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From coast to coast, labor unions — particularly those that represent public workers — have faced increasing pressure over the past year, with politicians charting new legislative courses to curb their influence. The Republican-dominated Tennessee state legislature helped carry the movement.
Leading the list of anti-union efforts that prevailed in Tennessee this year is a new law that strips local teachers' unions of their collective bargaining abilities with school boards. A less-publicized reform, among the others signed into law, overhauled workers' compensation policies to give greater
protections to employers, while another eliminated labor disputes as a reason for issuing injunctions under the state's workplace violence law.
"Tennessee under Gov. Phil Bredesen and past governors has had a great pro-business climate," Democratic state Rep. Mike Stewart said. "But it was not until this legislative session that you saw an effort to gut workers' rights at every opportunity."
On the heels of Tennessee's 107th legislative session, union leaders aren't calling Capitol Hill a lost cause. But it's quickly become unfriendly territory, the culmination of consecutive years of sweeping Republican electoral victories.
In contrast, Nashville's labor leaders continue to find friends in the 40-member Metro Council, a body that while nonpartisan operates more to the political center-left. And that political atmosphere — a state legislature hostile to unions versus a more receptive council — has Nashville union organizers eyeing the upcoming Aug. 4 Metro election to shore up the local influence they say they still enjoy, while still looking ahead to issues the next council could help settle.
"I've heard it termed by labor and incumbent council people that we've got two islands in Tennessee — one in Davidson County and one in Shelby County," said Lewis Beck, president of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, which has 35 local unions under its political umbrella. "We've got to protect our island."
With early voting beginning July 15, union leaders are going through the typical election rituals at a time when they say the importance of local races has heightened. They've submitted questionnaires, interviewed candidates and announced endorsements that, not surprisingly, tend to include the names of left-leaning members, and not their conservative counterparts. (An exception seems to be the local Services Employees International Union, which endorsed several conservatives.)
Though he declined to identify individual races, Beck said he believes labor could "take a hit or two," but could make advancements elsewhere in the next council. He said the current council approved the majority of labor-backed ordinances with large majorities.
"I think we'll still come out with a progressive council," Beck said. "But there are some races that we'll have to watch closely."
Like previous election years, unions have organized political action committees and 527 groups to direct money to candidates they support. Meanwhile, notable local Republicans have targeted the council's handful of conservatives and assisted in fundraising events to help their re-election bids. A clearer fundraising picture should be available after July 11, when financial disclosures for the most recent period are due.
Tennessee is a right-to work state and has never had the strong union identification of the Rust Belt. But the upcoming elections come as labor membership in Tennessee and Nashville continues to decline steadily.
Eddie Bryan, retiring this fall after a 32-year run as treasurer of the Tennessee AFL-CIO, estimated that 7 percent of Tennessee workers belong to unions today, down from 12 percent not long ago. He chalked the reduction up to various manufacturing plant closures across the state.
In Middle Tennessee, recent layoffs at the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, the closure of Peterbilt Motor Co. in Madison and cuts at Bridgetown in La Vergne have contributed to the Central Labor Council's membership reduction by some 25 to 30 percent over the past five years.
"We've become a service country instead of a manufacturing country," Bryan said.
Union members in Nashville are broadly divided into three camps: public employees, building trades and industrial/factory workers. Those who represent the three areas are generally, but not always, on the same page.
Recent Metro actions dealt one major blow to organized labor. At the request of Director of Schools Jesse Register, the Metro Nashville Board of Education and later the council approved a budget last year that privatized more than 600 custodial positions, which effectively reduced salaries and hours. In the years ahead, union heads fear the privatization of school bus drivers could be next and are already advocating against it. Halting the privatization trend is a major labor goal for the unions, along with the continual pitch to raise public employee salaries.
On the construction front, most union leaders privately acknowledge they were "late to the game" in advocating for union involvement in the building of the $585 million Music City Center, the state's most expensive municipal project ever. Nonetheless, today there's a general — but not universal — sense that organized labor is benefiting 18 months into the center's construction.
Anthony Nicholson, president of the Nashville Building and Construction Trades Council, said more than 50 percent of workers at the Music City Center site are union members, though he acknowledged not all unions were successful in getting work. As of April, 62 percent of all Music City Center workers were residents of Davidson County and 74 percent of Tennessee, according to Convention Center Authority spokeswoman Holly McCall.
"We feel fortunate that we've got 50 percent of the work," Nicholson said, adding workers are being paid state-prevailing wages. "The local participation is there because the union crafts that are down there are working local people."
The second component of the Music City Center project is just under way, with last month's groundbreaking for the adjacent $273 million Omni Hotel. But given the private nature of its construction, unions seem to be conceding the possibility that they might not play a major role. Brasfield & Gorrie has been tapped as Omni's general contractor.
"We're working on that," Nicholson said, "but we're not having a lot of dialogue with Brasfield & Gorrie. That hotel being a privately funded entity makes it a little harder to have a dialogue."
Future large-scale municipal construction projects could arise during the next four years. The ownership group of the Nashville Sounds is angling for a new downtown stadium, and Mayor Karl Dean has commissioned a study to look at potential sites. In addition, several entities have approached the mayor's office about a new amphitheater. Unions would want to supply the workforce.
"Construction work, and having local hires on construction jobs, is a priority," Beck said.
In a break from other labor groups, leadership of the SEIU Local 205, which represents Metro public workers, advocated against financing the city's new convention center prior to the council's final approval. They worried bankrolling an expensive convention center would come at the expense of sufficiently paying public employees.
"We don't want Nashville to fail," said Freda Player of the local SEIU. She added that the focus is on union and local participation now that the project has begun. "We hope the convention center sustains itself," she said.
During the next council, Player said the SEIU's priorities begin with strengthening Metro's anti-privatization laws to protect bus drivers and other city workers. She said the goal is to pass legislation that would prevent Metro commissions, board and authorities from outsourcing public workers, a measure that would have safeguarded custodians last year. Instead, Player said the average custodian salary has gone from $13 to below $9.
Though Dean's recently approved budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year instituted a onetime 1.5 percent bonus for city workers, Player pointed out that Metro employees haven't received a full raise in four years. She said increased pay for public workers would continue to be something the SEIU pushes during the next council term.
"Some [city employees] have volunteered to take pay cuts to prevent layoffs, and now they're feeling the pinch, too," Player said.
As directed by the Metro Charter, the mayor in March appointed a five-member committee to review the benefits and soundness of Metro's disability, retirement and medical plans for government workers. The panel includes one union representative, Steve Farner, assistant regional manager for the Laborers' International Union of North America. [Some public employee unions had pushed for the appointment of someone with a public employee background.]
Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling told The City Paper last week the committee has met two times and would likely produce recommendations within "six to nine months." Catching the attention of labor unions is the possibility of Metro returning the city's pension-vesting requirement to 10 years, as opposed to the current five-year mandate for receiving pensions.
"It's on the table," Riebeling said. "It's a public policy, a philosophical issue. Historically, it was 10 years. It was changed to five and has stayed five. It's something that just needs to be talked about. I don't know if it's a good idea or a bad idea."
If a proposal for a 10-year vesting period for Metro pension goes before the council, expect most unions to fight it.
"That is a big concern for us," Player said.
There was a time when unions were needed, those days are long gone. Now, its just greed, corruption and politics. Unions are most of the reason our jobs are going to other countries, unions are why our Auto manufacturers are bankrupt, unions are why our kid are not getting the education they need. When will they learn that our economy cannot keep pace with their redicules demands. Here's a clue..General Motors. As for elected offecials, if they are for unions they are either corrupted or idiots. Either way I would want them in any office.
"Unions are most of the reason our jobs are going to other countries, unions are why our Auto manufacturers are bankrupt, unions are why our kid are not getting the education they need."
Bull. Accountants, CEOs and stockholders are responsible for making those decisions which, each year, strip more and more financial and political power from the working classes.
Labor unions can only thrive where labor is in short demand. In a few years our unemployment rate will be no better than today and possibly worse. The underemployment rate will stand at about 15%. This means that the sum total of those people (25%) would gladly forego a union in order to have a decent paying job. Union jobs work well in Germany and Europe because because the birth rate is declining.
jimmy hoffa, where art thou?
Mike Stewart just lost my vote. Worker protections are one thing, but modern unions are shakedown operations, full of greed, and they are quicksand to the job creators in the economy. I hope Stewart and others will start to see that.
"Eddie Bryan, retiring this fall after a 32-year run as treasurer of the Tennessee AFL-CIO, estimated that 7 percent of Tennessee workers belong to unions today, down from 12 percent not long ago. He chalked the reduction up to various manufacturing plant closures across the state. "
Hello....? Case and point.
If you want to see the effect of unions on city business, look at Chicago's McCormick Place. The union wages are so high in Chicago, trade shows have moved their business to Las Vegas, Florida. Does Nashville want the same thing to happen to them?
Moonglow1: The key here is the following comment: "Tennessee under Gov. Phil Bredesen and past governors has had a great pro-business climate," Democratic state Rep. Mike Stewart said. "But it was not until this legislative session that you saw an effort to gut workers' rights at every opportunity."
What this means is that Tennessee can have a pro labor market and economic growth. It is simply untrue that the unions are the cause of all evil in the world. No the unions are not causing companies to move to China, but greed is motivating multinationals to outsource to China. No the unions are not irrelevant in today's society, but multinational corporate greed should be irrelevant. No the unions are not driving up the cost of goods, but highly paid non performing CEOs are driving up the cost of goods.
Pay the middle class and lower middle a decent wage. They will spend the money and stimulate the economy. Instead, we have only the wealthy and then every one else.
