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GOP govs could gum up Obamacare
Can the governors do what Congress, the Supreme Court and the election couldn't do — drive out Obamacare?
Some of the law's opponents certainly hope so. As one Republican governor after another has refused to set up a state health insurance exchange — telling the feds to do it for them — they're hoping the rebellion can do enough damage to the law to force the Obama administration back to the negotiating table.
Story Continued Below
The reality is that the governors' rebellion won't deliver a knockout blow — but it can throw a pretty large amount of sand in the gears.
Supporters of the law and exchange experts say the Department of Health and Human Services has the capability to set up exchanges in as many states as it needs to. But the passive resistance of so many governors could gum up the works if the feds have to handle millions of enrollments, questions from confused customers and greater health plan oversight.
As of Friday — the final deadline for states to declare whether they'll set up exchanges — more than 30 states had refused to set up the marketplaces, which had been expected to become the source of health coverage for as many as 25 million people by the end of the decade. To some of the law's most vocal opponents, that's a pretty good way to keep up the fight against Obamacare.
"The more states that opt out of the state-based exchanges, the harder it will be for the federal government to fully implement Obamacare and the more likely it will be that we can turn back the clock and reframe the health care debate," Tea Party Patriots wrote to supporters ahead of Friday's deadline.
And when Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley denounced a state-based exchange last month, he predicted other governors would take a similar stand in a unified front to sink Obamacare.
"That will send a clear signal to all of our elected leaders in Washington that the health care bill should be changed," Bentley declared in a statement.
The strategy hinges on doubts that the federal government can handle setting up functioning exchanges all over the country. About two-thirds of the states will need the feds to run their exchanges — including a few states that will partner with the administration on some functions — and that number could grow higher if states that want to do their own aren't ready in time for open enrollment next October.
And opponents contend too many unknowns still exist about the federal exchange, casting doubt on how the administration could fill in the missing pieces in the next 10 months.
But the administration and supporters of the law have shrugged off each governor's rejection, declaring that the show will go on, even if HHS — and not the states — is suddenly the star.
Gary Cohen, head of the HHS office overseeing the health law's insurance market reforms, is confident the administration can build the technology necessary to handle the eligibility and enrollment for millions of newly insured individuals. So it makes no difference, he says, whether HHS is lifting up a few states' exchanges or most of them.
"The scale of that I don't think that changes very much depending on how many states there are," said Cohen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight.


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Rev. Jiko Jane Lazar, SEP
Rev. Jiko Jane Lazar, SEP*, was ordained as a Zen Priest in 2005 by Tenshin Reb Anderson and has trained residentially at Green Gulch Farm and Tassajara for eleven years. She served as shuso with Abbot Steve Stücky in the Fall of 2009. Having discovered her own unresolved trauma through zazen, she found Somatic Experiencing® (SE) to be of profound help and a strong complement to Zen practice. Now a certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner* with a private practice in Berkeley, CA, she sees her work as helping others to heal trauma and to face difficult karma with presence and compassion. Jane was a certified trainer in Nonviolent Communication between 1995 and 2000, and she holds a blackbelt in Aikido.
- Click here for a link to Jane's website.

subset: commoncrawl


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LOS ANGELES — Toxic cadmium has been discovered in the painted design on "Shrek"-themed drinking glasses being sold nationwide at McDonald's, forcing the fast food company to recall 13.4 million of the collectibles in the U.S. and Canada.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which announced the voluntary recall early Friday, warned consumers to immediately stop using the glasses; McDonald's said it would post instructions on its website next week regarding refunds.
The 16-ounce glasses, being sold for about $2 each as part of a promotional campaign for the movie "Shrek Forever After," were available in four designs depicting the characters Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots and Donkey.
Known carcinogen
The CPSC noted in its recall notice that "long-term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects." Cadmium is a known carcinogen that research shows also can cause bone softening and severe kidney problems.
In the case of the Shrek-themed glassware, the potential danger would be long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium, which could leach from the paint onto a child's hand, then enter the body if the child puts that unwashed hand to his or her mouth.
Cadmium can be used to create reds and yellows in paint. McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman said a pigment in paint on the glasses contained cadmium.
"A very small amount of cadmium can come to the surface of the glass, and in order to be as protective as possible of children, CPSC and McDonald's worked together on this recall," said CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson. He would not specify the amounts of cadmium that leached from the paint in tests, but said the amounts were "slightly above the protective level currently being developed by the agency."
Wolfson said the glasses have "far less cadmium than the children's metal jewelry that CPSC has previously recalled."
Concerns about cadmium exposure emerged in January, when The Associated Press reported that some items of children's jewelry sold at major national chains contained up to 91 percent of the metal. Federal regulators worry that kids could ingest cadmium by biting, sucking or even swallowing contaminated pendants and bracelets.
The consumer protection agency has issued three recalls this spring for jewelry highlighted in the AP stories, including products sold at Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer; at Claire's, a major jewelry and accessories chain in North America and Europe; and at discount and dollar stores.
Those recalls all involved children's metal jewelry — and all of that jewelry was made in China.
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Manufactured by ARC International of Millville, N.J., the glasses were to be sold from May 21 into June. Roughly seven million of the glasses had been sold so far.
Associated Press reporters tried unsuccessfully to buy the glasses late Thursday at McDonald's in New York, Los Angeles and northern New Jersey but were alternately told the merchandise was sold out, no longer available or "there'll be more tomorrow."
E-mails sent after business hours to two spokesmen for ARC International seeking comment were not immediately returned.
McDonald's said it was asking customers to stop using the glasses "out of an abundance of caution."
"We believe the Shrek glassware is safe for consumer use," Whitman said. "However, again to ensure that our customers receive safe products from us, we made the decision to stop selling them and voluntarily recall these products effective immediately."
Whitman said that as the CPSC develops new protocols and standards for cadmium in consumer products, "we adjust as necessary to ensure that our customers can continue to trust what they receive from McDonald's."
Reuters contributed to this report.


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Cocoa & Coffee Bee
Cocoa & Coffee Bee
This bar uses organic coffee grounds for exfoliant and cocoa powder for yumminess. This is a very mildly scented bar, because there is no essential oil that gives a coffee-ish scent (any coffee scented soap out there uses a synthetic fragrance oil!). Here, the coffee and cocoa themselves give the slightest mocha hint.
Made with our farmer-friendly, deeply hydrating recipe, this soap is our original formula for hardworking bodies who need an organic spa-quality cleanse after a long day. A combination of six certified organic oils and butters, together with lanolin and our luscious goat milk make a rich, rejuvenating luxury of your bathing experience.
INGREDIENTS (all organic):
Poco Farm goat's milk, olive oil, coconut oil, RSPO palm oil, sunflower oil, sodium hydroxide, cocoa butter, shea butter, castor oil, lanolin, sodium lactate, coffee, cocoa powder.
.6 ounces, roughly 1" x 1" x .8", no packaging.
*Our soap is handmade in small batches on our farm and is entirely imperfect. We use tons of moisturizing oils, and don't use stabilizing chemicals, so the bars can be sticky/oily in damp environments. If you get a sticky bar, do not fear. It's normal and a good sign that your bar will be super good for your skin.*
OUR MILK comes from the high and tight udders of our alpine and nubian mama goats. These sassy queens eat a proprietary mix of organic grains, organic alfalfa hay, and fermented chaffe hay, as well as browse, pasture and excess crops from our small organic farm and our neighbors'. They spend their days eatin', burpin', ruminatin' and nursin' babes. Our milking does and their kids also teach school kids (and adults) about regenerative agriculture, the home economy, and important things like responsibility, compassion and bravery. Their milk is sweet, mild and creamy and makes for an absolutely luxurious bathing experience.
OUR OILS are certified organic, high quality and delicious! Grace has eaten all of them (except the lanolin- too sticky). We purchase them from a women-owned company that carries many certified organic oils. We figure that we wouldn't want to put anything on our skin that we wouldn't eat, as it absorbs right into our precious bodies through our delicate skin (the same science that makes a nicotine patch work also applies to your body products!).
OUR ESSENTIAL OILS are USDA and Oregon Tilth certified organic. Very few commercial soaps use organic essential oils- because it's a very expensive choice! Those soapers that do, use very little so the scent is scant. Our soaps are generously scented with organic essential oils. We don't ever use any synthetic fragrance oils. We think organic is essential. For more information, read "Why Organic?" below.
OUR EXFOLIANTS AND COLORANTS are organic plants, minerals and earth. Clays, charcoal, seeds, leaves and sea salts bless your bod and make art of your soap experience. All the plant material is certified organic or wildcrafted respectfully in our backyard.
WHAT IS SODIUM HYDROXIDE? Lye! And FYI you can't make soap without lye- its what turns all the ingredients into something that will cleanse. More info here. The lye completely changes to glycerin in the curing process. Because of chemistry! There is no caustic lye left, only the glycerin that we then call "soap". We carefully "superfat" our soap (put more oil in it than the lye needs to completely transform) so that our bars are super moisturizing and completely free of lye by the time the chemical reactions are finished at the end of the curing process. We are super health conscious, toxin-terrified, organic-obsessed humans and we still use lye in our soapmaking-- because its the only way!
WHAT IS SODIUM LACTATE? Sodium lactate helps our bars be harder and last longer in the shower. Sodium lactate is a salt derived from the fermentation of non-gmo beets and corn, and is a natural humectant, adding moisture to your bar. It is on the National Organic Program's list of approved ingredients for organic foods and you eat it when you buy most organic sausage from the store.
WHY ORGANIC? To attempt to save the humans! As well as everyone and everything else. Read more here about why choosing certified organic everything is so important.
WHY PALM OIL? As we all know, we vote with our dollar- the systems we spend our money on are supported, and those we choose not to buy lose power. We choose to use certified organic palm oil that is also certified sustainable (CSPO). A big problem in the general palm oil industry is that rainforest ecosystems are destroyed to create new farms. The oil we use is certified by the Roundable for Sustainable Palm Oil, passing criteria addressing issues ranging from site preparation and community permission to worker's rights and milling processes. You can learn more about CSPO here. We choose to participate in changing the palm industry by engaging with it in a constructive, positive way, rather than boycotting it altogether. Not what you would choose to do? Talk with us about it! We're happy to discuss it.


