text:
Last week with the help of some folks on Twitter, especially @msherretz and @GrndNagusMammon) I ordered some minor upgrades for my computer. I say minor because although the total purchase set me back a little over $200 I only upgraded my case, DVD drive, and CPU cooler:
While my CPU cooler was relatively new since I bought a new CPU back in November that came with an acceptable stock fan (I posted asking for upgrade advice at the end of October, but I never posted a follow up it seems) the case and DVD drive were aging, hell the DVD drive didn't even open by itself anymore, I had to take off the faceplate and pull it out manually. The DVD drive is over seven years old now, it came in the Dell I got for Christmas in Grade 9…so that would have been Christmas 2005. I can't remember when I got my next computer after that, was one or two years after the Dell, but it was a barebones kit that came with the case I just replaced, so it must be five or six years old.
That's my old case and my new case side by side. The new case is about 2 inches taller and 2 inches longer, and over half an inch wider. So lots of extra space.
This is the computer immediately after last falls upgrade, I can't believe I didn't make a post last time I upgraded my computer, it was such a more exciting upgrade. Maybe I did post about it, but just can't find the post now. Since I didn't though, I'll catch you up on the last upgrade:
- To an Intel Core i5-2500K from a Q6700
- To a Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H from an Asus P5QL Pro
- To 16GB DDR3 @ 1600 MHz from 8GB DDR2 @800 MHz (it was on sale at the time, nearly half off, fantastic deal
The other major components of my computer (purchased even before last fall's upgrade) include:
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti (mine came with a slight factory overclock, but I can't find that model now)
- Corsair GS800
- 4x 750GB Western Digital HDDs @ 7200RPM running in RAID 10 (yes I realize I probably could have bought a SSD for the price of those and the dedicated RAID controller I had to buy at the time, but it's a long story, don't ask)
Alright, so all caught up are we?
All three parts I ordered shipped separately (the case come's in it's own box, that's probably why) and while two of the parts shipped out of Mississauga and arrived Friday, the CPU cooler shipped out of Edison, NJ and didn't arrive until Monday. I opted to go ahead and do the case and DVD drive Friday night, since it was a big job anyways and it wouldn't be a whole lot of extra work to do the CPU cooler Monday. So I cleared a spot on the dining room table and set to work.
I don't know how long it took me, but I'd estimate it took about two hours despite pretty much everything going smoothly. First obviously I had to take all the component out of my old computer (well, everything but the decrepit DVD drive and the puny 80mm fans I had in the case) and then transplant them into the new case.
Just look at how roomy that is. It's amazing what a difference a couple of inches can make (shut up).
This case really is leagues better than the old case, it features support for up to six 120mm fans plus a bottom mounted PSU (which can be oriented so it draws it's air from underneath the case) or four 140mm fans (plus the PSU). The top of the case has a spot for two 120mm fans (or one 140mm fan) which means it can support a 240mm radiator like in the Corsair Hydro H100. It's also got a removable dust cover up there which strikes me (and everyone else) as odd since the top is usually meant for exhaust. I opted to leave it on in case it ever gets a negative pressure in there and draws air in from the top.
There's also two dust covers at the bottom of the case (one for the PSU and one for an additional bottom mounted fan) and one in the front for the two intake fans (the cover is removed in the above photo).
It's got some really neat wire management features (you can see them in action in the above photo) but with the motherboard plate recessed to give more room to the main components, there isn't a whole lot of space back there. The case is a tool-less design and the hard drives are perpendicular to the case, so you can't change hard drives without removing both sides. Like i said it's tool-less, so it's fairly easy, but still will probably be annoying if I ever need to change hard drives.
Somehow I always manage to fuck things up, even in a super simple tool-less design, and this time was no different. I don't know what these things are, but they broke off when removing the front panel (necessary to install the DVD drive). I mean it was an easy operation, it just popped off, but still I managed to break something. It hasn't had any ill effect on the case, but it still bugs me that something broke at all.
You know how I said there wasn't much room in the back for the cable management? I wasn't exaggerating, I had to enlist my sister to help me get the side back on (we needed to apply pressure to the top and bottom of the case, while holding the back of the case so it didn't slide across the table, and then slide the panel into place). There is no visible warping but it is really crowded in there.
So after a long two or so hours I finally had transplanted all the old parts (minus the useless DVD drive) into the new case (accompanied by the new DVD drive). Despite the wire management features I just couldn't get the 4 pin connector for the CPU's power supply hidden, there was simply no option other than running it through the middle of the case. Looks kind of odd, but there is no window in the case, so it shouldn't be too bad.
I used the computer like that all weekend until the CPU cooler came Monday afternoon. I was at the college most of the day so I didn't get home until 7:30pm but it didn't take long to install the cooler, maybe 30 minutes, though the instructions really weren't the best. Here's the finished result:
The H80 is a big sucker, besides the radiator it also has two fans strapped onto it to push/pull the air through the radiator. Corsair recommends drawing air from the outside through the radiator, but that dumps CPU heat into the case, negating one of the advantages of liquid cooling, so I turned it around to expel the heated air outside the case. It's hard to tell from this angle, but the second fan extends just a bit beyond the left most set of screws on the actual CPU mount (is that what that bit is called? CPU mount?).
I placed the fan that was where the radiator is now in the bottom of the case, drawing cool air in. Did I say cool? I meant toe freezing, my office is uncomfortable cold in the winter, the rest of the house is fine, even the rest of the basement, it's just the one room. We shall see how well the dust filters hold up with this set up, this configuration will certainly test them, especially the bottom filters. Luckily they're apparently super easy to clean.
This fan set up leaves three 120mm fans drawing air in, and the pair of fans on the rad (120mm as well) expelling it. The radiator only worries about keeping the CPU cool though, not bringing the air out of the case, so the case will have to rely on a slightly positive air pressure to drive the warm air from the top of the case and side vents if the radiator isn't up to the task (the graphics card has it's own external vents too, but it doesn't pump out anywhere near the volume of air the radiator does). Oh yea, didn't I mention that? If I take the dust filter off the top of the case I can actually feel the stream of air leaving the case, pretty neat.
The three fans that came with the case aren't plugged into the motherboard, they're plugged into a fan controller that came with the case, controlled by the little knob at the top of the case. I'm not sure if it works properly though, I can turn the knob to either extreme and I don't notice a difference. I played it safe though and just left the knob at max.
Similarly, the H80 doesn't listen to the motherboard, it draws it's power from a molex connector, but it does plug into one pin on the motherboard to report the fan speed (that's an awkward connection, both plugs share the same wire, they could have designed that better). Instead of a motherboard managed fan speed the H80 (and the H100 apparently) uses a built in control to manage the speed. It has three settings, low, balance, and high, that gives a range of operating speeds based on the temperature. I decided to leave it on balanced for now, after some heavier playing I'll revaluate it.
The case fans are super quiet, they're nearly silent, and it was really odd getting used to that this weekend. With the addition of the two fans for the H80 things are slightly louder, but not any more so than the old case and it's fan. Did I mention the old case had a really fucking loud fan in it for over a year now? I think the bearings were bust on one of the fans because it could wake the dead, but I needed all the air flow I could get my hands on.
The best thing about the new setup? The front panels finally work. For years the front panels of the old case didn't work, I had to plug my headset into the rear audio and mic ports. This wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact that:
- I had to dive back there and unplug the headset and plug in the speakers if I wanted to show somebody something, and;
- I had to leave the cord on my headsets really long, so they kept getting tangled in the wheels of my chair.
So I am really pleased with my new purchase, even though they seem like insignificant parts of the computer. Hopefully I'll have time this weekend to really push the system to the max and see how well all this new cooling really works.


