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Great speech from @Petra_Kvitova during Li Na's retirement ceremony at @ChinaOpen--> http://t.co/xgYMMz2Hqd #WTA pic.twitter.com/KUbV0BKcX9
— WTA (@WTA) September 30, 2014
In some great ways, and in some not so good ways, expectations were often not met in the 2014 season. The player expected to have a superior season had (her version of) a mediocre season right to the last quarter. A beloved player we hoped to see at least one more year was forced to leave the tour because of chronic injury, and two players who had faded from the spotlight decided it was time to get back in it and shine.
Players surprised us throughout the year. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova suddenly started playing her best tennis ever and reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. Her former doubles partner, the talented Iveta Melzer, retired from the sport. Victoria Azarenka remained in the shadows because of her health, Laura Robson couldn't play because of ongoing injury issues, and Ashleigh Barty mysteriously left the tour "indefinitely."
There was more. Caroline Wozniacki ran the New York City Marathon in an outstanding time of three hours, 26 minutes and 33 seconds. Former world number 1 Amelie Mauresmo became the second woman (Nicolay Davydenko's wife, Irina, coached him for a brief period while he was still in the top 10) to coach a top ATP player. Andy Murray's hiring of Mauresmo set off the expected explosion of sexism, misogyny and gay-hating, but Amelie and Andy just went about their business.
Making a major comeback was Andrea Petkovic, who finally recovered from multiple injuries and changed her playing style in order to protect herself from further injury. Petko won Charleston, Bad Gastein and the Tournament of Champions, and worked her way all the way up to a number 13 ranking. Also, seemingly out of the blue, Mijana Lucic-Baroni reached the round of 16 at the U.S. Open, upsetting 2nd seed Simona Halep on her way there. This was Lucic-Baroni's best showing at a major since 1999, when she reached the Wimbledon semifinals.
Vicky Duval was successfully treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Melanie Oudin experienced an unfortunate day in the gym and had to have heart surgery, which was followed by eye surgery.
Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai surprised us by announcing they were ending their partnership. Peng made it to the U.S. Open semifinals, but had to retire because of a scary episode of severe cramping, followed by an equally scary attempt to remain on the court.
The WTA's Pocket Rocket, Dominika Cibulkova, made it to final of the Australian Open. Sania Mirza and her Forehand of Fire, along with Cara Black, won the WTA Finals, and Mirza won her third mixed doubles title. Venus Williams won in Dubai and is currently number 18 in the world.
There were a couple of victories--both surprises--that really stood out this year. Flavia Pennetta won Indian Wells, beating Sam Stosur, Dominika Cibulkova and Li Na along the way. The 32-year-old Fighting Italian, enjoying one of the greatest moments of her career, showed us yet again that the veterans are in charge.
And then there was the Bulgarian Woman of Mystery. In a remarkable run, Tsvetana Pironkova finally won a WTA tournament, and she did it in high style. Pironkova won Sydney as a qualifier, playing eight matches in eight days, and defeating three top 10 players--Sara Errani, Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber.
Two former number 1 players, Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic, came back blazing this year, determined to show that they are still part of the important mix. Wozniacki won a title and Ivanovic won four titles. Wozniacki also reached the final of the U.S. Open.
Ekaterina Makarova had a great year, reaching the semifinals of the U.S. Open and winning the event in doubles with partner Elena Vesnina. Alize Cornet gave us some (as expected) entertaining tennis, and wound up at number 19 in the world. And the talented Carla Suarez Navarro, after many attempts, won her first WTA title. Angelique Kerber, though she had a somewhat disappointing year, provided us with major thrills when she defeated Maria Sharapova in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
Four young players came out blazing, too. Garbine Muguruza, Belinda Bencic, Karolina Pliskova, and Elina Svitolina established themselves as the young players to keep an on next year. Muguruza (who also won a title as a qualifier--just a week after Pironkova did it) is already in the top 20.
Aleksandra Krunic, whom many of us have admired in Fed Cup play, put on an unforgettable show as a qualifier at this year's U.S. Open. She upset Petra Kvitova and took Victoria Azarenka to the edge in the round of 16.
Not all of the goings-on took place on court:
World number 2 Maria Sharapova added gummy Porsches to her Sugarpova candy line, and put her name on Avon's new fragrance, Luck.
Eugenie Bouchard showed up dressed in a kimono for a press conference.
The ubiquitous Marion Bartoli, the retired 2013 Wimbledon champion, created a line of jewelry, and a line of shoes and shoe accessories, raised money for charities, played in several exhibition matches, sang La Marseillaise at an All England Club dinner, played World Team Tennis, did tennis broadcasting in both French and English, and won the first-ever WTA Finals legends event.
Here are my personal top 10 2014 occurrences, in ascending order:
10. Army of me: Genie Bouchard--at least for the first half of the season--made an impression on the tour not soon to be forgotten. The Canadian star, with her singing, stuffed animal-tossing Genie Army, made headlines when she reached the semifinals of both the Australian Open and the French Open and the final of Wimbledon. She was, in fact, the first Canadian woman to ever reach the semifinals of two majors. Bouchard also won the Nurnberg tournament and was a finalist in both Wuhan and Osaka.
Wimbledon was Bouchard's undoing, however, as she was run over by Petra Kvitova in under an hour. The Canadian star's season wasn't the same after that, as she dealt with injury and what appeared to be some degree of fatigue. The media attention alone couldn't have been that easy for her to handle; the woman nicknamed "Princess" was treated like one 24-7 by the star-making systems of the world. Certainly, all eyes will be on the world number 7 as the 2015 season opens, and Bouchard gets a chance to show just how good she really is.
9. Romanian royalty: If Genie Bouchard is a warrior princess, then Simona Halep is a clever queen, mostly keeping her own counsel and winning people over with a nuanced combination of confidence and humility. After having a huge 2013 season, in which she won six titles, it was almost inevitable that the Romanian star would experience some type of letdown in 2014. Looking back at the season, it seems possible that, if Halep had stayed healthy, there might not have been any letdown at all. But she suffered chronic injuries to her feet and back, and how she handles those injuries will most likely determine her fate in the future.
Her season was hardly a washout. Halep won Doha and Bucharest, and she made it the final of the French Open, in which she took Maria Sharapova to three thrilling sets. Halep's confidence deflated, however, when she played Serena Williams in the Singapore final. Now number 3 in the world (she was number 2 earlier in the season), Halep has established herself as the elite player some of us have always expected her to become. Her 2015 should be great--if she can stay healthy.
8. Czech Republic of Champions: Some players totally thrive during Fed Cup competition. Two of those players are Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova, and since both of them play for the Czech Republic, their nation was able to grab a third Fed Cup title in just four years. The Czech Republic beat Spain, then defending champion Italy, and--in the final--Germany. Kvitova won the first and third rubbers and Safarova won the second. The third rubber, in which Kvitova played Angelique Kerber, was a three-hour thriller which gave Kvitova won of her finest winning moments.
What an epic match! Kvitova wins 76(5) 46 64 and the Czechs claim their 3rd #FedCup title in 4 years! pic.twitter.com/3q6052W3vY
— Fed Cup (@FedCup) November 9, 2014
7. We're not going anywhere: For a while, it looked as though Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci might lose their hold on the number 1 ranking. The Italian pair got off to a roaring start this season, however, by winning the Australian Open. They were the runners-up at the French Open, and then they won Wimbledon, giving them a Career Slam, something accomplished by only four other teams in the Open Era. Errani and Vinci also won Stuttgart, Madrid and Montreal, retained their number 1 ranking and were named Doubles Team of the Year.