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Rams Fall on the Road at St. Joe's
Farmingdale State vs. St. Joseph's College - St. Joe's wins 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-14)
Patchogue, N.Y. - St. Joseph's College swept the Farmingdale State women's volleyball team on Tuesday night 3-0, in Patchogue, N.Y. The loss eliminated the Rams from the Skyline Conference playoffs.
Farmingdale State was led by senior libero Theresa Rokee (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst), playing in her last collegiate volleyball game, recorded 15 digs. Freshman middle Dominique Cunningham (Amityville, N.Y./Copiague) had a team high five kills for the Rams while freshman outside Jessica Zimmerman (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) tallied two kills.
Farmingdale State has high expectations for next season as they are returning eleven of thirteen players.


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Do you ever just feel so inadequate? Sometimes I look around my life and I wonder what in the world I did to deserve such goodness. And in the next instant I'm crying out in exhaustion and exasperation going, "What in the world did I ever do to deserve this?"
Mothering is not for the weak and a lot of the time, I'm feeling weak. Marriage is not for the weak and sometimes I'm feeling like I've been hit by a bus. I'm pretty sure that I'm normal but the ebb and flow of life and it's so many vacillating emotions sometimes just leaves me feeling depleted.
I came home from the summit on top of my therapeutic parenting game after sitting in on parenting workshops aimed at helping kids from hurt places. I was on it. I was attentive. I was seeing the emotions behind the behavior. I was giving my child healing words. I was parenting with grace and love and compassion and consistency. And yet, I still got smacked in the face (literally) by my child in front of a room full of "perfect" acting mothers who just looked at me in horror. I got angry. I wondered why I even tried. I've been blamed for my adopted child's behavior more times that I can count by people who like to flaunt their perfect children. I know that I didn't cause this (duh, it's two years in an institution!), but those words sting every time. I've been criticized for speaking out about the emotional toll that adoption has taken on our child and on the rest of our family because this is what we signed up for. People would never in a million years say that to a mother watching her child go through a terrible physical illness but for some reason with adoptive families and mental illness in our children, it's always open season. It hurts every single time.
I'm the mom who forgets to take snacks to the soccer game and the mom who forgets to send in a toy on toy day at school and all other matter of things that make my kids feel crummy. I'm the mom who looks at the floor with last nights dinner all over it where the kids dropped it and thinks, "I signed up to be a stay at home mom. Not a maid." I always envisioned myself spending hours reading books with my kids and making healthy lunches to send to school and doing craft projects all the time and somehow, after life has pulled me in all it's other directions, those other things just don't get done. And they are the ones that are most important.
I've talked to tons of elementary school students about what their lives would be like if they were children growing up in a third world country. I've talked with them about how many hours of their day would be spent just fetching water and firewood. It always blows their minds. I feel like in my life I could just replace firewood and water with keeping clothes clean and getting meals on the table and my mind would also be sufficiently blown.
I love being a stay-at-home mom. I love being able to make the field trips and being available to do all the required therapies with my boys. I love being home when my child gets off the bus and having dinner ready when my husband gets home from work. But that doesn't mean I love it every minute of every day. I feel like the double standard is high. If someone complains about their job, every one nods their heads and says, "Oh yeah. I get it." But if a mother complains even one iota- the wrath of the world comes down on her and everyone says "How dare she say one word against caring for those precious children." I feel like we still live in this culture where our grandmothers will say, "Raising kids is so hard!" but the women who are actually raising kids will spend ridiculous amounts of time trying to one up each other on the "I'm a better mother than you scale." People. Can't we all agree that no body's kids are perfect and that yes, it is hard and that's okay?!
Yes, sometimes being a mom is seeing your kid block a ball from getting inside the goal and watching his whole body fill up with pride at his accomplishment. Sometimes it's seeing them ace math tests. Sometimes it's seeing them mother their baby dolls with such compassion that you feel like you must have done something right. And sometimes it's getting smacked in the face and feeling inadequate and defeated and that's okay.
So here's to all the other women out there like me who are more Claire Dunphy than Claire Huxtable. You are good enough. You may not ever win a parenting award or be PTA president- but dammit, you are running the race. And even though your boobs are flopping and you are sweating like a pig, you are still doing it. Day after day. And in my book that constitutes the ideal perfect mom.
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Dirtyphonics - a new definition of Electronic Dance Music
The EDM is in full swing but one group has etched out their own mark in the genre — French quartet Dirtyphonics. Their "Irreverence Tour"comes to Houston on April 19 at Stereo Live in support of their first full debut record Irreverence on fellow musician's Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records.
Forming in 2004, the foursome of Pho, Charly, Thomas and Pitchin have combined the elements of electro, dub, drum and bass, which help gives them a fresh and unique sound in the latest EDM phenomena.
We caught up with Charly before the beginning of this tour that also includes a performance at Coachella.
How as the process heading into this debut full-length album?
We have been thinking about making a full album for a couple of years now. We have been very busy, so we haven't had a chance to work on the album at certain times. We have felt like, especially in the EDM format, that the full album format was disappearing a little bit. A lot of people were and are doing just singles and EPs, but we wanted to have this medium and have the opportunity to go a little further with the music. With four of us in the group, it was very important to throw all of our influences in and play with all different tempos without having any boundaries. We wanted something that would tell a story on a bigger format and it was interesting, yet awesome to do.
Was it easy to throw ideas around being four members of an EDM group?
We all come from a metal background, so we knew what it took to merge with four different people. When we were teenagers, we all played in bands. We all had the same energy so it felt natural. The process was the same whether we were playing guitar or bass. There was laughing and fighting, but when we starting jumping around, we knew had something special.
One of my favorite tracks on the record is 'Stage Divers.' Any one particular track a favorite of yours?
I don't have a favorite. I love these songs for different reasons and that's why those 10 tracks were chosen for this album. I can't say I like one more than another, but I love the combination we have put together. All of these songs have a story behind them.
What can fans expect when they see Dirtyphonics live? Most EDM fans are used to just seeing one person on stage.
This isn't your usual EDM DJ show. I'm not dissing any solo DJ show. It's four of us together on stage making the music and we are also brining our bass production. We interact with each other and interact with the crowd. It's totally different. The stage is a big playground for us. A lot of DJs are solely focused on their controllers and not focus on the crowd. We like to focus on the crowd and feed off their energy.
Twitter: @dirtyphonics


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I'm doing some work for a local non-profit and they've asked me to put together a webpage that has a video clip, and an audio clip with the words to the audio running under the control box. I've put the page together using a marquee tag to scroll the words, and (despite what I've heard) it seems to work fine in all major browsers including Safari.
Here's my problem: The audio clip has a 20 second musical lead in (before the words actually start). I'd like to delay the start of the marquee accordingly. I've tried a couple of things and they don't seem to work. Can anyone help me out with this?
BTW, I know using a <marquee> tag is considered a no-no, so if anyone has a javascript routine that will do the same thing, please let me know. I've looked at the Marquee and Marquee II scripts, but they don't really do what I need. The Marquee II script apparently only scrolls up and down and the Marquee script doesn't have a startup delay.
Here's excerpts from the code:
The .js file contains the text of the audio assigned to the variable "lyrics".Code:     : : :

 <embed src="ASongOfSpring.mp4" type="video/mp4" width="400" height="240"></embed>

 <EMBED src="ASongOfSpring.mp3" AUTOSTART="True" LOOP="true" bgcolor="#FEF4E4" height="16" width="410">
  : : :


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|Virginia Grantham
Virginia Grantham, March 6, 1985. Interview F-0017.
Southern Woman Offers Her Thoughts on the Fellowship of Southern Churchmen: Virginia Grantham discusses her thoughts on the Fellowship of Southern Churchman and her participation in it, primarily during the 1950s. In the interview, she focuses on such topics as leadership, socialism, and connections to the civil rights movement.
Interviewee: Virginia Grantham, Virginia Grantham Interviewer: Dallas A. Blanchard
Duration: 00:24:16 Annotated Excerpts: Listen to and read all 3 excerpts.


