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In this tutorial you will learn the following commands.
1- Using help lines.
2- Inserting false ceiling.
3- Creating niche in the ceiling by using cutout tool..
4- Inserting furniture, importing 3ds files and m3d files. Creating objects.
5- Copying along reference lines.
6- Using copy and arrange tool.
7- Using colors, textures and importing images.
8- Modifying textures by move, scale and rotate option.
9- Applying Reflection and Reflective coating to materials.
10- Using RGBW wallwashers (colored light e.g. LED) and tiltable spotlight.
11- Aiming tiltable luminaires "model with joints"
12- Save Camera View or POV (Point of View).
13- Managing light scenes and control groups.
14- Calculation and rendering.
15- Preparing the print out report.
For this tutorials you will build up a similar scene to the one below
Creating room
You put the room type if you want to get the recommended lighting levels as per EN12464 in Assessment zone and application.
You can hide or Show the descriptive texts by cliking ? Icon on the property window.
Creating Dropped Ceiling
1-Go to construction mode 2-Go to Help lines Tool 3-Make sure you are in the storey View 4-Make sure you are in the Plan View 5-Select Draw refernce line
Tip: if the line is outside the room you can rotate along z axis 180 different than your current angle.
|Make sure to put theClearance height = 3.25ceiling thickness=0.75m0.75m of thickness to make it solid without void because you are going to use the cutout tool as you will see later
Creating a recessed track lighting system
|From reference lines tool draw help reference grid with distance of x,y as 1,1 m above the dropped ceiling
|From reference lines draw polygonal reference line in the point shown in the side image.Then right click to close polygon.
|You can delete the help reference grid, and now you can see polygonal reference line clearly.
|This is the position of a track light system.Now create offset lines form the four sides of the polygonal reference line in the same way as you did step-3 with an offset value of 0.035 m so you have the width of a track like the next image
|go to 3d view
|Select cutout toolAnd draw a rectangular cut out in the dropped ceiling
|Draw a random cutout in the ceiling
Go to plan view and select the cutout you made, if you can't select it then go to the Cutout tool and select the cutout.
Move the corner points of the cutout to the corner points of the outer reference lines by mouse.
Go to plan view and select the cutout you made, if you can't select it then go to the Cutout tool and select the cutout.Move the corner points of the cutout to the corner points of the outer reference lines by mouse.
|While selecting the cutoutActivate the Limit Cutting Depthput 0035 m as depthThis is the depth of a the Track
|Now go to material tool
|Select a black color and drag it while pushing the shift key of keyboard and apply the color to the inner surface of the niche.
|Go to plan view and make another ceiling in the corner of the inner reference lines.
Put clearance height as 3.25 and ceiling thickness 0.75
|Go to color and pick the color that you used by selecting the pick material optionsThen apply it to the four sides' surface of the new ceiling.
|Now you should be having niche in the ceiling similar to a reassessed track lighting system
Of course you could do the above by many different ways like objects and subtraction, but this way is very useful when you place lighting as DIALux detects ceiling and place the ceiling luminaires right at the ceiling!
Inserting furniture and objects
|Go to furniture and objects tool and select DIALux evo object catalog
|select place individual object and place it somewhere in the roomMake the position at x=3,y=2 mHeight =0.35Rotation @Z=90°
|You can always use the mouse tool of modifying objects, which could be very handy if you have a cad background
Place a standard cube@position x=3m ,y=4.65 mSize L =0.3 ,W=0.3, H=1.3
Repeat the above for another cube with
position x=0.070m, y=2.9 m
size L = 0.140, W=4.2, H= 0.420
Insert another cube with
size L = 0.020, W= 0.800, H= 0.4 somewhere in the room, it doesn't matter where as you are going to use it to create copies of it and delete it later, but make it near the left wall.
|Select the last cube and go to copy and arrange tool then select copy along line.If you are not selecting an object you will not see this option as active.
|copy and arrange tool icon
|Draw the line on the cube near the left wall
|Put the following valuesبirst put Quantity 5Then distance 0.825Then apply
|After creating this object ungroup the parts
|Delete the object that was created in step-18 (used to creates these parts witch is selected in the next image)
|Make sure you are in the Copy and Arrange Tool, Select all the objects near the wall, and select center z to make the smaller objects and the center height of the bigger object.
create the last object which we use it as a painting on the wall
Place a cube with
position x= 0.025m, y= 2.55m, Z=1m
Size L = 0.050, W= 1.100, H= 1.100
Go to floorplan view and while selecting the last object use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V to copy and paste the last object (you can also copy and paste by mouse right click )
The pasted object will be automatically selected, but should be modified to the following values
Size L = 0.030, W= 1.05, H= 1.05
|Go to front view If you don't see front view then click on the small arrowTip: use shift to select another abject and ctrl to deselect an abject
|Select the last two objects on the wall go to Copy and Arrange Tool and select Align Right x, Then click center z
|Finally select subtract, and click on subtract button after you make select the bigger object if not selected.You can swap between objects under the line SUBTRACT FORM WHICH OBJECT?
|Now you should be having a view like this one.
Importing 3ds and m3d files to DIALux evo
Vitra Organic Chair will be used in this tutorial
Vitra provide 3ds files for most of their products which could be imported easily into DIALux 4 and DIALux evo, however the file size should remain small in size with not too many surfaces, as rule of thumb try not to include a file more than 1 Mb,
This file has 208 KB which should be ok for most computers but if your computer specification is low then try to use lighter file, or use DIALux standard furniture.
The direct link to download the 3ds file for this chair is
you can also download form the following website
|go to DIALux Furniture and Objects tool and select DIALux object Catalog
|Once the catalog opens click on import button which is located at bottom left of the catalog
|Now click on add files and browse to the downloaded file of vita organic chair
|You Have To Select All Files While Importing 3ds files for version evo1, otherwise you won't be able to see the 3ds file
|Select the 3ds of the downloaded file
|Go back to the catalog (if the catalog is minimized then maximize it)
|Now in the search box of the catalog white organic, select the file and then apply, or double click on the object.
|Make sure the chair appears in the furniture and objects window.Select Draw line arrangment
|draw the line arrangement form point 1 to point 2.if you draw it from line 2 to 1 then you have to rotate it later(anti-clockwise)
|Put the quantity 2 and distance as 2
Repeat the line arrangement for chair for the lower reference line then Put the quantity 2 and distance as 2 for the second line.
|Move both arrangements to the center of the reference line, by selecting the red arrow
|If you select one of the chairs you select the arrangement where you can modify that arrangement, if you click another time on the same chair you activate selection of only that chair, then you can modify the object properties.
|Now select any chair twice to activate object properties and then select all other chair and modify the height to 0.675 m
If you feel your computer get slow in calculation download a liter chair form vita called Tom Vac, this chair has only 61.1 KB
The direct link is
|To replace all chair at one command select all chairs and then click on Replace selected objects, and then select the new object. Of course you have to import the new 3ds file first.
Go to http://archive3d.net to download flowers, this is a good website that has a lot of 3ds files, some of them could be used in DIALux which has small size and not too surfaces.
The direct link for the selected flowers for this tutorial is
Unlike Vitra 3ds made in meters which is perfect for DIALux, you find a lot of files in this website in different dimensions e.g. (mm, inches and feet)
|Select the downloaded 3ds flower file (Flower N171208) and then click next and select millimeters.Click next twice and finish.
|select the object and right click the mouse and select save objectSave object to a convenient location, let's make it desktop and name it as Flower T4.
In a similar way to step-26 go to DIALux evo Furniture and Objects tool and open DIALux furniture catalog and import the files as you did in importing Vitra chair.
After importing write in the search box of the catalog the word Flower T, selected and apply, similar to step-17
|Go to 3d view and place the flower somewhere on the table, you can do this by dragging the flower by mouse to the table or by using place individual object and then selecting the location.
|Keep the flowers selected and go to copy and arrange tool, click shift and select the table so you have both objects selected.Click on center x, center y to make the flower vase center on table.
|let's place the last object for this tutorial, go to furniture and object and select a sphere and make segments as 24 and diameter as 0.3
|Place it on the column created earlier
|Go to plan view and select the corner of the sphere to the corner of the column, this is a very easy way to move objects corners
|go to front view and move the z arrow of the sphere up to be at top of the column
|Now your project should look like the following image
Applying materials and colors
|Time to color your project so go to Materials tool
|Select DIALux material catalog
|Type in the search box the word grey+06 and then select it and click apply (alternately double click on the material)Repeat the same for the three materials
|Go back to material and now select Materials tab where you can find your selected materials form the catalog, If you wish to make them favorites then right click the mouse and select favorite.
|Go to 3d view and Drag and drop theGrey+06 to the floorPalisander to table top and paining on wallGrass to the green color of flowers
|Make sure you are still in the materials tool and select the top surface of the table and rotate the surface by 90°.You can move scale and rotate the material as you wish.
|let's import an image for the paining, this is the selected one for this tutorials.
|You can download then to Material tool, click on CREATE TEXTURE MATERIAL and browse to the image you want to import
|Select apply material and apply it to the front face of the painting object (alternately drag it while holding shift key down)
|Select the material on the painting and scale it to cover the whole painting.The points marked in red to scale.The point marked in green to rotate.The point marked in blue to move.
|Apply this color to the ceiling 3 parts, walls, column, sphere and the 6 parts of low cabinet under the paining.
|Ceiling part 1
|Ceiling part 2
|Ceiling part 3
|Sphere + column
|The 6 parts of low cabinet under the paining.
|Apply similar color shown in the image to the chair top parts
|Zoom to flower vase and apply a white color to the flowers, and a dark green to the grey color.
|Select a white color and apply the following valuesChange the Material type to TransparentMake reflection factor around 40%Degree of transmission around 30%And refractive index as 1.3
|your project should look like this
Inserting luminaires
|All what was done earlier was in the construction mode, now go to light mode
|The following luminaire will be used for this tutorial
|Article Number
|Direct link to download ULD data for ERCO website
|RGBW wallwasher
|Spot light for TrackBeam Narrow Spot
|Spot light for TrackBeam Spot
|Spot light for TrackBeam Oval flood
|Download the above ULD data form the direct link to the desktop
|After downloading all the files go to file -> import -> luminaire file and import all the 5 ULD data files by selecting the files and clicking open.
|Go to floorplan view and select 37838, you can type itin the search box, it will appear in the Select, History Tab
|Draw line form point one to point 2 in the ceiling. the line of light should be close to the offset reference line. You can move this line after you draw it by move action.
|The quantity of the wallwasher should be 5 and the distance should be 1 m
|Makesure the light distribution is going to the left wall by activating show light Distribution form the display option in the upper rightUse rotate option if the light distribution not to the wall.
|Go back to light and select, type 37824 in search box and select this light.Draw Rectangular arrangement inside track location using inner reference lines following points 1,2 and 3 as illustrated below.
|You can always modify the Rectangular arrangement by selecting Edit Polygon in the top tool bar
|Select 75870 , in the floorplan view palace it in the track facing the paining and rotate the luminaire by 90° around Z axis
|Go to Copy and Arrange tool in LIGHT MODE, and then select the last luminaire and the painting and CENTER Y.
|Go back to Luminaire tool and select, type 75890 in the search box
|Place 2 single luminaire somewhere in the room near track location, then modify location as shown.make sure to put – sign before the rotation for both angles
|LocationX=1.975Y=3.686Rotation =-45 @ Z axis
|LocationX=1.975Y=3.030Rotation = -135 @ Z axis
|The last step in luminaire mode before going to calculation is to aim the spot light, the Cantax spot light form ERCO has a rotatable joints as we can see form DIALux icon.If you see the icon heighted in red box this means the luminaire has rotatable parts(model with joints)You can rotate it in the Edit Joints Tool highlighted by orange box
|Aim the other two spot light one for flower and the other for sphere as shown.
Save Camera View or Point of View (POV)
Light Calculation
|Time to calculate your project, so go to calculation mode
|You can start calculation right away but for this tutorial you will learn how to modify control groups and light scenes Go to Light Scene Tool in the CALCULATION MODE
|Keep this control group as it is and keep the group of 6 downlight as it is as well, but delete all other groups by clicking on the x on top right corner of control group window.
|Name you light scene to be all Light on
|Duplicate light scene form actions of light scene tool then name the new scene asWall washer Cyan ,50% Downlight
|Activate Wall washer Cyan, 50% Downlight scene by double clicking on the scene, if you wish activate Generate outputs for this light scene tosee values and results in the output.
|After selecting Wall washer Cyan ,50% Downlight scene, modify the scene to haveRGBW wallwasher Group Red=0,Green=100,Blue=100,Warm White=0Downlight Group=50%
Now you have 2 light scene, Remember you can modify these values after calculation, however if you would like to generate different results in the output then you have to create the scene you want.
Note: If you want to speed up the calculation time, then keep only one scene as we have furniture with many surfaces.
|Before you start calculation save the project in another name so you can have a backup file.Go to Calculation tool in the CALCULATION MODE and start calculation
|You can show the different light scene by clicking on show once calculation finishes or form the top right corner select the required scene form the drop down menu and click on right icon to show it.
Before adjusting the white balance
After adjusting the white balance to 4000K
|Go to view and select the saved POV(point of view) and restore it by double clicking on the image, or by selecting the image and clicking the show view button
|-Zoom to the painting
-Go to Results tool
-Click on isoclines button
-Select the painting surface to get the values in isoclines
-You can adjust the color configuration as you wish
-You can create outputs for this calculation surface.
|Go back to light scene and adjust the light and color as you wish by dimming the value of RGBW Wallwasher or dimming the value of other luminaires
Documentation and printing out the results
|Go to documentation modeSelect action gives you possibilities selecting predefined output e.g. Single room report.
|Click on Edit and select what you want to printDouble click on the page and the preview of the page will appear
|Double click on views pageIn the page settings select tab ALLSelect the views you want to includeClick refresh
There are many setting for each page according to the information needed for print out. Try it out and enjoy!