"It's unbelievable. I mean, there are no words to tell you what this means for us" - Errani and Vinci #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/uppXta0nBj
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2014
6. I love Paris in the springtime: Maria Sharapova, the 2012 French Open champion, did it again in 2014. Sharapova had to get past 2010 finalist Sam Stosur, clay upstart Garbine Muguruza and the dangerous Genie Bouchard, to get to the final. And then came her greatest test--a fight for the title against Simona Halep, who threw everything she had--which is a lot--at Sharapova in what was one of the best matches of the year. Sharapova, who is now the world number 2, defeated Halep 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
5. And this was a "bad" year: World number 1 Serena Williams was going after her 18th singles major this year, and for most of the season, things just didn't click for her. She lost to Ana Ivanovic in the Australian Open round of 16, and as defending champion at the French Open, she was taken out by Garbine Muguruza in the second round. At Wimbledon, Williams was defeated in the third round by Alize Cornet. That left the U.S. Open, and--in true Serena fashion--the top seed came though for the title, defeating close friend Caroline Wozniacki in the final. Williams would go on to win the WTA Finals in Singapore and to be named Player of the Year.
4. One bagel, with everything: Some people called it the greatest set of tennis ever played by a woman. To be accurate, the entire Australian Open quarterfinal that Agnieszka Radwanska played against Victoria Azarenka was a dazzling display of tennis by the Polish star. The third set, however, was beyond dazzling, as Radwanska got into a zone not of this world, topping even herself in terms of artistry, speed, creativity, and athleticism.
I checked my post that followed the match, and in it, I said "I caught myself gasping and exclaiming throughout the final set." That about says it all. Radwanska defeated Azarenka 6-1, 5-7, 6-0. Sadly, she had next to nothing left in her semifinal round, in which she was easily defeated by Dominika Cibulkova.
3. Third time's the charm: She finally did it. Li Na won the Australian Open. She couldn't hold her nerve against Kim Clijsters in 2011, and in 2013, she couldn't stay upright on the court against Victoria Azarenka. These were tough losses because Li played so well in both finals. This year, though, she said that her "special" preparation was "not falling down," and she was able to control her anxiety on the court. Li defeated Dominika Cibulkova 7-6, 6-0 and collected her second major trophy. Her acceptance speech, which became an instant hit, began with a thank you to her agent for making her rich, and only got better from there.
2. Pojd!: When Petra Kvitova is switched on, she becomes like a force of nature and cannot be stopped. The 2011 Wimbledon champion got switched on again at the All England Club this year, hitting 207 winners (15 fewer than she hit in 2011) and getting a boost along the way by having to fight off an impressively in-form Venus Williams in the third round. She faced off with Eugenie Bouchard in the final, and by this time, the tennis press had its collective head stuck so far up Montreal, an easy win was predicted for the Canadian star.
Maybe Kvitova heard she was supposed to lose to an upstart. Maybe she ate just the right number of pineapples. Maybe she just felt it. The fact remains: From the moment Petra stepped onto Centre Court to play in the final, she was explosively efficient. It wasn't that Bouchard played badly--she didn't. Bouchard was just never really allowed to enter the match, so aggressive and in control was Kvitova. The Barking Czech defeated her opponent 6-3, 6-0 in under an hour, and that was that.
Some called it the most masterful performance in the history of Wimbledon finals. Quite a statement, considering that--just 24 hours earlier--they had predicted Kvitova's defeat.
1. Fly away home: Petra Kvitova had three wonderful tennis moments this year. Two I have already covered. The third was the speech she gave on behalf of the tour's players at the retirement ceremony of Li Na. It was practically a given that Kvitova, Li's very close friend, would be selected to give the speech at a ceremony that was given a touch of the Beijing Olmypics treatment in terms of visuals. It ended with a weeping Li making a walk around the stadium as "We love you, Li Na!" was shouted in several languages. She deserved no less.
"The bird that sticks out," known in her country as Big Sister Na, is an iconic figure. Part star athlete, part role model for courage, part standup comic--Li is respected worldwide not only for what her presence has done for Asian tennis and for the WTA, but also for her refusal to accept any terms that are are unjust or unreasonable. Often treated harshly by the news media in her country, Li nevertheless persevered in seeking for herself--and ultimately, for many others--a life in sports that she could embrace with integrity and self-respect.
After enduring years of knee pain and weakness, Li had to call it quits. Her retirement from the sport is a loss to tennis, a loss to the tour and a loss to fans worldwide. The winner of the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open, Li Na was so much more than even her impressive titles. Kvitova, at the end of her speech, said it best: "Thank you for being our opponent. Thank you for being our inspiration. Thank you for being our friend."


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-John Boehner's national poll numbers have already turned negative and on the home front they aren't much better. 37% of voters in Ohio think he's doing a good job as House Speaker to 38% who disapprove. He's popular with Republicans (70% approval) but Democrats aren't giving him any home state bonus (just 10% approve) and independents split against him by a 40/35 margin as well. Although his numbers certainly leave something to be desired they are at least better than Nancy Pelosi's were in California the last time we checked- in September 38% of voters there said they had a favorable opinion of her while 48% rated her negatively.
-A majority of voters are withholding any judgment on Rob Portman's performance in the US Senate so far but he's on slightly positive ground with voters who do have an opinion. 25% approve, 22% disapprove, and 53% have no opinion. It's hard to read too much positive or negative into the numbers when there's so much ambivalence but given how bad the numbers for John Kasich and all of the Republican Presidential contenders are in Ohio Portman's looking just fine- keeping a low profile might be the way to go while things are so turbulent in the state.
-One politician Ohio voters have much stronger opinions about than Portman- and not in a good way- is Dennis Kucinich. 27% of voters have a favorable opinion of him to 40% with a negative one. Republicans are considerably more unified in their negative feelings toward him (63%) than Democrats are in their positive ones (44%) and independents split against him by a 40/26 margin as well. I guess we'll just have to live without that 2014 Kucinich Governor campaign.
-Jim Tressel is still overwhelmingly popular with the Ohio State fan base but it seems likely that his numbers have taken a hit in the wake of the recent scandals surrounding the program. 58% of voters describing themselves as Buckeye fans have a favorable opinion of him to 13% with a negative one. This is the first time we've ever polled on Tressel so we don't have anything to compare it to but college basketball coaches in similarly successful programs like Mike Krzyzewski (77/8 favorability) and Roy Williams (64/3 favorability) have better numbers with their fan bases. I'd imagine Tressel would have been more at those sorts of levels before this controversy. Among all voters in the state and not just OSU fans Tressel's favorability is 43/17.
Full results here
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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All rights reserved. Six Ryanair cabin crew members pictured sleeping on the floor of a Spanish airport workplace last month have been sacked, the airline says. Raeann found Barbara face down on her bedroom floor, but luckily she was respiratory. The last word hardwood flooring end. While sellers are wowed by by the immersive digital tour, they nonetheless count on you employ traditional advertising methods like floor plans.
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- Publisher : Amazing Reads; 2011th edition (1 December 2015)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 312 pages
- Item Weight : 300 g
- Dimensions : 20 x 13 x 1.5 cm
- Country of Origin : India
- Generic Name : BOOK
- Condition : New
Did you know that your mind has a 'mind' of its own? Yes! Without even realizing, our mind is often governed by another entity which is called the sub-conscious mind.
