billing as 'Thriller Thursday', Pearson's success kept the British gold medal bandwagon moving apace.
Pearson, who became the first woman to represent ParalympicsGB at wheelchair rugby four years ago, has thrown 6.66m this summer, but the distance was not ratified and so ineligible for the record books. Ireland's Catherine O'Neill won silver with a throw of 5.66m for 880 points.
Richard Whitehead produced another late burst to book his place in the final of the T42 100m.
The double above-the-knee amputee, as he did to take the 200m crown, came roaring through from way down the field in the second half of the race to beat American Shaquille Vance to third place.
The Nottingham athlete, who is also incredibly the marathon world record holder, finished in a personal best of 12.97 seconds.
The 100m crown, though, is likely to be beyond him tonight as the distance does not give him enough time to make up for his slow starts.
Another gold medal winner, Mickey Bushell, made it into the final of his second event, the T53 200m, as a fastest loser. Scott Moorhouse finished seventh in the F42 javelin and Kyron Duke eighth in the F40 javelin.


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The Georgia Aquarium opened in downtown Atlanta, Georgia on 23 November 2005, as the world's largest aquarium. With more than 8 million gallons of marine and fresh water, and more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species, the Georgia Aquarium is a gift to the people of Georgia from Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, and his wife Billi, through the Marcus Foundation. The $200 million building, designed to look like a ship breaking through a wave. The facility hosts five viewing galleries along with a 4-D movie theater.
Wolfgang Puck Catering operates exclusive special event catering services at the Aquarium. Chef Puck and his staff serve seafood at the Aquarium and participate in the Seafood Watch Program, pioneered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources.


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Books and Special Issues
View books written by Dr. Michael Ungar.
Read about our work in books, journals, reports and in popular media.
View books written by Dr. Michael Ungar.
Dr. Michael Ungar has contributed to a number of books on the topics of resilience, research, culture and intervention.
View peer reviewed journal articles from 2001 (and earlier) to present.
View articles published in newspapers and magazines.
Here, you'll find reports on research contexts that illustrate risks and resources internationally, evaluation and research reports.


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Statin side effects: Brigham and Women's Hospital study indicates they usually go away
Statins have a great track record for lowering cholesterol and helping heart disease patients live longer, but about half of those taking statins stop taking the drugs at some point — often due to side effects. Now a Brigham and Women's Hospital study suggests that more than 90 percent of patients who go back on statins don't have the same troubles the second time around.
"What we found is that if someone has to go off of a statin due to side effects like muscle aches, it may be worth trying the drug again, especially if a person has had a previous heart attack or stroke or has established heart disease,'' said Dr. Alexander Turchin, the senior author of the study and an endocrinologist at the Brigham.
Those with diabetes or those who have very elevated cholesterol levels — a low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level of greater than 160 milligrams per deciliter — should also seriously consider re-starting a statin if they had previous mild side effects, because they're also at increased risk of having a future heart attack or stroke, Turchin recommended.
He and his colleagues examined electronic medical records from nearly 108,000 patients treated with statins over eight years in practices affiliated with the Brigham and Massachusetts General Hospital and found that nearly half of the patients discontinued their use of statins for some period of time. The findings were published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
About 17 percent of the patients in the study stopped taking their statins due to a wide range of side effects such as liver problems and muscle pain — both known side effects of statins — and vaguer symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, or stomach problems.
Liver problems were reported in 2 percent of patients, and a very rare statin-related condition, rhabdomyolysis, which causes permanent muscle death, occurred at a rate of just 6 out of every 100,000 patients. Interestingly, memory loss — a side effect that's been linked to statins in previous studies — was cited as the reason for going off statins in just 6 out of every 10,000 patients.
Other patients stopped taking statins because they didn't think they needed to be on them any longer, because they were too expensive, or because they were already on another cholesterol-lowering drug.
Overall, more than half of the patients who stopped taking their statins because of side effects were able to eventually go back on their medications with good results. While some of the patients were able to tolerate the same statin or a higher dose of another statin, Turchin said a wise move would be for patients with previous side effects to switch to a different statin or a lower dose of the drug.
Those who developed rare conditions related to statins, he added, should speak to their doctor about whether the drug's benefits outweigh its risks in their individual case.