text:
Emmesmail utilizes a multi-faceted approach to junk mail that achieves a spam rejection rate of nearly 100% with the number of false positives (each rejection of valid email being considered a false positive) just a few percent. Emmesmail initially used a whitelist, a blacklist, a Bayesian filter and an "appropriateness" filter. The whitelist and blacklist were user-specific, locally-generated files. In 2016, this scheme was simplified so that Emmesmail used only a locally-generated whitelist, a Bayesian filter, and a filter that looked at the percentage of unrecognized words.
Here is an outline of how the filtering works:
1) The first thing Emmesmail does is to check if the sender is included in the local whitelist, a list of senders previously determined not to be spammers. If so, the email is immediately delivered.
2) Emmesmail used to check next if the sender was included in the local blacklist, a list of senders previously found to be spammers. If included, the email was re-directed from the recipient's mailbox to the spam mailbox. This step was eliminated in 2016 since virtually every email whose sender was on the blacklist, was eliminated by the Bayesian filter.
3) If the sender is not included in the whitelist, the entire email, including the header, is next examined by a Bayesian filter modeled after that of Paul Graham.
4) If the Bayesian filter reports that the email is likely spam it is re-directed to the spam mailbox, appended to the database of spam emails (see information on Bayesian filtering below), and the sender added to the blacklist. If the email is thought not to be spam based upon Bayesian analysis, it is then examined by aditional filters. Prior to 2016, the next filter examined the ratio of characters to actual tokens (tokens are defined below), after which an "appropriateness" filter, examined the appropriateness of the words used in the email. Starting in 2016, the token paucity filter was eliminated and the "appropriateness" filter simply labeled as spam those emails where more than 40% of the included tokens were not already in the Bayesian filter's corpi.
5) If an email passes all the filtering, it is forwarded to the recipient's mailbox. Just having an email passed by the filtering process is not sufficient to add that email's sender to the whitelist. This only occurs once the email is saved by the recipient.
If upon checking the spam mailbox, if it is found that a mistake has been made and an innocent email has been diverted there, a single click will correct the mistake, deliver the mail to the intended recipient, and correct the databases.
Initially, Emmesmail rejects spam based upon Emmes Technologies' databases that come with the software, until such time as the user's databases become large enough to use.
When Emmesmail has determined that an email is spam, it can, if configured to do so, return the email to the spammer with a customizable "failure-to-deliver" message. Most authorities recommend that this feature not be used.
We found that in implementing the Bayesian filter described by Paul Graham, the following parameters needed to be defined.
Value chosen
Maximum number of tokens allowed in the hash table
Maximum number of words considered when calculating weights
Minimum length of a hash table token
Maximum length of a hash table token
Minimum probabilty of a token
Maximum probabilty of a token
Probability given a token not seen previously
Minimum number of times a token must appear in corpi to count
Maximum number of emails in each corpus before thinning
Number of emails remaining after thinning
Likelihood above which an email is considered spam
Number of words to weigh in likelihood calculation
Anti false-positive bias factor
Characters which act as token separators
\040, \011, \012, @, ?
WMIN: Was set to 2 to avoid examining single letters.
WMAX: This eliminates long undecipherable tokens as occur with pdf documents.
PMIN, PMAX: Not 0 or 1, in order to avoid division by zero in the calculations. Also, if too small, a single word can carry too much weight.
MINO: A word must occur at least four times in our corpi to be significant with regard to determining whether an email is spam. Graham used five, but we felt four might allow one less spam to be passed during the filter's training period.
MNUM, RNUM: When one of our corpi gets to contain 350 emails, we reduce it to include only the 250 most recent and then add new ones until the total number is again 350.
CUT, NTW: Like the original Paul Graham filter, we calculate the likelihood of an email being spam according to the formula
Likelihood = pspam/(pspam + pnspam)
where pspam = w1*w2*w3*....wn, and pnspam = (1-w1)*(1-w2)*...(1-wn), and where the wn are the weights of the tokens in the email. Like the original Graham protocol, we arbitrarily consider only the NTW (15) most significant (closest to 0 or 1) weights in the calculation of likelihood, and we reject emails whose likelihood of spam is greater than CUT. We set CUT to 0.5, a logical choice. Setting CUT to 0.9 as in Graham's formulation, gives the same results, since, as he points out, the probabilities tend to be close to 0 or 1, with hardly any falling between 0.5 and 0.9.
AFPB: The anti false-positive bias factor. The weights, wn, strictly should be calculated according to the formula
wn = a/( a + b )
where a and b are the frequency of the word in the spam and non-spam
corpi respectively. The description of the original Graham filter recommended
counting the words in the non-spam corpus twice in order to reduce the incidence
of false positives. In our implementation this amounts to using the formula
wn = a/( a + b*AFPB )
where AFPB is 2.0. We tried values for AFPB varying from 3.0 to 0.4, before setting AFPB to 1.0, essentially eliminating it as a variable.
Our attempt to implement Graham's formulation exactly did not, initially, achieve as high a spam rejection rate as he reported, so we made a number of changes to our spam filtering, introducing what we refer to as hierarchical filtering, With this system, the Bayesian filter is just one of a number of filters, applied in a linear fashion.
Currently, the first filter we apply is sender-filtering, which uses a user-specific whitelist and blacklist. Then the Bayesian filter is applied.
Next, those emails passing the sender-filtering and Bayesian filtering are challenged by a "token-paucity" filter which examines the ratio of characters to actual tokens and traps those spam emails that avoid detection by Bayesian filters by not containing very many words in ASCII or UTF-8 format.
Currently, the final filter, one which we have been using since 2006, is an "appropriateness" filter. The logic behind this is as follows. Standard emails, both spam and non-spam, contain a relatively narrow range of vocabulary, so that once the spam and non-spam corpi are reasonably-sized, the majority of the words in all emails are already in the stored corpi. Some spammers choose to put random words in their emails, and sometimes these help it pass the Bayesian filter. Non-spam senders almost never include large numbers of unrecognized words in their emails. In order to trap the tiny fraction of spam emails with unrecognized words that might otherwise not get caught, the "appropriateness" filter examines whether those emails passing all previous filters contain a majority of "appropriate" words or not.
We currently are achieving results as good or better than those of Graham. This is in part because of our modifications, but it is likely that the initial failure to duplicate Graham's excellent results were due to programming bugs, which since have been eliminated.
Before using sender-filtering, we make certain to prevent our own email address from appearing on either the whitelist or blacklist, thus frustrating spammers who send spam that appears to come from the intended recipient.
Spam Emails Rec.
Spam Emails Rej.
Rej. Rate (%)
Valid Emails Rec.
Valid Emails Rej.
False Pos. (%)
Use of a whitelist and blacklist to augment the Bayesian filter was introduced in mid-2004. A filter looking at "unrecognized" words in the email was added in 2006. In 2008, we briefly tried using "tokens" made up of two consecutive words in our comparisons, but this did not significantly improve spam rejection. In early 2014, token-paucity filtering was introduced, but only when the user had specified the use of sender filtering. The logic behind this was that many spammers were reducing the number of words in an email to hinder Bayesian filtering and whereas a friend might send you an email typing only a few words like "my pics", a legitimate person sending you an email would have to explain with "these are pics I am sending to pursuade you to go on a date with me". Emmesmail thinks if someone you don't know sends you an email with just "My pics", they are likely a spammer.
Prior to 2011, Emmesmail ran only under Microsoft Windows. Since then, it runs only under Linux.
In early 2015, we refined our email classification scheme in order to allow better assessment of the efficiency of each filter. Each email was classified according to one of the following:ok-whitelist (sender is in the whitelist)
This allowed more detailed description of the filter results.
In the tables below, the filters are listed in the order applied. The number of emails tested by each spam filter goes down sequentially because the filtering is hierarchical and if the email is declared spam by one test, or valid by the whitelist, no more tests are done. The "No. tested" column lists the number of spam emails tested by that filter and is the denominator for the "% spam rejected" entry. The denominator for "% false positives" is the total number of valid emails received (including the false positives).
Spam Filter Type
No. tested
No. caught
False Pos.
% Spam rej.
% False Pos.
Spam Filter Type
No. tested
No. caught
False Pos.
% Spam rej.
% False Pos.
In 2016, sender-filtering was separated into filtering against a whitelist and filtering against a blacklist. Black-sender-filtering was eliminated after it was noted that nearly all emails on the blacklist were caught by the Bayesian filter as well. White-sender-filtering was continued in order to reduce false positives when people on the whitelist occasionally sent unusual, but none-the-less valid emails that fail Bayesian filtering. Token-paucity filtering also was eliminated because it caused too many false-positives relative to the number of additional spam emails it caught.
Emmesmail initially used a whitelist, a blacklist, a Bayesian filter and an "appropriateness" or "unrecognized words" filter. As noted above, in 2016 we eliminated blacklist-filtering. This caused no decrease in our spam rejection rate, but had the pleasantly unexpected side effect that the occasional interesting email from a known spammer was passed through. A classic example is that the US State Department Consulate had been on my list of spammers because of its dozens of unnecessary emails telling me to stay away from Arab murderers. After eliminating the blacklist, the State Department emails warning of Arab murderers continued to be classified as spam, but when they sent an email telling me how to register for an absentee election ballot, which was of interest to me, that passed the Bayesian filter.
The success of eliminating the blacklist, has encouraged us to try also to eliminate the "unrecognized" filter. In 2016, the "unrecognized" filter increased our overall spam rejection rate and also increased our false positive rate. In 2017, our intention is to experiment on how to modify our Bayesian filter to operate without any additional filters (aside from whitelist filtering). For many years prior to 2017, an unrecognized word in the Bayesian filter was assigned a spam-probability of PUNK = 0.5, essentially eliminating it in the calculation of the overall probability of spam. This was done even though the assumption of our unrecognized filter was that the higher the fraction of unrecognized words, the higher the likelihood an email is spam. Our plan for 2017, after the unrecognized filter is eliminated, is to slowly increase the value of PUNK and examine the effect this has on the spam rejection and false positive rates. Over the course of the year, we will fill in the table below and then decide the best value for PUNK to use in 2018.
Spam Received
Spam Caught
Valid W.L.
Valid Passed-all
False Pos.
% Spam rej.
% False Pos.
In mid-2017, we finally reached our goal set many years ago for > 99% spam-rejction and < 1% false-positives. Spam-rejection since July 1 actually has been > 99.5%.
| Emmesmail's Homepage | Emmes Technologies Homepage |

subset: commoncrawl


text: Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu, which has already bagged several National and State film awards, has now been nominated as Indias official entry for this years Oscars. Supran Sen, chairman of Film Federation of India, has announced that Salim Ahamed produced film has been selected for this years Academy Awards.Talking to the reporters, chairman of Oscar Nominations Committee of FFI, B Lenin said that Adaminte Makan Abu was in the race for Oscars with the Indian films like No One Killed Jessica, 7 Khoon Maaf and Dhobi Ghat (all Hindi), Rajinikanth-starrer Enthiran, KO and Aadukalam (Tamil) and Moner Manush (Bengali) and finally, the Malayalam movie has beaten 15 other films in consideration.However, Adaminte Makan Abu is a family drama, which describes human values. Salim Kumar has essayed the lead role of the struggling Unani medicine and perfume salesman and he has won Best Actor National and State Film Awards for his wonderful performance. Zarina Wahab has played the female lead in the film.


