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Regressing 1 LCA on another LCA
Mplus Discussion
Latent Variable Mixture Modeling
Christian M. Connell
posted on Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 6:42 pm
I'm running a model with 2 separate latent class variables, a 3-class and a 4-class variable, along with a covariate. The 3-class variable is regressed on the covariate, and the 4-class variable is regressed on both the covariate and 3-class variable. I'm also introducing an interaction b/w the covariate and 3-class model by allowing the value of the covariate on 4-class to vary across the 3-class levels. In some ways, this seems conceptually akin to an LTA-type model (even though the variables for the 2 LCAs are not the same. Is example 8.14 an appropriate model for this approach (minus the cross-time constraints)?
Also, can you clarify how to interpret the "interaction effect"? I'm a bit confused by the headings "Latent Class Pattern 1 1" and "2 1" that precede the tests of the covariate on the 4-class model within specified 3-class patterns. Why isn't there a heading for "1 2" and "1 3" etc.? I've got 1 significant effect (the covariate negatively predicts 4-class#2 for Latent Class Pattern 2 1).
Any relevant articles that might serve as examples?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 9:17 am
UG ex 8.13 would be the relevant starting point.
Assuming that you have
classes = c1(3) c2(4);
you would have Latent Class Pattern 1 1 and 2 1 as the relevant patterns for which c2 on x differs. The first number refers to c1 and the second to c2 so you see that for these patterns only c1 classes change. Patterns 1 2 and 1 3 refer to the same c1 class so c2 on x would not differ across these patterns. If you look at the ex 81.3 output (on the web site or on your Mplus CD) you find that you also have c2 on x in the "overall" part which then refers to the last c1 class.
Christian M. Connell
posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 9:52 am
Oops -- yes, I did mean 8.13 (not 8.14) that seemed conceptually similar. Appreciate the clarification.
Just to follow-up. If my covariate (gender) is significantly & positively associated with c2#2 in the overall model and then negatively associated with c2#2 for Pattern 2 1, would that indicate that males have a higher conditional probability of c2#2 than females, except when c1#2 -- i.e., females have a higher risk of c2#2 when classified as c1#2?
Also, if we wanted to examine 3-way interactions (e.g., race & gender differences) how would we specify the interactions in the %c#1% and %c#2% models?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 10:06 am
For 3-way interactions you would use Define to create an observed covariate that is the product of 2 covariates and then do the same modeling with this new interaction covariate.
Christian M. Connell
posted on Monday, November 19, 2007 - 5:26 pm
Thank you for the responses -- very helpful.
One last clarification re: interpretation. Is it more accurate to describe the finding with respect to gender and c2#2 in the overall model as describing the general pattern (i.e., a main effect of gender on c2#2 membership relative to my reference class for c2) with the c1 subclass analyses indicating an additional interaction for gender specific to those c1 classes -- or is it more accurate to describe the overall model as indicating the pattern for my last c1 class, with the subclass analyses indicating the patterns specific to the other c1 classes? Or, is this really the same thing? In re-reading your email response, I believe you initially suggested the later, but my interpretation was of the former.
Thank you,
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 - 6:13 am
To get you familiar with this, you can experiment by saying in the overall part of the model
c2#1-c2#3 on
and then say c2#1-c2#3 on
; in all of the three c1 class-specific statements. Then the parameterization is perhaps clearer because you can focus on the c2 on x relationship in each c1 class without having to refer to the overall.
Katie Witkiewitz
posted on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 12:51 pm
Hi Bengt and Linda,
I was hoping you could further clarify the interpretation of an interaction term in LTA. Assuming a model:
classes = c1(3) c2(3) c3(3);
and a single covariate. There are presumably 3x2 = 6 odds ratios describing the relation between the covariate and transitions from time 1 to time 2, and similarly 6 odds ratios describing the relation from time 2 to time 3. I have specified the model as described in Example 8.13, but I am only left with odds ratios for patterns: 1 1 1, 1 2 1, and 2 1 1. What do the odds ratios for c2 on x and c3 on x for these different patterns represent?
Thank you for your help.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 1:20 pm
You should be able to get all odds ratios from the output. Please send the output and your license number to
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 5:11 pm
Consider c2 regressed on the covariate. You have the 6 slopes (giving the 6 odds ratios) as:
2 slopes for Latent class pattern 1 1 1
2 slopes for Latent class pattern 2 1 1
2 slopes from the section above this, called "Categorical Latent Variables" - this comes from your "c2 on x" statement in %Overall%, referring to the third category of c1 (the %c1#3% section does not have c2 on x so it is taken from Overall).
Christian M. Connell
posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 10:12 am
Another follow-up to our exchange back in November re: interpretation of interaction effects when regressing one LCA on another (and then testing for relation of a given dichotomous covariate to the DV LCA within levels of the IV LCA).
Essentially, we have two LCAs (drug use and sex behavior)and gender (coded f:0, m:1). We regressed drug use and sex beh on gender, and then regressed sex beh on drug use). Finally, within 3 of the 4 levels of drug use, we tested the relation of gender to sex beh.
We have a strong positive effect of being male on higher risk sex behavior, and a strong positive effect of increased drug use on higher risk sex behavior. However, within drug use groups (with non-users set to reference), we have significant negative beta weights for gender on sex behavior (with abstainers set to reference). My initial interpretation was that this suggested males were at lower proportional risk for engaging in high risk sex behavior when substances were involved. However, plotting out the proportions of male/female across different groups (using saved cprobs) does not appear to support this interpretation.
Can you please clarify the reference for these interactions (i.e., what is the negative beta actually referring to)?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Thursday, May 22, 2008 - 8:01 am
Please send output and license number to
so that we can see the details of this model.
Christian M. Connell
posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 8:41 am
A related follow-up:
In additional analyses of a multi-process LCA (with a 3-class model regressed on a 4-class model and a gender interaction) I received an indication that the model was not converging due to spareness). Further investigation of a cross-tab of the two LCA models split by gender (using the c-probs generated from a previous run without the interaction effects) indicated that one cell is empty for females and two cells for males.
Is it possible to constrain the model to reflect the absense of certain relationships while still allowing the model to converge? How would that be indicated in the model statment?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 9:08 am
You can restrict class probabilities, but in my experience zero classes is not a cause of non-convergence. With a knownclass variable "cg" in addition to a substantive class "c", I assume you allow "cg with c". If you like you can send your non-converging run's input, output, and data plus your license number to
Christian M. Connell
posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 10:08 am
I can send the output along (my colleague and I are re-running the model currently following a brief modification).
To clarify -- there is not a particular zero class; all classes are represented in each gender. The zero-cells emerge in the crossing of two classes (i.e., no boys in a given mental health class are identified with a given substance use class).
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 10:17 am
That's what I thought you meant - there is no inherent problem with that.
Tamika Gilreath
posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 7:04 am
This question pertains to the model described by Christian Connell in the previous messages in this thread. We have received feedback about some of the parameter estimates of the model being too close to the boundary space. This is due to sparseness within cells of the model (zero cells in crossing of two classes) and is not due to sample size (N is over 12,000). The use of priors was identified as one of the better ways to handle this issue. Is it possible to add priors to LCA in Mplus? And are there options for use of different priors?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Monday, March 30, 2009 - 10:14 am
The model estimates printed produce the zero cell. This may happen with some parameter estimates close to the boundary space but I don't see that as a problem. For instance, if a binary latent class indicator has threshold +15 this logit value indicates that the probability is 0. I don't see why priors would be needed here. Mplus currently does not handle priors for this.
Christian M. Connell
posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 12:45 pm
Thank you for your response to Tamika's questions (above). One issue with estimation of conditional probabilities on the boundary of parameter space appears to be in correct estimation of standard errors (e.g., they may be estimated as too narrow). How is this issue best handled in Mplus without the use of priors?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - 2:12 pm
Mplus typically fixes the boundary parameters and therefore doesn't give SEs for those parameters.
Tamika Gilreath
posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 - 8:29 pm
Dr. Muthen,
What about the SE's of the logistic estimates regarding influence of membership in one latent class on another? For example, in our model of sexual risk behavior and substance use, the odds of a frequent polysubstance user being classified as a member of the high frequency sex class was 7918.84 with a 95% CI 1062.10-59041.74.
Can we trust these estimates in such close proximity to the boundary space (infinity)? Are there suggested techniques to account for this in Mplus?
Tihomir Asparouhov
posted on Tuesday, April 07, 2009 - 1:40 pm
You can trust the estimates. It is indeed the boundary case of infinity. We don't really view this as a problem. The interpretation of this model is that there is a deterministic relationship between the variables. In the above example substance use implies (with 100% certainty) high frequency sex class. SE are not really a meaningful quantity in this case for the logit scale regression parameter, however, in probability scale the parameter has a standard error of 0, that is the conditional probability parameter
P(high frequency sex class|substance use)is 1 with a SE of 0.
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text:
A Doppler
ultrasound test uses reflected sound waves to see how