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The Disney Films
Disney Editions, Sep 7, 1995 - Performing Arts - 400 pages
As Entertainment Tonight's resident expert and editor of the most authoritative Movie and Video Guide, Leonard Maltin is the favorite critic of anyone who loves movies. Now, he brings up to date one of his classic books. This is the only single-volume work that illuminates every feature film the studio has released. 150 illustrations.
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Academy Award action actors adventure Alice animated feature Art directors audience Bambi beautiful Bill Walsh Brian buena vista camera cartoon Cast characters Charles Chuck Keehne color comedy Costumes critics Crockett David Davy Dick Disney film Disney staff Disney studio Disney's Donald Duck Dumbo Emile Kuri Evelyn Kennedy Fantasia feature film film's Fred George Bruns Goofy Harry Jack James Jiminy John Johnny Joshua Meador King live live-action Mary Poppins McEveety Merlin Michael Mickey Mouse Mickey's minutes movie Music editor narrator Norman Paul Peter Ellenshaw Photography picture Pinocchio played Rated PG reissue Released by buena released theatrically Richard Robert Robin Ron Miller Running scene screen Screenplay sequence Sherman shot sings Snow White song Sound Special effects star story success Technicolor tells tion Tommy Kirk Ub Iwerks voice Walt Disney Productions Ward Kimball William Winston Hibler Wolfgang Reitherman young


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Soothing hues of pink flowers makes your celebrate the birthday in the ever perfect manner that you will never forget. Our stunning arrangement of these special flowers speaks the most delicate message that you wish to convey during the birthday occasion.
Please note: Vase is not included with the bouquet.


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We offer you a wide range of accessories that will ensure you have a safely and powerful chainsaw in the forest.
Solid bars are used for hard species of timber, thick bark and in very sandy, dusty or sooty conditions. Bars are epoxy coated to protect against scratches and corrosion. Available in a range of sizes.
The gentle curve and small nose radius reduce the risk of kickback and facilitate good cutting control. Bars are coated to protect against scratches and corrosion. Available in a range of sizes.
Our new lighter TechLite™ bar with superb rigidity is the first of its kind on the market. Compared to our regular bars, the TechLite™ bar is up to 20% lighter and has almost 25% better rigidity. The superior rigidity has been achieved by using bonding materials over the entire surface as opposed to previous techniques. The bar is also less susceptible to bending and returns to its original shape when subjected to high loads. Gives you less strain, increased efficiency and a higher productivity without compromising on the quality of the cutting equipment or user safety. Available in a range of sizes.
Special bars to suit PS250 & 327PT5S
Made from impact-resistant plastic. Fits different bar lengths.
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A high-performance, low vibration chain with "chisel" cutters, ideal for professional users in demanding conditions. Available in various sizes.
A chain developed to meet the specific needs of today's lightweight chainsaws. It cuts a narrow kerf and requires less power from the saw than standard cutting systems. Low kickback and low-vibration features with Micro Chisel cutters. Not recommended for heavy duty work, e.g. storm damaged forests.
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An extremely lightweight chain for smooth, clean cuts with Micro Chisel cutters. Available in various sizes.
New upgraded design with 20% better cutting performance and longer lifetime. To keep your chain in trim you will need a round file and a file gauge to sharpen the cutters. With a correctly sharpened chain your work will be easier and safer. Our files are made using high-quality steel. Available in various sizes.
Our combination gauges are specially designed with a file gauge and depth gauge setter to put together in one tool. Use together with our round and flat files for a correct fling angle. Available for all Husqvarna chains. Available in various sizes.
Complete filing kit to simplify the work of keeping your chain in trim. With a correctly sharpened chain your work will be easier and safer. The file kit contains a file handle, combination gauge or a file gauge and depth gauge, two round files and one flat file. Available in various sizes.
Patented file locking system. Fits 4.0-4.5 mm round file and 6 inch and 8 inch flat file. 25° and 30° guides ensures correct filing angles.
Our stump vise is an excellent tool for professionals and homeowners to fasten the chainsaw in a secure position when filing. Made of forged steel.
Replaceable nose sprockets for your bars.
Replaceable nose for your RSN bar.
Replacement starter cord.
This Chain saw hook is suitable to use with Husqvarna's Arborist chain saw T540XP. It slips through the waistbelt slots or along the harness webbing and stays in place, due to a stabilizing clip.
An elastic strop to be used together with a chainsaw hook for connecting the chainsaw to a harness belt. Measures 0.5 m when relaxed and 1.25 m fully stretched out.
Eyelet with a unique design, made for arborists who use a standard chain saw. Offers a safe way to connect the chainsaw to the chainsaw strop. Has an overload release.
A chain saw hook with a robust construction. Fits any harness that has a removable belt. The design makes it easy to connect a chainsaw to a belt using just one hand.
Sturdy, stackable design with moulded compartments to hold accessories. Comes standard with 18"-20" guide bar cover. Fits up to model 576AT.