And those of you working a 40 hour work week with paid overtime thank the unions. With the greed permeating the Tea Party Republicans, unions are needed more than ever. It is actually worse for labor than it was in the 1930s.
Based on the comments which are probably representative of the middle class in TN, it seems most of you appreciate your low wages, long hours, and having no voice or right to collectively bargain unlike the corporations who have their lobbyists. You like being in the bottom of the economic ladder. If so, well then you got the government you want.
You want it baby you got it!!!!
I think a lot of people trip up over the results of union involvement ie if you want to work on a job site as a sub you have to be union approved or your work force has to be union members. If non-union contractors can work alongside at the job site, much less backlash would be evident. This insistence on exclusivity is like beating the goose that laid the golden egg - you haven't killed it yet but you're getting there...
We need unions. They protect more than wages. Since the Teacher's Unions in TN was done away with. The first thing that I read was that classs sizes will increase. You bet they will. This is just the beginning.
Nice long article with lots of quotes, but really said nothing to improve the lot of Unions.
The Metro Council push is to keep the Service Employees Union strong within
Metro Government and hopefully add to it with other taxpayer funded union members.
Thanks, but no thanks, and the above statement on increasing class sizes-silly!
Moonglow1 - No the unions are not driving up the cost of goods, but highly paid non performing CEOs are driving up the cost of goods.
Best comment on the board - That could start with TVA's CEO & his million $ bonuses.
Metro has already said that class size will increase next year. govskeptic, keep up.
A family member taught school with 42 children in her 2nd class room. This was before Unions. I can't beleve that the school board has already given the Director two more years on his contact. When he gets through, all service people will be cut.
And who is hired for low, low wages, you got it. Is the work well done? What do you thnk? How many is added to the unemployment? I have never understood why no one in Nashvile is capable of being Director? No one knows Nashville like a native.
Unions are needed bcause most employers will not play fair.
It amazes me how many people still buy into the corporate propaganda that Unions are the worst thing in the world. I geuss if workers would just be happy working for nothing the big mega company's would not have to ship our good paying jobs overseas so they can pay slave wages. And since when is small goverment only cutting workers pay not getting rid of red light cameras on every corner or stoping the TSA from grouping everyone at the Airport. I recon in third world countrys Unions are not realivent so since we are fast approching that status they really are irrealvent for us to. We don't need them getting in the way of big profits for the Mega Corporations.


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ZOO'S BIG BUFFALO SOLD TO A BUTCHER; Black Diamond, Largest of His Kind in Captivity, Will Be Cut Into Steaks. KEEPER HAS BUSINESS HEAD Fearing 20-Year-Old Animal Will Fall Dead, He Disposes of Him at Opportune Time.
Black Diamond, the largest buffalo in captivity, will be led out of his inclosure at the Central Park Menagerie and taken to the shambles a week from today. It was learned only yesterday that this finest specimen of Western plains wild life was going to be disposed of in a slaughter house.
November 10, 1915
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subset: commoncrawl


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Individuals with Access & Functional Needs
Each person's needs and abilities are unique, but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and put plans in place. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan, you can be better prepared for any situation.
Who are Individuals with Access & Functional Needs?
- Those who are deaf or hard of hearing may need to make special arrangements to receive emergency warnings.
- Single working parents and those with limited English proficiency may need help planning for disasters and emergencies. Community, faith-based and cultural groups may be able to help keep people informed.
- People without vehicles may need to make arrangements for transportation.
- People with special dietary needs should take precautions to have an adequate emergency food supply.
The likelihood that you and your family will recover from an emergency tomorrow often depends on the planning and preparation done today. While each person's abilities and needs are unique, every individual can take steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan that fits those needs, you and your loved ones can be better prepared.
There are commonsense measures older Americans can take to start preparing for emergencies before they happen.
Create a network of neighbors, relatives, friends and co-workers to aid you in an emergency. Discuss your needs and make sure everyone knows how to operate necessary equipment. If appropriate, discuss your needs with your employer.
Seniors should keep specialized items ready, including extra wheelchair batteries, oxygen, catheters, medication, food for service animals and any other items you might need. Keep a list of the type and model numbers of the medical devices you require. Be sure to make provisions for medications that require refrigeration. Make arrangements for any assistance to get to a shelter.
Find out about individual assistance that may be available in your community. Register in advance with the office of emergency services in your area via the links provided on the right hand of the web page labeled VULNERABLE POPULATION PROGRAMS BY COUNTY.
For more information, see this brochure, visit ready.gov or call your local Emergency Management office for more information.


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text: It's not so bad. Really. Or maybe I've just been caught in one too many Montana dbazzirls so I'm a tad jaded. But I would say #3 is the best options for use of the hat. Now as an aside, can I just say how much your 2 oldest girls look like Rick? That picture is proof positive that they're not a product of an afternoon tryst with the mailman or pool boy or someone like that, unless that was Rick's job back then. Come to think of it, I can easily see that hat on a mailman. Pool boy? Not so much.[]


text:
So, does this imply that there is no additional 4G fee? I don't think this precludes one, honestly.
If VM doesn't come out with some new plans to compete with T-Mobile or Simple Mobile, and just forces everyone who upgrades to a new phone to go with the existing higher priced plans, then I'm jumping ship too.
So, does this imply that there is no additional 4G fee? I don't think this precludes one, honestly.
Maybe this is their way of charging extra for 4g Wimax. If that's the case, I don't really mind paying an extra $10. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in the One V even a little, so unless the Evo gets released, I'm going to head to Straight Talk as well.
Sent from my VM670 using HowardForums
Sent from my HTC_A510c using HowardForums
PREPAID means I have all the power.
They want me, but they can't have me...
Virgin Mobile: $35 / $1 | AT&T PREPAID: .25/Min
So does that mean if I upgrade my intercept to a new phone in June (or whenever), then I will have to pay the new VM rate? Even if I switch from the intercept to the OV? If that is the case, then I guess Straight Talk or net10 will be the way to go. I will just keep the old plan, the old intercept, and give it to my daughter.
Their wording seems to imply that your monthly charge increases only if you upgrade to a new phone released in May of 2012 or later. So if this is true, you can upgrade to ov and still keep the 25 plan.
I was holding on to my OV hoping the $25 plan could move to a nice 4.5" display, ICS phone "sometime" this year. Now that it won't, I'll be switching back to Paylo, and using my Galaxy Player as my main device (as I have been for the past 3 months). Was just hoping to switch back to one device, but the OV screen is just too small.
Last edited by primetechv2; 04-24-2012 at 01:01 PM.
I won't be getting the new wimax phones for a few reasons:
First and most important, it is not available in my area
They will most likely sell the phones for around 250-300.00, when you can get a Sprint refurb for 200.00
wimax support is going away no later than 2015 according to Sprint, sooner if they can.
I think I will just buy an OV or maybe even a triumph, and let my daughter use it. I think I will just have to bite the bullet and pay 45.00 a month to ST or Net10 or something.
The only reason I am ok with my old intercept and the horrible data speeds, is because I am in a wi-fi area pretty much all the time now a days. My need for actual data is minimal.
It's only a lesser deal to those on the grandfathered 25.00 a month plan. The sustainability of that plan was doomed from the start. Some will not mind the increase if the device is worthy. Enough people will stay and pay more that will more than make up the difference of those that leave.Originally Posted by primetechv2
Sprint has already learned this on postpaid.
I have a 1 month old Optimus and it's just a secondary line that I use for a specific purpose. I don't much care about this change as the phone should last me a while.
I wish the Triumph was a decent phone, Wally Mart still has them for 188.00
Sent from my Infuse 4G
Could someone post the text that VMUSA sent out?
VMFreeMsg Starting 5/27/12, new smartphones will be subject to current plan rates. This will apply if you switch phones. Go to http://msg4u.us/src for info
Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk
So... we can always upgrade to a Triumph or a Slider and keep the grandfathered plan?


text:
Feds seek to toss states' anti-warming lawsuit
Published 4:00 am, Friday, August 27, 2010
To the dismay of environmental groups, the Obama administration has told the U.S. Supreme Court that a global-warming suit by California and seven other states, seeking to require major power companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, should be dismissed.
In papers filed with the court this week, Justice Department lawyers argued that the authority to curb emissions that cause climate change belongs to the Environmental Protection Agency - which has taken the first steps toward regulating greenhouse gases - and to Congress, where administration-backed legislation is stalled.
The Justice Department also contended that states should be barred from suing private companies for the harm their emissions allegedly cause within state borders. The government said judges have no clear standards for measuring that harm and deciding how to allocate the costs.
Power companies have already asked the court to dismiss the suit. The Obama administration also argued for dismissal but said the high court should wait until an appellate court addressed the issue.
- How is climate change affecting the Bay Area? SFGATE
- Hail in Petaluma, Feb. 22 Twitter / @Leeeeeeeeeeeesa
- Trump discusses removing ICE from California White House
- History-making African Americans with ties to the Bay Area Drew Costley
- Oakland A's manager Bob Melvin on Jake Smolinski San Francisco Chronicle
- Winter driving conditions on I-80 Feb. 22 Caltrans District 3
- SpaceX launch Feb. 22 San Francisco Chronicle
- West Oakland Station Body Camera Video San Francisco Chronicle
- The family of Sahleem Tindle watches body cam footage Courtesy of the Tindle family
- They Survived the School Shooting. Now They're Calling for Action. New York Times
Environmentalists and their allies were alarmed.
"This is the legal and political equivalent of unilateral disarmament," said Jonathan Zasloff, a UCLA law professor who writes about climate change litigation.
The lawsuit seeks court orders requiring power companies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3 percent a year for 10 years, a tougher restriction than the EPA is proposing. Zasloff said the administration should use the suit as an incentive for companies to go along with federal regulations or climate legislation, but instead is siding with industry efforts to dismiss it.