This book can bring to your notice the innate power that the sub-conscious holds. We have some traits which seem like habits, but in reality these are those traits which are directly controlled by the sub-conscious mind, vis-à-vis your habits or your routine can be changed if you can control and direct your sub-conscious mind positively. To be able to control this 'mind power' and use it to improve the quality of your life is no walk in the park. This is where this book acts as a guide and allows you to decipher the depths of the sub-conscious.
In this book, 'The power of your subconscious mind', the author fuses his spiritual wisdom and scientific research to bring to light how the sub-conscious mind can be a major influence on our daily lives. Once you understand your subconscious mind, you can also control or get rid of the various phobias that you may have in turn opening a brand new world of positive energy.


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DUBLIN, Ohio -Bubba Watson has never been so happy at the Memorial. It helps to be in the lead.
Watson ran off three straight birdies on the front nine to overtake Paul Casey and wound up with his third straight round in the 60s on Saturday, a 3-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead at Muirfield Village and a chance to win for the third time this year.
In eight previous appearances, Watson has never finished better than a tie for 23rd.
"I have a shot," Watson said. "I'd like the same score tomorrow and let the boys beat me if they can beat me."
Plenty of them should have a chance. With a bogey on the final hole, Watson's lead shrunk to one shot over Scott Langley, who had a 67 to make it an all-southpaw final pairing Sunday. Langley has not been in the final group since his rookie debut two years ago in Honolulu.
The most famous Lefty, Phil Mickelson, had a 72 and was 10 shots out of the lead while coping with reports he is involved in a federal investigation of insider trading. Mickelson confirmed that FBI agents approached him after the first round this week. Otherwise, he went about his business on the golf course.
"It's not going to change the way I carry myself," Mickelson said. "Honestly, I've done nothing wrong. I'm not going to walk around any other way."
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan made birdie on his last hole for a 69 and was two shots behind. Adam Scott, the No. 1 player in the world and coming off a win at the Colonial last week, made eagle on the 15th that sparked another surge up the leaderboard. With a bogey on the last hole, he had a 68 and still was only three shots behind.
"It's going to be tough," Scott said about his three-shot deficit to the Masters champion. "He's playing great this year, and I just have to post a number. I'm in a good position where I can possibly post a number, and that makes life a little harder for the leader."
The 36-hole leader had a tough enough time. Paul Casey, who started Saturday with a three-shot lead. That was gone in three holes when Watson made a pair of birdie, and Casey missed more than his share of putts that keep rounds together. He ended with a double bogey for a 76. He still was in range, however, part of a large group at 8-under 208 that included Jordan Spieth (67), Charl Schwartzel (67) and Byron Nelson winner Brendon Todd (69).
Watson already has won at Riviera and Augusta National this year. He has tried to make it a point of keeping golf fun – Bubba Golf, he likes to call it – instead of getting wrapped up in expectations.
He is scoring the way Muirfield Village allows, playing the par 5s in 11-under par through three rounds. That great run ended on the par-5 11th when his drive found the water, he chose to lay up because of the front hole location and missed his 12-foot par putt. He followed by missing birdie chances of 7 feet on the 13th hole and 3 1/2 feet on the 14th hole, a chance to build some separation.
But he rolled in a 12-foot birdie on the 15th and was back in control until the 18th. Watson pulled his approach well right of the green, and his chip ran through the green and into the fringe against the collar. Using a fairway metal to chip, it appeared that the club moved his ball before the stroke, though Watson says he didn't touch it and television replays made it clear that the ball didn't leave its position.
Langley doesn't hit the ball as long as Watson. His game is about efficiency and control, and he has shown that by taking a streak of 40 straight holes without a bogey into the final round. Much like Watson, he saw the simple pleasures of a round at Muirfield Village.
"Any time you shoot in the 60s here, pretty happy about it," Langley said. "Tough place."
Langley grew up in the Midwest and went to school at Illinois. He has played plenty in the Columbus area in college and says he "never cracked an egg" whether he was at the Scarlett Course at Ohio State or Scioto. The good news for Langley? Muirfield Village is in Dublin.


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US Open Champ Sloane Stephens Shares the Music That Keeps Her Energized
As August comes to an end, one of tennis's biggest events is just beginning: the 141st US Open, marking the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year. And making an appearance for her ninth year at the Open is American tennis pro and 2017 champion Sloane Stephens.
After a year of empty fan stands and new challenges, Sloane is excited to be back in the game, following up on her 2017 US Open win and first Grand Slam tournament title. And to get herself and her fans in the competitive spirit, she's even created an exclusive playlist for Spotify featuring positive, upbeat tracks that keep her energized and motivated both on and off the court.
As Sloane takes on her fellow tennis pros, fans can stream her personal pump-up playlist Sloane in the City featuring artists like Ariana Grande, Cardi B, and Rayana Jay. The star athlete curated these songs based on current bops and all-time favorites, using them as her soundtrack during practice, workouts, and the quieter, more nerve-wracking moments of competition.
For the Record caught up with Sloane between sets to ask her about her life as a professional tennis player and the music that keeps her on her A game.
You're returning to compete in the US Open. How does it feel?
It's always great to be back in New York! I love playing here, and I really feed off the energy of the city, so it will be great to have the crowd back out here with us.
How do you get in the right mindset before a match?
I like to meet with my coach the night before to discuss the game plan and any specific strategy so that once I wake up on match day, I can lock in. There can be a lot of "hurry up and wait" in tournament schedules depending on the weather or how long the match before mine takes, so it's important to keep relaxed and be comfortable with changes. Music helps me stay centered and tune out the distractions.
Where does music fit into your daily routine?
I'm always on the go and music is a staple in my routine. When I'm getting ready, training, recovering, or traveling, there is always music playing from my phone. Since I travel all the time for my job and tennis is such a global sport, I'm constantly being introduced to new songs. I think it's a great way to connect with people and learn about what's popular in their culture. Even if you don't speak the language somewhere, everyone can recognize a good song.
Any favorite songs or artists when you're training?
Ariana Grande. She is my favorite artist, so whenever I'm training, she's right there with me. My team laughs because I even play her slower songs in the middle of tough workouts, but she always keeps me going. I just love her!
How do you like to wind down from a day of competition?
Sometimes I'll finish a match and press after midnight, or time zones are playing with me, and I'll have to find a way to unwind so I can sleep and have a productive next day. Over the years, I've discovered how important self-care rituals are to this process, and I created a routine that I can do anywhere in the world. After a nice meal, I'll take a long shower and drop my essential oils into the steam to create a spa moment. After that, I'll light a candle and do my skin care routine, which usually includes a face mask. When I'm winding down the vibe is peaceful, and I play artists like Rayana Jay, Samaria, and VanJess.
Talk us through curating this playlist. Any recommendations on how listeners can get the most out of your song choices?
I worked on this playlist for a few weeks and added whatever came to mind at that time. It's a mix of current hits and artists and songs I've always loved. I'm all about positive energy, so whether it's a song from 30 years ago or yesterday, if the vibe is right, it stays with me. I usually put my playlist on shuffle and let it flow.
Are there any songs on the playlist that have a special meaning?
I have memories with so many of the songs on this playlist, and I'm sure a lot of listeners do, too. Specifically related to the US Open, "Bodak Yellow" by Cardi B takes me back. After I won in 2017, we blasted it on repeat in the car the entire drive back into the city. The song had just come out earlier that summer, and when I hear it now, it brings me back to that specific time and place.
