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By Richard Knox, NPR
Today marks a milestone on the nation's long march toward universal health coverage: the launch of online marketplaces, called exchanges, designed to help people find insurance they can afford.
It's an idea pioneered by Massachusetts seven years ago. People here call their program a success, and say the state's exchange was an indispensable factor.
Those involved since the beginning say the Massachusetts health insurance exchange, called the Connector, was the brainchild of former Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican.
Glen Shor, who once ran the Connector and is now the state's secretary of administration and finance, is confident that the nation will follow Massachusetts' lead.
"As the [federal] law begins to be implemented," Shor said, "people will see and feel its positive effects. They'll be able to see through some of the rhetoric and spin."
When the Connector opened for business in late 2006, people signed up much faster than projected. Within a year there were 367,000 newly insured citizens.
"Enrollment was fast," Shor said. "One of the clear lessons of the Massachusetts experience is that people want affordable health insurance."
Today, 97 percent of the state's 6.6 million people have it — the highest coverage rate of anywhere in America.
And Shor says Obamacare will bring another 45,000 new people into the fold — those working in low-wage jobs who will qualify for an expansion of MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program.
That group represents "roughly a quarter of the remaining uninsured," said Shor. "A big deal."
Thousands more will become eligible for premium subsidies because they make under $46,000 a year (for an individual) or $94,000 (for a family of four). That will bring Massachusetts pretty close to advocates' longtime dream of universal coverage.
"It's a fight that's worth fighting, and I think ultimately it will be won," Shor said.
"One of the clear lessons of the Massachusetts experience is that people want affordable health insurance.
– Glen Shor, secretary of the Massachusetts Office for Administration and Finance
But not everybody in Massachusetts is quite so optimistic. Rick Lord is president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a prominent business group. He was also a leader in the broad bipartisan coalition of business, consumers, health care providers and insurers that resulted in what some here still call Romneycare.
"I think Massachusetts got health care reform right," said Lord, adding that members of his group are proud that the state is committed to expanding health coverage.
But Lord points out that anything as complicated as health care reform is going to need some tinkering along the way. In Massachusetts, the Legislature passed without controversy three technical corrections after the law was passed. Lord doesn't see how Congress could do that with Obamacare.
"No amendment to the Affordable Care Act will be passed for fear that the whole act will unravel," he says. And that makes him more than a little worried.
"I'm feeling a little pessimistic about how it's going to play out in Washington," Lord said. "If it's not successful at all, I worry that will doom the prospects for revisiting this in the short term, [or] even the medium."
But for now, the fate of Obamacare depends on whether enough Americans vote with their feet in the coming three months, when those who want coverage under the law must choose a plan in order to be covered on Jan. 1.
"That's the big question," said Brian Rosman, research director of Health Care for All, Massachusetts' leading health consumer group.
"Will people jump over the negative publicity and go out and seek health care for themselves because it's in their interest?" Rosman wondered. "Our experience in Massachusetts is that they're going to sign up."
Rosman's colleague Kate Bicego thinks people across the country will too. She manages consumer assistance for Health Care for All.
Bicego has been getting a lot of calls from officials in other states who are scrambling to set up exchanges. She's also hearing from consumers outside Massachusetts. She's heard just about every question, worry and rant about the new exchanges.
"People don't know what Obamacare is," Bicego told Shots, the online health channel from the NPR Science Desk. "Most people have filled their heads with a lot of misinformation about what the law actually requires of people and what the law offers."
Bicego thinks there's only so much anybody can do in advance to dispel misconceptions. She says it's only when people can get their hands on information that matters to them that proponents can cut through the confusion.
In her experience, a lot of people are surprised to hear that there are health plans they can afford; that many people qualify for help in paying the premiums; and that they're not going to be penalized on their taxes for not buying something they can't afford. But getting that across takes time.
"Once I talk to them for about an hour about 'This is actually what the law does,' people are just as excited as I am about what this means," Bicego said.
Brian Rosman predicts that the nation will turn a corner in January when millions of people start to see what it's like to have coverage.
"Once people start getting benefits and it becomes part of the infrastructure of how our health care system works," he said, "the repeal effort will fade away."
That's what happened a generation ago with Medicare and Medicaid. They were pretty controversial, too.


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Hey Everybody - It's Our Week!
Author: Barry Furey
Copyright: 9-1-1 Magazine, Feature Content
Date: 2011-04-10
Believe it or not, it's that time again; National Public Safety Telecommunicators' Week. Created by an act of Congress during the Clinton administration, it sets aside the second full week of April every year as a time to honor and acknowledge our brothers and sisters who work tirelessly during all fifty-two weeks of every year. As best as I can determine, the good folks in Contra Costa, California (or specifically one good folk at the Sheriff's Office named Patricia Anderson) came up with the idea exactly thirty years ago, but it took some push from other states, APCO International, and Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts to secure the official coast-to-coast designation. So, as is often the case in our business, although the concept is now in its thirties, the reality is in its late teens. But, as they say: better late than never.
Recently, I've seen some references made to this holiday as "National Public Safety Telecommunications Week," but I find this a little disingenuous. Just what the heck is this "telecommunications" that we are celebrating and how do we do it? Do we give our CAD a software upgrade? Put a party hat on the telephone? Pat ourselves on the backs as managers and give high fives for passing the budget? I think not. This week was carried on the backs of our people in the trenches, and they should be the sole beneficiaries of any recognition that comes as a result of these seven days of positive acknowledgement.
Now in my fifth decade of public safety service, I often ask myself if I would do it all over again, or if I would choose another path? Perhaps a better question is why anyone today would want to be a telecommunicator or stay a telecommunicator for any period of time? According to one APCO report, the answer to latter is clear – not too many people do. With only about 3% of call takers and dispatchers retiring from a 9-1-1 career we ought to give a proverbial tip of the hat to those diehard few that choose to tough it out.
Used to be that a governmental career meant security. You don't have to look too far to see that this is no longer the case. Police rookie academies are canceled, fire companies are closed, and telecommunicator positions are furloughed, frozen, or eliminated outright. Even in halcyon days our pensions paled in comparison to those of the uniformed services. Now, in the age of tabloid journalism you can add the potential of a ten second sound bite killing an otherwise exemplary career as a secondary pitfall.
So, in the interim, it's up to us as managers to try to do something nice at least once a year. What does that look like? It depends on your agency. We can organize social activities such as softball, picnics, or bowling, or have "dress up days" at work. The latter activity has two things going for it; it's fun and it's free. Talk to your chief, sheriff, city manager, mayor, county executive, or CEO and get a proclamation issued. A sample, as well as a media release are available at: http://npstw.com/toolkit/. We can establish a formalized recognition process and issue awards to our exemplary employees. I've found out through time that a system that balances peer input with supervisory oversight works best. But, don't be afraid to get your user agencies involved, as well. If you don't have the resources to support this, track down a community organization that does. You'd be surprised at the number of folks who step up to the plate to offer support. If nothing else, we can stop by the local wholesale club and buy a carton of microwave popcorn, and make sure that we stick our heads in the operations floor as much as possible to remind our staffs that this is their week.
Perhaps it's only fitting that the current issue of Time Magazine features an article titled "How to Fix 9-1-1." While the author, Christine Kenneally is spot-on in her observations, none hits home harder than her final note, "... It's also worth remembering that no matter how advanced the technology, emergencies are best served by smart people… on the other end of the line." Ms. Kenneally doesn't address my earlier question of why anyone still wants what seems to be an increasingly thankless job, but just perhaps there are forms of satisfaction that are not so easily measured or understood. Hearing the first cry of a child as you help deliver it over the phone, going home exhausted after a short-handed night shift and hoping you didn't forget to do something, or cherishing those quiet times when stories are shared about the plane crash back in '99 and the history behind your community's "frequent flyers" are all part of the crazy patchwork we count as rewards.
As for me, I am not so worried about why people keep applying, just as long as they do. The Next Generation of 9-1-1 will depend more than ever on the Next Generation of 9-1-1 employees. Enjoy your week. You've earned it.
Barry Furey has been involved in public safety for more than 40 years, having managed 9-1-1 centers in four states. A life member of APCO International, he is the current director of the Raleigh-Wake County (NC) Emergency Communications Center.
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Welcome to Minogue Medical
Minogue Medical Inc. is a healthcare organization specializing in the delivery of innovative medical technologies, supplies and equipment to hospitals and medical clinics for over 25 years. In addition we provide nutritional and supplemental products for weight conscious patients and high performance athletes.
Surgical Robotics
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Innovative surgical devices, O.R. disposables, hospital equipment, and more.
Weight Management
Looking for high protein nutritional bars and shakes? We offer a great variety of snacks and drinks with 15g of protein per serving.
Athletic Performance & Training
Minogue FitTime Nutrition offers an array of energy boost drink products.


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This Silverline 950W belt sander is a powerful belt sander that is ideal for serious DIY enthusiasts and trades people alike. The Silverline is a corded sander that can be used for a variety of sanding jobs, including intermediate sanding and rapid stock removal for those rush jobs.
Powered by a 950W electric motor housed in blue casing, this sander can smooth down your woodwork and get through large jobs. A large, comfortable grip handle allows you to achieve a quality finish on projects you are working on, and variable speed, controlled from a pressure sensitive, speed trigger allows you to accurately control the finish of your work. Further control and accuracy is achieved with the removable depth frame, you can sand down to a precise depth with the frame in place. This sander includes a dust extraction facility to help you maintain a tidy working environment.
When you need to change over belts, simply use the single action belt release lever to exchange belts. The belt alignment mechanism allows you to change over sanding belts quickly and efficiently, whilst giving you accurate tracking to maximise the life of your sanding belt.
For long jobs, this sander comes with a lock-on button, to leave the sander on without you having to keep your finger depressed on the button. This sander uses 76mm sanding belts to sand down your work. With the Silverline 950W belt sander, you will be able to complete all your woodworking jobs, from the simplest to the trickiest.


