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Sorry I'm so flaky on posting. I doubt I have any "regular" readers, so I doubt anyone actually missed my entries, but I apologize nonetheless. I have made some career plans recently that may be taking me in a totally different direction than I thought I'd go for a LONG time.
First, a little background. If you know me in person or have followed me on social media or this blog for a long time you'll know that I'm currently serving as a linguist in the US Air Force (USAF). Technically the name for my job is "Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst" but that's a mouthful. Linguist is simpler ... though technically incorrect as I'm not really a student of language as the term "linguist" means. Regardless, I digress. I've been an enlisted military linguist for going on eleven and a half years at the time of this writing. I've often joked that I would have signed a twenty-year contract when I first enlisted. At the time I was certain that I wanted to be a linguist and that I wanted to retire from the military. However, I've recently completely changed my mind. I've thought about this before. I've looked into various commissioned officer programs. I first tried to just get my bachelor's degree so I could apply for Officer Training School. When deploying to the Middle East derailed my educational goals, I sought for another option. I tried to get in an application for the Airman Education and Commissioning Program (AECP) (formerly called the "bootstrap" program). This route to commissioning, at first, wasn't available to me. I am a Korean linguist and as such the AECP wasn't open to me. Chinese was on the language degree lists when I first looked into the AECP, but it wasn't until I was nearing the age cutoff that Korean was added to the list. I never completed my application because the bureaucratic nonsense that is commissioning programs got in the way, and I passed the age waiver (sort of, I deployed and moved overseas, both of which interfered). About that time I gave up on my dreams of commissioning. Though I looked into other programs (the nursing program and chaplaincy program both came up), I didn't think I could make all the requirements for them.
However, three major things just recently changed my mind. First off, my position at my unit has steadily and inexorably gotten worse and worse. I feel like I have been passed over for multiple positions. I've sort of been shafted by being placed in (and somewhat in charge of) one of the toughest offices in the unit. These things and some others have really struck me hard because I'm a very hard worker. I think nothing of staying late, working weekends and holidays, and I intentionally shield my subordinates from the most trying parts of the job. I work in the scheduling office (over the last year) and as just an example, this past Christmas I worked my tail off. I went in on Christmas eve, Christmas day, the day after, and the day after that. We were supposed to get a four-day weekend (Monday and Tuesday were "down days," basically free leave days for holidays). So, on a four-day weekend for the holiday, I worked every day. Now, I didn't go in all day each day. I went in only a couple hours on Christmas eve, about five hours on Christmas day and only a couple hours the two following days. Regardless, I didn't get a holiday at all really. I had to go in and make multiple phone calls for schedule changes all weekend. I did this voluntarily because I didn't want my subordinates to lose their holiday. Basically, I'm saying I work my butt off, but it doesn't matter, I've been passed over for upgraded positions and marked down on my performance report. One quick addendum since I first wrote this piece. I have just recently been selected for an upgrade position. I start training this year in August. Though I've asked for this upgrade, I doubt very much that this change in position will effect my career plans in any way.
Secondly, my good friend recently punched his ticket and went for this. His daring willingness to serve God has inspired me. He got out, he had served as an enlisted member for about twelve years (I'll be at about fourteen when I reach the end of my enlistment), and he got out and is now attending Liberty University Seminary full-time. He plans on finishing his M.Div. degree and applying for chaplaincy in the USAF. I want to follow his footsteps (though I'm thinking of going to Denver Seminary).
Thirdly, and this one is the oddest one, I ran into a vociferous liberal chaplain. He spoke of being proud that he was the only (military) chaplain on Okinawa that would perform same-sex marriage ceremonies or counsel same-sex couples on marital issues. Two things in our conversation really spurred me on to this career change. One is that Bible-believing chaplains need to be strong in the military if only to respond to people like that liberal chaplain I met. Not unlike CS Lewis' comments about philosophy: "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered." I feel that one can substitute "chaplains" for "philosophy." Secondly, and this was huge(!), I found out that one can complete one's ministry experience preparation simultaneously with one's seminary attendance. One of the most important prerequisites for becoming a military chaplain is two years of practical ministry experience. When I first looked into military chaplaincy I considered the way closed to me because I didn't think I would be able to support my family while getting that experience. I was worried that if I tried to become a chaplain I'd have to find some way to support my family for about four years without a job (two in seminary and two getting ministry experience). Armed with this knowledge I now know I only have to do two years "unemployed" or "minimally employed" while getting the requisite credentials.
So, here's the plan ... I'm planning on finishing out my current enlistment (separation date: Aug 2020). Immediately upon separating I'm planning on enrolling in seminary (where is still up in the air). While in seminary I'm going to seek part-time ministry at a church. As soon as I finish my M.Div. degree and have the requisite two years of ministry experience I am planning on getting ordained (sponsored) and rejoin the USAF as a chaplain. From the time I rejoin, I will only have to serve about six years and I'll be eligible for retirement from the military, and I plan on doing so. After that, I'm not sure. Maybe working as a chaplain will fit me so well that I keep going until the military kicks me out for being too old ... I don't know. I've been told by several people that I'd make a good chaplain. And, based on some of the above description of what's going on with my current job, I'm immensely more excited about a career as a chaplain than I've been about being a linguist since when I was in language school.
Is this God's will for my life? Well, I'm not certain. I think so, and as I said I've been encouraged by multiple people that it is. However, my wife has proposed a kind of fleece (as the story of Gideon setting out the fleece to test God's will/message). Basically, it goes like this. IF at the end of this overseas assignment (March 2019) I get an assignment to the language institute in Monterey, CA (DLI), I'll take that as God's saying, "stay where you are." I've wanted to teach at DLI since I attended from 2006-2008. If God wants me to stay a linguist, He'll open up that path for me to continue in this job. If I get the assignment to teach at DLI, I'll, more than likely, stay as an enlisted military linguist until 2026 when I retire. Again, after that, I have no idea what I want to do. That's too far in the future to really make plans. Given all this I think "chaplain Sam" or "chaplain Ronicker" has a good ring to it, doesn't it? We'll see.
My thoughts on philosophy, language learning, photography, theology, and life in general. All are welcome! I hope my random ramblings can somehow improve your life. I'm really only writing for my own benefit, as a journal of sorts. Hope you enjoy.
Showing posts with label ministry calling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry calling. Show all posts
Sunday, April 9, 2017
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By Draughtsman, Lee Stevens
On a glorious sunny morning the 'Reid Golfers' embarked on a cross country adventure to get to Test Valley Golf Course, Overton in rural 'Ampshire!
It hadn't meant to be cross country jaunt, but due to an oil spill on the motorway the and being stuck in a traffic jam for 25 minutes we decided to take the scenic route through the very narrow country lanes. We arrived safely and just about in time for the 'meet and greet' and 'tee off times'.
HMG Coatings, one of our paint suppliers kindly asked REIDsteel if they could send a 'crack team' of golfers to their inaugural golf day to thank us for our custom. Unfortunately, the 'crack team' wasn't available so Draughtsmen; Lee Stevens, Steve Roberts and and Structural Engineers; Richard Callaghan, James Spencer took up the challenge…
On an extremely challenging course the team had mixed fortunes, Lee had managed to purchase some 'right handed' golf balls (his words) and spent a great deal of the day exploring the wildlife in the rough, Richard had possibly been supplied 'left handed' ones and had similar fortunes. Steve and James did us proud with very respectable scores and Steve in particular played his best ever round of golf which included 5 pars in a row to shouts of 'Bandit' from Lee.
