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Anyone who dares try to slip out of the Shiite villages of Zahraa and Nubl is risking their life. Sunni rebel snipers outside are ready to gun them down. Roads out are blocked with barricades and checkpoints. Twice a day government helicopters bring residents supplies in a crucial lifeline.
For more than three months, Syria's rebels have imposed a smothering siege on the villages, home to around 35,000 people, which they say are a den of pro-regime gunmen who have shelled, killed and kidnapped Sunnis from nearby villages.
The scene of bitterness and reprisals between neighbors in the northern Syrian countryside illustrates how the civil war has torn apart the longtime coexistence among ethnic and religious groups under the rule of the secular Baath party of President Bashar Assad and his father before him. It points to the perils of the sectarian divisions that lie ahead for the nation of 21 million as the war worsens.
Zahraa and Nubl make up a small pocket of Shiites, largely Assad loyalists, in the overwhelmingly Sunni region of the north in Aleppo province. The siege has its roots in months of tensions between the two sides since the Sunni-led revolt against Assad began in March 2011. Sunnis in the area say pro-regime gunmen known as Shabiha operated from the two villages, attacking nearby towns as they rose up against Assad. The violence fueled a cycle of tit-for-tat killings and kidnappings and tore apart the social fabric between the sects.
Then in July, rebels overwhelmed most of Aleppo province, driving out government forces and taking control of the region's towns and villages. The tables were turned: Many Assad loyalists fled to Zahraa and Nubl for refuge, and the rebels clamped down with their siege, seeking revenge.
Perhaps more than anyone, Bashar al-Hajji feels the impact of the rift. He's a native of Beyanon, a Sunni village of 5,000 that lies across the main north-south highway from Zahraa and Nubl. He's the only Sunni in town who's married to a Shiite, and his wife of five years is from Zahraa.
"I am caught between the two sides," said al-Hajji, a 28-year-old mechanic who is not just Sunni but follows the sect's most conservative school, Salafism.
His wife's family shuns him and is persistently telling her to leave him and come back to them in Zahraa.
"They know that I am a Salafi, and they think it is permitted for me to kill Shiites," said al-Hajji, sitting in the inner yard of the family's home in Beyanon. "Well, if this is the case, I don't have to go far to kill one," he said smiling while looking at the house.
Al-Hajji limps from a gunshot wound he sustained in February, when a four-member Shiite gang from Zahraa beat and kidnapped him.
"Only when my family and others kidnapped about 20 of their own and threatened to kill them was I released," he said. He showed a photograph of himself taken after his release, with his face bruised and a deep cut across his cheek.
He pointed to a neighborhood of Zahraa in the distance and said that it had been home to pro-regime snipers and machine gun nests that shot at "everything that moves" in Beyanon.
"They killed and wounded so many of us, we had to block the road," he said.
His friend, Khaled Mohammed Saraj, a 29-year-old carpenter, was kidnapped by Shiites in July while driving near Zahraa at 6 a.m.
"They kept me in an underground room for six days," recounted the father of two. He said three others were also being held there, and that their captors did not abuse them. They were eventually released in a prisoner exchange.
Now dirt mounds — and in some places limestone blocks — block the roads leading into Zahraa and Nubl. Rebels have set up checkpoints on the roads, and snipers are positioned in empty buildings nearby. Zahraa has its own snipers, in buildings on a hill overlooking the road, and they open fire on anyone they see trying to get into the village, fearful of rebel attacks. The barricades were the closest The Associated Press was able to get to the two villages.
In the distance, Syria's national flag — now the symbol of Assad's regime — was visible flying from a water tower in Zahraa, unlike the rebel flags raised in Sunni towns. The Shiites in Zahraa and Nubl are coping with the siege by relying on supplies from a friendly Kurdish village on the other side. But they cannot venture further than that for fear of being killed or kidnapped. Government helicopters frequently land there, bringing the villagers further supplies.
For Beyanon and a cluster of nearby Sunni villages — Hayan, Retan, Haritan and Mayer — the feud means they can no longer go into the two larger Shiite villages like they used to — for the restaurants, for the better-stocked grocery stores, mechanics and doctors. The two villages have the area's only high school, along with a vocational institute.
"Our villages are poor. Zahraa and Nubl are rich and have so much that we don't have," said al-Hajji, one of six siblings born to a retired military man with 30 years of service in the air force as an aircraft mechanic.
The tears in the social fabric are nationwide. Syria's multiple sects, religions and ethnicities long coexisted — not always completely in tune, but usually more harmoniously than neighboring Lebanon. The country is predominantly Sunni Muslim, while Shiites make up a tiny proportion, less than 5 percent, though exact numbers are not known.
The most serious split now is between Sunnis and Alawites, members of an offshoot sect of Shiism who make up about 15 percent of the population and who dominate Assad's regime. The Assad family themselves are Alawites and elevated their community to many top military and government positions. Like the Alawites, Syria's small Shiite community has largely sided with Assad's regime, as has the small Christian minority, which fears the rise of Sunni fundamentalists if Assad falls.
"Syria has sustained sectarian scars that will simply take a long time to heal," said Loai Hussein, an opposition political activist. "There has been a great deal of polarization, some of which is encouraged by neighboring countries."
There have been countless incidents of slayings between Sunnis and Alawites-Shiites across much of the country. In the main cities, mixed Alawite-Sunni neighborhoods are fast disappearing, as residents of one sect are driven out by the other or choose to flee to the safety of areas where their community is the majority.
In Idlib province, which neighbors Aleppo and has been the scene of heavy fighting, a Shiite leader from the village of Kifaraya said his son-in-law was kidnapped seven months ago by Sunnis.
"I hope it is all part of the war and that it will go away when it is over and we live together again in peace," said Abu Abdullah Hassaneh. "I am not pointing an accusing finger at anyone. It is haram (religiously prohibited) to do so."
In a wider context, Syria's sectarian fault lines reflect a divide in the region, with Shiite powerhouses Iran and Hezbollah backing Syria and Sunni Egypt and Saudi Arabia alongside their smaller Arab allies aiding the rebels and calling on Assad to step down. Syria's rebels accuse Hezbollah guerrillas and Iraqi Shiite hard-liners of fighting alongside Assad's forces, though they offer no proof.
While Syrian opposition politicians in exile abroad speak of inclusion and equality in a post-Assad Syria, the Sunni rebels on the ground bitterly talk of the need to exact retribution against Alawites who they say victimized them for decades
Al-Hajji and fighters of the rebel Free Syrian Army in the area insist they will lift the siege on Zahraa and Nubl if the government forces and Shabiha surrender to them.
But their desire for vengeance against the Shiite residents there at times shows through. They say the Shiite villages are doing much more than providing sanctuary for the regime loyalists, accusing them of actively taking part in kidnappings and sniping at Sunnis. The brother of al-Hajji's wife was wounded when he took part in a recent firefight with Sunnis, said al-Hajji, but her family said nothing of his injury. They are also evasive when she asks them about conditions in the two villages.
Al-Hajji's 62-year-old father, Abdou al-Hajji, adopts a conciliatory tone when speaking about the area's divides. He notes how Sunnis "embraced" Shiites who fled Lebanon during Hezbollah's war with Israel in 2006.
"We have long lived in peace alongside the Shiites," said the senior al-Hajji. "We shared joy in weddings and grief in funerals."


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GOP relishes longer Hagel fight
Republicans have gained another 12 days in which to beat up on Chuck Hagel. And even though they may not ultimately stop him from taking over the Pentagon, they relished the opportunity to keep trying.
"The fight goes on," said conservative editor Bill Kristol, who marshaled opposition research, media buys and op-eds against Hagel. Kristol vowed that he would "continue to work to convince a majority of senators of the undeniable truth that we can do much, much better than Mr. Hagel."
Story Continued Below
( Also on POLITICO: Reid sets stage for Hagel showdown)
And one Republican aide promised the long Presidents' Day recess would represent for Hagel "one more week of additional questions on top of the questions they refuse to answer."
Just the same, Democrats said they remained confident they would finally make Hagel secretary of Defense when they try again on Feb. 26. In that sense, Thursday's 58-40 vote to cut off Senate debate was as much an attempt to advance him as Potomac jiu-jitsu by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who moved it up from Friday knowing it would fail in a bid to get Republicans on the record blocking him. Sixty votes were needed to move the nomination forward.
Reid and the White House seized the opportunity to slam the GOP for what they called needless obstructionism that might prove dangerous given the appearance that the Defense Department would be headless. Its incumbent boss, Leon Panetta, was set to stay on until Hagel is finally confirmed, the Pentagon confirmed, but Panetta flew home to California on Thursday to help sell the narrative that Republicans were leaving his office in the E-Ring vacant.
( PHOTOS: What they're saying about Hagel)
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney charged Republicans with putting "political posturing ahead of our nation's security."
"A clear majority in the United States Senate supports Senator Hagel's confirmation, so today's action runs against both the majority will of the Senate and our nation's interest," Carney said. "Allow this war hero an up or down vote, and let our troops have the Secretary of Defense they deserve."
( Also on POLITICO: McCain 'largely satisfied' on Hagel)
Republicans weren't buying it – Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn said Reid had moved up the Hagel vote just "to get a story in the newspaper," and he defended the validity of the sticking points over which Republicans had chosen to make their stand: Hagel's financial disclosures and the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.
Republicans said they needed to be confident Hagel hadn't taken payments from "foreign sources," and they said the White House owed them more detail about its actions in the immediate aftermath of the Benghazi attack. Democrats fumed, arguing the issues were unconnected and that Hagel had satisfied the Senate Armed Services Committee's disclosure requirements, but they could also not muster the 60 votes to break Republicans' barricade.
The White House attempted to mollify at least two key Republican opponents, John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, with a letter that explained that President Barack Obama had called his Libyan counterpart on the day after the attack, but it wasn't enough.