blood flows through a blood vessel. It helps doctors evaluate blood flow
through major arteries and veins, such as those of the arms, legs, and neck. It can show
blocked or reduced flow of blood through narrow areas in the major arteries of the
neck that could cause a
stroke. It also can reveal blood clots in leg veins
(deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) that could break loose
and block blood flow to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). See pictures of a
stroke and an
embolus. During pregnancy, Doppler ultrasound may be
used to look at blood flow in an unborn baby (fetus) to check
the health of the fetus.
During Doppler ultrasound, a handheld
instrument (transducer) is passed lightly over the skin above a blood vessel.
The transducer sends and receives sound waves that are amplified through a
microphone. The sound waves bounce off solid objects, including blood cells.
The movement of blood cells causes a change in pitch of the reflected sound
waves (called the Doppler effect). If there is no blood flow, the pitch does
not change. Information from the reflected sound waves can be processed by a
computer to provide graphs or pictures that represent the flow of blood through
the blood vessels. These graphs or pictures can be saved for future review or
evaluation. See a picture of a
Doppler ultrasound.
The four basic types of Doppler ultrasound
Doppler ultrasound is done to:
A transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound may be used in
children with sickle cell disease to evaluate their risk of stroke. In adults,
TCD can be used to evaluate blood flow in the brain.
You may need to stop using products
that contain nicotine (cigarettes, chewing tobacco) for 30 minutes to 2 hours
before the test. Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict and may give false
This test is done by a doctor who
specializes in performing and interpreting imaging tests (radiologist) or
by an ultrasound technologist (sonographer) who is supervised by a radiologist.
It is done in an ultrasound room in a hospital or doctor's office.
You will need to remove any jewelry that might interfere with the Doppler
ultrasound scan. You may need to take off all or most of your clothes,
depending on which area is being examined (you may be allowed to keep on your
underwear if it does not interfere with the test). You will be given a cloth or
paper covering to use during the test.
Gel is applied to the skin to promote the passage of the
sound waves. The transducer is placed in the gel and moved along the skin. You
need to lie very still during the procedure. You may hear sounds that represent
the flow of blood through the blood vessels.
The test usually
takes 30 to 60 minutes.
This test is often
performed on both arms or both legs. Even if the suspected blood flow problem
is in only one limb, both may be tested for comparison. If your arms are being
tested, they will be tested first while you are lying down and then again while
you are sitting.
Depending on which blood vessels are being
tested, a blood pressure cuff may be wrapped around one or both limbs so that
the blood pressure can be taken at several different places. When testing the
legs, a blood pressure cuff may be wrapped first around the calf and then
around the thigh. The test may be done at several locations on your leg. When
testing the arms, the pressure cuff may be wrapped first around the forearm and
then around the upper arm.
Testing may be done before and after
exercise, if you are healthy enough.
For this test, you will
be asked to lie down and breathe normally. You must lie very still. Any changes
in blood flow that occur as a response to your breathing patterns are
The test may be repeated while the examiner presses on the
veins close to the surface of your skin to help detect a clot in the vein
(called a compression maneuver). The examiner may do this with your legs or
arms in different positions to ensure that the blood supply is not blocked in
these positions. The examiner may also squeeze your calf or forearm to help
blood move more quickly through the veins (called an augmentation maneuver).
This is done to evaluate blood flow toward your heart.
While your
legs are being tested, you may also be asked to try to breathe out strongly
with your nose pinched and your mouth closed (called a
Valsalva maneuver). This maneuver usually causes a
sudden change in blood flow through the veins.
You will be asked to lie down
with a pillow underneath your head for support. The test is performed on both
sides of your neck, and then the results are compared to standard values to
determine the amount of blockage or narrowing of the arteries.
For a transcranial
ultrasound, the transducer is passed lightly over the skin at the base or side
of your skull.
The transducer is moved back and
forth on your belly until the doctor finds the blood vessel that needs to be
studied. After the doctor has found the blood vessel, it may take some time to
check the blood flow.
There is normally no discomfort involved
with having a Doppler ultrasound test. The gel may feel cold when it is put on
your skin unless it is first warmed to body temperature. If your blood pressure
is taken during the test, you will feel pressure when the blood pressure cuff
is inflated.
There are no known risks linked with a
Doppler ultrasound test. This test will not harm a developing baby (fetus).
A Doppler
ultrasound test uses reflected sound waves to see how
blood flows through a blood vessel.
There are no findings of
significant narrowing or other abnormality in any of the arteries
There is no evidence of a clot
in any of the veins examined. The size and position of veins are
Normal blood flow is found in
the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to a
For continuous wave Doppler or
duplex Doppler, differences in blood flow between the right and left sides of
the body may be heard. At the exact location where an artery is blocked or
narrowed, the sound may be high-pitched or turbulent. Blockage (such as from a
blood clot), an
aneurysm, or narrowing of a blood vessel may be
detected. The speed of blood flow may be compared to standard values to find
out the amount of blockage or narrowing of the blood vessel.
A duplex Doppler ultrasound
graph may show irregular flow that means a blocked or narrowed blood
A color Doppler image may show
a blocked or narrowed blood vessel or an aneurysm.
In the veins, a blood clot may
be indicated if blood flow does not change in response to breathing or does not
increase in response to either a compression maneuver or
Valsalva maneuver. Incomplete blockage of a vein by a
blood clot may be seen on color Doppler or during a compression
Abnormal veins, such as
varicose veins, are seen.
Blood flow through the blood
vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to a fetus is abnormally increased or
Reasons you may not be able to
have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:
Other Works ConsultedChernecky CC, Berger BJ (2008). Laboratory Tests and Diagnostic Procedures, 5th ed. St. Louis:
Saunders.Fischbach FT, Dunning MB III, eds. (2009).
Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, 8th ed.
Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.Pagana KD, Pagana TJ (2010). Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests, 4th ed. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.Roman AS, Pernoll ML (2007). Rh isoimmunization and
other blood group incompatibilities section of Late pregnancy complications. In
AH DeCherney et al., eds., Current Diagnosis and Treatment Obstetrics and Gynecology, pp. 282–287. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Medical Review:
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text:
I started the search for my first horse in January of 2012. After years of leasing horses and taking lessons, I felt it was time for me to get my own horse, and live that dream I've had for myself since I was a kid. I knew that I wanted to adopt a horse as there are so many wonderful, talented horses across the country who are looking for new homes. After doing a bit of research, I came across Lucky Horse Equine Rescue in Bolton, MA. Lucky Horse is a 100% volunteer run rescue, so as part of the adoption process, I was screened as a potential adopter. I shared my riding and horse experience and got to learn a bit more about the horses I was interested in. We arranged a date and time for me to go out and try a few of the horses. I had told my boyfriend that I would wait and take my time while looking for a horse, so I *sort of* agreed to not falling in love with the first one I met.
Fellow SmartPaker Marisa C. and I headed out to Bolton, MA on a sunny but cold Saturday morning to meet some "lucky horses." I had the chance to meet some really great horses and Lucky Horse volunteers at Becker College where some of the horses are fostered until they find their forever homes. After I had two great rides on horses there, we headed over to Century Mill Farm where Lucky Horse is based out of. I already felt myself going back and forth on a decision, but I was excited to meet the next horse on my list, a 10 year old grey mare named "Maddie".
We arrived at Century Mill and got to take a walk through their farm to bring Maddie down for our ride. A Lucky horse volunteer rode Maddie before me so I could see how she went, and then, it was my turn. I was a bit nervous as Maddie definitely had some "spunk" to her, but as soon as I hopped on, my nerves washed away. She went through all three gaits like a dream and the Lucky Horse volunteers were smiling and agreeing that Maddie seemed to like me. I knew right then that my search was over, but dared say anything out loud until I let myself mull it over a bit more.
That night I looked over the photos and video Marisa had taken of Maddie and me. Matt came over to watch a clip from my ride and without my saying a word to him about Maddie, he simply said, "Well, there's your horse." Those few words from him verified my decision, and I shot off an email to Lucky Horse asking them what my next steps would be so that I could adopt Maddie. I received a reply letting me know that I would have to bring photos of where Maddie would be living, references to show that I could care for her, and the adoption fee to Lucky Horse as soon as I could. Within the next 24 hours Maddie was mine. It took a bit of time for me to realize that I finally had my own horse. Within the next week I was able to go pick Maddie up with the help of fellow SmartPaker Elizabeth R. We dressed Maddie in a brand new Navy Rambo Newmarket Cooler and some standing wraps for the trip home. She walked on the trailer like a pro and off we went.
Maddie definitely put me to work those first few months she was home and certainly did not play the role of the perfect dream horse I had imagined for her in my head. She was moody, defensive, and sometimes plain ol' mean, and I wondered what things would be like for us down the road. With time, persistence, and a great amount of support and training (as well as some seriously awesome SmartSupplement support), Maddie began to trust me. We participated in a Memorial Day Parade, the annual SmartPak Horse Show, and went on countless trail rides which are by far Maddie's favorite thing in the whole world.
A little over a year later Maddie and I still have a lot to learn from each other. Every moment I spend with her I am reminded of how "lucky" I am to have found a horse willing to teach me so much about horses, horsemanship and myself.