text:
I was the troublemaker in school. You know; there was always that one kid in class who never took any lesson seriously, who vandalized the classroom whenever the teacher wasn't there, who talked nonstop, despite the teacher's constant empty threats; that was me. I was very familiar with the principal by 3rd grade, whom I visited an average of 9 times per school week. My grades were low, as to be expected, but back then I didn't care. When I say "back then", I'm referring to my elementary school years, which were from 1997-2000. Which is also where my story begins.
I remember my 3rd grade teacher, Miss Darvin, who had recently suffered a divorce, and I took advantage of her at any moment I could. I would fail a test and she would always give me sympathy points; I would throw an eraser at one of the girls and I would be dismissed with a soft "Stop, please". I recall with disdain my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Garrett, who would lower my grade by 10 percent every time I answered a question incorrectly in class.
And then there was Miss Valerie, my 5th grade teacher.
Miss Valerie was different from all the other teachers. Whereas everyone else saw me as a lost cause, she looked upon me with favor and affection. She would meet with me after class and review the material with me, until she had made sure I understood it. She tutored me on weekends. She motivated me to actually get work done. As you've probably already guessed, my parents were rarely there for me, and she quickly became a mother figure.
I just wish I'd shown it.
If anything, I was a worse student to Valerie than I was to Darvin or Garrett. I needed attention more than anything, and I think that, deep down, she knew it, even as I talked out loud to my clique during class, even as I refused to turn in my assignments, even as I took 15-minute "bathroom" trips every day.
I always felt guilty every time she reluctantly sent me down to the principal's office for detention, even though I wasn't conscious of it.
And then, all of that changed.
I think that most of you know what I'm talking about when I say that I especially hated those 20-year-old educational films. You know, the healthy eating and drug prevention campaigns that the school dropped on us for 1 month out of the year. Remember D.A.R.E.? Yeah, that stuff.
And the anti-bullying campaign. Jesus, that was torture. We spent the entirety of Fridays learning about how to stand up to bullies, how to not become a bully, how to speak up when you're a bystander. Of course, I never paid attention to any of it. They all consisted of grainy, low-quality scenes of people who were clearly on antidepressants talking about the problem of bullies in schools. They all had cheesy titles, too. "Don't Stand By for Bullying!", "Take Bullying By the Horns!". I fell asleep during each and every one of them.
I clearly remember that one March afternoon, when Miss Valerie showed us a video, simply entitled, "The Zebra". She inserted the tape into the VCR and told us that we should pay attention, because the message was very important. She dimmed the lights and flipped on the TV. I wasn't awake for most of it, but what I did see was a bit confusing.
It started with a cartoon scene of Africa, with no title sequence or anything. A poorly-drawn zebra moved into view, coming across a pack of lions, encircling an antelope. That's all I saw before I rolled my eyes, leaned back in my chair, and fell asleep.
I was awakened by the voice of Valerie, saying, "And that's why you shouldn't be a zebra. Any questions?" No one had any, but from what I'd heard at lunch that day, nobody fully understood it. Apparently, the zebra was supposed to represent a bystander, the lions were bullies, and the antelope was a victim. The plot was that the zebra watched as the lions devoured the antelope, and didn't speak up to stop it. I couldn't have cared less about the message, but as the day went on, I became worried. Kids were dancing around the halls, singing happily, "We're not zebras! We're not zebras!" When I threw erasers at the girls, they didn't react. It would hit their faces and bounce off with a slap, but they just remained unflinching, still singing "We're not zebras!" happily. It was strange, to say the least.
Before I left school, I met with Valerie for the usual review session. As I sat down in front of her desk, she asked me why I hadn't been watching the film.
My answer was standard. "I didn't care." Upon hearing this, she sighed heavily.
"You know, Luke," she said, "I was once a lot like you. I would constantly cause trouble in class, and would even bully other students."
That was when it wasn't criminal to be one, I thought.
"I often picked on this one, very emotionally fragile little girl. One day, I got a call that the student I'd been harassing had killed herself by jumping from a window. That moment made me realize that the path I'd chosen was wrong and hurtful. I found out later that she had left me a gift- this video." She held up a copy of "The Zebra". "I never understood why, but I kept it knowing that changing would make her proud. And I say the same to you, today." She put away the tape and looked into my eyes. "Now, go."
She hadn't assigned anything to the class that day, and I assumed she would give me at least one extra credit paper. "You're not giving me homework?" I questioned.
"No. You can go home. I just wanted to tell you how I feel about your potential future," she said. I shrugged and left, seriously confused at the day's events.
The next day, when I came to school, the entire class was empty. I sat down in my usual desk at the front of the room, looking at the absent desks around me. Seeing that nobody was there, I stood up and turned on the TV Valerie had kept for PSA videos. The default channel was the local news.
"Breaking news!" it said. "17 children dead by mysterious circumstances." I stared at the screen intently, not quite knowing what to think. "Seventeen children were found dead this morning," said a reporter. "The motivation behind the mass murder is yet unknown, but the cause of death for all 17 has been confirmed as extreme blood loss from falling from a considerable height. It is currently unknown whether the action was homicide or suicide."
Shocked, I stood up and turned around, to find Miss Valerie standing in the doorway.
"You see why it's so important not to be a zebra, now?" she said, grinning. "Of course you don't." She walked towards me. "You..are special."
She strolled over to her desk and took out "The Zebra".
"These children have all stood up to the lions, and in doing so, they are no longer zebras. The antelope can be saved."
She handed me the tape.
"The antelope was killed long ago by the lion. The zebras never batted an eye.
"But, now, both the lion and the zebras have a chance to redeem themselves. The antelope; she chose me to spread the message of this video. Only a lion possesses enough strength to persuade the horde of zebras.
"Now it's your turn."
Before I could speak, Miss Valerie unsheathed a knife from her pocket and swiped it across her throat, falling over her desk in a heap.
Within minutes, the police stormed into the classroom, looking for Miss Valerie. They found me crying next to her lifeless body, still clutching the tape.
They told me she was a "bad person", and that she was "very sad". But as they confiscated the tape, I overheard them saying, "... a known cultist... killed all 17... brainwashed..."
The case was concluded in late 2005, with the deaths confirmed as a mass suicide, induced by Miss Valerie, who had a history of killing entire classes of children.
Following its closing, the tape was returned to my possession, with the police officers claiming that it contained nothing of evidential interest.
It's still in my desk.


text:
login with
Screaming.. Just to Scream.. !
Whoa Baby.. Seems as though Mr. Monroe has learned to scream.. for fun... INSERT BULGING EYES.. it starts as something playful and funny.. then it turns into.. hey.. I know how to scream.. so I am going to do it! He's only almost 6 months old.. can't really correct him.. but Lordy.. he can be LOUD! ha! Any Mamas remember this fun phase?
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Birth: September 29
On Moms.com since: Aug 5, 2013
I am a new Mama.. married to my sweet Husband! I am a barre3 addict and a Team Leader here on Moms.com! I feel so blessed to do what I love and live life with the ones who make it magical.
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text:
Akron-VCU matchup pits coaches who are friends
Credit: The Associated Press
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Akron coach Keith Dambrot considers VCU's Shaka Smart family.
Dambrot recalled crying tears of joy when was he heard Smart coached the Rams past Kansas to earn a spot in the 2011 Final Four.
"That guy's my brother," Dambrot said. "I love Shaka ..." and he wants to send him home.
Dambrot believes an upset is possible if the 12th-seeded Zips can slow down the fifth-seeded Rams on Thursday.
That won't be easy.
|The article you requested is no longer available on BostonHerald.com.


text:
What is JotForm?
JotForm is a free online form builder which helps you create online forms without writing a single line of code. No sign-up required.
At JotForm, we want to make sure that you're getting the online form builder help that you need. Our friendly customer support team is available 24/7.
We believe that if one user has a question, there could be more users who may have the same question. This is why many of our support forum threads are public and available to be searched and viewed. If you'd like help immediately, feel free to search for a similar question, or submit your question or concern.
Unable to access any forms that are done todayAsked by motionsports on December 12, 2014 at 03:32 PM
I have not been able to access any forms that are done today.
is there maintenance going on right now?
JotForm Support
The system is up and working fine and we don't see any issue at the moment. As I check your account, I see that the last edit was made in the month of October.
Are you sure that you were logged into your account while creating the new JotForms? Please provide us with the JotForm ID if you have, so that we will be locate the JotForm.


text:
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Dr Catherine Earl
|Research Fellow
|Gippsland - 5N 109
|5122 6614
- BA (Hons)
- Grad Dip Ed
- PhD
Catherine is a research fellow in the Federation Business School Gippsland Campus. She is a social anthropologist and her research centres on social change, social welfare and work, and social mobility in contemporary Vietnam and Australia. She has been a guest researcher at the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Department of Sociology at the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City. She has taught in the Department of Asian and International Studies at Victoria University and the School of Applied Media and Social Sciences at Monash University, where she received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Programs that Enhance Learning Special Commendation (2010) and the Gippsland Campus Individual & Team Teaching Award (2008). Currently she works on the Australian Research Council funded Retiring Women research project led by Professor Philip Taylor.
- Changing nature of welfare, work and retirement
- Education avenues to social mobility
- Gender and social change
- Asian middle classes
- Ho Chi Minh City
Earl, C. 2014. Vietnam's New Middle Classes: Gender, Career, City. Copenhagen: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press.
Levy, S. and Earl, C. (eds), 2012. Student Voices in Transition: The Experiences of Pathways Students. Johannesburg: Van Schaik.
Earl, C. 2011. Latrobe Community Health Service: Our History, 1974-2010. Morwell, Vic: Latrobe Community Health Service.
Earl, C. 2008. A Home of Many Rooms: Celebrating the Australian Vietnamese Women's Welfare Association, 1983-2008. Richmond, Vic: Australian Vietnamese Women's Welfare Association and Victoria University.
Refereed journal articles
Earl, C. 2014. 'Vietnam's post-war generation: Disability, social welfare and status identity in Ho Chi Minh City', Children in War: The International Journal of Evacuee and War Child Studies, Vol. 1, No. 11, 14 pages, in press.
Earl, C. 2013. 'Saigon style: Middle-class culture and transformations of urban lifestyling in post-reform Vietnamese media', Media Australia International, Vol. 147, Special issue on Lifestyle Media and Social Transformation in Asia, edited by F. Martin, T. Lewis and J. Sinclair, pp. 85-97.
Earl, C. 2013. 'Post-war mobilities: Gender, poverty and opportunity in Vietnam's third wave of mass urban migration', Children in War: The International Journal of Evacuee and War Child Studies, Vol. 1, No. 10, pp. 71-6.
Refereed conference proceedings
Earl, C. 2008. 'Cosmopolitan or cultural dissonance? Middle-class encounters with the other', in A.M. Vicziany and R. Cribb (eds), Proceedings of the 17th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia, Melbourne, Australia: Is this the Asian Century? Melbourne: Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, pp. 1-15.
Book chapters
Earl, C., Taylor, P. and Brooke, L. 2014. 'Falling between the cracks: Older women and organisational policymaking' in J. Bimrose, M. McMahon and M. Watson (eds), Women's Career Development Throughout The Lifespan: An International Exploration. London: Routledge, 21 pages, in press.
Earl, C. 2014. 'Life as lived and life as talked about: Family, love and marriage in twenty-first century Vietnam' in V. Mackie and M. McLelland (eds), The Routledge Handbook of Sexuality Studies in East Asia. London: Routledge, pp. 101-111.
Taylor, P., McLoughlin, C. and Earl, C. 2014. 'The role of partial retirement in organizational policy-making in Australia' in C-M. Alcover, G. Topa, E. Parry, F. Fraccaroli and M. Depolo (eds), Bridge Employment: A Research Handbook. London: Routledge, pp. 239-251.