At the 19th hole a fine carvery was served with a couple of refreshing pints. The trophies were presented and unfortunately this time we came home empty handed, but we all had a fine days golf and thank our hosts HMG Coatings for a very well organised day.

subset: commoncrawl


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What is the treatment process?
Invisalign treatment starts with a consultation with an Invisalign-trained doctor. Your doctor will evaluate your smile and then map out a precise, customized digital treatment plan that showcases the step-by-step transformation of your smile. once you approve your plan, your unique aligners will be created. you will wear each set of aligners for 20 to 22 hours a day, changing to a new set of aligners every 1 to 2 weeks, as directed by your doctor. each set of aligners will gently and gradually shift your teeth into place, according to your treatment plan, until you reach your beautiful new smile.
How long does Invisalign treatment take?
depending on the complexity of your case, you could complete your treatment in as little as 6 months. but you'll start seeing results in a matter of weeks.
What are Invisalign clear aligners made of and what do they look like?
Invisalign clear aligners are made of flexible plastic — specifically, a patented thermoplastic material called SmartTrack created exclusively for Invisalign treatment.


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Firefighters are battling a major blaze after a train carrying crude oil was derailed by the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia, at about 2 pm local time on Wednesday 30 April 2014. The train was traveling from Chicago to Virginia when the incident occurred, with 12-14 oil cars from the 15 car train leaving the track and about four being breached. The oil was ignited shortly after, prompting local authorities to evacuate the immediate vicinity. There are no reports of any casualties, although oil has been seen in the river, from which the town draws its water supply, and it is unclear how extensive the clean-up operation will need to be.
Oil burning on the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia, after the 30 April 2014 train derailment. ABC.
Trains carrying crude oil have become an increasingly important part of the distribution system in North America as both production of and demand for oil has exceeded the capacity of the pipeline network. There have been a number of incidents involving derailments and oil spills, and concerns about the safety of the trains following an incident in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, when a 72 car oil train derailed and exploded, killing 47 people.
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The author of a book called "End the Fed," Ron Paul is certainly no fan of the Federal Reserve.
The US government responded by labeling China a currency manipulator, a charge dripping with hypocrisy since, thanks to the dollar's world reserve currency status, the US is history's greatest currency manipulator.
And in his latest weekly column, Paul says we are nearing the end of days for the U.S. central bank.
Per the Ron Paul Institute:
The Federal Reserve, responding to concerns about the economy and the stock market, and perhaps to criticisms by President Trump, recently changed course on interest rates by cutting its "benchmark" rate from 2.25% to 2%. President Trump responded to the cut in already historically low rates by attacking the Fed for not committing to future rate cuts.
The Fed's action is an example of a popular definition of insanity: doing the same action over and over again and expecting different results. After the 2008 market meltdown, the Fed launched an unprecedented policy of near-zero interest rates and "quantitative easing." Both failed to produce real economic growth. The latest rate cut is unlikely to increase growth or avert a major economic crisis.
It is not a coincidence that the Fed's rate cut came along with Congress passing a two-year budget deal that increases our already $22-trillion-dollars national debt and suspends the debt ceiling. The increase in government debt increases the pressure on the Fed to keep interest rates artificially low so the federal government's interest payments do not increase to unsustainable levels.
President Trump's tax and regulatory policies have had some positive effects on economic growth and job creation. However, these gains are going to be short-lived because they cannot offset the damage caused by the explosion in deficit spending and the Federal Reserve's resulting monetization of the debt. President Trump has also endangered the global economy by imposing tariffs on imports from the US's largest trading partners including China. This has resulted in a trade war that is hurting export-driven industries such as agriculture.
President Trump recently imposed more tariffs on Chinese imports, and China responded to the tariffs by devaluing its currency. The devaluation lowers the price consumers pay for Chinese goods, partly offsetting the effect of the tariffs. The US government responded by labeling China a currency manipulator, a charge dripping with hypocrisy since, thanks to the dollar's world reserve currency status, the US is history's greatest currency manipulator. Another irony is that China's action mirrors President Trump's continuous calls for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.
While no one can predict when or how the next economic crisis will occur, we do know the crisis is coming unless, as seems unlikely, the Fed stops distorting the economy by manipulating interest rates (which are the price of money), Congress cuts spending and debt, and President Trump declares a ceasefire in the trade war.
The Federal Reserve's rate cut failed to stop a drastic fall in the stock market. This is actually good news as it shows that even Wall Street is losing faith in the Federal Reserve's ability to manage the unmanageable — a monetary system based solely on fiat currency. The erosion of trust in and respect for the Fed is also shown by the interest in cryptocurrency and the momentum behind two initiatives spearheaded by my Campaign for Liberty — passing the Audit the Fed bill and passing state laws re-legalizing gold and silver as legal tender. There is no doubt we are witnessing the last days of not just the Federal Reserve but the entire welfare-warfare system. Those who know the truth must do all they can to ensure that the crisis results in a return to a constitutional republic, true free markets, sound money and a foreign policy of peace and free trade.


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Natus Comments on FDA Recall
Natus Comments on FDA Recall
SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Natus Medical Incorporated (NAS: BABY) today released a statement regarding the issuance by the Food & Drug Administration (the "FDA") of a recall notice for the Company's Olympic Cool-Cap.
The recall addresses a situation where the Cool-Cap screen freezes and interrupts patient cooling. Natus had previously communicated the problem to customers in May 2012 by issuing a Class II Recall notice, which is the FDA's mid-level health hazard classification. Customers are able to recover from the screen freeze failure by simply rebooting the Cool-Cap system. Cooling treatment can continue in a safe manner with the Cool-Cap system as originally intended.
The Company has provided recall information to the FDA as required in a timely manner since this problem originated. Today's announcement indicates that the FDA has re-classified this action as a Class I Recall which is the highest relative degree of health hazard classification for a product recall. As a result of this reclassification, Natus will be sending follow up Safety Notice letters to all customers reminding them how to recognize this screen freeze condition and how to recover from it. Separately, an unreliable power supply module is being replaced on an ongoing basis in effected units.
The costs of the measures described above are not expected to be material, including costs yet to be incurred, and were previously accrued as an expense in the Company's financial results for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.
The recall does not prevent the Company from continuing to market and sell the Cool-Cap, nor does it prevent clinicians from using the device. Revenue from the Cool-Cap represents less than one percent of the Company's consolidated revenue.
The Company received premarket approval ("PMA") from the FDA to market the Olympic Cool-Cap in December 2006. The Cool-Cap system, which is the only FDA-approved device for the treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy ("HIE") in term newborns, provides selective head cooling to prevent or reduce the severity of neurologic injury associated with HIE.
About Natus Medical
Natus is a leading provider of healthcare products used for the screening, detection, treatment, monitoring and tracking of common medical ailments in newborn care, hearing impairment, neurological dysfunction, epilepsy, sleep disorders, and balance and mobility disorders. Product offerings include computerized neurodiagnostic systems for audiology, neurology, polysomnography, and neonatology, as well as newborn care products such as hearing screening systems, phototherapy devices for the treatment of newborn jaundice, head-cooling products for the treatment of brain injury in newborns, incubators to control the newborn's environment, and software systems for managing and tracking disorders and diseases for public health laboratories.