text: Ding Ding TV's office complex is graced with photos. In all, Ding Ding TV founder and entrepreneur Diana Ding stands tall among other entrepreneurs and television guests, including Basho Technologies Chairman Chester Davenport, Congressman Mike Honda, Milpitas Mayor Jose Esteves. A letter from President Obama praising her work adorns the wall. Another photo set showing Diana's evolution over the years ... Read More »


text:
Monday, July 23, 2007
3 Weeks of My New Plan
My weight actually went up! Two reasons, first, I was still eating too much, and second, the increase in muscle from heavier and longer training routines. I love, love, love, being more muscular, but I don't love weighing 132lbs. Such a dilemma, isn't it great!!! (I just realized, again, how freakin lucky I am to have this as a problem in my life!) I knew exactly what the problems were and I changed them.
The changes that I made, and were hoping to make involved these areas of my diet;
food journaling
calorie counting
food prep / types of food
meal times
cheat day
Food journaling. I did in fact, after 1 week, purchase a larger food journal...I love it. It has plenty of room for not only listing exact meal times, but little notes of inspirational thoughts, and suggestions for future changes. I can see that when I no longer need to keep such accurate details of my diet, it will become a more personal journal, and that's a good thing.
Calorie counting. I admit, I still try and lie to myself, damn! No matter how you might try and lie, you know the truth inside, and more importantly the scale knows the truth! Bottom line, I was still consuming too many calories. I was in denial!
One of the things I wanted to implement was to keep a "running total" of calories throughout the day, this became a very important part of getting control back. Laziness and denial seem to go hand in hand, lol. When I did keep a running total I couldn't be in denial...I couldn't because it was all right there in front of me as it went down! As my calories added up during the course of the day, my last meal became my last chance to make my best choices for whether, or not, I would achieve my goal.
I'm still working on the "portion thing". I have started to change this when I feel I can, and I'm hopeful about this becoming more routine.
Food prep/ types of food. I have increased my fats, (yum), lots more PNB. I measure out 2 tbls. of PNB and I'm really good at sticking with that portion. I eat it with celery and raisins, it's one of my favorite meals...yes, I count it as a meal, not a snack! I cut out so many carrots, I traded out my oats for Triscut crackers in my yogurt. I went back to packing an apple as a snack, instead of prunes or a chocolate sucker.
My bodyfat has increased slightly, but I'm totally OK with that, I think it looks good!
Meal times. As much as I would like to eat at exactly the same times everyday, it just isn't that important. The impotant part of meal times for me is to stop eating as early as possilble. It doesn't seem to make a difference how early I start my first meal as much as when I stop in the evening. I feel best the next day if I eat my last big meal between 4-5pm. Luckily, I don't get hungry, I mean really hungry, not just boredom hungry, in the evening times.
If I do find myself really hungry, I will eat a small snack, like fruit (6-8 apricots, 1 serv. of grapes, maybe a couple of prunes, etc.), and that seems to work fine. (can you believe that I can use the word "small" in describing anything I eat??? LOL)
Cheat day. Well I predicted that this would be my biggest challenge! Now I'm predicting something different....relaxing! I have no plan other than trying this approach. I will not stress about this anymore. It's just one day, It's fine. I feel good about it, and the better I feel, the better I want to feel, and the better I want to feel, the better my choices are.
So there it is. I wanted to get my weight back down in the 128-129's in 4-6 weeks time. I'm confident now that I can do that, I'm confident that I want to do that, by the end of the next 3 weeks. Most important to me right now is feeling my absolute best by my birthday in 2 weeks, and I know that I will!
Sunday AM weight 130.4 (not bad after a cheat day!)
1 hour walk
coffee w/cream 80 cal.
yogurt w/triscut (3) 180 cal.
green salad w/veggies, 1 brownie 500 cal.
broc salad w/tuna/mayo 350 cal.
apricots (12?) 100 cal.
Total calories 1210
I spent Sunday away from home, so I packed my own lunch of small portioned meals. There was a buffet (FREE!) so, I chose to take advantage of the free food, while staying within my diet parameters. I made a large green salad w/extra veggies, but no rice or pasta. I ate all of my own food throughout the day with the exception of my PNB/celery/raisins, which I brought back home and will eat today.
Of course there was a large platter of cookies, cakes and brownies that were just too much to resist, besides I don't have to resist! I chose ONE brownie and ate it slowly with a fork. Man, in the old days (not too long ago), I would've been all over that dessert platter. Looking around most people did take advantage of it, and their bodies reflected their choices!
Monday AM weight 129.2
Life is good.
11 comments:
- Kettlebell Lady said...
Tracy - Have you checked out fitday.com? It is an online food journal that shows you are the calories and nutrional information for whatever foods you enter. It will even give you a pie graph of protein, carbs and fat for the total amount of food you enter. I think you can still check out the food even if you don't sign up; you just won't be able to save.
- July 23, 2007 at 7:50:00 AM PDT
- Tracy Reifkind said...
KB lady,
I keep being reminded of that srevice! So eventually I might get there, if I need to.
But I can see the value in it for alot of people, so thank you for suggesting it
- July 23, 2007 at 9:35:00 AM PDT
- Christine said...
*is taking notes....*
- July 23, 2007 at 12:52:00 PM PDT
- Pete said...
I just wanted to thank you for a great blog. It is a great resource for me to send my female (and male) recruits when I want them to look at a different persepctive on KB training. Of course, I send them to Rif's blog, too!
BTW, nutritiondata.com is a free web site that allows you to save regularly consumed foods in the "Pantry" so you don't have to constantly retype the food to get the label information.
- July 23, 2007 at 1:08:00 PM PDT
- Himitsu Joe said...
Hi Tracy,
I have to second the recommendation for Fitday. I use both Fitday and CalorieKing. CalorieKing cost money but has more "commercial" food in the database. Tracy, thanks for the post on refocusing. I've slammed the brakes on my slipping. =0 and decided to use this next month to buckle down. 1) Journal my food. 2) Journal my workouts. Eat Clean & Work hard. Life in Kona rocks. total Weight Lost 59.5 lbs. 70 to Go....
Life is GREAT!!. Looking forward to being in PA again to do another training session.
- July 23, 2007 at 2:50:00 PM PDT
- Mark Reifkind said...
Kona dude? I'm jealous! so glad you and tracy got to connect and congrats on your weight loss, that is very impressive and I'm sure you will make your goal.
- July 23, 2007 at 4:07:00 PM PDT
- Himitsu Joe said...
Wow. You guys were rocking on the Max VO2. I was jealous. =) Thanks for the great article on KB for weight loss. I'm finding that a solid 90-120secs of swings and 30sec recovery for a 30 minute workout is my current sweet spot. Off for my 10 mile bike ride.
You and Tracy have really shown me the way.
Life is Great!!
- July 23, 2007 at 4:56:00 PM PDT
- Tracy Reifkind said...
Christine Petty!!! I thought you didn't like me anymore. lol
Thanks for touching base!
- July 24, 2007 at 5:12:00 AM PDT
- Tracy Reifkind said...
Thanks for the comments, I'm really happy about how my blog has evolved over the past few months and I hope it continues.
- July 24, 2007 at 5:15:00 AM PDT
- Tracy Reifkind said...
I'm so happy to hear from you. And even more happy to know that you have implemented the "timed sets for fat loss" style of training.
I want to remind you that I know, without a doubt, that you are not only going to attain your weight loss goal, but exceed it from the stand point of your health, with the combination of your diet and training. That I KNOW! You know it too! So if you find yourself slipping, REMEMBER that.
I can't wait to see you in PA again, soon I hope! Tracy
- July 24, 2007 at 5:24:00 AM PDT
- Christine said...
Didn't like you anymore? What?
Sister I was moving! And then I got the back itchies!
- July 24, 2007 at 9:10:00 AM PDT


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I have yet again neglected my little food blog. No excuses, but I do have a few posts planned. I have been making this vegetarian mung bean noodle (bún tàu = Chinese noodles, which refers to mung bean noodles and chay = vegetarian) dish fairly regularly recently. This is my mother's go-to dish during Lent, when we abstain from eating meat on Fridays. This is actually a vegan dish as it contains no meat products!
I love the combination of the savoury soy ingredients: fermented bean curd and fried gluten. Fermented bean curd, soft salty cubes of soy found in jars, is often used in Asian cuisine; we often have it in plain congee. My sister loves my mom's chicken marinated in fermented bean curd. Fried gluten, which comes in cans, is used to make faux/mock meat in Asian cuisine. Mung bean noodles (or cellophane noodles), another Asian ingredient, are made out of the starch of... mung beans, what else?
Bún Tàu Chay (Vegetarian Mung Bean Noodle) - Serves 4
One of the reasons it took me a long time to write this post, was that I wanted to figure out how to best cook the noodles. I've tried soaking them and they get too soggy so you just want to rinse them and have them a bit wet. You can add any vegetables you prefer. Mushrooms would be a great addition! Fermented bean curd is quite salty, so you probably won't need to add salt.
* oil
* ¼ or so of a napa cabbage, sliced ½" thick
* 3 or 4 small bundles of mung bean noodles (I like to buy mung bean noodles in a package of small little bundles)
* 6 cubes of fermented bean curd, or to taste
* cooked/thawed frozen vegetables of your choice (I sauteed some green beans, corn and carrots beforehand)
* 1 can of fried gluten, drained (I don't rinse it because I like the flavouring)
Heat up oil in a large pan.
Add the napa cabbage and cook for a few minutes; it will release some liquid.
Quickly rinse the mung bean noodles and add to the cabbage.Mash the fermented bean curd so it becomes a thick paste, adding a bit of water if needed.
Pour the bean curd paste on the noodles and cabbage, and mix.Once the cabbage is cooked, add the vegetables and fried gluten.
Taste and season to taste, adding salt or more bean curd.
From top left clockwise: (1) jar of fermented bean curd and can of fried gluten (2) cubes of fermented bean curd (3) mung bean noodles and (4) straining the fried gluten.
When you have excessively eaten meat, this is a great dish to get back to eating healthy and light! It has quickly become a new savoury favourite dish for dinner.
Another mung bean noodle recipe:
* Vietnamese Chicken Bean Thread Noodle Soup