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In science-fiction movies, bad guys use lasers to burn down national landmarks, whereas good guys use lasers to burn CDs for cool aliens. Get closer encounters with this Groupon.
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Staffers use the The Long Pulsed Nd:YAG laser to selectively target abnormal veins—such as reddish spider veins, blue deoxygenated vessels, and reticular veins—heating and collapsing the vessels without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. Some mild irritation or bruising may occur after the treatment, which is ideal for veins measuring 3–4 millimeters in diameter. Two–four treatments spaced four–six weeks apart are recommended for maximum results.
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Laser Clinic of Chesapeake
Laser Clinic of Chesapeake's crew harnesses the power of the latest laser innovations to slim physiques, rejuvenate skin, treat acne, and remove unwanted hair. Inside welcoming treatment rooms, skilled technicians wield an arsenal of ever-changing, revolutionary technology that bolsters appearances. Each unique service assesses imperfections lurking deep in dermal cellars so that technicians can accurately target problem areas or unfurl fermented secrets.


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2016-17 Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee
The Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment endeavors to enhance the learning environment at Weber State University. When the opportunity and need arise, and as charged by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, the Committee studies, evaluates, and makes recommendations on issues affecting the teaching environment and the assessment of student learning at Weber State University. It also advises the Chair of the Committee in his or her capacity, as the Director of the Teaching and Learning Forum, and supports the faculty development activities of the Teaching and Learning Forum.
2016-2017 TLA Committee:
Colleen Packer
ext. 6256
Toni Asay
ext. 8556
Barrett Bonella
ext. 8035
Chris Eisenbarth
Amydee Fawcett
ext. 6111
Jason Francis
ext. 8138
Tim Herzog
ext. 6953
Joan Hubbard
ext. 6403
Pamela Payne
ext. 6094
Kacy Peckenpaugh
ext. 6185
Bill Robertson
ext. 8705
Janice Thomas
ext. 8138
Hugo Valle
ext. 7684
Nadia Wrosch


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K.K. Casbah is a song by K.K. Slider. The song incorporates ouds, lutes, heavy shakers, etc. and has an Egyptian-like theme.
These villagers play K.K. Casbah inside of their homes once they own a stereo.
- On the New Leaf album art, K.K. Slider takes on an appearance similar to that of the titular character of Disney's Aladdin.


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SOUTH KOREA: Hyundai Q1 net profit surges 47%
Hyundai Motor on Thursday posted a sharp rise in first-quarter net profit amid brisk sales in overseas markets including China and the United States.
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Paying for College
At Barton Community College, a quality education is both affordable and accessible to all who seek it. The lack of financial resources should not keep you from attending college. If you need assistance with paying tuition, there are a number of options available. A thorough understanding of payment options along with proper planning will ensure that you can take advantage of a successful educational journey.
As you calculate the cost of your college education, be sure to consider that every dollar you spend is an investment in your future. A better career can lead to a higher earning potential and an increased standard of living. With financial aid, scholarships, and flexible payment plan options, we can help you make it happen so enroll now.


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Analytically Important Transportation Links: A Field Of Influence Approach To Cge Models
No abstract is available for this item.
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|Date of creation:
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: Secretaria da ANPEC Rua Prof Marcos Valdemar de Freitas Reis s/n Campus do Gragoatá Bloco F Niterói, RJ 24210-201 Brazil
Phone: 55 21 3674 7952
Fax: 55-11-3091-6073
Web page: http://www.anpec.org.br
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- Dixon, Peter B. & Parmenter, B.R., 1996. "Computable general equilibrium modelling for policy analysis and forecasting," Handbook of Computational Economics,in: H. M. Amman & D. A. Kendrick & J. Rust (ed.), Handbook of Computational Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 1, pages 3-85 Elsevier.
- Domingues, Edson P. & Haddad, Eduardo A. & Hewings, Geoffrey, 2008. "Sensitivity analysis in applied general equilibrium models: An empirical assessment for MERCOSUR free trade areas agreements," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 287-306, May.
- Harrison, Glenn W. & Jones, Richard & Kimbell, Larry J. & Wigle, Randal, 1993. "How robust is applied general equilibrium analysis?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 99-115, February.
- Haddad, Eduardo A. & Hewings, Geoffrey J.D., 2005. "Market imperfections in a spatial economy: some experimental results," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 476-496, May.
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games / Columns
411 Games Top 5: Top 5 Final Fantasy Characters
Hello everyone, I hope it has been a good week for all the readers out there. This is the 411 Games Zone Top 5, where 411 writers get to make lists on a different topic each week. This week, since Final Fantasy XV comes out in a few days, we are doing the Top 5 Final Fantasy Characters.
John Cash (Regular Contributor to Games Top 5)
5. Lulu (FFX): I'm not the biggest fan of this series, but I have played several of the games, and for some of the longer ones I watched on YouTube. FFX was the first FF game I played, and while I didn't really care for Tidus or Yuna, Lulu was right up my alley. I have a thing for stoic types, you see, and she just happened to also have the style of support that I like in my party.
4. Tifa Lockheart (FFVII): I'm going to be frank here; I think I enjoy Tifa in pretty much everything but the game she is from, specifically in Advent Children and On the Way to a Smile. Her design is really simple but SUPER iconic. I get that she had to be the #2 in FF7 (behind Aerith) for the sake of the story, but I feel like they could have done more with her.
3. Sephiroth (FFVII): He's one of the most well-known video game antagonists of all time, right up there with Bowser and Ganon. He was one of the first villains I can remember pitying, at least in a video game. Sure, he goes WAY over board, but what caused him to go mad is pretty understandable. I look forward to seeing if they expand any of his story in the re-make.
2. Terra Branford (VI): It was very hard for me to choose between Terra and Lightning for my top 2. If Lightning Returns hadn't have happened, Terra probably would be my favorite FF character ever. She has such a great arc, and her personal struggle with her humanity is one I will remember for a long time. After seeing her DIssidia appearances, I kind of want them to remake FF6, but it would be a massive undertaking, so it will probably depend on the success of the FFVII remake.
1. Lightning (FFXIII): I relate a lot to Lightning for reasons I won't go too far into, but I could see myself in a lot of her actions and dialogue. I know the XIII trilogy is right up there with Spirits Within (something else I massively enjoy) for most FF diehards, but I think most people seem to enjoy Lightning as a singular character. Lightning Returns was fantastic, with the ending being so wonderful. I hope she is in Kingdom Hearts III!
Marc Morrison (Games Zone Reviewer, Co-Host of Video Games 2 the MAX Podcast, Writer of Games Zone 8-Ball)
5. Quistis: To be honest, I always wanted Squall to hook up with Quistis, rather than Rinoa. She has the whole "sexy librarian" thing going on, plus isn't completely annoying during the course of the game. She wasn't that useful in battle I thought, but she did have a decent personality in the game, which is something I can't say for most everyone else in FF8.
4. Cissnei: It says a lot when the best written woman in a Final Fantasy game, bar Type-O, only appears in a prequel title on the PSP. Still, Cissnei represents a great character as she is playful towards Zack, but it never goes beyond casual flirting. Also, she cares for her fellow Turks and makes them seem human. A far cry from the exploits in FF 7 where they are dopey goons. She suffers from the "was invented for this game" hiccup (don't care if she was in the anime before or not), so that's why she probably has depth.
3. Tseng Speaking of adding depth, Crisis Core actually made Tseng a fleshed out character, rather than the buffoon he was portrayed as in FF7. I liked the friendship he had with Zack, it was slightly competitive but they respected and befriended each other by the end. Also, he did the honorable thing in the end of the game and tried to save Zack. He wasn't exactly successful, but it showed the level of friendship the two had.
2. Cid (Final Fantasy 7): Who doesn't love a crusty, bitter old guy? I like that for most of the game Cid is basically like "Yeah, this hippie lifestream stuff is garbage, let's get to another planet!" He was a pretty mediocre fighter in the game, but made up for it in attitude and having the best theme song in the game.
1. Chocolina — DERP1
1. Zack Fair (Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core): Unlike Cloud, who is a schizophrenic cipher for most of the game, Zack actually has a personality and character growth. It's always nice when you can actually see the journey of a hero in a Final Fantasy game. Plus, unlike most of the recent FF heroes, he isn't a dour asshole, or annoying beyond belief. Zack is energetic, sure, but not at the expense of going overboard, unlike say Tidus. His eventual end is a real impactful moment, and the last battle is portrayed in a very special way. Lastly, he's voiced by Endless Mike Hellstrom from Adventures of Pete & Pete (Rick Gomez), so that is rad.
Stephanie Diaz (Gamer, Reader Voice, Games Reviewer for W2Mnet.com)
Editors Note: * Stephanie writes game reviews and other things over at my website W2Mnet.com, I asked to help out and add a list since I didn't have time this week to do one myself. *
5. Noctis Lucis Caelum: Noctis is the newest addition to the FF series but he's already made a huge impact on the franchise. With a full-length feature film, anime, and even manga, Noctis is given a lot of material for gamers to be excited. But what makes him already a fan favorite is just how much hype is being given to him. He's the star of a game people have been waiting on for over 10 years. Not many Final Fantasy characters carry this much weight on their shoulders as he does right now. Did I mention he's only one of a few to be in a feature film? Yeah.
4. Lightning "Claire Farron": Lightning is one of the greatest female characters in the franchise, and is also a huge turning point for gamers. The main character of Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning's design was meant to be a mixture of past Final Fantasy character designs, focusing on her personality and story, rather than how she looked. While beautiful, feminine, and graceful, she becomes memorable because of how different she is. She is a turning point for how gamers view women in games, and her story is different in how she has one goal that spans into three games. Not everyone cares for the three FF XIII games, but I enjoyed each one for its own reasons. Two of them were totally because of Lightning.
3. Squall Leonheart Squall is a probably the most difficult character to analyze because of how he develops in Final Fantasy VIII. But it's the struggle of finding himself that makes him number three. He is a relatable character allowing gamers struggling to find themselves, someone to identify with, not only because he appears cold at first. But he grows throughout the game and shows the he actually does care for people. He's one of the most iconic characters in Final Fantasy lore and has even taken a starring side role in the Kingdom Hearts series as well.
2. Sephiroth A super soldier and probably known as one of the sexiest male characters alive, this addition to my top five is different. A villain in Final Fantasy VIII, he's a counterpart to Cloud Strife. He's also does a good job in his role of helping Cloud's character development. Most Final Fantasy villains tend to be a distant force that the gamer meets at the end of the gate. Sephiroth is the exception to the rule, becoming a huge force of just plain old bad on Cloud and his companions. He's also remembered for killing the next character on my list.
1. Aerith Gainsborough: Aerith is number one on my list and rightfully so. She is a beautiful character and is designed as friendly, compassionate, and sweet. She can fight, heal, and is another factor in Cloud's development. She is a part of Cloud's past just as she's a part of his present. She also offers him a certain hope as he struggles to fulfill his mission in saving the world, and in finding himself. But she is remembered more because of the ugly crying that gamers went through for her. Her death scene by the hands of Sephiroth is one of the most iconic moments in the entire Final Fantasy franchise that gamers to this day still have tears in their eyes talking about her.
List your Top Five for this week's topic in the comment section using the following format:
5. CHOICE: Explanation
4. CHOICE: Explanation
3. CHOICE: Explanation
2. CHOICE: Explanation
1. CHOICE: Explanation