"It's very disappointing," said Ken Alex, a senior assistant attorney general who represents California in the case.
He said the state agrees that global warming should be addressed by federal regulations rather than lawsuits, but "right now there is not a single control on any greenhouse gas emission from any power plant in the United States."
The suit was filed in 2004 by eight states, New York City and three land trusts. They argued that major coal-burning companies were contributing to climate change that damaged state resources.
None of the companies is based in California.
A federal judge in New York dismissed the suit, but an appeals court ruled in September that the states could try to prove their case.
In this week's filing, the Justice Department said the EPA has taken several steps to curb emissions, including a finding in December that greenhouse gases endanger the public health.
The agency is implementing rules limiting auto emissions over a five-year period and requiring new industrial plants to use improved pollution controls, government lawyers said.
The EPA's actions, authorized by Congress under the Clean Air Act, eliminate any legal basis for a state lawsuit, Justice Department lawyers said. They also argued that no state should be allowed to ask a federal judge to assess a problem as complex as global warming.


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Category ArchiveEvents
Books &Errol Le Cain &Events &Festivals &Illustration &repeated posts 17 Jun 2013 04:52 am
Mr. Mistoffelees – repost
– I've posted many of Errol Le Cain's illustrations for his children's books. Ever since coming across that very first paper-bound book, about Briar Rose, (meaning it was the very first I'd seen for sale) I've been an avid collector searching out any of the many books he created.
Le Cain was my hero for quite some time. He was a student of Dick Williams' studio, had learned to animate there and was doing the backgrounds for Dick's feature The Thief and the Cobbler. Dick pushed him, at one time, to do a film on his own, The Sailor and the Devil, with, of course, Dick's harsh scrutiny.
I present here his illustrations for the first half of the book, Mr. Mistoffelees with Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer. The latter half of the book included the Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer part which we'll save for another time.
This story is part of the Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot.
That was, of course, the source material on which Webber and Nunn based their show CATS. These images are so attractive and stylish, I was quite curious to know whether Andrew Lloyd Webber had seen the books. Especially when he was about to put CATS onto the screen as an animated film.
Here are the illustrations by Le Cain:
________ (Click any image you'd like to enlarge.)
_____________Mr. Mistoffelees
___________You ought to know Mr. Mistoffelees !
___________The Original Conjuring Cat -
___________(There can be no doubt about that).
___________Please listen to me and don't scoff All his
___________Inventions are off his own bat.
Events &Festivals &repeated posts 14 Apr 2013 05:21 am
Montreal Expo 1967 – recap
- Today I'm posting a special issue of Top Cel, the NY animation guild's newspaper. Dated August 1967, it celebrates the Montreal Expo animation conference and exhibition held that summer. Obviously, this was the place to be that year if you were an animation lover.
Just take a look at that list of signatures of attendees. Some of them are:
Chuck Jones, Peter Foldes, Manuel Otero, Edith Vernick, Abe Levitow, Don Bajus, Bill & Fini Littlejohn, John Halas, Ward Kimball, Ken Peterson, Shamus Culhane, Carl Bell, Pete Burness, Ub Iwerks, Gerald Baldwin, I. Klein, Gene Plotnick, Ian Popesco-Gopo, Carmen d'Avino, Bill Mathews, Len Lye, June Foray, Bill Hurtz, Spence Peel, Paul Frees, Steve Bosustow, Dave Hilberman, Stan Van der Beek, Les Goldman, Jimmy Murakami, Mike Lah, Robert Breer, Tom Roth, Art Babbitt, Feodor Khitruk, Fred Wolf, Ivan Ivanov-Vano, Paul Terry, J.R. Bray, Walter Lantz, Otto Messmer, Dave Fleischer, Ruth Kneitel, Bruno Bozzetto, Bob Clampett, Karel Zeman, Dusn Vukotic, Bretislav Pojar, Jean Image, Grim Natwick, Tissa David, Barrie Nelson, Andre Martin, Ed Smith, Dick Rauh, and John Whitney.
I guess they don't make Festivals like they used to. There doesn't seem to be much written about this event, and I wish some of those in attendance would write about it.
From the Wikepedia entry for Bill Tytla, there's the John Culhane quote: On August 13, 1967, the opening night of the Montreal Expo's World Exhibition of Animation Cinema, featured a screening of Dumbo as part of an Hommage Aux Pionniers. Tytla was invited, but worried if anyone would remember him. When the film finished, they announced the presence of "The Great Animator." When the spotlight finally found him, the audience erupted in "a huge outpouring of love. It may have been one of the great moments of his life," recalled John Culhane. I'm sure there were many such moments.
Just to make it all personal, let me tell you a story, although this has nothing to do with Montreal's Exhibit.
Pepe Ruiz was the u-nion's business manager. In 1966 – the year prior to this expo – I was a junior in college, determined to break into the animation industry. Of course, I knew the military was coming as soon as I graduated, but I called the u-nion to have a meeting with Pepe. I wanted to see what the likelihood of a "part time job" would be in animation. This took a lot of courage on my part to see what the u-nion was about. I pretty well knew part time jobs didn't exist. There was no such thing as interns back then.
Pepe was an odd guy who kept calling me "sweetheart" and "darling" and he told me that it was unlikely that I could get something part time in an animation studio.
However he did send me to Terrytoons to check it out.
I met with the production manager, at the time, Nick Alberti. It was obvious I was holding up Mr. Alberti's exit for a game of golf, but he was kind and said that part time work wasn't something they did. (He moved on to Technicolor film lab as an expediter after Terry's closed. I had contact with him frequently for years later, though I never brought up our meeting and doubt he would have remembered it.) Ultimately, I was pleased to have been inside Terrytoons' studio before it shut down shortly thereafter. A little adventure that let me feel as though I was getting closer to the world of animation.
The photos of the Expo are worth a good look. I've singled out those above to place around my text. The picture of Tissa and Grim is a nice one of the two of them together.
Ed Smith was the Top Cel editor at the time, and he put together a creative publication.
(Click on any image to enlarge.)
Commentary &Events 19 Jan 2013 08:41 am
Signe Baumane has started a Kickstarter campaign to try to complete her animated feature. Rocks in my Pockets. I saw this film at a small preview, and I can honestly say this is one of the best of the Independent films I've seen in production. The story is just great. It works on the surface and it works in several levels of depth. Visually it's stunning using three dimensional backgrounds that are sculpted by Signe. She has a number of talented people working with her on the film, but this truly feels like a one person show, it's so defined and original.
I heartily recommend that you not only look for the film when it's finished but help it get there now by donating anything you can. This is one that deserves to be completed.
Take a look at the Kickstarter site.
George Griffin Show
I've always considered George Griffin the leader of the Independent movement in animation in New York. For good reason, his work dominated the local scene back in the seventies, and he gave us a clear vision of an original auteur at work with a very specific statement to make in all of his films. Since then, that vision has remained true through all of his films, although, of course, it has grown enormously, expanded to something even richer.
It isn't often that we get to see a fuller presentation of George's work, so I'm pleased to announce that there will be a program shown at the Anthlogy Film Archives on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 pm. The program will represent a mixed bag culled from his body of work. It will include recent films like "The Bather," cartoons like "Flying Fur," "Viewmaster," and "Ko-Ko," and the 1975 anti-cartoon "Head". All of these films have been transferred to HD and will be shown in pristine condition.
The full program:
HEAD (1975, 10.5 min, 16mm)
VIEWMASTER (1976, 3.5 min, 16mm)
FLYING FUR (1981, 7 min, 16mm)
KO-KO (1988, 3 min, video)
NEW FANGLED (1990, 2 min, video)
A LITTLE ROUTINE (1994, 7 min, video)
IT PAINS ME TO SAY THIS (2006, 10 min, video)
MACDOWELL: A USER'S MANUAL (2007, 14 min, video)
THE BATHER (2008, 3 min, video)
YOU'RE OUTA HERE (2009, 3 min, video)
FLYING FUR FRAGMENTS (2012, 6.5 min, video)
Total running time: ca. 80 min.
Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue
Muldavian Animation
I recently receoved a note from someone at the Simpals Animation Studio in the Republic of Moldova. the studio produces 3D animation and proudy wanted to show off their character, "Dji," the figure of death. They've done a few shorts featuring this character and, after wrote a bit about the series they've done completely in-house. "Dji. Death fails" is their fourth short built around this character, and you can see the development on the screen. I found some warmth around the principal, though I must say it feels similar to some other films out of Europe . They have a fascination with "Death" and making fun of it appeals to them. I have to say, they've made the most of it.
Others of their films can be found at their YouTube page. I'd like to see some more of their 2D work. It looks interesting.
Here's the most recent work finished in November, 2012.
Redhead du Jour
Direct from Tom Hachtman to you.
Portrait of Jorz Strooly by Traci (age 6)
Color by Jorz Strooly
A New Fischinger Book
Due in April:
Oskar Fischinger (1900-1967): Experiments in Cinematic Abstraction.
Edited by Cindy Keefer and Jaap Guldemond.
Available April via Thames & Hudson.
This new Oskar Fischinger monograph explores the position of his work within the international avant-garde. It examines his animation and painting, his use of music, his experiences in Hollywood, and his influence on today's filmmakers, artists and animators. The book also contains previously unpublished documents including texts by Fischinger himself.