subset: commoncrawl


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We're on a mission to provide tasty and healthy menus with customized solutions for health care, senior living, business and industry and higher education facilities.


text:
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- Public Notices
By JONATHAN SANDERS, Guest Columnist
As we near the start of absentee voting for the November elections, we must evaluate where our local government has taken us and where we'd like to be. This is perhaps more critical to consider at the local level than at the national level because the effectiveness of local government impacts almost every aspect of our lives.
And while we cannot devise and implement a new plan for Perry County overnight, we must examine the issues which have kept Perry County from competing with our neighbors in the region. We must continually strive to raise the quality of life for all residents. This will take time, a balanced two-party system, as well as the general public's involvement to accomplish.
We must first work to increase the county's tax base, which would thereby lower everyone's individual taxes. We can do so by drawing new businesses into the county while working to ensure our current businesses stay here.
To accomplish this we need to make Perry County look attractive to businesses by increasing the county's population, which can be accomplished by attracting new residents and by stemming the tide of "youth drain." If we have better jobs, young people won't feel the need to leave Perry County for greener pastures.
The good news is that the methods used to draw businesses and people to Perry County are interdependent. Success in one area fuels further success elsewhere.
By developing and expanding infrastructure in the northern part of the county, we support and attract the influx of businesses and people much in the same way Crawford County has developed along Interstate 64 in recent years.
We must also work with local educators to ensure that the youth of Perry County are being prepared for the modern economy. If we attract more and better jobs to our county and our young people graduate with the skills to do those jobs, we become more attractive to employers considering investing in our communities.
It is also important that we promote the health and safety of our residents. We can do so by first ensuring that the necessary medical facilities are in place. We also must reduce the number of drug crimes and felonies being committed in our county, which can be accomplished by expanding our law enforcement structure through the hiring of additional sherriff's deputies and through the judicious use of prosecutorial discretion for first-time offenders charged with felonies.
The cyclical nature of these improvements is important to remember. As businesses and people migrate to our county, everyone's individual tax burden is lowered while at the same time allowing for improvements to infrastructure, schools, medical facilities and law enforcement. Making those improvements then encourages more people to move here, and the cycle continues.
But how do we achieve it? Where can we start? While the plan itself must be developed by all of us working together, we can start with better communication.
It would be helpful to see the agendas of local government meetings posted prior to each meeting, with the minutes of meetings posted afterward, perhaps even in the News or on the Web. Meetings should be scheduled in a manner which promotes maximum involvement from the community. And contributions by the public at those meetings should be encouraged, not stifled.
We would also encourage Perry County residents and government entities to scrutinize and scrub the county budget to make sure we are spending our money wisely. There are also grants which are available to be used for community improvement. If we get more "bang for our buck," we can make progress for the future of the county without jeopardizing the present.
These are important things to consider when we all head to the polls this fall. The decisions we make today will impact every area of our lives in the future as residents of Perry County.
When you question your candidates for local government, ask them where they stand on these issues. We all have a voice in local government, but if we don't speak up, it won't be heard. The most important thing is not that we lay out a plan in its entirety today, but that we at least acknowledge that currently there is no plan and one needs to be developed as soon as possible.
Sanders is the communications director for the Perry County Republicans. He lives in Tell City.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- The price of oil fell near $97 a barrel Wednesday after a government report showed an increase in U.S. crude supplies.
Benchmark oil for March delivery dropped 50 cents to finish at $97.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Crude supplies increased by 600,000 barrels, or 0.2 percent, to 696 million barrels, which is 9.8 percent above year-ago levels, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report.
Analysts expected an increase of 2.5 million barrels for the week ended Feb. 8, according to Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill (NYSE:SPGI).
Traders may have been disappointed that supplies rose at all after a report late Tuesday from the American Petroleum Institute showed a drop of 2.3 million barrels in U.S. crude stockpiles last week. The API relies on voluntary reports from distributors and pipeline operators, while submissions for the government's report are mandatory.
Earlier, the Paris-based International Energy Agency lowered its consumption expectations by 85,000 barrels a day compared with data from a month ago. Despite the downward revision, the IEA still expects the world to use 90.7 million barrels of crude oil a day this year, or 1 million barrels a day more than OPEC's estimate, released Tuesday, of 89.7 million barrels a day.
Drivers in some parts of the U.S. are paying more at the pump, as the national average for a gallon of regular rose to $3.62 on Wednesday, according to AAA. That's up 2 cents from Tuesday and 31 cents more than a month ago. The highest prices are in California, the Northeast and the Midwest.
Brent crude, used to price international varieties of oil, rose 6 cents to end at $118.72 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.
In other energy futures trading on the Nymex:
- Wholesale gasoline fell 1 cent to finish at $3.04 a gallon.
- Natural gas rose 8 cents to end at $3.31 per 1,000 cubic feet.
- Heating oil fell 2 cents to finish at $3.22 a gallon.


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game one
>>>boxscore game two
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Georgia College & State University softball team (13-30, 5-13 PBC) ripped five home runs in a doubleheader Wednesday, earning a split at Armstrong Atlantic State University (29-14, 8-8 PBC). The Bobcats took game one 13-8 and dropped game two 7-6.
The Bobcats scored a season-high 13 runs on 14 hits in game one, including eight in the fourth.
Junior leftfielder Belourse Jean-Francis (Naples, Fla.) tagged two home runs in that inning alone, good for four RBI. The Bobcats rattled off eight hits for the eight runs, taking an 8-6 lead at the time. The Pirates tied it back up at 8-8 in the bottom half, but the 'Cats answered.
Jean-Francis led off the sixth with a double, plated one batter later for the go-ahead run on a Haley Burnett (Columbus, Ga.) double. The Bobcats tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh to put it out of reach.
Jean-Francis finished 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI and two home runs. Burnett was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI as well. Third baseman Kelsea Martin (Dacula, Ga.) and centerfielder Allison Schwimer (Cumming, Ga.) each had two hits and each drove in two runs. Martin scored twice and Schwimer once as the top four spots in the order went a combined 9-for-17 with nine RBI and seven runs.
Sophomore Sabrina Chandler (Covington, Ga.) closed out the final 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and fanning two in her first appearance of the season.
Megan Barnwell took the loss, falling to 12-6 in 5 1/3 innings. The hitting star for the Pirates was third baseman Baillie Temples, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs.
Game two was another come-from-behind effort for the 'Cats, as they rallied for four runs in the sixth to tie a 5-1 game. Burnett started the inning with a solo blast, her second of the game, and Martin also plated a pair on a single.
The Pirates took the lead back with two of their own in the sixth, but the Bobcats nearly tied it back up. Shortstop Kayla Smith (Lexington, S.C.) ripped a one-out solo home run to center in the seventh, cutting the lead to one. The Bobcats put two more runners on in the inning, but couldn't bring in the tying score.
Smith tallied her 18th career home run in the inning, tying Kristin Hughes (2002-03) for fifth in school history.
Martin and Burnett each went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in game two, Burnett scoring two runs. Catcher Anna Parker (Columbus, Ga.) was 2-for-4 with a run, and designated player Jessica Solomon (Douglasville, Ga.) 2-for-3 with a run.
Burnett dropped to 9-15 with the relief effort, tossing the final 3 1/3 innings allowing a pair of unearned runs. Barnwell improved to 13-6 with the relief win, tossing the final 1 2/3 innings and allowing one run. Leftfielder Meagan Qualls went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run.
The Bobcats are back in action for Senior Day Saturday, April 10 at 2 p.m., hosting No. 1 North Georgia at the Peeler Complex.
The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame.


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A BADGER has been caught raiding a fridge in Midhurst.
As reported by the BBC, Geoff Taylor filmed the animal as it ate a bakewell tart taken from the fridge, and then exits through the kitchen cat flap when it realises it is being watched.
The footage was caught after Mr Taylor, 63, was woken by the animal in the middle of the night.
The badger had been caught raiding the same fridge the day before, when it had managed to eat six eggs, including their shells.
The video was posted by Emma Barrow, Mr Taylor's niece.
Ms Barrow said: "Undeterred by lights and everything else he's quite happy to help himself to the contents of the fridge."
"He was obviously very hungry."
"Needless to say, my uncle Geoff actually locked the cat flap after that event because the badger still tried to get back in the same night and the next night."
Mrs Barrow works for Cornwall Environment Consultants, which works alongside developments to safely rehome or build around badger setts and also provides ecological surveys on creatures such as badgers.
Ms Barrow said: "We should treat badgers with caution and respect, as they bite if cornered."
"Hopefully the footage shows what wonderful characters they can be too."
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text:
Windows 8 on a touchscreen device makes users happier than Microsoft's currently most popular operating system, Windows 7, according to CEO Steve Ballmer.
That's a somewhat surprising result of Microsoft customer research considering that Windows 8 is much criticized for its shortcomings, particularly that it lacks many of the most popular desktop features of Windows 7.
ADVICE:Gartner to businesses: Get ready for broad deployment of Windows 8.1
TOOLS:12 (FREE!) apps to turn Windows Phone 8 into an IT tool
Ballmer made the revelation during his keynote presentation at the Build 2013 conference for application developers at which Microsoft executives outlined new features in Windows 8.1 the first major upgrade of the operating system that launched last fall. Windows 8.1 seeks to restore many of the features the initial version of Windows 8 took away.
Ballmer was admitting that Windows 8 was released at a time when hardware that would show it off to best advantage touchscreen computers - was unavailable. Now, though, many new devices with a variety of configurations tablets, mini-tablets, convertibles, all-in-ones, ultrabooks are shipping. "You will see literally an outpouring of new computers that are notebooks yet have touch," he says.
And traditional PC laptops and desktops with touch will also prove valuable, he says.
His remarks came as Microsoft released the preview version of Windows 8.1, whose major new features Microsoft had already outlined.
Windows 8.1 does some backtracking to make up for some of the least popular changes made when moving from Windows 7. Chief among these are restoring the Start button and enabling boot-to-desktop rather than boot-to-Start screen.
The new start button calls up a modified Windows 8 Start screen that can be configured to each user's liking. So it can show all apps, most used apps, apps ranked by installation date or separated into categories. This is different from the Windows 7 Start menu which displays a select few apps and tools.
The Windows 8.1 Start screen itself is modified so a flick upwards from the bottom of the displays produces a new screen containing tiles for all the apps on the device.
These concessions may make Windows 8.1 more popular with businesses because most business apps for Windows were written for traditional keyboard-and-mouse devices. Business users with such devices reported a hard time figuring out how to navigate Windows 8.
Ballmer described the Windows 8.1 changes as a re-blend of the Modern touch user interface and the traditional desktop in order to make it easier to start applications the way users were familiar with.
Julie Larson-Green, Microsoft's head of Windows, says Windows 8.1 also has a new Start screen just for small devices that appears similar to the start screen for Windows Phone, with fewer tiles than are displayed on a larger Windows 8 device.
The on-screen keyboard for small devices has features to make typing easier. For example when suggested word completions appear at the top of the screen, sliding a finger across the spacebar will highlight them one at a time in the direction the finger moves. When the right word is highlighted a tap on the spacebar drops it into the message.
The Windows 8 Email program has been updated in Windows 8.1 with features to clean up the Inbox she says. For example a power panel on the left lists categories such as social, favorites and newsletters. Tapping on any of them displays just the emails associated with those categories. A sweep button can delete all of a category at once, set them aside or delete all but the most recent.
Tim Greene covers Microsoft and unified communications for Network World and writes the Mostly Microsoft blog. Reach him at email@example.com and follow him on Twitter@Tim_Greene.
Read more about software in Network World's Software section.