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Left leg severed below the ankle. Left arm damaged from the blast. Severe facial injuries to lips and eyes, possible broken jaw.
Use this video as a training tool. (as in what NOT to do)
You do have your CAT Tourniquets, right?
Mosby discusses. Part 1 and Part 2.
There is no redo on the final exam.
h/t DS. Stay safe out there.


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Today I was knocking some things off the list around the house while my family was out. I had gotten to the burdocks and was looking around for something to help me whack my way through the forest that is the West end of my garden. Finding nothing helpful around the shop I looked inside and quailed at the idea of taking one of The Missus' chef's knives out to the garden.
Then a flash of inspiration hit me.
I had recently purchased a trio of military style digging tools on eBay. I say military style because the ones that are three for ten bucks are smaller, cheaper, and a good deal flimsier, but even if they turn out to be single use, a tiny, flimsy shovel is better than no shovel at all in an emergency.
So I grabbed one out of the truck and flipped out the file on my trusty Leatherman. A few minutes quick work had one side of the aluminum digging head honed into some semblance of sharpness (indicated by the white arrow in the picture above). It turned out to be quite effective in the battle against the burdocks, and the serrated edge, while likely not up to the task of sawing actual wood, was more than a match for some of the two inch thick pricker bushes I ran into. The short handle was actually a bonus and let me whack away in tight quarters and avoid plants I wanted to keep.
Missing My Missus
4 years ago


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In fact, Scott Walker likes Republican, Dick Leinenkugel, a whole bunch. Interestingly, it was under Leinenkugel's tenure that Wisconsin lost the most jobs during the recession. Funny, Walker never mentions that.
Scott Walker has been yapping over and over about Mary Burke's performance as Commerce Secretary and how electing her will be a Jim Doyle sequel.
The Siren went back and looked at the jobs numbers while Jim Doyle was Governor - and boy, did the job market crash. The whole country took a crapper going into the fall of 2008, including Wisconsin, which bled jobs through January of 2010.
Except, Mary Burke wasn't Commerce Secretary then - Republican, Dick Leinenkugel was.
Well, that's a bit of creative editorializing isn't it?
Mary Burke was Commerce Secretary from 2005 until November, 2007. Leinenkugel came on board in September, 2008 and left in April of 2010 to run as a Republican against Russ Feingold.
If you want to see a picture of what jobs looked like, here's a graph:
Leinenkugel jumped ship just as Doyle is starting to realize a bit of recovery.
Why do you suppose Walker never mentions this? Because Leinenkugel is a Republican? Because he is a Walker campaign donor? (Both personally and $57,000 from MillerCoors employees.)
When the shit hit the fan, it was a Republican who answered the phone in the Commerce Department.
Then, of course, there still is that annoying inconvenient truth that when Walker took over as Governor, Wisconsin was ranked 11th in job creation and Walker rode her down to 35th - lagging behind the nation and the midwest with a three year low.
The Siren says, when Scott Walker brings up the supposed armageddon Mary Burke will bring down upon our state, someone should politely ask him how he feels about Dick Leinenkugel?


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Our firm is dedicated to protect our clients' rights and defend them as they face the most serious charges and accusations. The firm handles juvenile and adult criminal defense matters in federal court and state court throughout Colorado.
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What is a Sugar Glider?
Well you are about to find out
A sugar glider in flight
When you hear "sugar glider" you might be wondering what is that. Well These little creature are commonly found in Australia and have recently become a huge exotic pet fascination in the states. They are classified as marsupials, these animals are most commonly known for having a pouch to carry their young. The sugar glider can easily be broken down by its name, they love sweets and can glide far distances with their extra skin under their arms.
Sugar gliders can come in many different color patterns but stay within the shades of gray for the most part. I will give you some facts about sugar gliders below.
- Sugar gliders in captivity have been known to live for 10-15 years.
- Sugar gliders eat just about anything from bugs, fruits, nuts, and even bird eggs.
- Sugar gliders are social animals that bond by scent and live in colonies, don't own just one because it can get depressed and even harm its self from the loneliness.
- Sugar gliders can make some cute and intimidating sounds. Check these videos out on some of the different noises they make.
Sugar Glider Anatomy
A sugar gliders body is quite unique. They have similar body parts to many different species of animals. Here I will explain some of their body to you.
- Sugar gliders have opposable thumbs... on hand AND FEET! This helps them to climb and grasp things in ways most other animals cant.
- Sugar glider tails are used to help with gliding, they throw it around to balance the direction they want to glide.
- Sugar gliders have large eyes like lemurs because they are nocturnal and gain extra light sensitivity from the smallest source to see.
- Sugar gliders have two very long bottom teeth that can easily reach the bone of a human finger if used to bite, the top row of teeth are similar to a humans row of teeth.
I hope you enjoyed learning about Sugar Gliders. Come back often to see new content and information!