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North Korea Takes Another Rocket Shot
North Korea is planning another satellite launch sometime this month. The WSJ's Alastair Gale talks about whether Pyongyang has the capability to launch a long-range rocket after a string of failures, most recently in April.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... I expected to make and not the account to launch a satellite this month joining me now Alastair Gale dear soul Bureau Chief ... Alastair out of the last unsuccessful onto as of last April any indication and and whether or not North Korea has the capabilities to launch a satellite that ... scene ... with us the question on what they say is that survey to ... examine what went wrong in the fight over a pool ... of orange ... and they still come from this time around but right now this would be ... of a fifth time that they've tried to launch ... satellites ... I'm they've been successful in any of the of the previous two tenths ... of the fact that to try again so soon offered a portal which ... raises questions about whether they really have to work out what went wrong ... of course the technology that um is over the state of the oft ... um they don't have access to ... hear the same kind of um ... most of the that you would in the West articles ... of most director for anyone is a difficult job as ... it ... was the South Koreans will tell you because they haven't been out to be ... successful in Mosul Iraq and all of ... us up line anytime ... ok and ... and and the fact that South Korea is about to hold ... its presidential election on December nineteen could the timing of this lines have to do ... with our what's going on in Seoul ... show us the speculation here the side and North Korea has a track record of ... trying to influence of the elections here in the South ... we have a pensive presidential poll here on the nineteenth of this month ... so do you have been the main pot use ... of a voice said that this looks like another attempt by the North to influence but it was ... when there are other things going on this month it's the anniversary of the death of ... Kenneth Brill ... of the former ruler of North Korea Sohu ... another way of looking at this is that some part of these celebrations like ... of the one-year anniversary ... since his demise ... wheels an election going on in Japan so it ... hit a very Sears about why the North Koreans is doing it now ... of you the truth is that no one retires ... at an obviously an attempt at like this will make a lot of people in the international community at that ... from Seoul as we just talked about back to Washington to take it for that matter ... what the reaction been and in any one I had all trying to dissuade that Pyongyang from doing ... will the new to the U S with a beautiful reaction has been that this is about idea ... I stayed on in the U S this up in a statement ... saying that so there ... will move the North Koreans disrupt labs ... um you know it's it's a message here and so it's the same message and stir ... China Mr said that a ... unit of appeal for calm as they tend to do these kind of situations ... so the Univ be the general international messages of this is seen as not so much is a somewhat long but ... another ten muddle through to test its missile technology ... which will be in violation of UN sanctions so broadly the message is don't do it ... that is the recent rounds of Uno Koreans will ... pay attention about ... an hour after they made quite a public display of the last lines inviting a lot of foreign journalists in ... to witness a lion Shack by ... any indication as to whether or not they will do so again ... will it cost me to the sum of ... Las launch um ... you go so well so that may be thinking twice about ... having journalists on the ground ... aam ... but we don't know yet Stubbington is no indication that they will let the ... service when the seasons the controversial when people want to go to that ... of the fact was that the last option of the people that were ... in the country were somewhat lost in it that the that the rule could actually going up and ... explode additional go take all ... the size of the story of a country that some of the festive is cool so it should ... merit being there in the country ... um but that would have to wait and see whether they can ... budget estimates on ... it and it is also admitting mistakes can also make meters and nervous as well thanks Fran much talent ... and training us from Seoul for more on that star a pink added Avista dot


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Mists of Pandaria as been out for a year now, and Resto Druids have undergone a number of changes, especially in patch 5.4. I thought it would be a good idea to update my guide on how to evaluate Resto Druids with World of Logs. This has also been updated on my big WoL Guide page (where the pictures will be less squishy if you want to look at it over there).
Here are specific things to look for when analyzing resto druid logs. It's best to look at specific kills or attempts in order to get meaningful numbers.
Druids are primarily Heal Over Time (HoT) healers with great mobility and a decent amount of utility. Though Druids have generally been considered raid healers, they can also be strong tank healers. In 5.4, a Druid's healing output should be high.
Healing by Spell
There are a number of things to look for on this screen, including:
Spell selection – Is the druid using all their available spells?
Druids have: Lifebloom, Rejuvenation, Wild Growth, Efflorescence, Regrowth, Swiftmend, Healing Touch, Nourish, Tranquility, Wild Mushrooms and passive healing from Living Seed. Depending on spec they should likely also have Ysera's Gift and Nature's Vigil.
Healing from Lifebloom, Rejuv, Wild Growth, Regrowth, Swiftmend, Efflorescence and Tranquility should be seen on every fight.
Healing Touch, Nourish and Wild Mushroom: Bloom may more sparingly. Whether Nourish is used a matter of personal choice, though it will not provide much healing (I haven't even had this keybound since all expansion). Healing Touch should only be used in combination with Nature's Swiftness. Wild Mushrooms will mostly provide some healing on fights where the raid is stacked up.
You should not see healing from Renewal; this is a poor talent choice for a healer.
Top Spells
A druid's top spells will vary depending on the nature of a fight and how spread out the raid is. Wild Growth and Rejuv will generally be at or near the top on any fight. Efflorescence should also be up there, especially on fights where the raid is grouped up. Tranquility can also be one of the top spells for healing done when it is timed well and can be used multiple times throughout a fight. If the Druid is tank healing, expect to see Lifebloom and Regrowth higher on the list.
Druids will generally have high overheal because of the nature of their HoTs. This isn't something to worry about. Lifebloom and Rejuv will have quite high overheal while you should see lower overheal on smart heals like Wild Growth or direct heals like Regrowth.
Notes on specific spells:
Uptime is the key metric here. Lifebloom is our source of Omen of Clarity procs and provides a steady stream of heals to whoever it's placed on (usually a tank). It should be pre-stacked before the pull, moved around to whomever needs it most and not allowed to fall off. Allowing a 3-stack to fall off, unless it's timed perfectly to provide an emergency heal from the bloom, means you have to waste time and mana building the stack back up. Lifebloom uptime should be in the 90-100% range on most fights.
The first thing to look for is whether Tranquility was used at all. It is our best spell in terms of HPS and HPM and should be used on every fight. With a 3 minute cooldown it can be used 2-3 times on most fights.
Next look at the number of direct heals – Each Tranquility should tick at least 20 times (more if the Druid has a lot of haste or uses Soul of the Forest and casts it after Swiftmend). See the 12 direct heals in the screenshot above? This means my Tranquility was interrupted (I cast it before a Shock Pulse like a bad Druid).
Overheal should be fairly low, but the HoT portion of the spell can increase this number.
Check how many times Swiftmend was used by looking at the number of direct heals. Swiftmend has a 15 second cooldown, so it can be used 4 times per minute. It's unrealistic to use SM every time it's available but it should be used often (especially if the Druid is specced into Soul of the Forest).
Since Swiftmend is no longer mainly a vehicle for Effloresence, overhealing has become more important to look at. Since this spell is instant, overheal should not be too high.
Efflorescence should make up a good amount of a Druids healing, as it should be active pretty much all the time. It will do more healing on fights where the raid is stacked, but should do a fair amount even on fights where the raid is spread out or moving a lot, since it's so easy to move now.
If healing from this looks low if could mean the Druid is not keeping the spell up via a Mushroom all the time, is not moving it appropriately, or is not using the Gylph of Efflorescence (which is terrible). If you're in raid with the Druid, make sure the green Efflo circle is not often out in the middle of nowhere.
Wild Mushroom: Bloom
How much healing WM does will depend on the fight. Personally, I don't like to bloom Mushrooms much, unless the raid is stacked and taking significant damage. Blooming your Mushroom means 3 seconds before you can get Effloresence down again.
Nature's Vigil
NV is the strongest talent in the level 90 tier so you should see healing from it on most fights. If used close to on cooldown (as it should be, since the cooldown is short) it can provide a large amount of healing.
Cenarion Ward
If the Druid has this in their spec, the most important thing to look for is overheal. If the overhealing on the spell is very high, the Druid is not using it optimally.
Direct Heals
Direct heals should not make up the bulk of a druid's healing, but Regrowth should be used fairly often. Low use of direct heals will likely mean that Clearcasting procs are being wasted.
Healing Touch should mostly be used in combination with Nature's Swiftness, unless the Druid has the 2T16 set bonus, in which case you should see it used fairly often.
Spirit of Chi-Ji
This is the proc from the legendary cloak. The healing from this is not really controllable and how much healing it does will depend on the fight. Expect this to make up anywhere between around 4-10% of total healing.
Buffs Cast
This screen will tell you how often a druid is using their cooldowns, along with the uptime on key abilities.
Lifebloom – As noted above, uptime should be as close to 100% as possible.
Harmony – This is Druids' mastery which increases the effect of all HoTs while it's active. Harmony should be up as much as possible, look for 90%+ uptime. If uptime is much lower, the druid needs to cast more direct heals to keep it active.
Barkskin – Barkskin can be used once every 45 seconds. It should be used often to mitigate damage taken (though not necessarily on cooldown). If a Druid is only using it once or twice a fight they should be using it more.
Tranquility – As noted above, Tranquility should be used on every fight. You should see at least 20 ticks per use.
Nature's Vigil – Nature's Vigil has a 1.5 minute cooldown. The talent should be taken on most fights and it should be used close to on cooldown.
Innervate – Innervate has a 3-minute cooldown. It should be used at 70-80% mana the first time, then whenever it's off cooldown to get as much mana as possible.
Ironbark – This is a damage reduction spell Druids can cast on someone else, it has a 1 minute cooldown. It should be used often on every fight.
Nature's Swiftness – This spell makes your next spell with a cast time instant, larger and mana free. It has a 1 minute cooldown. This spell is often used for emergency heals, but you should see it used at least a few times on every fight.
Clearcasting – Compare the amount of Clearcasting procs to the number of Regrowths cast (this is found in the Healing by Spell tab). The Druid should have at least as many Regrowth casts as CC procs.
Trinkets – If the druid has an on-use trinket equipped, check the cooldown on it and the amount of times used. They should be used the maximum amount possible.
Movement abilities – On fights that require movement or kiting, look for things like Dash, Stampeding Roar or Displacer Beast too see that the Druid is making the most of their abilities.
The following are talents, so whether they appear in a Druid's logs is spec-dependent:
Incarnation – Incarnation has a 3 minute cooldown. In your average 4-7 minute fight it should be used twice. A third use can be squeezed into fights that last longer.
Heart of the Wild – If the Druid has this in their spec, they should be using it on every fight for the 25% healing increase for 3o seconds. The cooldown is 6 minutes, so it likely won't ever be used more than 2x per fight.
You should also check to see if the Druid is using abilities given to them by Symbiosis. For the list of those, check here.
Druids also have a new spell, Genesis, which speeds up existing Rejuvs. Unfortunately, this spell will only show up if you search for it in the Log Broswers or Expression Editor.