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Reviewed by O.B. (age 8)
I liked this book because it is not like any other book I have read before. This book deals with bullies. My favorite part was when Lauren and Bethany get paired up as partners for a school project because it kept me wondering if they were going to be able to work together or not. This book was so good I read it in one night!
I recommend this book to people who like to read about realistic problems. I think this is a good book for kids that are getting bullied or have ever been bullied because it tells you how to take charge and make the situation better.


text: BRISTOL — The Bristol selectboard will be accepting applications from those wishing to serve on a planning committee as the search for an improved facility for Bristol's fire department proceeds. Committee members will do the legwork on site selection and may continue serving into the design stage. Applications for the committee will be posted on the town's website later this week, and will also be available at the town office.


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You wouldn't know it from the Heritage Foundation's 2010 Index of Economic Freedom, but the economic "luck of the Irish" ran out in 2008. Not only did the "Celtic Tiger" — as the Irish economy had been dubbed — lose its roar, but now it appears to have been neutered, and is likely never to roar quite so loudly again.
Nonetheless, the conservative think tank rated Ireland fifth in its index — placing it squarely in the middle of the top 10 — while ranking the U.S. eighth. But a closer reading, along with details of some of the other countries on their index, offers telling hints at the modern conservative values informing the Heritage index.


text:
Select your option
To send the actual song, you should download it to your computer and then send it as an attachment. You can also burn it to a CD. See FAQ's.
To send a link on Beenesh's birthday , you should put "Email song in the future" and the information requested. This will go at 1:05 AM New York time the date you put in, unless it is already that day after 1:05 AM - then it will go immediately. It will also go next year so please don't use this option unless you want it to go every year.
Beenesh has a birthday. We have a birthday song for Beenesh. When you celebrate a birthday for Beenesh by giving a birthday song to Beenesh, it means Happy Birthday Beenesh.


text:
When Patrick and Nancy bought a seaside flat in Scotland, they were hoping for a peaceful retirement. Last year, builders began repair work on the ferry terminal opposite their home. Unfortunately, the work could only be done at low tide.
"They would start at 10:00 p.m. and go on for 6 hours," recalls Patrick. "The next night, they'd start an hour later for another 6 hours. The noise was tremendous."
The workmen used old and noisy equipment and left the acoustic doors that were supposed to silence the generators open. "It was stressful and we couldn't sleep," says Patrick. "Each night we'd think, 'Is this going to start again tonight?'"
How Noise Affects You Mentally and Physically
Unwanted noise that can't be controlled is a problem worth shouting about. Whether it is jack-hammering construction workers or your neighbor's 150-decibel sound system, it can result in mental and physical suffering. In addition to hearing loss, excess noise has been linked to stress, sleep disturbances, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and even deficits in children's learning and reading skills.
How to Combat Toxic Noise
There are several steps you can take to avoid letting noise affect you:
- Workplace noise—If you are bothered by loud and persistent noise at work, like a bone-shaking assembly line, you can campaign for a better working environment. If that does not work, then you can wear ear plugs or other noise reducing device, learn to accept the workplace conditions, or change jobs.
- Neighborhood noise—If you live on a main bus route and opposite a set of lights, you can move your main living room and bedroom to the back of the house, if the architecture of your home allows it. Secondary glazing, in which a second window is fitted inside the first, can cut noise too. Even if they do not bring complete silence, these actions give you a sense of control.
- Noisy neighbors—Most people do not like to confront the person they live next to, because they fear that saying something about the noise may make the problem worse. To take some control, consider speaking to your neighbor or writing a polite letter to let the person know that there is a problem.
- Legal action—If all else fails, you may need to take the legal route. Most cities have a department of environmental protection that will deal with noise problems. They will come and measure the noise. If it is louder than the allowable level, then they will issue a violation. If the problem is with a noisy neighbor, you may need to call the police.
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael Woods, MD, FAAP
- Review Date: 09/2017 -
- Update Date: 11/12/2013 -


text:
Richard Field leaves his wife in the shops of Venice, and makes a pilgrimage to the city's home of calcio...
There are some cracking views to be had in Venice. Some people say the best is from the Campanile in Piazza San Marco, while others prefer the view from the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. However these people have clearly not been to the Curva Sud in the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, home to Serie D outfit Venezia.
The centre of Venice is made up of 118 islands which are separated by canals and interconnected with bridges. The Penzo is located on the most easterly of these islands, Sant' Elena, and is a favourite in pub quiz questions, being the closest stadium in the world to a canal.
As with most grounds, it's not in the prettiest area of town. But this is Venice - there are no dodgy areas here, despite what you might think when you see all the graffiti on the walls approaching the stadium (this is Italy after all, the home of graffiti). Built in 1913, it's the oldest ground in Italy and it must be said it could do with a lick of paint, if only to remove the ultrà doodles.
To get here, take waterbus line 1 (the black line) down the Canal Grande to Sant' Elena - this is surely the best commute to any football ground in the world, passing under Rialto bridge with world class tourist sights on either side. Stepping off the boat at Sant' Elena, the city's greenest area, it's a five minute walk to the stadium through a park and over a footbridge.
With no roads and therefore no cars in Venice, the easiest way to arrive at the stadium for players and fans is by boat (unless they fancy a long and confusing walk over the bridges). To arrive in style, there is always the option of a gondola, although at €80 for 20 minutes, this is one for the prawn sandwich brigade.
Venezia have enjoyed a fairly inauspicious history on the pitch, although they won the Coppa Italia in 1941 and finished 3rd in Serie A the following year, their highest ever finish. Other than that, they've yo-yoed between the lower divisions, although they had a couple of seasons in Serie A in the early noughties - you might remember them featuring on Gazzetta Football Italia with the prolific Filippo Maniero.
They've experienced a pretty turbulent history off the pitch since being formed in 1907 as AC Venezia, being involved in Italian football's customary trinity of mergers, match-fixing and bankruptcy. In the 1980s they were forced to merge with AC Mestre - the team from the grim industrial new town on the mainland. Following relegation to Serie B in 2002, the then president Maurizio Zamparini walked away from Venezia and took his money and most of the squad to Palermo. Things spiralled from there, and a match-fixing scandal led to demotion, followed by bankruptcy in 2005. AC Venezia reformed as SSC Venezia before a further bankruptcy in 2009 led to the formation of the current outfit, Foot Ball Club Unione Venezia (F.B.C. Unione Venezia for short).
Venezia have spent the 2010/11 season in the regionalised Serie D, finishing second behind Treviso. This has guaranteed them a play-off place, but a bit unfairly, they'll only gain promotion if they win their play-off and a team from the division above goes bankrupt. There has been an average of 1,800 hardcore lagunari attending games, even though the stadium can hold around 10,000.
I walked around the perimeter of the ground and took pictures in the shadow of the four massive, scary-looking old-school floodlight pylons. Being a non-match day, it was clear I couldn't break in so I headed back to meet the wife in Piazza San Marco at the allotted time.
Everywhere you look in Venice there's a reminder of the city's glorious history, but to get a true appreciation of Venetian culture, get yourself down the Pier Luigi Penzo. With tickets from €10, a match here is a rare example of value in the most beautiful and expensive city in the world.