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Wheres The Teacher? Classroom Fight In Charlotte North Carolina! (Girl Allegedly Ran Off At The Mouth & Big Girl Gives Her A Bad Treatment While The Teacher Takes Off) + Interview With The Victim's Mother
In Phillip O. Berry Academy Of Technology In Charlotte,NC
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subset: commoncrawl


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St. Charles Parish Social Media
St. Charles Parish utilizes a network of social media sites to better communicate with residents and those interested in government happenings. Connect to the accounts by using the links below.
The purpose of these sites are to present matters of public interest in St. Charles Parish. We encourage you to submit your questions, comments and concerns, but please note, this is a moderated online discussion site and not a public forum.
Once posted, the parish reserves the right to delete submissions that contain vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, or offensive comments that target or disparage any ethnic, racial or religious group.
Further, the parish also reserves the right to delete comments that are: spam, or include links to other sites; clearly off-topic; advocate illegal activity; promote particular services, products or political organizations; or infringe on copyrights or trademarks.
Due to the nature of social media sites, the parish from time to time will inadvertently delete comments attached to a particular item if that item needs to be removed from the site, such as out-of-date news information.
For more information on the parish's social media policy, please contact the St. Charles Parish Public Information Office or call (985) 783-5183.


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All about Rudy Giuliani.
Rudy Giuliani (Republican) Birth: May 28, 1944; Brooklyn, N.Y. Home city: New York Family: Wife Judith "Judi" Nathan (2003-present); formerly Donna Hanover (1984-2002, divorced) and Regina Peruggi (1968-1982, annulment); children: stepdaughter Whitney (1986); Caroline (1989); Andrew (1986) Religion: Roman Catholic Education: Manhattan College, A.B., 1965; New York University Law School, J.D., 1968 Campaign Web site: www.joinrudy2008.com Read all about him: "Leadership" (2002) Career: 1970: Joined the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. 1981-1983: Named associate attorney general, the third highest position in the Department of Justice. 1983-1989: Appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. During this time, Giuliani gained national prominence for prosecuting, among others, Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken and various Mafia figures. 1989: Resigned as U.S. Attorney and made his first run for mayor of New York City. He lost to David Dinkins in a close race. 1993: Became first Republican mayor of New York in 24 years after defeating Dinkins in another close race. 1997: Re-elected by a wide margin, carrying four out of New York City's five boroughs. April 27, 2000: Disclosed that he is suffering from prostate cancer. May 19, 2000: Announced that he is dropping out of the race for the U.S. Senate. 2001: Received wide praise for his response to the September 11 attacks; named Time magazine's Person of the Year and honored as a Knight Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. 2002: Left the mayor's office and founded Giuliani Partners, a security consulting firm. March 2005: Joined the Texas law firm of Bracewell & Patterson as a partner. The firm is renamed Bracewell & Giuliani. Sources: CNN.com, Wikipedia.org, VoteSmart.org


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Oh My God!
Just saw the brand new and full trailer for Mr. Popper Penguins. Love the last frame!
I fall more in love with Jim in every new scene. He's amasing...
Here the link:
I learn about it in the oficial twitter of the movie...
I feel like jumping!!!


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Drop round shaped hoop halo rose gold, round diamond earring features 0.47 carat round diamonds in the center and is available with other size round stones as well as in other metals.
This item can be customized in other metals, two tone metals and metal purity, as well as with other shapes, qualities, size and kinds of stone for the center and side stones.
For pricing and details or to create a new custom style, please email email@example.com or call 212-840-1417.
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Earlier this week Totilo detailed the thinning of the fall release schedule, pointing out all of the games that have been getting bumped back to next year.
GameDaily, always ready to find the silver lining, put together this list of more than a dozen titles that will be making the year.
Who needs Bioshock 2 and Bayonetta when you have a list that includes quite a few big, big titles. Games like Modern Warfare 2, Brutal Legend, New Super Mario Bros. and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
G/O Media may get a commission
So it sounds like we'll all have plenty of things to play this fall, but maybe not so many that we feel overwhelmed? Could be all of those delays were a good thing.
Confirmed! Fourteen Games You'll See on Shelves in 2009 [GameDaily]