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, particularly statements regarding the expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions and strategies of Natus. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectation that the cost of measures to address the recall will not be material. Future events or Natus' future financial performance or results involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Natus disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward looking statement.
More information about potential risk factors that could affect the business and financial results of Natus is included in Natus' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other reports filed from time to time by Natus with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Additional information about Natus Medical can be found at www.natus.com.
Natus Medical Incorporated
Steven J. Murphy, 650-802-0400
Chief Financial Officer
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
The article Natus Comments on FDA Recall originally appeared on Fool.com.
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Required Reading
- What's Your Problem with Joe Biden?
- Dirty Rubles: An Introduction to Trump/Russia (My New Book)
- Youth for the President
- A Summary of the Conspiracy Against the United States
- Trump: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Part 3)
- Postcards from the Resistance, Vol. 8: Mother of All
- From Lance Armstrong to Trump: The Rise & Fall of the Deified Narcissist
- Reading Malcolm X in Texas
- Playing the Donald Trump Game
- President Rapist: Women Under Trump
- An Open Letter to My Fellow Liberals
- The Democrats Can't Win If They Won't Fight
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Tag Archives: Photo Poems
Sunday Light and Word – Caverns, Caves, Rain
Searching the angles of chance Continue reading
Posted in Sunday Light and Word
Tagged Bailiff, BNW, cars, Cat, Caves, Collisions, Color, Defense, Fence, Glaciers, Hank Cherry Photography, Juge, Jury, MErcedes, Photo Poems, Prosecution, Rain, Storm, sunlight, Traffic, Twilight, White
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Sunday Light and Word – Papered Transgressions
Searching the angles of chance Continue reading
Posted in Sunday Light and Word
Tagged Benjamin Smoke, Blue stairs, brown boxes, Dots of Code, energy, Hank Cherry Photography, Henry Armistead Cherry, Kurzweil, Light and Word, No body needed, Opal Foxx Quartet, Petzval lens, Photo Poems, Realist Notions, Sunday Light and Word, Woman in Light
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Eternal Temptations
by Janine Infante Bosco Tempted #6 Publication Date: August 23, 2016 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Erotic, MC, Mafia, Romance
Synopsis: You've seen them through their most illicit temptations.
Guided them through their forbidden temptations.
Stuck with them through their uncontrollable temptations.
Owned their reckless temptations.
And survived their lethal temptations.
Five couples.
One threat.
Who will survive the eternal temptation?
Just when the men of the Pastore crime family and the brothers of the Satan's Knights MC, think they can rest easy—a danger no one saw coming threatens to destroy everyone's perfect life.
The men of the mob are resurrected and the boys in leather are back.
It's time for one final ride.
And for you to ask yourself one last time…
Are you tempted?
NOTE: This is the final book in the Tempted series. Eternal Temptations can be read as a stand alone novel.
Cover Design : Hang Le
Front Cover Image By: Sara Eirew
Front Cover Models: Nick Bennett & Pamela Tremblay
Back Cover Photo: Debra Infante & Joseph Infante
Photo Credit: Their daughter who stole the photo from their mantel.
EXCERPT: Blackie & Lacey
"Open the door, Lace," I demanded, bracing my arms over the frame. "C'mon girl," I coaxed. She was quiet for a moment before she replied. "It's unlocked." I dropped my hand to the door knob, turning it before glancing over my shoulder— fuck it. I pushed my way inside, closing the door and twisting the lock before I turned around and got a view of the sexiest woman I ever laid eyes on. Legs for days. She wore a white lace thong paired with garter belts clipped to sheer thigh-high stockings with matching lace trim. The bra she wore lifted her already perky tits and pushed them over the sheer material so they appeared to be spilling from the cups. "Girl," I hissed, my eyes meeting hers in the mirror. "So, you think it's time I trade in your t-shirts and start parading around the house in these kind of get-ups?" She laughed, obviously nervous as she bit her lip. I didn't answer her with words. Gave her my eyes and let them answer for me. Yes. Fuck yes. "Turn around," I ordered, taking a step closer, swallowing up the space between us. "Blackie," she whispered, turning around and locking her eyes with mine. "Wanted me on my knees, girl," I growled, dropping down on one knee, pressing my palms against her thighs, forcing them apart before dropping my other knee down on the floor. "Got me right where you wanted, right where I belong." I brushed my hair away from my face before palming her pussy over the lace and inching my index finger beneath the material. "What if she comes back?" "Then she'll know she did her job properly," I told her, shoving the lace away from her pussy and reaching behind her with my free hand. I squeezed her ass and brought her sweet cunt to my mouth, my tongue taking a lap down her center. "My Lace, so fucking good, so fucking pretty," I muttered in between strokes of my tongue. She grabbed onto my shoulders, fisting the leather in her hands as I peeled back her lace and took my fix. Leather and Lace. A temptation so sweet— a man drops to his knees just to survive.#FOREVERTEMPTED
ARE YOU TEMPTED? BUY THE TEMPTED SERIES NOW: Amazon
Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City, she has always loved reading and writing. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Janine writes emotionally charged novels with an emphasis on family bonds, strong willed female characters, and alpha male men who will do anything for the women they love. She loves to interact with fans and fellow avid romance readers like herself.
She is proud of her success as an author and the friendships she's made in the book community but her greatest accomplishment to date would be her two sons Joseph and Paul.


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Item #: ms41
100% wool. Color No. ms41, Cinnabar Flare.
50g, 220 yards per ball.
10 balls per bag. 2200 yards per bag.
Fingering weight, superwash sock yarn.
For lace knitting also.
Recommended needle size is
U.S. 1-3, 2.25mm-3.25mm. 7-8sts=1 inch
Price is for one ball.
Machine washable, lay flat to dry.
Item can be purchased from Retailers from our Store Locator or from following Online Retailer.


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Tune Into Others
by Rick Hanson, Ph.D.What Are They Feeling?
The Practice
Tune into others.
Imagine a world in which people interacted with each other like ants or fish. Imagine a day at work like this, or in your family, aware of the surface behavior of the people around you but oblivious to their inner life while they remain unmoved by your own.
That's a world without empathy. To me, it sounds like a horror film.
Without empathy, there can be no real love, compassion, kindness, or friendship. Empathic breakdowns shake the foundation of a relationship; just recall a time you felt misunderstood – or even worse, a time when the other person could care less about understanding you. In particular, anyone who is vulnerable (e.g., children, the elderly) has a profound need for empathy, and when it's a thin soup or missing altogether, that's very disturbing. In my experience as a therapist, poor empathy is the core problem in most troubled couples or families; without it, nothing good is likely to happen; with it, even the toughest issues can be resolved.
Empathy gives you a feeling for what it's like to be another person. When you are empathic, even quietly and tacitly, that tells the other person that he or she exists for you as a being, as a Thou to your I. That's usually what people most want to know; it's more fundamental than whatever topic is on the table.
Empathy is soothing, calming, bridge-building; when it's present, it's much easier to work through things. Empathy gives you lots of useful information, like what's most important to others or what's really bothering them.