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Materials: One skein Lion Brand "Homespun" (7 wraps per inch), and a crochet hook that will give YOU the gauge below (I use a "K").
Gauge: 2 1/2 sc = 1″
Abbreviations: Ch = chain, dc = double crochet, dec = decrease, fpst = front post stitch, rnd(s) = round(s), sc = single crochet, sl st = slip stitch, yo = yarn over.
Note: If you are not familiar with front post stitch, you may benefit from this tutorial: http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa060797.htm
Ch 46. Join, without twisting, to form a circle. Sc around for 7rnds. Turn inside-out, and crochet to the left again (which is the way you just came) sc in the FRONT LOOPS ONLY. Sc for 6 rnds. Join with a sl st. Ch 2.
Rnd 1: Dc around. Ch 2 counts as first Dc. Join with sl st to top of ch 2. Ch 2.
Rnd 2: Fpst around next dc, dc in next dc, fpst around next dc…and so on. Join with sl st to top of ch 2. Repeat this round for a total of 8 rnds.
Rnd 10: Ch 1. Fpst. Dec in next two sts as follows: Yo, go in next st, yo and pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops. Yo, go around next st as to fpst, yo, and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, yo and draw through remaining loops on hook. Continue around in this manner.
Rnd 11: Fpst around in each st.
Rnd 12: Dec in this rnd and each rnd here after, till only 6-8 sts rem (dec by crocheting 2 tog with fpst).
Cut yarn, pull through sts to close, darn in ends.
Copyright 1999, 2005 Andrea Mielke
One last thing – here's the way to be in the know! Subscribe to our free newsletter, published every other Thursday, and find out what's happening and interesting in the fiber arts world right now, delivered right to your inbox.


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Hubbie and I are both looking exhausted, we very foolishly came to Center Parcs for a whole week with no provisions to help my two young boys get about! At home they have bikes and scooters yet here where there are huge area's to cover to get anywhere we came totally unprepared. We have been dashing everywhere, with the boys on our shoulders, at speed to get to activities on time. When you have booked two to three activities a day (at completely different area's) and have to fit swimming in and visiting the numerous parks, you soon realise the error of your ways.
I think the boys have built up their stamina somewhat, but I feel ready for another holiday after all this walking… I would even like to say that all the exercise has helped them sleep! But it has done nothing of the sort, they have been full of beans from dawn till dusk! Whilst hubbie and I have got more and more run down and lost some of our holiday glow!
Next year I need a plan, one that stops my boys looking wistfully at the bikes whizzing past us as we slowly and steadily make our way to each activity.
Okay we did manage to make each one, but only just and I would arrive looking frazzled and sweaty from the exertion! Most people holidaying here have all the necessary equipment, they have fancy bikes for all the family. Well I think I can do one better if we do come back next year. I have my eye on the bikes available at Electric Bike World, these really stand out! I would not have to see people looking at us sympathetically as we try and coax two reluctant walkers to "come along now"… instead they would be eyeing up our bikes! I would have to do some serious saving mind! But if we get really focused maybe one day we will be arriving in style.
I might never be seen sporting specialised cycling leggings and I might always be a little wobbly as I cycle, but I still have somewhere I need to get to! I can arrive looking a lot more relaxed and happy this way.


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Have a question for me? Want a chat? I'd love to hear from you! I can't promise to have the answers to everything (the meaning of life, or how to solve complex algebraic equations, for example) but if it's travel, film or book related, I'd be delighted to discuss it! Equally, if you're interested in any of my services or in advertising here, then please do get in touch.
If you would like to keep up-to-date with the latest from Starry-Eyed Travels, as well as extra snippets and sneak peeks, please sign up to the newsletter.


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GS Electric and Power Services, a power subsidiary under GS Group to build 'green' LNG plan
May 16, 2011
GS Electric and Power Services, a power subsidiary under GS Group, said that it will build a "green" high-efficiency liquefied natural gas combined cycle power plant in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province.
The firm spent 460 billion won ($420 million) for the plant which will be completed by August 2013. GS EPS currently operates two other power facilities there. The new 400 megawatt-facility boasts eco-friendliness and high-efficiency as it consumes less fuel than existing LNG combined cycle power plants and thus emits less carbon, GS EPS officials said.
"Through the construction of the plant, GS EPS aims to become a leading power provider in Korea. The facility will be an eco-friendly one which minimizes emission amid global climate change," GS EPS CEO Lee Wan-kyoung said at the event. In addition to its domestic operation, GS EPS has been stepping up efforts to expand its offshore business. GS EPS has launched the construction of a biomass power plant in Shandong, China earlier this month and is planning to begin a clean development mechanism business, a kind of carbon trading, there. (Source: The Korea Herald, 20 Apr 2011)
Scheduled to take place in Seoul, Korea on 07-08 September 2011, 2nd Biomass Pellets Trade Asia will bring together an international panel of experts including speakers from PT Trenergy Biomasse Indonesia, Plantation Energy Australia, Pinnacle Pellet Inc., Georgia Biomass, Control Union, POYRY, APAC Commodities, Global Green Synergy Sdn Bhd, plus more!
A major highlight at this event is a Post Conference Workshop on 8 Sep 2011 on Torrefaction Technology for Biomass, with special focus on Non-Woody Biomass.
The program is being finalized & will be uploaded online shortly. For more information, click here to submit enquiries or contact Ms. Hafizah at email@example.com to pre-register your interest now.


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Jan 252015
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center creates limited edition books and other book arts items. Visit the KBAC Store in the Park Trades Center to see these and more items in person.
KBAC accepts some commissions for special projects including broadsides, journals, and other handmade items. Please contact the director of KBAC, Jeff Abshear, jeff(@)kalbookarts.org.


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Saying thanks, adios to Sun*Day
Updated 3:54 pm, Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving. This holiday edition of Night Lights features a farewell to a veteran rock band, a rap/hip-hop CD-release party and audio-meets-visual art.
So long Sun*Day
Thursday night at White Rabbit there'll be a bittersweet rock 'n' roll show. For 19 years, Sun*Day, the rock band that has long proudly described itself as "four Mexicans from the South Side of San Antonio," has given fans a good reason to escape from families on Thanksgiving, and vice versa.
Thursday night will mark the 20th anniversary of the Sun*Day Thanksgiving rock extravaganza. And it'll be the finale. Formed in the late '80s while its members were at South San High School, Sun*Day early on crafted a big rock sound that mixed classic/progressive/alt and captured the ears and hearts of rock fans beyond the city limits.
Hard-working, imaginative practitioners of do-it-yourself shows and promotion, Sun*Day blazed trails for independent rock bands. The band worked a dizzying array of venues, had a shot at a label deal (Matchbox 20 got it instead) but didn't whine.
In the early '00s, band members took different musical paths but still came back together every Thanksgiving to play a show because it was fun. This part of the fun will be over in the wee hours of Friday, but Eddie Hernandez (guitar), Juan Ramos (drums), Rick Rios (bass) and Rikko (vocals) will say hasta luego in style at the Rabbit with support from Fin del Mar, Maneaters of Tsavo, Ashley Ford and Jobber.
Entertainment Channel
- Cute Puppy Looking for His Valentine Storyful
- Homeless man who attacked actress is out on the streets again FoxLA
- Kris Jenner Using DNA Test to Get Rid of Travis Scott? Kendall & Gigi SCARED of Kaia Gerber? -MOTW Hollyscoop
- Delevingne, Elba, more gather for a Burberry farewell Associated Press
- Beyonce & Blue Ivy STEAL the Spotlight at the 2018 NBA All Star Game Hollyscoop
- Director tackles brother's murder in Oscar-nominated doc Associated Press
- ShowBiz Minute: BAFTA, Weinstein, US Box Office Associated Press
- Khloe Kardashian, Celebs ROAST Fergie's CRINGEY National Anthem Performance at NBA All Star Game Hollyscoop
- The fight of the 'fleurs' Euronews
- Travis Scott GUSHES Over Baby Stormi, Dove Cameron FREAKS OUT Over 'Descendants 3' Teaser - DR Hollyscoop
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Downbeat is set for 8:30. Sun*Day will play about 10:30. Cover charge is $5, $10 for minors. Thanks for rocking Thanksgivings, gents.
Greg G's 'Gold Rush'
The video for his common-sense anthem "Wake Up" shows rapper, singer, songwriter and producer Greg G on the rooftops and the streets of New York City, and on the scene of Occupy Wall Street, wearing a San Antonio Missions baseball cap. G, aka Gregary Griffin, comes at rap and hip-hop not with a gangster approach but with a strong streak of spirituality and what the original reggae masters described as consciousness.
The charismatic and committed G on Saturday from 7-10 p.m. will celebrate the release of his "Gold Rush" CD, which includes "Wake Up" and the hip-hop/cumbia "San Antonio," recorded with Luna Tropical and Kyle Lee, at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, 76 NE Loop 410. Miss Neka will play host. DJ King Mike will spin hip-hop and R&B between sets. "Gold Rush" will be for sale for $10, but Greg G also is offering free downloads. Pay attention to Greg G. He has something positive to say and is good at doing so.
Promoters Deadbeat Hero, Drunkenmonkey Promotions S.A. and their collaborators are at it again, staging an interesting, inventive show that brings together rock, DJ action and visual art.
"Mesh," set for Saturday at Limelight, will feature the alt, etc. rock of Yes, Inferno and DanceLikeRobots, DJ Daecos Omoxi and screen printing artists from San Antonio and Austin. Patrons can buy freshly printed T-shirts for $10, or bring along a new (emphasis on new) blank T-shirt and get it printed for a discount. Think Christmas presents done while you rock.
Jim Beal Jr.'s Night Lights covers the local music scene. He also plays bass in the local band Miss Neesie & the Ear Food Orchestra. Send email to firstname.lastname@example.com. Beal is the host of the "Third Coast Music Network" show from 3-7 p.m. Thursday on KSYM, 90.1 FM. Check the Music Beat blog at mysa.com @jimbealjr on Twitter.