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Sunday, January 6, 2013
Storing Wreaths...
I'm still putting away Christmas things around the house. It takes me some time, because I organize and clean as I go. I wanted to share one idea with you for storing wreaths.
My artificial evergreen wreaths can be stored in boxes or plastic tubs, because they can be fluffed up again when I take them out next year.
These berry wreaths are a different story. The fake berries are styrofoam and can break off easily if stored in a box, so I like to hang them. ( I think I bought them at Joanne's Crafts or Walmart years ago, so they've lasted a while)
All you need is a plastic kitchen garbage bag and zip ties or some wire. For larger wreaths, use the big black garbage bags.
I use 2 zip ties zipped together to give me more length. You can just use a long piece of wire or heavy duty string.
Attach to the back of the wreath.
Now take your plastic bag and poke a hole in the center of the "bottom" of the bag.
You can also save the bags you get from the Dry Cleaners. They have the hole in the bottom for the coat hangers.
I just used scissors.
Now bring the wreath up into the bag
Have your zip tie or wire come through the hole in the bottom of the bag.
All set and ready to hang.
I don't tie the bottom. Lets air flow inside, but keeps the dust off.
My basement is unfinished, so I bang nails in the floor joist in the ceiling.
The wreaths hang easily from the nails, up out of the way and not crushed by all the other Christmas stuff.
Dust free and waiting to be hung up next year.
This would work great in your attic or garage...just depends on the climate you live in and where you store your decorations.
You could also hook the zip tie to a coat hanger and hang the wreaths in a spare closet.
Happy Organizing,
23 comments:
Hope the linky issue is resolved soon. I so look forward to that. Have an awesome day!ReplyDelete
That's a good idea.ReplyDelete
I wish you a wonderful new year. xx
I've heard talk on a few blogs that there are linky issues, hopefully they'll be resolved soon xxReplyDelete
P.s. linky came out kinky on my predictive text lol
I've heard talk on a few blogs that there are linky issues, hopefully they'll be resolved soon xxReplyDelete
P.s. linky came out kinky on my predictive text lol
- AnonymousJanuary 6, 2013 at 12:09 PM
What a great idea! My wreaths always look so bedraggled after spending a year stuffed in a tote.ReplyDelete
What a great IdeaReplyDelete
Ah, brilliant! We're moving (again) this summer, but will definitely try this at next place.ReplyDelete
Great idea for the wreaths - it's nice you have space to store them! I've noticed others are having problems with their link parties, too, so I don't think it's you.ReplyDelete
Good Evening Karen, What a simple, but brilliant idea. It is so disappointing when you think you have stored the wreath correctly only to find the following year that it is all "scrunched up" (technical word!). Have a lovely day, Best Wishes DaphneReplyDelete
Perfect timing! I am taking off door decorations today. Now to find a place to hang them!ReplyDelete
Great idea!! A few year ago I made a wonderful red & green wreath out of pom pons & added pinecones. Unfortunately this year we couldn't hang it because it's falling apart. I will definitely be using your idea to hang any wreaths I make in the future!ReplyDelete
Nice idea Karen thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
happy organizing to you and hopefully they'll be resolved soon.
Have a nice weekend;)
Hi Karen, I have been having various issues with Blogger over the last couple of months but today I hit my limit. It took away my ability to upload pictures from my computer to my blog. After wasting hours of time I tripped over a statement somewhere that said to try and switch your Browser. I tried it. I went from Internet explorer to Google chrome and miracle of miracles all of my issues cleared up. I do feel used and manipulated but it works. Thought I'd send this along just in case it would help you. You have been so helpful to me for so long I hoped I could return the favor.ReplyDelete
Great idea Karen! Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Thanks! Putting that stuff away is on my list for ... today? Maybe not, but this week anyway :) Bless you!ReplyDelete
Thanks for this useful tip. Hope the linky issue is resolved soon. Maggie xxReplyDelete
Great idea, never thought of saving this way, thank you Karen, good week.ReplyDelete
Hi Karen, how do you prevent, or you don't worry about, spiders and so forth getting inside the wreath?ReplyDelete
~Christina in Cleveland
Great idea!ReplyDelete
great idea. i need to arranged my storage room now! hahahahaReplyDelete
25 black napkins
dental scissorsReplyDelete
dental explorer
aspirating syringe
Hemostatic Forceps
That is ingenious! Storing wreaths usually involve having to place them in boxes, which can cause the ornaments to get squished and the wreath to be deformed. I think using garbage bags is a great way to store them. Kudos!ReplyDelete
Clay Delgado


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As the Mohawk Valley's water supply became threatened last year, state and local agencies couldn't agree whether there was a crisis, let alone how to address it. More than 1,500 pages of documents and e-mails obtained by the Observer-Dispatch tell how conflicting priorities and a misunderstanding of the Hinckley reservoir's capacity brought the region to the brink of a water shortage.
As Hinckley Reservoir fell and the Mohawk Valley's water supply became threatened last year, state and local agencies couldn't agree whether there was a crisis, let alone how to address it.
More than 1,500 pages of documents and e-mails obtained by the Observer-Dispatch tell a tale of how conflicting priorities and a misunderstanding of the reservoir's capacity brought the region to the brink of an unprecedented water shortage.
The results: A reservoir that dropped to within 3 feet of impeding the water supply for 130,000 area residents. An autumn ban on fishing in West Canada Creek, reduced in places to a mere trickle.
And now a continuing state-level investigation into how the water crisis could have been allowed to happen.
Grant Hotel owner Carl Gogats in the Herkimer County town of Russia saw his business damaged because the low water levels kept boaters away. He questions if the crisis was natural, or man-made.
State Canal Corp. – Manages Hinckley Reservoir, which is a primary source of water for the state's canal system.
Mohawk Valley Water Authority – Supplies drinking water to 130,000 residents. Has sued the Canal Corp. over the state's resistance to the authority's plans to extend water lines into central and western Oneida County.
State Emergency Management Office – Played a key role in pulling together state and local agencies to find a resolution to the shrinking reservoir in late September.
State Department of Environmental Conservation – Promotes water quality and manages the state's fishing streams, including West Canada Creek.
Oneida County and New York state departments of Health – These agencies are charged with promoting public health, and both raised alarms in mid-September about the possible threat to the Mohawk Valley's water supply.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer – Has created a working group to study the Hinckley crisis and to recommend steps for improved reservoir management and better communication among agencies.
> Click here for archived coverage
> Click here for photo galleries "Somebody's playing a game up here with this," Gogats said. "And what the purpose of that game is, I don't know."
A team of O-D reporters reviewed hundreds of documents and conducted a few dozen interviews in recent months. Not all state agencies consented to interviews; the state Canal Corp. would answer only in writing to e-mailed questions.
Among the O-D's findings:
FULL CANALS, SHRINKING RESERVOIR: The Canal Corp., which controls the reservoir, kept the Erie Canal and feeder canals brimming all summer even as Hinckley Reservoir shrank.
Much of the summer, reservoir outflow exceeded historically recognized guidelines, records show.
The state agency cited drought conditions as its justification for the heavy outflow, saying its chief responsibility was ensuring the canals had enough water for boat traffic. Yet a subsequent review of weather data shows drought conditions did not exist at the time those outflows occurred.
Multiple times in late summer, the Canal Corp. was asked to change course but it refused, saying such actions weren't warranted.
WATER AUTHORITY MUTE: The Mohawk Valley Water Authority, hoping to expand water service to western Oneida County, downplayed concerns over the availability of the water supply for much of the summer.
The authority was backing legislation, never passed, that would have allowed it to take nearly 30 more million gallons per day from Hinckley Reservoir. Authority officials spoke repeatedly last summer of how plentiful water is, not about potential shortages.
As the reservoir dropped, authority leaders said the changes appeared so dramatic because of the shape of Hinckley's basin.
"It's essentially doing exactly what it's designed to do," authority Executive Director Patrick Becher said of the reservoir in early August.
It was only after the New York Power Authority, which also uses Hinckley water, began raising alarms that the water authority in mid-September made urgent requests that the Canal Corp. reduce the flow out of Hinckley.
Yet the water authority had been publicly silent several weeks earlier on Aug. 20, when the reservoir fell below a 1,200-foot elevation level that was supposed to trigger reductions in Hinckley Reservoir outflow but did not.
INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS: On multiple occasions, state and regional officials examined water flow data without taking action. What many officials did not know is that the numbers they reviewed were flawed.
Government agencies were overestimating the inflow into Hinckley Reservoir and did not fully understand the physical structure of the outflow area, some state officials said.
In addition, the state Canal Corp. incorrectly believed the water supply could be protected at a reservoir elevation of 1,170 feet above sea level — 15 feet lower than the actual crisis level of 1,185 feet.
"I don't think they really know how much is coming into Hinckley and also how much is really coming out of Hinckley through the 90-plus-year-old valve at any given time," state Health Department official John Strepelis would write in a Sept. 27 e-mail.
"Yet all this misinformation is being used to manage the water resource?" Strepelis stated in his e-mail. "It's quite interesting. I guess it's finally caught up with them."
All the while, local residents raised alarms that mostly went unheeded as Hinckley's shoreline receded dozens of feet from docks, boats and beachfront property.
Grant Hotel owner Gogats e-mailed Gov. Eliot Spitzer's office last June because he was concerned with the low water level in the Black Creek, which runs past his restaurant and bar in the town of Russia and feeds Hinckley Reservoir.
Low water levels put a stop to boating and destroyed the shoreline at the business, which has operated since the 1800s, Gogats said.
"There's no reason for this," he said. "Absolutely none."
It wasn't until mid-September that Oneida County health department staff set out to document the reservoir problem with their cameras. They found and photographed overflowing canals and weirs at a time when reservoir levels were dropping precipitously.
Sean Clive, principal public health sanitarian of the county health department, e-mailed state agencies on Sept. 17, questioning if the Canal Corp. was purposely letting the reservoir drop because of a lawsuit between the state agency and the water authority.
That prompted Strepelis of the state Health Department to take a closer look.
He replied in a Sept. 20 e-mail: "Sean: something is not right here."
That was among the triggers that led six days later to negotiation of an unheard-of shift of water to protect the region's drinking supply:
* Outflow from Hinckley was cut by more than half.
* The canal system began drawing water from Delta Lake Reservoir, and later others in the region, to preserve Hinckley.
* West Canada Creek was allowed to flow at an extremely low level, resulting in a fishing ban.
* Divers had to go beneath the reservoir's surface in late September and early October to cut slits in plates blocking outflow pipes. Officials at the Canal Corp. hadn't known the water authority had installed the plates two decades ago.
Officials learned the reservoir, then approaching 1,188 feet in elevation, was only 3 feet away from interfering with the region's water supply.
Later, officials expressed consternation over the level to which Hinckley was allowed to sink.
"There was no general drought emergency for that region of the state, or a drought warning or a lesser drought alert, but Hinckley Reservoir was very close to being dried out," said James Tierney, the state Department of Environmental Conservation's assistant commissioner for water resources.
"The state agencies involved here would have very much appreciated someone ringing the alarm bell at an earlier point because that would have allowed for management practices to be put in place that would have reduced the level of the emergency," he said.
A working group commissioned by Gov. Eliot Spitzer is examining what went wrong and how to prevent a recurrence.
Its final report is due March 31.