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When a longtime San Juan Capistrano barbershop went out of business, Al Oliman jumped at the opportunity to keep the trade alive.
Mission Barber Shop was around for 50 years before closing last year, but Oliman opened The Senor Barber on Jan. 8 in the same storefront on Camino Capistrano. He hopes to continue Mission's legacy with his own shop. Oliman, a 28-year veteran of the trade, also owns a barbershop in San Clemente.
"We couldn't bear to see our trade lose, so we decided to pick up the shop and continue our tradition of serving men of all ages, providing them with good grooming in a manly and friendly atmosphere," Oliman said.
"What makes us stand out is our desire to know and serve the people of San Juan," he said. The community has been very welcoming, he added.
The shop has many old-fashioned barber touches, including straight-razor shaves. Oliman brought in waiting chairs, barber chairs and other equipment from his childhood barbershop, Continental Barber Shop in Santa Ana, which closed recently.
Oliman runs the shop with the help of fellow barbers Shea Ryan and Brandon Ferguson.
What did you discover that helped you run your business more efficiently?
Going for it and taking the risk, working out the kinks along the way, utilizing our resources, maintaining our relationships and engaging with members in our communities. It's important to be a part of a bigger community – the barbering community and the actual community in which the barbershop is located.
What were some early mistakes you made and how did you solve them?
The same mistakes I commit today. We strive to keep the barbering tradition alive, and to do that, you must nurture young barbers. Sometimes we make the same mistakes, but we love our trade and will continue helping those barbers be successful as we ourselves strive for success.
What's unique about being in the barbershop business?
What has been unique in 28 years is knowing people and being known. It's having seen generations grow, become men, parents and grandparents. Saying goodbye to those who have gone ahead of us. It's living in a community and being part of it.
What trends have you noticed in the industry and how are you adapting to them?
Since 2001, the barbering industry has been making a slow resurgence – mixing the old with the new. We have to constantly reinvent our service offering to appeal to what customers want today, which is a clean … atmosphere where he can relax, chat with friends and receive a professional cut and shave by an expert in men's hair – all for a price that isn't through the roof.
How hard is it to manage and operate a barbershop?
It's not that hard, but it takes a lot of guts in our economy to want to be in business for yourself. … My wife (Kenya) does a lot of the management. I truly appreciate her help.