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Yellowbelly Water Snake
Scientific name: Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster (CONANT 1949)
* Currently accepted name
* scientific names used through time
- Coluber erythrogaster – FORSTER 1771
- Tropidonotus erythrogaster – HOLBROOK 1842
- Nerodia erythrogaster – BAIRD & GIRARD 1853
- Natrix sipedon erythrogaster – ALLEN 1932
- Natrix erythrogaster – BURT 1935
- Natrix erythrogaster flavigaster – CONANT 1958
- Nerodia erythrogaster flavigaster – CONANT 1949
Description: Average adult size is 30-48 inches (76.2-121.9 cm), record is 59 inches (149.8 cm). Adults are heavy-bodied, greenish gray in color with faint to no markings on the back. The belly, neck, and labial scales are almost uniform yellow. The scales are keeled, and there are 23 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juveniles are grayish-brown with distinct dark crossbands and blotches, with pale yellow bellies.
A. Top of the head
B. Underside of the head (chin and throat)
C. Elongated scales below the tail (subcaudal scales) are typically divided
D. Front (face view) of the head
E. Side of the head
F. Keeled scales
Range: In Florida, it is found throughout the western panhandle where it intergrades (interbreeds) with the Redbelly Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster). Outside of Florida, it is found from eastern Texas east to central Georgia and north to Illinois.
Habitat: Commonly found in rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, and cypress strands.
Comments: HARMLESS (Non-Venomous). The Yellowbelly Water Snake is active mainly during the daytime. During the hot summer months it is active in the early morning, late afternoon, and at night.
It feeds on fishes, frogs, tadpoles, other amphibians, and inverbrates. It is live-bearing, newborns are 9-12 inches (22.8-30.4 cm) in length.
Comparison with other species: The Mississippi Green Water Snake (Nerodia cyclopion) and Florida Green Water Snake (Nerodia floridana) have scales between the eye and the scales on the upper lip.
Because they are found around water bodies, harmless Water Snakes are often confused with the venomous Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). The Cottonmouth has a triangular shaped head and vertical pupil. Cottonmouths can easily be distinguished from Water Snakes. If the head is viewed from above, the eyes of Cottonmouths cannot be seen while the eyes of Water Snakes are visible; Cottonmouths have elliptical pupils and Water Snakes have round pupils; Cottonmouths have a facial pit between the nostril and the eye, while Water Snakes do not.


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A collection of personal thoughts and experiences - mostly centered around running.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
It has been over two weeks now since I've been able to run. I am very frustrated at this point. Frustrated for a stupid fall on the trail to get injured and frustrated that when I can't run, my life is so deeply and pervasively affected by my lack of running.
I've never had an acute injury cause so much trouble. There have been more falls and injuries caused by my clumsiness than I can count over the years, but I have been lucky that none of them have been this bad. I thought this one would be just the same as the others- maybe just a hair worse- but I'm left with deep lingering patellar tendinitis and crepitus in the area of the original contusion that doesn't seem to be wanting to release its grip anytime soon.
I had plans of running the Babcock Half Marathon this weekend. That is most certainly not happening and Promise Land next weekend is very unlikely at this point. I was really looking forward to PL and seeing all the folks there. We'll see what happens. If this does not get better soon then my whole spring plans may be in jeopardy. I am at the mercy of a small piece of fibrous tissue that connects my muscle to bone.
Injuries caused from stupidity in training volume or other reasons I can deal with, but this one has me more aggravated than ever. Watching hard earned fitness go down the tubes is always hard, but made even harder after suffering through a tough winter only to miss out on the most mild and beautiful spring that I can remember.
No more whining- not looking for sympathy-just needed to vent somewhere.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Injured Reserve
(A WV Native Brookie)
(A WV Native Weirdo)


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GCC & LLVM Clang Performance On The Intel Atom: A few weeks ago there were benchmarks of GCC, LLVM-GCC, DragonEgg, and Clang. In this compiler performance comparison the releases of GCC 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and a 4.6 development snapshot were benchmarked. On the LLVM side there was LLVM-GCC 4.2, DragonEgg with GCC 4.5 and LLVM 2.8, and then Clang with LLVM 2.8. This combination of eight open-source compilers were tested on three distinct Intel and AMD systems (even a 12-thread Core i7 Gulftown), but all of which were 64-bit capable and contained relatively high-end processors from their respective series. To complement this earlier article, available now are some new GCC/LLVM benchmarks but this time an older Intel Atom CPU was used to look at the 32-bit compiler performance on a slower, low-power netbook.
Copyright © 2020 by Phoronix Media. All rights reserved.


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Ann Arbor, MI — The Washtenaw Community College Health & Fitness Center in Ann Arbor, MI, has received gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. The Health & Fitness Center, designed by Denver-based Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative (OLC), opened in September with a long list of environmentally friendly features that had led the OLC team to anticipate the LEED gold distinction. The U.S. Green Building Council has awarded gold certification to 461 buildings since the program began in 2000.
Pamela Kufahl


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University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari appeared on ESPN's First Take Wednesday and essentially came to the defense of Derrick Rose, whom he coached while at the University of Memphis.
Since arriving in the NBA, Rose has been categorized as a "scoring" point guard and not a "traditional" distributor and shot creator for others. Skip Bayless, the show's antagonist, said he didn't feel Rose was a "great" point guard for those very reasons.
Calipari quickly said he was the person who converted Rose's mentality and turned him into a scorer.
"When he came with me, he was pass first, please everybody else, run down and shoot some layups. … I probably changed that in his game," Calipari said. "In the National Championship game, that Kansas team – think of those players – that team was way better than [Memphis], and all of a sudden, they're up at the half and we're about ready to get blown out. And I look at Derrick as I walk off the floor and I ask him, 'You want to win?' and he says yes. So I tell him, 'Shoot the ball and quit passing!'"
Calipari went on to defend the other knock on Rose which is on the defensive side of the ball. The coach explained that teams mostly catch him in pick-and-roll situations that make it difficult for any player to guard his man one-on-one.
Calipari said defense wasn't the best part of Derrick's game, but he isn't nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He also praised Rose by calling him the hardest working player he's ever coached and said with confidence that he'd be back better than ever after his knee injury.
"This kid defers to his teammates, he wants to win, he'll cry after losses and he's doing what their coach wants," he said. "If Tom Thibodeau told him don't shoot, he would not shoot. I'm telling you. I coached him."


text:
Managing Director & Senior Partner; Global Leader, Insurance Practice
Pia leads BCG's global insurance practice and serves on the firm's Executive Committee. She has worked internationally for almost two decades across three continents and out of BCG's offices in Chicago, London, and Zurich.
She has been working with management teams of large international and local insurers, brokers, reinsurers, and regulators. For many years, she has been the firm's global leader for the commercial insurance and reinsurance sector.
She has played a key role in expanding BCG's footprint in insurance in the US, London, and throughout Europe and has collaborated closely with international insurers in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, bringing to bear BCG's expertise in corporate development, strategy, digital, and global advantage.
Pia has advised numerous worldwide financial services clients on a broad range of strategic questions, including market opportunity assessment, digital/industry disruption, cost reduction, risk and performance management, portfolio reviews, post-merger integration, and divestiture. Moreover, she has led project teams on topics such as customer centricity, UW excellence, advanced data analytics, client retention, and loyalty improvement programs.
Pia also leads BCG's regional Remuneration and Officer Development Committee. Before joining the firm, she worked as a financial analyst in investment banking and as a research assistant.


text:
21-D500505019 SPYHAWK Basic 100% RTF
SpyHawk is the new and innovative model aircraft from CARSON-MODEL SPORT. It is available in four differently equipped versions. The top model "Full Option" has an autopilot and a 5 Megapixel video camera with FPV function (immersion flight), which provides live streams on the remote control display and also stores them. All kits are preassembled and 100% ready to fly - only the wings need to be attached. Depending on the configuration, the models are controlled using a rudder, an elevator and/or an aileron The entire scope of delivery consists of the SpyHawk, a 2.4 GHz RC system, a LiPo battery,a charger, transmitter batteries and detailed instructions. This means that anyone can choose their individually configured dream model.
Scope of delivery:
Model aircraft with RC system incl. 4 AAA Mignon transmitter batteries, flying battery and charger, spare propeller, Micro SD card 2GB (only 500505021) and detailed instructions
Technical Data:
• Overall length: approx. 620 mm
• Propeller diameter approx. 110 mm
• Weight: approx. 130 g - 145 g, depending on configuration
• Flying time: approx. 10 minutes
Technical Details:
• Material: EPO foam "Crashproof"
• Wingspan: approx. 840 mm
• Brush motor N60 and brushless motor C1404 KV3000 Pro-Version "Full Option"
• Brushless flight controller 6 A in Pro version
• 7.4 V/450 mAh battery • Balancer charger for 2S LiPo batteries 400 mA,
in the Pro version " 2/3S LiPo/Li-Ion charger 800 mA
• 2.4 GHz 4 channel transmitter, in the Pro version "Full Option" with 3.5" LCD monitor
• Video and audio transmission via 5.8 GHz system, only Pro version "Full Option"
• Rudder/elevator with two 2.2 g servos
• Aileron 2.2 g (not in basic version)
• Video camera with recording function, with 5 megapixels in Pro version.
• Range of Live Video stream: approx. 400 m, only "Full Option" Pro version.
• NO Autopilot module in the Basic model
• 2 GB Micro SD memory card, in Basic Video and "Full Option" Pro version