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At tonight's Dodgers/Tigers game, while munching on Boba Burgers, Darth Tater Chips, and Ice Sabers, fans in Lower Reserve Sections 56 & 60 were given Dodgers-branded Boba Fett t-shirts featuring the slogan, "This Is My Town."
Individual seats went for $45. Apparently fans were given an all-you-can-eat supply of Boba Burgers, too.


text:
Systems Revolutionary Educators
Jean Popovic
Systems Revolutionary Educator
Greater Boston Metropolitan
About Jean Popovic
Coming Soon
Certification Programs
Foundations of Systems Health course provides the scientific foundation to realize that the first systems biology existed nearly 5,000 years ago, and by appreciating this knowledge one can confidently embrace and integrate knowledge across both systems of medicine: ancient and modern into their practices.
Systems Biology is designed for those who want an in depth understanding of the core scientific principles that bridge ancient systems of medicine with modern systems biology.
Systems Medicine is designed for the practitioner in mind who wants to incorporate herbs as a part of their treatment plans.
Systems Care is designed for the individual who wants to understand the integrative scientific principles that govern lifestyle practices.


text:
I did an Over The Air update on my iPhone 4S this morning to IOS6. But it has showed me someone elses phone number after the update.
When I send an iMessage to my wife, it comes from this random persons phone number. When I try to facetime, it comes from this other number. But "Phone" shows the correct phone number:
^ This is the FaceTime setup. That is not my phone number. I have never seen that number in my life before.
^ This is the Phone set up. That is my phone number.
What's going on? How can I change this? Has someone else got my phone number and is getting my wifes messages?


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On the last Friday of every month, ComedySportz is bringing in original outside acts for their 8pm time slot, ahead of their 10pm adults-only The Blue Show. This month, ComedySportz Presents features Beatbox Philly, the Philadelphia version of a Chicago-born show that combines improv scene work with improvised raps and beatboxing. The group's players are all also ComedySportz cast members: Alli Soowal, Darryl Charles, Sue Taney, Mark Leopold and Matt Lally. Here's Alli to tell you more about the group and this Friday's show.
WitOut: For people who aren't familiar with it, can you describe what happens at a Beatbox Philly show?
Alli Soowal: We hit you hard and fast with hip-hop and comedy! Our show is 45-55 minutes and it interweaves scenic improv with freestyle rapping— including improvised beats from our very own beatboxer.
WO: The members of Beatbox Philly are also all ComedySportz players, right? How did you guys decide to come together for this?
AS: We are! Well, all of us except for Matt Lally, who is our beatboxer. I've known Matt for years from the comedy scene, and we produced Comedy Month together, so when we were looking for a skilled beatboxer, I approached him and Dave Terruso to give me ideas of who would be good. They both replied "ummm…you know Matt has skills because you've seen him perform!" As for how the rest of us came together, Beatbox started in Chicago and we have had them perform at the Philly Improv Festival, plus I'm good friends with Rene Duquesnoy—one of the co-founders of Beatbox. I had wanted to put together a hip-hop show for awhile, so I talked to Rene, and he came to Philly and offered workshops through ComedySportz Philly, including one just for CSz performers. From that, I was able to gauge interest from other company members. Rene gave his blessing to use the Beatbox name (there is also a Beatbox in Minneapolis), and Beatbox Philly was born! We made our debut at last year's Fringe Festival, and it was so well received that we wanted to keep going.
WO: Do any of you have a rapping background? How did you learn to freestyle, and what do you do to practice?
AS: Interestingly enough, Mark Leopold is a self-produced rap artist—like hardcore gangsta style! I won't give you his stage name because it's too dirty for the pages of WitOut. He's the only one, though, who comes from that world. The rest of us learned to rap from ComedySportz rehearsals and classes, as well as lots of practice alone in cars. Rene teaches a "Mad Skillz" workshop each year at the ComedySportz Championships that several of us have taken. We also incorporate rapping into our shows in some games ("Kick It," "Elimination Rap," "Beastie Rap," etc.), so everyone needs to be somewhat proficient in it. When we practice, we go through a series of exercises designed to gradually pull raps out of you, and to increase your confidence. Freestyling requires hella trust in your own brain to spit out words that you can make work into a cohesive song.
WO: Do you guys have rap names? If not, do you want to make some up for everyone right now?
Darryl "Salt" Charles
Sue "Peppa" Taney
Mark "Misdemeanor" Leopold
Kevin "Left Eye" Lopez
Alli "Lady Boo" Soowal
Matt "MC Spinderella" Lally
Not performing, but also a member, is Bobbi "M.I.A." Block.
WO: What are you most excited about for your upcoming ComedySportz Presents show? Will there be any new or special surprises for audience members who are already Beatbox Philly fans?
AS: I'm so excited to be back with this awesome crew! We had a blast with our past shows, can't wait to do it again. As for surprises, there will likely be some special guest appearances but you will just have to come out to see it!
Catch Beatbox Philly at ComedySportz (2030 Sansom Street) this Friday, February 22nd at 8pm. Tickets are $12.


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On your next trip to Baltic Sea Coast, don't waste time by waiting around for stuffy buses and expensive taxi cabs. Instead, book your Convertible rentals in Baltic Sea Coast today here on Expedia.com and independently explore the area at your leisure. This way, whether you're in town for business or pleasure, you'll have a convenient means to travel to any meetings or conferences as well as Baltic Sea Coast's must-see attractions.
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When reserving a Baltic Sea Coast Convertible rental, you have a myriad of options. Simply enter your preferences into our online search wizard and we will compile a list of vehicles best matching your travel and stylistic needs. And when you rent Convertible cars in Baltic Sea Coast here on Expedia.com, you can book confidently knowing you have received the best possible price. We always present you with the best deals and discounts on your rental car, resulting in the lowest rates around. So no matter if you are in need of Convertible cars for rent in Baltic Sea Coast for just a few days or something longer term, we have got you covered. Go ahead and start browsing our affordable rental car options today and book the vehicle that is right for you.
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text:
Since last December we see the young generation taking out their protest to the streets. Their unscripted demonstrations in Tunisia proved successful. It made the Mubarak regime rue that their hold on power rested on unclaimed grounds and they were not legitimate to lead the country after all.
Such unpredictability of human affairs is written in the sky. Take moon for instance. How did the earth get its moon? The most convincing hypothesis would point to a cosmic impact. We stake our place in the sun but moon has her own plans. Col. Gaddafi may have had plans for a perpetual dynasty but Libya is not a madman's dream but is reality; and it is determined by people who have been for long browbeaten to silence by foreign mercenaries.
Moon affects the oceans and it makes quite a lot of splash, I can tell you. The earth's moon creates tides.
Tides hold a force as a disgruntled mob as seen by revolt in the Middle East, and can spread from Tunisia to Egypt. Such protests build up power. Just as it has power to inflict great damage to the existing governments this tidal force is magnified by many other causes than what is apparent: the side of earth facing the moon is more than say by the earth's far side. The gravitational tide stretches the earth's oceans into an ellipse with the earth in the center. Consequently we have two bulges— one nearest the moon and one farthest from it. Since these two bulges rotate around the earth once a day as it spins on its axis, ocean water is continuously rushing towards the ever-moving bulges. The effects of the two bulges and the massive ocean currents chasing them are magnified by an interplay of other effects.
Most of the tidal effects seen on the earth are caused by the moon's gravitational pull, with the sun making only a small contribution. Tidal effects result in an increase of the mean earth-moon distance of about 3.8 m per century, or 3.8 cm per year. Here the inversion principle comes into play.
Since the distance between the moon and the earth is very slightly increasing over time, moon's effect on the bulges will weaken. But then, how can we say something else would not come into play to make all the difference to our calculations?
Is it God who is in control? Your guess is as good as mine.


text: hey julian my name is cody, i came into airsoft gear on thurs. and bought some gear from you. just askin about tomorrows expo. do noobs get to play? also. any way would it be possible for someone to bring a speed loader for me? i will pay for it at the field? thanks


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Given the Fibonacci sequence defined by the following recursive relation,
determine the sum of squares for the first "n" terms.
For example, n=5 --> 1^2 + 1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 + 5^2 = 40.
Additional test cases have been added.
There is a typo in the question. F_0 = 0 should be F_0 = 1 otherwise the tests will not be passed.
My solution has much higher size. Someone pls suggest edit. thanks
Hello, Dishant Varshney. Your solution is quite legitimate, and that is more important than having a small size! Some comments: 〔1〕 Your code "i = 1: length(f)" and then "f(i)" can be simplified to just "f". You do not need to provide index ranges if you want to refer to _all_ elements of an array or vector. 〔2〕 I would guess that some of the very small submissions have 'cheated' (e.g. by hard-coding solutions in a lookup table), because this Test Suite does not check for any such 'cheats'. 〔3〕 Your solution would fail for n=1, but that is also not checked in this Test Suite. Regards, DIV
1099 Solvers
801 Solvers
Implement simple rotation cypher
1216 Solvers
Create a two dimensional zero matrix
327 Solvers
379 Solvers