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Red Wine
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir grapes almost seem to have a mind of their own. They require precise growing conditions, favoring cooler temperatures with adequate rainfall throughout the year. The wine draws flavors from the soils in which they are grown, which impart a complex earthiness. Pinot Noir wines range from subtle works with great finesse to powerful, structured wine with a backbone of fruits and tannins.
610 2013 Joesph Drouhin, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France 112
611 2012 One Hope, California 43
613 2013 Archery Summit Winery, Willamette Valley, Oregon 120
614 2013 Sonoma Cutrer, Russian River Valley, California 92
616 2012 Robert Sinskey Vineyard, Los Carneros, Napa Valley, California 86
619 2014 Big Table Farm, Willamette Valley, Oregon 99
622 2012 Brandborg Vineyards and Winery "Bench Lands", Umpqua Valley, Oregon 48
615 2014 Meiomi, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Sonoma Counties 65
2497 2013 Hybrid, Lodi Apellation, California 39
635 2012 Patz & Hall, Sonoma Coast 103
637 2012 Patz & Hall, Pisoni Vineyard, Sonoma Coast 173
630 2012 Siduri Vineyards, "Santa Lucia High Lands" 87
612 2012 MacRostie, Sonoma 61
625 2013 Migration Wines by Duckhorn Vineyards, Anderson Valley, Mendocino 87
640 2013 Clos du Val, Carneros 62
653 2013 MacMurray Ranch Wines, Sonoma Coast 43
608 2013 Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs, Sonoma Coast 62
658 2013 Rex Hill, Willamette Valley 78
650 2012 Scott Paul " La Paulee", Oregon 92
Featured Pinot Noir
Bin 619, 2014 Big Table Farm, Willamette Valley, Oregon 99
This is a combination of new, used and neutral barrels from all their Pinot Noir sites. Green peppercorn and savory herbs are apparent immediately on the nose. The fruit here is perfectly balanced by the stems and structure. This wine strikes a perfect balance with red grapefruit and orange zest aromatics supporting the generous cherry and red currant flavors.
With aromas of currants, plums and blackberries, these wines are enjoyable with just about everything. They have medium levels of acidity and tannins, which make them seem vibrant and fresh. Merlot has a lower level of natural acidity resulting in a more silky, lush finish. Easily enjoyable with chicken, pork, lamb and beef.
705 2012 Charles Krug Winery by Peter Mondavi, Napa Valley 54
707 2012 Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley 125
712 2013 Decoy Wines by Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley 62
714 2013 Frog's Leap Winery, Rutherford, Napa Valley 81
716 2013 Gordon Estate, Colombia Valley 53
722 2011 Stag's Leap Winery, Napa Valley 78
710 2009 Sbragia Family Vineyards Home Ranch, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma 68
748 2011 Red Diamond, Washington State 38
Featured Merlot
Bin 716 2013 Gordon Estate, Columbia Valley, Washington 53
This rich and spicy estate-grown merlot greets you with all the right stuff from the first sip. Clean berry and cherry fruit, with a light touch of peppery herb, rolls into fine, silky tannins and baking spices. Stored in a mixture of French and American oak barrels, this wine adds 5% syrah to elevate the merlot's fruit character and 2% cabernet sauvignon to add nuanced depth.
When this grape is grown in hot climates, it results in inky, dark, rich wines that are profoundly wonderful. Aromas of black fruits and currant, there is an especially spicy characteristic in the wines from Australia and California.
800 2009 Amon-Ra by Ben Glaetzer, Ebenezer, Barossa Valley, Australia 206
803 2011 Groom Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia 79
804 2013 Box Head, Southern Australia 39
835 2012 Brassfield Estate Winery, "Eruption", California 46
845 2012 Tablas Creek Vineyards, "Patelin de Tablas", California 57
809 2015 Molly Dooker, Two Left Feet, Australia 71
840 2009 Domaine Serene, "Grand Cheval", Oregon 169
802 2010 Mira Winery, Hyde Vineyard, Napa Valley 73
823 2013 Fess Parker, "Big Easy," Santa Barbara County 65
This grape at its best, has aromas of blackberries, pepper and plum flavors. It is a great match with chicken, pork, lamb and BBQ. The best ones will stand up to any rich steak or chop.
950 2014 Owen Roe "Abbot's Table", Columbia Valley, Washington 60
955 2014 The Prisoner Wine Company, "Saldo", Northern California 71
907 2013 The Prisoner Wine Company, "The Prisoner," Northern California 97
906 2011 Duckhorn Vineyards, "Paraduxx," Napa Valley 114
909 2013 Frog's Leap Winery, Napa Valley 71
911 2012 Ridge Vineyard, "Three Valleys", Sonoma, California 74
917 2011 Four Vines, "Old Vine Cuvee", Sonoma, California 46
942 2013 Seghesio Family Vineyards, Sonoma, California 70
945 2014 Turley Wine Cellars, "Juvenile", California 56
916 2012 Gamba Old Vine, Starr Road Ranch, Russian River Valley, Sonoma 93
Grenache & Carmenere
Grenache is a strong grape making it perfect for blends. It produces a juicy, peppery wine with good weight and tannins. Carmenere displays beautiful fruit with a fair amount of spice.
1011 2010 Alto Moncayo, Campo De Borja, Spain 103
1009 2012 Las Rocas "Vinas Viejas", Calatayud, Spain 46
1005 2009 Carmenere, Casa Lapostolle, "Clos Apalta" Colchagua Valley, Chile 174
1006 2015 Owen Roe "Sinister Hand", Columbia Valley, Washington 67
Tempranillo & Spanish Blends
Tempranillo is the major grape of Spain, but is often blended with New World varietals, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It shows bright red fruit, with a minerally undertone. The high levels of acidity make it a great match with everything, from salmon to steak.
1123 2013 Convento de Las Claras, Ribera Del Duero, Spain 59
1121 2011 Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja, Spain 81
1127 2013 Bodega Teso La Monja, "Almirez", Toro, Spain 70
1124 2012 Bodegas Torres, "Celeste Blue Old Vine", Ribera del Duero, Spain 55
1125 2013 Bodega Calle-Reserva, "El Olividado", Mendoza, Argentina 46
1122 2013 Volver Single Vineyard Tempranillo, La Mancha, Spain 43
1130 2013 Bodegas Carchelo, "C", Murcia, Spain 39
Featured Spanish Blend
Bin 1123, 2013 Heritage, Convento de Las Claras, Ribera Del Duero 59
Founded in 2010, this new winery has begun their career off exceptionally. The 2011 vintage was aged in mostly new French oak barrels for 8 months, producing roasted and spicy flavors. The nose offers dark berries mixed with black licorice and hints of white chocolate. On the palate it offers well balanced acidity with a dense and broad feel. With a very fruity and subtly spicy finish this is a truly great modern-Spanish Tempranillo.
Traditionally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, Malbec seems to have found its home in Argentina. It produces lush, violet scented wines with hints of leather and tobacco, finishing with refined, elegant tannins. These pair well with all of our steak and chop entrees.
1205 2013 Elsa Bianchi, Mendoz, Argentina 49
1202 2014 Bodges Salentein, Killka, Mendoza, Argentine 53
1207 2012 Bramare by Paul Hobbs, "Lujan de Cuyo", Mendoza, Argentina 98
1210 2013 Colome, Valle Calchaqui, Argentina 70
1208 2013 Pascual Toso Reserve, Mendoza, Argentina 57
1211 2012 Tikal Wines, "Amorio", Mendoza, Argentina 68
Petite Sirah
These heavily scented wines have aromas of cedar, eucalyptus and meat. They have dense, chewy tannins and a long, lingering finish. Pair these with all things beef.
1309 2012 Stag's Leap Winery, Napa Valley, California 93
801 2012 Pedroncelli, Sonoma County, California 59
1312 2012 McNab Ridge Winery, Mendocino County, California 56
1320 2013 Mettler Family Vineyards, Lodi, California 53
Featured Petite Sirah
Bin 801, 2012, Pedroncelli, Sonoma County, California 59
Aromas of pressed flowers, beeswax and blackberry with supple, dry-yet-fruity, medium-to-full body. Citrus, melon and cedar accent the finish with firm tannins. Well structured for the table.
Italian Reds
Sangiovese is the main grape of Chianti and the sole grape of Brunello di Montalcino. It is frequently blended with cabernet sauvignon and merlot, resulting in a style of wine with the famous name- Super Tuscan. Sangiovese produces wines that have a fascinating bitter-cherry and chocolate richness. They are a great match with rich meats, like lamb and ribeye.
1450 2012 Chianti Classico, Tenuta Nozzole, Tuscany 65
1454 2009 Sassicaia, Bologheri Sassicaia, Tuscany 428
1483 2012 Chianti Classico, Rocca delle Macie, Tuscany 49
1460 2005 Il Fauno, Di Arcanum, Tuscany 60
1479 2013 Tre Rosso, Bran Caia, Tuscany 45
1440 2012 Feudi Di San Gregorio, Rubrato Aglianico, Campania 45
1471 2012 Nebbiolo Langhe, Vietti, Perbacco 61
1481 2010 Costaera Amarone, Masi Agricola, Veneto 108
1120 2013 Valpolicella Ripasso, Villa Borghetti, Verona 47
Piedmont Varietals
Piedmont wine is the range of Italian wines made in the province of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy. The best-known wines from the region include barolo and barbaresco. They are made from the nebbiolo grape. These wines are ideal for storage and a well-aged Barolo may leave a feeling of drinking velvet because the tannins are polished and integrated more and more into the wine.
1403 1998 Barbaresco, Gaja Piedmont 401
1405 2003 Barbaresco, Gaja Piedmont 379
1406 2004 Barbaresco, Gaja Piedmont 460
1408 2005 Barbaresco, Gaja Piedmont 428
1411 2011 Gaja, "Sito Moresco" Langhe, Piedmont 151
1412 1995 Gaja, "Sperss" Langhe, Piedmont 487
1413 1999 Gaja, "Costa Russi" Langhe, Piedmont 568
1429 2004 Nino Negri, "5 Stelle Sfursat" Valtellina Superiore 190
Featured Piedmont Varietal
French Red
Wines from St. Emilion and Pomerol are primarily cabernet franc and merlot respectively. They tend to be lighter in style than the wines farther down on the list. The wines from the Haut-Medoc, St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Margaux and Graves are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which reveal flavors of black currant, black cherry, cedar and tobacco.
610 2013 Joseph Drouhin, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy, France 112
1522 2009 Chateau Pibron, Pauillac 168
1524 2009 Chateau Echo de Lynch Bages, Pauillac 179
1530 2014 Telegramme, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France 97
1550 2005 Chateau Lynch-Bages, Pauillac 379
1571 2005 Chateau d'Issan, Margaux 271
Featured French Red
Bin 610, 2013, Joseph Drouhin, Cote de Beaune, Burgundy 102
With vineyards all across Burgundy and several in Willamette Valley, Orgeon, Joesph Drouhin has long been a big name in the world of Pinot Noir. This wine coming from his vineyards in Beaune, France has been handpicked and barrel aged in French oak (10% new) for 12-15 months. A beautiful purple in color and aromas of strawberry and currant, this wine has refined tannins, roundness in body, and a bright finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon/Meritage
Cabernet Sauvignon is the product of a chance crossing between cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc during the 17th century in southwestern France. Its popularity is often attributed to its ease of cultivation, the grapes have thick skins and the vines are hardy and resistant to frost.
To be designated as Meritage, a wine must meet the following standards: It must be a blend of two or more Bordeaux grape varieties- Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Gros Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and St. Macaire. It must be the winery's best wine of its type. It must be produced and bottles by a U.S. winery from grapes that carry a U.S. appellation and its production is limited to a maximum of 25,000 cases per vintage.
1599 2014 Alexander Valley Vineyards, Alexander Valley, Sonoma 49
1600 2010 Alexander Valley Vineyards, "Cyrus," Alexander Valley, Sonoma 136
1608 2012 Jordan Vineyards & Winery, Alexander Valley, Sonoma 130
1799 2013 Ghost Pines, "Winemaker's Blend," Sonoma, San Joaquin 62
1744 2013 Chateau Montelena, Calistoga, Napa Valley 120
1701 2012 Franciscan Estates, "Magnificat", Napa Valley 114
1777 2012 Dry Creek Vineyards, "The Mariner," Sonoma 74
1701 2013 Conundrum by Charles Wagner, California 52
2496 2013 Hayes Ranch, Livermore, California 38
Featured Cabernet Sauvignon
Bin 1701, 2012 Franciscan Estates "Magnificat", Napa Valley 114
First produced in 1985, Franciscan Estates Magnificat was one of the original Meritage blends of California. Named for J.S. Bach's work, it is created to be as seamless and harmonious as its musical namesake. With grapes sourced from over 200 small lots, this wine is made to showcase the best Bordeaux blend of the vintage. The composition will vary from year to year depending on yield and quality of each varietal used, but will always be founded on Napa Valley Cabernet.
1609 2013 Beaulieu Vineyards, "Rutherford", Napa Valley 76
1722 2012 Beringer Vineyards Private Reserve, Napa Valley 335
1723 2011 Beringer Vineyards, Napa Valley 93
1706 2012 Brandlin, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 110
1712 2013 Bonny Doon, "A Proper Claret," Santa Cruz, California 45
1710 2012 Cade, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley 190
1731 2012 Cakebread Cellars, Napa Valley 160
1725 2013 Caymus Vineyards, Napa Valley 161
1739 2012 Caymus Vineyards Special Select, Napa Valley 360
1740 2013 Chappellet Signature, Napa Valley 135
1742 2013 Charles Krug Winery by Peter Mondavi, Napa Valley 60
1743 2013 Charles Krug Winery by Peter Mondavi, "Generations", Napa Valley 120
1745 2010 Chateau Montelena Estate, Calistoga, Napa Valley 294
1734 2012 Coho, Headwaters Red Blend, Napa Valley 102
1715 2014 Coppola Director's Cut, Alexander Valley 55
1784 2012 Coup De Foudre, Calistoga Vineyard, Napa Valley 201
1752 2011 Continuum, Napa Valley 389
1754 2013 Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs Napa Valley 94
1774 2014 Decoy Wines by Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley 65
1778 2014 Double Canyon, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington 49
1775 2011 Dunham Cellars, Columbia Valley, Washington 108
1787 2012 Faust Wines by Quintessa, Napa Valley 108
1790 2013 Franciscan Estate, Napa Valley 65
1770 2013 Frei Brothers Reserve, Alexander Valley 62
1797 2012 Girard Winery, "Artistry," Napa Valley 103
1783 2012 Heitz Cellars, Napa Valley, California 131
1827 2013 Honig Vineyards, Napa Valley 98
1855 2011 Jarvis Estates "Cabernet Franc," Napa Valley 200
1849 2012 Louis M. Martini, Napa Valley 74
1852 2013 Nickel & Nickel, Branding Iron, Oakville, Napa Valley 248
1875 2011 Opus One Winery, Napa Valley, Oakville 489
1872 2012 Opus One Winery, Napa Valley, Oakville 496
1854 2011 Robert Mondavi, Oakville, Napa Valley 145
1623 2013 Rodney Strong, Sonoma County 57
1930 2011 Robert Sinskey, "POV", Napa Valley 85
1932 2011 Seven Hills, Walla Walla Valley, Washington 91
1616 2011 Silver Oak, Napa Valley 244
1924 2013 Silver Palm. North Coast, California 51
1937 2013 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, "Artemis," Napa Valley 125
1935 2013 Stag's Leap Winery, Napa Valley 120
1916 2013 The Prisoner Wine Company, "Cuttings", Oakville, Napa Valley 125
1947 2012 Trefethen Family Vineyards, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 83
1619 2013 Turley Estate, St. Helena, Napa Valley 115
1841 2011 Whitehall Lane Winery and Vineyards, Napa Valley 97
Featured Cabernet Sauvignon
Bin 1706, 2012 Brandlin Mount Veeder, Napa Valley 110
Aged for 22 months in small French barriques, the wine showcases red and black currants on the nose with boysenberry, black cherry and an intriguing hint of black tea. The bright mountain fruit is fleshy and dense and backed with some warm caramel, toffee notes and a long, cassis laden finish.