This week, repeatedly tune into the interior of the people around you; "empathy moments" often take just a few seconds.
To help yourself, remember that empathy is not agreement or approval. You can tune into someone who hurt you or is irritating; you're not waiving your rights! Nor do you have to solve the other person's problem.
Also know that empathy is completely natural. As we evolved, the brain developed three circuits (loosely defined) for empathy that simulate the actions, emotions, and thoughts of others. For example, when you experience an emotion, a part of your brain called the insula lights up; remarkably, when you see emotions in others, some of the same neurons in your insula activate as well. The result is you get a taste of what they're feeling. You were born empathic.
Start by centering yourself so you don't feel overwhelmed; studies have found that, paradoxically, a little feeling of detachment actually promotes empathy; as Robert Frost wrote, fences make for good neighbors. Then open up to other people, letting their inner life flow through you like wind through the leaves of a deeply rooted tree.
Tune into their breathing, posture, gestures, actions. Imagine what it would feel like to move your own body in the same ways.
Tune into their emotions, particularly the softer ones underneath verbal positions or anger. Watch the eyes closely; human eyes are the most expressive of any species on our planet. Open up to your own gut feelings, which could be resonating with those of other people. Ask yourself what you would be feeling if you were them.
Tune into their thoughts, memories, expectations, needs, and intentions. Form little hypotheses in your mind about what could be going on over there. Take into account what you know about their personal history – including with you – and their temperament, priorities, hot buttons. Be curious and look beneath the surface.
As appropriate, check out your empathic intuitions. Ask simple questions, like: Were you feeling ____ ? Did you want ____ ? Did you feel pulled between ____ and ____ ? Be respectful, not persuasive or prosecutorial. Don't muddle empathy with asserting your own views or needs; do that part later.
Stay with it. Empathy is a kind of mindfulness practice, sustaining attention this time to someone else's inner world.
And when it's your turn to receive empathy, you'll know better what it is you are asking for.
The best way to get empathy is to give it.
* * *
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. His work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Consumer Reports Health, U.S. News and World Report, and Huffington Post, and he is the author of the best-selling Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. He writes a weekly newsletter – Just One Thing – that suggests a simple practice each week that will bring you more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind and heart. If you wish, you can subscribe to Just One Thing here.
Dr. Hanson is a neuropsychologist in San Rafael, California. His practice includes adults, couples, families, and children, as well as psychological assessments of children and adults related to temperament, school performance, and educational and vocational planning. For more information, please visit his listing on the Therapist Directory


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DIABETES IS ONE OF THE MOST prevalent chronic diseases today. In fact, 29.1 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and millions more living with the condition don't even know they have it.
You may know that diabetes can result in other health complications such as vision loss, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. But many are surprised to learn of the impact diabetes can have on your mouth.
Diabetes Is Linked To Oral Infection And Disease
Periodontal, or gum, disease affects 22 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes. What's more, one in five cases of total tooth loss is linked to diabetes. These statistics can be distressing, but a proper understanding of the association between these two diseases is the first step in preventing complications.
So, first and foremost, why does diabetes affect oral health?
We have billions of bacteria living in our mouths. If that bacteria is allowed to build up, it can lead to gum disease–swollen, bleeding gums as well as bone and tooth loss. Because people with diabetes have a decreased ability to fight off harmful bacteria, they are more susceptible to gum disease. Poor blood glucose control also increases the likelihood of gum problems.
The relationship between diabetes and gum disease, however, is two-way. Because infected gums are an easy access point for bacteria to enter the bloodstream, bacteria from the mouth can cause blood sugar spike and fluctuate, making diabetes harder to manage.
Beyond gum disease, there are other oral infections and problems associated with diabetes including thrush, dry mouth, cavities and ulcers.
Keep Your Dental Team Involved
Keeping us involved is the most important thing you can do to prevent gum disease and other oral complications linked to diabetes. If you've been diagnosed with diabetes or if there are changes in your condition, let us know. Keep us informed of your medications and your doctor's recommended treatment plan. Come in to see us regularly and be sure to regularly visit your dentist as well–every six months or more if deemed necessary.
Other things you can do to manage your oral health and diabetes include:
- Develop good oral hygiene habits
- Quit smoking
- Control your blood sugar
Your Health Matters To Us
Every aspect of your health is important to us, not just your the health of your mouth. If you have questions about how your dentist can help you manage your diabetes, contact us. We are your partners in ensuring both your oral and overall health.
Thank you for being our valued patients and friends!
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.


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The Flexie-T is a non disposable golf tee you can use on the driving range or on the course.
Home on the range
The Flexie-T is designed to be strong enough to mount in those hard driving range mats without breaking. I personally can't stand practicing on mats but sometimes you have no choice. The rubber tees that are set up on the mats are often the wrong height for my driver but the Flexie-T tees it up at exactly the right height for that 460cc head. Quite often there are no rubber tees at all on the range as well so having a FT in the bag can be useful in that respect as well.
The other good thing about being able to tee it up anywhere on those mats is that you can pick a spot for your stance that isn't worn out. My feet are constantly slipping on the range when I have to stand with my feet in the same position that thousands of other people have stood.
On the course
After hours of grooving your driver swing on the range you can use the Flexie-T on the course. The good thing about using the FT is that you can tee the ball up at exactly the same height every time. Sometimes I tee up my driver and realize I'm not teeing it at the same height every time. Doubt can come into play as to whether or not I'll strike the ball the same with different tee heights.
Is there a 5 minute time limit for a tee search?
Usually the FT stays right in the ground when I hit it but at one mountain course I lost one of my FT's. I searched until my playing partners were clear up in the middle of the fairway ahead of me. I finally had to say adios to the FT and abandon my search after 5 minutes.
Is there any noticeable performance difference from a standard tee? Not really. There's really no way any kind of tee can "increase distance" or "eliminate slices" legally. I didn't notice any longer or short drives or any more control off the tee. But like I said before I did like the fact that I could tee it up at a consistent height every time.
Critic's corner
The only critiques I have for the Flexie-T are that the tee height is only suitable for the driver. The tee is way too tall for fairway woods or irons. To my knowledge there aren't varying FT lengths as of yet.
In some cases where I wanted to tee my driver really low for perhaps a power fade, I had to go back to a conventional tee.
The Flexie-T is a very useful tee on the range, especially for mats. The FT is also helpful in allowing you to tee the ball up the same way every time, increasing your comfort level on the course.
Will the FT knock you down for a 16 handicap to a 7? No. Only practice can do that I'm afraid. 🙂
[…] I did a full review on the Flexie-T which can be found here. […]
[…] I did a full review on the Flexie-T which can be found here. […]


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Boston, MA (January 25, 2012)— Limiting certain essential nutrients for several days before surgery—either protein or amino acids—may reduce the risk of serious surgical complications such as heart attack or stroke, according to a new Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) study.
The study appears in the January 25, 2012 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
"Food restriction as a way to increase stress resistance may seem counterintuitive, but in fact our data indicate that the well-fed state is the one more susceptible to this kind of injury," said James Mitchell, assistant professor of genetics and complex diseases at HSPH.