text:
Katherine Brunacci-Gemel Earrings
At Design Interviews
Interview with Katherine Brunacci : Frank Scott: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?. Katherine Brunacci : The main principle behind my design is to create an imitation faceted gemstone, to be used in jewellery. The idea comes from the need to develop a light weight versatile component for the use in jewellery. My inspiration for jewellery design mainly comes from historical pieces, that I incorporate into my work and apply a modern interpretation. .Frank Scott: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?. Katherine Brunacci : My main focus was to design a product, which mimicked a gemstone but was completely different from other gemstone imitations. I wanted to achieve a component, which I could incorporate into my jewellery design that was unique and would clearly define my jewellery in the market place. .Frank Scott: What are your future plans for this award winning design?. Katherine Brunacci : Further research and development, and to fully realize the potential of 'Gemel' I would love to collaborate with jewellery and fashion designers. .Frank Scott: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?. Katherine Brunacci : It has been a long process of trial and error, the main concept took about a year to perfect. The prototype was conceived in 2007. .Frank Scott: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?. Katherine Brunacci : This concept began as a University research paper, whilst I was studying a Bachelor of Fine Art. .Frank Scott: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?. Katherine Brunacci : 'Gemel' is currently only used in my designs. I don't at this stage plan to sell the production rights, but I would be very interested in leasing the production rights. .Frank Scott: What made you design this particular type of work?. Katherine Brunacci : I have always had a love of antique jewellery and wanted to modify and replicate pieces by giving them a modern twist. I particularly like elaborate pieces, with an abundance of large coloured gemstones. I wanted 'Gemel' to be different to other products on the market. I have always been interested in press forming and enamelling, so I began developing a method in which I could create my own shaped, sized and coloured gemstones. .Frank Scott: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?. Katherine Brunacci : Yes and No. Yes for the references which influence my jewellery design where I use 'Gemel' and no in the actual design of 'Gemel'. .Frank Scott: Who is the target customer for his design?. Katherine Brunacci : Jewellery wearers who like something completely unique. .Frank Scott: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?. Katherine Brunacci : There are so many achievable variations in the one design concept of 'Gemel', that can't be achieved using other imitation gemstones. 'Gemel' can be varied in colour, translucency, sheen and pattern. 'Gemel' unlike other imitation gemstones is not limited by size. 'Gemel' can be made very small and also large and still be comfortably worn by the wearer. 'Gemel' is both lightweight and durable, being perfect for use in all types of jewellery, such as earrings and rings. .Frank Scott: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?. Katherine Brunacci : The name 'Gemel' comes from mixing the words Gem (What the design is replicating) and Enamel (What gives the design, colour and added strength). .Frank Scott: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?. Katherine Brunacci : I took a very practical and traditional approach whilst working on this project. A lot of manual trial and error with metal thicknesses, dies, enamels and numerous drawings, to support the product. .Frank Scott: What is the most unique aspect of your design?. Katherine Brunacci : I think to be able to recreate an imitation gemstone that looks so much like a real gemstone. Also to be able to produce a shape with such defined facets using the press forming method. .Frank Scott: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?. Katherine Brunacci : 'Gemel' is totally my own design and concept. .Frank Scott: What is the role of technology in this particular design?. Katherine Brunacci : I took a very traditional approach to this design. All designs were hand sketched. The manufacturing of this design is all done by hand. I use a manually operated kick-press to form the 'Gemel' component and all of the finishing and enamelling is done by hand using traditional jewellers methods and hand tools. .Frank Scott: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?. Katherine Brunacci : No. .Frank Scott: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?. Katherine Brunacci : Press forming geometric shapes with sharp edges and corners without the metal tearing. Enameling a geometric shape so that the sharp edges of the press form are still visible and tactile and not rounded by the enamel coating. .Frank Scott: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?. Katherine Brunacci : I wanted this design to reach a global audience and I thought that the A' Design Competition would be the perfect platform. .Frank Scott: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?. Katherine Brunacci : Patience, "If at first you don't succeed try again, and again and again". Countless things didn't go exactly to plan whilst I was working on this design. I found that I had to learn to adapt and work with the materials limitations. .Frank Scott: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?. Katherine Brunacci : No, but thank you for asking. .
Katherine Brunacci-Gemel Earrings Images:
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text:
New: In orange –
The Merula Cup Fox
The Merula Cup XL –
for those very heavy days
The modern kind
of sanitary products
The modern kind
of sanitary products
The modern kind
of sanitary products
The modern kind
of sanitary products
The modern kind
of sanitary products
The modern kind
of sanitary products
The Merula Cup is made out of 100% medical-grade silicone and produced in Germany. It is round, with a rigid edge and a thin, soft body. The menstrual cup can be worn in a folded up state – only the edge needs to be open.
The Merula Cup is made of certified medical grade silicone without chemical additives like plasticizers and free of animal-based ingredients.
"I regularly do strength training with heavy weights. The Merula is true to its promise even here – there are never any leaks."
"Finally, no more pain thanks to Merula! I can almost forget about my period."
"If I didn't have to empty the Merula, I would completely forget that I had my period. No longer any need to worry something could go wrong."
"Before, menstruation ruled my daily life. Now I'm in charge of my life again, thanks to Merula."
"Before I had the Merula Cup, I had to get up three to four times at night on heavy days. Now I can sleep easy even on the heaviest days!"
"Finally a cup that can handle my very strong pelvic floor but still can't be felt at all."
"After four births, my period got heavier each time and I was plagued by cramps. I don't have any cramps anymore and I feel free again."
"Finally I can relax when I'm horseback riding during my period, without tampons or sanitary napkins compromising my seat. You simply don't feel anything with the Merula."
"After three natural births and extremely heavy bleeding, I'm no longer restricted in any situation, thanks to Merula! Even riding a bike for hours, as part of my job, is no longer a problem!"
"I always had severe abdominal pain when I had my period. Since I have been using the Merula, I sometimes don't even notice that I have my period."
"The Merula still fits perfectly even after three natural births. No leaks – no unpleasant feeling!"
"The Merula makes it possible to last the whole school day without having to worry."
"Bike riding, sauna, fitness center, swimming pool are all possible now without any problems, even on my heaviest days."
"Thanks to Merula, I don't have to look for a restroom every two hours from even the most absorbent tampons letting me down."
"I've only recently started using the Merula Cup. If I had have known how uncomplicated it was, I would have switched much earlier!"
"I had never been 100% satisfied with a cup until I discovered Merula."
"If only I had known about Merula earlier. I would have been able to save myself so much frustration, pain and money."
"Thanks to the size, you don't have to worry about changing it and you can enjoy life."
"Finally I can go swimming and riding during my period."
"I have to set an alarm to change, otherwise I would simply forget that I had my period."
"What a shame that I had to get to this age before I discovered this fantastic type of monthly hygiene article."
"Before I had the Merula Cup, I was really restricted by my heavy period." But now I can now conquer every day, even when I have my period!"