text: My name is Bernice. I was adopted from Pets Without Parents in Columbus Ohio. I enjoy finding sticks and tugging on ropes. I also like to chew up books, socks, and anything else that I might find. I like to hang around with my bestest friends in the whole wide world, Frisky Fred and Alice.Add to Favorites


text: On Thu, Jul 13, 2006 at 09:21:01PM +0200, Maxime ROBACHE wrote: > Hello ! > > I wrote a little sudoku solver in C with Xlib, and I debianized it. > So, I'm looking for a sponsor to upload it on official repository. > > package and source can be found at : > http://candide.homeunix.com/xsudoku/ Could you compare with existing packages, including: |gnudoku - A program for creating and solving SuDoku puzzles |ksudoku - sudoku puzzle generator/solver Any information would be a good candidate for inclusion in the long description. Thanks Justin


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Speaking with ESPN.com (and it's hockey, so whether or not they were listening is up for debate), Brian Burke suggested Wednesday – and for the first time publicly, I believe – that the Leafs are prepared to enter the 2012-2013 lockout season with a goaltending tandem of James Reimer and Ben Scrivens if the price of upgrading the position doesn't make sense. According to Pierre LeBrun, Burke's faith in James Reimer as a potential frontline NHL goaltender remains unchanged by the events of this past season. Though Burke doesn't address Scrivens' eligibility directly, we're left to believe Ben's impressive Calder Cup playoff run with the Marlies has more than convinced the Leafs' brass he's ready for the challenge of an extended NHL look.
As far as prudent rebuilds are concerned, a Reimer-Scrivens tandem may be the best thing to do. Unfortunately, the deafening sound of 91% of you disagreeing with that may well be what prevents it from happening. (Links after the jump).
Prudent, I guess, would be the key word there. Don't get me wrong, the upgrading idea…well, it's hard to hate. I'm not really arguing against it, so much as pointing out that the reasons for doing it may be misplaced. It really comes down to what stage in the 'contention lifecycle' this rebuilding Leaf team is.
Test case: Luongo vs. LuongNo.
We are an instantly improved team with a Luongo/Reimer platoon. Lou is still in the relatively prime-ish phase of his career, an evaluation he backs up with statistical consistency. He will be one of the top goaltenders selected for many-a-fantasy team this September. He's won an Olympic Gold medal for his country. He's been to the Stanley Cup finals, though maligned – I guess – for not singlehandedly winning the trophy for his barely-showed-up-for-Game-7 skaters?
Luongo's an established goaltending star that would play 4-5 years of decent-to-great hockey for Toronto before retiring and nullifying his hilarious albatross of a contract. And his acquisition would quiet the masses demanding the proven and consistent netminding required to satisfy their immediate playoff desires.
The positives are easy. But beyond the money, no one talks about the negatives.
A Luongo-Reimer tandem essentially forces Ben Scrivens from the organization, due to his loss of waiver exemption for the upcoming season – meaning he can't be moved freely between the NHL/AHL clubs without being exposed to potential claims by other teams. Reimer in a backup role also limits the number of appearances you want your 'goaltender of the future' to be seeing at this crucially formative age. And if Reimer somehow does break out and re-establish himself as a bonafide starter ready for the spotlight, we've only adopted the very problem from which Vancouver is desperately – and with zero leverage, mind you – trying to wriggle away from.
But to me, this is not about Luongo vs. LuongNo. The real question? Is what Luongo would give us in the form of (potential) short term playoffless-relief worth compromising the rebuild model, and what is driving that decision?
"Making the playoffs" is, in my opinion, a completely arbitrary and very out-of-context metric by which the success of a rebuilding team can be measured – especially during the early years of the process. I won't call it totally irrelevant, because it's a useful barometer of improvement in certain areas and the experience is a worthwhile one for young players.
But my beliefs don't matter, because public sentiment may be about to override the hockey logic.
What happened this past season – and Burke can divert blame all he wants, but the 2011-2012 failure began solely on the shoulders of subpar (albeit youthful) goaltending – was a public relations disaster. Goodwill for the Leafs' approach of youth and patience for mistakes evaporated almost completely. Had the Leafs fought valiantly all season and missed the playoffs on a lack of overall merit, I daresay the fans would have reacted with less vitriol than they did. Sniffing the promised postseason land as late as mid-February only to have it whisked away as fast as the team could possibly plummet down the standings was, for this rebuild in this market, a memory we can file under worst case scenarios.
The goaltending was unequivocally bad, and the fans demand better. What happened then cannot happen again. Some suggest Burke's job security depends on a playoff appearance, and a lack of one condemns his tenure as a failure.
Ridiculous. Disappointingly slow, maybe. But a failure?
The prudence I mentioned earlier refers to the fact that the Leafs have two promising young netminders in Reimer and Scrivens, and not enough of a sample on either one to know – reliably – who their future is. Were the Leafs on the doorstep of contention and needing to know now what the answer to that question was, I'd say, by all means – go go gadget Roberto. But they're not.
Really, they're not. We'll get excited in the next few weeks, and I'm sure Brian will make at least one transaction that forces me to second guess my own post. But, at the end of the day, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not yet even close to Cup contention and simply aren't under pressure to rush a goaltending decision that could greatly benefit from an extended look.
If the Leafs believe James Reimer is a guaranteed #1 NHL goaltender and that Luongo can help a non-Cup team at least grab some playoff runs in advance of true contention (and, if he's still playing, maybe even in a deep run or two in a few years' time), then by all means, they should acquire him.
But that decision holds hidden consequences for the organization's longterm health if they're wrong, and it cannot – cannot – be purely a reactionary measure to public sentiment. Maybe the public's right. But if Burke and his team go that way, it needs to be because their own opinions, scouts, and research support the approach.
Thursday Morning Links!
-The NHL Awards were last night. What I saw was flashy and painfully unfunny. And Lundqvist dropped an F-bomb! It was largely Leaf-unrelated, except for Jake Gardiner making the All-Rookie team. He seems good.
–Related to the above, Ben Scrivens apparently saw a double rainbow – so I guess no matter what happens, 'eternal wealth and happiness' (according to a Google search) are coming his way.
-Chris Johnston offers a summary of Burke's post-BOG meeting scrum yesterday, in which the Leafs' GM concedes that the player they presumably will draft at #5 probably won't help the team immediately.
-The Columbus Blue Jackets have named Craig Hartsburg an associate coach, and are taking on formerly-of-the-Leafs-bench Keith Action as an assistant, too.
-Ian Mendes grabs a front row seat – alongside me – on the "DGB is awesome, let's imitate him!" train, and provided the Ottawa Citizen with a Viewers' Guide to the NHL Awards. Kinda redundant now, but also sorta funny enough that it's worth mentioning.
-Damien Cox believes Luongo-to-Toronto is the only logical conclusion, and I'd love to be able to tell him I agree and that I find his point well argued, but he's blocked me on Twitter and I legitimately cannot recall any potential reason why.
-With one single headline that will quickly be forgotten, the NHL's Board of Governors have approved the sale of MLSE to Bell and Rogers. We are the complete antithesis of the Phoenix Coyotes.
-"Is Ondrej Pavelec serious?" is both a) the title of this Ryan Lambert post via The Score and b) my opinion of the story itself.
-Via The Leafs Nation, Cam Charron breaks down Joe Colborne's season, and JP Nikota looks at the known options for Top 6 wingers Burke might potentially pursue, not that it's really a priority when you still lack someone studly to play between them.


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BHT is Produced Naturally in Phytoplankton
T I read about BHT in your magazine, and as a result, I'm using it along with certain amino acids. My results are really good, so I'm going to keep using your BHT Plus.
BOB, Columbia, CA
A Durk Pearson & Sandy Shaw have written (see
Life Extension News,™ Volume 12 No. 5, October 2009):
BHT, butylated hydroxytoluene, has been used for decades as a food antioxidant additive for preservative purposes (as well as a material for experimental studies of life extension in animals). Many people, however, stay away from anything containing BHT because of a concern about its synthetic nature. Recently, however, a group of researchers discovered that four freshwater phytoplankton, including a green alga and three cyanobacteria, produce BHT as an antioxidant:1 the researchers found that the quantity of cellular BHT displayed a positive correlation with the antioxidant activity of the tested species. The scientists suggested that "these species constitute a potential source for producing natural BHT." True, but a molecule of natural BHT is the same as a molecule of synthetic BHT, so it really doesn't matter who produced it, man or phytoplankton.


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It's the first day of spring and we finally have some beautiful spring weather! The sunshine and warmer temperatures lift my spirits and get me thinking about my yard.
As a result, I have been busy getting my yard ready for planting and doing several yard-related projects. We just finished getting a drip irrigation system installed in all of our beds and, oh boy, did we need that! I'm so hopeful that this new system will help keep more plants alive. I've lost so many during these past few years with the drought.
Hopefully, I'll be sharing some of my completed yard projects soon (they're still in progress)!
One "project" I'm working on is getting my front porch all spruced up. I want to get some new outdoor pillows, move a few things around and freshen a piece or two up with some paint. So I started doing a little playing with a mood board to help me get a vision. When I have lots of ideas in my head swirling around, it always helps me to put things together where I can see them.
Here's my spring front porch inspiration:
I am going for a more colorful look on the front porch this year.
I am loving this fabric from fabric.com
I think it's so fresh and colorful. It feels like summer just looking at it!
I also love these galvanized planters from Pottery Barn:
They add a casual, rustic charm I think.
The best part is, you can get this look for a lot cheaper than major retailer prices. I've seen buckets at the hardware store that would look just as cute for a fraction of the price.
I'm getting so anxious to get things moving outside, but the forecast still calls for some more chilly nights so I can't go all out yet.
In the meantime, I think I'll be ordering that cute fabric so I can sew a couple of pillows.
How about you? Are you planning for spring yet?