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Pages to read in a quiet moment
Laura Ries is one half of marketing textbook power-duo Al and Laura Ries. They've published books such as "The Origin of Brands: Discover the Natural Laws of Product Innovation and Business Survival". She also has a good blog on marketing and branding issues. In October, there was an interesting post on marketing a non-profit brand.
Living in London is a very expensive business. Thankfully, The Motley Fool has a wealth of information on saving money and investing. The 25 Money-Saving Tips article from this year has saved me a bit of money since I found it the other week. And if you're worried about spending too much, check out your over-spending index.
For free music you can always go to Ain't Nothin' But and listen to some blues. If you prefer a free laugh, look up Theatre Royal Stratford East's free comedy club every Monday night.
The BBC's Alastair Leithead recently spent some time in Afghanistan's Helmand province with the British Royal Marines. Embedded in the troops, he got to experience their life in a war zone first-hand. Read about Alastair's experiences.
Speaking of blogs, Press Complaints Commission director Tim Toulmin raised the spectre of a "voluntary code of conduct" to "offer people a means to complain about coverage" on the internet. Sounds like he's pushing a pretty obvious agenda; that of creating more work for his organization. More at BBC Online.
You should follow me on twitter here.
Last updated by jack on 25 January, 2015 in Travel News.
Related articles:
Aint Nothin But… The Blues Bar
I forgot to mention 'Driver Down', which kicks all kinds of ass. See www.blindwino.com/driver.html for some really amusing writing.
Jack on 06 December, 2006
Kingston Council is planning a pigeon cull. Naturally, the citizens of this fair city have many insightful, sober and sensible things to say at http://tinyurl.com/yav3ay Totally hilarious!
Jack on 14 December, 2006


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EditDemo 1
This is the first demo which was released on August 28th 2012. It is included with the Ratchet and Clank collection. The demo features the games Medieval setting and involves the rescue of Sir Galleth Cooper.
EditDemo 2
This demo will be released on January 22nd for PS+ members and January 29th for other PSN users. The demo is the opening of the game and the Paris Prolouge tutorial.
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text: Seattle based, Singer/Piano player Joe Carolus is well-known for engaging his audience with great original music as well as compelling cover versions of your favorite rock songs. With his wit, humor, and charm he is more than a musician, Joe Carolus is one of the finest entertainers around. Whether it's full-on rock, or a ballad, Joe is alive with the heart and soul of each moment as he performs. He was born into music. But it's his unquenchable desire to continually grow, discover, create and deliver great entertainment that makes this musician an artist.


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Youth Startup Lab
Youth Startup lab
Youth Startup Lab is an after-school experiential food entrepreneurship learning program delivered in youth centers. Led by adult coaches, teams of 12-15 year old youth of color amplify their entrepreneurial mindset by creating a food business venture with their peers over 10 weeks.
In spring 2016, the first cohort designed and launched Terrific Tacos, a taco stand addressing the after-school snack market. The 10 week experience culminated in a pop-up where 232 tacos were served in 3 hours. The four months following the pop-up Terrific Tacos has since received four requests for catering jobs. Our second cohort started in fall 2016 at East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC).
Youth Startup Lab is a charitable after-school program incubated in collaboration with Civil Labs, EODYC, and a team of students from UC Berkeley Eat Think Design class [featured in Edible East Bay Fall Harvest 2016]. Youth Startup Lab is currently a program of Civil Labs Foundation, an independent not-for-profit organization started by the founders of Civil labs. Our dream is to share the Youth Startup Labs curriculum and coaching model to a network of youth centers in California and the United States.