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Samir Kameche, Mohammed Feham, and Mohammed Kameche
Frequency synthesizers based on phase-locked loops (PLLs) are widely used in radio communications systems. Such signal sources are known for their high frequency resolution and fast switching speed, while maintaining good frequency accuracy over time and changing temperatures. Of course, some communications systems have specific requirements in terms of performance, and it is sometimes necessary to optimize the performance of a frequency synthesizer for a particular parameter. As will be shown in Part 1 of this two-part article, it is possible to design a PLL frequency synthesizer for fast switching speed or low spurious noise, with those two parameters representing a tradeoff that depends upon the synthesizer's loop filter. By properly designing the loop filter, a desired balance can be achieved between PLL spurious levels and lock time.
Many wireless communications systems require a frequency synthesizer that can combine low-noise operation and high frequency resolution with short locking time.1 Many systems require optimization of synthesizer locking time and reference spurious levels.2,3 It is possible to design a PLL that is optimized for different performance parameters, often by trading off one or more of its performance parameters to improve another. Figure 1 shows a conventional PLL frequency synthesizer.4 It has been used for a variety of applications, including as a control oscillator for wireless transmitters and receivers and as a timing element for digital equipment. It consists of a high-stability crystal oscillator, phase detector, charge pump, lowpass filter (LPF), voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and programmable frequency dividers.
In the PLL frequency synthesizer, the phase/frequency detector (PFD) compares a fed-back frequency with a divided-down version of the reference frequency from the crystal oscillator. In an integer PLL frequency synthesizer, outputs are divided by integers. When a phase or time difference between the PFD's outputs is detected, the charge-pump circuit converts the difference into a voltage. The loop filter extracts the DC component of this voltage, which is then used to drive an external VCO to increase or decrease the output frequency and drive the average output of the PFD to zero.
In the PLL synthesizer, the input reference divider reduces the required reference input frequency, while the feedback divider reduces the output frequency required for comparison with the scaled reference frequency. The loop filter is a critical component in a PLL synthesizer, linking the VCO with the PFD. Because PFDs and VCOs can be somewhat more limited in their designs, it is the design of the loop filter that affords the main flexibility in determining a PLL's bandwidth. Although an active filter could be used, a passive filter is generally more desirable for practical applications. 5,6
Figure 2 shows a linear mathematical model representing the phase of the PLL in its locked state, 4 where Kf is the phase-detector/charge-pump gain (in mA/rad), S is the phase-detector gain factor, Z(s) is the transfer function of the loop filter, N is the main divider ratio, and KVCO is the gain of the VCO (in MHz/V). The phase of the oscillator to be stabilized, φ0, is compared with the phase of the reference, φr, and adjusted until the difference is driven to zero. The phases represented by φi and φe are the initial and error phases, respectively, of the oscillator to be stabilized.
In Fig. 2, the output is modeled as a phase rather than a frequency, which makes more sense considering the phase detector works in terms of phase rather than frequency. The VCO gain is multiplied by a factor of 1/s to convert it from a frequency to a phase. The PLL phase transfer functions are as follows.
The forward-loop gain can be shown as:
The reverse loop gain can be found from:
The open-loop gain can be found from Eq. 3:
By combining these transfer functions, the closed-loop gain can be found:
Figure 3 shows the circuit for a second-order passive loop filter. Its transfer function, Z(s), can be found from:
The time constants, T1 and T2, which determine the pole and zero frequencies of the filter transfer function, are defined by Eqs. 6 and 7:
Thus, the third-order PLL open-loop gain can be calculated in terms of the frequency, ω; the filter time constants, T1 and T2; and the design constants, Kf, KVCO, and N:
The phase of the open-loop gain as a function of frequency depends upon the single pole and zero of the transfer function:
By setting the derivative of the phase margin equal to zero, as in Eq. 10:
the frequency point corresponding to the phase inflection point can be found in terms of the filter time constants, T1 and T2. This relationship is given by Eq. 11:
The values of the filter time constants, T1 and T2, can be found from Eqs. 12 and 13:
The component values for the filter can be found from T1 and T2 and the loop bandwidth by applying Eqs. 14-16:
Current switching noise in the dividers and the charge pump, at the reference frequency rate, FREF, may cause unwanted frequency modulation (FM) sidebands at the RF output of the synthesizer. In a wireless communications system, the phase-detector comparison frequency is generally a multiple of the RF channel spacing. These spurious sidebands can cause noise in adjacent channels. Additional filtering of the reference spurs is often necessary, depending upon the width of the loop filter. This is often the case in modern time-division-multiple-access (TDMA) digital cellular communications systems, such as GSM cellular systems.3
A recommended filter configuration in such a case is the third-order filter shown in Fig. 4.4 The attenuation added from its use is found from Eq. 17:
The resulting third-order filter has a time constant for the added lowpass section, T3, that can be found from Eq. 18:
The transfer function of the loop filter in Fig. 4 is given by Eq. 19:
where Z(s) is the transfer function for the second-order loop filter given by Eq. 5. The cutoff frequency of the new filter, ωc, can be found from Eq. 20. Capacitor C1 can be expressed by means of Eq. 21.
Similar to what was done for the second-order filter, the component values can be found from Eqs. 22 and 23:
For the loop filter in Fig. 4, it is necessary to calculate the voltage noise present at the output ports of resistors R2 and R3. The equivalent root-mean-square (RMS) noise voltage generated by the resistance can be found7 by applying Eq. 24:
k = Boltzmann's constant;
T0 = the device temperature (in°K);
B = the bandwidth (in Hz); and
R = the resistance (in O).
Figure 5 and Figure 6 offer schematic-diagram noise models for resistances R2 and R3, respectively, as being equivalent sources of noise voltage appearing in series with each resistance. The derivation of the real noise voltage versus input frequency at the tuning port of the PLL synthesizer's voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is based on the basic circuit using the models of Fig. 5 and Fig. 6.4
Reference spurious products are also introduced in the simulation. The power levels of these can be calculated by the closed-loop transfer function evaluated at the spurious offset frequencies, Fspur. In general, spurious products are a result of either signal leakage or the impedance mismatch of the charge pump. In several studies, Fspur is assumed to be a multiple of the comparison frequency, Fcomp. The power level of the reference spurious products can be found by applying Eq. 258:
In general, narrower loop bandwidths result in lower reference spurious levels but in longer frequency lock times.
The loop bandwidth, the most critical system design parameter for a PLL, is determined by many factors, and is usually external to a PLL chip. A PLL user typical chooses a loop bandwidth and will design the PLL circuits for this parameter. As mentioned earlier, the classical design tradeoff in a PLL is lock time versus spurious performance. The spurious performance may look better for a narrower loop bandwidth, but the lock time is longer. For a large loop bandwidth, the lock time may be faster, but the spurious levels will increase.
To better understand the dynamics of a loop filter in a frequency synthesizer, a precise evaluation was undertaken to ensure the precision of the PLL frequency synthesizer design. Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 show the output spectra and transient responses for previous cases of the loop filter. For the PLL frequency synthesizer, the settling time for a frequency step of 25 MHz is about 240 µs with a loop bandwidth of 10 kHz.
Figure 11 shows the impact of comparison frequency on the lock time for a PLL frequency synthesizer with 10-kHz loop bandwidth. The performance was simulated by switching the synthesizer's frequency between F1 = 890 MHz and F2 = 915 MHz. The comparison frequency was changed, but the loop filter was recalculated in each case to maintain a constant loop bandwidth (ωp = 10 kHz). When the comparison frequency is less than 20 times the loop bandwidth, the lock time obtained (about 240 µs) meets the requirements of most modern communications systems. However, when the comparison frequency is 1 MHz, the rise time of the synthesizer is greatly increased, which in turn increases the lock time. In the case where the comparison frequency, Fcomp, is 2 MHz, the lock time becomes more degraded.
Editor's Note: The second part of this article will appear in the May issue of Microwaves & RF.
- G. Singh Patel and S. Sharma, "Comparative Study of PLL, DDS, and DDS-based PLL Synthesis Techniques for Communication System," International Journal of Electronics Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2010, pp. 35-40.
- David Vye, "Performing Transient Analysis on PLL Frequency Synthesizers," Microwave Journal, Vol. 45, No. 1, January 2002, pp. 62-79.
- William O. Keese, "An Analysis and Performance Evaluation of a Passive Filter Design Technique for Charge-pump PLLs,'' Application Note AN-1001, July 2001, National Semiconductor, Santa Clara, CA, 2006, www.national.com.
- S. Kameche, M. Feham, and M. Kameche, "PLL Synthesizer Tunes DCS 1800 Band,'' Microwaves & RF, Vol. 46, No. 6, June 2007, pp. 84-90.
- S. Kameche, M. Feham, and M. Kameche, "Simulating and Designing a PLL Frequency Synthesizer for GSM Communications," High Frequency Electronics, Vol. 7, No. 12, December 2008, pp. 36-41.
- Jun Lee, "Phase Locked Loop Systems Design for Wireless Infrastructure Applications," Microwave Journal, Vol. 53, No. 5, May 2010, p. 74.
- L. Lascari, "Accurate Phase Noise Prediction in PLL Synthesizers," Applied Microwave and Wireless, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2000, pp. 30-38.
- D. Banarjee, PLL Performance, Simulation, and Design, 4th ed., National Semiconductor, Santa Clara, CA, 2006, www.national.com.


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I was delighted to learn that Helen Hayes, arguably the finest American actress of the Twentieth Century, recently got honored by being pictured on the latest "anytime"U.S. postage stamp, now on sale nationwide for 44 cents and usable for first-class postage at any future rate from now on. Miss Hayes, dubbed "The First Lady of the American Theater," died in 1993 at 92. She was the only performer to win the show business "grand slam" of Oscar, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy.
She became the first stage actress to win an Oscar, for her role in "The Sin of Madelon Claudet" in 1932. She won her second Oscar 38 years later for her supporting role in the 1970 film "Airport."
What particularly pleases me about this recent honor is that Helen Hayes appeared in my first "Snap Malek" Chicago historical mystery novel, "Three Strikes You're Dead," from Echelon Press. I set that story in 1938 and found in my research that Miss Hayes happened to be in Chicago that year in the long-running stage drama "Victoria Regina," in which she portrayed QueenVictoria over a half-century span. Every evening, the actress aged fifty years over the duration of the performance.
In my book, I had Malek, a Chicago Tribune police reporter, introduce himself to Miss Hayes in a restaurant, and the two of them ended up talking about the newspaper business, a natural topic since the actress was married to journalist Charles MacArthur, who with Ben Hecht co-wrote the famous newspaper stage play "The Front Page."
That fictional meeting between Malek and Helen Hayes remains my favorite scene in the book. And the great actress will be in my thoughts once more later this month, when I attend a revival performance of "The Front Page" at a theater inChicago.