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YYC Burger Week: Billingsgate Seafood Market & Restaurant (Calgary, Alberta)
This gallery contains 2 photos.
YYC Burger Week is happening May 2nd – May 10th where you'll have 30 restaurants across Calgary fighting to be champion in their respective price category. There will be burgers costing $10, $15, and $20 and the restaurants that I've been too have … Continue reading


text:
Now that spring is here, many including myself have the urge to deep clean and air out the house. One area to include on your too clean list is the computer, laptop, or electronic device. The following are some tips from the magazine PC World (April 2013) obtained on EbscoHost, a free database resource.
Keyboard and Display
To begin unplug your computer. Clean the keyboard by shaking it upside down over the trash. A bottle of compressed air can help remove the remaining items. Wipe down the keys with an antibacterial wipe or rubbing alcohol. Clean the mouse by wiping off the top buttons, around the sliding pads, and the laser sensor located underneath.
Wipe the screen with a damp towel and then with a dry lint-free cloth. Dust around the outside case, and under the computer components with a damped lint-free cloth.
Organize Files
Clean up the desktop by removing icons or folders no longer used.
Within the hard drive decide what programs you no longer need. The control panel allows you to select and uninstall programs you no longer use.
If you are looking to save space on your hard drive, there are a number of free "cloud" services you can upload your files to - stored on a password-protected website - such as Dropbox, SkyDrive, iCloud, and Google, to name a few. Typically, these services let you upload between two gigabytes (GB) and seven GB of data, per account.
Update Your Software
Software programs continue to improve and receive updates. Once a month check for any updates for the operating system, and programs such as Java or Adobe you frequently use. Keeping these up to date prevents your computer from being vulnerable.
Watch out for Malware
Finally, it's critical to have good antivirus and anti-spyware programs installed on your personal computer; many are free such as free.avg.com and can save you from problems from infected software or files.
April is the last month for Free Tech Help on Mondays from 10 a.m.-noon. So far this year, library staff have helped 36 individuals offering over 13 hours of technical support. If you have any questions about operating your computer including how to spring clean, the library would be happy to help!


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As more and more businesses turn to cloud applications and platforms, we risk reinventing the siloed organization, where different business units go around IT to adopt various disconnected solutions. Duplicate yet slightly different records about the same products and customers become scattered in isolated data stores, often serving a single app. For the organization as a whole, the chaotic result can be a step backward from carefully integrated legacy systems, which may have been rigid, but at least they talked to each other.
Enterprise applications integration, the traditional solution for breaking down silos, is not necessarily suited for cloud integration -- giving rise to a number of fresh solutions for the cloud era. In this week's New Tech Forum, we've invited Sanjiva Nath, CEO of zAgile, to explain the metamodel-driven technology behind his Wikidsmart platform, which offers data integration and can also tie application data with process context and team activities. Currently, the most common applications for Wikidsmart are to integrate CRM data sources and to manage large software development projects across multiple, far-flung teams.
-- Paul Venezia
Model-driven integration
The problem of integrating enterprise applications is not new. But the demand for integration and the complexity of implementing it keep increasing, thanks to rising adoption of SaaS and market forces that push teams to improve their collaboration and delivery capabilities.
Traditional enterprise application integrations have proven time-consuming and expensive, typically involving months of effort and significant cost. A big contributor to this overhead is the fact that integration schemes typically lack any formal representation of application data -- that is, metadata. As a result, the interpretation of the application data and its mapping to any integration scheme becomes a manual, tedious, and nonrepeatable process.
zAgile's Wikidsmart -- a platform for integrating applications, teams, processes, and collaboration within the enterprise -- addresses this problem in a unique fashion. Drawing on technology developed for the semantic Web, Wikidsmart supports the formal representation of systems via metamodels or ontologies that richly describe application objects, their attributes, and the nature of their relationships with each other. These metamodels may also be adapted to represent team collaborations and methodologies.
Metamodels allow application data to be integrated with process context and team activities, which traditional integration technologies have failed to achieve. To realize the benefits of metamodels, however, you must first understand the fundamentals of metadata.
What metadata really means
Metadata refers to data about data. It lays the groundwork for capturing structured information about a data element or resource that is machine-interpretable -- and enables use of that element in a variety of contexts within applications and components, as well as across systems.
Metadata exists within applications for internal consumption anywhere an application needs to manipulate elements, and occasionally, it is defined formally to facilitate sharing of the information across applications. It does not imply the representation of any specific aspect of an element. Instead, it defines the possible parameters for that element, including structural information (such as the address field in a database record), descriptive information (such as color or type), or administrative information (such as access rules or persistence).
The idea is that metadata does not imply the granularity or composition of a data element. A data element described by metadata could be a field, column, row, table, or database.
Metadata capture also does not necessarily follow any predefined organization or categorization, since application developers make choices based upon how one or many applications expect to consume the metadata, which may represent multiple facets of an element.


text:
Heart failure means that your heart muscle doesn't pump as much blood as your body needs. In time, this causes fluid to build up in your body, and you have symptoms like swelling in the legs and feeling out of breath and weak.
Heart failure usually gets worse over time. But treatment can slow the disease and help you feel better and live longer.
Last Revised:
October 9, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
but it beat the crap out of COBOL.
do 10 i = 1.10
My fav FORTRANism was the "computed goto". Sort of a switch stmt in reverse. In fact, just thinking about it, I suppose it easy to do in C wth a switch statement and a bunch of goto stmts.
I admit to being a bit lazy now and letting compilers find errors for me.


text:
This page has been created to fulfill GRCC's compliance with the disclosure requirements under Title IV. Title IV requires institutions participating in financial aid programs to disclose specified information to all prospective students. Below is a list of the disclosure requirements, and links to pages that contain the actual information or where to obtain the information.
General Institutional Information
- Privacy of Student Records−Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Facilities and Services for Students with Disabilities
- Student Diversity
- Price of Attendance
- Net Price Calculator
- Refund Policy and Requirements for Withdrawal and Return of Federal Financial Aid
- Textbook Information Note: To find the current ISBN of the text for your class: Click the link "Textbook Information" above. > Click "Course/Schedule Search" under links to the right.> Click on "Catalog/Schedule Search" > Select the Term – Choose Course – > Click on "Textbook Info".
- Educational Programs
- Curriculum Development
- Instructional Facilities
- Faculty and Staff Directory
- Transfer of Credit Policies and Articulation Agreements
- Accreditation, Approval, and Licensure of Institution and Programs
- Copyright Infringement−Policies and Sanctions
- Computer Use and File Sharing
- Student Activities
- Career and Job Placement Services
- Consumer Complaint Process
- Higher Learning Commission Complaint Process
- State of Michigan Authorization Letter
Student Financial Assistance
- Contact Information for Assistance in Obtaining Institutional or Financial Aid Information
- Assistance Available From Federal, State, Local and Institutional Programs
- Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations
- Impact of Drug Conviction on Title IV Eligibility
- Student Loan Information
- National Student Loan Data System
Student and parent loan information will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the data system.
- Initial Loan Counseling for Student Borrowers
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- Preferred Lender Information
- National Student Loan Data System
- Disbursing Financial Aid Funds
- Refund Policy
Health and Safety
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program
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- Crime Statistics and Crime Log
- Crisis Response Plan
- Annual Security Report
- Information for Crime Victims about Disciplinary Proceedings
Student Outcomes
- Retention Rate
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- Job Placement Rates for Graduates
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- Financial Support Data
Voter Registration
The Student Life Office emails enrolled students a link to the voter registration forms in September each year.


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text:
3750 Gattis School Road
Round Rock, TX 78664
10am - 7pm
S: 10am - 6pm
Su: 12pm - 5pm
You're invited to join us as we celebrate all that The Power of Running For Good, Together, For Fun, and To Inspire does in our community!Check the National Leaderboard!
150 locations. 60 minutes. 1 goal. Log the most miles together and win!
Join us and select vendor partners as we raise money for a local charity over the course of nine consecutive weekends!
We're taking running back to the games you played at recess (with some slight updates).
No events have happened yet!