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- Top-notch Services!
- Certified by Recycling Association
- Professional and friendly staff
- Insurance Claim
Being familiar with the process
If you're considering Carpet Installation in Donora, PA, you should be kept informed to come up with the most effective judgments. We ensure that you understand what to expect. You won't need to deal with any unexpected surprises when you do business with Carpet Installation Crew. Step one is to give us a call at 800-368-0257 to arrange your work. We'll answer all of your questions and concerns and set up your preliminary appointment. We are going to work with you all through the whole process, and our company can appear promptly and ready.
Carpet Installation Crew will be available for all of your goals regarding Carpet Installation in Donora, Wyoming
You will have a lot of reasons to choose Carpet Installation Crew to suit your needs concerning Carpet Installation in Donora, PA. Our products are of the highest quality, our money saving techniques are functional and effective, and our customer support scores won't be topped. Our company has the skills you will want to meet all of your goals. Contact 800-368-0257 when you need Carpet Installations in Donora, and we will work closely with you to properly complete your project.


text: The Climbing Orchid Stamp Set gives a unique ability to build up orchids with as many different pieces as you see fit. This set is classy and timeless and will be ideal for both cards and 3D projects.Photopolymer stamps* Are totally transparent for perfect image placement.* Have just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time. * Cling like crazy to our clear blocks so you don't have to worry about slipping.* Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your photopolymer stamps (blocks sold separately). * Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference.Quantity: 28 photopolymer stampsSuggested clear blocks (sold separately): a, b, d, g


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Kamino has been discontinued
Kamino is a world in the fictional Star Wars universe. It was here that the Clone Army for the Republic was generated. It is inhabited by a race of tall, elegant creatures, called Kamionans, who keep to themselves and are known for their cloning technology... What's Included:
- 3 Desktops (Widescreen and Standard Formats)
- 9 App skins, includes, Calculator, Camino, Font Book, Help Viewer, iChat, iTunes, Mail, Safari and VLC
What's New in Kamino
Version 2.6:
- Updated iTunes Skin
- Updated Menu Elements
- A-Sync Buttons
Requirements for KaminoMac OS X 10.4 or later, ShapeShifter 2.3 or later
*Previously available here
Similar Software
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I wanted to join the police force, but my parents thought it was a waste of all my schooling. As it turns out, through my work, I've still ended up working for the police, as they're one of our clients. So I'm still involved indirectly with the detective work that always excited me. In this way, I feel I can also help to make the world a bit safer.
We work for the Dutch Defense Ministry, too. It's important to me that my work has this social relevance. It's my most powerful source of inspiration. I want to have an effect on society and be able to explain to my children what I do and be proud of my work. That's something I was taught at home: Be there for other people.
I jumped at the idea
When I started working at Accenture, a global professional services company, I was initially involved in consultancy assignments for big companies. After a few years (by then, I was expecting our second child), I was no longer inspired by my work. I was searching for my own identity and was thinking of taking a new job outside the consultancy world.
While I was going through this crisis, the managing director of Health & Public Service visited me at home. He had seen (even before I had) that I was troubled about my work not having enough social relevance. He thought the public sector might suit me better. I jumped at the idea. When something feels right, I don't need long to decide: It's just how I am. I was also impressed that he came to see me at home and had been thinking about my personal development. As a manager, I now also ask my people what inspires them and think about the role that would suit them best.
Conference call on the beach
We continuously have to make decisions in our lives, based on our ambitions, personal motivation and dreams. I wanted to be a mother, and I now combine a full-time job with four children. When, after having had two daughters, I turned out to be expecting twins, I asked if I could reduce my working hours to three-and-a-half days a week. That was no problem and was approved at once.
Even so, I didn't manage to keep my phone switched off on Wednesday afternoons. I once took part in a conference call while I was on the beach with the children. Later, I went back to working full-time, in part because I wanted to become a managing director. I really thought that as a mother of four I'd never be eligible for such a move. But after talking it over with my husband, Marc, and a lawyer friend, I changed my ideas completely. Why shouldn't I make that move? So I took part in the leadership program and went on to achieve my ambition.