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Lightning, Bruins square off in Atlantic Division battleNHL.com @NHLdotcom
LIGHTNING (12-4-0) at BRUINS (10-5-1)
Last 10: Tampa Bay 8-2-0; Boston 6-3-1
Season series: This is the third of four meetings between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins. The defending Eastern Conference Champions won 3-1 in Boston on Oct. 3 and 5-0 in Tampa Bay on Oct. 19. Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask allowed one goal on 56 shots in those games.
Big story: The Lightning lead the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference with 24 points and are 5-2-0 on the road. The Bruins (21 points) are 2-0-2 in their past four home games and 7-1-0 against the Atlantic Division.
Team scope:
Lightning: Tampa Bay had a 2-1 lead against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday before a late Henrik Zetterberg goal tied the game. But Teddy Purcell scored his fifth of the season in overtime to give the Lightning a 3-2 win.
The Lightning have won four games in a row.
"It felt great to get the game-winner," Purcell said Saturday. "It felt like every game I was getting two or three looks, but couldn't buy one. Anytime you're in a slump like that it's great to break out, especially when you get your team two big points."
Tampa Bay's penalty kill has allowed one goal in 22 chances in its past seven games. Ben Bishop has been a big part of that, allowing two goals or fewer in each of the past six games.
"We're proving that we're for real," Steven Stamkos said. "I think a lot of people before the season wouldn't have expected this from us. I think we're building as a team. We played great today. We probably deserved a win in regulation. We stuck with it, and it's a good feeling right now."
Bruins: Playing the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time since eliminating them from the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, the Bruins used two third-period goals to pull away in a 3-1 win Saturday.
"It was a pretty intense game," Rask told the Bruins website. "The third period was good hockey and we just ended up getting that goal to win the game."
Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron each had power-play goals as Boston scored two with the man advantage for the first time since Oct. 5.
"It's something that we've worked on for a few years now and now it seems to be clicking and obviously that helps the team a lot. It's something that we've talked a lot about that we needed to be better at," Bergeron said.
Who's hot: Five of Bruins right wing Reilly Smith's 11 points have come in the past four games. Rask is 3-0-1 with a .948 save percentage and a 1.44 goals against average in his past four games. ... Stamkos has scored in six straight games with points in his past eight. Defenseman Matthew Carle is a plus-six over his past four games.
Injury report: Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid left the game Saturday with a hip injury and is doubtful. … Defensemen Mattias Ohlund (knee), Brian Lee (knee) and forward Tom Pyatt (collarbone) are on IR for the Lightning.


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Articles 547 through 590 are the last half dozen Articles in Chapter 5. They cover a wide range of applications within the "Special Occupancies" Chapter of the NEC. In this last revision process, the Code-Making Panels and the Technical Correlating Committee attempted to make the Articles in this chapter of the Code consistent with changes made elsewhere in the document. Remember that Chapters 1 through 4 apply to all installations, and the later Chapters are allowed to supplement and modify the requirements of those four in specific types of applications.
Agricultural Buildings
Two factors have a tremendous influence on the lifespan of agricultural equipment: dust and moisture.
Dust gets into mechanisms and causes premature wear. With electricity on the scene, dust adds two other dangers: fire and explosion. Dust from hay, grain, and fertilizer is highly flammable. Litter materials (e.g., straw) are also highly flammable. Farm animal excrement may cause corrosive vapors that eat at electrical wiring methods and equipment. Thus, Art. 547 includes requirements for dealing with dust and corrosion.
Moisture causes corrosion. Water is present for many reasons, including wash down. Consequently, Art. 547 has requirements for wet and damp environments. Also, moisture can increase the chances of shocks to livestock due to differences in potential. Therefore, Art. 547 requires you to install equipotential planes in concrete floor confinement areas of livestock buildings that contain metallic equipment accessible to animals and are likely to become energized.
Livestock have a low tolerance to small levels of stray electrical current, which can cause loss of milk production and even fatalities. Thus, the NEC contains specific requirements for an equipotential plane in buildings that house livestock. Previous Code editions said Art. 547 applies to areas that:
- Have excessive dust, or dust with water, and
- Contain a corrosive atmosphere.
Because either condition warrants compliance with Art. 547, the 2011 revision removes the word "and" and replaces it with "or" in 547.1.
GFCI-protected receptacles — The allowance for non-GFCI-protected receptacles was deleted. The 2008 NEC added an allowance for receptacles (for a dedicated load) that aren't GFCI protected, provided there was a GFCI-protected receptacle within 3 ft of the non-GFCI-protected receptacle.
This baffled many Code users, as this change is the opposite of the changes the 2008 NEC made in 210.8. While exceptions/allowances were being removed from 210.8, Art. 547 seemed to be adding them — without justification. GFCI devices open the circuit when there's more than 6mA of leakage current. Because listed products should have no more than 0.50mA of leakage (or 0.75mA in certain instances), this exception isn't necessary.
Luminaires and water — An editorial revision was made to the requirements for luminaires in locations subjected to water. In locations that are exposed to water from condensation or from building cleansing water and solution, luminaires must be of the appropriate type. Previous Code editions addressed this by requiring "watertight" luminaires. By changing the rule to require luminaires that are listed as suitable for use in wet locations [547.8], the rule harmonizes with the general rules of Art. 410.
Equipotential plane — The equipotential bonding described in 547.10 is similar to the requirements for bonding swimming pools in 680.26. Both require an 8 AWG or larger copper conductor, but only 680.26 required this conductor to be solid in the previous Code. Section 547.10 of the 2011 NEC now also requires that the bonding conductor be an 8 AWG or larger solid copper conductor (Fig. 1).
The special bonding requirements of Art. 547 exist because of the sensitivity of livestock to stray voltage/current, especially in wet or damp concrete animal confinement areas. Typically, the voltage difference between metal parts and the earth is too low to present a shock hazard. However, livestock might detect the voltage difference if they touch metal parts. Although potential differences may not be life threatening to the livestock, it's been reported that as little as 0.50V RMS can affect milk production.
Methods to establish equipotential planes are described in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Standard EP473, "Equipotential Planes in Animal Containment Areas." This standard provides the recommendation of a voltage gradient ramp at the entrances of agricultural buildings.
Mobile Homes, Manufactured Hhomes, and Mobile Home Parks
Among dwelling types, mobile homes have the highest rate of fire. Article 550 addresses some of the causes of those fires. Article 550 recognizes that the same structures used for mobile or manufactured homes are also used for non-dwelling purposes, such as construction offices or clinics [550.4(A)]. Thus, it excludes those structures from the 100A minimum service requirement.
Article 550 differentiates between a mobile home and a manufactured home, providing different requirements for each. For example, you can't locate service equipment on a mobile home. However, you can install service equipment on a manufactured home (provided you meet seven conditions). Pay close attention to the definitions in 550.2 to understand the NEC distinctions.
Mobile home and manufactured homes aren't covered by the same building codes as site-built homes. Instead, they're covered by HUD standards. According to HUD, both are referred to as manufactured homes; the term "mobile home" hasn't been used for many years. This disparity between the NEC and HUD terminology can cause confusion, so read Art. 550 carefully as you apply it.
The Art. 550 requirements for bathroom receptacles [550.13] are similar to those in 406.9(C). Because Art. 550 doesn't receive many Code change proposals, its requirements can easily fall out of synch with similar requirements found elsewhere in the NEC. When somebody makes a proposal to the general rules in the rest of the Code, they typically forget to make a proposal to Art. 550.
Section 406.9(C) was recently changed to clarify that not only is a receptacle in a bathtub prohibited, but a receptacle above a bathtub also is prohibited. This change correlates these sections by adding the same text in this rule (Fig. 2).
Similarly, 550.25 has been revised to "catch up" to changes made in 210.12.
- Section 550.25(A) now says AFCIs are defined in Art. 100.
- Section 550.25(B) now requires AFCIs not only in bedrooms, but also in all other areas required by 210.12(B), including family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, and hallways.
Marinas and Boatyards
Ocean tides rise and fall, while lakes/rivers vary in depth in response to rain. To provide power to a marina or boatyard, you must allow for these variations in water level between the point of use and power source.
Article 555 begins with the concept of the electrical datum plane. Think of it as a line that marks the beginning of a zone where you simply don't place electrical equipment. Once you determine where this plane is, don't locate transformers, connections, or receptacles below that line.
Ground fault protection of main feeder — After being presented with evidence of more than 50 deaths and 30 injuries from electrical incidents in marinas and boatyards, the technical committee added a requirement for equipment ground fault protection. At first glance, it seems odd that "equipment" level protection instead of "personnel" protection is the requirement [555.3]. A "Class A" GFCI device (for personnel) opens the circuit when the current to ground is between 4mA and 6mA, while a GFPE (for equipment) trips somewhere between 30mA and 100mA. While this value is too high to directly protect a human from a fatal electric shock, it will open the circuit under most fault conditions. Removing this fault current will, in turn, protect humans against electrical shock.
Temporary Installations
Temporary wiring represents a different standard from normal wiring, but the same rules of workmanship, ampacity, and overcurrent protection apply. It's just as important to protect construction workers as it is to protect the tenants who will occupy the completed facility.
Temporary wiring must comply with all provisions of the Code, except where specifically addressed in Art. 590 [590.2(A)]. Because there are no rules in Art. 590 that address receptacles in wet locations, these receptacles must comply with 406.9. The 2011 NEC clarifies this requirement [590.4(D)(2)].
All 15A and 20A receptacles installed in a wet location must be within an enclosure that's weatherproof when an attachment plug is inserted. For other than one- or two-family dwellings, the outlet box hood must be listed for "extra-duty" use if supported by grade. Nonlocking-type 15A and 20A, 125V and 250V receptacles in a wet location must be listed as weather resistant [406.9(B)(1)], as shown in Fig. 3.
Exposed plastic surface material of weather-resistant receptacles must have UV resistance to prevent deterioration from sunlight or ensure it's minimal. In testing, receptacles are subjected to temperature cycling from very cold to very warm conditions, and then subjected to additional dielectric testing. The rapid transition from cold to warm temperatures changes the relative humidity and moisture content on the device, and the dielectric test ensures this won't create a breakdown of the insulation properties.
GFCI for personnel — The 2011 Code requires all 15kW or smaller generators to have GFCI protection for the 125V or 125/250V, single-phase, 15A, 20A, and 30A receptacles installed on them. For generators manufactured or remanufactured prior to Jan. 1, 2011, cord sets or other devices that provide portable GFCI protection may be used [590.6(A)(3)]. Section 590.6 was also rewritten using a list format for easier reading and understandability.
Holt is the owner of Mike Holt Enterprises, Inc., Leesburg, Fla. He can be reached at www.mikeholt.com.