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The English Bar Company sells original styled antique bars/pubs for home and residential use. The bars are sold direct and manufactured exclusively for sale on englishbars.com.
The current styles offered include:
· English Tavern (ET)
· Second Empire (SE)
· Sir Walter (SW)
· The Grand Devon (GD)
· Canterbury (CT)
And the newly introduced,
· Lady Victoria
The Lady Victoria follows on the heels of the hugely successful English Tavern – a very popular copied bar style.
Teak Closeouts was started to expand our normal closeout purchases from the 'store only' to the net.
Over the past 7 years, the standard teak bench has been our best seller.
Kentucky Horse Park
University of Kentucky
Transylvania University
Lindsey Wilson College
And various famous horse farms in and around Lexington.
We introduced the website in late 2008, as we worked out the kinks. In 2009, the concept hits the internet in full-swing.
When you want real savings on good-quality discount and sale teak, then Teak Closeouts should be your first stop.
Yet, teak benches are not the only super discount at Teak Closeouts......we also offer teak tables, teak folding chairs, teak arm chairs, teak steamers, and teak deep seating loungers.


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Year-round happenings in the Mad River Valley...
Both Sugarbush Resort & Mad River Glen are bustling with fun-filled events throughout the winter. But there's more to the Mad River Valley than skiing & riding, with events in every season. Listed below are websites with the latest information on regularly scheduled events in & around the Mad River Valley. Some are large venues while others are small-town experiences. Have fun!
|Vermont Open Studio Weekend
|Late May
|Vermont artisans open their doors
|Sugarbush BrewGrass Festival
|Mid June
|Great beer & great music at Sugarbush
|Vermont Quilt Festival
|Late June
|New England's oldest annual quilt show
|Warren 4th Of July Parade
|Early July
|The most unique 4th of July parade EVER...
|The Mad Marathon
|Early July
|The world's most beautiful marathon
|Vermont Festival Of The Arts
|All of August
|A month-long celebration of all the arts
|Mad River Craft Fair
|Late Aug - Early Sept
|An exhibit of local artisans
|Green Mountain Stage Race
|Late Aug - Early Sept
|Four days of racing for the serious cyclist
|Late September
|Brewers' festival at Mad River Glen
|Vermont Open Studio Weekend
|Early October
|Vermont artisans open their doors
|The Mad Dash
|Mid October
|Fun foot race to support the Mad River Path
|Country Christmas Open House
|Early December
|Support our local shops for the holidays
|First Night Burlington
|Late December
|Family-oriented New Year's Eve celebration


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What you need to use your student ID card in Wallet
To see if you can use your student ID card in Wallet, contact your school card office.
Here's what you need to use your student ID card in Wallet:
- iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and later
- Apple Watch Series 1 and later
- Apple ID signed into iCloud
- The latest version of the eAccounts app, available from the App Store
- The solution used by your school card office to confirm identity and generate secure passwords
- The latest version of iOS and watchOS
You can use your student ID card on up to two devices that are signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID.
Add a student ID card to Wallet
If you've downloaded the eAccounts app to your iPhone and have access to your school card office's solution for identity authentication and secure password generation:
- Sign in to the eAccounts app with your school ID and password.
- Tap Add to Apple Wallet and follow the prompts on your screen.
Use your iPhone or Apple Watch where you use your student ID card
You can use your student ID card on your iPhone or Apple Watch wherever you use your physical student ID card. Access your dorm or library, ride the campus bus, buy food at campus cafés, and pay for books and supplies at campus stores.
Cashiers may need to select the payment method before you pay with your ID card in Wallet.
With Express Mode turned on
Express Mode is turned on by default when you add your ID card.
Hold the top of your iPhone or the display of your Apple Watch within a few centimeters of the middle of the card reader until you feel a vibration. You'll see Done and a checkmark on the display.
Your iPhone or Apple Watch must be turned on, but it doesn't have to be connected to a network. You don't need to validate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode, and you don't need to wake or unlock your device or open an app.
On iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, Express Cards with power reserve is available for up to five hours when your iPhone needs to be charged. You can press the side button to check if Express Cards are available when your iPhone needs to be charged. Doing this often may significantly reduce the power reserve for Express Cards. If you choose to power off your iPhone, this feature will not be available.
Express Mode isn't available on iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
With Express Mode turned off
On iPhone, use Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode to authenticate. Then hold the top of your iPhone within a few centimeters of the contactless reader until you see Done and a checkmark on the display.
On Apple Watch, double-click the side button to access your cards, and swipe to select your ID card. Then hold the display up to the card reader.
When you add your ID card to Wallet, Express Mode is turned on by default. If you don't want to use Express Mode, you can turn it off. Open Wallet, tap your ID card, tap , and tap the Express Mode on/off button.
Add money
You can add money to your student ID card with Apple Pay or a credit or debit card that you've set up in the eAccounts app. Or add money via your school's self-service machines.
See your account balances
To see your student ID card account balances on your iPhone:
- Open the Wallet app.
- Choose your card. You'll see up to three account balances on the front of your ID card.
- If you want to see more balances, tap .
If you've added your card to your Apple Watch, you can see account balances in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone or in Wallet & Apple Pay on your Apple Watch.
Remove your ID card from your device
There are several ways you can remove your student ID card from Wallet on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
On your iPhone, open Wallet, tap your student ID card, tap , and tap Remove Card. Or open Settings, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, tap your student ID card, and tap Remove Card.
On your Apple Watch, open Wallet and tap and hold your student ID card. When the remove icon appears, tap Remove Card.
In the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, tap your student ID card, and tap Remove Card.
If your device is lost or stolen
To suspend or permanently remove the ability to pay from your device with your student ID card, go to your Apple ID account page or use Find My iPhone. You can also contact your school's student ID card office. Tap on your ID card in Wallet and tap Call. Or you can remove your ID card from the eAccounts app.
The contact options for your school may be different from what's shown here.


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Majamas Reverse Cami w/Sleevesmj003
Product Details
We loved the feel and fit of this nursing shirt. This top has a 3/4 sleeve and a ruffle accent in light grey at the bottom of the top and at the sleeves This is a great shirt for any occasion, fitness oriented or otherwise. This top will make you feel and look good! The stretchy fabric allows for discreet nursing. Hard to find and in limited quantities.


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The often-controversial Courtney Love got very candid in an interview on "The Howard Stern Show" on Sirius XM Radio on Monday discussing money woes, drug use, and claiming she once bedded fellow rocker Gavin Rossdale, as well as a well-known supermodel.
"I had this vision of marrying Gavin Rossdale one time," Courtney said of Gwen Stefani's husband. "[I dated him for] eight months….and we were like, 'Let's go spend our rock star money!' And we had a really good time… he was lovely."
Courtney said people often compared her late husband, Kurt Cobain, to the former Bush frontman.
"But the thing is that everyone gave me so much sh*t because Gavin sounded like a lot like Kurt, and everyone gave me a lot of sh*t. But man he was such an Adonis in his day," she told Howard. "He got good in bed… something happened, maybe Gwen taught him for all I know."
"You were [having sex] him while he was with Gwen Stefani?" Howard asked.
"Yes," Courtney claimed, saying Gwen was aware of their past relationship. "She does know."
"You mean he was having sex with you while he was with her?" Howard pressed.
"Everyone…yeah…and a few other people," she claimed. "We didn't have a lot of pressure on each other but we did like each other quite a bit."
Courtney also recalled an exploit with an unnamed supermodel.
"[There] was this supermodel, and she's notoriously pretty much gay. And that's because every girlfriend I have in London has had sex with her. And so in the '90s, sometime [in the] late '90s, I was in an Italian city with her and she chased me around the room…she was the aggressor. And I thought, 'You know what? If you're going to do it, do it with that one. Do it with that one.' It wasn't Naomi Campbell for God's sake," she explained. "This is like a hot supermodel… when I say supermodel, I mean supermodel…OK, Janice Dickinson had her day for like a month and she was the supermodel for that month… older than Gisele… but perennial."
Co-host Robin Quivers asked if her alleged tryst was with Kate Moss, but the rocker denied it saying, "No, Robin. That's not true. That is a lie."
"I was really, really wasted. I don't remember much. I just remember waking up in the morning and looking at this face, I'm not going to say whose it was, but it was so feline and beautiful and she was asleep. And I was like, 'Oh my God. I have a story to tell my grandsons!'" she continued. "I don't want to out anyone that doesn't want to be outed… it was a fully realized [lesbian] situation. How about that?"
Courtney also got candid about her past drug use, including her years using crack, saying a stint in rehab helped her kick it.
"I was on c-r-a-c-k… I'm not ever supposed to say that word. My publicist told me he'd kill me if he heard me say that word," she said. "I got kidnapped by a rehab guy and he put me in rehab."
The 45-year-old said she's been sober for "seven years" and that she currently only takes an anti-depressant and a sleeping medication.
Courtney says reports that she ran through her money using drugs are not true and that her financial issues are due to theft.
"I didn't spend it. It got stolen," she claimed. "I'm over it, you know? You just got it to let it go… I live check to check instead of having a savings."
The rocker says she is worth more than $100 million but poor credit has lead to a life where she is on an allowance managed by a CPA.
"I don't have a credit card," she explained.
Courtney also said she's working on her relationship with daughter Frances Bean and that they've reestablished communication via e-mail.
"She doesn't have a dad. She has a cuckoo-bananas mom," Courtney said, but explained her daughter does not have a drug problem. "She didn't have a drug problem, not at all. She knows she can't have a drug problem… maybe she likes a little herb reef things once in a while, whatever, but that's cool… as long as she didn't do it in front of me. And unfortunately, she does smoke. She didn't have a lot of chances with that."
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: They Dated Who?!? Surprising Former Couples!
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood's Hottest Moms & Their Loveable Little Ones
PLAY IT NOW: Gavin Rossdale Talks 'Wanderlust'
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Courtney Love Reaches Out To Britney
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Courtney Love - Kate Moss - Janice Dickinson - Howard Stern - Gwen Stefani