The essays include:
Jean-Michel Bouhours, Oskar Fischinger and the European Artistic Context
Ilene Susan Fort, Oskar Fischinger, The Modernist Painter
Jeanpaul Goergen's Timeline: Oskar Fischinger in Germany, 1900-1936
Paul Hertz, Fischinger Misconstrued: Visual Music does not equal Synesthesia
Joseph Hyde, Fischinger's Scores: New Perspectives on his Approach to Music
Richard Brown, The Spirit Inside Each Object: John Cage and Oskar Fischinger
Cindy Keefer, Interview with Barbara Fischinger. The Lumigraph: Dancing with your Hands.
Cindy Keefer, Optical Expression: Oskar Fischinger, William Moritz and Visual Music.
James Tobias, Essay Without Words: Motion Painting no. 1, Insight, and The Ornament
Joerg Jewanski, The Visions of Oskar Fischinger and Alexander Laszlo in 1935/36
and more
plus texts by Fischinger, a new bibliography and filmography by CVM,
and testimonials by international artists, scholars, historians and authors
including David James, Giannalberto Bendazzi, John Canemaker, Suzanne Buchan,
yann beauvais, Joost Rekveld, Arthur & Corinne Cantrill, Scott Snibbe, and others.
240 pages, paperback. Extensive color illustrations.
Co-published by EYE Filmmuseum and Center for Visual Music.
ISBN 978-9071338007. Available April via Thames & Hudson.
Limited supply available earlier at Center for Visual Music.
Events 03 Jan 2012 11:30 am
Vinnie Cafarelli Memorial
- On Friday, Jan 6th, a memorial for
_________Vince Cafarelli
will be held at Buzzco Associates
from 4 – 9pm.
It'll be an excellent time for all of us who remember Vinnie with fondness to
gather and honor the man.
Candy Kugel and Marilyn Kraemer will be on hand to greet you.
Buzzco Associates
4 to 9 pm.
33 Bleecker Street
5th floor
(212) 473 8800
To honor Vinnie's animation on this blog,
I asked Candy to pick out a scene Vinnie had animated. These are his drawings for this scene from their Independent short, Command Z. As Candy states in a comment, below, (prompting me to add this note) the film was designed by the talented Lee Lorenz, and Vinnie's clean up is in Lee's style.
Here's a QT of the scene from the final Buzzco movie, Command Z.
Animation Artifacts &Events 04 Apr 2011 07:34 am
NFB Animation Chart
-In 1967, there was the Montreal World Exhibition of Animation Cinema. This was an historic event that brought together many of the world's most famous animators. Ararwe occasion when Walt Disney and Max Fleischer would attend the same event. You can read more about it here.
At this event, an important document was sold. It was a large poster delineating the early history of animation through the Golden Age. The chart was developed by André Martin. Anyone who was anyone, back then, owned this poster. Mike Barrier and I recently discussed how long this thing lasted in our hands. Mine was taped to a wall, then moved, then moved again. Bit by bit, move by move, it started to tear and crumble. Eventually it was only a piece of its former self, and it didn't make it through another move.
Recently, Tissa David gave me a bunch of posters she had in a tube in her apartment. Believe it or not, this poster was among them; so I decided to post the poster. The trouble is it's so big – roughly 36×48. It meant scanning it in many many parts and trying to reassemble it in photoshop. It took a lot of time and had to be adjusted a lot in photoshop. Even sizing it so it could be posted was a pain in the butt. However, here it is in two versions.
- I scanned it full size for you to see.
- Then I scanned 8 parts of it so they would be larger and more readable in the thumbnail.
These 8 thumbnails are still small, but I couldn't get them much larger without going to 12 or 16 parts. You'd lose all sense of continuity the original chart has.
You'll have to spend some time with it if you want to get through it carefully, but you're welcome to it. I hope my effort was worth the trouble.
Full sized, click it to enlarge and read it as is.
Upper Middle left – part
(There's slight overlap to help you get continuity.)
Events 22 Feb 2010 06:38 am
Hearty congratulations are in order for Emma Lazenby and Sally Arthur.
Their film MOTHER OF MANY won the BAFTA Award for Best Short Animated Film. The film is the story of Emma's mother, a midwife.
You can watch a short interview with Emma after she won the award here.
There's a short clip from the film on YouTube here.
The other two nominees were:
The Gruffalo by Michael Rose, Martin Pope, Jakob Schuh, Max Lang
and The Happy Duckling by Gili Dolev.
You can read a blog that was set up for all of the short film nominees here.
Unfortunately their receiving the award was excised from the US broadcast of the telecast. They decided to truncate the show for the audiences of BBC America. Let's hope the Oscars don't go down that route.
Congratulations also to Pete Docter and all at Pixar who won the award for Best Animated Feature with UP. This is obviously the odds on favorite to win the Oscar next month.
This award was televised.
Commentary &Events 15 Feb 2010 08:49 am
- Yurij Norshtein will appear tonight at The School of Visual Arts Theater (333 W. 23rd Street, between 8th/9th Ave). 6:30pm.
They will screen The Hedgehog in the Fog and The Overcoat, his long-in-progress film. Norshtein will also have an extended Q&A with the audience.
The man is one of the great animation masters, and I hope that there will be a good turnout for him. I wonder if the copy of The Overcoat that will be shown will be a more current version than the one that's been screened a couple of years back. I'd read that he was planning to break the film in two and release the first part at the end of 2009. Perhaps that is the case, and we will be seeing this version.
In any event, for me, this is a big event and I'm looking forward to it.
A sketch for The Overcoat.
– I think I was hit with a fascination of the Multiplane Camera when I first read Bob Thomas' book, The Art of Animation, back in 1959. (See graphic to the right.) After that book I just searched out all the scenes described within it – the flying scene from Peter Pan, the town awakening in Pinocchio, and the entire Old Mill short. I was entranced and paid attention to every use of the device in Disney films. Of course, I saw what Ub Iwerks did with his machine, even before Disney, in all his very odd animated shorts. I even watched Don Bluth develop his own smallish multiplane camera for his films.
My father and brother-in-law teamed to build a multiplane stand for me when I was a kid animating and shooting my own 8mm films. The thing handled 12 levels of glass panels 18″x36″ and had some 5000 watts of lighting spread throughout. It got hot but enabled me to make some interesting films. Not
necessarily good – just interesting. It enabled so much invention in those short film fragments.
Hans Bacher this week has posted a collection of photos of the camera setup from the Disney studio. The collection is thrilling for those of us who have been entranced with this invention.
However, if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty of the machine, you have to visit a number of posts on Hans Perk's website A Film LA. There he has posted several extraordinary documents which detail William Garity's plans for the invention of the Multiplane Camera. You can see these documents here: 1, 2, 3
Then there are another three with many photos of the multiplane, some taken by Hans Perk, himself: 1, 2, 3.
- Starting Friday on HBO The Ricky Gervais show premieres. This is an animated program built around podcasts that Gervais has been distributing on-line. The voice tracks are animated in LA predictably utilizing Flash for the lowest budget. The style is out of the predictable cookie-cutter mold we've been seeing lately. You can catch a couple of segments here.
The NYTimes has an article in their Sunday paper about the show, but, as might be expected, nothing about the animation is actually discussed. Star driven vehicles aren't about the animation. Though the Times does offer an excellent interactive feature that showcases a lot of the artwork.
It's difficult to find out much about the actual production. Media Rights Capital is co-producing the animated HBO show along with Wildbrain. The credited animation director is Craig Kellman.
The review in Variety wasn't glowing:
. . . employing a stiff "The Flintstones"-type look and visual template.
Animation would seem to be an ideal vehicle for this, but there's only so much it can do — in part because there's no adhesive to the episodes. The three guys sit and bullshit for 20-some-odd minutes — at times entertainingly — until the program simply ends. Perhaps that's why the effect diminishes as the episodes wear on, though Glyn Hughes' jaunty score does play them out on a high note.
If you're a Ricky Gervais fan, I suggest you check out his blog. It's actually entertaining without being too "me me me".
Animation &Commentary &Events &Independent Animation 13 Feb 2010 09:16 am
- On Sunday night, Valentine's Day, Debra Solomon's show, Getting Over Him In 8 Songs or Less, premieres on HBO 2 at 7:30pm. The film offers a musical trip through the last couple of years of Debbie's life as she regroups from a divorce with her husband. (Animation as therapy.)
On her site, she writes this synopsis:
- In my new film, I animated myself out of heartbreak. The animated journey was also my emotional journey. In GETTING OVER HIM IN 8 SONGS OR LESS the main character is caught in a
woman's worst nightmare, wandering around the neighborhood undressed and exposed after being left by her husband. Through the use of brightly colored patterns that wash away section after section of the film, mimicking the ebb and flow of feelings, the viewer passes through the crisis with the main character.
I know firsthand how intensely Debbie worked to pull this show together. She singlehandedly animated the entire show in Flash in a sort of stream-of-conscious linear style that pulsates with a nervous energy (not unlike her own). The entire story is told through a pastiche of funny songs that she wrote, performed and produced. In short she bares her soul via a quick moving, funny animated film. It's an animated diary of Debbie's life in the year after her marriage. She lived through it as she animated it.
It's brilliant that HBO helped finance this animated and personal film. This is a bittersweet bon bon of a tv show. Tune in.
Here are a couple of other images from the show:
(Click any picture to enlarge.)
There's a short interview with Debra in MovieMaker Magazine.
This is the complete show schedule for the rest of this month:
7:30pm Sunday Feb 14th HBO2
9:30am Tuesday Feb 16th HBO Signature
6:00am Friday Feb 19th HBO2
10:00am Sunday Feb 21st HBO Signature
Animation &Commentary &Events 06 Jan 2010 08:54 am
Russian Animation
- Andrey Khrzhanovsky is one of Russia's premiere animators. The list of his an1mated shorts can be found here.