Ready to press shuffle? Listen to Sloane's positive energy playlist, Sloane in the City, below.


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Geico Tells Me They Don't Care And Won't Listen
Note: Some content on this site, including this article, is more than a decade old, and may not accurately reflect the author's current feelings or writing style. More information here.
Almost three years ago, I switched my car insurance from a local agent in my hometown to Geico. In the process, I saved almost 75% on my insurance premiums, which would normally be one of Geico's much-applauded success stories. And for most of the time I've been with them, they've been great. Until I had a claim to file.
The short version of this story is that for a solid month, I've been pleading with Geico over some of the damage caused by an incident that happened in February, disputing their insistance that some of the damage caused in the incident was pre-existing, when I had photographic evidence showing it was not. In that month, I've been called a liar, called unobservant and ignorant, and when I wouldn't back down from the truth, subtly accused of fraud. I take these allegations very seriously, as someone who proudly works for a government agency dedicated to investigating fraud; it's not in my character to make an untrue claim for personal gain, and even if it were, no sane person would jeopardize their entire career over something like this. Additionally, when I presented evidence and witnesses, they were ignored and dismissed, in favor of provably-false anecdotal assumptions, the sort of thing I thought I'd left behind when I moved to a real city. All the while, I was without a car for a solid month, and while that didn't affect my ability to perform my job, it did interfere with my spring travel plans considerably.
In the end, I've withdrawn my dispute over the claim, because I'm so tired of fighting, and this battle has brought me to tears numerous times, due to stress and anxiety. But I will never back down from the truth, and I will never forget what happened. If you're currently a Geico customer, or are considering switching to them, I highly recommend reading this; there are no guarantees that this will happen to you, but if they feel the need to treat a customer the way they treated me, they deserve for the world to know about it.
The Incident
I purchased a 2009 Audi TT on February 8, 2013. I took it to the Mr. Wash Car Wash in Merrifield, VA on February 9, 2013, less than 24 hours after purchasing it, because I wanted to do a photoshoot with the car and it had picked up a few water spots from the light rain I drove through to get it home. Unfortunately, this car wash was a violent one. It shook the entire car, brushes seemed to be out of alignment, and at some point in the wash process, the front license plate was physically ripped from the bumper, stripping the license plate screw holes. Upon returning home, to my usual spot in the parking garage at my apartment building, the harsh overhead lights illuminated spots on the hood that were previously not present. Examining them led me to discover that the entire car, front to back, was completely covered in scratches and chips, none of which were previously present, much of it on the nose of the car. Since the paint was mirror-perfect and in original showroom condition when I bought the car, naturally I was upset. The car wash manager initially didn't want to listen, until I pointed out that when I pulled up the second time, one of his employees inside the wash bay was holding my forcibly-removed front license plate. A report was taken, but the car wash's head office insisted that the car wash is "brushless" (it's not), so I turned to Geico for assistance, since that's what they're supposed to exist for.
The Claim
On February 12, I contacted Geico, opened a claim, and gave my statement. At first, they sounded exceptionally helpful; it definitely wasn't my fault, and they'd take care of going after the car wash to recover costs, which is exactly what I hoped for and expected. The prospect of going to court myself wasn't very appealing, and Geico can afford better lawyers than I can. We scheduled an appointment for a preliminary estimate with a Geico adjuster, and that's where things started going south.
The Geico adjuster examined the car, and pointed out a number of areas that looked pre-existing, including the severe chips on the hood. I pointed out that I had photo evidence proving they weren't pre-existing, an estimate was written, and I went on my way. When I spoke to the liability adjuster, who was the only person in this entire process who actually listened to what I had to say and tried to be the slightest bit helpful, he looked at my photos and said there would be no issue including the hood chips in the repairs, the evidence was very clear-cut. Trusting him, I scheduled the repairs at the best body shop I could find in the DC metro area, and dropped the car off on March 11.
The Complications
Geico's original estimate showed a great deal of inexperience, saying that the significant majority of the damage would buff out. When it didn't, the body shop contacted Geico for a supplemental estimate for the remainder of the work that needed to be done. The total damage ballooned from $800 to $3000, and almost the entire car needed to be repainted, but almost all of it was approved. The part that wasn't approved? The hood chips, despite me being assured that they would be covered, were not. I was told that they were pre-existing rock chips, and I was welcome to open a separate no-fault claim for them (with a second deductible, of course), but they would not be covered under this claim. My evidence was blatantly ignored, the adjuster said "I don't care what photos you have, I say they're pre-existing rock chips" (exact quote).
The Dispute
When I chose this car, it wasn't the only Audi TT I looked at, but I picked it in large part because it was the only one I could find with no cosmetic damage, not even minor nicks. I examined it when I took delivery to confirm, and re-examined it even more thoroughly when I got home, carefully looking over every body panel. This is something I've always done; I'm exceptionally passionate about my cars, and nothing happens to the paint or body of a car I own without me knowing about it almost instantly. I have a discerning eye for visual defects, which is an asset to my work, so when I say the paint was pristine when I took delivery, I don't say that lightly. And when Geico offered me the option to double my out-of-pocket costs (and impact my flawless insurance record negatively) or settle for a significant number of blemishes on my previously-flawless new car, I refused to accept either option. So I started talking to people.
The liability adjuster, who was the initial point of contact for the claim, was very sympathetic, and the only one at Geico who even looked at the photos I added to the claim. Unfortunately, since it was an auto damage issue, and Geico is weirdly bureacratic and compartmentalized, he was completely incapable of doing anything or helping in any way. I talked to two different auto damage adjusters, who didn't care what I had to say or what the pre-incident photos showed, their minds were made up. I talked to the body shop, who said they did kinda look like rock chips, but they believed me when I said they didn't exist immediately prior to the incident, and agreed that a car wash with foreign debris embedded in the brushes could've caused the damage as easily as rocks. Plus, the chips were down to bare metal with zero signs of weathering. But, since the shop is not Geico, they couldn't do anything either.
I didn't want to name names in this article, but the next two people I spoke to deserve it.
Stan Wladyka
The Geico adjusters put me in touch with Stan Wladyka, supervising adjuster for the Northern Virginia area, saying it was his decision. So I talked with him about it. He said there was no possible way a car wash could cause paint chips, even one with an obvious alignment/calibration issue and likely foreign material in its brushes, which was hitting the car hard enough to remove the license plate. He didn't look at the photos I provided, nor did he care to. His justification for calling them rock chips? His wife has a black car that's about the same age (but with considerably more mileage), and it has chips on the hood, therefore every car with 20,000 miles has the sort of heavy hood damage seen on mine, in places like this where roads are treated in winter. Because that's scientific enough to base legal decisions on, right? Aside from the obvious falacy in this, what about the fact that the car has summer sport tires and has likely never been driven much in winter? Or the fact that some of the chips exposed bare metal, yet had zero signs of weathering or wear, or touching up? Or, if anecdotal evidence is admissable, how about the fact that among people who have a similar lifestyle to me (commute to work via public transit, car stays in garage almost all the time and is only used on weekends and occasional evenings), no one has rock chips on their car? I could walk through my entire apartment building's parking garage (almost a block long) end to end, and not find a single car with the sort of damage on the nose than mine had.