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Good Buys: Backgammon Sets
I know that eBay has been around for a very long time now and that it has reached unprecedented heights. However, I have not really been buying off eBay all that much. Well, I have bought the occasional video game or book here and there, but I haven't reached the point wherein I check eBay every day to see what I can buy. I do like browsing the site every now and then, though.
And today, I am glad that I did! I found several backgammon boards – sets actually – that I am seriously considering buying. They might be of interest to you as well.
Handmade Fantastic Turkish Backgammon Game Board
Check this one out at this link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150349723082. The Buy Now price is only $39.95. It is handmade and the tiles just look so beautiful! Measurement, with board closed:
• Width : 15 cm (~5.9 inches)
• Length : 30 cm (~11.8 inches)
• Height : 5.5 cm (~2.2 inches)
Vintage Deluxe Backgammon Attache Set in Box
This one's a little cheaper at $15.99, but that is only the starting bid. The attractive thing for me is the attaché, which has this vintage look. Inside is the boxed game with the dice and other peripherals. Owner says the box is a bit battered although the game is good. Check it out here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190312312422.
NEW Michael Graves Designer Wood Backgammon Game Set
This one's another beauty! Made of cherry-stained hardwood, it will really catch anyone's eye. It is brand new, factory sealed. Starting bid is $22.99. You can bid on it here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140324909272.
Happy bidding!
Now THIS is great gaming news! What do I do now?
1. Subsribe to Gaming Moments!
3. Bookmark this post on del.icio.us
About this Post
Posted on June 3, 2009 by plato | Filed Under Accessories, Backgammon
| Print This Article | 2 Comments on Good Buys: Backgammon Sets
2 Responses to "Good Buys: Backgammon Sets"
fmu1 on
June 27th, 2009 12:39 pm
There are 17 different models of backgammon boards from the same user. Some of them look really good and also there are some really expensive ones.
fmu1 on
June 27th, 2009 12:40 pm
And the below one is my favorite, it looks awesome.


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Observatories in Texas
Astronomical observatories in the state of Texas, listed by site or city, that feature telescopes used for astronomy research. Not all observatories may be open to the public.
- Name
- Site/City
- Eagle Eye Observatory
- Burnet
- George Observatory
- Needville
- McDonald Observatory
- Mt. Locke
- SFA Observatory
- Nacogdoches
- Texas A&M Observatory
- College Station
Find your inner astronomer. Your complete guide to amateur astronomy.


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Mark Moffett'79, Beloiter, explorer, and bug man extraordinaire, was on The Colbert Report on Thursday night discussing his latest work: a feature article in National Geographic on pollination. Appearing against a green screen that showed the two at insect size and surrounded by towering flowers, Moffett educated the Comedy Central host about the three-way exchange that is the pollination act. As Colbert put it, one plant's pollen is transferred to another plant via a "creature" (and in the case of Moffett's latest article, the work is mainly done by bees, but also moths, lemurs, lizards and others).
Colbert introduced "Dr. Bugs," as Moffett is known, as a "longtime friend of the show." The author, photographer, and explorer has appeared in the past to discuss his book "Adventures Among Ants," frogs, and other topics.
Watch all of the Report's Thursday program online to see the green screen put to even further use as a backdrop for a Jon Stewart-Jimmy Fallon-Colbert nightmare sequence and their attempts to secure a Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor.


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Council members considers larger-lot subdivisions
Published 1:28 pm, Wednesday, May 21, 2014
In a special City Council meeting on Wednesday, council members and a consulting firm hammered out the policy changes that are needed when it comes to building a community that the council desires for the long term.
Consulting firm Freese and Nichols presented to the council the idea that, in order to direct policy, the council should "begin with the end in mind." The questions the firm presented to the council are whether the current zoning districts are achieving the desired community outcome, and how should density be addressed in subdivisions.
The right direction, in the view of most of the council members, would be to lean toward subdivisions with larger lot sizes and less density than what is currently being built throughout the city.
"As we plan for the future, we want well-developed, quality neighborhoods, which might mean larger homes," Mayor Jerry Morales said.
Morales said after the council meeting that Midland's economy and housing market has led the way to dense subdivisions with small lots.
Council members and the Planning and Zoning Commission took notice when out-of-town homebuilders D.R. Horton and Betenbough Homes began building subdivisions with lots at or near the minimum 5,500 square feet and without alleys.
Freese and Nichols had a workshop with Planning and Zoning and City Council on April 8 to discuss whether alleys should continue to be a requirement for new subdivisions. Not having alleys allows developers to create more lots, resulting in a greater density.
It was determined at that meeting that alleys may become optional. And for developers that choose not to have alleys, a new zoning district may be formed that requires longer lot width but shorter lot depth.
The direction of having less dense and larger-lot subdivisions was not a uniform viewpoint of all council members. District 2 Councilman John Love III said during Wednesday's meeting that larger lots and less dense subdivisions wouldn't work in his district, which is on the south and east sides.
Morales said after the meeting that location, infrastructure and appropriate use in the area have to be considered if a developer wants to build a dense subdivision.
City Senior Planner Bob Baronti, ending the meeting, made those in attendance aware of the financial and social implications if a larger lot size becomes the new policy.
"There needs to be a good balance, and I don't see that balance," Baronti said. "You got talks about affordable housing. Well, it's not affordable to me, so how is it affordable to somebody who is making $10 an hour? And that's what makes communities and neighborhoods -- a mixture of everybody."
Multifamily density
The council and consulting firm also discussed apartment complex density, as several developers have been, with approval, building apartments that exceed the maximum 16-units-per-acre density.
Some of the options Freese and Nichols suggested to the council involved increasing the maximum density by two to six more units. Another option that appealed to the council members was to allow greater densities as an incentive in exchange for community goals such as public space or affordable units.
"We've been, on average, doing about 20 (units per acre)," Morales said. "But what worked for us, and what I've noticed being on council, is when you have 16 (units per acre) and they (developers) want to get to 20 or 21 (units per acre). Then you're able to use it as leverage to get additional amenities."
"Why can't you just require that?" asked Dan Sefko, a consultant with Freese and Nichols.


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Junior Mance Biography
Julian Clifford Mance, Jnr., 10 October 1928, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Taught piano by his father, a professional jazz musician, Mance was playing professionally long before he entered his teenage years. In the late 40s, still in his teens, he joined a band led by Gene Ammons and in 1950 worked with Lester Young. After military service, he gained a residency at a Chicago jazz club before becoming Dinah Washingtons accompanist. In the mid-60s, he played with Cannonball Adderley and Nat Adderley, whom he had first met in an army band, then joined Dizzy Gillespie. By the early 60s, Mance had decided on a career as leader and from then onwards worked clubs throughout the USA. Although primarily known for his work in bop and post-bop groups, Mances playing reveals echoes of his fathers early instruction, which drew heavily upon the blues piano tradition. A gifted player with a fluent technique and subtle touch, Mances reputation worldwide is somewhat less than his talent deserves. The lack of attention was thoroughly redressed in the late 90s and in the new millennium, owing to highly successful world tours and jazz cruises backed by bass player Keith Betts and drummer Jackie Williams, together with the release of recordings from some of these events.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.


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WINNIPEG: Officials of the Manitoba Entertainment Complex, the group seeking to build a new arena in Winnipeg, will attempt today to persuade Winnipeg hockey fans to purchase seats in the new building. MEC needs commitments for 1,500 club seats and 40 luxury suites by the end of November in order to keep the project on course for a construction start next summer. Privileges for suite-holders will be extensive. For $55,000 to $85,000 annually, and the one-time $40,000 builders fee, a suite-holder will enjoy the use of a separate club concourse, private restaurant, special parking, all-day, all-event availability and concierge service. It will cost club-seat holders between $2,000 and $5,000 for the one-time builder's fee and the per-year premium is between $800 and $1,000, depending on location. Hockey tickets for the Jets will be extra, but the club seat also guarantees the availability of a chair for every arena event for which the seat owner wishes to purchase tickets (Don Campbell, WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/22). CALGARY: The Flames are offering 1,500 fans with the opportunity to purchase club seats in the renovated Olympic Saddledome. By purchasing a club seat, an individual will be provided the privilege of obtaining tickets to any event at the Saddledome. The privilege won't affect shows until the arena reopens after extensive renovations in mid-October, 1995. While the official price for a club seat has yet to be released, Flames Seating Director Bob White said that the seats would cost between $2,925 and $3,375 for the 45-game season (Alison Mayes, CALGARY HERALD, 10/21). EDMONTON: Edmonton Eskimos GM Hugh Campbell said that the team may be forced to shut down their operation if they can't get more money out of Commonwealth Stadium. Campbell said after four straight money-losing seasons, the team will fold without new revenue sources. City Council decides tomorrow whether to further pursue the ideal of an Eskimo-operated stadium (Mike Sadava, EDMONTON JOURNAL, 10/22).
Facilities Venues
SMU AD Bill Lively said that the university has made significant progress toward finding a new football stadium for 1995. The university is committed to moving to either the Cotton Bowl in Dallas or Texas Stadium in Irving (FORT WORTH STAR- TELEGRAM, 10/21)....San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan has promised to spend $26M on improvements at Candlestick Park if NFL owners vote to play the Super Bowl there in 1999. Jim Lazerus, director of special projects for the mayor, said that the mayor is considering renaming the stadium with a sponsor's name (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/21)....The Hussey Seating Co. has begun the installation of 50,000 seats in the new Coors Stadium (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 10/22)....A $2.5M conversion to condominiums of a office building is planned for a site near the north side of the new Gund Arena (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 10/23).
The TX Comptroller's office is reviewing whether contractors for The Ballpark at Arlington owe sales taxes on construction materials used to build the stadium. The tax, which would have to be paid by the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority and could amount to "several million dollars," is in question because of a conflict between two pieces of legislation on the tax-exempt status." TX tax law does not allow tax exemptions when a government entity, in this case the "quasi- public" sports authority, leases or sells a project to private interests such as the Rangers. But a law passed in '91 "may have overridden the language in the tax code," according to Greg Hartman, a spokesperson for Comptroller John Sharp (Wayne Slater, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/21). The '91 amendment was "passed specifically for" the Ballpark project but does not "specifically address" a sales tax. The sports authority says it does not have the money to pay the taxes if the comptroller decides they are necessary. The law does not allow the sports authority's debt to exceed the $135M taxpayer contribution. The Rangers must pay "any obligations beyond" this amount (Ken Dilanian, FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM, 10/21). The tax has become an issue in the Governor's race between Rangers Partner George W. Bush and Ann Richards (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/22).