He has completed a live action/animation feature that has been scoring excellent reviews. A Room and a Half draws on the biography of Joseph Brodsky, the Russian -Jewish -American poet, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1987 and was made poet laureate of the U.S. in 1991.
The reviewer in Variety wrote:
- Veteran animator and documaker Andrey Khrzhanovsky's feature debut, at the age of 69, is a magical, wildly creative fantasia on the life of Russian poet Joseph Brodsky. . .
Khrzhanovsky has stated that Brodsky's life was the "creative impulse" for his film, meaning it shouldn't be seen as a biopic. Or rather, it's as much a biopic as one of Fellini's self-referential reveries. . .
"A Room and a Half" is unmistakably the work of a mature artist, and it's the helmer's absolute mastery of the different formats that makes his work so joyous. Silhouette cutouts reflect pre-Revolutionary elegance, an animated cat appears inside a credenza and musical instruments float across the city skyline, fusing Magritte and Chagall.
The magazine Screen adds:
- Some of the most touching moments in the film cover his childhood, painting an intimate, cheerful, closely knit family, that never lets their cramped living space or the penury of the lean years sap their spirit. The film freely elaborates on young Brodsky's flights of imagination at the time, including a magical animated sequence in which Soviet soldiers throw culture out of the window, followed by a whole orchestra's worth of instruments.
The Film Forum will be screening A Room and A Half for two weeks beginning Jan 20th.
- Speaking of Russian animation, there've been some additions to Niffiwan's site, Animatsaya In English. Lots of recent animation has been posted (all subtitled in English) as well as a lot of information.
Niffiwan has put together a Wiki site which offers a large number of animated films, both current and historic, which have been subtitled. There's a list of films subtitled in English and a list of films that are wordless. You owe it to yourself to start catching up on some of the world's finest animation.
Some of the treasures include:
Of course, there are Norshtein's films: The Heron and the Crane and The Hedgehog in the Fog
There's also Fyodor Khitruk's masterpiece Film, Film, Film as well as several of his Winnie the Pooh flms.
There are number of films by Edouard Nazarov including There Once Was A Dog.
There are classics like Ivan-Vano-Ivanov's The Little Hunchbacked Horse or The Stolen Sun.
Plenty (maybe too many) of the commercially successful Well, Just You Wait! films.
Get a taste of the Russian Roadrunner, then move on.
There are at a couple hundred films on this site. Spend some time.
Additionally, Niffiwan leads us to another site: Digital Cake which offers some other animated films (many are the same as his wiki.)
Events &UPA 16 Dec 2009 08:42 am
UPA Show
– I'm sad to report that Roy Disney died this morning. He would have been 80 on January 10th. He was battling cancer. The obvious connection to the family of the founders is going to be missed in the boardroom. I suggest you read Nikki Finke's commentary on his backroom career at the Disney of Eisner.
- Monday night there was the tribute to UPA that was hosted by the Motion Picture Academy and moderated by John Canemaker. A number of UPA-NY alumni gathered for the occasion. If you go here you can see a group photo of those artists in attendance.
The 35mm film prints were brilliant beyond my expectation. I think this is the first time I've actually seen the extra-ordinary colors of The Tell Tale Heart or Rooty Toot Toot. There was a point in the latter film when a character dissolves from white on light gray to a pale blue color. There are unbelievable white on whites of the final section of the film. It becomes such an amazing and daring choice by John Hubley when you can see that it wasn't just a deteriorated print – which is the way I've seen this film my entire life – but a decision. Every inch of this film is a masterwork that only grows with every screening I see.
Attandance at the show wasn't as good as I'd expected, but the theater was half full. Very few younger people. I suppose it's not easy to compete with YouTube's degenerated copies of these films. They offer the luxury of no effort.
Going to the show I realized that this is probably the last time in my life I'll see these films projected with such loving care with prints as rich as they were in the original. Certainly, this is the last time the group of ex-UPA workers will be assembled and honored. Howard Beckerman, Tissa David, Vinnie Cafarelli, Ruth Mane, Edna Jacobs have all been a part of my life. Emily Hubley and her husband, Will, were also there. It was fun talking with them throughout the dinner afterward.
Here are some quick snaps (meaning bad quality, my apologies) of some of the guests.
1. Ruth Mane and Tissa David. 2. Edna Jacobs and Ruth Mane.
3 4
3. Tissa David alongside Joe Kennedy, John C's companion.
4. Howard Beckerman and his student.
5 6
5- Vinnie Cafarelli and Candy Kugel – partners.
6. John Canemaker once he's taken the podium.
Patrick Harrison, the Academy leader for the NY chapter, introduces John Canemaker.
Here's the program we received, front and back. Tissa mentioned that she would have liked to have seen some of the artists printed alongside the films.
(Click any image to enlarge.)
- Yesterday, I posted something about The Brave Little Tailor. I received an email from Tim Hodge saing that he had an original drawing from the film going on auction in January.
- "It's part of a fundraiser to benefit my son who was in an auto vs train accident in August of this year. His recovery is ongoing, but slow. Being a self employed artist, our short term insurance was adequate for most things, but not quite something of this magnitude."
You can check out his site here to get more information and to see other art for auction.
This is the drawing to be auctioned in January.
I think it's a Frank Thomas drawing.


text:
Dental braces (also known as orthodontic braces) are a device used in orthodontics to correct alignment of teeth and their position with regard to bite. Braces are often used to correct malocclusions such as underbites, overbites, cross bites and open bites, or crooked teeth and various other flaws of teeth and jaws, whether cosmetic or structural. Orthodontic braces are often used in conjunction with other orthodontic appliances to widen the palate or jaws, create spaces between teeth, or otherwise shape the teeth and jaws. Most orthodontic patients are children or teenagers, however, recently, more adults have been seeking orthodontic treatment.
In the mid-17th century the French physician Pierre Fauchard (credited as the father of modern dentistry) witnessed and treated several dental deformities very common among citizens in Paris during the pre-revolutionary France. Historians believe that two different men deserve the title of being called "the Father of Orthodontics." One man was Norman W. Kingsley, a dentist, writer, artist, and sculptor, who wrote his "Treatise on Oral Deformities" in 1880. Kingsley's writings influenced dental science greatly. Also deserving credit is dentist J. N. Farrar, who wrote two volumes entitled "A treatise on the Irregularities of the teeth and their corrections". Farrar was very good at designing brace appliances, and he was the first to suggest the use of mild force at timed intervals to move teeth.
Teeth move through the use of force. The force applied by the archwire pushes the tooth in a particular direction and a stress is created within the periodontal ligament. The modification of the periodontal blood supply determines a biological response which leads to bone remodelling, where bone is created on one side by osteoblast cells and resorbed on the other side by osteoclasts.
Two different kinds of bone resorption are possible. Direct resorption, starting from the lining cells of the alveolar bone, and indirect or retrograde resorption, where osteoclasts start their activity in the neighbour bone marrow. Indirect resorption takes place when the periodontal ligament has become acellular (necrosis or hyalinization), for an excessive amount and duration of compressive stress. In this case the quantity of bone resorbed is larger than the quantity of newly formed bone (negative balance). Bone resorption only occurs in the compressed periodontal ligament. Another important phenomenon associated with tooth movement is bone deposition. Bone deposition occurs in the distracted periodontal ligament. Without bone deposition, the tooth will loosen and voids will occur distal to the direction of tooth movement.
A tooth will usually move about a millimeter per month during orthodontic movement, but there is high individual variability. Orthodontic mechanics can vary in efficiency, thus explaining a wide range of response to orthodontic treatment.
Orthodontic services may be provided by any licensed dentist competent in orthodontic practice. In North America most orthodontic treatment is done by orthodontists, dentists specializing in diagnosis and treatment of malocclusionsmalalignments of the teeth, jaws, or both. A dentist must complete 23 years of additional post-doctoral training to earn a specialty certificate in orthodontics.
The first step is to determine if braces are suitable for the patient. The doctor consults with the patient and inspects the teeth visually. If braces are appropriate, a records appointment is setup where X-rays, molds, and impressions are made. These records are analyzed to determine the problems and proper course of action. Typical treatment times vary from six months to six years depending on the complexity and types of problems. Orthognathic surgery may be required in extreme cases.
Teeth to be braced will have an etchant applied to help the cement bond to the surface of the tooth. A bracket will be applied with dental cement, and then cured with light until hardened. This process usually takes a few seconds per tooth. If required, orthodontic spacers may be inserted between the molars to make room for molar bands to be placed at a later date. Molar bands are required to ensure brackets will stick. Bands are also utilized when dental fillings or other dental work make securing a bracket to a tooth unfeasible.
An archwire will be threaded between the brackets and affixed with elastic or metal ligatures. Archwires in the past had to be bent, shaped, and tightened frequently to achieve the desired results. Modern orthodontics makes frequent use of nickel-titanium archwires and temperature-sensitive materials. When cold, the archwire is limp and flexible, easily threaded between brackets of any configuration. Once heated to body temperature, the archwire will stiffen and seek to retain its shape, creating constant light force on the teeth.
Elastics are used to close open bites, shift the midline, or create a stronger force to pull teeth or jaws in the desired direction. Brackets with hooks can be placed, or hooks can be created and affixed to the archwire to affix the elastic to. The placement and configuration of the elastics will depend on the course of treatment and the individual patient. Elastics are made in different diameters, sizes, and strengths.
In many cases there is insufficient space in the mouth for all the teeth to fit properly. There are two main procedures to make room in these cases. One is extraction: teeth are removed to create more space. The second is expansion: the palate or arch is made larger by using an expander. Expanders can be used with both children and adults. Since the bones of adults are already fused, expanding the palate is not possible without surgery to unfuse them. An expander can be used on an adult without surgery, but to expand the dental arch, and not the palate.