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(HealthDay News) -- Modifying what and how you eat won't cure irritable bowel disease, but it can help reduce flares.
The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America offers these suggestions:
- Eat small snacks or meals every three-to-four hours, instead of eating three large meals each day.
- Cut back on fried, greasy or high-fat foods, which can trigger gas and diarrhea.
- If you are lactose-intolerant, avoid dairy products.
- Limit foods that are high in fiber, including popcorn, some Chinese vegetables, corn, nuts and seeds.
- If you take antidiarrheal or antispasmodic medication, take them about 20 minutes before eating a meal.
Latest Digestion News
-- Diana Kohnle
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


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Senator Proposes Law to Keep Stocking Stuffers Safe in Bankruptcy
A U.S. senator wants to require companies in bankruptcy to honor outstanding gift cards, something they're not legally compelled to do.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) introduced the Gift Card Protection Act, which would also bar companies in bankruptcy from continuing to sell gift cards and ban such cards from carrying expiration dates (h/t Associated Press).
Those small pieces of plastic that shoppers are currently stocking up on for the approaching holidays pose a dilemma in Chapter 11. Not only can companies choose whether or not to continue honoring outstanding cards after they file for bankruptcy, but the Bankruptcy Code also caps claims for unredeemed gift cards.
Gift-card protections have been a pet issue for Blumenthal, who was elected to the Senate two years ago after serving 20 years as Connecticut's attorney general. During his time as the state's top lawyer, state laws banning gift card expiration dates and fees were restored. He also urged a bankruptcy judge to require local retailer Ski Market to honor about $200,000 gift cards after it told customers that the bankruptcy process didn't allow it to do so. In what the former attorney general called a "partial victory," the retailer eventually agreed to honor 50% of the cards' values.
Bankruptcy Beat readers know that Ski Market is just one of many retailers that have had issues with gift cards upon filing for bankruptcy protection. For instance, Sharper Image initially required customers to spend twice the amount of their gift card in order to use the plastic and later banned the cards altogether. As a result, gift card holders had to file claims to recover the value of their cards but waited about three years for payment from the liquidated retailer.
Other companies include seeking permission to honor gift cards with the raft of so-called "first day" motions they file along with their bankruptcy petitions, pointing to the importance of maintaining customer relationships as they restructure. That's what AMF Bowling Worldwide did upon in its Nov. 13 Chapter 11 filing.
And who could forget those Borders gift-card holders, who insisted they weren't aware that they couldn't use their gift cards last holiday season after the book retailer's well-publicized liquidation? A judge later ruled that despite their claims otherwise, Borders did everything in its power to notify gift-card holders that they had better use their cards or file claims against the retailer for any unredeemed amounts.
Write to Jacqueline Palank at email@example.com.
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Last-Minute Opioid Deal Could Open Door to Bigger Settlement


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Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol
Gosh… it's been ages since I've jotted anything in this little nook of mine, isn't it?
Well, thanks to Magnum 4D for the invite, I managed to get a few friends together and went for this movie. It had me at the edge of my seat for most of it! I think I've only ever half heartedly watched one of the other three Mission Impossible movies, now after this one I think I need to get my hands on the other three.
Briefly, the movie brought us to many beautiful locations namely Russia, Dubai and India where we can see expensive cars being crashed and oh-so-many Apple products being used by the cast. Needless to say, all the techy stuff and impossible stunt being done in the show greatly emphasizes this movie's namesake…
My verdict for this movie?
9/10 - Great stunts and use of all the high tech gadgets really wow-ed me (plus, of course, there is Tom Cruise!)
16 Dec 2011 Sue 6 comments


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Bar Plate Liquid-Cooled Charge-Air-Coolers
Liquid-cooled charge-air coolers (LCACs) were developed to help enable diesel engine manufacturers to meet stringent emissions regulations and to improve fuel economy.
LCACs have typically been used as an aftercooler to cool the hot charge air to an acceptable level before entering the engine. With the introduction of series turbocharging, intercooling has also become necessary to reduce the charge air temperatures prior to being directed to the second compressor stage. This allows original equipment manufacturers flexibility to use lower cost materials for this second compressor.
LCACs are also used as an alternative to an air-to-air charge-air cooler. In this case, the LCAC is used in conjunction with a low-temperature coolant circuit to reduce the temperature of the charge-air into the intake manifold to help meet engine emission requirements and achieve enhanced fuel economy.
Features and Benefits
LCACs are available in a variety of configurations and materials to address mixed gas (exhaust gas and charge air) applications.
Additionally, Modine works closely with the OEMs and intake manifold suppliers to integrate the LCAC into the intake manifold system for optimized performance and packaging.
Contact us for more information


text:
Take your Property Commercial to the next level. Narrate your own video and describe each room in detail. Highlight the unique features of your property as only you can.
You're more than just a name and a headshot — let potential clients see the real you with an Agent Profile Video. Share with potential clients the things that make you an exceptional agent. Incorporate your video into your personal site, broker's site, social media, YouTube, and every Property Site you manage for maximum exposure.


text: Dear McCain Handlers, Please let Roberta McCain talk to reporters again. Not because she'll lose her son the Presidency — we think he might be able to do that himself — but because the campaign is more fun for everyone, including your candidate, when it's not all scripted and boring. It'll totally fit with your meme that John speaks his mind, and Roberta can tell charming stories about buying cars in France and when Johnny was naughty as a kid and Paris Hilton and we can hate him marginally less because we like cool old ladies. In fact, can you work with Biden's people to get Mama Biden and Roberta to do their own talk show? [Raw Story]


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It may seem counter-intuitive, but some of the first people to get let go in a recession are the smartest, hardest working people. This counters the common idea that lower-skilled, lower-quality workers are the first to be let go and have the hardest time finding a new job.
Columbia's Andreas Mueller took a deep look at the data, and found that the unemployment pool shifts towards high-wage, high-skilled workers in recessions, and that they, have just as hard of a time finding a job as low-wage workers during recessions.
Among the people most likely to be let go are those with high wages compared to others with the same experience and education. They're most likely paid more because they're the most productive, but still get fired at higher rates.
A possible explanation is that higher-paid workers are overpaid or just got lucky. In another study, Mueller found that highly paid people with higher IQs, more proven ability, and higher non-cognitive (personality and emotional) scores are still more likely to be laid off. The highest-quality workers make up a higher share of the unemployed than is usually thought.
The biggest explanation, according to Mueller, are the credit crunches that result from recessions. Firms understand that their best workers will be essential to recovering and would like to keep them, but lower revenue and tight credit sometimes leave them with no choice but to fire some of their best people.
All of this goes to emphasize the point that recessions are actually one of the best times to hire, if you can afford it.
NOW READ: CEO Went On A Hiring Spree For Top Talent During The Recession — And It Paid Off


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The American Anthropological Association (AAA) is pleased to announce that its Committee on Public Policy has selected medical anthropologist Nancy Scheper-Hughes as the first recipient of the new Anthropology in Public Policy Award. Dr. Scheper- Hughes is a nationally-recognized expert on several important health issues, including hunger, illness and organ trafficking.
The Anthropology in Public Policy Award (AiPP) was established in 2012 by the Committee on Public Policy (COPP) to honor anthropologists whose work has had a significant, positive influence on the course of government decision-making and action. Dr. Scheper-Hughes' body of work and research, especially in the area of organ trafficking, has shaped how governments and international bodies address the issues of illegal transplantation.
In 1999, Scheper-Hughes helped found the Berkeley Organs Watch Project, an organization dedicated to research on human organ traffic worldwide, including examining the transnational networks that connect patients, transplant surgeons, brokers, medical facilities and so-called "live donors." Almost ten years later, in 2008, her investigation of an international group of organ sellers based in the East Coast of the United States and Israel led to multiple arrests by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In recent years, she has served as an advisor or consultant to the European Union; the United Nations, Division of Law Enforcement, Organized Crime and Anti-Laundering Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Human Trafficking Office of the World Health Organization in Vienna. She has also testified as an expert before the US Congress, the Council of Europe and the British House of Lords.
"We are pleased and honored to make Dr. Scheper-Hughes the winner of the first AiPP Award," COPP chair Dr. Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts announced in a statement today. "Her work and research offer powerful examples of the contribution our discipline can make to larger public policy debates. By recognizing her as thefirst recipient of the award, we are making a strong statement about the power and effectiveness our discipline can have with regulators and legislators worldwide. "
COPP will honor Dr. Scheper-Hughes on during the 112th AAA Annual Meeting. The meeting is open to the public, registration is required.
Dr. Scheper-Hughes is a professor of anthropology and Director of the Medical Anthropology Program at the University of California at Berkeley.