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Leathers and Materials
Leather Choices
Enjoy browsing through our Gallery to help inspire you! Remember, anything is possible and we're happy to help you with some ideas! We look forward to working with you to create your custom Sensation Ride™ treeless saddle.
Please note the colours and textures may vary by hide. Colours of leather may look different on different computer screens.
We always have more options in leather than we are able to show. Please ask about a special colour you may want.
Flap weight leathers
Flap weight leathers are used on the flap, cantle, jockeys, swells and pommels.
Seat weight leathers
These lighter weight leathers are used on the seat, knee, and thigh roll of the saddle, and also the perimeter binding. More than one color may be chosen for each area using the same weight leather.
1) because the colors you see will depend on your monitor, we cannot guarantee that your monitor's display of any color will be accurate.
2) colors may vary due to differences in dye lots. Always order extra if color consistency is critical to your project.
Common Terminology:
Aniline Dyed – Leather that is dyed all the way through with a transparent dye. Because the finish is transparent and shows the natural markings of the leather, only the best quality hides can be used.
Armor Leather – Heavy veg-tan leather used for shoe soles and for protective armor by historical re-enactors.
Bark Tanned – Also known as vegetable tanned. Leather tanned by the tannins extracted from the bark of trees.
Belly Cut (snake) – Snakeskins that are cut on the underneath so the tanned skin shows the snake's normally visible pattern.
Chrome Free – Also known as Aldehydetanned leather, this is the leather that most tanners refer to as wet-white leather due to its pale cream or white color. Used in infant's shoes and automobiles.
Chrome Tanned – This process uses soluble chromium salts, primarily chromium sulfate, to tan leather. Most commonly used for garments, footwear and upholstery.
Crust – Leather that has been tanned, dyed and dried, but not finished.
Distressed – Leather that is aniline dyed with one color over another (usually darker over lighter) so as to create rich highlights and an artificial aged appearance. This finishing process is intended to emphasize the characteristics of the hide such as scars, scratches and wrinkles. Also called "antiqued leather".
Drum Dyed – The process of coloring leather by tumbling it in a rotating drum immersed in dye to allow maximum dye penetration.
Embossed Leather – Leather that has been "stamped" with a design or artificial texture under very high pressure. Our embossed leathers have textures of ostrich and gator.
Flesh Side – The underside of the animal's hide. When looking at a piece of veg-tanned tooling leather, this will be the rough side.
Full Grain – Leather which has not been altered beyond hair removal. It is the most genuine of leathers, retaining all of the hide's original texture and markings. The hide's best, strongest and most durable layer.
Good Hand – A soft, supple leather that feels good to the hand.
Grain Side – This is the hide's surface that had the hair of the animal. The grain side is used for leather carving and stamping by leathercrafters.
Hair Cell Grain – Noticeable appearance of where the hair pores were on the leather.
Kidskin – Soft leather made from the skin of a young goat.
Latigo – Cowhide leather tanned for outdoor use. Utilized for cinches, ties, and other saddlery work and for army accoutrements.
Milled – During the tanning process, the leather is tumbled in a large drum shaped container to make it softer.
Nubuck – Leather buffed on the grain side to give a velvety surface.
Oil Tanned – Leather that is tanned using oils to create a very soft, pliable finish.
Patina – The aura or luster that develops in leather as it ages with use.
Pebble Grain – A cosmetic character resembling small pebbles on the leather's top side.
Printed Leather – Leather that has been "stamped" with a design or artificial texture under very high pressure.
Pull-Up Finish – Describes the behavior of leather that has been treated with oils, waxes and dyes in such a way that when pulled or stretched, the finish becomes lighter in the those areas. Considered a mark of high quality.
Rawhide – Hides that have only been dehaired and cured but not tanned.
Semi-Aniline – Aniline leather that has a matching pigment layer added to even out the color and add protection.
Shearling – A sheepskin or lambskin that has gone through a limited shearing process to obtain a uniform depth of the wool fibers. They can be tanned with either a veg-tan method, normally used for saddles and outdoor gear, or with a chrome method, normally used for garments.
Side – Leather tanned from one half, or "side" of a full hide.
Skirting – Sides from cattle that are left in their heaviest form for use with saddle making and re-enactment armor.
Splits – Leather made from the lower (inner or flesh side) layers of a hide that have been split away from the upper, or grain layers. Split leather is not as durable as full grain leather and is normally used as suede.
Suede – Leather that has been buffed and brushed for a more attractive surface.
Temper – A characteristic of leathers defined by pliability/softness.
Tooling Calf – Normally, a very lightweight veg-tanned leather with a very clean appearance.
Top Grain – Usually refers to a process of sanding away the natural grain from a leather's top surface. Imitation grain gets stamped into the leather for a more uniform look.
Veg-Tanned – A method of hide tanning which utilizes materials from organic materials such as bark instead of the traditional chemicals. This is the method utilized when tanning tooling leathers.
Veg-Splits – Veg-tanned leather that has been split with both sides having a fleshy feel. Cannot be tooled.
Waxy Hand – An upholstery or handbag leather that has a waxy feel and look to it.
Weight – A term which describes the thickness of leather in ounces. One ounce equals 1/64th (0.4 mm) of an inch in thickness. See the chart below.


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SOARING HIGH: A trip to the Big Sur-area coast to catch a glimpse of the fabled and fabulous condor? We have a feeling this idea might spring straight from most people's "once in a lifetime chance" file. But a condor encounter doesn't have to be that exclusive (read: that put-off-able). Tours to see the rare and lovely birds in flight are going on twice a month. Let us add to that statement, actually. Twice-a-month tours have now resumed, now that the closed section of Highway One near Big Sur has reopened. (A section slid ocean-ward in March, you'll recall.)
THE DETAILS: Ventana Wildlife Society organizes the tours, which happen on the second and fourth Sunday of each month. A tour is $50, and signing up in advance is key. If you're wondering how the wingspan'd wonders are found, "radio telemetry" is employed. Interesting. There's also a Base Camp Tour which runs $250 per person; it's a bit more involved, and longer than the two-hour outing listed above (the Base Camp option is a pretty full day, actually). Either way, picture it: you, the condors, Big Sur. Once-in-a-life-y for sure, but those once-in-a-life moments have to arrive some time, right? Sooner than later is our policy.


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Malabar Cancer Centre, Thalassery (MCC)
Malabar Cancer Centre is an autonomous institution under Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Kerala registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, with an aim to establish a hospital, providing the much-required oncology care to the population of North Kerala. The main objective being establishing a modern Cancer Hospital and Research and Training Centre of international standard in treatment and prevention of cancer.
The control and management of the Society are vested in the Governing Body consisting of 23 members with the Honarable Chief Minister of Kerala as the Chairman, Honarable Minister for Health as Vice Chairman and Honarable Minister for Power as Alternate Vice-Chairman. The routine activities and functions of the Centre are supervised by the Executive Committee, with the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Kerala, being the Chairman of the Committee. The members in the Governing Body and Executive Committee are functioning by virtue of their official positions.
MCC is providing a full spectrum of oncological care as an autonomous not-for-profit institution (200+bedded hospital) funded by the State Government and other sources. Patients are categorized according to their economic status, and accordingly it is expected that 20% of patients will be provided free services and about 60% on concessional rates. It has been undertaken that no patients will be denied treatment for financial reasons.


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Relationships with
Photo Credit: Sharon Tate's picture is courtesy of Famous Trials. Photographic illustrations of Sharon Tate are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Sharon Tate is derived from astrological interpretation of Sharon Tate's date, time, and place of birth.


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What is CPC?
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) consists of one United States Senator and seventy eight members of the United States House of Representatives, and is the largest caucus within the House Democratic Caucus. Established in 1991, the CPC reflects the diversity and strength of the American people and seeks to give voice to the needs and aspirations of all Americans and to build a more just and humane society.
The Co-Chairs of the CPC--U.S. Representatives Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07) and Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) welcome your interest in the caucus.
Our Caucus members promote a strong, progressive agenda, what we call "The Progressive Promise--Fairness for All". The Progressive Promise is rooted in four core principles that embody national priorities and are consistent with the values, needs and aspirations of all the American people, not just the powerful and the privileged. They reflect a fundamental belief in government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
The four, core principles of the Progressive Promise:
1. Fighting for economic justice and security for all;
2. Protecting and preserving our civil rights and civil liberties;
3. Promoting global peace and security; and
4. Advancing environmental protection and energy independence
The CPC is committed to helping progressives, both inside and outside of Congress, to work together more effectively, in order to bring all of us closer to making good on The Progressive Promise.
Again, we appreciate your interest in the CPC and we look forward to working together to build a strong progressive network throughout America and beyond.


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GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - A judge on Monday ordered a mental competency exam for a 12-year-old boy charged with murder in the stabbing of a 9-year-old boy at a western Michigan playground.
It happened at a hearing in Kent County Family Court. Defense lawyer Charles Boekeloo told Judge G. Patrick Hillary that his client was waiving his right to a probable cause hearing, clearing the way for a trial.
Authorities say the 12-year-old confessed to stabbing Michael Connor Verkerke on Aug. 4 in Kentwood, near Grand Rapids.
The Associated Press isn't naming the 12-year-old because of his age. He's designated as an adult in the juvenile court system, meaning he'd be sentenced as a juvenile if convicted and then resentenced as an adult once he turns 21.
Michael's funeral is 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Cornerstone Church in Caledonia Township.
State mental health experts will examine the 12-year-old and report on whether they believe he is mentally competent to stand trial. That is expected to bring a delay of several months.
"There is nothing typical about this case," Boekeloo told The Grand Rapids Press.
Witnesses told investigators that four children were playing when one of them pulled a knife and stabbed Michael in the back.
The 12-year-old told an ambulance crew he had been planning the incident for a year and wanted to take someone with him when he killed himself, police told the newspaper.
The boy then left the playground and approached a man at a nearby house to call 911. Witnesses said the boy presented his wrists to be cuffed when police arrived and said he wanted to die.
"Arrest me," the 12-year-old said to officers, putting his hands above his head, according to a Kentwood police report. "I want to die. I'm tired of life."
Published: Wed, Aug 13, 2014