For some patients, Invisalign might be a viable alternative to braces. The Invisalign system uses a series of clear plastic trays to move teeth into their position over a length of time. This system is not recommended for more difficult cases, or for people whose last molars have yet to erupt. However, one of the disadvantages of Invisalign is that it usually requires a longer treatment time, especially because the appliance is removable, whereas conventional braces are always working because they are fixed to the patient's teeth. This usually allows for a faster treatment because the patient is not tempted to remove the appliance, as they may be with Invisalign.
Patients may need orthodontic surgery, such as a fiberotomy, to prepare their teeth for retainer use.
Some patients find braces can be discomforting in the mouth, which can affect the post-treatment of patients with braces.
Retainers are required to be worn once treatment with braces is complete. The orthodontist will recommend a retainer based on the patient's needs. If a patient does not wear the retainer as recommended, the teeth might move towards their original position (relapse).
A Hawley retainer is made of metal hooks that surround the teeth and are enclosed by an acrylic plate shaped to fit the patient's palate. An Essix retainer is similar to Invisalign trays. It is a clear plastic tray form-fitted to the teeth and stays in place by suction. A bonded retainer is a wire permanently bonded to the lingual side of the teeth (usually the lower teeth only).
If a person's teeth are not ready for a proper retainer, the orthodontist may prescribe the use of a pre-finisher. This rubber appliance similar to a mouthguard fixes gaps between the teeth, small spaces between the upper and lower jaw, and other minor problems that could worsen. These problems are small matters that dental braces cannot fix.
The pre-finisher is molded to the patient's teeth by use of severe pressure to the appliance by the person's jaw. The pre-finisher is then worn for the prescribed time, with the user applying force to the pre-finisher in their mouth for ten to fifteen seconds at a time. The goal is increasing the "exercise" time, time spent applying force to the appliance. Like the retainer, the pre-finisher is not a permanent addition to one's mouth, and can be moved in and out of the mouth.
Plaque forms easily when food is retained in and around braces. It is important to maintain proper oral hygiene by brushing and flossing thoroughly when wearing braces to prevent tooth decay, decalcification, or unpleasant color changes to the teeth.
There is a small chance of allergic reaction to the latex rubber in elastics or to the metal used in braces. Latex-free elastics and alternative metals can be used instead. It is important for those who believe that they are allergic to their braces to notify the orthodontist immediately.
Mouth sores may be triggered by irritation from components of the braces. Many products can increase comfort, including oral rinses, dental wax or dental silicone, and products to help heal sores.
Braces can also be damaged if proper care is not taken. It is important to wear a mouthguard to prevent breakage when playing sports. Chewing gum and certain sticky or hard foods, such as raw carrots, large hard pretzels, and toffee should be avoided because they can damage braces. Frequent damage to braces can prolong treatment.
In the course of treatment orthodontic brackets may pop off due to the forces involved, or due to cement weakening over time. The orthodontist should be contacted immediately for advice if this occurs. In most cases the bracket is replaced.
When teeth move, the end of the arch wire may become displaced, causing it to poke the back of the patient's cheek. Dental wax can be applied to cushion the protruding wire. The orthodontist must be called immediately to have it clipped, or a painful mouth ulcer may form. If the wire is causing severe pain, it may be necessary to carefully bend the edge of the wire in with a spoon or other piece of equipment (i.e. tweezers) until the wire can be clipped by an orthodontist.
Patients with periodontal disease usually must obtain periodontal treatment before getting braces. A deep cleaning is performed, and further treatment may be required before beginning orthodontic treatment. Bone loss due to periodontal disease may lead to tooth loss during treatment.
The dental displacement obtained with the orthodontic appliance determines in most cases some degree of root resorption. Only in a few cases is this side effect large enough to be considered real clinical damage to the tooth. [1][2]
Pain is common after adjustment and may cause difficulty eating for a time, often several days. During this period, eating soft foods can help avoid additional pressure on teeth.
The metallic look may not be desirable to some people, although transparent varieties are available. However, transparent braces usually don't work as well as metallic ones.
Typical treatment time is from six months to six years, depending on the severity of the case, location, age, etc., although two years is average. Treatment can be accelerated using novel planning and positioning techniques.
Typical cost of braces is about $5,000 in the US, but can be much lower in other countries. In CIS countries for example, the cost is $200 to $500 per jaw.
In some European countries, orthodontic treatment is available without charge to patients under 16 (or for treatment to start at 16, such as Ireland), as benefits for orthodontic treatment is provided under government-run health care systems.
Sometimes braces are required more than once if the retainer fails to keep teeth in place.
Modern orthodontists can offer many types and varieties of braces:
For many children and teenagers, even those without severe bite problems, braces are simply a part of growing up. There is a growing number of adults (roughly 25% of brace patients are over 21) wearing braces to correct orthodontic issues.
Celebrities who have been spotted wearing functional braces in adulthood include Tom Cruise, Gwen Stefani, Lil Bow Wow, Ashley Judd, Lee Ann Womack, Terrell Davis, Lisa Scott-Lee, Lila McCann, Linda Gray, Cher, Nancy Kissinger (wife of former Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger), Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Marquis Daniels, Josh Howard, Kelly Clarkson, Alyssa Milano, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Kyo of Dir en grey, Cristiano Ronaldo and University of Colorado head football coach Dan Hawkins. Paula Jones, who gained fame during the late 1990's for filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against then-President Bill Clinton, wore braces during the months when she was going through other physical and wardrobe changes.
Wearing braces as a fashion statement, rather than from medical necessity, appears to catch on among the young in some parts of the world. In 2006, the media reported that wearing fake braces had become a teen fad in Thailand, and authorities considered punishing sellers of fake braces with six months in prison or a $1,300 fine. [1] A similar fad has occurred in the Philippines, though it has caught on with everyone of all ages, teenagers and the elderly alike; dental braces are a sign of wealth in the Philippines. This is not dissimilar to obesity being coveted in some places of the Third World, as it is also an indicator of some wealth.
Notable appearances of braces in popular culture include:
Orthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions (improper bites), which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both. Also does the whole face. The word comes from the Greek words ortho meaning straight and odons meaning tooth.
Orthodontic treatment can focus on dental displacement only, or can deal with the control and modification of facial growth. In the latter case it is better defined as "dentofacial orthopedics". Orthodontic treatment can be carried out for purely aesthetic reasonsimproving the general appearance of patients' teeth and face for cosmetic reasonsbut treatment is often prescribed for practical reasons, providing the patient with a functionally improved bite (occlusion).
If the main goal of the treatment is the dental displacement, most commonly a fixed multibracket therapy is used. In this case orthodontic wires are inserted into dental braces, which can be made from stainless steel or a more esthetic ceramic material.
Also removable appliances, or "plates", headgear, expansion appliances, and many other devices can be used to move teeth. Functional and orthopaedics appliances are used in growing patients (age 5 to 13) with the aim to modify the jaw dimensions and relationship if these are altered. (See Prognathism.) This therapy is frequently followed by a fixed multibracket therapy to align the teeth and refine the occlusion.
After a course of active orthodontic treatment, patients will often wear retainers, which will maintain the teeth in their improved position while the surrounding bone reforms around them. The retainers are generally worn full-time for a short period, perhaps 6 months to a year, and then worn periodically (typically nightly during sleep) for as long as the orthodontist recommends. It is possible for the teeth to stay aligned without regular retainer wear. However, there are many reasons teeth will crowd as a person ages; thus there is no guarantee that teeth, orthodontically treated or otherwise, will stay aligned without retention. For this reason, many orthodontists recommend periodic retainer wear for many years (or indefinitely) after orthodontic treatment.
The orthodontist will align the teeth with respect to the surrounding soft tissues, with or without movement of the underlying bones, which can be moved either through growth modification in children or jaw surgery in adults. Several appliances are utilized for growth modification; including functional appliances, headgear, and facemasks. These "orthopedic appliances" may influence the development of an adolescent's profile and give an improved aesthetic and functional result.
One of the most common situations leading to orthodontic treatment is crowding of the teeth. In this situation, there is insufficient room for the normal complement of adult teeth, which can sometimes result in teeth being extracted. Crowding of teeth is recognised as an affliction that stems in part from a modern western lifestyle. We do not know for sure whether it is due to the consistency of western diets; a result of mouthbreathing; or the result of an early loss of deciduous (milk, baby) teeth due to decay. It is also possible that Homo sapiens have evolved smaller jaws without a reduction in the number of teeth they will house happening at the same time. Orthodontics is not always for aesthetic purposes. Braces may be prescribed in cases of so-called "overbite" to help prevent teeth being knocked out in an accident, for example, hockey or skating.
Much has been made in the media of links between tooth extraction and temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction (problems, including clicking and jamming, of the jaw joint). No research has shown a definitive link between orthodontic treatment, extraction of teeth and jaw joint problems. Most temporo-mandibular joint problems are multifactorial in origin (that is having a number of possible etiologic agents).
In diagnosis and treatment planning, the orthodontist must (1) recognize the various characteristics of malocclusion and dentofacial deformity; (2) define the nature of the problem, including the etiology if possible; and (3) design a treatment strategy based on the specific needs and desires of the individual. (4) present the treatment strategy to the patient in such a way that the patient fully understands the ramifications of his/her decision.
[References: T. M. Graber, R.L. Vanarsdall, Orthodontics, Current Principles and Techniques, "Diagnosis and Treatment Planning in Orthodontics", D. M. Sarver, W.R. Proffit, J. L. Ackerman, Mosby, 2000]
Various countries have their own systems for training and registering specialist orthodontists; generally a period of full-time post-graduate study is required for a dentist to qualify as an orthodontist. The orthodontic specialty is the earliest dental specialty.