text:
Browse by Medical Category
Friday, March 18, 2011
The top five floors of the Lunder Building are adult inpatient units for neuroscience and cancer patients. While the patient floors follow a standard design, each has features specific to a particular patient population. This week, MGH Hotline describes the special features of Floors 9 and 10, which are devoted to cancer patients, and provides a general description of a Lunder Building patient floor, including the nursing, support services and common areas.
The patient floors in the Lunder Building were designed for specific patient populations, such as neuroscience and cancer patients, yet the layout also allows for flexibility for other types of patients in the future. Each floor will be composed of a single unit that is divided into two C-shaped interlocking subareas. Each subarea includes support space for a medication room, housekeeping closet, on-call suite and a staff locker room. This allows for easy communication and collaboration between the two subareas as well as fewer footsteps for nurses.
To prevent noise associated with maintenance and general operational activity from reaching patient rooms, corridors for patients and their visitors will be located away from hallways used for medications and support services. Housekeeping supplies, carts, equipment and dietary galleys will be kept away from patient rooms in separate "cut-through" hallways. To further lessen noise levels, clinical and operational supplies will be delivered to patient floors via service elevators that open into behind-the-scenes corridors.
The corner of each patient floor will house specialized spaces for staff lounges, family/multipurpose rooms and rehabilitation rooms. A central pathway crossing diagonally within the unit will allow light to enter into the center of the unit, where a waiting area for family and visitors will overlook the atrium. Close to this area will be a conference room for multidisciplinary staff collaboration, a documentation room and a social work services office.
"Nursing care and observation will be provided at three locations," says Barbara Cashavelly, RN, nursing director of Phillips 21, a 20-bed medical oncology unit, which will transition to 32 beds on Lunder 9. "There will be central monitoring and key communication points at interaction work zones on each floor outside the patient rooms as well as decentralized computer stations and work counters across from patient rooms for multidisciplinary team consults. In addition, there will be nurses' stations within each patient room for documentation."
Lunder 9 and 10 will be designated medical oncology floors. All of the patient rooms on Lunder 10 will be set up for protective isolation for bone marrow transplant and other patients. The unit will maintain a positive pressure environment in which the airflow is carefully managed to help minimize and prevent infection. Lunder 10 also will have an exercise room specifically designed and equipped for these patients.
"Lunder 9 and 10 will have an infusion suite each with two infusion chairs," adds Ellen Fitzgerald, RN, nursing director of Ellison 14 and soon Lunder 10. "These will be used to provide an alternate location for intravenous hydration and infusion therapy and for getting patients in early to start their chemotherapy before the room where they will stay is ready. Lunder 10 also will include a satellite pharmacy to provide chemotherapy production for the inpatient units in the building."
In preparation for occupying the Lunder Building, Cashavelly says this summer the nursing staff will be looking at the nursing workflow for their new unit in order to maintain continuity of patient care and safety. She adds that nurse practitioners will cover 28 beds between the two units.
For more information about the Lunder Building, access www.massgeneral.org/lunder.
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text:
Note: This item is more than five years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
Print – Plain Text – Permalink
News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
March 28, 2014
No New Positives Found in 2013-14 Trans Pecos CWD Surveillance
AUSTIN – Nearly 300 tissue samples were collected from hunter harvested deer and elk from the Trans Pecos ecoregion during the 2013-14 season to test for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Over the last two hunting seasons upwards of 600 deer and elk have been tested for CWD, thanks to the cooperation of hunters and landowners who have participated in the state's hunter check stations.
"Undoubtedly without the hunter check stations, and hunter and landowner participation, we would know very little about the prevalence of the disease or where it exists," said Mitch Lockwood, Big Game Program Director with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
To date, 617 deer and elk have been tested through the CWD check stations and strategic sampling that occurred during the summer of 2012; 215 were in the Containment Zone, 172 were in the adjacent High Risk Zone, 57 were in the Buffer Zone, and 173 were outside of the CWD zones. Forty five of the samples tested from the Containment Zone were from deer harvested in the Hueco Mountains.
TPWD's Current CWD Management Zones
"Additional sampling is necessary to develop more confidence in the geographic extent and prevalence of the disease, but the fact that CWD has not been detected in Texas outside of the Hueco Mountains of northern El Paso and Hudspeth counties is encouraging," said Lockwood.
Including the positives reported from last year's sampling effort, and the three positives reported by New Mexico Game and Fish in 2012, CWD has been detected in 9 of 49 deer sampled in the Hueco Mountains.
CWD is a member of the group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases in this group include scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle, and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. CWD among cervids is a progressive, fatal disease that commonly results in altered behavior as a result of microscopic changes made to the brain of affected animals. An animal may carry the disease for years without outward indication, but in the latter stages, signs may include listlessness, lowering of the head, weight loss, repetitive walking in set patterns, and a lack of responsiveness. CWD is not known to affect humans or livestock.
There is no vaccine or cure for CWD, but steps have been taken to minimize the risk of the disease spreading from beyond the area where it currently exists. TPWD and Texas Animal Health commissions adopted rules to restrict movement of deer, elk, and other susceptible species within or from the CWD Zones as well increase surveillance efforts.
More information about CWD is available online at http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/.
Publication — Permission is granted to publish, in whole or in part, any news releases on this page.
Print — A print-friendly version of the news release shows only the release with font sizes set to the browser default.
Plain Text — Plain text versions of TPWD news releases are provided for copying and pasting into editing software.
To copy text into an editing software:
- Click a Plain Text link to display the plain text page in your browser.
- Select all.
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text:
Dena Levitz
Dena Levitz is a digital strategist and freelance writer in Dublin whose work has appeared in such publications as the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The Crime Report.
San Francisco has long struggled to find a solution to the throngs of panhandlers peddling for food and cash on its streets.
And even though the City by the Bay enjoys a storied reputation as a dog-lovers haven, the recession has skyrocketed the number of canines without homes — last year to the tune of 500 extra dogs brought in to S.F.'s Animal Care and Control, a facility with room for only 120 canines at a time.
Now a government-backed program will try a two-for-one solution to make a dent in these seemingly disparate problems.
WOOF, Wonderful Opportunities for Occupants and Fidos, will pair residents in supportive housing who agree not to panhandle with adolescent puppies in need of socialization in order to be permanently adopted. The approach is believed to be unlike any other currently being tried and was the brainchild of Rebecca Katz, the city's director of Animal Care and Control, and Bevan Dufty, the newly-appointed director of Housing Opportunities, Partnerships and Engagement.
"We think it will be absolutely magic to give these individuals and these dogs a second chance together," says Dufty, Mayor Ed Lee's point person on homelessness. "For the WOOFers it provides them a sense of purpose and dignity like no other."
Thanks to a $10,000 private donation, the program also provides participants weekly payments for fostering the puppies along with training in both animal care and job skills.
Katz says the individual payment amounts are still being worked out but that they'll likely fall between $50 and $75 per week.
"This comes out to close to what they'd be bringing in panhandling," she says, so that WOOF becomes a viable alternative to begging for cash.
More substantially, Katz hopes caring for animals will have other lasting benefits for participants. They'll make more social connections while walking their temporary pets, becoming part of something bigger than themselves, she says.
Initially, when WOOF launches in August, there will be a two-week to two-month pilot period with just 10 canine caregivers. Once the kinks have been worked out the program would theoretically keep expanding and evolving. Katz and Dufty are still narrowing down the first class of WOOFers. For those not able to join right away, the plan is to line them up with shifts at Animal Care and Control.
The out-of-the-box project has not been without controversy. When officials unveiled WOOF last month, a host of San Franciscans immediately feared for the puppies' safety. In a city where dogs outnumber children and residents tend to take better care of their pets than themselves, it wasn't entirely a shock.
"The program was portrayed almost like we were going to drive by people on the street and hand them puppies out of a truck," she said. "But we have safeguards in place."
For one, Dufty and Katz are working with social agencies to promote the program and identify worthy candidates. The first batch of WOOFers will be individuals already a part of the city's Community Housing Partnership, which means they've been screened to ensure they're not violent and are mentally up to the job. CHP's supportive housing units are also accessible 24/7 by staff who could check in on any potential dangers for the dogs. That's on top of frequent checks on WOOF puppies, according to Dufty.
Cities' approaches to curbing homeless residents from panhandling have generally been the polar opposite of WOOF, increasing no-panhandling zones or upping public service campaigns teaching city-goers not to give to panhandlers.
Dufty is no fan of criminalizing panhandling and prefers offering alternatives to those on the street. It's unknown how many people panhandle in San Francisco. But in certain areas, like the Tenderloin, the practice is particularly rampant and aggravating enough to citizens that they ranked panhandling their number one concern in a March poll by the Chamber of Commerce [PDF].
Katz and Dufty don't expect WOOF to eradicate panhandling in San Francisco.
"But for some of the population this might work," she says. "We want to create something that is a boilerplate model for the rest of the country."
Top image: Arman Zhenikeyev/Shutterstock.com
The troubled coworking company is the largest office tenant in New York City. What happens to the city's commercial real estate market if it goes under?
Two new studies have revived the long-running debate over how police respond to white criminal suspects versus African Americans.
The foreign-born population has declined in U.S. states that voted Democratic in 2016, and increased in states and metros that voted for Trump.
As WeWork crashes and Uber bleeds cash, the consumer-tech gold rush may be coming to an end.
Pete Buttigieg's former chief of staff, James Mueller, is vying with a Republican challenger to be the next mayor of South Bend, Indiana.


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Isabella County pastor declared competent to stand trial in killing of 24-year-old
MOUNT PLEASANT (AP) — A mid-Michigan pastor charged with killing a young woman in her trailer has been declared competent to stand trial.
MLive.com reports that the determination involving 55-year-old John D. White was made Wednesday by Isabella County Judge William T. Ervin following a psychiatric exam.
A prosecutor plans to meet next week with defense lawyer Gordon Bloem to schedule when White will face a hearing to determine whether the case goes to trial.
White is an ex-convict who settled outside Mount Pleasant and became pastor of a tiny church, Christ Community Fellowship. Police say he confessed to killing 24-year-old Rebekah Gay as part of a sexual fantasy.
She was bludgeoned and strangled on Oct. 31, and her nude body was dumped in the woods.