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Susan - posted on 04/25/2012 ( 61 moms have responded )
He has 6-7 weeks left to finish 10th grade & alot of make-up work. Counselor says he only needs to go one more year & he will have enough credits tograduate. Son is refusing to finish. Please, help any suggestions appreciated...I refuse to "sign him out".
I am a widow & have two daughters who quit early. This is my last child in school & I feel like such a failure. I'm also a Widow. So single parenting has been no picnic as I'm sure many of you know. He lost his Dad when he was seven, I guess that may seem irrelevant here. But was just thinking, my dad passed away this past February, 2012, which seems to be when he started missing more time from school. Coincidence, not sure. I feel like I am sinking quick. Please input anyone?
- Helpful (1)
- Nice (2)
- Funny
- Encouraging
- Hugs


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In Acrobat 5, this user would control the background and text colors by setting them in the Accessibility Preferences panel. And Acrobat has always supported magnification of the entire page, just not the text separately from the rest of the contents. If the PDF file has been marked up appropriately for accessibility (that is, it is a Tagged PDF), the user will also be able to reflow the contents of the page, making it much easier to read at large magnfications. These are features of the Acrobat 5 User Agent, of course, which gets us back to the problems of backwards compatability. Loretta > OK- good point. Another example is that PDFs are not manipulable (for > want of a better term). Someone with vision impairment that browses in > point 34 font and white text on a black background will find the PDF > inaccessible.Received on Monday, 18 March 2002 13:32:50 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 16 January 2018 15:33:40 UTC


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Favorite Places: Fort Worth Modern Art Museum
This weekend we had a very rare opportunity to visit a museum sans kids, so we headed downtown to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. I think I enjoyed the building just as much as the art. Here are a few scenes from our visit:


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Cappiello lands $103,000 job with GOP
Published 1:00 am, Thursday, January 22, 2009
Officials confirmed Thursday that Cappiello has been hired as the senior policy adviser for the state's
Senate Republican Caucus
, with an annual salary of $103,000.
Senate Minority Leader
John McKinney
, R-Fairfield, whose district includes Newtown, said Cappiello started the new full-time position when the legislative session began earlier this month.
Cappiello represented Danbury in the state Senate for the last decade but decided not to run for re-election last year during his bid for the 5th District seat in the
U.S. House of Representatives
held by
Democrat Chris Murphy
McKinney said Cappiello's experience in the
General Assembly
, especially his time as a ranking member of the
Appropriations Committee
, made him a natural fit for the policy adviser job.
"David has a tremendous amount of experience and probably knows the budget better than most other people in the Capitol," McKinney said. "That experience is especially important now as we face the largest budget deficit in history."
The minority leader added that Cappiello represented the Senate Republican Caucus during past budget negotiations and spearheaded creation of the no-tax-increase budget proposal the caucus presented two years ago.
Cappiello said he received offers from the private sector after losing his bid for Congress -- one of which would have paid more than the position he accepted -- but it was important for him to continue his public service.
"I care so deeply about the future of our city and our state that to be given this opportunity to help the caucus and state work on some serious budget issues is a real honor," Cappiello said.
"I've been incredibly fortunate to serve the people of Danbury for the last 15 years on a number of levels, and I am one of those people who believe public service is an honor and a privilege."
He added that the new position also allows him to spend more time with his wife and two young sons, something he missed dearly while working nights and weekends during the campaign last year.
Deputy House Speaker
Robert Godfrey
, D-Danbury, said it makes sense for the GOP to hire Cappiello as a policy adviser, given his experience in the legislature.
"It's not a cushy job by any means," Godfrey said, adding that all the caucuses in the General Assembly employ policy advisers. "It's a job that will still require some long hours. It's not for the faint of heart or weak of body."
Godfrey said many former lawmakers have received staff positions because their experience is invaluable to the process. "You don't want someone learning on the job in this business."
He said Cappiello's situation differs from former House Speaker
James Amann
being offered a six-figure salary to serve as his successor's adviser this week, a position he declined.
Amann, a Democrat, plans to run for governor, McKinney said.
"One of the first questions I asked Cappiello when we offered him the job is if he planned on running in 2010. He said no."
McKinney added that his caucus has an annual budget of approximately $2.4 million to pay for staff and other expenses. This year, however, it plans to spend less than it did the past few years.
"We are examining every dollar," he said. "We are looking to return at least 5 percent of our budget (to the state), and we are doing things internally to see if we can return even more than that."
Contact Dirk Perrefort
at firstname.lastname@example.com
or at (203) 731-3358.
David Cappiello's political career
n 1993-94: Danbury Common Council member.
n 1995-99: state representative.
n 1999-2009: state senator.
n Today: senior policy adviser for the state Senate Republican Caucus.


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A Salina man is arrested after officers forced a door open at a home to end a domestic dispute.
Police Captain Mike Sweeney tells KSAL News that officers responded to a home in the 600 block of N.12th Street on Thursday afternoon just before 1pm to the report of a man threatening two occupants inside with a handgun.
Police say 55-year-old Franklin Price was blocking the door when they arrived and would not allow officers to come in.
He allegedly had entered the home uninvited and pointed a BB-gun at a 46-year-old female and a 24-year-old male.
A short time later police broke through the door, found the air gun and arrested Price.
He's now facing charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault.


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There's nothing like Costco on a Saturday. The free samples could keep you going like a wind-up robot until at least dinnertime. But I don't stop there.
My friend's father recently asked me if I'd ever had a Costco hot dog–not one I bought there to make at home, but a concession stand hot dog. I told him I always see grandparents eating lunch there, but it had never occurred to me to actually stop and sit and eat in Costco. Who does that?
I do. I went to the concession stand, and it turns out that for $1.50 you get a more-than-quarter pound hotdog on a potato bun with a 20 ounces refillable soda. Legend has it that the price has been the same from sometime between 1965 and 1985. I tell my mom I'm taking her out, and I only have to put down less than $3.50 with tax. Not too shabby. The roll is steamed and warm, the hot dog is juicy but snappy and thick. It's seriously all the things a hot dog should be. And you can refill your soda for that price! The dogs come with sauerkraut (don't ask for extra; it's rationed!) or onions, but I don't like to adulterate perfection. Some deli mustard, and that big cup of seltzer. Who knew thrifty could be so delicious?
Available at Costco stores nationwide


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2008 BMW 3 Series - Consumer Review
Build Quality
Reliability Value
Build Quality
Reliability Value
After 3 years of ownership
By AD from LA on
Vehicle2008 BMW 3 Series 328i 2dr Coupe (3.0L 6cyl 6M)
ReviewI purchased this car in early 2008 and still look back every time I walk away from it. I have a white 328 coupe optioned with auto transmission, sports package, and ipod connections so it's pretty bare bones. Over the years I've received numerous comments and I think the design is classic BMW. I didn't test drive other competing cars and after renting the Benz, Lexus, and Infiniti I don't regret the purchase at all. The overall interior build quality, telepathic steering, excellent handling, and covered warranty/maintenance make this an excellent purchase. After almost three years, I've made a few visits to the dealer to fix interior trims (all covered by warranty), nothing mechanical.
Best FeaturesIpod, timeless exterior design, sports package rims, thick steering wheel, gray poplar wood interim trim, roomy back seat, rear folding backseat, maintenance/warranty for 4 yrs/50k miles, excellent interior build quality, dual climate control system
Worst FeaturesMake power seats and leather seating surfaces standard, get rid of the RFT tires in favor regular that would make the ride less harsh
Recommend (0) (0)
Are you the author of this review?Update Your Review
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Ever since the children got old enough to disagree, bedtime has been difficult. Somebody always wants different pajamas. Another wants to sleep with her older sister, while the first doesn't want the younger sister to sleep with her. There is the usual pleading for a book to be read (never mind if one was just read to them). And the whole thing ends with numerous cries for "a cup of water."
Now the reader may take this statement as a complaint on my part. It is not. I am only painting a picture, illustrating the details to lead into the story. After all, the children always end up in beds. The question is, whose, where, and when?
The girls all share beds, two and two. While #5 moves from his own bed into his oldest sister's bed. #6 is still caged in a crib until he gets moved to make room for #7. This tale follows #3.
#3 sleeps with #4, except when she's not. Not very long ago I found her when I was just about to leave for work. She was sleeping on the couch under a cushion. I'm unsure what drove her from her bed, however I am sure she did not have the frame of mind to get a blanket judging by the way she just crawled under the pillow. I almost did not see her.
The other night I went through the house turning off the lights before turning in myself. All the children were asleep in the boys' room and in the older girls' room. In the younger girls' room I found #3 wide awake and playing with her toy in a sleeping bag in the box full of their costumes. After I informed her that it was time for bed and I was about to turn off the light she responded with a simple "K, Dad," and began bailing toys out of the box. The toys came out, and kept coming, and made a nice little pile beside the box.
"O.K. it's time to get in bed and under the covers," I said.
"I know," she said as she pulled the sleeping bag up around her shoulders.
Suddenly I caught on. "Are you sleeping in the costume box?"
"Some time, some time Mom, she let me sleep in the costume box. Some time, she says it's O.K."
And like a good father, I let her sleep in the costume box. It was probably a softer bed anyway.