The researchers, led by Mitchell and Wei Peng, a former HSPH postdoctoral fellow, analyzed two groups of mice. One group was allowed to eat normally for 6 to 14 days; the other group was given a diet free of protein or lacking a single amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins). Both groups were then subjected to surgical stress that could potentially harm the kidneys or liver. In the mice that were allowed to eat as usual, about 40 percent died. The protein- and amino acid-free mice all survived.
The researchers also found that removing the gene that senses levels of any type of amino acid eliminated the protective effect. This suggests that the pathway activated by amino acid deficiency—rather than the absence of any particular amino acid—is responsible for the observed benefits, and opens up the potential for targeting drugs toward that pathway.
The results are significant because they pinpoint protein as an important substance to eliminate from the diet before surgery to avoid complications. Stroke risk related to cardiovascular surgery ranges from 0.8% to 9.7%, depending on the procedure. Heart attack risk is 3% to 4%.
In numerous animal studies over the past few decades, scientists have found that long-term dietary restriction can improve health and lengthen life. Benefits include increased stress resistance, reduced inflammation, improved blood sugar regulation, and better cardiovascular health—and many of these benefits extend to humans. There is debate, however, about whether the benefits stem from the source of the calories (fat, sugar, or protein) or simply the total calories. Recent research on fruit flies demonstrated the benefits of restricting protein. The HSPH study aimed to provide further clarity by determining the benefits of protein or amino acid restriction in rodents.
As a next step, Mitchell and his colleagues will try to determine whether dietary preconditioning works as well lowering surgery-related risk in humans as it did in mice. They have taken early planning steps with colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston on a clinical trial of patients on protein-free diets before surgery. If the benefits are confirmed in humans, it may be possible to perform surgeries with significantly reduced risk of complications.
This study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (part of the National Institutes of Health), Ellison Medical Foundation, the American Federation for Aging Research, and the William F. Milton Fund.
"Surgical Stress Resistance Induced by Single Amino Acid Deprivation Requires Gcn2 in Mice," Wei Peng, Lauren Robertson, Jordan Gallinetti, Pedro Mejia, Sarah Vose, Allison Charlip, Timothy Chu, James R. Mitchell. Science Translational Medicine, online January 25, 2012


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Since making that decision, I've worked on a daily newspaper, been a full-time writer for a b2b magazine publishing company, a reporter for the country's biggest business publication and I'm currently working as a senior news editor for New Zealand's third biggest news website.
(I also completely succeeded in my plan to meet girls, and ended up marrying the most beautiful girl in my journalism class.)
So when the online comic culture periodically makes a big deal about the standard of comics journalism, I take a special interest. Not because I'm shocked or offended or angry at all. I take note because the discussion is usually so fucking funny.
* * *
Overseas, they have important documents like the Declaration of Independence or the Magna Carta. Here in New Zealand, we have the Treaty of Waitangi, a good and just document that gives indigenous Maori unbreakable rights to citizenship, along with the guardianship of their own land and several other deals.
Treaty settlements have been ongoing for several decades, and are now starting to wind down, although there will still be plenty of Treaty discussion to come, especially on the foreshore and seabed issue. It has been used as a divisive document, but it is still big and important and righteous. So it's a shame it's completely unsuitable as any kind of legally binding object.
The problem is that there are two versions of the Treaty – both equally valid. When it was first drafted, it was translated into Maori and taken around the country for people to sign. Unfortunately, the translation made several key errors on the exact meaning of very important words, so that the English version of the Treaty says one thing, while the Maori version says something completely different.
This doesn't stop both sides arguing over the details, arguments that have been going on for decades. Even though both sides are right, there can be no agreement if they're talking about different things.
This ridiculously pointless bickering is what I think of when people start arguing about the state of comics journalism. They've all got strong points of views and valid arguments, but they're talking about completely different things.
* * *
What is journalism, anyway?
According to the dictionary I keep at my desk, the definition of journalism is 'writing in or editing of newspapers and magazines'. The dictionary is quite old, and obviously missed out on this whole internet thing, but you only have to add a '…and websites' and you're set.
The most obvious issue with this definition, and one that spreads to almost all online discussion about comics journalism, is that it's so ridiculously broad that it almost means nothing.
As far as I can figure, online comics journalism means anything written by anybody that is intended to be read by somebody else. That covers a huge landscape, from half-illiterate blog posts like this one to intensive digging around the finances of a major comics company. It's all journalism.
(Although I certainly don't consider this blog to be journalism, not compared to my day job. Because I'm a reporter by day, I think of the Tearoom of Despair as just a place to pleasurably vent about comics and movies and other pop culture shit, after a day spent writing about crime and politics and business. But it's written to be read, and certainly fits the overall definition I'm shooting for.)
The current hand-wringing over the state of comics journalism was sparked by some vague comments from Brian Michael Bendis, but it's hardly new. There is always somebody ready to stand up and decry the state of journalism.
But this is where the funny part comes in – even though everybody knows what they're on about, there is never total agreement on the finer details. Bendis may have been talking about Comic Book Resources or Newsarama and their tendency to regurgitate press releases, but anybody with any interest in providing any kind of comic news was tarred with his same broad brush.
Bendis' comments were greeted with some marvellously passionate rebuttal from all over the place. Many pointed out that there was plenty of in-depth analysis of damn near anything, if you cared to really look, while others were right in their extolling the virtues of Spurgeon or Deppey or Johnston.
To make any kind of proclamation of comic journalism, you have to be very specific about what you mean, because there is so much variety out there. There is even huge discrepancies between sites that rely on breaking news, the Comics Reporter is good for one kind of thing, and Newsarama has its own uses.
If critical review is to be included in the big, bad basket of journalism, then you have to be even more exact. There are sites devoted to the artiest of the artiest comics, and others that dust off something like Web of Spider-man for a bit of re-analysis, and they're both rewarding in different ways. Does everything really need to go in a big, neat box labelled 'journalism'?
* * *
There is one other funny thing about this argument – there is actually one clear answer to it, but few acknowledge it. The fact is, comics journalism has never been stronger or more varied, and it's remarkable that more people can't step back from their own singular interests and see the whole thing for themselves.
Access to information via text, video and audio has never been easier or faster, and there is so much stuff out there, so many individuals all doing their thing, more for love than money, just to spread the word. Journalism is all about this sharing of information, and now that everybody can do it, there is so much to choose from.
There is still a large amount of complete rubbish, but the sheer volume of writing on any subject, even something as insular as comics, is staggering, and by any law of averages, there has to be some good stuff.
I only need to check out half a dozen sites on a semi-daily basis and all my comic journalism needs are satisfied. Some important information is hidden, but is eventually dug out. People are crap at keeping secrets, and all the great comic industry feuds and fights revert into safe anecdote over time.
I found out Bob Harras was taking on a top job at DC within a day of it officially happening, when that information would have taken months to get through 15 years ago. Within 24 hours, there was all sorts of analysis, weird tribute and spleen-venting to satisfy every side of this story. It will be interesting to see how Harras does, but his appointment has been thoroughly covered.
And there are a dozen stories like that a week, bouncing around, gaining momentum, gaining attention. How could you ask for anything more?
* * *
So I don't take offence at Bendis' remarks. They're just absurd and funny, and not just because he's complaining about lazy generalizations by making a lazy generalization.