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Finished Needlepoint Pillows
Cymbidium on Cream
A luxury needlepoint pillow - Cymbidium on Cream from the Exotics Collection.
This decorative throw pillow is hand-made by artisan stitchers who spend approximately 120 hours on each design. Every component is of the highest quality, creating an heirloom product.
The design is stitched in 100% wool and finished in a traditional style with thick cording that is hand-sewn with corner loops for optional tassels. The backing fabric is moire-style.
Insert 100% down.
Measures 16" x 16".
Ref. EX02CRM


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Our Lady of Waste Management: Parish-based environmentalism
Parishes are finding that reducing their carbon footprint is not only an environmental issue but a spiritual one, too.
Parishioners at Mary Immaculate Church in East Los Angeles meet monthly in convivencias, or town hall meetings, to discuss parish initiatives. Last autumn, when they learned that 38 million water bottles annually are sent to U.S. landfills, their vote on what the parish should do wasn't even close. Plastic water bottles are now banned from the campus.


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An infinitive is to plus a verb form. It can be used as an adverb. Examples: to be, to see, to be seen, to be eaten.
Adverb infinitives are used to modify verbs. They usually tell why. Adverb infinitives are used to modify predicate adjectives. They may also be compound.
An infinitive phrase is made up of an infinitive and any complements (direct objects, predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives, or modifiers.) An infinitive phrase that comes at the beginning of the sentence is always followed by a comma and modifies the subject of the sentence.
Instructions: Find the infinitive phrases in these sentences and tell what word they modify.
1. The actors performed there to entertain and to be seen.
2. The amount of danger was impossible to imagine or to describe.
3. I have come to ask a favor and to seek your help.
4. Are you unable to see or to read the sign?
5. The bucking horse jumped high to throw me and to break my neck.
--For answers scroll down.
1. to entertain/to be seen modify the verb performed
2. to imagine/to describe modify the predicate adjective impossible
3. to ask a favor/to seek your help modify the verb have come
4. to see/to read the sign modify the predicate adjective unable
5. to throw me/to break my neck modify the verb jumped
For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive at http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.html.


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syco necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 291 diseños de 49 diseñadores freelance.
Design a new logo, plus B-card and Letterhead, with comps - for a home building company [name] Peter Klasen Homes.
EXTENDED CONTEST !!- Due to now requiring Business Card and Letterhead Design. Logo will also be used on vehicles, trailers, signs, and shirts. If you want to design a "Out the Front of the House" Street Sign... that would be a bonus :)
Peter Klasen Homes
The company is a high quality home builder / construction company that focuses on professional workmanship and service in a small community area, of approx 30,000 people, building mid to high end homes. Based in Australia, we specialise in complete custom design projects and build ... which includes consultation from the design stage, through council stage, supply of materials, right through to building completion. High quality finishes. We want to convey a sense of pride in our craftsmanship, allowing us to build quality homes.. (maybe even hinting that we are meticulous when it comes to craftsmanship).
- Most important is that the logo if easy to read from a distance, as we need to make sure people can read when driving past the signage we have on our building sites, plus cars signs, etc.
- Requiring Adobe Illustrator Vector - so we can edit the colours to match our current colours. Our current LOGO colours are gold, maroon and black. (Gold- C=0% M=27% Y=%100 K=%34 Maroon- C=0% M=97% Y=%100 K=%50 and Black)
- To help make it clear maybe have no images behind the words "Peter Klasen Homes", so this part stands out.. but I am open to new ideas so show me what you got!
- I don't want flashy or 'to' modern... just want clean design to refresh / upgrade our old dated logo. I can email our old one if you wish.
- We do not construct large office builds..etc (so please no city buildings in the logo) We are just a conventional home builder.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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VIP Works is a partnership between ASD Adult Achievement Center and Bright Feats Directory. We offer a vocational "Skills Lab" training program to include a paid work experience in a variety of computer programs and other technology-related disciplines. Our program encompasses print and digital production skills, problem solving skills, entrepreneurship skills, career readiness, developing communication skills for employment, successfully completing identified tasks in appropriate time, and interpersonal skills such as making eye contact and social thinking in the workplace. Click Here for Printable Flyer
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 20VIP Works
Later Event: September 24Task Masters


text: Stocks weren't the only investments falling today. NBR's Erika Miller takes look at what's at the root of the commodities sell-off and whether it will continue. The White House is threatening to use trade enforcement authority and sanctions to punish nations that steal U.S. trade secrets. NBR's Darren Gersh has the latest on the challenges of getting tough on cyber thieves. And, one bright spot in the lackluster economy has been auto sales. NBR's Ruben Ramirez looks at whether that demand holds the potential for more jobs in the auto sector.


text:
Some movie stars always end up in the coolest cars in their movies. Jalopnik readers know the very luckiest movie star drivers of all.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
This is a different question than simply 'which actor has the coolest car collection.' If that were the case, we'd point out that Jay Leno was in a turkey of a movie one time, so his humongous garage would win.
No, this is about actors who play characters on screen who always get to drive nice cars. It's not about real collections; it's more like the gearhead version of typecasting.
Of course there are tons of actors who get to play characters with cool cars in just a few movies, but not every one of them got to make it on the list. We really wanted to put Lindsay Lohan on here for Herbie, but she hasn't gotten behind the wheel of much else. Well, other than the times she's crashing Porsches and Mercs, but that's the real world.
So let us know if your favorite actor who drives cool cars in all the films he or she is in didn't make this list. Post their on-screen rides in Kinja below.
Photo Credit: Iron Man
10.) Jason Statham
Statham would get on this list for the E38 BMW 7 series in Transporter alone, or even for the rest of the Transporter series' Audis. We really want him on the list for all the cars in The Bank Job. All those '60s and '70s British classics make us jealous.
Suggested By: DeeCeee, Photo Credit: IMCDB
9.) Robert DeNiro
Again, DeNiro couldget on this list from the strength of one movie alone. It's all about Ronin — the guy gets to tear ass in a Mercedes 6.9, perhaps the greatest Q-car of all time. DeNiro also got his hands on some much more relatable '80s American iron in Midnight Run, too.
Suggested By: 900turbo, Photo Credit: IMCDB
8.) Steve McQueen
The guy got to drive a Porsche prototype around Le Mans. We'll just let that sink in for a minute.
Even the rest of McQueen's movies had awesome rides. From the brown 911 at the start of Le Mans, to the Mustang in Bullitt, to the fact that he wouldn't do The Great Escape if there wasn't a motorcycle chase in it, the guy had his cars down pat.
Suggested By: Nighthawkwill7, Photo Credit: Le Mans
7.) Christian Bale
The guy gets to drive the Tumbler. You almost forget about the Lambos and the Italian motorcycles. Well, almost.
Suggested By: rafkong, Photo Credit: IMCDB
6.) Cheech Marin
The guy had a freakin' beater Impala lowrider. If that's not an attainable dream car, we don't know what is. But the 6-4 is not why he's on this list. Cheech got to drive a van made out of pot. Game, set, match.
Suggested By: Takuro Spirit, Photo Credit: Up In Smoke
5.) Bruce Willis
Let's just do a brief rundown of Bruce Willis' on-screen chariots:
'80 Honda Civic in Pulp Fiction
'55 Buick Century in Sin City
'68 Chevy Impala in Lucky Number Slevin
'71 Buick Riviera in The Last Boy Scout
'85 BMW 635CSi in Moonlighting
'68 Chevy El Camino in Stylo
We rest our case.
Suggested By: _Mécanicien, Photo Credit: Gorillaz
4.) Matthew McConaughey
You thought that Bruce Willis got behind the wheel of some awesome cars, check out what you get to drive when you're Matthew McConaughey. He got a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 for Dazed and Confused, he got a (replica) 1936 Voisin C28 in Sahara, and he got a tank in Reign of Fire. It's hard to outdo a tank, really.
Suggested By: Astonman1985, Photo Credit: IMCDB
3.) Dax Shepard
We're not huge fans of Hit and Run, but Dax Shepard not only got to drive his own 650 horsepower Lincoln Continental in the movie, he got a 700 horsepower baja buggy, too. The real reason why he's so high on the list, though, is his '81 Honda (HOW DARE YOU) in Employee of the Month.
Suggested By: Cream of Meat, Photo Credit: Hit and Run
2.) Michael Caine
Back when Michael Caine played the badass in every single British film being made he got to drive the coolest cars the studios could get their hands on. We'll just pick our top three:
Aston Martin DB4 in The Italian Job
Mk II Ford Cortina in Get Carter
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud in Alfie
Plus, we're sure that Alfred took the Tumbler out for a spin every once in a while, you know, just to make sure everything was working while Master Wayne was away.
Suggested By: Sir Ramblin Rover, Photo Credit: IMCDB
1.) Ryan Gosling
The dude was in Drive, come on. He got a mysteriously powerful Impala to play with, not to mention a stock car racing career on the side. Even more than those cars, he got a 1987 Toyota Tercel in Lars and the Real Girl. You can't beat that.