text:
The Design Hub has had the pleasure of talking to Grand Designs creator and eco building champion Kevin McCloud. Since it first aired in 1999, Grand Designs has had eleven series', and as one of the UK's most successful design programmes it shows no signs of stopping. Besides several spin offs, including the popular Grand Designs Live exhibitions, writing books and raising a family, Kevin has also entered into the world of construction with his company Hab (Happiness – Architecture – Beauty). Taking time out from his busy schedule, here is what he had to say:
DH: From your experience of working with the construction industry what do you think the barriers are regarding the use of sustainable designs and materials when building new homes?
KM: Though there are some fantastic things going on in the industry; there are some developers who have fully embraced sustainability and all it entails and all it means. One of the first problems within those camps is it is very hard to get the rank and file to join in. It's very easy for the board and the senior management to buy-in, but to actually get buy-in further down the chain is harder and that's because the wider industry is still pretty anti 'green' and to admit that you like building 'green' is tantamount to admitting your gay, and as far as I can see nobody in construction is gay. It's one of those few primitive parts of the world which is yet to catch up the 20th century and it's a shocking thing I'm afraid. It's just a bizarrely macho male dominated thing, there are no women working in construction, it is a very very primeval world. I work in it, I've worked in it and I continue to work it and I'm repeatedly shocked by the attitudes within it, and I'm not talking about the Directors of companies. I'm talking about builders, I'm talking about the ground workers, the sub contractors. It's a very gung ho world and as a result, anything that hints at namby pambyism is considered as highly suspicious. I'm talking about the industry in its widest sense here, there are pockets of good guys out there. Some companies are really trying to change these entrenched views, but others are less enthusiastic. For what I've done I meet with quite a lot of suspicion from large developers; but you know, I've been slagging them off for years.
DH: Despite the growing imperative to build sustainably, why are housing developments like The Triangle the exception and not the rule? What needs to change?
KM: I don't know how much of an exception it is actually, it's a project we've been working on. We're working on several more now and with more enlightened builders and I'm very pleased to say there are constructors out there who do understand our objectives and share them. We've got some big legislative targets coming up, like the 2016 Zero Carbon in Construction and the 2050 Zero Carbon Britain target. The 2016 is a big one and I think it's fairly safe to say that the industry is not ready for it. It's getting there and the professionals get it; by which I mean the quantity surveyors , engineers and architects. The MD's get it, but it's the rank and file who don't, it's about getting that big culture change down to the root.
It's a shame we can't do more, but had we not been in recession there might have been a bigger change. I think at the moment the entire construction industry and development world is in crisis and shock and is need of therapy. On the one hand we needed this recession, this shock, but on the other hand had we not had it perhaps we'd be building more, and building more adventurously.
DH: Building eco homes is one thing, but what do you think the key to changing people's behaviour is, with regards to living less environmentally impactful lives?
KM: You're absolutely right, you can build an eco home, but you can't control how someone lives in that home. The real interesting stuff and the culture change all happens in the public realm. My social housing partners Greensquare Group who I am working on schemes with in Stroud and in Swindon are really good at coaching residents and that's very helpful and I think very much a part of working in communities. However the really interesting stuff is happening in the public realm. If you want people to have a car club, a bicycle club, an allotment, some food growing plans, or just sharing lifts and having a healthy environment for kids to play in and a green space which is good for the soul and promotes sociability; all this stuff, plus traffic management and rain water harvesting is all down to your landscape architects. We work with Luke Ableback, who is a great Landscape Architect. I firmly believe that good social sustainability happens in the public realm, it is down to your landscape architects. It's quite a controversial idea because traditionally architect types took the credit for that.
DH: All the homes at The Triangle in Swindon include a touch screen device called a 'Shimmy'. A bit like an iPad that monitors energy usage and useful local, community and travel information. What other sustainable home technology has impressed you in recent years and why?
KM: I'm not an enormous fan of technology, it has its purpose, but the more complicated you make a home, the more things there are to go wrong. It's one thing to think as an enlightened home owner that that's what you want to do with your life, it's quite another thing when you start to push it on to other people, and at The Triangle I think we learnt that. We had systems which our engineers were really excited about but which our residents thought were less than fascinating, because unless you are an engineer you are not that interested in spending your evening sorting out your heating controls. So we should be making our homes very very straight forward and I think that was a big lesson there.
DH: In the spirit of making things simpler, what do you think about providing communal spaces for meetings, sharing meals etc, similar to co-housing principles?
KM: We looked at that, and it would be very interesting to be in a position where we could afford to provide huge sociable spaces on projects, and pre-recession these things were a little bit easier. On the scheme in Stroud we are putting in an allotment building which is a sort of social space, come vegetable selling space, come storage space, come shelter from the rain. The building is very plugged into its environment, into the allotment itself. It's a very simple shelter and I really like the idea of making buildings which aren't too flash, but do a really important job.
DH: The Grand Design Live shows do a lot to educate about sustainable materials, systems and products*. Do you think that schools and universities have a responsibility to teach students about sustainability as part of any design based course?
I think it's beginning to happen. Sustainability is beginning to be woven into design courses as a principle of design. I wrote a book a few years ago called 43 Principles of Home in which I sort of took the Vitruviun principles of firmness, commodity and of delight and I added a fourth which is sustainable. I think that all products, all things we make should be well made, durable and fit for purpose. They should be beautiful, delightful and fun to use. They should also have done the minimal amount of harm in their manufacture and design, and that's a very hard thing to ask or to police but I think it's a fundamental requirement which, as we move toward a more sustainable way of living, that all our products and environments are ecological in composition but in performance as well. Yeah, why not, it seems like a reasonable ask really.
With regards to the show, we keep plugging away at the green agenda, we are promoting green self build, we are promoting the Governments 'Green Appeal'. We have a green trail around the show for visitors to follow. The promotion of sustainability has and will get bigger and bigger. When we first started it was a drum I was banging in the corner and now it underscores the whole exhibition, even the way we put the exhibition together because it's assessed for its green credentials as an exhibition; we have waste management policies, waste is hand sorted if it is not pre-sorted by consumers. We have a lot of recycling of carpets and of the fixtures and fittings. As an exhibition it's a very green event itself.
*For further information about design courses that feature sustainability as a core module, visit our education partner National Design Academy.
DH: With the rise in popularity of Interior Design as both a hobby and a career these days, do you think too much emphasis is being put on what the inside of a home looks like stylistically and not enough on how a home functions as a living space?
KM: Well that was what my book was about! I wrote 300 pages about people saying to me, 'what's fashionable? What's trending at the moment?' and I'd say 'I have no idea', and if I did it would be pointless me telling you because it will be out of fashion next week by the time you go to print.
Rem Koolhaas, the Dutch architect said there's no point to try and be fashionable because it takes so long to do; it takes ten years to put a building together, so you know it's out of date.
Taste changes with time and age, with socio-economic class. We all have different tastes, we all believe our taste is better than our neighbours and it's not true. Buildings get torn down and skirt lengths get shorter and longer, but in the end the one thing I do know is that taste is a nonsense. Good quality design, a well made thing, quality of design and quality of manufacture; those things are tangible, you can recognise those, we can all recognise those. We all know a well made thing when we see it, handle it and use it, and it lasts, and that's what matters. So I deliberately avoid all the questions about 'trending'.
DH: You live in a 15th Century Farmhouse, have you had to make many compromises regarding retaining the original heritage features* of the property against modernising it for sustainable living?
No, not hugely. I've done that thing with an old building if you want it to be sustainable; I grow trees, I burn wood in wood burners and I heat it with a wood pellet burner. I put in Photovoltaic Thermal Panels connected to a heat pump for the central heating so that the system is relatively off the grid now and I've got the straight forward Photovoltaics as well. All these you'd consider retro fitted, the panels are all ground mounted. I've also been experimenting with one or two insulation products to see how well they perform in an old building. No, it hasn't compromised the aesthetics or the historical narrative of the building at all. I put secondary glazing in but everything is reversible, its removable, I haven't double glazed it, I've just put a secondary glazing panel in and… I wear pullovers.
*For further information about Heritage Interior Design courses, visit our education partner National Design Academy.
DH: What do you think the most valuable thing people can do to improve their homes is?
Spend the money on the bones for sure; on insulating it, draft proofing, making it comfortable and then double insulating – because it's money well spent; you can earn it back in a few weeks.
The other thing I like to see people spend money on is design. Services of professionals that make the project go well and be the most useful and beautiful thing it can be. I also think people should spend money on light switches and taps, and hand rails, and door handles; all the stuff you touch. Your lips can tell the difference between cut glass, fine cut lead crystal and cheap pressed glass. In just handling it you can feel the difference between porcelain and terracotta and you can tell the difference between a cheap, nasty cast handle and a beautifully made stainless steel European cast one. The hands, lips and finger tips are the most sensitive parts of the body, and after sight and smell the touch of our hands on objects is the most important way by which we judge them.
DH: Finally what do you think makes a design grand?
Very simple. It's not money, it's vision – and the vision can be extreme. It can be spending very little money on doing something outrageous or adventurous and with that vision always comes risk, the two are intertwined. Those are the key things; vision and risk, and they are inseparable.
Kevin McCloud is the ambassador for Grand Designs Live Birmingham (12th– 14th October 2012, NEC). This leading contemporary home show is based on the popular TV program. For more information and to buy tickets visit www.granddesignslive.com or call the box office on 0844 854 1348.
If you missed Grand Designs Live in London back in May you can read my report here and part two here.


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Neil Warnock on Monday night ruled himself out of becoming Nottingham Forest's next manager to cap a turbulent day at the Sky Bet Championship club.
Billy Davies was sacked on Monday morning and the experienced Warnock was quickly installed as the favourite to replace the Scot.
That was given more credence when Forest announced they had signed Leeds defender Lee Peltier - the man Warnock took to Elland Road and made captain during his time there.
Reports soon circulated, however, that the Peltier move had broken down and, while that has yet to be confirmed, Warnock's decision not to move to the City Ground has.
Speaking to The Independent the 65-year-old said: "I did not feel the conditions of the job were right for me to manage. I wish them well for the rest of the season."
Warnock's decision is sure to concern the Forest fans, who on Monday afternoon were told to be patient by chairman and owner Fawaz Al Hasawi.
Al Hasawi has revealed that academy manager Gary Brazil will take charge of first-team affairs until a permanent appointment is made, starting with Tuesday night's game against Charlton at the City Ground.
''I would like to place on record my gratitude to Billy Davies for all his efforts as manager of Nottingham Forest Football Club. I wish him all the best for the future,'' Al Hasawi said in a statement via the club's official website.
''I am aware many people expect me to announce a new manager imminently, however I must stress the need for patience as I make the important decision of who takes the reins at this crucial stage of the season.
''As always I will keep our supporters informed of any developments but in the meantime I ask everyone to get behind our academy manager Gary Brazil as he takes charge of first-team affairs until a permanent appointment is made.
''Gary has carried out some terrific work with our younger players and I am delighted he has agreed to take temporary charge.''
Davies' second spell in charge came to an end after a dismal run of form and a breakdown in his relationship with Al Hasawi.
Saturday's 5-0 defeat to east midlands rivals Derby saw Forest's run without a win reach eight matches - a streak which has seen the Reds go out of the FA Cup to Sky Bet League One side Sheffield United and drop out of the Sky Bet Championship play-off places.
Upon his return to the club in February 2013, Davies took the decision to bar most of the media - apart from the official website and a regional TV station.
Al Hasawi has lifted this ban and added: ''Supporters can rest assured the local and national press will have regular access to whoever is appointed as our new manager as, with immediate effect, any bans imposed on members of the media are lifted.
''I hope the club can now look forward to enjoying a positive relationship with the press.''
Davies, who earlier this season signed a contract extension until the summer of 2017, steered Forest to the play-offs twice during his first spell in charge before his relationship with then-owner Nigel Doughty broke down and led to his departure.
On his return to the City Ground, Davies transformed Forest from mid-table also-rans to Championship play-off contenders in the remaining months of the season. But the Reds missed out on a top-six spot after a final-day home defeat to Leicester.
Before that game, Davies took the unusual step of conducting his post-match press conference.
It was a sign of what was to come in a series of strange goings-on at the club.
This season has seen the media ban and the filming of journalists at press conferences.
Long-serving staff were sacked without explanation while Jim Price, Davies' cousin and his agent, joined Forest's ranks in a senior post, despite failing the relevant 'fit and proper person' tests due to being suspended from his profession as a solicitor.
There have also been stories of rows with photographers at games - namely at Millwall, Brighton and Barnsley.
Through it all, Davies had received the backing of Al Hasawi but a recent disagreement over transfers combined with Saturday's humiliating loss at Derby seems to have been the final straw for the chairman and owner.
Meanwhile, the Football Association announced on Monday evening that Davies had lost his appeal against a three-match touchline ban and will have to serve the suspension at his next club.
Davies has already served a two-match ban after admitting one charge of misconduct for using abusive language towards referee Anthony Taylor after the 2-2 draw with Leicester at the City Ground on February 19.
However, his appeal against the ruling that he deliberately made contact with Taylor in the tunnel was rejected on Monday.
The FA confirmed in a statement: "T he FA is aware of a statement issued by Nottingham Forest today in relation to the club terminating their employment of Davies as manager. Therefore, his three-match touchline ban will be stayed until such time as Davies commences employment at a new club."