Mr. Wladyka wasn't interested in the pre-incident photos of the car, which clearly showed a mirror-smooth perfect hood. He didn't look at them, and wasn't going to. He didn't want to talk to either of my witnesses, one of whom saw the car less than an hour before the incident. He couldn't answer my questions about his reasoning for his assumption other than his wife's dinged-up hood. After talking in circles for a few minutes, he finally said I could dispute the claim, which would halt all work on the vehicle, so I did. I also alluded to getting a lawyer involved. Mr. Wladyka's response was almost giddy, with a sort of "bring it on" bravado that really caught me off guard, and while I knew it might come down to involving lawyers, I really didn't want to go down that road.
After that conversation, not much happened. No one at Geico contacted me. My attempts to reach out to the company through other channels were unsuccessful, all I found were people who couldn't help, or chirping crickets (usually the latter). The shop contacted me for a status report at one point, but couldn't be very helpful. I asked around friends and coworkers for a recommendation for a local lawyer, no one could offer anything, and having never done this before, I had zero idea where to start.
Finally, I was able to get the contact information for someone higher up. But things went even worse than with Stan Wladyka.
Bill Knauss
I called Bill Knauss, claims manager for Virginia, on April 4, and left a voicemail. He returned my call on April 5 around lunchtime. The conversation followed mostly the same pattern as with Stan Wladyka; I had photos, eyewitnesses, and science, he had three adjusters following hunches and anecdotal assumptions, which somehow trumps evidence. I had a few new points to make, all of which were summarily dismissed with more nonsense, to the point that I felt like I was talking to a 12-year-old (his LinkedIn profile doesn't help that feeling). But then it got worse. He accused me of having buyers remorse about my car. He accused me of buying it without examining it. He even hinted at an accusation of committing insurance fraud, saying that I was trying to get the car wash to cover pre-existing damage. He had no interest in looking at the photos, which disprove both his assumptions and his accusations, and when I offered witnesses, he said "I'll talk to whoever you want, but it won't make a difference, it's my decision and no evidence you can offer will change my mind" (exact quote).
I did provide contact information for the salesman who sold me the car, an older gentleman who's been selling cars for 30 years, and who is probably the most transparently trustworthy sales person I've ever had the pleasure of doing business with. He took great pride in both the car and in working out the details of my trade-in, and when I told him about the car wash damage after I picked it up, he was devastated, volunteering to go to court and testify if he had to. I don't know if he was ever contacted.
Ultimately, there wasn't really a resolution. I withdrew my dispute on April 9, after contemplating it over the weekend, and evaluating how much more time it would take to continue fighting this.
I contacted the body shop for an estimate to cover the hood chips out of pocket, with numbers already in my head. If it was $200 or less, I could easily pull that out of my next paycheck. If it was $500 or more, I'd start serious lawyer-shopping. The number they said was $400, right in the middle. I opted to go ahead and pay out of pocket anyway; that's a lot of cash to cough up without notice, especially right now (March was expensive), but it's not impossible. I've told both Geico and the shop to resume work on the vehicle.
I will be seeking a new insurance company before my current policy is up for renewal. I will never do business with Geico again. I will never recommend them to anyone, whereas before this, I happily recommended them to everyone who was looking for insurance, usually citing the incredible decrease in my premiums after switching.
Through this ordeal, I ended up paying almost double my deductible. I had to make alternate travel arrangements for several out-of-town events I'd been planning to attend for months. Aside from the generosity of friends, any place I wanted to go that wasn't within a half-mile of my apartment or train station was out of reach. And, of course, there was the Geico-induced stress. I lost sleep over this. I cried over this. My ability to perform my job efficiently suffered, from having to take so much time for phone calls, research, and psyching myself up for those calls.
Congratulations, Geico, you won. I'm not a very strong person, I'm not the sort of person who can effectively navigate or stand up to bureacracy, and you broke me. I hope it was worth it.
Update (April 23, 2013): I picked up the car finally, and I'm reasonably satisfied with the work that was done. The final out-of-pocket total for me was $894.80; $500 for my deductible, the rest for the expenses Geico didn't cover. There was an additional $200 in damage to one of the front fenders that Geico also refused to pay for, same damage as the hood, and I couldn't pull together that much extra cash on such short notice, so I opted not to have it done. So there's one spot that still has noticeable defects, but at least I have it back.
Since writing this, I haven't heard from Geico at all, no one at the company has even attempted to care. I know of a few people who've been in contact with them to switch away because of this, and I gave one of them my information when they were asked for it. This post had a pretty impressive reach by my usual standards, but not enough to really make an impact. But I appreciate everyone who put it out there, the support means a lot to me.
Update (February 4, 2014): Previous versions of this page listed the supervising adjuster's first name incorrectly. His name was Stan, not Steve.


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Dakar by bike.
Hubert Auriol knows the former destination of the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally like the inside of his motorcycle jacket pocket. He recently returned to his favourite spots in the Senegalese capital. Tips for a motorcycle tour in Dakar.
Rally legend Hubert Auriol found a second home in Dakar. He's treated like a star whenever he shows up there. In fact, he's so much of a celebrity that he was named an honorary citizen of the city. Hubert has always loved returning to this place. Not least because he was born in Ethiopia and spent his early childhood there. Thus it's no surprise that Africa plays a big role in his life. "The Senegalese are incredibly open and friendly", Hubert says. His route through Dakar takes us to places that hold special memories for him.
The heart of the historic city centre of Dakar is the Place de l'Indépendance – the independence square. "The award ceremony after the Paris-Dakar was usually held here", says Hubert. "Crowds of people gathered, traffic was total chaos. It took us three or four hours to push our way up the winner's rostrum, and it took us just as long to get back. You can imagine how long the award ceremony took", he says with a grin.
The Marché Soumbédioune is located not far from the Place de l'Indépendance. The market offers an impressive glimpse of Senegalese crafts. Located very close to the Medina, it's the creative space par excellence for local artisans. Merchants sell leather goods, ceramics, jewellery, books and baskets. "These are products that you really only find in Senegal", says Hubert.
The part of the beach made famous by the Paris-Dakar Rally is located about 30 kilometres north-east of Dakar. Back then, riders reached this destination after 10,000 kilometres. Countless people celebrated the racers as they rode the last kilometre along the Atlantic coast. The weather was 35°C and sunny, and Hubert would often use the time after the rally to recover from all the hardships in the desert. "I would simply lay there like a lizard in the sand and I was just happy. I had to fully enjoy that moment. After all, winter was awaiting me back home in Paris".
Vis-à-vis the beach lies Lac Rose, the pink lake. Only a few dunes separate it from the ocean. The lake was also an important place in the Paris-Dakar Rally. Some of the award ceremonies were held here. The atmosphere at the salty lake is magical and almost surreal; the calmness is intoxicating. Farmers glide across Lac Rose, collecting salt from the bottom of the lake. "I remember how people celebrated me and called out my name when I won the first time in 1981. It was such an extraordinary moment, the kind you never forget", says Hubert.
The route continues to the south side of Dakar. Down at the beach one can find Hubert's favourite restaurant, "Le Lagon". He's friends with the owner, and there's a brass plaque with Hubert's name on the restaurant's Wall of Fame. "The ocean is very important to Dakar", says Hubert. "You get the feeling that life mostly happens here". The view from the restaurant is fantastic, and so is the food. The perfect finish to a day spent exploring the history of the Paris-Dakar Rally.