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The Journey Ahead (Print)
The Journey Ahead (Print)
8" x 10"
Cougar 100 pound natural white cover.
Limited print run of 12.
Add To Cart
The originals are signed on the front and dated on the back.
The prints have limited runs and are signed and numbered on the front.
"Fabric" Prints are prints of the drawings done for the Nick Jones novella Fabric. They have a limited run of 20 each and are signed and numbered on the front.
Orders placed today will ship out the following business day.


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Original and Exclusive CD-i Games (part 1)
>> Tuesday, August 1, 2006
This month we'll start with a new series to give the CD-i some promoting activities especially for those stucking with Nintendo, Sega and Atari from the good old days. Loads of you feel the CD-i was a bad console with bad games and stuff, I'm not here to make you think otherwise although I'll try to gain a little perspective of the good things CD-i has to offer.
The potential of a home console often relies on its exclusive releases, right? You bought a SNES because it had Mario and Zelda; You bought a Playstation because that was the only way to play Gran Turismo, and now you'll buy the XBOX 360 because of the rumoured exclusive GTA 4. With CD-i on the background for most game-fans, its title library is relatively small and most of the games are based on ports from other versions. Considering the power of CD-i, you can imagine most CD-i conversions are not the best versions around when they also had a chance on SNES or Mega Drive, like Flashback, Micro Machines, or even Lemmings. While CD-i didn't have its own mascotte like what Mario means to Nintendo and Sonic to Sega, it'll surprise you how many exclusive CD-i releases Philips actually put through in the life of CD-i. And I'm not even talking about all Philips Media games because they also ported a lot of titles to PC CD-ROM as well. No, this is only about CD-i games. Games you'll never find anywhere else. A top-10 of exclusives.
I was thinking about a countdown from 10 to 1, 1 being the best in my opinion. Starting with 10, and one extra count every couple of days. It's holiday-time mind you :) - Let's go!
10. Ultra CD-i Soccer
Just when you thought CD-i was dead in 1997 (which partly, it certainly was) Krisalis released a secret project on CD-i which came as a surprise to almost everyone. It was a soccer game for all the fans wanting a lot more after Rage's Striker Pro game in 1993. While Striker Pro was a conversion of the Striker series Rage developed for several consoles, Ultra CD-i Soccer is an original attempt highly inspired by the popular Sensible Soccer franchise. Even the CD-i Magazine didn't feature any preview of this, but ofcourse they were appreciative like nobody else about some great soccer moments you can have with this one. Like with Sensible Soccer, you'll either love CD-i Soccer or hate it. The players on screen are quite small to let the widest part of the field fit onto the screen, the game is seen from above, offering a 2D perspective (you know CD-i would never be capable showing off a 3D game of this kind). Personally, I find Striker Pro the best of the two, with highly enjoyable animations and great humour like players singing 'My Way' in the middle of the screen after scoring the wrong goal - circumstances I still have to find out by the way!!. CD-i Soccer, however, is an enjoyable experience but very hard, the controls are not really responsive (especially not when you're used to Striker Pro), but the field is more detailed even with the smaller players.
Pros: gives you the Sensible Soccer feeling, fast-paced with detailed graphics
Cons: unresponsive controls, occasionally slowdown when a lot of action is on screen.
9-a. Link: The Faces of Evil
9-b. Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon
These days the good old Animation Magic titles are hot off the press again featuring articles in Zeldapower and RetroGamer magazine. The Nintendo license still attracts a lot of attention from foreign console fans and it certainly is one of the main aspects why CD-i hits the spot these days. These two games are built on the same engine and were, like with Philips projects topping the budget of $1 million, split in two to gain more profit out of them. Link and Zelda were released simultaneously and were the first titles featuring Nintendo characters on CD-i, after the initial press release AIM presented to use Nintendo characters as a revenge strategy to Nintendo's procedures. If you're interested in the background of Nintendo on CD-i, check out the blog of March 2006.
Recently the artist was tracked down by Zeldapower, check out his blog to enjoy the full-colour background art he created, highly recommended.
Pros: Classics, featuring Link and Zelda, fairly large games with colourfull graphics (notably 1st generation, however)
Cons: Typical mediocre animation, repetitive gameplay, it is brought as a platformer which feels not right when you expect a Zelda game.
8. Christmas Country
Often confused with Christmas Crisis, Creative Media really put all their acts together to fill the gap Super Mario's Wacky Worlds left when it was cancelled on CD-i. Christmas Country is a highly enjoyable platformer, and the first of its kind resembling a real Super Mario game. True, the mechanics and the engine are a bit simplified would you like to compare it with, say, SMB, but the overall feeling is highly worked out and fine-tuned. The limitations of the CD-i hardware are visible as no background music was added to the levels because it would chop the framerate too much. However a remake was initiated with 'The Lost Levels', the CD-i was over before they finished it. Read through the December blog for detailed info about this title and don't forget the original CD-i magazines you can download at www.philipscdi.com. If you want a platform game and already played The Apprentice, this will be your next bet. Nice level design, super smooth engine and definately an improvement over Christmas Crisis, a title they were also responsible for in 1995.
Pros: Great platformer, colourful graphics, lots of secrets and levels to explore.
Cons: Too easy, no in-game music, engine is very basic.
7. Plunderball
One of Devin`s personal favourites I believe, Plunderball wasn't even a retail game. The game was "released" in 2003 by Oldergames Publishing after retrieving the prototype software. It was developed in 199x by ISG Productions which is the same company behind Video Speedway and Tox Runner (also unreleased). From all retrieved proto software on CD-i, Plunderball is called to be the most finished and original CD-i game. Here's a recent piece of Devin's perspective about Plunderball. Now, It still is no pinball Dreams by any means but regarding the technical limitations of the CD-i I'm convinced ISG did a pretty good job developing a Pinball game on CD-i the way it should be. With the high amount of video material and the essence of the story behind it, this title would top the rest easily if they would have used digital video using the cartridge for it. But there a lot of games on CD-i that would be a lot better only if they would have used the DVC. Still, the game is enjoyable to play, but the gameplay is a little limited.
Pros: Very original combination of Pinball and a story to evolve in.
Cons: Pinball moves too static, (Still, consider it was prototype software!)
6. Zenith
Zenith is called 'spin ball' on several websites, a blend between 'Marble Madness' and pinball. While it's not an official name by any means, it does describe the kind of game we're dealing with here. Also covered in one the previous blogs, Zenith would win the originality award on CD-i easily. While the game is pretty short (it has only got six levels to play with), the variety is increasing causing a more difficult play-field to go through with your ball. There are all kinds of traps built in to get your ball out of the main course, including secret buttons, lava, warps, and keys. The thing is, you control a ball which is bouncing up and down, through a vertically scrolled 3D landscape, which result in pretty neat graphics for CD-i without the use of the Digital Video Cartridge. The game is very fast and very responsive. It's just highly enjoyable and I recommend this one to almost everyone to check out. If only they would have got the opportunity to create a multiplayer or online version from this, that would be awesome!!
Pros: Great concept, straight to the point arcade; fast game with good graphics;
Cons: gameplay is a little repetitive; no in-game music, presentation is a little rushed.
5. Hotel Mario
The only Nintendo licensed CD-i game produced by Philips internally. Also not important, this is the only Mario title that was released for CD-i. While it's not an original platform adventure like we all have hoped for, Philips' Fantasy Factory developed a highly original puzzle game starring Mario and all his famous enemies like Koopa and Bowser, not to forget the original power-ups like Fire Mario and the invincibility star. If you grew up with Super Mario this will all sound very familiar, you will love this title. Now, the game is about closing doors in an hotel Mario steps in. The enemies on screen are also able to open doors, and you use elevators to change floors. All the action in one level is on one screen. OK, I'll admit it is still a Mario game on CD-i, which has a few small consequences. Like the framerate on one hand is a little lower, especially when a lot of enemies are on screen. If you are willing to forget this as an issue, it's a classic which has the Nintendo flavour all over it. In fact, if I had to call one title to resemble the most with an original Nintendo title, this would be the winner.
Pros: Super Mario!
Cons: You can't help thinking about a real platform game this could be. Late levels can be frustating (stupid enemies opening doors right before time limit).
4. Zelda's Adventure
With a potential of 12 titles set for CD-i release at the start, producer Viridis only put through two of them to the market. Fortunately most bets were placed on Zelda, which took years for them to complete. The final package is the only real Zelda game to consider on CD-i, Tolemac (Not surprisingly, the original Camelot spelled backwards) and Ganon included. The game is fairly large, and will get pretty difficult once you get passed the first shrines. Scrolling issues are visible from the very start, the gameplay is limited to what's visible on screen. Once you enter a side, the next screen is loaded, which means a three second break. These are only minor issues I had with the game, and overall this is a very nice adventure game with a lot of action. I really wish we had more games like this. Like the other Zelda games on NES and SNES, you have to complete dungeons to move along and find the evil Ganondorf. In Zelda's Adventure, you play the main character as Zelda instead of Link and the dungeons are called 'shrines'. The photo-realistic environment differs a lot from the original Zelda games, but the amount of detail it creates with it only make this a good thing in my opinion.
Pros: excellent Action Adventure with a few RPG elements. Unequaled on CD-i.
Cons: Later enemies can only be killed with one specific weapon. Out of a large list this can be quite a task to find out, which makes it frustrating from time to time. You can't (and shouldn't) compare it with other Zelda titles on Nintendo consoles. One other con: Because of the Nintendo theme the title is very rare and expensive...
3. The Apprentice
The all-time CD-i classic, this platformer starring Marvin would be nominated on the first place when you want to give CD-i a mascotte. In fact, once you have played the marvelous gameplay of this game you'll want to know all titles producer SPC Vision produced for CD-i. Seen as CD-i's most productive 3rd party developer, SPC Vision crammed the disc full with secrets, platform levels and oh-so colourfull graphics in a very cute anime style. This title is not to be missed, and I'm proud of the fact this is developed in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, however you would believe otherwise with its japanese influences all over it. Platforming at its very best, Marvin is equiped with different weapons every world he enters. From toyrooms, ice-cages and pipes to an aquarium and all the big big bosses, this is fun-packed like no other CD-i game.
Pros: Excellent platformer, great colourful graphics, very fluid animation, guaranteed fun
Cons: I only dislike the fact the game is a vertical scroller; probably done because of the technical scrolling problems CD-i had. They tried to fix this in Lucky Luke, another SPC platform game. Lucky Luke is also a very fun patformer, but doesn't surpass the qualities of The Apprentice.
2. Lost Ride
The very last exclusive CD-i game (along with the Golden Oldies releases) with the most promising technique CD-i had to offer with MPEG: Seamless branching. Titles like Kathy Smith Personal Trainer, The Philips Encyclopedia and Dead End all used the technique in its engine. While the seamless branching isn't noticable in the first two mentioned, The Lost Ride is the same kind of game like Dead End only with a different setting: A roller coaster. Three worlds are offered including Mine-world and Water-world, with great graphics and a very accurate gameplay. Unfortunately, the game was rushed onto the market, some bugs are still left in the game which makes the compatibility with some CD-i players low. The title may crash at random moments, especially on the newer 4xx models. Also very unique is the level map which is automatically generated at the start of the game, this means you never play the same level again, the mazes are created randomly which gives the title an enormous replay value. You can read more in-depth information in the last BLOG.
Pros: Random levels, fast-paced gameplay with great graphics, high replay value
Cons: No in-game music, bugs may cause game crash, limited weapons
1. Atlantis: The Last Resort
One of the most remarkable releases on CD-i came in 1997. The first and only realtime semi-3D First Person Shooter, something CD-i had never seen before. The most remarkable thing is that the engine was produced not by a real software company, but by Philips Research Laboratories in Redhill as one of a side project they were working on. Dedicated to the spirit of ADS, unfortunately gone by the day it was released, but with an enormous encoding help Dorking (just at the westside of Redhill, the base of Philips ADS) offered as always. Sceptically received by fans who were used to the quality of Doom, this was only really appreciated by CD-i fans. We're talking about low-res graphics (think about Catacomb Abyss) but with a much higher quality animation and speed. The framerate was very fluid and only dropped in large areas and when a lot of enemies were on screen. But when you are a CD-i fan, this was still an amazing title. The game is divided in 20 levels, with 4 areas (desert, ocean, swamp and high-tech) to play in. The soundtrack is very good with up-beat computer music, suiting perfectly to the game.
Pros: -Realtime (semi) 3D, unique on CD-i, -accurate gameplay including strafing, shooting and walking, -nice enemy animation, -good story, great soundtrack
Cons -Graphics can be blurry, -easy to loose directions, high difficulty!
One of the next parts will cover a top 10 Philips Media Games on CD-i, for those missing high-end classics like Burn:Cycle and Chaos Control ;)