In the United Kingdom, this training period lasts three years, after completion of a membership from a Royal College. A further two years is then completed to train to consultant level, after which a fellowship examination from the Royal College is sat. In Europe a similar pattern is followed. It is always worth contacting the professional body responsible for registering orthodontists to ensure that the orthodontist you wish to consult is a recognized specialist.
A number of medical and dental schools in the United States offer advanced education in the specialty of Orthodontics to dentists seeking postgraduate education. The courses range from two to three years of full-time classes and clinical work in the clinical and theoretical aspects of orthodontics. Generally, admission is based on an application process followed by an extensive interviewing process by the institution, in order to select the best candidate. Candidates usually have to contact the individual school directly for the application process. A list of orthodontic schools can be obtained from the American Association of Orthodonitists[1].
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Can't travel to the Philippines for Dental Treatment? Get a Discount Dental Plan now!


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ROSEVILLE, Calif. – Three popular race tracks in the Southwest will host four races in eight days for NASCAR K&N Pro Series teams next month, with big bonuses up for grabs as part of the NAPA 500 Challenge.
To be eligible for the bonus money, which includes a giant $100,000 award if a driver can win all four races, drivers must pre-register by March 1 at BMRNAPA.com. There is no cost to register.
The NAPA 500 Challenge consists of 500 total laps of competition at the three tracks – Irwindale (California) Speedway; Kern County Raceway Park near Bakersfield, California; and Tucson (Arizona) Speedway – with more than $400,000 in posted awards including the special bonuses.
In addition to the biggest bonus of $100,000, other big awards are also at stake. A $10,000 award is available to drivers who finish in the top three positions in all four races. Drivers who finish in the top five spots in all four events could take home a $5,000 award. And a $1,000 award is available to drivers who finish in the top 10 positions in all four races.
"This is a great opportunity for all NASCAR K&N teams to compete at three excellent tracks, with big bonus money up for grabs," said Bill McAnally, president of Bill McAnally Racing Promotions. "We're grateful to NAPA, NASCAR, and the three venues for making this happen."
The four races serve as the biggest season kickoff in the history of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, as competition the 2017 title gets underway.
For NASCAR K&N Pro Series East teams, the races come during a month with no events on their schedule. The NAPA 500 Challenge provides an opportunity for East drivers to race on several great tracks not on their schedule, and possibly take home some bonus money. It addition, it gives them a chance to compete head-to-head with drivers and teams in the West.
The first of the four races is a NAPA 150 event at Tucson Speedway on Saturday, March 18. After traveling to Kern County Raceway Park for a NAPA 150 race on Thursday, March 23; teams will head to Irwindale Speedway for Twin NAPA 100s on Saturday, March 25.
Additional information about the NAPA 500 Challenge is available at BMRNAPA.com.


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Featuring a rounded design and a single elliptical strap, the Studio Elko tote combines a minimal aesthetic with water resistant tarpaulin construction. This stylish shoulder bag offers an internal zippered pocket and contemporary screen printed Hershel Supply Studio branding.
13"(H) x 13"(W) x 3"(D) including handles - (H) 17", 11.5L


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Derby United Methodist Church (1894)Sunday, September 5th, 2010 Posted in Churches, Derby, Romanesque Revival | No Comments »
The first Methodist Episcopal society in Derby was organized in 1793. In the early years, the members did not have their own building. According to The History of the Old Town of Derby (1880), "The ministers preached wherever they found open doors." This included private homes, taverns and a schoolhouse. Again quoting from the History:
For a long time the society continued small and encountered much prejudice and some persecution. On one occasion, while a meeting was held in the house of Isaac Baldwin, which stood on the flat east of H. B. Beecher's auger factory, the persecutors went up a ladder and stopped the top of the chimney in the time of preaching, so that the smoke drove the people out of the house. Squibs of powder were often thrown into the fire in time of worship, to the great annoyance of the people.
The Methodists constructed a church on Birmingham Green in 1837. This church continued in use until funds were raised at a tent revival in 1891 to build a new church. The current Derby United Methodist Church, built in the Romanesque style, was completed in 1894 on the site of the earlier church.
Second Congregational Church, Derby (1845)Sunday, January 18th, 2009 Posted in Churches, Derby, Federal Style | 1 Comment »
Derby's Second Congregational Church, located on Derby Green across from Immanuel St. James Episcopal Church, began as the Birmingham Congregational Society, founded by members of the First Church who lived in what is now the center of Derby. The church was built in 1845 and dedicated on January 28, 1846. The top of the steeple was damaged by Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and has not been replaced.
Also, be sure to check out my new Architectural Article about SECOND EMPIRE & QUEEN ANNE HOUSES. Please let me know what you think of it!
First Congregational Church, Derby (1821)Saturday, January 17th, 2009 Posted in Churches, Derby, Federal Style | No Comments »
Derby's Congregational Church was organized in 1677. The first meetinghouse was built in 1681 and the second one in 1721-1722. The current church was built in 1821. Rev. Daniel Humphreys, father of David Humphreys, was minister in Derby for many years.
Osborne Homestead Museum (1840)Thursday, January 1st, 2009 Posted in Colonial Revival, Derby, Federal Style, Houses | 1 Comment »
The Osborne Homestead Museum is adjacent to the Kellogg Environmental Center and the Osbornedale State Park in Derby. It was originally a farm house built in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1867, Wilbur Fisk Osborne married Ellen Lucy Davis and the couple moved into the house. Osborne's father, John White Osborne, had founded a brass manufacturing company in Derby which came to dominate the eyelet manufacturing business. Wilbur F. Osborne served as president of various companies and also founded the Derby Neck Library, persuading Andrew Carnegie to assist in funding the library building's construction. The Osbornes' only surviving child was Frances Eliza Osborne, who became a businesswoman, taking over her father's responsibilities after his sudden death in 1907. In 1919, she married Waldo Stewart Kellogg, a New York architect. Starting in 1910, a Colonial Revival remodeling project began on the house, with additional detailing work done by Waldo Kellogg. The homestead now resembles a Federal-style house. Frances Osborne Kellogg continued to live in the house until her death in 1956. She had deeded her property to the State of Connecticut in 1951 and it became the Osbornedale State Park. The land was once home to the Osbornedale Dairy, which was run by Waldo Kellogg, who improved the herd after the acquisition of a prize bull. The house is open to the public as the Osborne Homestead Museum.
St. Michael's Church, Derby (1907)Thursday, December 25th, 2008 Posted in Churches, Derby, Gothic | 2 Comments »
Merry Christmas!! Today our building is St. Michael's Church, on Derby Avenue in Derby. Polish immigrants established St. Michael the Archangel parish in 1903 and the church was built in 1906-1907. A neighboring parish school, staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, was built in 1914.
Birmingham National Bank (1892)Thursday, December 18th, 2008 Posted in Banks, Commercial Buildings, Derby, Neoclassical, Romanesque Revival | 1 Comment »
The old Birmingham National Bank building is on Main Street in the City of Derby, which was once known as Birmingham. The bank was originally chartered in 1848 as the Manufacturers Bank of Birmingham, with Edward N. Shelton as its first president, and in 1865 became a national bank. Constructed in 1892-1893, the building features an elaborately detailed facade with terra cotta molding in the Sullivanesque, Neo-Grec and Richardsonian Romanesque Revival styles. The building is now the Twisted Vine Restaurant.
Immanuel St. James Church (1843)Sunday, December 14th, 2008 Posted in Churches, Derby, Gothic | No Comments »
On the other side of Derby Green from the Sterling Opera House is Immanuel St. James Episcopal Church, on Minerva Street. Built in 1843, the building had two predecessors: the church on Elm Street in what is now Ansonia, at the Old Episcopal Graveyard (which was later moved across the street and attached to the Humphreys House), and its successor on Derby Avenue, which was called St. James Church. When the third building was constructed in 1843, some families continued to worship at the old church and organized Christ Church parish in Ansonia. In 1970, St. James Church in Derby began a Joint Ministry with Immanuel Church in Ansonia, and the two merged in 1991. The stone church was was built by the stonemason Harvey Johnson and the carpenter Nelson Hinman. The land for the church was donated by Sheldon Smith and Anson G. Phelps. A rectory was constructed next door in 1853.


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Honoring a truly inimitable legend
Updated 7:21 am, Tuesday, December 11, 2012
When I was cutting my teeth in the sales game right after college, I made sure to read or listen to everything I could get my hands on from several sales and motivational legends — Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, Jim Rohn and Zig Ziglar.
I, like many people around the world, was saddened to hear about the recent death of my friend Zig. He was one of a kind. I was fortunate to share the stage with him several times, and I will be forever grateful for those opportunities.
If you were lucky enough to ever hear him speak, you understand how he stayed at the top of his game for more than 40 years. As he was fond of saying "People often say motivation doesn't last. Neither does bathing — that's why we recommend it daily."
Zig was simply one of the greatest motivators and sales trainers of all time. He made everyone better with his extremely positive attitude. Who can forget his classic line, "I'm so optimistic, I'd go after Moby-Dick in a rowboat and take the tartar sauce with me"?
Another big subject for Zig was balancing work and family, which was so important to him. One of his pearls of wisdom on this subject: "Many marriages would be better if the husband and wife clearly understood that they are on the same side."
We were both active in the National Speakers Association and members of its Hall of Fame. We shared a similar speaking philosophy. Both of us realized that in order to educate, you need to entertain. Make your audience laugh every five to 10 minutes. Introduce a new lesson, concept or idea to your audience every few minutes as well, to keep their attention.
Zig was genuinely friendly to everyone. After every speech, he hung around and answered any and all questions until the lights went out. Motivational speakers come and go, but his work will live on because he practiced what he preached.