As a professional journalist, I was more upset by a jarring moment from a X-Men First Class comic from a couple of years ago, where Cyclops pretended to be a reporter to get some info out of the local redneck cop, but got busted by the cop because he was using a notebook and the cop hadn't seen a reporter use a notebook instead of a recorder for 20 years. That was some bullshit, because I've never met a reporter, whether they were print of TV or radio or web, who didn't carry around some kind of notepad for taking important bits of information. Any reporter who relies on recordings is a damn fool who has too much time on his hands for transcribing and that soured me on the whole damn comic.
Man, that shit has been bothering me for a while. I still get weirdly pissed off when a comics writer tries to write a Clark Kent of J Jonah Jameson article and it's something no newspaper would ever publish, but it's the little things that really irritate.
It's all in the details.


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Series: The Revive Series by A.M. Wilson
Title: Redesigning Fate and Resurrecting Her
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Cover Designer: Kari March Designs
When my boyfriend threw me down a flight of stairs, I knew there was only one place left to go—far, far away. I packed up my car and left everything I'd known for the nearly twenty-two years I've been alive. One hundred and fifty miles of highway separated me from the life I grew up with and the one I needed to find.
The same day I was offered a job in my new city, I met Elias. He was an enigma. A mystery. One that I wanted to uncover. One I didn't know if I could trust.
He pulled me in with adventure and the melodies of his guitar, but his secrets held me at a distance. He couldn't tell me about what he did for a living, or why he took phone calls in a different room.
Then my ex returned. Travis wove a sordid tale of danger; that he was only there to keep me safe from Elias.
I never expected truth to be nestled in his lies.
When I was kidnapped, half-truths were shared by the monster who took me. Half-truths that tested the bounds of my relationship.
A web of lies obliterated my last shred of security.
The man I love vows to protect me from both our demons, but in doing so, he treats me like glass.
I hold the secrets this time. They're slowly destroying me from the inside; igniting in me a fight for righteousness, even if that means leaving behind the ones I love.
Travis is still out there. Watching me. Waiting. And even though he's dangerous, he's not the only villain in this story.
The thrilling ride from Redesigning Fate continues in Resurrecting Her…
A. M. Wilson loves infusing her stories with real life–the good, the bad, and the steamy parts. She thinks there's something special about romance; that pivotal moment when two characters realize their love for each other, but she likes wading through a little angst to get there. When she isn't furiously typing on her computer, she can be found searching for her next all-consuming read. A. M. lives in Minnesota with her husband, two children, and black lab.


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We've updated our Theme Store requirements. The guidelines for submitting a theme to Shopify's Theme Store have changed. Learn more by checking out our new article on the topic.
Publishing a theme in the Shopify Theme Store can be a great way to earn residual income. But what sort of theme should you work on developing, and what is the process like to get your theme published?
I sat down with Kevin Ochal, the head of our theme support team, to ask him about every step of the theme submission process. From this interview, you'll learn what to expect, and how to prepare yourself to maximize your chances of success.
You might also like: An Overview of Liquid: Shopify's Templating Language
Tell us about your role at Shopify.
I manage the Theme Store and I also oversee a team that maintains the themes in the Theme Store.
How many published themes are in the Theme Store?
Right now we're at 51 published themes with a total of 179 presets.
If someone's thinking about building a theme for Shopify, what are the first steps they should take?
The first step you should take if you're thinking of building a theme is to go to the Theme Store, look at the themes, and identify what you think is missing — a gap. Identify a problem, then go about solving it.
Are there any gaps or opportunities that you've seen? What's missing right now?
Definitely, there's a few — I'm not going to say all of them, but some glaring ones are themes for small inventory shops and single product shops, and also crowdfunding themes. A theme geared toward somebody who has a Kickstarter campaign would be a great idea for a theme.
Learn more about building Shopify metafields to improve your theme development.
Walk us through the requirements a theme needs to be approved.
The biggest thing is if the theme is unique. We don't want a lot of overlap in the Theme Store. We'd rather have a bunch of themes that look different, feel different, and are going to appeal to a bunch of different merchants. So the biggest requirement is to make sure that your theme doesn't look like another theme that's already been published.
The biggest requirement is to make sure that your theme doesn't look like another theme that's already been published.
What about technical requirements?
Yeah, there are a lot of technical requirements. We're really stringent on quality in our themes because we want to make sure our customers are getting the best possible theme, and it's not going to cause them any issues when they're using it.
There are a bunch of technical requirements, and they're all outlined in our support documentation. There's a whole theme section of our docs. In that section, you'll see a bunch of templates. For each template, at the bottom of the page there's a bunch of requirements for the Theme Store.
You might also like: The Essential List of Resources for Shopify Theme Development
What are the most common errors you see that lead to rejection?
The biggest thing, and the most obvious, is just a generic theme.
The other one is a lack of attention to detail. When we look at mockups and designs, we really want to see a lot of polish to make sure you thought this out and put in a lot of effort. It needs to be your best possible offering.
What do you recommend to partners about to submit a theme?
When submitting a theme, I want to see the rationale behind the design. You're going to make a lot better case for your theme if you actually make a case for your theme. So, if you're submitting just image mockups, they're going to have to be pretty amazing. They're going to have to blow us away if you're not including a rationale.
What we love to see is that you've thought this out, and that you're backing up your design choices with research and UX that's appropriate and well-explained.
A good way to do a rationale is with InVision or some other kind of presentation tool where we can see that you took the time to show us things like what the hover states look like, and why they look that way. That's a big bonus.
After they've done all these things, how do they submit a theme?
Send an email with a link to your InVision project, or your summary and writeup, to firstname.lastname@example.com.
It's as simple as that. And so what is the approval process like after they hit send?
So what's going to happen is that it'll go to our review team. We have a group of people that all talk about every submission. We have a discussion about every design. That can take a couple of days, and the reason it takes so long is because we want to make sure that all appropriate parties have a say in whether or not this is something appropriate for the theme store.
After that, we'll either approve or reject the design. If the design is approved, it'll go into a technical QA. So we'll say, "Hey, this is really cool, develop your theme." We usually have a timeframe of eight weeks limitation there, just to make sure it's still going to be relevant when we're doing the technical review.
The technical review consists of three rounds of feedback. So what we'll do is upload your theme to a sandbox, we'll tear it apart and look at every aspect of it, and then we'll outline about 20 things we found during the review. We'll send those off to you, you'll fix that up, send it back, and we'll do another round, and so on and so forth until either we find no more bugs, or we've reached three rounds.
On the fourth review, if we find anything that's wrong with the theme, it's removed from the review queue permanently.
So when they first approach you, they provide the rationale work and the mockups, but they haven't actually done the dev work. And once you say, "Yeah, this looks good, let's go ahead," that's when they would actually build the theme.
Exactly. We do get a few submissions where people will send us a completed theme, and those are the hardest to reject because we know how much work has gone into it.
I'm sure it varies depending on the number of rounds, but how long on average does the approvals process take?
A technical review can take one person an entire day to do. So for three rounds of that, we're looking at three days. And then there's the time that it takes the developer to fix those changes. It's largely up to the developer — it's in their best interest to make those changes as quickly as possible to make sure that it goes as quickly as it can.
If a theme is rejected, is there any opportunity to rethink it, or is that it?
Usually, that's it. It doesn't often happen; the code would have to be fairly flawed in order to not make it past the three rounds of reviews. It's more of a quality issue than it is anything else, so we usually put the end to it there.