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Walkability Isn't Just About Proximity To Shops
For many people, the concept of 'Walkability' simply means how many shops, cafes, schools and other services are within walking distance of a particular location. While this is a really important part of a walkable neighbourhood (people won't walk if there is nothing to walk to) there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that several other factors improve or reduce the walkability of a street or neighbourhood. Now a new book by urban designer Julie Campoli adds to this discussion by exploring several key factors that combine to create truly walkable streets and communities. In her new book from the Lincoln Institute: Made for Walking: Density and Neighborhood Form, Campoli argues that simply having shops, services and venues within walking distance is not enough.
Walkability is won and lost at street-level
Campoli acknowledges that having destinations nearby is essential for getting more people walking, but she adds to this several other key qualities of walkable urban neighbourhoods:
- Connections – a fine grained network of sidewalks and footpaths with plenty of intersections
- Tissue – Great architecture with small human-sized buildings, not big boxes!
- Density – of housing and population
- Streetscape – well designed streets with wide sidewalks and crossings, that are easy and safe to walk in
- Green networks – plenty of street trees and green spaces
But these key factors aren't just the personal preferences of the author, instead they are derived from detailed studies of 12 walkable neighbourhoods in the US and Canada, which are described using beautiful panoramic street-level photography and geo-analysis.
A holistic approach to neighbourhoods
Campoli back's this evidence up with studies that show that a holistic approach creates the most sustainable neighbourhoods: areas that combine the highest number of walkability factors have the lowest levels of driving and resulting CO2 emissions. Campoli cites other research that has shown that creating compact, walkable urban areas can cut green-house emissions by up to 36%. This is the same reason that Walkonomics uses 8 different walkability factors to rate each street at ground-level, including factors such as 'Smart and Beautiful' and 'Pavements/Sidewalks' and includes data on street trees, crime and wayfinding.The streets and communities profiled by Campoli also happen to be really beautiful and fun places to live and work. The books extensive use of street photography helps to illustrate why people are so happy to walk in these streets, in ways that pure statistics and analysis can never do justice.
(Images courtesy of Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Mr T in DC,& inedito)


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Horse Management
Regardless of why they are kept – whether for breeding, sports or recreational purposes – all horses share the same basic needs due to their genetic provenance as steppe animals. And, anyone seeking to design a healthy, reassuring and comfortable horse-keeping environment must pay close attention to these demands. Apart from exercise and social interaction, horses need ample light and air.
HUESKER's Lubratec® product portfolio features wide-ranging system solutions for more light and air in animal housings, such as the intelligent Lubratec wind protection and side ventilation systems, the Lubratec light ridge for efficient daylighting and the Lubratec ventilation tubes. Outdoor protection for livestock is provided by our Lubratec field shelters while the Lubratec separating layers lend the necessary stability to riding areas and Paddocks.
By selecting our products, you are making a long-term investment in the health, well-being and safety of your horses.
At rest, horses breathe in and expire some 90,000 litres of air per day. Any physical exertion leads to a significant increase in the respiratory rate. As a result, the health and performance of horses depends not only on the air quality in the stable, but also on that in the riding arena, lunging hall or training ring. An ideal indoor environment can only be created through expert co-ordination of all the relevant components. As a full-service provider, HUESKER will be glad to help you.
The Lubratec wind protection range includes textile door systems, open fronts to close off large vehicle entrances and permanently installed stretched systems. These serve to provide controlled, draught-free ventilation for livestock buildings, riding arenas, lunging halls, training rings and storage sheds. They are typically incorporated on the gable and eaves sides of buildings.
Lubratec ventilation tubes provide for an active, draught-free supply of fresh air with lower micro-organism and pollutant concentrations in livestock housings. Optimum ventilation performance can only be guaranteed through application of our globally unique computation method based on 3D barn environment simulations.
- Continuous fresh air supply directly to livestock
- Active ventilation suitable for any building
- Even old buildings can be retrofitted to optimize use
- Project-specific calculations based on 3D simulations
- Tube, incl. fan with weather cover and fixing accessories
The Lubratec Booster is designed for the ventilation of barn areas of up to 40 m². Based on physical flow simulations, the innovative system ensures precisely targeted ventilation with high air change rates.
Though extremely light, fabric doors and fronts make no compromises in terms of stability. Moreover, through the appropriate choice of fabric, these doors can also take on a ventilating function. With optimum daylighting guaranteed even when the door is closed, the horses are able to enjoy fresh air and views of the countryside.
Lubratec field shelters are of simple, robust construction and offer high flexibility in terms of use. The movable assembly, enclosed on three sides, allows a flexible choice of location. The fence units and roof frame are made of galvanised tube.
- Galvanised roof construction
- Woven polyester tarpaulin in a variety of colours
- Stainless-steel ratchets, 25 mm, incl. polyester belt strap for tensioning
- Incl. tensioning tubes
The lightweight Lubratec awning offers a relocatable means of protection against direct sunshine. It is easy to fix to trees, poles etc. and is ideal for meadows, grooming areas, tournament car parks and much more.
- Air- and water-permeable material
- UV-stable
- Hardwearing and dimensionally stable
- Strong edges with hemmed PVC
- Use of galvanised D-rings at the corners for fastening
- Max. size 10 m x 10 m
The Lubratec light ridge maximises the daylighting of livestock houses and indoor riding arenas, though without additional heat gains. Light on the interior and dark on the exterior, the ridge blends harmoniously into its setting. High wind deflectors and large openings ensure constant air extraction. Moreover, the stable round-arch construction is capable of withstanding extremely high structural loads.
- 4 – 7 m opening width
- Specially coated woven sheet diffuses light and keeps livestock buildings cool
- Uniform light distribution
- Extra-high mechanical robustness due to special fabric
- Enhanced ventilation performance due to suction created by wind deflectors
As stable and hall lighting is in operation year-round for many hours, only highly energy-efficient Lubratec LED luminaires are now specified for new projects. The high-power ceramic LED chips produce light with 5,000 K colour temperature. The suspension brackets are made of high-grade stainless steel.
- Maximum luminous efficiency per watt (135 lumen)
- Long service life
- Optimum light spectrum for horses
- Constant lighting, also in winter or at dusk
- Water and moisture resistant
- Up to 60 % energy savings
An intelligent, clearly thought-through design is the key to creating optimum conditions for horses to move around riding arenas and paddocks. Here, the Lubratec separating layer acts as an efficient barrier between base and footing layers without compromising the drainage function.
- Products tailored to size of riding arena
- HDPE mesh fabric
- High abrasion resistance
- UV-stabilised
- Weight approx. 270 g/m²
- 0.40 mm aperture size
- Static puncture strength 4,000 N
The Lubratec automatic feeder enables horse-appropriate and economical feeding. It is particularly suitable for open stables and group housing systems. Feed losses are minimised and working time is saved. The control system can regulate the intervals between feeding.
- Stable, horse-friendly feeder
- Three roller blind doors with tubular motor incl. guide rails and sealing lips
- Tarpaulin protection for the weather side
- Stable, light and UV-resistant textile curtain
- Automatic time control (up to 20 feeding times adjustable)
- 230 V Connection


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Welcome To UK Hoof Trimmers |
Does your horse suffer from brittle, cracked hooves, flat feet, thin soles, thrush, intermittent lameness or arthritic joints? Do you both struggle with laminitis every year with little sign of a permanent cure? Has your horse been diagnosed with Navicular?
The Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices natural hoofcare and management program is the most complete, forward thinking holistic horse care program in the world. It is based on the proven healthy wild horse hoof and evolved equine lifestyle giving AANHCP practitioners the edge when it comes to helping our equines at home. If we don't know what true health looks like how do we understand the goals we are working towards? The AANHCP natural hoofcare Guidelines enable practitioners to mimic the truly healthy hooves and lifestyle of the wild horse, mule and burro, which provide the natural templates and foundation for genuine natural hoof care. The Guidelines prevent invasive trimming and methods that leave excessive growth which has negative effect on hoof integrity, thereby causing harm. The AANHCP Guidelines do not yield a ''single trim'' or a one size fits all approach to barefoot trimming, rather they facilitate the unique individual growth patterns of each horse without causing harm or obstructing natural gaits. Practitioners of the AANHCP are trained to help you and your horse with all aspects of natural hoofcare, including related nutrition and starting a paddock paradise natural management setup. The benefits of the AANHCP natural hoofcare and mangement program are many, including:
Last Updated on Sunday, 27 October 2013 17:45 |


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By CHRISTINE ARMARIO
Associated Press
MIAMI (AP) _ When President Barack Obama told the nation on Friday that slain black teenager Trayvon Martin could have been him 35 years ago, many black Americans across the nation nodded their head in silent understanding.
Like the president, they too have seen people walk across the street and lock their car doors as they got near. They, too, know what it's like to be followed while shopping in a department store.
In many ways, it was the frank talk on what it can be like to be black in America that many African Americans had been waiting to hear from Obama, especially since a Florida jury last weekend acquitted neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Martin's shooting death. And it generated a range of reactions _ a reflection of the diverse opinions and experiences the conversation on race in the U.S. provokes.
"I think he was trying to give the other side of the equation," Angela Bazemore, 56, an administrative assistant who lives in New York City, said. "Black people and brown people everywhere feel like they've been heard."
Others felt his comments, while helpful, still only scratched the surface of an issue that is inherently more complex than the color of one's skin.
"I was really happy with what he had to say, but I do feel like him being a multi-ethnic person and Zimmerman being multi-ethnic, are really downplayed when we talk about black and white," said Hank Willis Thomas, an artist whose work frequently focuses on themes of race and identity.
In the unscheduled appearance before reporters at The White House, Obama said the nation needed to look for ways to move forward after the shooting and trial in Florida and urged Americans to do some soul searching about their attitudes on race.
It was the first set of extended remarks Obama has made on the Martin case since Zimmerman was acquitted by a six-woman jury of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in Martin's death last year. Jurors found that Zimmerman had acted in self-defense when he shot the unarmed teenager. Martin was black. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
Obama issued a statement after the verdict that said in part, "I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken."
He went much further on Friday.
"I think it's important to recognize that the African-American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and a history that doesn't go away," he said.
Obama said that before becoming a senator, he himself experienced walking across the street and hearing the locks click on doors, among other similar situations. It's that set of experiences, he said, that informs how of the black Americans interpret what happened one night in Sanford, Fla.
While acknowledging racial disparities in how criminal laws are applied, the African-American community isn't "naive about the fact African-American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system, that they're disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence," he said.
He said race relations are, however, getting better.
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton, whose National Action Network is planning rallies in 100 cities to press for federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman on Saturday, said the president's words were historic.
"There is nothing more powerful than the president of the United States, for the first time in history, saying, `I know how they feel,"' he said.
Martin's parents said Obama's words gave them strength.
"What touches people is that our son, Trayvon Benjamin Martin, could have been their son," they said in a statement. "President Obama sees himself in Trayvon and identifies with him. This is a beautiful tribute to our boy."
Zimmerman's defense attorneys said they acknowledged and understood the racial context of which Obama spoke, but wanted to "challenge people to look closely and dispassionately at the facts."
Those who do so, they said, will see it was a clear case of self-defense and that Zimmerman is a "young man with a diverse ethnic and racial background who is not a racist."
"While we acknowledge the racial context of the case, we hope that the president was not suggesting that this case fits a pattern of racial disparity, because we strongly contend that it does not," they said in a statement.
It wasn't the first time Obama has spoken about race to the nation. He delivered a speech on race during his 2008 presidential campaign after controversy arose around comments made by his former pastor. And the issue has surfaced from time to time during his presidency, including in 2009, when he invited black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the white police sergeant who arrested him for disorderly conduct for a 40-minute chat on the Rose Garden patio.
But many in the African-American community have wanted more.
"I think African Americans in particular wanted him to speak to an issue that deals with race as African Americans see it, and I think African Americans are pleased he's done so," said Brenda Stevenson, a history professor at the University of California Los Angeles. "But I think the president wanted to do so without alienating other people."
Ana Navarro, a Republican consultant, said she cringed at first when she heard the president had spoken about the case.
"I cringed because I think the last thing we need is to insert politics into what is already a very divisive, emotional debate," she said. "When I actually read his words, I thought he had been measured, respectful of the legal process."
"I don't think he's asking white people to identify with black people," she added. "He's saying, `This is a reality for some of us in America."'
Some felt Obama still didn't go far enough.
"In a case that's just bristling with racial tension, this is probably a sane and reasonable statement that can be made, that we need to step into each other's shoes for a minute and understand through each other's eyes the impact of a particular situation, namely this trial and the killing of this boy," said Connie Rice, an African American civil rights attorney in Los Angeles. "The thing that he didn't say and perhaps he couldn't say is that this country is almost retarded when it comes to dealing with race."
She remembered how Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote about integration as the answer to America's racial problems.
"Well guess what?" she said. "We decided not to integrate. We decided to desegregate and we decided to end Jim Crow but we never integrated, we are not fluent in each other."
Stevenson said she wished he'd also addressed black women in his remarks.
Alexandra Grande, a 24-year-old law school student in Idaho, said she found Obama's remarks to be compelling.
"I think he was being very diplomatic," said Grande, watching as an ethnically mixed wedding party posed for pictures at a downtown Boise City intersection. "But he also let his emotions play out, and that was interesting to see. At the end of the day, he is a man with emotions."
For Nolan V. Rollins, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, having the president of the U.S. talk about racial profiling in the first person is emblematic of two things.
"It says how far we've come, no question," he said. "But it also says how far we have to go."
AP writers Tami Abdollah in Los Angeles, Jon Gerberg in New York, and Tom Dvorak in Boise City, Idaho contributed to this report.


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academic community
Critical thinking under government attack, transformative education at risk
October 5, 2018
Recent government statements including by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) aim to stifle critical thinking of educators and students. By trying to censor ideas it finds objectionable, the State is violating the public's right to free expression and academic freedom. This will stop education from being truly transformative. […]


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Return to: Graduate Programs
Belmont University's integrated M.ACC. and B.B.A. degree program is designed to meet today's needs of those wishing to make accounting a career choice. The accounting profession has experienced many changes in recent years including advances in computer and information technology, increased consulting opportunities, and growing competition in national and global markets. Today's accountants must possess much more than just technical accounting knowledge; they must also have a broad understanding of various business activities and possess strong communication, intellectual, and interpersonal skills.
In recognition of those additional skills most states, including Tennessee, have passed laws or issued regulations requiring at least 150 hours of higher education to sit for the uniform CPA examination. Also the AICPA requires new members to possess 150 hours of higher education.
Increasingly, businesses are hiring new professionals who have master's degrees. These include public accounting firms, manufacturing companies, and service providers in healthcare, finance, and insurance, as well as governmental organizations. Belmont's integrated accountancy degree is a program which meets employer needs and provides graduates with exceptional career opportunities.