Zig loved comic strips and sports, especially the amazing feats of teams. He also collected anecdotes because he knew stories can be great teachers.
Zig started out in sales, just as I did. He hawked everything from lawn-mowing services to cookware and insurance. He said, "Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust."
After many years in sales, he realized that his real gift was his positive attitude and energy. He became a full-time motivational speaker and author. He wrote more than two dozen best-selling books, full of take-home value. Gems like these, short and sweet and definitely to the point, will live on and on:
"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude."
"There are no traffic jams on the extra mile."
"If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time."
A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job."
"Every choice you make has an end result."
"Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days."
Reach Harvey Mackay at http://www.harveymackay.com or at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.


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If you've been doing the food allergy thing for a while then you are probably very familiar with food challenges. Perhaps you've even gone through some and come out on the other side with success. For those of you who are new to the world of food allergies, a food challenge comes about when the blood test for a given allergen comes back below a certain threshold. Once this happens, your allergist may recommend a food challenge.
What is a food challenge?
Food challenges can vary a bit depending on the allergen that's being tested. For example, there are basic challenges for any given allergen but there are also baked challenges for eggs and dairy. Some children can tolerate eggs and milk when baked at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time. Food challenges are roughly 4 hours long and performed at the allergist's office. For a basic (non-baked) food challenge, the family is asked to bring in a "safe" food that the nurse can use to mix in the allergen (powder form) being tested. Most people bring in things like applesauce, pudding, yogurt, etc. Anything that your child will eat. Before the challenge begins, the doctor will look over your child to not only make sure that he/she is healthy but to get an idea of what your child looks like reaction-free. This way should there be any sign of a reaction, the doctor can quickly identify it. Once the challenge begins the nurse will bring in the allergen mixture 6 times, gradually increasing the increment of allergen that's been added to your "safe" food. This is done roughly every 15-minutes, taking about 90 minutes until the eating portion of the challenge is complete. Of course the time it takes greatly varies based on how long it takes your child to eat the food that he/she has been given. If your child consumes all of the food required to complete the challenge without any signs of a reaction then you will proceed to wait roughly another 2 hours to be sure that a delayed reaction does not occur. Once the two hours is up then you have officially "passed" the challenge and you can add that allergen back into the diet. YAHOO!! This is a BIG moment for any food allergy family. If however, your child exhibits any symptom of a reaction during the challenge then the challenge will stop. What I've just described is how our allergist performs a food challenge. You can read all about how our allergist, Dr. Frederick Leickly performs food challenges, here. Keep in mind, other allergists may do food challenges a bit differently so always ask questions before beginning a challenge. Now that I've shared with you a little about a food challenge, let me share with you about our recent food challenge.
Our Recent Soy Food Challenge…
You may have seen my Facebook status update or if you follow along via Instagram then you may have seen photos of our food challenge. Based on the blood work that returned for my youngest following our annual food allergy testing in November, he qualified for a soy food challenge. Just like I described above, I had to bring in "safe" food for him. They recommended applesauce, pudding or yogurt. However, based on his list of allergens, he can't eat pudding or yogurt. So I had to get a bit creative. He loves applesauce and instant oatmeal. So I brought in both of those. The nurse also warned me that towards the end of the challenge they have to add in quite a bit of the soy (soy flour) and the food can get a bit clumpy and it has a flavor that isn't exactly favored. My biggest concern was that he'd throw up the food due to the taste and texture. I knew that if he threw up then the challenge would end as the allergist would have a hard time knowing whether or not the vomit was induced by flavor or if it was a sign of a reaction. So I decided to make "safe" chocolate chip cookie dough as one of the "safe" food options. Since the nurse was going to be adding soy flour to anything I brought in I made the dough and left out 1/2 cup of flour.
We began the challenge with applesauce (2 servings of the 6) and then moved to oatmeal (2 servings of the 6) and we finished the remaining 4 servings with cookie dough. My little man had to eat each cup of the allergen mixture that the nurse brought in and then we watched him for any sign of a reaction. Honestly, I'm so glad that I decided to bring in cookie dough because it helped mask the flavor of the soy and since I left out some of the flour, when they added in the soy flour the consistency wasn't affected. He ate it like a champ and kept asking when he could have more. HA! {Side note: both of my little men have an egg allergy so there is no risk of salmonella as eggs aren't used in the dough} If you are getting ready for a food challenge and trying to come up with a good "safe" food to take in, I highly recommend cookie dough. Just be sure to check with your allergist to see if that is an okay option. One of the bigger challenges was keeping my little men occupied and entertained during our down time. Post coming soon about some activity recommendations for these long food allergy appointments.
I was a bit nervous going into this challenge as our last challenge (2 years ago) to dairy didn't go well. We failed it with the 3rd dose. Although it wasn't a life-threatening reaction it was still stressful and disappointing. I knew that the chance of him having a reaction to soy was incredibly low as his skin test to soy was negative and his blood test to soy came back undetected. However, once you've seen an anaphylactic reaction you just get nervous to feed your child anything new, let alone something that you've been purposefully avoiding for the past 3 years. However, I watched him like a momma hawk. I should have had him go shirtless because it would have prevented me from bugging him to see his tummy and back as I watched for any sign of a hive. We made it through all 6 doses of soy with no reaction and we made it through the waiting period that followed.
It was an exciting day for us. My little man already had a list of all of the foods that he couldn't wait to try out. You see my oldest doesn't have a soy allergy and so there's been many food items that he eats that my youngest knows he can't have because of soy. Some of the items on his list: Mickey Mouse crackers from Costco, PopTarts, Oreos, Ritz Crackers, Honey Grahams in the shape of Angry Birds, etc. He was so excited he had trouble narrowing down where he was going to start. He did have a bout of diarrhea after we got home (4 hours after the challenge) but he didn't have a stomach ache nor did he have any other symptom. I called the allergist to ask about it and he told me to take it easy with adding back in the soy, and to wait until his stools returned to normal before trying more soy. The next day his stools were normal so we gave him some Mickey Mouse crackers from Costco that had soy in them. That was all we gave him that day (that contained soy) and he was reaction free and his stools remained normal. So at this point we are 5 days out from the challenge and we are still only giving him one new food item containing soy a day that way we can continue to monitor him. So far, so good! This weekend we are going to give soy milk a try!
This has been our first food challenge that we've passed. It's been an emotional week for me as I accept that he can eat soy. Although I'm excited for him and I know that he's passed the challenge it's hard to let go of the "you can't eat that…you may die" thoughts that I have had in my head for the past 3 years. But you know it's been incredibly rewarding and has given me hope that we could outgrow some of our other allergies in the future.
When we finished our 4 hour food challenge and the allergist came in to look my little man over one last time he congratulated us and when I asked how we should move forward with feeding him soy, he responded, "Beginning tomorrow you can feed him soy as if he never had a soy allergy. His slate has been wiped clean." In that moment I was reminded about one of my favorite verses in the bible found in Isaiah.
Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. ~Isaiah 1:18
And all I could hear was Jesus' voice saying, "I took away his soy allergy. He's been washed and is white as snow." It's not that his allergy to soy was a sin…because it was not. It was just a reminder that God is bigger than these allergies and He is in control and He can heal my little men.


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Google Adwords Removed Right Column Ads
The Search Engine Results Page for Google Adwords got a customization that saw the removal of the Right Column Ads. The change was accompanied by the addition of one spot to the PPC paid listings making them four in number. This consequently pushed the organic non-paid listings further down the search results page. All these optimization angles were thought to have the capacity to have a significant impact on PPC advertising and the Cost Per Click that advertisers would shoulder.
The change in Search Engine Results Page outlook has seen a shift in CPC as well as the overall impression that advertisers are bound to get with the modified algorithm of the Search engine. Among the impacts experienced include:
• Increase in CTR
Advertisers have seen a significant increase in the Click Through Rates for their Ads. The customized page has seen web visitors get an enhanced user experience which directs the increased Click Through Rates. The expansion of the PPC platform in the bulk of the Search Engine Results Page at the expense of the Organic results spots has also contributed to the increased Click Through Rates.
• Steady Traffic
Advertisers utilizing the PPC orientation have experienced steady traffic with the web visitors. Removal of the Right Column meant the elimination of position 8-11 of the PPC paid listings, but that has not impacted the traffic received by the PPC Ads.
• Boost in position 3 PPC Ads
Since the change, Ads in the third position of the PPC paid listings have seen an increased Click Through Rate, which has impacted the impressions made by the advertisers. This is contrary to the general perception that the added fourth spot would be the one to receive accelerated CTR.
• Increase in CPC
Most analysts had projected an acute increase in the Cost Per Click rates. The increase in CPC has however been significant with the PPC paid listings that held position 8-11, mainly because a massive rise in the CTR translates to an enhanced position within the valuable spaces which cost more. Less Ad space for PPC listings has therefore not skyrocketed the CPC.
• Lowered Impressions
Impressions have lowered which is explained by the reduction of the text Ads from the previous 11 to the current 7. However, only 0.2% of the Ad impressions were contributed to by the Ads in position 8-11 which means the bulk of the Ad Impressions is still significantly covered.
The bottom line
The removal of the Right Column Ads has seen the Ad listings in position 8-11 experience 15% loss in desktop clicks and lost impression but a significantly higher CTR and an increased position in the ranking even though it comes with a CPC increase. If you want to know more, contact us here and we'll be happy to go over your campaigns and see how we can improve!
Author Bio:
Vincent DeCastro has over 13 years of SEO & PPC experience with expertise in helping small businesses improve visibility online. Vincent has been a Senior SEO Analyst with SEO My Business for 4 years.