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2013 Honda Odyssey - Consumer Review
Build Quality
Reliability Value
Vehicle2013 Honda Odyssey EX-L 4dr Minivan (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
ReviewWhen you're test drive a 2013 or 2014, make sure you pay close attention to the wind noise and road noise.
It's a design flaw that you can hear outside wind noise when driving above 60mph.
You might not able to hear your kid from the second row with the wind noise.
Best FeaturesRegretting on my purchase
Worst FeaturesImprovement on wind noise, road noise, remote starter to be build in the same key, stronger AC system, more customizable USB mp3 playlist.
Are you the author of this review?Update Your Review
on 12/26/13 07:10 AM (PST)
I agree with kelvestto, I have just bought a 2014 Ex Odyssey and it's generally a good van, but above 60mph the wind noise is excessive and noise cancelling headphones really help, a pity for an otherwise good $30k family van.Report it
on 04/30/14 09:50 AM (PDT)
I also agree with kelvestto and familydriver2 on the wind noise above 60mph. At lower speeds, high winds will also produce excessive noise. Add the rattles in the side doors and road noise, it is a surprisingly noise van - much more so than the 1992 Toyota Previa that I sold to buy this Honda Odyssey in 2013.Report it
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Chris Long
Listed by Bhg Masiello Brattleboro
Very private 54 plus or minus acre parcel located on the Wardsboro/Newfane town line. Only 15-20 minutes to Mount Snow/Stratton Resorts. Ideal for those looking for peace and tranquility. Diverse forest make-up both in age and species has created a unique situation for moose, deer, grouse, etc. Good exposure and gentle topography. Could be reclaimed pasture/field with some work. Great for hunting camp or nature enthusiast. 25K access road has been built. A must see!
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Predicting the risk of falling – efficacy of a risk assessment tool compared to nurses' judgement: a cluster-randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN37794278]
Older people living in nursing homes are at high risk of falling because of their general frailty and multiple pathologies. Prediction of falls might lead to an efficient allocation of preventive measures. Although several tools to assess the risk of falling have been developed, their impact on clinically relevant endpoints has never been investigated. The present study will evaluate the clinical efficacy and consequences of different fall risk assessment strategies.
Study design
Cluster-randomised controlled trial with nursing home clusters randomised either to the use of a standard fall risk assessment tool alongside nurses' clinical judgement or to nurses' clinical judgement alone. Standard care of all clusters will be optimised by structured education on best evidence strategies to prevent falls and fall related injuries. 54 nursing home clusters including 1,080 residents will be recruited. Residents must be ≥ 70 years, not bedridden, and living in the nursing home for more than three months. The primary endpoint is the number of participants with at least one fall at 12 months. Secondary outcome measures are the number of falls, clinical consequences including side effects of the two risk assessment strategies. Other measures are fall related injuries, hospital admissions and consultations with a physician, and costs.
Fall prevention in the elderly has been recognised as an important area of research and intervention
A German national nursing guideline on fall prevention discourages the use of a risk assessment tool
Only three tools have been repeatedly evaluated in geriatric populations: the Tinetti Test, the Mobility Interaction Fall Chart (MIF) and the Downton Index
The impact of the use of a fall risk assessment tool on clinically relevant endpoints has never been investigated within a methodologically rigorous trial. Therefore, we designed a randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical efficacy and consequences of the use of a standard fall risk assessment tool alongside nurses' clinical judgement with nurses' clinical judgement alone. We chose the Downton Index as comparator to single nurses' clinical judgement since it has been validated in a nursing home population and its predictive value is comparable to other instruments. The Downton Index is easy to administer and is comparable to those non-validated tools already in use in German nursing homes.
Study design and setting
The study is a cluster-randomised controlled trial over 12 months with nursing homes randomised either to optimised standard care and the use of the Downton Index or optimised standard care alone. A full economic evaluation is also being conducted.
Ethical considerations
The protocol has been approved by the ethics committee of the Hamburg chamber of physicians and the regional data protection office.
Study interventions
A structured single education session of 60 to 90 minutes will be provided for all clusters to optimise standard care and to minimise possible centre effects. The education programme will cover information on best evidence strategies to prevent falls and fall related injuries. The programme is based on principles of social learning theory
After randomisation nurses of the intervention group (IG) will be introduced to the use of the Downton Index. A nominated nurse in charge of each cluster will then be responsible for the monthly application of the tool. No further intervention will be carried out in the control group.
Identification of clusters and participants
Nursing homes in the cities Hamburg and possibly Bremen, Germany, and respective catchment areas will be invited to participate. A cluster is defined as a nursing home by itself or an independently working ward of a large nursing home. In a first step, a serially numbered list of all residents of each cluster will be produced by the nurse in charge. In a second step 20 residents fulfilling the predefined inclusion criteria (≥ 70 years old, not bedridden, and living in the nursing home for more than three months) will be selected using investigators' random table. Descriptive data on the cluster and participating residents will be collected by the nurse in charge supported by the external investigators. The figure shows the summary of the trial design.
We will use computer generated randomisation lists for concealed allocation of clusters. To obviate disparate sample sizes permuted blocks will be used. Clusters will be allocated by an external researcher immediately after collection of baseline data and administration of the education programme.
Clinical outcomes measures
The primary outcome is the number of participants with at least one fall at 12 months. Secondary outcome measures are the number of falls, clinical consequences, i.e. fall and injury prevention measures applied, and side effects of the two risk assessment strategies. Side effects are defined as the application of physical or pharmacological restraints. Injuries and fractures related to falls, hospital admissions and consultations with a physician related to falls irrespective of the reason for falls, and costs will also be recorded.
Nursing staff will have to fill in a specially developed documentation sheet in case of a fall event, also a documentation sheet on measures used to prevent falls once a month.
Data will be checked monthly during personal visits of the investigators. It is not possible to objectify the documented falls. Nevertheless, in Germany, nurses are legally required to document falls in nursing homes. Interrater reliability of the Downton Index will be determined in a subgroup of nurses of the IG clusters.
Sample size calculation
It is assumed that about 45% of the participants in the control group will experience at least one fall in 12 months with an intra-class correlation coefficient of ICCC = 0.075. A cluster-randomisation with about 20 participants in each cluster leads to a variation inflation factor of VIF = 2.425. Assuming that 20% of the participants will not complete follow-up and furthermore assuming an absolute difference of 15% (incidence of fallers in the Downton Index-group: 30%) to reach a significant result to the level of alpha = 0.05 with a power of 80% a total sample size of n = 1,080 participants is needed. Therefore the sample size comprises a total of 54 clusters with about 20 participants each.
Statistical analysis
The main outcome is the proportion of persons with at least one fall and will be analysed by using a chi-square test adjusted for cluster randomisation
Economic evaluation
The economic evaluation will adopt the viewpoint of the German health and nursing care insurance, adding up all costs and savings relevant from the viewpoint of health care insurers and party payers. Assessment will include costs for optimisation of usual care for both groups, costs for using the fall risk assessment tool in the IG as well as medical and nursing care costs following falls for both groups. Costs for the interventions will be estimated based on information from trial records. The analysis will adopt an incremental approach such that data collection will concentrate on resource use differences between study groups. The process of collecting data on resource use will be undertaken separately from data collection on unit costs. Resource use data due to fall related health care will be collected by the investigators during the personal visits using a cost component protocol. The documentation sheet has been successfully evaluated in a recent economic evaluation of a randomised controlled trial
At present, it is not possible to state with certainty which form of economic analysis will be employed, since this will be driven in part by the clinical study results. If a difference in the primary endpoint is observed, then a cost efficacy analysis will be conducted. Otherwise a cost comparison analysis will be conducted. Since cost data will be available for the duration of the trial only, the appropriate effectiveness measure is the one that allows treatment effects during the trial only. A sensitivity analysis on the key variables that might influence the result of the economic evaluation will be carried out.
Time plan
The pilot phase of the study started in September 2005. Consecutive recruitment of clusters has started at the same time and is expected to last 4 to 6 months.
Competing interests
The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
Gabriele Meyer, Sascha Köpke and Ingrid Mühlhauser were responsible for identifying the research question, and equally contributed to the development of the protocol and study design. Gabriele Meyer and Sascha Köpke were responsible for the drafting of this paper, Ingrid Mühlhauser commented on the drafts and approved the final version. Ralf Bender contributed as statistician.
Figure 1
Summary of trial design
Summary of trial design.
The study is funded by a grant of the German Ministry of Education and Research within the Northern Germany Nursing Research Network.
Interventions for preventing falls in elderly people
Fall risk assessment measures: an analytic review
What are the main risk factors for falls amongst older people and what are the most effective interventions to prevent these falls? How should interventions to prevent falls be implemented?
Fall risk assessment: a prospective investigation of nurses' clinical judgement and risk assessment tools in predicting patient falls
Assessing the generalizability of prognostic information
Validität von Tests zur Einschätzung des Sturzrisikos älterer Menschen [Validity of instruments to predict the risk of falling in the elderly] [abstract]
Expertenstandard Sturzprophylaxe
Prävalenz: Pflegeabhängigkeit, Sturzereignisse, Inkontinenz, Dekubitus, Erhebung 2003. Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Zentrum für Human- und Gesundheitswissenschaft, Institut für Medizin / Pflegepädagogik und Pflegewissenschaft
Screening older adults at risk of falling with the Tinetti balance scale
Predicting falls in residential care by a risk assessment tool, staff judgement, and history of falls
Prediction of falls among older people in residential care facilities by the Downton index
Predicting falls: risk assessment tool versus clinical judgement
Comparison of three instruments in predicting accidental falls in selected inpatients in a general teaching hospital
Verbesserung der Behandlungsqualität der chronischen Krankheiten Diabetes mellitus, arterielle Hypertonie und Asthma bronchiale durch strukturierte Therapie- und Schulungsprogramme
Effect on hip fractures of increased use of hip protectors in nursing homes: cluster randomised controlled trial
Methods for comparing event rates in intervention studies when the unit of allocation is a cluster
Confidence interval construction for effect measures arising from cluster randomization trials
Increased use of hip protectors in nursing homes: economic analysis of a cluster randomized, controlled trial
Pre-publication history
The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:


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Revolver Plate shooting practice (short videos)
Went to the range last night to put some rounds through the 1911 and my Witness. I ended up bringing out the revolver and putting some rounds through it. Not to shabby for my first time really using one. I've owned a few before, but never really shot them. I'm getting more comfortable with the double action pull. It is definitely much harder than it seems.
*Language at the end of the first :)
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Question: What are the differences between data and information Give three
What are the differences between data and information? Give three examples of data and then show how those data can be turned into information.
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Answer to relevant QuestionsWhat are the four basic activities that comprise the management process? How are they related to one another? What management skills did Jack demonstrate as a marketing manager at the travel products company? What management skills did he demonstrate as a VP at the consumer products firm? Can a manager use tools and techniques from several different perspectives at the same time? For example, can a manager use both classical and behavioral perspectives? Give an example of a time when a manager did this, and ...A knowledge worker can be defined as "someone who creates, transforms, or repackages information." Choose a knowledge worker occupation that interests you. Use the Internet to investigate the job qualifications for that ...At higher organizational levels, the information technology tools used become more sophisticated. Yet, in many organizations, higher-level managers are the least sophisticated and experienced with hands-on use of information ...
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Dinner without dessert is like a foreign movie without subtitles—you can digest both, but you'll probably miss out on the good parts. Fast-forward to tasty endings with today's Groupon: for $4, you get two slices of pie at Simply Pies in Goleta (an $8 value).
The skilled bakers at Simply Pies use organic, locally sourced ingredients to handcraft their succulent fruit pies and cream-topped meringues that await the rushed advance of avaricious sweet teeth ($4/slice). Fresh fruitlets fill the flaky double crust of the rhubarb and mixed-berry pies, while a tart blend of apples smothered in spices bubble within the traditional apple pie. Fluffy coconut and banana-cream slices serve as vessels of tropical flavors that get swallowed up like a banana boat in the Bermuda Triangle. Those wishing to pair pies with their savory counterparts can select from a lunch menu loaded with quiches and potpies for an additional fee. Though not valid with this Groupon, Simply Pies can bake any fruit pie with a gluten-free or vegan crust and no-sugar-added fillings. View the entire menu here.
Not all pies are available everyday.


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MEXICO CITY, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim's telecommunications giant America Movil is in talks with Brazil's Oi SA over a possible joint offer for wireless operator Tim Participacoes SA, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.
Bloomberg cited America Movil's Chief Financial Officer Carlos Garcia Moreno as saying financing the possible deal for Brazil's second biggest wireless company would not be a problem, and that the company would likely incur some debt.
Slim's spokesman and son-in-law Arturo Elias had no immediate comment.
Reporting by David Alire Garcia


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benofaye007 Review
Works well, but missing parts
This thing works just fine so far. Although missing a non critical part upon delivery, the O team was responsive and it is still good value for the money.
- How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Good
- Please tell us about the quality of the product. Works well
- How accurate was the on site description of the product? Accurate
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