How should partners decide what to charge for their theme?
That's a tricky one, because the lower your theme price, the higher the number of merchants it's going to appeal to. Having said that, there's also a mindset that a higher price means a higher quality theme. It's a tough balance.
The most popular price point is $140, and it largely depends on what you feel feature set-wise and design-wise what you think your theme is worth, and whether it's appropriate to charge that price to the target audience you're trying to capture.
Are there any features that have done really well in terms of theme sales?
Yeah, the ones that do the best usually have a really well thought out user experience. So, is the UX of any particular theme targeted appropriately to its audience? There are certain features people like to have. Social integration is huge. A quick shop modal is pretty popular. But above all, it's mostly about: is this a good user experience? Is it an appealing design?
Above all, it's mostly about: is this a good user experience? Is it an appealing design?
What if a partner decides they'd like to update their theme?
That's definitely possible. In fact, we require that partners update their themes when we release new features, if those features affect themes. That's a mandatory thing.
If you want to put in a new feature or release a new preset, it's totally possible. Just email us and say, "Hey, this is what we're thinking of doing," and more often than not, we'll be like, "Cool that sounds great, can't wait to see it."
If you're releasing a new preset, we just want to make sure that it's visually stimulating, so we'll take a look and then approve it if appropriate.
Is it possible for a theme to be removed from the Theme Store?
Yes. The reason for a theme's removal is largely due to the support surrounding it, and the sales. You need to maintain a minimum amount of sales in order to remain in the Theme Store. If you're theme's not selling, obviously it's not relevant and it doesn't belong in the Theme Store at that point.
If you're supporting your own theme and you're not able to keep up with your support requests, we have to put our merchants first. That's another reason why it would be removed.
The third reason you could be removed from the theme store is a failure to make the updates that we require.
Does the theme developer provide support for their theme?
Not in all cases. Currently, that's the state of things. In the past, we had a 50-50 rev share where Shopify takes on support for your theme, and you just develop it and make the updates when needed. But we've found that many partners want to provide support for their own themes.
So that's why developers earn "up to 70%" on a theme sale, because it depends on the support agreement.
Yeah. Most people will support their own theme. But if you're not able to, there is an option for Shopify to support it. Even then, you're still required to make the updates to that theme or fix any bugs that we might find.
Thanks Kevin!
Recently, we published a blog post full of tips to consider when applying to publish an app in the Shopify App Store. Take a look.
You might also like: An Introduction to Theme Options


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Invisibles author Grant Morrison has been officially inducted into the Outer Church:
Every year for her Birthday, Queen Elizabeth II names a bunch of people (well, it's not her, but it's done through her, she's the middle man) to honour with various orders of chivalry, she basically dubs them with a sword and gives them a medal.
The Outhouse: GRANT MORRISON GIVEN AN MBE BY THE QUEEN!
(thanks Cat Vincent)


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New York City recently became the largest city in the U.S. to ban natural gas in newly constructed buildings. It joins dozens of others that have pushed to limit gas use in an effort to fight climate change. But the growing trend has proved politically divisive. In numerous, mostly red states, preemptive laws have been passed against such restrictions. Joining us now to talk about New York City's move and its national implications is David Iaconangelo, reporter for E&E News. Thanks for being with us.
DAVID IACONANGELO: Thanks for having me.
PERALTA: So, I mean, cities could be doing a lot of things to curb carbon emissions, but restrictions on natural gas have been growing since 2019. I mean, how widespread is it, and why is it gaining traction now?
IACONANGELO: Yeah, you're right. I mean, cities can and are doing a lot of different things to address climate change. But the building sector is especially important because in a lot of cities, that's where most of the emissions come from. So New York City is a great example. I think somewhere in the ballpark of 70% of its greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. So if you're a city policymaker of some kind and you want to address climate change in some way, it's a pretty good place to start. This movement, as you noted, started really in 2019 in California in - the city of Berkeley passed a law that's pretty similar to what New York City did. And since then, it's spread to dozens of jurisdictions throughout California. Almost immediately, what we saw is a pushback from gas industry and allies. And around 20 states have passed these preemption laws that you referred to, which basically restrict cities from enacting any kind of prohibition or ban on the use of fossil fuels in buildings.
PERALTA: So these measures got pushback from the fossil fuel trade groups and real estate developers. What was their critique?
IACONANGELO: The chief one and the one that's I think most important is this would raise people's energy bills to a level that's unsustainable for a lot of people, especially for lower-income people. And to me, it seems like this is not a shut-and-dry question. It's interesting that New York is actually going to look into this as a result of the bill. So the bill calls for a study into the feasibility and cost of using electricity as a replacement for fossil-fuel heat in buildings.
PERALTA: I mean, is there a chance that the cost of this will put it on the back burner in New York City?
IACONANGELO: Yeah, I'm not sure that it will be put on the back burner. You know, in general, natural gas is cheaper on a per-unit basis than electricity, so it does have that cost advantage. Now, the city says that if you were to move from an existing building powered by gas to a new electric-powered building, the cost of - your energy bills would be roughly the same. Some of that is around the level of energy efficiency that new buildings will have. But the general idea here is that, over time, the more people who buy electric technologies to use in buildings, the cheaper they become. And the bigger picture here is climate change, right?
PERALTA: Yeah.
IACONANGELO: If you want to decarbonize a building in 2021 or in 2022, the cheapest way to do that is probably electricity in just about any part of the country. New York City is trying to be a first-mover and prove to other parts of the country that this is feasible, that it's possible. There are still going to be questions around what else the city needs to do to implement this and to make it fair for people who live here.
PERALTA: And, of course, I mean, like so much in this country - right? - this has also become politicized. Can you tell us, I mean, what that's looked like, especially between, you know, local and state governments who are arguing over these bans?
IACONANGELO: Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think the chief way in which it's become politicized is really the state level. It's, you know, through these preemption laws. There have been a number of cities - New York City is not the first outside of California to pass a gas ban, but it is by far the biggest. And I think 20 states now, which are generally conservative-led, Republican-led - those are the ones which are keeping cities from enacting these kinds of policies.
PERALTA: But look. New York City, obviously, is huge. Do you think there will be ripple effects to their ban?
IACONANGELO: Yeah. Yeah. I think it will in one respect, which is changes on the market for electric technologies that are used to decarbonize buildings. The idea here is that if you decarbonize in a big swath of New York City's buildings, those buildings have to buy those electric technologies and so the cost, over time, comes down. Those technologies become more efficient. That could encourage other cities or states or jurisdictions to adopt rules like this because, you know, it'll be easier for them to do it, less costly.
PERALTA: That's David Iaconangelo with E&E News. Thanks for joining us.
IACONANGELO: Thanks for having me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Bone Loss in the Jaw
The jawbone is an essential part of your face. It provides structure to your facial features and allows you to chew and speak properly. When you experience bone loss in the jaw, it can affect numerous other aspects of your oral and overall health. Atrophy in the jaw can stem from a variety of causes, including tooth loss, gum disease, and certain medical conditions. Left untreated, jawbone loss can result in issues with your remaining teeth, collapse or distortion of facial features, and a range of other concerns. The most common treatment for jawbone atrophy is a dental bone graft. If you are concerned about potential bone loss in your jaw, speak to your dentist right away. They can recommend the best treatment route for you.