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It will be a good week for the trees in Tacoma's parks.
The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture will hold its 31st annual training conference in Tacoma Sunday through Thursday. The event will bring 500 tree experts to Tacoma to demonstrate their skills, including pruning, in the parks.
Metro Parks' urban forester, Kathy sutalo, will chair the conference, which has remarkable opportunities for the public to watch, learn and be astounded by daring aerial feats.
Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wright Park will host a spectacular tree-climbing competition. Agile arborists, who share DNA with squirrels, will compete in the speed climb, work climb, belayed speed climb, throw line and aerial rescue.
Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., they'll be at Point Defiance, near the Rose Garden demonstrating pruning techniques, how to remove a tree with a crane and how to rescue a worker from an aerial truck.
They'll hold sessions on mulching, local fungi, habitat trees and champion trees at The Lodge. Be warned that parking may be scarce.
The conference's final two days. at the Greater Tacoma convention and Trade Center will be all business and are not open to the public.


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The Center's mission is to transform lives, schools, and troubled neighborhoods, from the inside out. Current programs are the Violence-Free Zone youth violence reduction program and training and technical assistance for community/faith-based organizations.
Low-income individuals and neighborhood-based organizations should play a central role in the design and implementation of programs to address the problems of their communities.
An effective approach to societal problems must be driven by the same principles that function in the market economy, recognizing the importance of competition, entrepreneurship, cost efficiency, and an expectation of return on investment.
Value-generating and faith-based initiatives are uniquely qualified to address problems of poverty that are related to behavior and life choices.
Headquartered in Washington D.C., The Woodson Center is an innovative national nonprofit that helps community and faith-based organizations solve issues facing their communities.
Many initiatives put in place by the Woodson Center have had a national impact. Here are some examples:
Violence Free Zone project substantially cut youth violence in Washington, DC neighborhood, savings estimated at $13 million in public money.
Pioneered concept of resident management of public housing; laid groundwork for successful legislation and formation of national organization of resident managers.


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Its Super Bowl Sunday tomorrow, friends. The only game of the year where the pregame is roughly three times the length of the game and your wife shushes you so she can hear the commercials. It's the game that sells more beer than any other five games put together and you can bet on whether Beyonce will show cleavage during halftime.
This Super Bowl is unique to the Duck fan in that the combined rosters of the two teams show five who come from Oregon. Baltimore has three (Ed Dickson, Haloti Ngata, and Dennis Dixon). San Francisco has two (LaMichael James and Will Tukuafu). No Super Bowl has ever had a more profound Oregon influence. In fact, when the game is in the balance, it may come down to whether Haloti Ngata is laying on top of LaMichael James or whether he is watching him run downfield.
The fact that this game pits Harbaugh against Harbaugh has been mentioned a couple of times (!) but Duck fans can take comfort in the fact that Jim Harbaugh may be the only coach in America that dislikes Pete Carroll more than Mike Bellotti dislikes Pete Carroll.
Regardless of the outcome of the Super Bowl, Duck fans will agree on two things. An Oregon game is twice as exciting as ANY pro football game, and we can't wait for Wednesday's Letter of Intent Day.
Go Ducks and, for this week only, Go Niners.
Whoa! Where are all the articles? What happened to FishDuck.com? Learn more by clicking here!
Do your part and contribute to the new Oregon Football Repository at FishDuck.com that we will build with enough support. It will be a gift to all Oregon fans! Learn more by clicking here.


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Fernandez to replace Girard as Montpellier boss
Former Ligue 1 coach of the year Jean Fernandez is to take charge at Montpellier next season.
Published22 April 2013
"Jean Fernandez will succeed Rene Girard as coach as of July 1," the champions said on their website on Monday.
Montpellier added that the 59-year-old, who left struggling Nancy in January, would sign a two-year deal.
Last month Montpellier announced Girard, who led the club to their maiden league title in 2012, would be leaving at the end of the season after failing to agree a contract extension.
Fernandez, who has also had spells at Olympique Marseille and AJ Auxerre, was voted Ligue 1 coach of the year in 2010.


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That depends on what you mean by "code." But knowing how to make computers do things is a useful skill, and as Robert Hernandez notes, "It's not magic."
Should all librarians learn to code? As David Holmes of the PandoDaily pointed out when he asked whether journalists should learn to code, this isn't a yes-no question. "Learning code could mean anything from spending a few hours to get familiar with HTML [to] taking a full courseload of computer science classes at a university," he says. Being able to make computers do things is a skill you can take as far as you like: Some of us will become proficient programmers, and others will keep it basic. Those who aren't fluent in the latest computing language can still build blogs and infographics and online tutorials. And any information professional will benefit from knowing how to fix a bit of HTML web text and being able to talk about technical needs with the people who are the experts.
David Holmes was kind enough to allow me to adapt his flowchart on whether journalists should learn to code. Many thanks, David, for your generosity.
Source: Adapted with permission from a flowchart by David Holmes/PandoDaily.
"Flowchart: Should Journalists Learn to Code?" by David Holmes. PandoDaily, October 23, 2013.
Knight Digital Media Center (KDMC) technology tutorials. KDMC produces free digital media tutorials on subjects from website development to data visualization. While some tutorials focus on technology and journalism, most are general enough to be of use to anyone.
"Are You a Code-Curious Journalist? Here's a Quick Guide to Online Tutorials," by Matthew Gelfand. MediaShift IdeaLab, September 3, 2013.
Google Fusion Tables and IBM's ManyEyes are free online tools for gathering, visualizing, and sharing data.