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Whoever thought that a fifth grader could get suspended for bringing a cake to school?
Well, it wasn't the cake but rather the knife to cut the cake that landed 11-year-old Kasia Haughton in trouble.
Don't worry -- this story has a happy ending.
Kasia was suspended so her mother Kenyesta got in touch with NBCPhiladelphia to tell their story.
Here is what went down according to the Haughton family.
The go-getting Kasia brought two cakes to school to help out her campaign for fifth-grade mayor at the Leasure Elementary School in Newark, Del. Kids like cake so it makes sense that a tasty treat could help get Kasia some votes.
A key to campaigning is to reach as many voters as possible. To make sure that everyone got cake, Haughton's grandmother included plates, napkins and a knife to make sure each classmate could get some cake.
The knife was so that the teacher could cut up slices for Kasia's classmates.
The cake was cut, the students were served, when the teacher noticed something amiss -- the young candidate had brought a knife to school.
School officials were called to investigate the matter. They found that Kassia brought a "deadly weapon" into the school, so the 11-year-old was suspended and faced possible expulsion.
Per protocol school officials also contacted Delaware State Police about the incident.
In a matter of minutes Haughton went from student government candidate to possibly being kicked out of school.
The action seemed to be an overzealous interpretation of the school's weapons policy.
"I started crying because I didn't understand what was going on -- I didn't think it was that serious," said Kenyesta Haughton.
Obviously the grandmother felt bad for including a knife in the bag with the cake. Kasia didn't even know it was in there, according to her family.
NBC Philadelphia reached out to the Christiana School District to seek comment.
The Haughton's got action soon after NBC contacted the school district. With a phone call from the school district to the Haughton's all was forgiven.
"This incident has been resolved due to a technical error... although this was an unfortunate incident for all concerned, it does underscore the need for students, parents, and community members to understand that it is never acceptable to have dangerous instruments or weapons in a school building at any time," said Manager of Communications/Public Information Christiana School District Wendy Lapham.
No criminal action will be taken in the case, said Delaware State Police Friday.
Now the question is if Kasia will win her election. And, if she wins will she celebrate with cupcakes instead?


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With just three months in Washington under his belt, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz already is being talked about as a future presidential candidate by conservative activists.
That future could come sooner rather than later.
CNN reports that Cruz will be the keynote speaker at South Carolina Republican Party's Silver Elephant Dinner on May 3.
Cruz clearly isn't afraid of the spotlight, so why does this engagement lead some to believe Cruz will run for president?
First, South Carolina is an important primary state. The state is known to pick presidents, and its victor has gone on to become the Republican Party nominee every election since its first GOP primary in 1980 — except in 2012, when it sided with neighbor Newt Gingrich of Georgia over eventual nominee Mitt Romney.
Second, the dinner is known for recognizing the rising stars of the Republican Party. The event is used to highlight possible candidates and allow them to test drive their platform with some of the most influential members of the party base. Cruz will be joining a history of GOP elite, as Ronald Reagan, John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Mike Pence, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio have all spoken at the Silver Elephant Dinner.
The dinner is a fundraiser for the Republican Party, and will honor former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint. Tea Party favorite DeMint recently resigned and now leads the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington.
DeMint has been one of Cruz's loudest cheerleaders, helping him get elected to office in 2012 and supporting his policy agenda ever since.
In February, DeMint wrote an opinion piece in Politico, "Ted Cruz deserves cheers, not jeers", where he said Cruz is an effective advocate for principles that made our nation great.
"If Cruz has ruffled feathers in Congress, that means he's doing his job. Voters want Washington to be shaken out of its complacency. The last thing we need is another status quo senator or a congressman who goes along to get along," DeMint wrote.
The similarities mutual support between DeMint and Cruz have made Cruz popular in the crucial state, and an obvious choice for the speaking position.
"His popularity among the activists in South Carolina is already so huge he was a natural choice for the Silver Elephant," a Republican involved in the planning of the event told CNN. "Our activists have been begging us to bring him. He is a rising star. He's a Jim DeMint style of Republican."
On the other side of the aisle, Cruz has been established as surpassing DeMint in outspoken conservativism.
The Daily Kos, the largest progressive community blog in the country, created a 2013 Republican "March to Madness" bracket meant to find the most radical Republican put Cruz and DeMint head-to-head in the second round. Hundreds of thousands voted, and Cruz surpassed DeMint, advancing to the "insane 16." (We're just reporting these names, not endorsing them.)
Stirring the pot further: Vice President Joe Biden, another potential 2016 nominee, will be speaking the same night at the South Carolina Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.