The integrated program is only for accounting concentration students enrolled at Belmont University and is designed to be completed in a five-year time period. The application deadline for the program is coincident with the relevant Massey School deadline for the student's penultimate undergraduate semester, and the program is then formally entered into during the fall semester of the fourth year. Students who complete the program ultimately earn a Master of Accountancy (M.ACC.) degree and the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree with an accounting concentration. The integrated degree program will allow the student to earn both degrees in four fewer graduate hours than if the degrees were obtained separately.
During the first three years of undergraduate coursework, the accounting student is to complete the normal schedule of all courses. Upon admission into the program, the student will enroll in two MACC classes in addition to any remaining undergraduate coursework. The student is then expected to continue with graduate courses in the summer semester between the fourth and fifth years of study. Until the undergraduate degree is completed, students may take only these two graduate courses.


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Psychonauts 2 Logo Unisex Tank Top
Regular price $48.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 140): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Product Details
Here is a cool tank top featuring the young Razputin Aquato and his coworkers at the Psychonauts psychic espionage agency. You can wear it to show that you're psyched about Psychonauts 2.
- Fit: Unisex
- Made Of: 100% cotton
- Care: Machine wash cold inside out with like colors and tumble dry low.
Ordering Information
Allow 4-5 business days for your order to ship.
- Return Policy: We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
- Delivery: Ship times are estimates of time in transit after your product leaves the fulfillment center. Some items in your order may ship separately to arrive faster.
- Availability: Ships internationally to most countries around the world.
- Delivery Policy: For more information, see our Shipping Policy.
SKU: PSNTS2-100441-0001-psy-2-logo-char


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Renaissance man
- A man who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences.
- scholar who is in a position to acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests.
It's been a long time, but I'm starting to work on this page again…
and NOW I'm trying to do this crap in WordPress?
It seams that WordPress is pretty damn good? I'm still trying to wrap my head around the paradigm. I need to build some (sub?)-pages (sights?) and link it all together? Somehow?
There use to be a myspace badge here… do I still have an account? Is there still a "myspace?" Do I want to link to this junk?
Yes, myspace is still alive (they sent me a link to my "improved" photos)


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What is the role of the thymus and a thymectomy in Myasthenia Gravis?
- What is the thymus and what is a thymectomy?
- What is a thymoma?
- When should a thymectomy be done?
- How does a thymectomy fit in with the treatment of Myasthenia Gravis?
- What are some risks of a thymectomy?
- What should be expected after a thymectomy?
- What is the percentage of people who go into remission who have not had a thymectomy?
- Who is considered an experienced surgeon?
- What are the different methods of a thymectomy?
- What are the age limits for a thymectomy?
- What are the chances of developing an autoimmune disease from removal of the thymus gland?
What is the thymus and what is a thymectomy?
The thymus is a gland located in the chest area that helps the immune system develop. A thymectomy is the removal of the thymus gland. The thymus may be removed as a treatment of Myasthenia Gravis in the hope of increasing the chance of remission (absence of symptoms and no need of medication) from the disease. It is thought that in some patients removal of the thymus reduces the production of antibodies against the nerve-muscle junction, which are producing the disease.
What is a thymoma?
A thymoma is a tumor of the thymus gland. The tumor can grow and squeeze blood vessels, the heart and lungs and require removal. A thymoma may also metastasize to other organs. Fortunately, most patients can have the tumor removed and do well. Removal of the thymoma does NOT cure MG.
When should a thymectomy be done?
Most experts and some studies suggest that a thymectomy be done early in treatment. Most experts also recommend thymectomy for patients younger than 60 and who are otherwise healthy. Most experts do not recommend thymectomy for purely Ocular Myasthenia Gravis, but there are differences in opinion. Patients with immune MG tend to respond similarly to thymectomy whether they have antibodies to the acetylcholine receptors or not, but there is disagreement, with some experts thinking that patients without antibodies against the receptor do not benefit from thymectomy.
How does a thymectomy fit in with the treatment of Myasthenia Gravis?
A thymectomy is NOT a cure, but may increase one's chance for remission and may make the disease less severe. Thymectomy is only one component of the treatment for MG. Treating coexisting medical conditions, selecting appropriate specific therapy for MG (medications like Mestinon, prednisone, Imuran, cyclosporine, Cellcept, IVIg) limiting side effects of MG medications, caring for the psychological concerns of a chronic disease, and budgeting your energy level are all important. With all these components in place, the majority of patients improve significantly over the initial years of treatment. Most of my patients are able to carry on normal work (or schooling) and most hobbies. The majority are, however, still taking medicines to achieve this good result.
What are some risks of a thymectomy?
Thymectomy is a major surgery and there are risks of bleeding, collapsed lung, and post-operative infections. Pain in the region of the incision and the back should be expected from surgery. Because of anesthesia and the stress of surgery, patients with MG may become temporarily weaker after surgery. In addition, a patient with other medical problems may have more complications. Your surgeon, anesthesia team and neurologist should discuss these issues with you prior to surgery.
What should be expected after a thymectomy?
Most surgeons recommend decreased activity (no lifting items over 25 lbs. –including small children) and not to drive (a car accident with a healing sternum could be very dangerous) for 6-8 weeks. Most patients feel chest discomfort for about that same period of time. This gradually decreases, as does the need for pain medicine. It is important to remember that there may also be an increased weakness from the Myasthenia Gravis that is a separate symptom from the surgery recovery.
What is the percentage of people who go into remission who have not had a thymectomy?
The studies for thymectomy treatment for Myasthenia Gravis are confusing because of different definitions of what "remission" is. For example, some physicians describe patients as being in remission if they are without symptoms, but are still taking medications. Also, many studies on remission were done before the modern medications were in use, or only followed patients for two years. With that said, some studies indicate remission rates of 80% and others 20%. There appears to be at most a 10% spontaneous remission rate (no treatment given but patients go into remission).
Who is considered an experienced surgeon?
Thymectomies are not common procedures and a surgeon would be considered experienced if he or she performs 3-4 thymectomies per year. These cardiothoracic surgeons are performing other operations on the heart and lungs several times per week.
What are the different methods of a thymectomy?
There have been many types of surgical procedures used to remove the thymus gland. Generally they fall into two categories: transcervical or transsternal. The transsternal approach involves going through the breastbone to remove the thymus gland. The transcervical approach involves a smaller incision above the breastbone across the neck. In my opinion (and many others), the transsternal approach removes more of the thymus gland and therefore is best. The transsternal approach does produce a larger scar. Recently a video-assisted technique, which uses smaller incisions, has been developed. However, there is not enough information at this time to determine its effectiveness. The most important aspect is to have an experienced surgeon to perform the procedure.
What are the age limits for a thymectomy?
Thymectomies are an accepted form of treatment for Myasthenia Gravis. It is usually restricted to individuals, in otherwise good health, younger than 60 (although some experts would not restrict the age).
The recommendation to have a thymectomy is given to patients with thymus gland tumors and to young adults. For older patients, the recommendation depends on the severity of symptoms, life style, response to medications and side effects of these medications, all put together. The benefits and risks of MG must also be weighed against the risks of available treatment (both medical and surgical).
What are the chances of developing an autoimmune disease from removal of the thymus gland?
Removing the thymus gland does NOT increase your chance of developing autoimmune diseases.
For more information:
Go to the Myasthenia Gravis health topic.