text:
January 11th, 2018
When thinking about an organization's culture of health, you may find the following analogy useful.
Culture exerts a powerful influence on our thinking and behavior. But what is culture? Essentially, culture comprises influences from the physical environment along with social interactions and norms of expected behaviors. Workplace culture surrounds us so ubiquitously, we are often unaware of its influence—much like the proverbial water surrounding a fish.
Imagine swimming in a river. How strong is the current? How hard do you have to "swim" to be healthy? For employers observing the physical and social environment, how hard do people have to work to be healthy? The influence of culture is no more complicated than that.
Swimming: People maintain their habits with some constant effort, like bringing their own food or exercising on weekends.
Floating: Access to healthy food plus physical activity and positive social interactions encourage health and healthy choices.
Sinking: The social and physical environment actively impede people's efforts to be healthy.
How do you know if your culture is making people sink or helping them swim? Do managers encourage people to take lunch breaks? Are healthy food options accessible and affordable? Do people talk about health goals and offer suggestions or support? Or is it taboo to discuss anything but work at work?
A strong well-being initiative—if well designed—is a great practice to help people float. Offering many ways to engage (online activity tracking, easy-to-use apps, digital and live coaching, for example) helps ensure there is something for everyone. Cooperative challenges can bring out social support and help set new norms.
Watch out for riptides
Free food is akin to the rip current that can "suck us out to sea," off course from our goals. Free food is psychologically hard to resist and is often accompanied by social pressure. It can lead to an emotional downward spiral when a spike of insulin leads to inevitable afternoon energy crash.
The power of culture is that it can work against us and derail us from our goals, or support our efforts so that we almost float along, maintaining and improving our health.
The key to creating a culture of health is making it visible and incorporating social support. Here are some steps to improve the culture and help people float when it comes to health:
Check in with yourself
How is your week going? Are you swimming, floating or sinking? A week with travel, intense meetings, work demands and/or hectic schedules might have you underwater, when it comes to your health. Remember that all it takes is a few strokes—a salad here, a 10-minute power walk there, simple stretches before meetings, a gratefulness exercise—to get your swimming with the tide. Try a walking meeting with a co-worker, or simply a walking break. Make a point to keep the conversation positive. For example, ask what things are going well for them or what they are grateful for.
Keep calm and swim on!
To learn more about building a successful Culture of Health, and how RedBrick Health Culture Check can help, see our research here.
November 9th, 2017
Culture helps determine the performance of any organization. A supportive Culture of Health can be directly linked to productivity, safety and employee engagement.
While employers are exploring new ways to increase productivity and retain talent, employees are asking more of their employers than ever before. This has a significant impact on workplace culture. A supportive culture for health is vital to making employees feel valued and not just a means to the bottom line. The key is to create alignment around a healthy culture initiative throughout the organization. Otherwise, the initiative can seem insufficient and superficial. That alignment does not have to be perfect; people understand that it's a workplace, not Utopia. But being authentic and transparent about an intention to support employees makes a difference in creating and sustaining a healthy culture.
While there are multiple factors that can influence the success or failure of a Culture of Health, these are the most essential:
The leaders of any organization set the tone and expectations within the workplace. If leaders demonstrate healthy habits and visible support for well-being programs, it is more likely that the employees will do the same. Employee participation and engagement rates are closely related to leadership and management support of a well-being program within the workplace.
Supportive Workplace Policies
Policies that support healthy behaviors can help drive momentum by helping employees stay on track with their own health goals. When a Culture of Health is embedded in a workplace's policies, people are more likely to work healthy behaviors into their everyday lives.
Manager and Peer Support
Encouraging social health to promote healthy behavior is critical for creating a workplace Culture of Health. An environment in which managers support health and well-being, and co-workers are made to feel comfortable talking about their health journeys, can create a supportive and trustworthy Culture of Health.
Comprehensive Wellness Programs
Well-being is more than physical health. It encompasses mental health, emotional health, social health, financial health and more. A comprehensive well-being program addresses them all,
employing research-backed behavior change theory and smart incentive design to encourage meaningful, habit-forming changes.
Features in the Physical Environment
Examples of features in the workplace's physical environment that encourage healthy behaviors include a meditation room, walking paths, adjustable standing desks and healthier food in the employee cafeteria.
In addition, important aspects of a healthy workplace culture are often overlooked, such as employee trust in the organization, workplace stress and job security among employees. For example, employees may not participate in well-being initiatives in times of job insecurity, as they may not want to be seen with "extra time on their hands." By capturing information on underlying dynamics, these issues can also be addressed.
Even the best, most well-intentioned well-being programs will languish in an unsupportive culture. But a supportive, vital Culture of Health will pay immediate and ongoing dividends.
How has your organization created a successful Culture of Health? We'd love to hear from you. Write us at email@example.com and share your story.
January 30th, 2017
Part 2 of a 2-part series
In part 1 of our series, we began highlighting comments from our recently sponsored expert panel webinar, Financial Well-Being: What It Is and Why It Matters. The panelists discussed how financial well-being and health are connected, as well as how behavior finance is used to help people make better financial decisions. In this post, we'll summarize the panelists' discussion on getting and keeping people involved in taking steps toward positive financial decisions and how to get them excited.
How can employers get and keep people involved? There's incentivizing, but what else is out there?
Beyond incentives, the panelists explained that in order to see improvement and have repeat users, companies need to do more than educate. They need to present tools and resources in a way that will inspire people to take steps and stay involved because they want to. Making positive decisions is tied to people's motivations and behavior. Panelists see certain approaches as key:
"While at the end, we know that the 'what is in it for me' is better financial well-being—and hopefully less stress and overall well-being—in order to continue to improve and to continue to see some results and have those repeat users, it's important for folks to think about incentivizing and to think about recognition as well," shared Lauren Olson. "Recognition means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. That might mean getting an award in front of the entire company or an email to your boss saying that this person did a good job."
How do we get employees excited about making good financial decisions?
Getting people to care about their financial well-being is tied to getting them excited about the end result: what it looks like to them. They need to see where they are now and where they're headed. ". . . The reason it's hard for people is that it requires some short-term pain for a long-term goal. All of us struggle with that; it's just something about human nature," added Steve Blume.
The key is building peoples' belief in where they're headed and keeping them confident they will get there. Confidence can be bolstered by celebrating small wins along the way. And finally, it's essential to offer the tools in a way that appeals to people: modern, technology-tied and fun.
How can RedBrick help?
Eric Zimmerman explained that at RedBrick Health we approach financial well-being from a specific angle: engagement and behavior change. We offer purposeful Journeys that aim at specific problems tied to financial well-being. And while they're early returns, our own research suggests that this type of behavior intervention can work when you get people focused on doing the right things, in the right ways, with the right level of support. Eric explained that RedBrick Health is seeing 80 to 90% of participants self-reporting that they're making progress toward their financial well-being goals, and nearly half are reporting that they're meeting their goals. In addition to Journeys, RedBrick offers coaching by experts who have been trained to apply behavior-change methods to helping people improve their financial well-being.
You can access the webinar in its entirety here. You may also access the RedBrick Health research brief Financial Well-Being: Engaging Individuals for Sustainable Behavior Change here.
To learn more about how RedBrick Health can help you add financial well-being into your well-being program, email us at email@example.com or call us at 855-776-5515.
See part 1 here.
January 25th, 2017
Part 1 of a 2-part series
The holidays have come and gone, and many of your employees are now facing the reality of just how much the budget has been blown.
When employees are stressed about money, they aren't able to work as well, and that affects not only their productivity and job satisfaction, but your company's
overall performance. That's why financial well-being is an important part of a broader
employee engagement strategy.
RedBrick Health recently sponsored an expert panel webinar, Financial Well-Being: What It Is and Why It Matters, with:
Moderated by Eric Zimmerman, Chief Marketing Officer, RedBrick Health, the panelists offered their insights into financial well-being, and how companies can be involved in helping employees reduce financial stress. Here are some highlights from the panelists' discussion:
How are financial well-being and overall health connected? And to what extent are employers changing the way they think about their role as it relates to financial well-being?
The panel agreed that financial stress, as large a topic as it is, is a key component in overall health and well-being. "If overall health and wellness is the concern, then one of the three big rocks for all of us, as humans and employees, is our financial well-being. Financial well-being, physical well-being and mental well-being; it's very hard to separate those three things, particularly as financial stress becomes chronic," stated Steve Blume. Chronic financial stress can go hand in hand with physical problems and time away from work. Employers who understand this are striving to offer employees tools and resources to help them move forward in this part of their life. One way to do this is by breaking challenges down into steps as part of a larger action plan, like training for a marathon. Another is recognizing that small, everyday life decisions can add up to big, measureable or steady progress toward financial well-being.
Are personal financial habits similar to or different from other health habits such as nutrition, exercise or sleep?
"This is a habit conversation as much as it is anything," shared Ryan Geyer. "One of the things that both saving for retirement and overall physical wellness have in common is that they are both massive ideas that are very hard to touch and grasp. What you can do with both of them is tie them to daily micro-moment decisions." The panel agreed that the challenge is in getting people to take positive steps, one at a time. There are biases in financial decision-making, and understanding those biases—as well as increasing people's motivation—is an important part of the process. It's not enough that people know what they should do; there's a behavioral dimension that must be considered as well.
What is the emerging field of behavior finance, and how is it being used to help people make better decisions in their financial life?
Behavior finance is where economics and psychology meet. As companies try to help people take positive steps to move in the direction they want to go, they are trying to understand the underlying biases in people's decision-making. The panelists agreed that in order to help people take positive steps, they need to
In part 2 of our series, we'll take you through a few more of the webinar highlights including getting and keeping people involved in taking steps toward positive financial decisions and how to get them excited.
You can access the webinar in its entirety here. You may also access the RedBrick Health research brief Financial Well-Being: Engaging Individuals for Sustainable Behavior Change here.
To learn more about how RedBrick Health can help you add financial well-being into your well-being program, email us at firstname.lastname@example.com or call us at 855-776-5515.
Find part 2 here.
August 18th, 2016
It's hard to believe that a decade has passed since RedBrick Health was founded, with a singular vision: To help people be healthy.
Here, RedBrick founder Kurt Cegielski shares how the company got started, and the innovations, teamwork and unwavering focus that have brought the company into its tenth year.
First of all, congratulations on ten successful years. Tell us about how everything got started.
RedBrick Health was founded by a group of early Consumer-Driven Health Plan pioneers, which means we've been consumer-driven since the start. It was the early days of consumer-driven healthcare, and we were intent on helping consumers be more efficient shoppers with their healthcare spending. But over time we realized that there was a greater and more important need: to help people be healthy in the first place. And no one was doing a good job effectively addressing that.
So the idea behind RedBrick was to help people be healthy their entire lives. This mission was a continuation of the consumer-centric work we'd already started in prior companies, but with a broader and more profound impact, and a focus on the special role of the employer-employee relationship. And because most of us had already spent time in smaller companies, we understood how a small group of committed people working together can drive important changes.
The industry has changed a lot in the past ten years; what are the biggest shifts you've seen, and how has RedBrick evolved to meet them?
Yes, it has. Back then, "wellness," though not a new idea, was fairly uninspiring at the consumer experience level. And it was often disconnected from the larger discussion around the transformation of benefits. Now, the value of wellness/well-being as a more strategic element within employee benefits is better established, and we have far better tools to make programs successful. It has been very exciting to be part of that evolution, and to have pioneered innovations that have helped so many consumers in their health journeys.
And although many things have changed in the past ten years, I think the one thing that has been constant is the consumer focus. Consumers want choice, they want ease and convenience, and—most of all—they want results. So everything we've developed—and continue to develop—is based on creating efficient and effective consumer experiences. For example, recent research we conducted has helped us pinpoint exactly what works in our clients' best-performing programs, and we use that insight to create better experiences across our entire business.
That includes things like bringing everything together into one integrated platform, so that consumers have one place for all their well-being resources. It includes seamlessly blending human and digital interactions, because—as important as phones and mobile tools are—sometimes you need to talk with a person, too. And it includes continually studying and researching what works for our consumers to provide the best practices, tools and interactions that actually drive meaningful results.
Our focus on consumer research also gives us a very unique and valuable capability—to monitor what is not working. And if we ever find something that can be better, we definitely aren't afraid to completely reinvent it. One recent example: the old-fashioned coaching tools and techniques. They just aren't relevant or effective for a modern consumer. So we blew them up and have a new, high-value model that again, drives meaningful results.
We have invested heavily in data and analytics, especially over the past two years. Our clients need meaningful insights to demonstrate the value of their well-being initiatives. As we've seen the shift from ROI to VOI, we've expanded our capabilities to provide detailed metrics and analysis so again, our clients can continually expand and optimize their programs.
Over the past ten years, what factors have had the biggest impact in contributing to the company's growth and success?
I can say without hesitation that our people are the most important factor in our success. We have incredible teams, collaboration and a "do whatever it takes" commitment to our clients and our consumers.
As we discussed in the last question, we also have that core willingness and ability to grow and change and evolve. And as we've grown, we've maintained that flexibility and sensitivity to adapt to what our consumers and markets need.
Finally, I think one of the biggest factors—and this relates again to our strong people—is truly understanding what works. We understand behavior design and we understand user experience—deeply understand them. Our commitment to book-of-business research—and I'm talking millions of consumers—is uncommon in our industry. And we continually invest in it, so that when we say we know what works, we really do know what works.
So what's ahead? What are the most exciting things on your radar?
I'm really excited about how the notion of well-being continues to evolve and expand to include so many other factors that help consumers on their journey, such as financial well-being, specialty solutions to address higher acuity needs, and all the ways we can help clients achieve a stronger culture of health. Broad consumer choice positively impacts employee engagement, and ultimately helps us to address our clients' healthcare and productivity costs.
I'm excited about how we can continue to help our consumers by blending human and digital experiences in meaningful ways. I know that our ability to offer choice to our consumers without limiting them will continue to drive the results we all strive for.
And finally, just as when we started ten years ago, I'm excited about continuing to learn, grow, and build a successful company with fantastic people, teams and clients.
August 10th, 2016
By Ksenia Arie, Product Manager, RedBrick Health
When it comes to incentive plan design, we all want the same thing: help individuals be healthier, happier and more productive. At RedBrick Health, we see program participation increase when the design is easy to follow for individuals using choice architecture and providing enough options that are relevant to their personal interests and goals. If individuals feel that they are being forced into one modality with no choice, they feel put off by the program and do not participate.
We have also found that in a choice model, various intervention modalities are similarly effective at producing clinically meaningful change. For example, our data show that consumers' health metrics improve regardless of whether they use digital coaching, activity tracking or phone coaching.
Outcome-based rewards have been around for a long time; however, their popularity has risen significantly over the past several years as employers have begun shifting more financial accountability to consumers. After all, it seems intuitive: directly reward the health improvement you want to see in your population. But there may be an adverse effect: our research found that participation-based rewards worked equally well in producing biometric outcomes and we found evidence that outcome-based reward designs may depress participation, especially among those at elevated risk.
To avoid costly design mistakes, it is important to take a step back and make sure that your reward design is aligned with real evidence about what works, and that it doesn't inadvertently create the wrong experience for your participants. Our What the Best Do Better approach provides emerging evidence-based advice on what combination of configurable features can help lead to your designed outcome.
Through data research and analysis, we increasingly know what works and what doesn't when it comes to health and well-being program and reward design. We welcome learning from you too. What observations do you have on the relationship between reward design and program results?
June 28th, 2016
By Kristie Nelson-Neuhaus, Marketing Communications Account Manager, RedBrick Health
Do you have a 'set it and forget it' communication approach with your audience? If so, you might be settling—unnecessarily—for a lower level of health engagement.
Communication practices are a key driver in engaging individuals with their health. In this post, we're going to focus on three ways in which top-performing companies capture attention and sustain engagement through their communications—so let's take a look at how each plays out.
Email. Why does email make such a difference to your engagement strategy? Our research found that people who are reachable by email show 92% more engagement. Individuals interact immediately with email messages, clicking through to complete an action, such as a health assessment or activity tracking.
When you're designing your email communications, remember two simple tips:
Communication cadence. Establishing a consistent cadence not only helps your audience understand the basics of your program, but also builds familiarity with your well-being brand through content, images and design.
Top performing companies communicate an average of 12 times per year. This may seem like a lot, especially in companies where employees feel like they're flooded with messages. Three tips will help you navigate this issue.
And finally, mix it up. We recommend mixing the types of messages as well as the delivery methods to promote sustained engagement and support your well-being strategy.
In conclusion, take heart. You know your audience. You don't have to do everything perfectly—use your strengths in one area to overcome weaknesses in others. Be authentic, be consistent, be clear. If you practice these principles, you will see results.
June 20th, 2016
By Phil Hadden, vice president of business development, RedBrick Health
Cost, access to providers and convenience are major drivers for employers and consumers when selecting a health plan. You might have these questions in mind:
If you are limiting your wellness efforts to just hosting wellness-related content on your site, you may want to re-think that strategy. Based on the Pew Internet Project's research in 2014, 87% of U.S. adults use the internet and 72% of internet users say they they've looked online for health information in the past year. 77% of those online health seekers used search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo.[1] So there's a good chance that your members are not logging into your site to find health-related information.
Consumers have the desire and the interest to improve their health and well-being. A Gallop poll in 2013 found that 36% of adults describe themselves as overweight and 51% of adults said they want to lose weight.[2] A report from Canalys (an independent analyst group that follows the tech industry) reported that in the first quarter of 2014 a total of 2.7 million activity tracking wearable devices were shipped worldwide.[3]
Providing a solution that supports your members in their journey to better health gives you the opportunity to take advantage of this heightened interest in personal health. Achieving meaningful health engagement requires a solution that incorporates proven principles of behavioral science, a highly personalized engagement experience and the triggers that can keep members engaged and help them adopt healthier habits. Each member's path to better health will be different and so you'll need to incorporate the power of choice to ensure they are committed to their goals. A flexible solution with options for web, mobile, device integration and onsite services is also key. Improve your well-being solution with personalized, easy to follow small steps to better health, fun to use tools, expert support, rewards and all the encouragement they need to reach their well-being goals.
Our data driven strategies are proven to help your plan achieve market-leading engagement. To truly make your solution stand out you'll need a multi-modal communications campaign, research backed strategies and proven incentive designs. RedBrick Health can help you keep your members meaningfully engaged over time and achieve a successful culture of health.
Contact us to find out how we can help you deliver a compelling and truly differentiated approach to member well-being for your brand.
[1] Pew Research Center. Health Fact Sheet. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/health-fact-sheet/
[2] Brown, A. (November 29, 2013). American's Desire to Shed Pounds Outweighs Effort. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/166082/americans-desire-shed-pounds-outweighs-effort.aspx
[3] Canalys. Fitbit accounted for nearly half of global wearable band shipments in Q1 2014. Retrieved from http://www.canalys.com/newsroom/fitbit-accounted-nearly-half-global-wearable-band-shipments-q1-2014
May 31st, 2016
By Eric Zimmerman, Chief Marketing Officer, RedBrick Health
Commitment to any health improvement is amplified when that commitment happens through an active choice. The principle of "choice architecture" suggests that the combination of guidance and choice works best. In other words, when people have the power to choose how and when they want to engage—as well as the focus on that engagement—the result is stronger engagement and better results.
Data help, too. You can use data to offer consumers the most relevant options, emphasizing things that work for "people like me." But it's choice that seems to matter most.
In fact, among those with significant health risks—prediabetics, those with a BMI over 30, individuals with elevated cardiovascular risk factors—our research found that it didn't matter how a person engaged, as long as they engaged. For example, some chose to work in a digital coaching format we call RedBrick Journeys®. Others worked with a "live person"—a well-being guide who offers coaching, guidance and support. Some chose to track their physical activity using a wearable device. All participants improved their health in clinically meaningful ways, at surprisingly comparable rates.
Sometimes we think we know what's best for people. For example, the conventional wisdom says people with chronic conditions need to be enrolled in a disease management program. However, our data show that—given the choice—80% of those with a chronic condition choose to work on a "lifestyle" topic. And by letting them do so, we have engaged substantially more individuals than wellness companies that fail to offer choice.
As it turns out, choice matters. It intensifies commitment and engagement. And it works.
This post is part of the blog series of What the Best Do Better, our most recent study on health engagement. Stay tuned and you'll gain knowledge on what top-performing organizations are doing differently through successful program design patterns.
Find our first post in the series "What drives meaningful engagement? We set out to find out" here.