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evo issue 245 – on sale now - pictures
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The new Ford Bronco off-roader has been revealed stateside; a counterpoint to the Defender and Wrangler
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The basketball blue bloods from Louisville, Kansas and Indiana made it through.
So did the iron men from La Salle.
Then there's Florida Gulf Coast, a school hardly anyone had heard of just a few days ago.
U.S. & World
Improbably, they're still playing, too — a tongue-wagging, heel-clicking, arm-flapping collection of no-names who turned the opening week of the NCAA tournament into their coming-out party.
It was impressive enough being the first No. 15 seed to advance to the round of 16. But the Eagles really grabbed everyone's attention with their running, dunking style and the unbridled joy they showed on the court. In a way, they were like the Harlem Globetrotters, charming the crowds while a pair of supposedly superior teams took on the role of the Washington Generals.
First, second-seeded Georgetown went down by 10 points. Then, seventh-seeded San Diego State fell by the same convincing margin.
"We're doing something special out here," said Sherwood Brown, who likes to stick out his tongue after every big shot. "We've been told that this is what college basketball is all about."
Now, Florida Gulf Coast (26-10) is off to Cowboys Stadium in suburban Dallas for the South Regional semifinals. And, in a most interesting twist, they'll face the flagship team from the Sunshine State, the No. 3-seeded Florida Gators (28-7).
"We're really blessed and we're really happy to be here right now," Brown said. "But we've still got a lot more games to play, hopefully, so we're going to go back home and get our heads back straight and get ready to play against the University of Florida."
The Eagles weren't the only surprise from the first week of the tournament. No. 13 seed La Salle made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 21 years one to remember, winning three times in five days to advance to a West Regional semifinal Thursday in Los Angeles against another upstart, ninth-seeded Wichita State (28-8).
After beating Boise State in a First Four game at Dayton, the Explorers (24-9) upset Kansas State and knocked off Mississippi, both of them two-point squeakers. Tyrone Garland banked home a scooping layup with 2 seconds left Sunday for a 76-74 victory over the Rebels, making this La Salle's deepest run in the tournament since they advanced to the championship game of a 24-team field in 1955.
"It just feels like AAU all over again," said Ramon Galloway, who led the Explorers with 24 points. "We play a game, go to sleep, wake up, play another game. We're pretty excited for the whole trip."
Garland dubbed his winning shot the "Southwest Philly Floater." For the small, private school, this is a chance to rekindle memories of its former glory, highlighted by a national title in 1954.
"We talked all week about the great La Salle tradition," coach John Giannini said. "When you come in, you want to bring that back. These guys are doing it right before our eyes."
Still, for all the excitement generated by a pair of major underdogs, the tournament is largely going according to form. Gonzaga is the only top seed to go down, knocked out by Wichita State. The other three No. 1s are still alive, as well as three No. 2s and three more from the third spot in the brackets.
Louisville has certainly lived up to being the top overall seed, winning its first two NCAA games by an average of 28.5 points. The Cardinals (31-5) will face 12th-seeded Oregon State (28-8) in the first semifinal of the Midwest Regional at Indianapolis. The other pits second-seeded Duke (29-5) against No. 3 Michigan State (27-8).
"We probably can't play any better," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said after an 82-56 dismantling of Colorado State. "Our guys were magnificent."
At the moment, the Cardinals are clearly the most impressive team in the tournament.
In the East Regional, for instance, the seedings held up completely but all four of the remaining teams struggled to get through the third round. No. 1 Indiana and No. 4 Syracuse pulled out six-point wins. No. 2 Miami knocked off Illinois by four. No. 3 Marquette edged Butler by two.
The Hoosiers finished their game on a 10-0 run, holding Temple scoreless over the last 3 minutes to survive 58-52.
"That's what we've been doing all year," sophomore center Cody Zeller said. "We've been in a lot of close games throughout the Big Ten especially. We've got a mature group that, even though it wasn't going as well and we wouldn't get things going for a while, that's what winners do. You've got to survive and advance this time of year. We got some big plays down the stretch and we're lucky we're moving on."
In the semifinals Thursday at Washington, it's Indiana (29-6) vs. Syracuse (28-9) and Miami (29-6) vs. Marquette (25-8). For Hoosiers star Victor Oladipo, it's a chance to return home.
"I'm just glad that we're going. We want to be successful there," said Oladipo, who was born and raised in the suburbs of the nation's capital. "It's going to be fun playing in front of family and friends and all that, but it's a business trip. We're on a mission."
The remaining semis are top-seeded Kansas (31-5) taking on No. 4 Michigan (28-7) in the South, while second-seeded Ohio State (28-7) plays No. 6 Arizona (27-7) in the West.
No one is having more fun than Florida Gulf Coast, which isn't surprising when you consider the beach-side school in Fort Myers has been around less than two decades and only became eligible for the tournament last year after the transition from a lower division.
In the Eagles' first trip to the NCAAs, hardly anyone expected them to win one game, much less two. But they've been playing like they have nothing to lose, winning over the notoriously tough fans in Philadelphia with soaring dunks, wide smiles and silly antics.
Their accomplishments have been chronicled on YouTube with a "Dunk City" rap video.
Christophe Varidel, a native of Switzerland, clicked his heels on the way down the court after a big basket against San Diego State. As FGCU pulled away from the Aztecs, some of the bench players waddled around with their arms flapping, apparently trying to imitate the team mascot but looking more like chickens.
Not that anyone cared.
These guys are having a blast.
"They play with a swagger, and they have a right to do that," said San Diego State's Steve Fisher, who knows about players with attitude, having coached the Fab Five at Michigan. "You can have that look and feel, but you have to compete and play to earn your spurs, and they've done that."
Indeed they have — a 15th seed that is one of just 16 teams still in the game.


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The Francis Howell School District is excited to announce the recipients of the 2018 Howell of Fame Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of volunteers and staff. This year's 12 recipients will be honored at the annual Howell of Fame Awards ceremony on Monday, May 8, along with 2018 District Retirees, District Teacher of the Year, Teachers of the Year from each building, District Support Staff Employee of the Year, and Support Staff Employee of the Year from each building.
The 2018 Howell of Fame recipients are:
The Howell of Fame Awards Program was established in 1987 to honor members of the Francis Howell School District community who have made a significant contribution to the children of the District.


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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and burn the microfiche. LET'S GO!
THE APPRENTICE – 9:00PM (NBC) It's the tenth season of Donald Trump's reality show, and this time all 16 contestants are people who have been hit hard by the recession and hope to revive their careers by getting a job with the Donald. This is a very sweet idea, until you realize that fifteen of these people will have to suffer the trauma and indignity of being fired all over again, and this time on national television. Maybe they'll fight back, like the people in "Up In The Air." That would be cool. Unless they fight back by jumping off a bridge, which would not be so cool. Tonight, the peons have to create modern day workspaces, which sounds more like a task for "Top Design," but whatever. We'll find out who keeps 500 soy sauce packets in their office desk and who doesn't. The latter will surely have a leg up. ANTICIPATION: YOOGE!
IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA – 10:00PM (FX) Another season premiere. FX's masterfully dirty comedy returns for another season of unabashed nihilism. This time, Mac fights against gay marriage, no doubt for purely selfish and irrelevant reasons. It's a brilliant show, people. Don't hop on the bandwagon late, like I did. The season premiere of "The League" comes immediately after. ANTICIPATION: HIGH!
THE FENCE – 8:00PM (HBO) Would you like there to be a wall between the United States and Mexico to keep out those pesky immigrants who will help install drywall in your basement for mere pennies on the dollar? Well sir, you're in luck. Because a third of that wall has already been built, 700 miles long. This HBO doc explores the social and environmental ramifications of that wall on both sides of the border, from law enforcement to human smugglers. It could change your mind about things. Or not. People with strong political opinions tend to ignore compelling arguments contrary to their worldview. This is why I don't vote. ANTICIPATION: CONTROVERSY!
ATLANTIC CITY HOOKERS – 11:00PM (HBO) Prepare yourself for the premiere of Martin Scorsese's "Boardwalk Empire" by checking out this late night doc about prostitutes on the Jersey boardwalk. It's a serious documentary that you will almost certainly use for porn purposes. HBO knows this, I assure you. Don't feel bad about it. ANTICIPATION: CHEAP LOVIN'!
PROJECT RUNWAY – 10:00PM (Lifetime) January Jones takes a break from crashing her car to be a guest judge for tonight's sportswear competition. I'm very sad that Casanova got booted last week, especially since the judges had the chance to toss out Ivy, who is horrible and petty and whom I do not like. Alas. Ivy lives on. And how about Michael C. and Mondo instantly becoming BFF's? Didn't see that coming. That shot of them with their arms around each other on the runway might be the funniest thing I see all year. ANTICIPATION: EVIL GRETCHEN STRIKES!
Thursday Watch List: YOU'RE FIRED. AGAIN.
Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and burn the microfiche. LET'S GO!


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Meet your new partner
Our Police Edition patrol bike welcomes the rigours of all-day riding. It's comfortable, versatile, and ready to roll, with 29" wheels for go-anywhere agility and speed.
You need a capable two-wheeled partner. This bike performs the job admirably, thanks to tough construction, quality components and patrol-ready features.
Comfort and control
RockShox air spring suspension fork delivers ultimate tunability for a comfortable, controlled ride.
Precise shifting
Shimano 9-speed drivetrain provides the gear range and precise shifting you need to keep up the pursuit.
Super-low maintenance
Rugged, long-lasting frame and durable, quality components make this an ultra-reliable fleet bike.
All-weather stopping
Shimano disc brakes are easy to maintain, and give you great stopping power in any weather.