Signs of Dental Bone Loss
Many patients with periodontal disease or missing teeth will experience bone loss in their jaw as a result. In general, the process is gradual and you may not immediately notice that your jawbone is atrophying. The most effective way to diagnose tissue loss in your jaw is to visit your dentist. They can use x-rays and cone beam imaging to assess the density of your jaw and determine if you need treatment.
While the most common causes are tooth loss and gum disease, a range of other issues can lead to tissue loss in your jaw.
Certain changes in your facial features and bite can indicate jawbone loss. When tissue volume decrease in your jaw, you may notice that your mouth seems to collapse into your face, your chin becomes more pointed, or wrinkles begin to form around the mouth. In addition, denture-wearers often experience changes in the fit and comfort of their restorations due to bone loss. Your teeth may also begin to shift forward in your mouth.
What Causes Bone Loss in the Jaw?
Jawbone loss can stem from many causes. While the most common causes are tooth loss and gum disease, a range of other issues can lead to tissue loss in your jaw. For example, smoking can affect the density of bone in all areas of the body, including the jaw.
Missing Teeth
Your teeth help maintain the natural height and thickness of your jawbone. The section of bone surrounding the roots of your teeth is known as the alveolar bone. Throughout your daily life, the roots stimulate this section of the bone, indicating to the brain that resources are necessary in a particular area of the jaw. Based on this stimulation, the body sends calcium and other nutrients to the jaw, encouraging continued bone growth.
When a tooth is extracted or lost due to trauma, there are no longer roots to stimulate the alveolar bone. Over time, the body stops sending resources to the area where the tooth was and that section of the jaw will slowly deteriorate. The longer missing teeth are left untreated, the more tissue is lost until the bone beneath neighboring teeth is affected, which can cause further tooth loss.
Periodontal Disease
Chronic infection in the gum tissue, known as periodontal disease, affects tooth-supporting structures, such as the alveolar bone and other ligaments. In advanced stages, the bacteria associated with periodontal disease begins to eat away at supporting gum and bone tissue, causing tooth loss and bone loss in the jaw.
Since many of the symptoms of gum disease are painless, this condition often goes unnoticed for long periods of time. When periodontal disease is left untreated, it can cause serious damage to the strength and stability of your jaw.
Dentures and Bridgework
Traditional methods of replacing lost teeth include dentures and dental bridges. These restorations can replace missing teeth to create a more natural smile and improve your ability to eat and speak naturally. However, dentures and bridges do not protect your jaw against bone loss.
Bridges consist of artificial teeth supported by dental crowns. Since the crowns are placed over natural teeth, the jawbone beneath these teeth remains in tact. Unfortunately, the areas of jaw where teeth were lost will continue to lose tissue.
Dentures, on the other hand, can actually exacerbate jawbone loss. Traditional full dentures rest directly on the gum tissues without support from teeth or dental implants. They do not provide sufficient stimulation to prevent tissue deterioration. In addition, dentures tend to shift against the gum tissue and rub. Over time, this process can speed the loss of tissue in the jaw.
Medical Conditions
Certain medical conditions increase your likelihood of jawbone atrophy. Osteoporosis, a conditions which causes the bones to become weak and brittle, can affect the jaw and lead to deterioration of the tissue. Paget's disease of bone (PDB), a disease that disrupts the natural replacement of old bone tissue with new, and osteomyelitis, a type of inflammation of the bone caused by infection, can lead to dental bone loss. Tumors are another common cause of jawbone deterioration.
Injury to the jaw and trauma to teeth are also associated with bone loss. If a tooth is knocked out or broken, bone stimulation to the jaw stops, leading to tissue deterioration. In addition, jaw fractures or a history of trauma affecting certain teeth can cause tissue to die and lead to bone loss years after the initial injury.
Losing tissue in your jawbone can greatly affect your appearance as well as your oral health.
Abnormal physical forces and other misalignment issues can affect the ability of your teeth to grind and chew properly. In these situations, lack of opposing force limits the natural stimulation of the jaw leading to bone loss. Issues which can create abnormal force include problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), normal wear and tear to the surface of teeth, and crooked teeth.
Additional Causes
Infections, birth defects, and smoking are other causes which can lead to bone loss in the jaw. Certain prescription drugs, such as bisphosphonates, also affect the density and volume of the jawbone.
Consequences of Jawbone Loss
Losing tissue in your jawbone can greatly affect your appearance as well as your oral health. Significant jawbone loss can alter your facial features in several ways. When jawbone atrophy is left untreated for a long period of time, a condition known as facial collapse can occur.
In someone experiencing facial collapse, the mouth seems to fall backwards into the face. The chin becomes more pointed. Facial muscles weaken as well, leading to premature wrinkling around the mouth and a thinning of the lips. All of these changes work together to make you appear much older than your chronological age.
Jawbone loss can also affect the stability your remaining teeth and cause them to shift out of place. Other issues that can result from atrophy include:
- Headaches
- Facial and jaw pain
- Difficulty speaking and eating
- Inadequate nutrition
- Sinus expansion
In some cases, bone loss in the jaw can also limit your ability to undergo certain types of dental work, including dental implants. Dental implants are small titanium posts embedded into the jawbone to support a range of restoration types, including crowns and dentures. They are the most effective method for restoring missing teeth. However, implants rely on surrounding bone tissue for support. If you have lost significant amounts of tissue in the jaw, you may not qualify for dental implants.
Treating Dental Bone Loss
The most common and effective method for restoring lost jawbone tissue is bone grafting. During a dental bone graft, your dentist or surgeon replaces lost tissue with grafting material. Over a few months, your body absorbs the material and replaces it with healthy, natural tissue, restoring the density and volume of your jaw. A bone graft can use your own bone, donor bone, or synthetic grafting material.
There have been some studies into alternative treatment for jawbone loss. In some cases, researchers have experienced success with a drug for osteoporosis known as teriparatide. Studies into this drug are still ongoing.
How to Prevent Jawbone Loss
There are certain treatment options available to help prevent your jawbone from deteriorating. By taking action early, you can avoid the need for bone grafts and other expensive procedures in the future.
Avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help protect both your overall health and the health of your jaw.
Dental Implants
The most effective tooth replacement solution is dental implants. These small titanium posts mimic the qualities of a natural tooth root and provide necessary stimulation to your jawbone. By stimulating the surrounding tissue, the implants encourage your brain to send resources to the jaw and maintain the strength and stability of your jaw.
Socket Preservation Grafts
If you are undergoing a tooth extraction and do not qualify for immediate placement of a dental implant, a socket preservation graft can help prevent tissue loss in the area. This type of graft is performed at the same time as an extraction. Your dentist can pack the socket left by the removed tooth with grafting material, encouraging your body to continue providing resources to this section of your jaw.
Lifestyles Changes
As with any other bone in your body, your jaw requires certain nutrients. Bones need calcium, vitamin D, protein, and phosphorus, as well as other essential nutrients. Eating a well-balanced diet and plenty of whole fruits and vegetables can increase bone health. If you are not receiving the necessary nutrients from your food, daily supplements can help.
Smoking and tobacco use are detrimental for bone health. Avoiding smoking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help protect both your overall health and the health of your jaw.