text:
Molecular Devices, Inc. Introduces ScreenWorks Peak Pro Software Enabling High Throughput Cardiotoxicity Screening
Published: Feb 14, 2012
ScreenWorks Peak Pro analysis module allows easy access to measurement of cardiomyocyte beat rate, as well as temporal characteristics of peaks including rise, decrease, and amplitude. These features are important for researchers to better understand in vitro cardiomyocyte function and the impact of toxic compounds that induce cardiac abnormalities. With ScreenWorks Peak Pro, the FLIPR Tetra System offers the potential to perform safety testing such as cardiotoxicity early in the drug discovery pipeline, thereby allowing researchers to fail toxic compounds sooner, and prioritize the most promising leads to take forward.
The system allows users to estimate efficacy and dosing of a drug candidate prior to progression into clinical studies. Both SAR and medicinal chemistry studies can be directed on a larger scale, when compared to more labor intensive traditional assay methods. The software enables increased throughput and cuts time to results by rapidly delivering advanced and simplified data analysis for multiple parameters in less than five minutes.
The ScreenWorks Peak Pro analysis module, when used with the FLIPR Tetra System and the FLIPR Calcium 5 Assay Kit, provides a robust, high throughput screening method for changes in intracellular calcium associated with cardiomyocyte contractions. Integrated fluidics enables simultaneous evaluation of up to 1536 wells in less than two minutes, and therefore gives users the ability to determine the immediate impact of compounds on cells. This method may be used with both primary and stem-cell derived, human and mouse cardiomyocytes.
"Scientists would previously have to manually count cardiomyocyte cell beats, or export the data to third party software, which was either costly or provided minimal analysis," said Debra Gallant, Product Manager, Molecular Devices. "This module offers a real advantage to scientists investigating cellular responses, giving rapid, easy analysis and the ability to reject unsuitable or cardiotoxic compounds at an early stage."
About Molecular Devices, LLC
Molecular Devices is one of the world's leading providers of high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems, software and consumables for life science research, pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic development. Included within a broad product portfolio are platforms for high-throughput screening, genomic and cellular analysis, colony selection and microplate detection. These leading-edge products enable scientists to improve productivity and effectiveness, ultimately accelerating research and the discovery of new therapeutics
Molecular Devices is committed to the continual development of innovative solutions for life science applications. The Company is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices around the globe.
For more information about the complete product portfolio, visit www.moleculardevices.com
Molecular Devices, the Molecular Devices logo, and all other trademarks are the property of Molecular Devices, LLC
Media Contacts:
Jennifer McKie
Molecular Devices
Tel: +1 408 747 1700
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Katie Odgaard
Zyme Communications
Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 947
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com