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Mental Health
Featured Article - Veteran Learns to "Face her Demons" with VA PTSD Treatment
Veteran Learns to "Face her Demons" with VA PTSD Treatment
Posted April 10, 2010
Today, thanks to her treatment at a VA hospital, she is working, happy and determined to be "a voice of hope."
Michelle was in the Army from 1980 to 1984 and was raped by her drill instructor – the night before she graduated from Advanced Individual Training. Frightened, distraught and confused, she did not report the rape. She went on to a career as a data communications specialist.
Years later, while working at a VA hospital, she was approached, remarkably, by a Veteran receiving treatment for PTSD, who said, "I've been watching you. You've got what I've got." What he had seen was Michelle breaking into tears and panic attacks when visitors or situations got out of hand.
That, and another severe "meltdown," convinced her to seek treatment. Under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Chard of the VA, Michelle accepted the fact that her rape – in this case Military Sexual Trauma – was the cause of her life-long struggle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Once she started receiving treatment, known as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Michelle realized that it was time to "come face to face with my demon." She was able to finally accept the fact that the sexual abuse she experienced was not her fault.
Dr. Chard, Director of the PTSD and Anxiety Disorders Division at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center's Ft. Thomas, KY, location, explains: "Cognitive Processing Therapy is an evidenced-based treatment, designed specifically to treat PTSD and related symptoms such as depression and anger.
"The treatment is typically 12 sessions long and the Veteran works with the therapist to examine the impact of the trauma, especially related to the Veteran's beliefs about safety, trust, power/control, esteem and intimacy. Through practice assignments, the Veteran is able to form a more realistic and balanced view of self, others, and the world, and to realize that they do not have to be controlled by the trauma any longer."
Every VA facility has a designated MST Coordinator who serves as a contact person for MST-related issues. This person can help veterans find and access VA services and programs. Every VA facility also has providers knowledgeable about treatment for the after-effects of MST.
Today, Michelle is a program support assistant in the Ambulatory Care Center of the Columbus, Ohio, VA Medical Center. She admits the PTSD is still there but she knows now how to deal with it. "Dr. Chard taught me how to control my anxiety. You do that with 'self talk.' First, you recognize that you are having an anxiety attack. Then you ask, why? And ask yourself if you are over-reacting."
She describes the feeling as everything in black and white. "There is no gray in PTSD."
One of Michelle's best buddies today is Flower, a very smart, very pretty, black lab mix service dog. While service dogs are not issued by the VA for mental health therapy, Michelle admits, "The emotional support she gives me is a very important part of my life right now."
Flower has been with Michelle for ten months and her relationship with Michelle is extraordinary. "Flower knows when I am having an anxiety attack. In the middle of a Christmas shopping crowd last December at the Mall, I started to tense up and she nudged me out of the crowd and led me to an empty corner of the shopping center.
"She is also trained to watch my back. Whenever, I am standing at a counter, she gets behind me and watches for anyone who may be approaching."
Flower, trained by the Heel to Heal non-profit group, also enters Michelle's home first, checks to see no one else is in the house and then uses her nose to turn on the lights.
As part of her personal campaign to help other Veterans cope with PTSD, Michelle speaks to groups about her experience so they will know they are not alone. She spoke to 300 senior commanders from the Ohio National Guard and Air Guard this past February which earned her an Eagle Award from the Guard.
After returning from her seven-week PTSD in-patient program with Dr. Chard, she wrote and delivered her own "Wings of Freedom" presentation to 400 staff members at the VA Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus.
Not an easy experience: "This was the hardest briefing I have ever given in my life. Standing up in front of all your co-workers and letting them know that you were raped in service, you suffer with PTSD, and had to attend an inpatient program, is not easy.
"With more strength than I ever imagined I possessed, I gave my presentation. If I had not attended Dr. Chards' program and received the help that I needed, I wouldn't have been able to give the presentation and help the staff understand what it's like to live with PTSD."
As a significant sign of her ability to get on with her life, Michelle graduated in May 2009 from Indiana Institute of Technology with a degree in Business Management. She hopes to start her own business and, not surprisingly, write a book about living with a service dog.
The mother of two and grandmother of three, Michelle, who likes to draw and cook lasagna (when 'Bones' isn't on the tube), knows she is still on the road to recovery, "But I don't want to sit around talking about how bad PTSD is. I want to be a voice of hope. I want to let other Veterans know they should get help as soon as possible. I want to tell them: believe in yourself."


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Networking equipment maker 3Com beat its guidance for revenues and profits in its fiscal 2010 second quarter, but revenues are still being compressed by the soft global economy.
In the quarter ended November 27, 3Com posted sales of $322.2m, down 9.1 per cent compared to the year-ago period. The company said that it did see sequential revenue growth across all major geographies in the quarter, with a "solid recovery" in Europe and Latin America and "continued strong performance" in China. 3Com is ramping down its sales partnership with Huawei Technologies in China, with sales down 35.3 per cent to $18.2m in the quarter, while direct sales in China rose by 21.9 per cent to $151.1m. (Yes, if you do the math, 52.5 per cent of 3Com's sales come from China.)
Earnings in the quarter were impacted by HP's impending acquisition of 3Com, and the networking company said that it booked $4.6m in charges relating to the $2.7bn cash deal HP put on the table for 3Com shareholders back in early November. However, even with those charges, 3Com had a ruling from the taxman that added $10.8m to the coffers during the quarter and was able to nonetheless push net income up to $20m, a 55 per cent increase over the prior fiscal year's second quarter.
3Com generated $118.2m in cash from operations in the quarter, which HP will be keen on knowing about, and repaid $88m in debts. The company had $704.1m in cash and equivalents in the coffers as the quarter ended, and a mere $112m in debt. This means HP is really only shelling out $2.1bn for 3Com.
Of course, 3Com's sales have been stagnant at around $1.3bn for the past three fiscal years ended in May, and only went into the black in fiscal 2009, with $114.7m in net income against $1.32bn in revenues. The company lost $613.8m over the prior four years, with aggregate sales of just over $4bn during that time. Presumably HP is willing to pay such a high premium for 3Com today because that company has cleaned up its financial act. Plus, buying 3Com allows HP to bolster its share of networking sales, fill in product gaps, and get a solid footing in the Chinese market, where 3Com has a 30 per cent share for network equipment sales.
This isn't just Cisco envy - although that's also a big part of the HP buyout of 3Com, of course. ®


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Cycling the Line. in aid of the Royal British Legion.
In November, myself and a good buddy of mine will be going on a 'bit of a bike ride'. Starting on the Franco/Swiss border we will cycle north following as closely as we can the Western Front Trench System from WW1 until we arrive at the Beglian coastal town of Nieuport, (hopefully on Rememberence Day) some 550 miles away from our starting point.
The aim is to raise £10,000 pounds for the Royal British Legion – a wonderful charity that looks after current and ex-service men and women. Anyone can donate at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline
I will be taking my pc with me and the idea is to update the blog every day with details of our adventure, I am even toying with the idea of getting a little video camera mounted on our cycle helmets so we can post video footage of us being run off the road by French lorries…
The plan is to average about 50 miles per day for 10 days (with a couple of rest days in between). I am in training already, although the north Hampshire countryside is not quite the same terrain as the Vosges Mountains!
If you would like to help us in our fundraising efforts, pls visit our secure justgiving web page at www.justgiving.com/cyclingtheline


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Richards was only the second woman to give the keynote convention speech in the Democratic party, something she tackled at the start of the speech by remembering fellow Texan Barbara Jordan's keynote. "Two women in 160 years is about par for the course" was her dry summing-up. And her opening included a then-unusual good evening in Spanish, quickly followed by this line: "After listening to George Bush all these years, I figured you needed to know what a real Texan sounds like."
The convention keynote follows a time-honored formula. It's designed to unite the crowd, remind them of the party's noble goals, acknowledge the party's nominees and serve as a major salvo against the opposing party's candidate. Richards fulfilled all those roles, but took the attacks on the opposing party to another level, using humor, vocal variety, gestures and folksy Texas style to do so. In this speech's most famous line, she said of George H. W. Bush, the Republican nominee:
Now that he's after a job that he can't get appointed to, he's like Columbus discovering America. He's found child care. He's found education. Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.
Now, you know a speechwriter or two was likely behind that. But Richards' delivery is what brought the house down--just one of several moments in this speech that did so. Here's what you can learn from this famous speech:
- Make sure your speech and delivery are a reflection of you: Far from trying to hide her accent, her sense of humor or her Texas roots, Richards embraced them in her public speaking. Her delivery's authentic, not automatic, and it made this speech stand out.
- Use your voice as an emphasis instrument: From inflections to pauses to long drawn-out syllables, Richards offers a symphony of vocal variety in this speech. It's worth listening to it while looking at the full text (links below) to see how she does this. For example, you'll read the line "I'm a grandmother now. And I have one nearly perfect granddaughter named Lily." But what you'll hear is "neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeearly perfect granddaughter," an extending of the syllables that brings a laugh from the audience and keeps the line from being a cloying one.
- Use props to keep your words concrete: Richards reads a letter from a young mother during the speech -- and actually holds up a page and reads from it. In a room made for teleprompters, she turns away from the perfect camera angle to read it. In doing so, she makes the letter seem real, a tangible and simple tactic to bring the soaring rhetoric down to real life.
The one-woman play "Ann" will be performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in December and January, featuring actress Holland Taylor (best known for her role on Two and a Half Men). It's a celebration of Richards, her speaking, her humor and more. You can watch the full speech in the video below or read the full text here. What do you think of this famous speech?


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Choose your room
The H10 Urquinaona Plaza is set in a late 19th-century building that has been perfectly restored. Its modern interior design contrasts with Novecentista details that have been preserved and that give it a very elegant look. The hotel has the Novecento Restaurant, a quiet outdoor garden and the Lluna Terrace with plunge pool and views of the city. The rooms have minimalist design, free Wi-Fi, a Nespresso coffee maker, air conditioning and a flat-screen TV.


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Saturn's fourth largest moon, Dione, appears like a solitary ornament suspended above the rings in this Cassini spacecraft view.
Lit terrain seen here is on the leading hemisphere of Dione (1,123 kilometers, or 698 miles across). North on Dione is up and rotated 1 degree to the right.
The rings are closer to Cassini in this view, with Dione more distant. This view looks toward the northern, sunlit side of the rings from just above the ringplane.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on June 11, 2011. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 3.2 million kilometers (2 million miles) from Dione and at a Sun-Dione-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 85 degrees. Image scale is 19 kilometers (12 miles) per pixel.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.
For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.