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This is the fifth and final post in my EHR Company Funding Risks series that was started in response to my original post about the The Current Health IT & EHR Bubble. In this series, we're looking at the following EHR company categories: Seed Funded, Well Funded, Positive Cash Flow, Large EHR Company, and Large Company Backed EHR. Next up is Large Company Backed EHR.
Large Company Backed EHR
The companies in this category are quite interesting, because they can often exhibit the characteristics of EHR software in every other category of EHR company. It's all about the story of the company. For example, I've come across some really large companies who have developed their own EHR and only have 1 practice using their EHR. This is very much like a seed company. There are some larger companies who have acquired essentially the EHR software of another company and now they're trying to grow the user base similar to a well funded EHR company.
I can think of a few EHR acquisitions where the large EHR company acquired a cash flow positive EHR company and they're continuing to grow that EHR company in a cash flow positive way. Then, of course there are a few large companies that have large EHR install bases as well. There's also everything in between in this category, so it's hard to generalize about this group.
With that said, since it has the backing of a large company (in healthcare or not in healthcare) the biggest risk is that they'll shift their priorities from the EHR software and on to something else in their company. Most large companies trying to get into the EHR software business come quick out of the gate. If they do well, they'll continue growing it like they did. If they don't do well, they'll often throw in the towel by cutting resources to that venture and then eventually a sale of the EHR assets to another company.
Read all the posts in the EHR Company Funding Risks series.


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Today's How I See DV perspective comes from Barbara Van Dahlen, named by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Dr. Van Dahlen is the founder and president of Give an Hour. A licensed clinical psychologist who has been practicing in the Washington, D.C., area for over 20 years, she received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland in 1991. We're excited to have her share her voice during our DVAM campaign.
Please help us understand what post traumatic stress is and how it differs from post traumatic stress disorder?
When a human being is traumatized, whether it's due to combat, physical violence, natural disaster or something else, there are certain reactions that we expect people to have. Many of those are the symptoms that are now captured in the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress.
So if I'm in a car accident, we would expect that for quite some time I might be more jumpy, hyper-vigilant when pulling out of my driveway, I might have flashbacks of what happened, I might have bad dreams, I might get depressed… so all of these reactions are what we expect for the situation that I'm in following my accident. It only becomes a disorder if it doesn't get resolved, if I don't heal, if I don't receive the support I need to address all of my understandable reactions and symptoms associated with this trauma.
What are some misconceptions around post-traumatic stress in the military and domestic violence?
Most people assume that PTS looks the same for everyone – many think of the Rambo version of PTS. That's not the typical reaction at all. People who have experienced trauma, whether its due to combat or another event, can experience trauma differently from other folks who may have experienced the exact same event.
You might have two people who were in the same firefight — one person might become withdrawn and depressed, the other might become very anxious, agitated. A third person in the same fight might show no indication of stress – no interference with their functioning. People assume that PTS looks similar and in fact, the manifestation of PTS really varies. In addition it exists on a continuum. What it looks like today is not what it necessarily looked like six months ago and not what it will look like in six months.
Another misconception is that most soldiers/service members come home with PTS. That is not true either. Depending on the studies you look at — 18%, 20%, high is 35% depending on what we are assessing or measuring. Not everyone comes back with PTS.
Even if someone has PTS that doesn't mean that they're an ineffective partner, parent, employee, student. Many people function with the aftermath of trauma. There are some people with severe and possibly disabling PTS – but that's not the case all of the time.
Also, domestic violence is not a symptom of PTS. That's really important. PTS, especially when it's very severe, might, in some people, make them more likely to be violent towards a partner if they're already agitated and aggressive, if they're not sleeping or if there's substance abuse. PTS can be one unfortunate risk factor that may make violence more likely.
It depends on who the person is with PTS. We all carry around our predispositions, our tendencies, our personalities, our view of the world. And that will be compounded or affected by PTS. If someone was already a fairly controlling person, or tended to be hot-tempered but wasn't ever violent before… if they become distressed and aggressive as a result of trauma, they may be more likely to engage in domestic violence.
Returning servicemen and women may experience PTS and exhibit violent behaviors when they didn't before they left for duty. What do couples in this situation need to know?
PTS for both the person experiencing it and their partner can be very unnerving and scary because the person who has PTS may not know when a trigger may elicit a reaction, anxiety or aggression. So both partners need to come to understand what PTS is going to look like in themselves or their loved one. It doesn't mean that the person cant be a good partner. It's like being diagnosed with diabetes — if you don't recognize what that means, if you don't take it seriously, you can get yourself in serious trouble.
If the spouse/ partner reacts angrily to the PTS, because they're hurt and miss the person they love and they're angry that the person is having trouble sleeping, doesn't seem to be the same, etc., it's like throwing gasoline on the fire. The partner's reaction can exacerbate a difficult and potentially volatile situation. It's the same for the person experiencing PTS. I've heard soliders say that they learned to be aware of what triggered them and their reactions. They can also learn how to be more careful with their spouses – learn to be understanding of the feeling their spouses may have that are in reaction to the PTS. Couples can learn together – to decrease the risk of violence. But they have to work on it.
It's important to take PTS seriously because under the wrong combination of circumstances, that can really lead to a very dangerous and very upsetting situation … especially if you add alcohol to one or both of the partners. A fight or anger that would normally dissipate with them going off to their own corners, may turn into something far more violent than it ever would have before.
And just because we can understand how/why the violence occurred, that doesn't mean that we can – or ever should – tolerate it.
What are some behaviors that a person who experienced trauma might exhibit?
There are many ways a person might show that they are processing trauma, especially if they are a victim of domestic violence. Their self-esteem may deteriorate. You can see that both in what they say – they say negative comments about themselves, negative perceptions of themselves – and also how they take care of themselves or don't. Their self-care will start to be affected, falter, fail. They're not dressing the way they used to, with care. They're not working out, they're not eating healthy. Or maybe there's substance abuse. So anything that is a self-care clue that somebody is suffering, we can often see those in people we care about and notice them.
We all go through ups and downs in our lives, but if you see people who don't seem like themselves for extended periods of time, several days or weeks, it may be a reaction to trauma.
What are some myths around mental health and domestic violence?
One myth about mental health is that someone with mental illness is having mental illness makes you more likely to be violent. In fact, having a mental illness makes you more likely to be the victim of violence.
People with severe mental health issues, maybe schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, are more likely to be the victim of domestic violence because they are often less able to take care of themselves, they are more vulnerable, their thinking is not always as clear.
In addition, mental health issues place a person at risk in other ways. Someone who is severely depressed may be less likely to step out of or seek help to get out of a domestic abuse situation. They may get more entrenched, and feel like "I'm worthless" because low self-esteem is part of the depression, so they see abuse as confirmation of how they feel. Or if someone has severe depression and is prone to being abusive, they might be more likely to become violent because of their mental health issue.
Those conditions — depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse — they don't create domestic violence, or victims. They're just risk factors on both sides .
About Our Contributor
Concerned about the mental health implications of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dr. Van Dahlen founded Give an Hour in 2005 to enlist mental health professionals to provide free services to U.S. troops, veterans, their loved ones, and their communities. Currently, the network has nearly 7,000 providers, who have collectively given over $9.4 million worth of services.
Dr. Van Dahlen, a featured speaker at the October 2012 TEDxMidAtlantic "Be Fearless" event, has joined numerous panels, conferences, and hearings on issues facing veterans and has participated in discussions at the Pentagon, Veterans Administration, White House, and Congress. She has become a notable expert on the psychological impact of war on troops and families and a thought leader in mobilizing civilian constituencies in support of active duty service members, veterans, and their families. Working with other nonprofit leaders, Dr. Van Dahlen developed the Community Blueprint Network, a national initiative and online tool to assist communities in more effectively and strategically supporting veterans and military families.
Dr. Van Dahlen and Give an Hour have received numerous awards, including selection as one of the five winners of the White House's Joining Forces Community Challenge, sponsored by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden.