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Team Unity goes Western
(Sorry my camera is having major focus issues right now)
The Tampa Bay Rays have been described as a huge brotherhood for their closeness and their ability to stand up for each other in the bad times. I went to a Rays speaking engagement earlier this year where Rick Vaughn,the Rays PR guru told the group about a story following the conclusion of the World Series Game 5 plane trip back to the Tampa Bay area. Vaughn and his wife were seated in the same aisle as Rays reliever J P Howell and his girlfriend and Vaughn was awestruck by the fact that everyone on the plane made sure to come by and comfort Howell about taking the loss for that final game in 2008.
And the mood on that late night plane ride was sad and muted, but it also had the unique feeling that everyone was also upset that they would not be hanging out with each other every day after that loss. That is the wild and special bond and closeness of this ball club that other teams would envy. If you ever really watch them during Batting Practice and even before a game, you see the connection factor that this team has with everyone on the roster. So it is only fitting that they would also plan events and road trips with themes and costumes or wardrobes to fit the occasion.
And that also has a great effect on this club. For to come out for a farewell to family and friends before a road trip dressed to the theme of the trip shows a great bond of unity and togetherness on this team. The team has conducted their own version of "American Idol" during Spring Training inviting anyone within the Rays organization to step up to the mic and sing. They have held BBQ's and impromptu events throughout the year that is attended by almost everyone on the roster.
And the team also showed up in force for Carlos Pena's 30th birthday celebration out on Madeira Beach earlier this season. But that is the magical bond that this team forged in 2008 and is still growing more and more this year. Rays Manager Joe Maddon has even instilled a theme to every road trip this year, with the last one to start off in South Florida to have an all-white theme. The players all showed up in their best dressed whites, which included some very stylish head gear by Gabe Kapler, Carlos Pena and Joe Nelson.
So it is only fitting that during their road trip starting today to the Western town of Denver Colorado they promote a "Western" look. I am not privy to the fact if anyone is going to dress up like a gunslinger, but hopefully if the do, airport security will also have a bit of a sense of humor when they go through the security check near the plane on the tarmac of St. Petersburg/Clearwater airport. I can only imagine what some of these guys are going to pull out for such an event. With a few true Texans on the team like Jeff Neimann (Houston), Carl Crawford (Houston) and Randy Choate (San Antonio).
With a majority of this team actually coming out of the western state of California, it might be a wild sight of all these guys decked out in their country western best for the trip to Denver. Now I have done a blog recently where I mentioned that Rays reliever Joe Nelson is going to do a personal rendition of the Yul Brenner character from "The Magnificent Seven" with a complete head-to-toe black on black ensemble.
I really wish I could be there to even get a glimpse even without a camera of this outlandish event. But hopefully some one within the Rays organization (Skip Milos) will be on hand to record the event for prosperity. I did however get a few other members of the Rays to tell me how they were going to promote the event. Both are members of the Rays Bullpen and have been great enough to furnish me with their renditions of their scheduled outfits for the flight.
Scott Cursi (Bullpen Catcher) is a very businessman like guy. He is very upfront and doesn't partake in the designer label game that some of the fashion plates on the Rays team might use for this trip. He is going to wear a black shirt with jeans and a pair of black Ostrich boots he picked up on a past road trip. He is also going to go with a mesh straw-like cowboy hat because of the heat in the Denver area. Very practical, realistic, totally Scott Cursi is going as the every day man.
Bobby Ramos is one of the best people you could ever meet and chat with about anything, even baseball. He is also one of the teams hidden fashion plates evidenced by his outfit he gave me for the trip out to Colorado. Most people might know about Ramos love for Salsa dancing and music, but the guy is also a man who enjoys the finer things in clothes. From head-to-toe Ramos might just be the best dressed Rays Coach on this plane trip. He is going to top his head with a Jack Daniels black cowboy hat.
He plans on showing off his Ely white shirt with the black piping. He is planning on wearing black Levis jeans to celebrate the western look, and will be wearing a cowboy "bling bling" buckle around his midsection. He did not tell me if it was one of those bronco-busting Texas sized buckles, but you can only imagine. He will put his feet in a fine set of black Justin boots with silver toe caps for that special "Uptown Cowboy" look.
Doing things like this themed road trip traveling party can help bring together everyone on the team. Players like Pat Burrell and Gabe Kapler did not get to mesh with these guys in 2008, but they have also come together with the Rays players to form a close knit bond on this team. The one guy who might feel a bit left out on this trip might be Winston Abreu, who comes from the island of the Dominican Republic and might not have gotten a heads up on the festivities today for the plane (Hopefully they will drink Coors Light).
But you can bet maybe Willy Aybar or Carlos Pena will get the recent addition to the Rays roster ready and in style by the time they head to the Trop tonight. Team bonding is a special time for these guys, and events like this can show outwardly their own commitments to the "Rays Way."
2 Comments
I like the theme idea for each trip. It's a great way to being the team closer. I hope you can get a picture of it! I would love to see it!
I am guessing I might see it in the back of the next Inside Pitch magazine distributed at the games, but I am going to try and get a picture of it.
I requested a DVD of the "Ground Rules" yesterday from someone within the Raysvision family. Hopefully I can get that uploaded in the next few weeks.
Rays Renegade


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Down Payment Assistance - Missouri Bond Loans- How the bond program works in Missouri ! (edit/delete)
MHDC is able to have down payment assistance to persons buying a home with the MHDC Bond program regardless of whether or not you are a first time home buyer in some specifice counties in Missouri. This is fantastic news because these counties are now classified as a targeted area since we had some flooding in Missouri.
How the program works - MHDC Cash Assistance Program Example
You have a client buying a $100,000 home - we can do a FHA, VA or RD loan that would allow them to minimize their down payment and combine with the MHDC cash assistance program to minimize cash injection into the property. An example follows:
Purchase price 100,000
FHA financing - 97000 (3 % down payment) soon to be 3.5% down payment required.
leaves down payment amout of 3000.00 required - + closing costs
MHDC forgivable second - $2,910 (3% of the loan amount not the sales price)
This is all but $90.00 of the loan amount, and it is given in the form of a forgivable second. The forgivable second is a recorded second mortgage with 0 interest rate - and each month 1/60th is forgiven after 5 years the second is then released by the lender. This would = 2,910 / 60 or $48.50 per month.
This 48.50 is not a payment your client makes it is forgiven each month, since it is a forgiven debt the IRS says this is realized income so your client in our example would have to pay taxes on the forgiven amount each year in our example thats extra income on $582.00 or 48.50x12 months.
The closing costs in this example would be the only thing the buyer would have to come up with or the seller could pay the closing costs based on the contract negotiations.
Please note when doing this option with a VA or RD loan our loan amount is 100% and the forgivable grant would cover all of the closing costs and possibly result in the reduction of the loan amount if the forgivable second was more than closing costs.
Its a great program and we have utilized this for a number of years in targeted counties in Missouri we are seeing that this is now available whether your client is purchasing their first home or not.
**Important NOTE- anyone financing a home with tax revenue bonds will NOT be eligible to also take the $7,500 tax credit/loan in April, please note this because there could be a different loan program that we can utilize that would still enable you to do the credit.
For more information regarding this program please feel free to contact me at
417 447 7927
Darren Stewart
OakStar Bank


text: Just wanted to check in to see if this is OK geo-caching etiquette . . . is it OK to re-visit a cache with the express purpose of picking up a travel bug (average type or the fabled White Jeep)? I kind of enjoy picking up TBs and distributing them and just wanted to find out if this is cool or if the prevailing thought is that you should only pick up TBs at new cache sites. As always thanks for the input.


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Love Your Lunch: 10 Healthy Sandwich Recipes
Bored with the usual ham and cheese or PB&J? Look forward to eating your packed lunch again with these healthy, delicious, and unique sandwich recipes.
Scott Little
White Bean and Mozzarella Sandwich
The white beans add good-for-you fiber and make this lunch more filling than your average veggie sandwich.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
414 calories
4g fat
Blaine Moats
Meatball Parmesan Sub
Swapping turkey meatballs for beef is a great way to cut calories without sacrificing flavor — the secret is browning them in a pan first.
Tip: These sandwiches are great made in advance. Just wrap the whole thing in aluminum foil and when you're ready to eat, reheat in a 350-degree oven until warm.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
503 calories
17g fat
Greek Salad Pita Pocket
The perfect light lunch — make extra to eat as a side salad throughout the week.
Tip: Make this lunch more hearty by tossing in a handful of canned, drained chickpeas.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 2 pita halves)
286 calories
6g fat
Colleen Duffley
Manchego, Quince, and Toasted Walnut Sandwich
When you're in the mood for something different, this grilled cheese with a twist makes the perfect sweet bite.
Tip: Try this with other favorite cheese plate combos like blue cheese and green apples, or Ricotta Salata and honey.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size = 1 sandwich)
473 calories
20g fat
Andy Lyons
Grilled Portobello and Goat Cheese Sandwich
Don't have exactly these exact vegetables in the fridge? No matter. This sandwich is great with the portobellos and virtually any other grill-friendly veggies you have on hand (try asparagus, green beans, or corn).
Yields: 4 sandwiches (serving size = 1 sandwich)
342 calories
8g fat
Tina Rupp
Flank Steak Sandwich with Creamy Blue Cheese Sauce
This decadent sandwich will become an instant favorite — and it's fancy enough for company.
Tip: These sandwiches are delicious right off the grill or at room temperature.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
479 calories
19g fat
Peter Ardito
Asian Chicken Salad Sandwich
Buy a precooked grocery store rotisserie chicken at the beginning of the week and make quick and easy sandwiches from it all week long.
Tip: Make this sandwich even lighter by only using white meat.
Yields: 4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich)
531 calories
22g fat
Jay Wilde
Tangy Roast Beef Sandwich
Perfect for a packed lunch! Try something different with your usual deli cold cuts by slathering on a deliciously tangy horseradish mayo.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
409 calories
16g fat
Alexandra Grablewski
Grilled Chicken Pesto Wraps with Sun-Dried Tomato
Use provolone cheese or experiment by swapping in different cheeses, like parmesan or cheddar.
459 calories
18g fat
Turkey, Green Apple, and Brie Sandwich
You won't believe how much delicious brie cheese we packed into each of these sandwiches while still keeping the calories low!
Tip: Make extra honey mustard sauce and use it on sandwiches throughout the week, or stir in some olive oil and use as a deliciously spicy salad dressing.
Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
494 calories
20g fat
Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, April 2009.


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New Balance® for J.Crew cooling workout T-shirt
Size & Fit
- Athletic fit.
- 30" from high point of shoulder (based on size medium).
Product Details
We partnered with our friends at New Balance to bring you our first-ever collection of workout clothes, in techy fabrics and cool color combos you won't find anywhere else. With this shirt's special touches— like underarm gussets and an athletic fit—you'll feel (and look) great throughout your workout. Even better, it's made from New Balance's Ice fabric, which helps you stay cool whether you're on a quick run or reaching for the big weights (plus, an antimicrobial treatment that's odor resistant)..
- Poly.
- Reflective details.
- Media loop.
- Machine wash.
- Import.
- Item G1856.