text:
In the 1990s professional wrestling stopped being considered a 'sport' by most people inside and outside
the industry. Instead, it was labelled 'sports-entertainment' -- a fitting title since 'kayfabe' (the
secrets behind how wrestling works) had long been broken by WWE Owner Vincent K. McMahon and wrestling
events in North America had predominantly become more spectacle and showmanship-oriented. With the changing
trends in pro wrestling, many state commissions in the United States either stopped regulating wrestling,
or loosened regulations because of the greater emphasis on entertainment.
In Canada, the Manitoba Commission stopped regulating wrestling in 1996, and recent reports have
suggested that the Vancouver Athletic Commission is considering withdrawning from regulating wrestling.
Still, there are a number of commissions across the country that continue to regulate professional
wrestling. Perhaps the one most in question is the Ontario Athletic Commission.
The OAC has been under fire since bringing an old regulation to the forefront, which although hadn't
been enforced until March 2002, had always been part of the OAC's Athletic Acts. The regulation in question
stipulates that under regulation 52, part 4, line 85 of the Athletics Acts, "No person shall hold a
professional contest or exhibition of wrestling where male and female wrestlers are in the ring at the same
According to Quebec-based Indy wrestler, Precious Lucy, who has built a strong reputation as a female
who can 'go' with the males over the last 5-1/2 years, the OAC only started enforcing the regulation after
a rival promoter called to complain about a hardcore inter-gender match she was scheduled to participate in
for the now-defunct PWE in Ontario.
Lucy recalls her reaction when she was informed of the regulation. "I really thought it was a joke,"
she told SLAM! Wrestling. "This is wrestling. I've been performing against guys for 5-1/2 years and never
got hurt."
Lucy continued, "The regulation itself is discriminatory. I can't perform with the workers of my choice
in an entertainment business." The ban of inter-gender matches in Ontario, Lucy claims, has affected her
earning capacities as prior to the enforcement of the regulation she was wrestling "at least twice a month
in Ontario," whereas today she's wrestling "anywhere but Ontario."
OAC Commissioner, Ken Hayashi, explained the reasoning behind the regulation in a recent phone
interview with SLAM! Wrestling. "The whole context of it is, it is mainly there to protect. Men will
wrestle the men, women will wrestle the women. It's pretty straightforward. It also applies to the boxing,"
he said.
Hayashi though, admits that despite the regulation, inter-gender matches are likely still taking place
in Ontario. "It's like speeding. Somebody might be speeding, but you can't catch everybody," he stated.
"It's not something that they should be doing. The wrestling, because of it being all pre-arranged and
stuff, we don't regulate it with an iron fist."
Elmira The Iron Maiden, a wrestler for Big Time Pro Wrestling and CIWA in Canada, says she didn't take
the regulation seriously when she was initially told about it. "I thought it was a joke [when I was first
told] because I was scheduled to wrestle a guy the following week. I did the match, and then my friend
informed me that it was serious."
Not surprisingly, Elmira is upset with the regulation and believes that wrestlers should have a choice
of whom they wrestle and don't wrestle, regardless of gender. "I'm not saying that a woman should be in the
ring getting beat up by a man four times her size. I'm saying [male] wrestlers should have the right to
choose whether or not they wrestle a woman," she said. "It's a personal decision and the OAC shouldn't be
tarring wrestling with the same brush as boxing."
Marty Goldstein, a highly-regarded investigative researcher and head of Broad Range Alternative Talent
(BRAT), has worked in the wrestling business in almost every capacity (producer, wrestler, referee, event
consultant, agent, researcher) for over 20 years and believes the OAC is incorrect in classing wrestling in
the same group as boxing. "Boxing is shoot," Goldstein said. "To impute the logic of boxing where
inter-gender bouts are to my knowledge not legal, with what goes on in wrestling, well it is ridiculous."
Well-known Canadian wrestler, Notorious T.I.D. (Chris Tidwell), who has been working in Ontario for six
years, is in agreement with the opinions of Lucy, Elmira, and Goldstein. "I really don't think that gender
should have any bearing on a performer's ability to go out in front of a crowd and perform," he told SLAM!
Wrestling. "I think it's more a matter of having properly trained performers in the ring."
Tidwell also sees the changing face of pro wrestling as a reason to support inter-gender matches in the
business. "I don't know if anybody has noticed or not but pro wrestling is more of a show and not so much
of a real sporting event like say baseball or football. Women have been heroines in movies and other forms
of theatre for years so why not add pro wrestling to that list of theatre?"
Scott D'Amore, owner and promoter of Ontario-based Border City Wrestling (BCW), echoes a similar
attitude towards the OAC's ruling. "The rule book in Ontario is archaic," he said. "You would lose your
(promoting) license for eye-gouging or for choking, and I mean the use of a foreign object is prohibited --
it's a wrestling rule book which I didn't know existed, or at least not in a lot of years, and it really
needs to be thrown out."
Despite his feelings towards the Ontario rule book, D'Amore believes Ken Hayashi is a decent and
respectable Commissioner. "Ken Hayashi is actually a very fair and very good athletic commissioner, and I'm
not just saying that because I have to deal with him on a monthly basis," said D'Amore. "Honest to God, he
is a guy that if you deal with him he's a very good guy for a smaller independent promotion to work with
because he's understanding and he's willing to work with you." D'Amore further explained, "Ken is
handcuffed by archaic regulations, and that's really the problem."
An inherent problem is the inconsistency in the enforcement of it. According to Lucy, whenever WWE are
in Ontario there are "double-standards." She poses the question, "How come the WWE is allowed to have
inter-gender matches [in Ontario] ... and I can't be part of any events with the same kind of 'gimmick'?"
Hayashi answered her question.
"When you get organizations like the WWE that the people are all well-trained, you've got paramedics
and doctors right there, and everybody knows it's a skit, basically, so it's a little bit different," he
told SLAM! Wrestling. "But you get these small-time promoters. You just don't know what they're going to
do. Everybody copies what the big people are doing, what the bigger organizations are doing. People can get
hurt because they don't have the training or the know-how and the proper stuntmen training them."
The question must be raised though, based on the above statements made by Hayashi, is there any
evidence stipulating that the dangers are increased when inter-gender matches take place on the Canadian
Independent scene? "Is it more dangerous," said the Commissioner. "I really don't know. If it was boxing,
absolutely... I think it's (the regulation) there to protect. You have some promoters that may take it one
step too far."
Hayashi outlined a hypothetical situation in which he would potentially class as a promoter going 'too
far'. "You get a 250-pound man, some promoter all of a sudden has a 130-pound female wrestler, and he
decides to put them in the ring," he stated. "He may not have the experience, then she gets hurt. Then
you're showing violence against women, which could create a problem."
Tidwell agrees with the first fragment of Hayashi's comments. "I...think you have to factor in the
'believability factor'. Is it possible for a 125-pound female to really bodyslam a 300-pound man?," the
6-foot-4, 270-pounder said.
The Commissioner also said that while the regulation is in place, if promoters decide not to adhere to
the policy then in any instance where someone is injured while participating in an inter-gender match in
Ontario, the promoter will fully be "held responsible."
At the moment a number of actions are underway to possibly overturn the regulation. Last month,
Precious Lucy filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission about the issue and is still
awaiting their decision. "If the OHRC accepts the complaint, I already passed step one, the next step is
mediation [with OAC members]," she revealed to SLAM! Wrestling. "If this doesn't work, I'll have to find
another way because the regulation has to go."
Elmira has also taken action in recent weeks, via a petition. She says that if her petition is
unsuccessful, then she'll proceed to "take the matter to a higher level."
Tidwell too feels that if enough pressure is put on the Ontario Athletic Commission, they will be
forced to reconsider their stance. "I think that if any issue is given enough press and limelight it will
force the OAC or someone in an opposing Government position to take notice and possibly make those
changes," he said.
Hayashi suggests though, that the regulation is "a very difficult thing to amend" and the overturning
of it would be outside his jurisdiction. "That wouldn't be up to me," he stated. "If the wrestling
promoters wanted to lobby Government and see about getting it changed, then they'll be asking, 'why are
women wrestling against men?' ... it never ends."
However, Goldstein strongly disagrees with Hayashi. "The actions of the OAC would be laughable except
they are costing Canadians jobs and opportunity, and fail any real test against the supreme court judgments
and human rights rulings."
He continues, "In a political campaign to lobby public support and determine the true public interest,
the OAC and any boxing commission body would lose. Wrestling is a work ... it being based on gender
(without physical testing to create reasons for a different class), would get blown out in court. I would
predict damages in that circumstance as well."
Goldstein remembers a similar situation with the then Manitoba Boxing and Wrestling Commission in 1995.
"When the Manitoba Commission proposed this gender rule, as well as many other idiotic ones, I strongly
suggested that copying the Ontario handbook was unwise, as that would have been the first rule that would
be challenged [by me], and they had no taste for further humiliation after what I had already put them
Indeed, Goldstein is a knowledgeable man on the issue. In 1996 his investigative work was instrumental
in the "arbitrary move to wrestling deregulation" in Manitoba, and as recent as April 2003 he was partly
responsible for the abolition of Commission oversight of the wrestling industry in Oregon.
"If anyone wants a study or lobbying done on the issues of regulation of pro wrestling," said
Goldstein, "stop hiring lawyers and hire my firm." He proceeded to explain why hiring BRAT would be a wise
"We are the only group besides Vince McMahon to get rid of two commissions and our expertise and
ability to work with government on necessary regulation is unmatched. However, you should be aware that WWE
either supports or opposes commissions depending on whether they can make more money with or without one."
Another problem Ontario promoters have been facing lately is rising insurance costs, which has
Commissioner Hayashi "a little concerned." The Commissioner explained that following an injury in a
wrestling match in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a claim was made against an insurance company and as a result
insurance costs have skyrocketed across the country. Hayashi uses the rise in insurance as an example to
support the regulations the OAC has in check. "That's what happens with these promoters. They get carried
away, somebody gets hurt and all of a sudden there's a claim and the insurance companies just say 'we're
not going to touch it.'"
The immediate future for the Ontario Independent wrestling scene looks bleak. Goldstein sees a future,
provided some amendments are made.
"In the right environment," said Goldstein, "the Indy wrestling industry can still be profitable if run
in a way that does not necessitate or invite Government intrusion, or allow the perpetuation of the boxing
establishment being underwritten by a completely different, non-combative art form."
-- with files from Greg Oliver
Related links
Mike Altamura managed to write this feature on Ontario wrestling while being based in Australia. He can
be contacted via email at email@example.com.