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From Ubuntu Terminal screen (Applications > Accessories > Terminal), type:
taufanlubis@toshiba:~$ sudo apt-get install freedroid
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
liballegro4.2 conquest-libs overgod-data
Use 'apt-get autoremove' to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
The following NEW packages will be installed:
freedroid freedroid-data
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 5386kB of archives.
After unpacking 6705kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe freedroid-data 1.0.2+cvs040112-1ubuntu1 [5245kB]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe freedroid 1.0.2+cvs040112-1ubuntu1 [141kB]
Fetched 5386kB in 1m32s (58.2kB/s)
Selecting previously deselected package freedroid-data.
(Reading database … 125643 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking freedroid-data (from …/freedroid-data_1.0.2+cvs040112-1ubuntu1_all.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package freedroid.
Unpacking freedroid (from …/freedroid_1.0.2+cvs040112-1ubuntu1_i386.deb) …
Setting up freedroid-data (1.0.2+cvs040112-1ubuntu1) …
Setting up freedroid (1.0.2+cvs040112-1ubuntu1) …
How to play?
Open Applications > Games > Freedroid
Moving: Left (press A), Forward (press W), Right (press D) and backward (press S).
Targeting: Use mouse pointer.
Fire: Use Left mouse button.
You are white and your enemies are black with numbers on it. Be carefull, they may shoot you.


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We interrupt this not-so-regularly scheduled program to bring you this special report…Subway is testing gluten-free sandwiches in its restaurants here in the North Texas area.
That's right, a gluten-free sandwich, only a few minutes away.
Normally, I am one to plan in advance for hectic days. Not sure where/when I'll get to eat? I stash my purse with nuts, dried fruits, LARA bars, or a banana. I pack my lunch nearly every day for work, which often is a salad, soup, or leftovers from dinner. I rarely eat out, and when I do, it's almost never a fast food chain. There's just not many safe options, and they're not all that appealing to me. I have my small circle of restaurants that I trust (Which is to say that I still explain my whole situation to them every time, share my Triumph dining card, and they are accommodating, and I haven't gotten sick. These restaurants are also the ones that receive a generous tip from me for their efforts.), and I am cautious about when and how often I venture outside of that circle.
When I heard that Subway was trying out gluten-free sandwiches in our area, I was skeptical. There are bread crumbs everywhere, I thought. In my mind, it didn't seem worth the risk. Then my brother called.
Guess what I'm doing right now, he says into the phone.
Ordering a gluten-free sandwich at Subway.
I start to express my concerns for cross-contamination, and he responds with a description of all of the precautions they take.
I'll call you back afterwards to let you know how it is, he says.
A few hours later, he calls back to tell me that it pretty good, and he was headed back for another for dinner. This was a reassuring sign, but I wanted to see for myself.
This past week, when I was swamped with training for work, I decided I would try it out for dinner. I look online beforehand at their allergy chart to determine what I could safely put on my sandwich. I decide on roast beef with lots of veggies and some brown mustard. I call the store near my home to make sure they're offering the gluten-free sandwiches. (They were.) I arrive in the evening, and see that they even have a sign inside showing the "safe" ingredients for sandwiches. I place my order. Immediately, the guy behind the counter takes off his gloves. He goes and washes his hands thoroughly. He puts fresh gloves on. He takes a gluten-free bun, which is individually wrapped and sealed in cellophane, and opens it and places it on a brand new piece of uncontaminated paper. He takes out a plastic knife, which is also individually wrapped and sealed in cellophane, and opens it. He splits the bread, and moves the bread (still on the paper) to the toaster. He removes it, and tops with my meat (which has been underneath that paper that separates the slices, so there was little chance of contamination there too). Back into the toaster, still on the paper the whole time. Then he tops with my requested vegetables and mustard, and wraps the sandwich. Never does my sandwich touch their counter, and gluten-y fingers never touch it. (In fact, the guy making my sandwich held that piece of paper containing my sandwich so gingerly, so carefully, one would have thought he was carrying a small infant for the first time.) Sure, there is still a slight possibility for cross-contamination (there always is when there is gluten in the same kitchen), but Subway has obviously trained their employees well. My brother's description of the process he encountered was identical to what I witnessed. Being able to watch the employee like a hawk also gave me some peace of mind – even in the best restaurants, I have to trust that that they understand what I mean when I describe how my food should be handled. This time, I can watch for myself.
They also offered a French Meadow Bakery gluten-free brownie. To my surprise, upon reading the label, it was also dairy-free. I opted to give it a try, just so I could share the results. See the sacrifices I make for you?
So…how was it? Good, actually. Not gourmet, of course (this is Subway, after all), but the bun was soft, which honestly, is more than I can say for their regular buns, which as I recall, were sometimes stale and hard on the bottom. It is a smaller sandwich than the typical 6-inch sub, but for me, that was just fine. They did have a sign guiding which chips were gluten-free (I didn't buy chips), if one was interested. As for the brownie, it was surprisingly tasty – better than I anticipated. It was fudgy, and darn good for a packaged brownie, gluten-free or not.
While I'm not likely to eat this often, I do hope that this endeavor is successful for Subway, and that they soon expand it nationwide. I'm much more in favor of eating whole, unprocessed foods whenever I can (my body much prefers it, and I can ensure what I'm eating is indeed gluten-free), but for many, this would be a wonderful option. It wasn't extremely cheap – my sandwich and brownie cost over $8 – but it was fast, and as safe as one can get eating at a fast food restaurant. If I was on the road traveling, this would be a nice option to have available for sure. So many companies and restaurants have jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon lately, and many times, it seems more as a response to a fad than an actual help for those of us that have real gluten issues. In my opinion, it seems a lot of these companies give little thought to cross-contamination, and there is often a lack of education in the restaurants. I was happy to see the care that the Subway employees took. I hope to see this trend continue. While those of us with food intolerances/allergies often have to be our own advocates when it comes to our health and food safety, it comforts me to know that someone else is paying attention.


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Open Track Day May 20th - Cancelled due to weather
The FIRM
Registration closed May 17, 2018 11:59 PM on May 17, 2018 11:59 PM EDT Registration ends May 17, 2018 11:59 PM on May 17, 2018 11:59 PM EDT Registration opens March 12, 2018 12:00 AM on March 12, 2018 12:00 AM EDT Registration runs from March 12, 2018 12:00 AM to May 17, 2018 11:59 PM
The road course is a 1.6 mile professional race track with elevation changes and many challenging corners. The track has many fast straights, and some tight corners, that will test your braking points and racing lines. The road course will not be run as a race, passing is allowed in designated areas only. Divers are set up into class groups of driving experience; Advanced, Intermediate, and Beginner. Each group runs for 20 minutes and limited to 6 cars on track at a time.
Entry Fee
$214.00 per Driver when purchased online
$75.00 Instruction (20-min Session)
$25.00 per Ride-along
$25.00 Helmet Rental
$10.00 per Spectator
Entry rate increases if you pay at the gate on day of the event
Open Track Day Schedule
- 7:30 a.m. Gates Open*
- 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Vehicle tech
- 8:45 a.m. Mandatory Drivers Meeting
- 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Track Open
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Track Closed for Lunch
- 12:50 p.m. Mandatory Drivers Meeting (only applies if you missed the morning meeting)
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Track Open
- 5:00 p.m. Gates Closed*
*The schedule is subject to change. The FIRM may suspend or cancel operations if severe weather is in the area.
SA-2010 OR NEWER HELMET IS REQUIRED FOR ALL DRIVERS. We do not allow SNELL, DOT or M-rated helmets. If you do not have a proper SA-2010 you may rent one from us.
Track Layout
Planning Information
- Entry is PER DRIVER, not per car. Each driver must register and pay individually. Pre-registration is strongly recommended.
- If you are unable to attend, we regret not being able to offer refunds.
- Open Track Days/Track Attack Weekends run RAIN or SHINE!
- All drivers *MUST* attend the mandatory drivers meeting. If you fail to attend the drivers meeting, you will not be allowed on track.
- Drivers must wear a helmet and seat belt or safety harness at all times while on track.
- A SA-2010 or newer helmet is REQUIRED for all car drivers!!
- Natural fiber long-sleeve shirt is recommended. Long pants and closed toed shoes are required!
- CONVERTIBLES ARE NOT ALLOWED unless they have proper roll over protection (roll bars or cage).
- Tech Inspection required by FIRM staff.
- The FIRM's Track Policies must be adhered to at all times.
- All drivers must be over 18 and have valid driver's license.
- Drivers under 18 *may* be allowed on track if they hold a recognized competition license AND have a parent sign The FIRM's parental liability and release waiver form.
- Fire suits are recommended for all race prepared cars.
- The paddock speed limit at The FIRM is 10 MPH.
- Both the driver and passenger windows must be down.
- Passing is allowed when the wheels are straight and then only with a "point by" from the driver being passed.
- Return to pit-out for tire inspection if you have put two or more wheels off course.
- If you drop two or more wheels off the course, go to the paddock for consultation. Repeated off course driving may end your day.
- The FIRM reserves the right to refuse access to the track to anyone at anytime.
- Track Days are for drivers of all experience levels. However, you will be required to purchase a minimum of one instruction session with a FIRM instructor if you have no prior track experience.
Definition of Flags
- Green: Your session has started.
- Checkered: Your session is over – finish this lap and return to the paddock.
- Yellow: Caution, slow down, no passing, and be prepared to avoid track blockage.
- Red: Come to an immediate and safe stop.
- Black: Slow down, no passing – come to the paddock.
- Blue with yellow stripe: Check your mirrors – a faster car is about to pass you!